Granville psychologist uses new technologies
GRANVILLE – Dr. Brian Barkett will never forget the encounter that changed his life and his psychology practice forever.
He was attending a conference on linguistic programming in 1999 when a presenter asked for a volunteer to demonstrate how Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy worked. EMDR uses a patient’s rapid eye movements to weaken the effect of emotionally charged memories of past traumatic events.
Barkett had never come across EMDR in his practice and was curious, so he raised his hand to volunteer. It so happened that he had been experiencing a personal problem as a result of a traumatic event between a close friend who had betrayed him.
He was asked to think about the traumatic event while tracking a series of lights with his eyes. After 15 to 20 minutes, Barkett said, the negative feelings he had were no longer there.
Barkett couldn’t believe it. He decided to get trained in the therapy and began offering it to his patients in hopes it could be as life-changing for them as it was for him.
“Most problems come from an overreaction and exaggeration of fear and threat. Once you realize the threat is in the past, those traumatic memories will fade and your brain will no longer send the alert,” Barkett said.
EMDR therapy helps patients do just that.
Barkett initially graduated college with a degree in history but decided to go back to school to study psychology. He took a few courses at Ohio State University and then transferred to Xavier University, where he received a clinical master’s degree in psychology. Barkett later attended Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky, to obtain his doctorate.
Barkett spent the first 12 years of his career practicing traditional therapies, but EMDR has revolutionized his practice for the better, he said.
Although it is still a fairly new type of therapy, Barkett has seen the positive effects it has not only on himself but also his patients, and he thinks it will soon be a mainstream form of psychotherapy.
He also uses a NeurOptimal machine to perform EEG neurofeedback. The machine looks for instabilities within the electromagnetic fields in a patient’s brains and helps stabilize them in real time.
Studies have shown that traditional talk therapies can be extremely effective in treating mental health problems, but EMDR and neurofeedback can reach patients on a deeper level and treat them much quicker, Barkett said.
“When people come to me, they just want something that works. This isn’t some miracle cure, but it gets results,” he said.
Carla McCarthy first met Barkett when the two became neighbors. She was feeling an increase in stress in her life and had been having trouble sleeping, so she reached out to Barkett to see whether he could help.
He recommended the NeurOptimal, and although she was skeptical at first, McCarthy signed up for six sessions. Soon after she started, McCarthy began noticing subtle changes in the way she was responding to stress and was sleeping more soundly.
“I felt like there was this barrier to get to that overreaction,” she said.
She has since begun working with Barkett as a practice development assistant and will begin training for neurofeedback certification soon.
Barkett loves the work he does every day. Helping people move past their traumas and retrain their minds to better respond to stress and anxiety has been very rewarding, he said.
“When you change someone’s life, it’s really cool,” Barkett said. “Especially when it’s someone older who thought their life would never change. It’s so fulfilling.”
emaddern@newarkadvocate.com
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Twitter: @emmaddern
About This Series
“Aces of Trades” is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs — whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at advocate@newarkadvocate.com or 740-328-8821.
Better Minds Group
Dr. Brian Barkett uses non-drug brain training technologies to help treat patients for anxiety, depression and other problems. His office is at 941 River Road, Suite B, in Granville. For more information, call 740-404-9588.