One of my favorite parts of We Are Local is discovering businesses that many people drive past every day without realizing the incredible work happening inside. That was exactly my experience when I spent time with Adria Strable at Great Falls Health and Wellness. I knew Adria through CAB, but I had no idea everything she and her team were doing until I sat down, asked questions, and watched some of the technology in action. I walked away impressed.
Great Falls Health and Wellness isn’t focused on just one symptom or one diagnosis. They look at the whole person. That means understanding how the brain, body, nutrition, hormones, sleep, stress, and overall health all work together. For Adria, this isn’t just a career—it’s personal.
A Personal Journey That Became a Passion
Adria’s interest in neurofeedback started years ago when her husband struggled with ADHD. Friends introduced them to neurofeedback, and the results surprised them.
“He went from finishing one file a day to getting six or eight done,” she told me. “It was night and day.”
A few years later, one of their daughters survived a serious car accident. Although she recovered physically, she was dealing with trauma and the effects of a traumatic brain injury. That experience sent Adria searching for answers, eventually leading her to the NCenter in Bozeman, a team that has specialized in brain mapping and neurofeedback for more than 15 years.
Today, Great Falls Health and Wellness brings those services closer to home. Adria performs the brain mapping here in Great Falls while specialists at the NCenter analyze the results and create personalized treatment plans. For many families, that means they no longer have to travel across the state just to begin the process.
What Is Neurofeedback?
I’ll admit it—I had a lot of questions.
The easiest way I can explain neurofeedback is that it helps the brain learn healthier patterns. Some treatments gently stimulate specific parts of the brain that need support, while others actually train the brain through interactive feedback. Patients may watch a movie or play a simple game. When the brain produces the desired brainwave activity, everything keeps playing normally. If it doesn’t, the screen dims or pauses until the brain adjusts.
Adria compared it to giving your brain a workout. She encourages patients to arrive well-fed and hydrated because, even though they’re sitting quietly in a chair, their brain is working hard during each session. Most people don’t feel much besides the weight of the electrodes, and treatments begin slowly while the brain adapts.
“This isn’t just based on symptoms,” she explained. “We actually get to see what the brain is doing.”
The Body Remembers
One part of our conversation really stuck with me. Adria talked about how our bodies remember trauma. It might come from childhood, military service, an accident, or another difficult experience. Even years later, certain situations can trigger those same physical responses.
“The body doesn’t forget,” she said.
That idea hit home for me. After returning from Iraq in 2006, I spent nearly a year learning how to walk and speak normally again after suffering neurological damage. Eventually, doctors diagnosed me with episodic ataxia. Even today, I still experience episodes where my brain doesn’t send the right signals to my hands, feet, or speech.
Talking with Adria reminded me that many people are carrying invisible challenges. You’d never know by looking at them, which is why understanding the brain is becoming such an important part of healthcare.
Knowledge Creates Better Decisions
As impressive as neurofeedback was, it’s only one piece of what Great Falls Health and Wellness offers. They also provide primary care, weight management, hormone support, nutritional guidance, and body composition testing.
One piece of equipment especially caught my attention. Instead of simply showing your weight, it measures muscle mass, body fat, hydration, visceral fat, bone mass, and even your metabolic age. That’s real information people can use to make better decisions.
Adria believes education is one of the most powerful tools in healthcare, and I couldn’t agree more. Most of us know we should eat better, exercise more, and get more sleep. The problem is that we usually don’t make changes until something happens.
That recently happened to me. Routine blood work showed my A1C had reached the diabetic range. I felt fine, but seeing those numbers changed everything. Since then, I’ve changed how I eat, lost about fifteen pounds, and started paying much closer attention to my health. Sometimes we simply need the information before we’re willing to act.
Caring for the Whole Body
Great Falls Health and Wellness goes well beyond traditional primary care. The clinic also offers testing for inflammation, omega levels, glucose monitoring, hormones, peptides, and other wellness services. They provide Suboxone therapy, recovery support, and CPR certification for individuals and organizations.
As we talked, my mind immediately went to CAB. I thought, What a great opportunity to offer CPR certification to our members. That’s one reason I enjoy visiting local businesses. One conversation often turns into several new ideas.
Expanding Through New Services
The practice has also expanded into laser treatments, including permanent hair removal, skin resurfacing, scar reduction, tattoo removal, stretch mark treatments, and cosmetic skin procedures. Adria is also preparing to introduce a pain laser that may help people dealing with chronic pain or injuries.
We also talked honestly about healthcare. Insurance payments don’t always cover the actual cost of providing care. Like many small businesses, Great Falls Health and Wellness continues looking for ways to serve patients while building a financially healthy practice. Offering cash-pay services helps create that balance.
Why I Wanted to Tell This Story
Every time I sit down with a local business owner, I learn something new. Before meeting with Adria, I had heard about neurofeedback but never realized it was available right here in Great Falls. I also appreciated how open she was about the realities of running a small healthcare practice.
Like so many local businesses, they aren’t just trying to help people. They’re also working hard to make sure people know they’re there. That’s where We Are Local comes in. We believe every business has a story worth telling, and every story helps strengthen our community.
More Than a Healthcare Provider
I left Great Falls Health and Wellness with a better understanding of my own health, a few new questions for my doctors, and a genuine appreciation for what Adria and her team are building. They’ve created a place where people can ask questions, learn more about their health, and explore options they may not have known existed.
That’s good for Great Falls, and it’s exactly why We Are Local exists—to introduce you to the people, businesses, and organizations working every day to make our community stronger.
Know a local business with a story worth telling? We’d love to hear it. At We Are Local, we’re connecting our community one story at a time.
About the Author
Jayson Olthoff is the founder of We Are Local, a community publication dedicated to highlighting the businesses, people, nonprofits, and stories that make Montana communities stronger. His mission is simple: building stronger communities by connecting people through relationships and local stories.
I love doing these stories and showcasing local businesses.
Thanks, Jayson! It was great talking with you and hearing your story as well.
You are welcome. Looking forward to seeing your business grow in Great Falls.