With wires stuck to his head and a stuffed toy monkey in his arms, Brian McCoy heaved a deep breath as he settled into a reclining chair at South Metro Fire Rescue’s headquarters in Centennial.
He slipped on headphones, put up his feet and watched as a TV screen played scenes from under the sea: dolphins twirling, seaweed swirling, sharks prowling.
Behind him, neurofeedback clinician and therapist Gabi Whitmer tracked his brain activity.
When McCoy’s brain calmed, the music in his headphones got louder, the image on the screen got bigger and the monkey vibrated — positive feedback that, over time, helps his brain relearn how to react to stimulation, which in turn helps relieve McCoy’s symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma and burnout.