San Diego, CA 92121   BCIA-Certified · Serving San Diego since 2009

San Diego · Non-Invasive · Drug-Free

QEEG Brain Mapping in San Diego

Quantitative EEG (qEEG) brain mapping is a non-invasive procedure that creates a detailed picture of your brain’s electrical activity — the foundation for personalized neurofeedback therapy at Healthy Within.
Painless, medication-free, and read personally by psychologist & neuroscientist Dr. Divya Kakaiya. Serving San Diego since 2009.
Healthy Within does not diagnose medical conditions. We are a non-medical, non-invasive, drug-free neurofeedback program for adults and children.
1.5 hrs
In-office session
20
Sensor channels
5
Brainwave bands analyzed
2009
Serving San Diego since
The Basics

What Is QEEG Brain Mapping?

Quantitative EEG (qEEG) brain mapping is a non-invasive procedure that records your brain’s electrical activity. Small sensors on the scalp measure your brainwaves while you sit comfortably — nothing enters the body and nothing is felt.
Your recording is compared against a large database of healthy brains to produce a color-coded brain map that highlights regions running too fast, too slow, or out of sync. That map becomes the blueprint for a neurofeedback training plan built specifically for your brain.
It’s the same quantitative EEG approach used in clinics and research worldwide — brought to San Diego and interpreted personally by Dr. Divya Kakaiya.
QEEG brain map showing brainwave activity patterns
How Brain Mapping Works

Brain Mapping Explained

A quick look at how a qEEG brain map is recorded and what those brainwaves reveal.

Part 1 · What the brain map measures

See how the recording captures your brainwaves.

Part 2 · Reading your results

How your color-coded map guides your plan.
Want to dive deeper into the science behind brain mapping?
Explore our bibliography of neurofeedback research, compiled by Cynthia Kerson, PhD, QEEGD, BCN, BCB.
What Brain Mapping Can Inform

Concerns Brain Mapping Often Helps Address

A qEEG map gives Dr. Kakaiya an objective starting point for training plans across a range of concerns. Explore the areas we work with.
Neurofeedback therapy for ADHD in San Diego – child focusing during brain training

ADHD, Attention & Focus

Map the patterns behind distractibility and restlessness.
Learn more →
Neurofeedback therapy for anxiety in San Diego – calm woman during a neurofeedback session

Anxiety, PTSD & OCD

See the over-arousal that fuels worry and hypervigilance.
Learn more →
Neurofeedback for concussion and TBI recovery in San Diego

Concussion & TBI

Locate slow-wave activity left behind after head injury.
Learn more →
Neurofeedback therapy for depression in San Diego

Depression & Mood

Reveal asymmetries linked to low mood and motivation.
Learn more →
Neurofeedback for better sleep and insomnia relief in San Diego

Sleep & Memory

Understand the rhythms disrupting rest and recall.
Learn more →
QEEG brain mapping service at Healthy Within, San Diego

See All Services & Fees

Full list of what we map and treat, plus pricing.
Learn more →

Ready to see what your brain mapping procedure reveals?

Step by Step

How QEEG Brain Mapping Works at Healthy Within

Four simple steps from your first visit to a personalized training plan.
1
About 1.5 hours

Intake & EEG Recording

Your first session runs about 1.5 hours. We complete a brief intake, place a comfortable sensor cap, and record about 20 minutes of raw brainwave data — 10 minutes eyes closed, 10 eyes open — while you relax. Nothing is injected and nothing hurts.
2
Behind the scenes

EEG Analysis & Brain Map

Specialized software measures amplitude and frequency across cortical areas, filtering your recording into five brainwave bands (Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, Gamma) and comparing it to a normative database to build your color-coded qEEG brain map.
3
With Dr. Kakaiya

Findings & Personalized Protocol

In a dedicated follow-up session, Dr. Kakaiya presents your brain maps in plain language and lays out a neurofeedback protocol tailored to what the data shows.
4
Ongoing

Clinical Evaluation & Training

Dr. Kakaiya combines your map with a clinical evaluation so your neurofeedback training targets the right networks — and we re-map over time to track progress.
Before You Come In

How to Prepare for Your Brain Mapping Appointment in San Diego

A few easy steps ensure a clean recording so your map is accurate the first time.

No caffeine (15 hrs)

Skip coffee, tea, energy drinks, and chocolate for about 15 hours before.

No alcohol or cannabis (2 days)

Avoid alcohol and marijuana for two days before your appointment.

Hold OTC meds (2 days)

Pause over-the-counter meds for two days; take prescribed meds as usual unless told otherwise.

Clean, dry hair

Wash it product-free — no oils, gels, or sprays — and skip clips and accessories.

Rest & empty your bladder

Get a good night’s sleep and use the restroom before we set up the cap.

Comfort items

Wear comfortable clothing and bring a baseball cap for your hair afterward.
A complete preparation checklist is provided when you book. Not following prep may require re-recording.
Cost & Coverage

What Does a Brain Mapping Procedure Cost?

We keep pricing transparent and offer flexible ways to pay so your brain mapping procedure is accessible.

Brain Mapping Procedure + Results Session

Your qEEG recording plus a personalized results session where Dr. Kakaiya walks you through the findings and your training plan.
Or call 858-622-0221 for a quote.
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Insurance

Many clients use out-of-network benefits. We provide documentation to submit for possible reimbursement. Insurance details →
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CareCredit Financing

Spread the cost over time with CareCredit’s healthcare financing. Learn about CareCredit →
Dr. Divya Kakaiya, psychologist and neuroscientist, founder of Healthy Within San Diego
Your Clinician

Dr. Divya Kakaiya

Psychologist and neuroscientist, in practice since 1985 and offering neurofeedback since 2009. Dr. Kakaiya holds a postdoctoral M.S. in Psychopharmacology and is BCIA-certified in biofeedback. She personally reads every brain map and designs each training plan.
Psychologist & Neuroscientist  •  BCIA-Certified  •  Postdoc M.S. Psychopharmacology  •  Neurofeedback since 2009
I was not a believer in neurofeedback until my patients returned from neurofeedback under Dr. Kakaiya’s direction, and had been remarkably improved. Dr. Kakaiya is among the best psychotherapists in SD County, and one of the few to whom I refer my patients.
— Jane Tanaka, MD · Psychiatrist
Questions

QEEG Brain Mapping FAQ

The things people in San Diego ask us most before booking a brain mapping procedure.

A qEEG (quantitative EEG) brain map is a non-invasive recording of your brain’s electrical activity. Sensors on the scalp measure your brainwaves, and software compares them to a database of healthy brains to produce a color-coded map showing which areas are over- or under-active. That map guides a personalized neurofeedback plan.

Yes, it’s safe. QEEG only listens to the brain’s natural electrical activity — nothing is sent into the brain and nothing enters the body. Most people find sitting for the recording completely painless and relaxing.

The in-office recording takes about 20 minutes, and the full first session runs about 1.5 hours with intake and setup. Your personalized results are reviewed with Dr. Kakaiya at a separate follow-up session.

Pricing for the brain mapping procedure and results session is listed on our Fees & Services page — or call 858-622-0221 for a quote. We accept out-of-network insurance documentation and offer CareCredit financing to spread the cost.

QEEG is a well-established, research-backed method used in clinics and universities worldwide to study brainwave patterns. At Healthy Within it’s interpreted by Dr. Divya Kakaiya, a psychologist and neuroscientist. Note that we do not diagnose medical conditions — the map guides non-medical neurofeedback training.

It shows how fast or slow different regions of your brain are firing and how well they communicate — patterns often associated with attention, anxiety, sleep, mood, and recovery after concussion. It’s an objective starting point for a training plan rather than a medical diagnosis.

At Healthy Within, 5405 Morehouse Drive, Suite 230, San Diego, CA 92121. Call 858-622-0221 or book online to schedule your brain mapping procedure with Dr. Kakaiya.

Come with clean, dry hair; skip caffeine, alcohol, and cannabis before your visit; take medications as usual; sleep normally; and remove contacts and jewelry. A complete checklist is sent when you book.

Get Started

Schedule Your QEEG Brain Mapping Procedure in San Diego

See what your brain is doing — then train it. Schedule your brain mapping procedure with Dr. Kakaiya and get a plan built for you.
Healthy Within does not diagnose medical conditions. We are a non-medical, non-invasive, drug-free neurofeedback program for adults and children.