Wes Center, PhD, LPC-S, NCC, BCN Fellow
Dr. Wes Center is the President and Clinical Director of Brain & Behavior Associates and the Chief Science and Technology Officer for OCAT Neurotech, LLC. Wes is licensed by the State of Texas as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Board Approved Supervisor. Wes completed his undergraduate education at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, and then served on active duty in the U. S. Marine Corps for over 20 years, retiring with the rank of major. Among his many command and staff assignments overseas and in the US with the Marines, he served in the Gulf War 1990-1991 and is a combat veteran.
Dr. Center holds a Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Counseling, a Master of Arts in Christian Education, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology & Counseling from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has a doctoral minor in clinical psychology from Walden University.
Dr. Center is a national-certified counselor, a board-certified fellow in Neurofeedback, a BCIA-approved mentor, a certified Brain Health Coach, and a certified Amen Method Professional. Dr. Center has extensive experience in forensic quantitative EEG (qEEG) assessments, particularly in personal injury cases involving mild traumatic brain injuries and in criminal matters where qEEG and other neuroimaging methods can be used in mitigation and post-conviction relief.
Dr. Center also has extensive clinical experience working in outpatient and hospital-based psychiatric and substance abuse treatment facilities. He is also involved in supervising and mentoring beginning counselors, neurotherapists, brain health coaches, and professionals looking to add neuromodulation interventions to their existing practices. Dr. Center has post-doctoral training and clinical experience in qEEG-guided neurofeedback (qEEG-guided NFB), functional brain imaging, and brain electrical activity mapping.
Dr. Center remains actively engaged in teaching and research. He is also actively involved in promoting brain-based education among local schools through seminars and workshops for faculty, staff, and administrators. He is a member of the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics, International Society for Neuroregulation and Research, and the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance.
Presenting: “Making the Case for Life – Functional Neuroimaging’s Role in Death Penalty Mitigation & Post-Conviction Relief”
As of early 2024, there are approximately 2,241 prisoners on death row in the United States. Of these, around 2,079 have active death sentences, while the rest are facing retrials, resentencings, or appeals. The number has been declining gradually, reflecting a broader trend away from the death penalty across the country. California has the highest number of death row inmates, followed by Florida and Texas. Functional neuroimaging plays a critical role in the sentencing, post-conviction, and mitigation stages of capital defense proceedings, particularly in cases where the mental state of the defendant is central to the defense strategy. Because of its low cost, facility, portability, and ability to produce rapid and reliable results, qEEG is being offered into evidence to support claims of functional deficits of capital defendants. Dr. Center will cover the following topics for attendees to gain a more nuanced understanding of how qEEG and other functional imaging techniques (MEG, SPECT, PET, qMRI, and DTI) are being used in these cases relying on his personal experience in more than 35 capital cases where qEEG was offered in evidence.
Education Level: INTERMEDIATE
Content builds upon the learner's foundational knowledge, familiarity with the literature and/or experience in a content area. Programming at this level includes more depth than at a beginning level program. It could also serve as a refresher course for individuals who have a background in a content area and are interested in learning more contemporary applications. The primary goal of this particular program is to broaden the clinical, consultative, and research knowledge bases of attendees and was deemed intermediate, by the definition above. For those psychologists using the modality of biofeedback and interested in efficacy, science, and latest clinical applications. This conference presents research relevant to psychological practice, education, and science; (2) it is our intention to host an offering to help psychologists to keep up with the most current scientific evidence regarding assessment, intervention, and education; and (3) we believe that this program would allow psychologists to increase competencies to improve services to patients. This conference is IN NO WAY a substitute for the basic academic education and training needed for entry into the field of psychology.