Associates

Jenifer Martin

Jenifer earned her Bachelor of Science in biology at the University of Puget Sound, Washington, in 2008.

She initially sought out colon hydrotherapy to help herself deal with her own issues of Hashimoto's disease and constipation. "I can really understand what others are going through and how they feel because I have been there myself."

During college, Jenifer decided to learn colon hydrotherapy by apprenticing with a naturopathic doctor who used it. "That was a terrific laboratory for learning the importance of the communication between the practitioner and patient. Today, that experience makes me realize how important trust is, and how you can relay so much more information to people when there is a solid foundation of trust. People want help understanding – in a non-judgmental way – how they got in the condition they are in."

Jenifer earned her I-ACT certification March, 2007, and her GPACT certification in May, 2009. I-ACT is the International Association of Colonic Therapists, and GPACT is the Global Professional Association of Colonic Therapists. Certification requires 100 hours of study in the fields of anatomy, physiology, and nutrition. Jenifer went on to qualify as a mentor so she could teach others.

In 2010, Jenifer took over an existing practice and established her business, "Hydrology," within the Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine.

"I enjoy helping people learn how the digestive process works. Even if they come to lose weight, they leave with enough information to treat themselves better and understand how nutrition impacts their bowels, what is healthy and why. Sometimes people actually see that they are not chewing their food – and they had no idea. It makes my day to see the light bulb come on."

Stephanie Reese, PhD

Stephanie Reese is co-founder of BrainAdvantage, LLC, and Director of Training & Pilot Facility Manager.

She holds degrees in Radiology from Mount San Antonio College, a BS in Curriculum Development/Computer Animation, and a PhD in Cognitive Science through Union Institute & University. Her career has spanned diverse fields from twenty years as a Radiologic Technologist to educator, artist, and author of several books on computer graphics and animation.

Early in her career, she began research in the use of computers and technology to help children learn more effectively. Teaching in the Phoenix, AZ public school system for seven years convinced her, however, that she needed to shift her focus to developing effective non-drug intervention for children with ADHD. This led to the founding of BrainAdvantage™ as a means of providing an effective, accessible, and affordable alternative to attention deficit drugs.

The brain cannot be trained in a vacuum. It is simply part of a whole system which all contributes to the brain's health. Nutrition, allergies, micronutrients, sleep issues, and vision are just a few areas that should be addressed to get a complete picture of brain function. To be most effective, the integrated BrainAdvantage™ system uses the most effective scientifically based technologies available to enhance total brain performance.

The goal is to improve lives by providing an affordable and accessible alternative for adults and children suffering from focus and attention deficits as well as memory and cognitive decline from aging.

Steven Swerdfeger, PhD, CH

Steven Swerdfeger, PhD, CH, received his training in Hypnosis and Guided Imagery at the Edgar Cayce Association of Research & Enlightenment in Virginia Beach, where he studied with Dr. Allen S. Chips. Advanced training was also received from Dr. David Mullen of Bradenton, Florida, a clinical psychologist specializing in hypnosis; Dr. Robert Moore of Phoenix, Arizona; and Gerald F. Kein of the Omni Hypnosis Center in Deland, Florida.

Sessions are by appointment, with a telephone interview preceding the initial hypnosis session. Clients are frequently able to achieve their specific goals in one or two sessions. Work in the area of regression may occasionally require an extended number of sessions.

Hypnosis and Guided Imagery can be very healing in ways no other method can be. Sometimes we have unconscious mental blocks which either produce noticeable symptoms or act as unseen impediments to healing. They are at the level of the amygdala, which is the level below consciousness, and we are not aware of them until these things are brought up at least to the level of the hippocampus where sensory input from the body is related to the cortex in the forms of thoughts, feelings and emotions.

When something occurs which is so traumatic the conscious mind cannot deal with it, the information that comes into the amygdala, stays there and never comes up to consciousness. This is why people have buried symptoms.

The body's innate wisdom knows it needs to deal with these memories because they make the body sick. If it is an issue of powerlessness, for example, the symptoms may manifest in the abdomen. If a person was beaten as a child, the physical memory and resulting illness may be stored where the body was beaten.

Hypnosis and Guided Imagery can help us to access consciously these things that have been inaccessible. The body's innate wisdom also has a safety mechanism because it will not access anything which the conscious mind feels it cannot deal with.

Steven Swerdfeger has used Hypnosis and Guided Imagery to help people with phantom limb pain, anxiety and depression, phobias, and chronic pain. All of the preceding must be by medical referral. Hypnosis is also helpful in the elimination of recurrent and/or unwanted patterns, the enhancement of abilities, the management and reduction of stress, and it can be an important aid in the recovery from cancer.

Nancy Wigton, M.A., LPC, BCIA-EEG, QEEG-T

Nancy Wigton is an Arizona Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Neurofeedback Therapist. She has been in the counseling field since 1986, and established the Applied Neurotherapy Center in 2000 when she added QEEG-based Neurofeedback to her practice. She also has a B.S. in Business Administration with a Computer Information Systems emphasis. Nancy is certified at the Associate Fellow level for EEG Biofeedback from the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America (BCIA), and is also certified as a QEEG Technologist.

A Quantitative Electroencephalograph (QEEG), sometimes referred to as a "brain map," is a procedure where EEG (brainwave) data is gathered and then compared to an age-matched normative database. Information from a QEEG can then be used to see what areas of the brain may be functioning inefficiently, aid in developing individualized and comprehensive treatment protocols, or even assist a physician in determining the best medications or supplements to recommend for various mental health issues. A QEEG can also be performed at the end of a course of treatment to measure and visualize how much improvement has been gained.

Neurofeedback, also known as EEG (brainwave) biofeedback, is a form of therapy for enhancing brain function and promoting self-regulation. A computer is used to record electrical activity at the scalp and give immediate feedback (in the form of visual and/or auditory cues) about brainwave activity. This feedback is then used to help the individual produce brainwaves that support better concentration and emotional regulation. In many cases Neurofeedback can be a truly viable alternative to drugs in the treatment of Attention Deficit related issues, Anxiety and Depression related disorders, and Learning related issues.

Nancy has been able to incorporate some of the newest technologies currently available in the Neurofeedback field. This leads to being able to provide an extremely effective treatment in fewer sessions than traditional Neurofeedback has typically required. Nancy is a full-service Neurofeedback provider. She personally provides all levels of service in her practice; from the initial phone call, to the intake interview, to the QEEG data collection and initial assessments, to the analysis and review of the data, to protocol development, through the actual Neurofeedback sessions.

Nancy is available to assist you in determining if Neurofeedback is an appropriate treatment option and to further discuss your (or your loved one's) treatment needs.