What Is Brain Harmony?
Brain Harmony is a therapeutic program designed to address neurological challenges through home-based interventions. Founded by Carol Garner-Houston, a neurodevelopmental specialist and licensed occupational therapist, the program leverages neuroplastic tools to address various neurological conditions, Brain Harmony provides specialized equipment, such as listening devices and the AlphaStim device, along with comprehensive coaching and support for families. The program emphasizes reflex integration to build a solid foundation for physical and emotional development before progressing to advanced therapies like neurofeedback.
How Does Brain Harmony Work?
Brain Harmony employs a structured, pyramid model starting with foundational sensory-system integration, followed by reflex integration, and culminating in accelerated programs designed to facilitate progress. The core of Brain Harmony involves therapeutic coaching delivered online, allowing licensed therapists to guide and coach individuals in their home settings. The program uses a variety of neuroplastic tools and techniques, including:
- Integrated Listening Systems (ILS): Utilizes sound frequencies and vibrations to improve sensory and cognitive functions.
- Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP): A shorter listening program developed by Doctor Porges to restore safety to the body and accentuate social engagement.
- Alpha Stim devic: Uses cranial electrical stimulation to regulate the nervous system and manage anxiety or stress.
- Neurological lesson plans: Customized plans designed for individual or family use, aiming to integrate reflexive movements and address sensory issues.
- Bone-conduction headphones: Deliver sound frequencies through the skull to the brainstem, promoting cathartic neurological changes.
Which Health Conditions Can Brain Harmony Help With?
Brain Harmony is helpful in supporting a variety of neurological and developmental conditions, including:
- Trauma
- PTSD
- PANS/PANDAS
- Tic disorders
- Dysautonomia
- Speech and language conditions
What to Expect from Brain Harmony
Prospective clients start by taking a neurological quiz on the Brain Harmony website to determine their specific needs. Following the quiz, a detailed consultation call helps tailor the program to individual requirements.
For a monthly fee, clients gain access to equipment shipped to them including listening devices and an AlphaStim device. Brain Harmony devices can be rented and owned after a specified period, with options to return if they do not meet expectations. Licensed therapists provide online guidance, therapeutic coaching and neurological lesson plans for simple yet powerful reflex-integration exercises to enhance neurodevelopment. The program covers up to four family members.making treatments convenient and accessible for those at home. Brain Harmony offers regular assessments to track improvements and to make necessary adjustments.
Many clients report visible improvements within the first month. The program aims for lasting changes by targeting some of the root causes of chronic neurological health conditions. Brain Harmony’s holistic approach makes it a viable option for families seeking home-based neurological interventions.
About Maria Rickert Hong CHHC
Maria Rickert Hong is a Co-Founder of, and the Education and Media Director for, Documenting Hope.
She is a former sell-side Wall Street equity research analyst who covered the oil services sector at Salomon Smith Barney and Lehman Brothers under Institutional Investor #1 ranked analysts.
Later, she covered the gaming, lodging & leisure sector at Jefferies & Co. and Calyon Securities. She quit working on Wall Street when her first son was born.
Prior to working on Wall Street, she was a marketing specialist for Halliburton in New Orleans, where she also received her MBA in Finance & Strategy from Tulane University.
She is the author of the bestselling book Almost Autism: Recovering Children from Sensory Processing Disorder and the co-author of Brain Under Attack: A Resource for Parents and Caregivers of Children with PANS, PANDAS, and Autoimmune Encephalitis. She is a co-author of Reversal of Autism Symptoms among Dizygotic Twins through a Personalized Lifestyle and Environmental Modification Approach: A Case Report and Review of the Literature, J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(6), 641.
Maria is also a Certified Holistic Health Counselor. Her work can be found on DocumentingHope.com, Healing.DocumentingHope.com, Conference.DocumentingHope.com and MariaRickertHong.com
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Sources & References
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Resources
Books
Blomberg MD, Harald and Dempsey, Moira. Movements That Heal, Rhythmic Movement Training and Primitive Reflex Integration. Independenly published, 2011.
Brandes, Bonnie. The Symphony of Reflexes: Interventions for Human Development, Autism, ADHD, CP, and Other Neurological Disorders. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.
Doidge, Norman MD. The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science. Penguin Life, 2007.
Goddard Blythe, Sally. The Well Balanced Child: Movement and Early Learning. Hawthorn Press, 2005.
Goddard, Sally. Reflexes, Learning and Behavior, A Window Into the Child’s Mind. Fern Ridge Press, 2005.
Melillo, Robert. Disconnected Kids: The Groundbreaking Brain Balance Program for Children with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Neurological Disorders. Penguin Group, 2015.
Melillo, Robert. Reconnected Kids: Help Your Child Achieve Physical, Mental, and Emotional Balance. Penguin Group, 2015.
Products
Websites
Balance Brain Achievement Centers
Brain Harmony research and case studies
Brain Harmony success stories by condition
ILs research and supporting data
Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology
Integrated Listening System (ILS)
My Child Will Thrive: Primitive Reflexes Cheat Sheet
Quantum Reflex Integration with Bonnie Brandes webinar replay
