Introducing Suzanne Mark of Ashland Neurofeedback. Now celebrating their 8th year of practicing here in Southern Oregon, it’s been a very busy year for Suzanne. From continued education to expanding the scope of services now available to their clientele. In today’s interview I speak with Suzanne about her life and work here in Southern Oregon.
Suzanne, you are a regular contributor to our monthly magazine. Why do you choose to advertise with us and what do you enjoy most about sharing your monthly columns with the community?
LocalsGuide and your guidance have been instrumental to our ability to attune to the right people and vice versa. I most enjoy building community in this forum. I think the opportunity to provide small, useful nuggets and encouragement is what it is all about. People know how to make themselves happier and healthier, if they are asked the right questions. Also, we are excited about how you are moving the LocalsGuide in a new, more expanded, direction with more video content and live interviews.
Thank you very much for those kind words and thank you very much for the continued insight and value that you provide to our community.
Gosh, Shields, I am honored to work among so many visionary people in the Rogue Valley. It is very encouraging as we work together to serve people, so they can serve in their areas of choice. We are beyond grateful for our inspiring clients and colleagues that make life so rewarding and joyful. It is quite the love fest here!
Currently Ashland Neurofeedback offers a variety of different services. Can you please give us an overview of what you are assisting your clients with?
Yes, our services include IASIS Microcurrent Neurofeedback and individualized approaches that have helped many people experience muscle reeducation and relaxation. Dr. Daniel Sternberg provides psychological services for trauma as a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. I have a Health Coaching Certification through The Institute of Integrative Nutrition. This includes a bag of tricks and tools to help you feel your best and optimize your health. We also offer emotional releasing support and Bioflex Low Level Light Therapy. Many of these tools are included in our sessions. We recently added BEMER Pulsed Electromagnetic Field technology to our office. (See attached section). We find continual inspiration from our clients, who motivate us to find solutions that will help them realize a new outlook and improved vitality.
Suzanne, can you please tell us more about the BEMER technology you have brought into the office?
Yes! As you know, we use frequency-based therapies at Ashland Neurofeedback. The right frequencies can help knock us off a biological “set point” or stuck spot. These are places where we have lost resilience and flexibility and we are exhibiting undesired patterns. We advocate HORMESIS. This is skillful application of the least amount of stimulation possible to achieve a result. In simple terms, it is a “less is more approach.” A study at UCSD verified the loss of function vs. efficacy of IASIS Microcurrent Neurofeedback by MEG Brain Scan. So, to expand our offerings, we recently have added BEMER PEMF technology to our business. BEMER stands for Bio-Electromagnetic Energy Regulation.
BEMER is a powerful yet gentle, cutting-edge pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) based technology designed for both home or professional use to promote circulation in the smallest blood vessels (microcirculation.)
This is a powerful technology that has been very beneficial to us personally. Several of our colleagues in Ashland have added this to their practices as well. IASIS Microcurrent Neurofeedback and BEMER technology are FDA-approved, Class 2 Medical Devices.
How does BEMER work?
BEMER is designed to improve circulation thereby supporting the body’s natural self-regulating processes. Blood is the body’s universal means of transportation. Oxygen, nutrients, chemical messengers (e.g., hormones) and immune cells are all transported through our blood. When our body’s cells, tissues, and organs are adequately nourished and metabolic waste products are removed, our bodies maintain a healthy balance and function properly. The optimal regulation of circulation is a prerequisite for ensuring good levels of health and fitness.
What is unique about BEMER?
The uniqueness of BEMER lies in its patented signal and its configuration. The signal leads to scientifically grounded stimulation of the smallest vessels (microcirculation) supporting the circulatory system as a whole. No other biophysical modality in the world targets microcirculation in the way that BEMER does. The treatment can last as little as 8 minutes and the real mind blower is that the effects continue hours after the treatment is over. Ideally, it is used twice daily at home. We also have a rental machine that we offer to clients for a reasonable monthly rate.
Please talk about the work you are doing with trauma.
Dr. Daniel Sternberg works with EMDR and other approaches for trauma. I work with IASIS Microcurrent Neurofeedback and emotional release coaching and other tools to enable the brain to adjust itself. I am not treating the trauma, as Dr. Sternberg is, I am applying technologies so that the person can become self-aware at a core level and as that happens, they may experience various shifts. The two approaches complement each other and also can function as stand-alone. I am most interested in the confluence between improved mitochondrial function and the healing of trauma. Several therapies we use are known to improve mitochondrial function. One of the biggest benefits of IASIS MCN is that it is used on First Responders and Military.
What are examples of dysregulation that can exist within ourselves?
When someone is experiencing emotional dysregulation, they may be easily triggered, have angry outbursts, uncontrolled grief or sadness, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and other self-damaging habits or behaviors. Over time, this condition may interfere with quality of life, social interactions, and relationships at home, work, or school.
Dr. Sternberg and I have been learning and using Somatic Tools for nervous system wellness. This has been a revelation for us and very useful for our clients. There are three states of the nervous system. They are Sympathetic (fight, flight), Parasympathetic (calm aliveness), and Dorsal Vagal Freeze (collapse and shut down). When we are in the two “survival states” (Sympathetic and/or Dorsal Vagal Freeze), our nervous system is trying to take care of us as best it can. Most of us vacillate between these two states by becoming hyper-alert to respond to a threat or by shutting down to conserve energy. When we experience too much threat, too fast, or too little nurturing, peace, and calm for too long, we can go into the “freeze state.” As you can see, these states vary in their energy level and the degree of the felt sense of safety in the body.
The Dorsal Vagal Freeze happens when the threat seems so big, we can’t fight it, or that it has been going on for too long that we can’t keep up the fight. We give in or give up. This can feel like an emotional flatline, like “I don’t have the energy to care anymore.” Many people live in a state of chronic functional freeze, and no longer experience true joy. Many people are programmed to immediately go into shut-down mode after being triggered by a threat. This often looks like depression and fatigue.
Our ability to regulate is programmed from childhood. A true high performer learns to manage his nervous system, gently guiding it back and being able to maintain it in the middle parasympathetic state. Our tools, IASIS Microcurrent Neurofeedback, Somatic Experiencing, BEMER PEMF, etc., encourage this condition where we are fully present, calm, and yet very alive, open to learning, curious, creative, and connected. It is where we feel safe enough that our insecurities are not holding us back and we can truly thrive without even trying.
What impact is your work having on clients?
We have all sorts of positive feedback (see the testimonials below). Our mission is to create Optimal Brain Performance for a wide range of conditions including:
AnxietySuicidalityPTSDTBIAddictionInsomniaMigraineHeadacheAutoimmuneFibromyalgiaChronic FatigueADD/ADHDAutismEating DisorderParkinson’sLymePost StrokeLife “Stuckness”And many more…
“I believe in this technology as an effective tool to reduce symptoms such as PTSD, mTBI, migraine & headache, diminishing impulsivity & anxiety, & potentially helping with numerous other conditions such as addiction to smoking, improving memory & sleep.”
Mingxiong Huang Ph.D.
Professor/Research Scientist at UCSD
You mentioned working with ancestral trauma. How do you know if you have ancestral issues?
(Laughter) I am sure most of us do! Once I was at a two-week seminar in Belgium to learn ancestral clearing, I was working with a woman from Norway. With my inner vision, I saw a “flash” (almost like the aperture on an old camera) of a woman in furs and skins walking alone over a craggy, frozen landscape. When the session finished, I asked her about the woman. She said, “Oh, that was my great Grandmother. Her entire village died of a sickness, and she had to walk out by herself and start a new life.” Wow. One might extrapolate that there were inherited issues of survival and loss recorded in her biology. Also, of STRENGTH and TRIUMPH! There is a wonderful book, “It Didn’t Start With You, How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End The Cycle,” by Mark Wolynn. He explains it very well with compelling case histories. It is good to ask questions about possible family trauma as well as questions about conception to birth experience. Often things pop up and sometimes one needs to dig a bit. Many of these things can be cleared through simple acknowledgment of what they went through. There is an “unwinding” that occurs.
Suzanne, are you able to work both in person and remotely with people?
Yes, I have worked remotely since 1999. I love working remotely, as it allows us to cut to the chase without distractions. I have many tools that I can use in these sessions. My remote work focuses on releasing limiting feelings, thoughts and beliefs as well as working on patterns. I’m also able to formulate custom-blended Flower Essences for people ready to transform certain issues. They can work extremely well on psychospiritual and emotional issues like removal of core hopelessness, ability to receive abundance and prosperity, stress, self-esteem, and the ability to connect to the source of love.
Suzanne, when is the best time for an individual to come and work with you, and what questions should one be asking oneself?
The path to self-regulation and wholeness is one we walk together. The best time for new beginnings is NOW!
Several questions that can be helpful to ask oneself include:
What if my fear of failure is just thoughts (that can be released)?What if I could get out of my own way?How would it feel to experience more optimal function?Who would I be without my story of limitation?How would I feel if my nervous system was tuned up and taking care of me?
What I hear most from people is that they are yearning for a more optimal level of functioning or performance. They have tried different things that have been more or less effective, however, they feel that they need a deeper approach. Usually, something has triggered the desire for cleaning up old, unresolved experiences or patterns. The nervous system cries out for joy, wholeness, peace. The wisdom in your system knows that this is absolutely possible for you. It may not feel like it, but your inner wisdom knows. I am certainly not perfect, and I am also working on increasing the resiliency of my nervous system. Last year, I was in a Somatics course for practitioners (The Biology of Freeze and Overwhelm presented by Dr. Apigian), and we were sharing our “gains” at the end. I shared that I was so grateful to my beautiful nervous system for its ability to care for me so perfectly with just a bit of attention and encouragement. I felt more JOY and more PRESENCE. Dr. Apigian replied that I “got it,” because her intention when she was building the course was to help people experience a bit more presence and a bit more joy. As I deepen my own experience, I hope to help others do the same.
Where can our readers go to learn more about your work?
For a telephone consultation about your unique challenges and goals, please call Suzanne Mark at (541) 631-8757. For more testimonials and information about IASIS Microcurrent Neurofeedback, go to: microcurrentneurofeedback.com.
For more information about the BEMER Technology, go to: suzannemarkllc.bemergroup.com
Ashland Neurofeedback supports Golden Rule Reentry, a trauma-informed organization that supports the formerly incarcerated. We are a “Community Collaborator.” If you are looking for a way of volunteering and inspiring others to rebuild their lives, go to GoldenRuleReentry.org
RECENT INSPIRING TESTIMONIALS:
“I’d been feeling “flat” and unhappy for a while, finding it stressful and frustrating to deal with almost everything in life, even things I used to do with ease. I had a minor melt down with a dear friend. I was stunned, felt lost, and knew I needed help. I knew Suzanne Mark from her classes at OLLI and knew about Neurofeedback. She had me come in the next day and has been seeing me twice a week. I feel better and gain more insight with each treatment. A few days after my third treatment, I had an incredible emotional breakthrough around my father’s death when I was 9 and with it over 65 years of suppressed grief. It was painful, awakening and cathartic… a huge release of energy. I can’t describe the healing it brought me. Since then, I have felt more and more like my true Self, so much so that at my last appointment I walked in with my arms raised and shouted, “I’m alive!” Suzanne and IASIS Neurofeedback are a blessing in my life, and I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone who is struggling. It’s non-invasive, drug free, and enlightening. All it requires is your willingness to show up for yourself. Indeed, I have my life back.”
-Carolyn Kelly, Ashland
“My experience with IASIS Neurofeedback and Suzanne has been life altering in the most positive ways! The most impactful change is that, for the first time in many years, I am finally looking forward to being ALIVE again; it brings me to tears every time I reflect on how far I’ve come with Suzanne’s intentional, intuitive work. I am beyond grateful for her compassionate, knowledgeable, gifted self!! Bonus and unexpected side effects: lower sugar/food cravings, much better sleep, regulation of hormones. New beginnings. WOW!”
-M. Allen, Ashland
“Several years ago I was severely disabled by a stroke. I’ve been seeing an Osteopath as part of my recovery. He has helped me greatly but also, I have learned there are muscles that are ostensibly “dead,” that must come back for me to regain abilities. A friend recommended that I do IASIS Neurofeedback to see if it could help me with these “missing in action” muscles. I decided to give it a shot. After receiving targeted IASIS sessions, I went back to my Osteopath who said that my leg muscles were “alive” and engaged in a way now that I could use them and bring back abilities that had completely disappeared. I am very grateful for this profound change.”
-L.B., Ashland
“This summer, when I was suffering from a serious emotional episode of triggered past trauma, Suzanne and her IASIS Technology helped me tremendously! Between her skills with IASIS as well as a number of complementary modalities and her beautiful, loving heart, I have healed/re-patterned old wounds and recovered a better quality of life, sleep and peace of mind. I will be forever grateful for all she offered me.”
-Francesca R., Talent
“Suzanne is a true professional. From the first visit I felt seen. Her intuitive aptitude and release work were aligned with my instincts in each of the ten sessions. Together, we watched my progress especially in the areas of productivity and the ability to easily bounce back and move on from previous difficulties. Thank you, Suzanne, for your caring and nurturance.”
-Dorea Dawson, Ashland
“I have been dealing with difficulty in most areas of my life since I was a child, due to early trauma. I frequently couldn’t organize my brain and body to carry out the necessary actions. With IASIS, there have been many barriers lifted and life has opened a new path for me. I have tried many things over the years, and this technology is a true gift.” (Update: Bruce is now getting a degree to become a therapist!)
-Bruce L., Ashland
See more video testimonials at MicroCurrentNeurofeedback.com
“…alive, open to learning, curious, creative, and connected…”“… a better quality of life, sleep and peace of mind…”
