Are We Hurting Our Kids Without Even Realizing It? Dr. Will McKenna on Healing, Hope & the Power of Neurofeedback

This Real Brain Talk episode brings together Dr. Guy, Dr. Ken, and longtime BrainCore provider Dr. Will McKenna, a New York–based chiropractor whose heart for struggling kids has shaped more than a decade of life-changing work.

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Dr. Will shares raw, honest stories of teenagers battling anxiety, panic, OCD, and depression — and how neurofeedback has helped them reclaim hope, stability, and a sense of self they feared was slipping away.

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His blend of humor, compassion, and vulnerability reminds us that healing isn’t just a protocol… it’s a relationship, a safe space, and sometimes even a smile.

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Key Themes & Insights

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A Personal Journey That Sparked a Mission

Before becoming a neurofeedback provider, Dr. Will struggled with crippling panic attacks that made it impossible for him to fly or function confidently. His experience with brain-based therapies opened a door he didn’t expect — one that ultimately led him to BrainCore in 2010 as one of the earliest providers.

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What began as curiosity became a calling: helping kids and adults regulate their brains so they can reclaim their lives.

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When Traditional Approaches Fall Short

Dr. Will sees countless kids misdiagnosed, overmedicated, or treated only at the surface level. Many come in with “ADHD” labels, only for a brain map to reveal anxiety as the true source of their struggles.

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He explains gently:

• A stimulant won’t fix anxiety.
• Medication may stabilize symptoms, but it doesn’t retrain the brain.
• Neurofeedback addresses the root patterns behind emotional overwhelm.

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Families often arrive discouraged. They leave with answers — and more importantly, with hope.

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Stories That Reveal What Kids Are Carrying

One of the most moving moments in the episode is when Dr. Will reads a handwritten letter from a young boy whose OCD and intrusive thoughts once consumed him “40 to 50 times a minute.”

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After neurofeedback, he wrote:
“I went from a scared kid to a happy, peaceful kid… You guys are the angels.”

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His transformation wasn’t just clinical — it was life-saving.

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And he’s not alone. Dr. Will has helped teens return to school after shutdowns, break cycles of panic, overcome depression, and rebuild emotional resilience after years of struggle.

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Healing Begins With Safety — and Sometimes Laughter

Dr. Will’s office is intentionally warm: music playing, murals on the wall, jokes flowing freely. He believes healing begins with a smile — and his patients feel it.

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He laughs with them.
He cries with them.
And when needed, he shares his own story of surviving dark teenage years.

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Because when kids feel seen, they finally feel safe enough to heal.

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Neurofeedback as a Bridge, Not a Battle

Rather than rejecting medication outright, Dr. Will collaborates closely with pediatricians, psychiatrists, and school counselors. When neurofeedback begins working, he invites the prescribing doctor into the conversation.

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This partnership creates:

• safer treatment plans
• healthier tapering when appropriate
• empowered families

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The goal is never to fight medicine — but to give the brain a chance to learn, adapt, and thrive.

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A Rewarding Life of Changing Lives

Dr. Will openly shares that neurofeedback didn’t just revive his clinical passion — it saved his chiropractic practice.

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But far more meaningful to him are the moments that remind him why he does this work:

• the kid who finally made it through an entire school day
• the teen who got off medication
• the adult who learned to fly again
• the families who rediscover hope after years of fear

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“Where was that kid headed?” he asks after reading the letter.
Neurofeedback helped change that trajectory.

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Why This Episode Matters

Parents, practitioners, and teens themselves often feel lost in today’s mental-health landscape — unsure where to turn, exhausted by trial-and-error treatments, and overwhelmed by labels that don’t feel like answers.

This episode is a reminder that the brain is capable of healing, that change is possible, and that kids aren’t broken — they’re overloaded.

With compassion, science, and the right support system, they can find steady ground again.

And as Dr. Will shows so beautifully, sometimes all it takes is someone who believes in them before they believe in themselves.

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