What A Session Looks Like

Don't let this description confuse you.  Everything done during the hour is straightforward and is customized to the persons abilities.  Your trainer will customize the session for your needs.  Babies to seniors, anyone can do IM training. 

During the hour, the client is wearing headphones and may have a hand sensor on his/her hand or they may be doing exercises tapping a wireless foot sensor.  They will be shown an exercise and asked to keep the beat with the slow and steady metronome they hear through headphones.  If they are very young or unable to do this the trainer can assist (the brain doesn't know who is doing the movement). 

The exercises are simple, but to track with a steady and slow beat requires concentration and impulse control.  They sometimes are coming precisely because they don't have good concentration or impulse control, but that's not a problem.  The hour is filled with very short exercises and over time they increase in duration within the hour as the person learns how to hold their concentration.  The responses are instantaneously measured, using the extremely sensitive hand and foot sensors.  This occurs several times a minute and the results are displayed instantaneously on a computer screen throughout the session.  The technology can measure precision of movement to 1,000th of a second.

By responding to the visual information on the computer screen 54 times per minute, the brain is challenged to plan, sequence, and execute more effectively.  Distractions are soon introduced through the headphones.  The person learns to overcome the noise and sustain concentration for long periods of time.  As visual and auditory processing speed is improved, response times becomes faster, while over responses and under responses are smoothed out.  Rhythm, timing, and coordination, typically improve.

Improvements are typically seen in these areas:  Focus/concentration, impulse control (self-regulation), initiative, organization, gait, fine/gross motor, precision in movement, anxiety, confidence, sensory processing disorders, and visual and auditory processing speed.

I have had the opportunity to work with ADHD, memory issues, Lyme, Autism, Stroke, balance issues,  Traumatic Brain Injury, PTSD, anxiety, NLD and more.

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Researchers theorize that IM training resets the timing in the brain at the millisecond level and that syncing up the brain in this way improves communication between different networks.  Imagine listening to an orchestra and hearing some musicians playing too fast, while others are behind the beat.  It is difficult; it just isn't optimal when out of sync.  We know that rhythm and timing is a baseline brain function.  By re-establishing timing, other brain functions fall into place.  

We know it can impact the cerebellum, pre-frontal cortex, cingulate gyrus, and basal ganglia.  Changes can be identified by fMRI.  SPECT imaging has also been used to evaluate the brain pre- and post-IM training.

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"I had a wonderful experience with the Interactive Metronome therapy with Mary Schlesinger.  I was not aware of this form of therapy, but it worked for me.  I now listen more and I'm more prone to be empathic.  Before, I was always in a rush but now I take the time to smell the roses.  No longer overwhelmed by large projects, I'm able to see them through to the end with the least amount of anxiety.  A big shout of appreciation to Ms. Schlesinger.  I needed someone who was patient, understanding and compassionate.  She came through for me with flying colors."