On the Life and Mission of Sue Othmer
February 1, 1944 to February 3, 2023 Susan FitzGerald Othmer died on February 3rd after three years of decline with Parkinson's disease and Lewy Body dementia. Sue was in her 38th year of pioneering involvement with neurofeedback protocol development, clinical service delivery, and professional training. Sue remained actively engaged with the neurofeedback, and personally benefited from the training, until a traumatic brain injury incurred during a fall, precipitating her rapid terminal decline. An encomium to Sue Othmer's remarkable life can be found here: Read more

FORMAL EDUCATION
1989 - 1991
Biofeedback Institute of Los Angeles
California Graduate Institute - Los Angeles, California
Includes course work in biofeedback theory and practice and cognitive behavior therapy.

1970 - 1971
UCLA Brain Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA
Continued Ph.D. thesis work.

1966 - 1970
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY - Ph.D. Candidate
Neurobiology and Behavior with minors in Biochemistry and Physical Biology.

1962 - 1966
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY - B.A.
Physics, magna cum laude and with distinction in all subjects.
Selected to Phi Beta Kappa.

 

OCCUPATIONAL HISTORY
2002 - present
Clinical Director, EEG Institute

1999 - 2002
Director of Clinical Research and Development, EEG Spectrum Institute

1988 - 1999
Clinical Director, EEG Spectrum Institute

 

CERTIFICATION
Board Certified in Neurofeedback, Senior Fellow
Biofeedback Certification International Alliance
#E1075 1996 - present

 

PUBLICATIONS
The Evolution of a Trauma Protocol Over a Quarter Century (2021)
Siegfried Othmer and Susan F. Othmer
March 2021

Development of the Othmer Method of Neurofeedback (2017)
Siegfried Othmer and Susan F. Othmer
June 2017, DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.31226.90562

Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback for Optimum Performance
Siegfried Othmer and Susan F. Othmer
Biofeedback, 44(2), pp. 81-89 (2016) DOI: 10.5298/1081-5937-44.2.07

Infra-Low-Frequency Neurofeedback for Optimum Performance (2016)
Siegfried Othmer and Susan F. Othmer
June 2016 Biofeedback 44(2):81-89, DOI:10.5298/1081-5937-44.2.07

The Growing Role of Neurofeedback in Integrative Medicine
Siegfried Othmer and Susan F. Othmer
Townsend Letter, November 2015, pp.67-73

Endogenous Neuromodulation at Infra-Low Frequencies
Siegfried Othmer, Susan F. Othmer, David A. Kaiser, John Putman
Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, 20(4): 246-260 (2013)

Clinical Neurofeedback: Case Studies, Proposed Mechanism, and Implications for Pediatric Neurology Practice
Stella B. Legarda, Doreen McMahon, Siegfried Othmer, and Sue Othmer
Journal of Child Neurology,(26)8:1045-1051 (2011)

Clinical Neurofeedback: Training Brain Behavior
Siegfried Othmer, Sue Othmer, and Stella Legarda
Treatment Strategies - Pediatric Neurology and Psychiatry, 2(1):67-73 (2011)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - The Neurofeedback Remedy
Siegfried Othmer, PhD, and Susan F. Othmer, BA
Biofeedback Magazine, Volume 37, Issue 1, pp. 24-31 (2009)

TOVA Results Following Inter-Hemispheric Bipolar Training
J.A. Putman, S.F. Othmer, S. Othmer, and V.E. Pollock, J
Journal of Neurotherapy, 9(1), 27-36 (2005)

Interhemispheric EEG Training
Journal of Neurotherapy, Vol. 9(2) 2005

Biofeedback Society of California Newsletter articles on EEG biofeedback:
Spring 1999 - "Brain Waves and Brain States"
Summer 1999 - "Regulation of Sleep States"
Fall 1999 - "Many Faces of Depression"
Winter 2000 - "Right Side Training for Social Emotional Deficits"
Spring 2000 - "Headache"
Summer 2000 - "Training Non-verbal Clients"
Winter 2001 - "Pain and Suffering"
Spring 2001 - "Finding a Common Language"

EEG Biofeedback Training for Attention Deficit Disorder: A Review of Recent Clinical Controlled Studies and Clinical Findings
Siegfried Othmer, Ph.D., Susan F. Othmer, B.A., CNP, and David A. Kaiser, Ph.D.
Journal of the Biofeedback Society of California, October 1995.

EEG Biofeedback Training for Attention Deficit Disorder, Specific Learning Disabilities, and Associated Conduct Problems
Siegfried Othmer, Ph.D., Susan F. Othmer, B.A., CNP, and Clifford S. Marks, Ph.D.
Journal of the Biofeedback Society of California, September 1991.

 

BOOK CHAPTERS
Toward a Theory of Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback (2020)
Siegfried Othmer and Susan F. Othmer
Restoring the Brain (pp.56-79), February 2020, DOI:10.4324/9780429275760-3

Toward a Frequency-based Theory of Neurofeedback (2017)
Siegfried Othmer and Susan F. Othmer
Rhythmic Stimulation Procedures in Neuromodulation (pp.225-278), December 2017, DOI:10.1016/B978-0-12-803726-3.00008-0

Performance Enhancement Applications of Neurofeedback
Siegfried Othmer and Susan F. Othmer
Case studies in applied psychophysiology: Neurofeedback and biofeedback treatments for advances in human performance, W. A. Edmonds, & G. Tenenbaum (editors), Wiley-Blackwell, West Sussex, UK, 2011, pp. 17-30.

Neurofeedback for the Autism Spectrum
Siegfried and Susan F. Othmer
Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism, 2011-2012, Ken Siri and Tony Lyons, Editors, Skyhorse Publishing, 2011, pp 262-267

Interhemispheric EEG Training: Clinical Experience and Conceptual Models
Susan F. Othmer and Siegfried Othmer
Chapter 5 in Handbook of Neurofeedback, Dynamics and Clinical Applications, James R. Evans, Ed., The Haworth Medical Press, New York, p.109-136 (2007)

Efficacy of Neurofeedback for Pain Management
Siegfried Othmer and Susan F. Othmer
Chapter 50 in Weiner's Pain Management, Seventh Edition: A Practical Guide for Clinicians, edited by Mark V. Boswell and B. Eliot Cole; Taylor and Francis, Boca Raton, Florida, p. 719-739 (2005)

EEG Biofeedback: Training for AD/HD and Related Disruptive Behavior Disorders
Siegfried Othmer, Susan F. Othmer, and David A. Kaiser
In Understanding, Diagnosing, and Treating AD/HD in Children and Adolescents: An Integrative Approach, edited by James A. Incorvaia, Bonnie S. Mark, Donald Tessmer, Chapter 10, Jason Aronson Inc., 1999.

EEG Biofeedback: An Emerging Model for its Global Efficacy
Siegfried Othmer, Susan F. Othmer, and David A. Kaiser
In Introduction to Quantitative EEG and Neurofeedback, edited by James R. Evans and Andrew Abarbanel, Academic Press, San Diego, 1999.

 

PRESENTATIONS (partial listing)
"Integrating Neurofeedback into Psychotherapy: A Therapeutic Technology for the 21st Century"
Psychotherapy Networker Conference
Washington, DC, March 2016

"In Conversation with the Brain: The Evolving Theory and Practice of Neurofeedback from Operant Conditioning to Self-Regulation"
Biofeedback Society of California Annual Conference keynote presentation, Costa Mesa, CA
November 2015

"Expectation, Observation, and Understanding; Development of a Clinical Model of Neurofeedback"
ISNR Annual Conference invited presentation, Denver, CO
September 2005

"Neurofeedback for the Bipolar Child"
Futurehealth Winter Brain Conference, Palm Springs, CA
February 2005

"The Role of Neurofeedback in Pain Management"
American Academy of Pain Management 14th Annual Clinical Meeting, Denver, CO
September 2003

"General and Specific Effects of EEG Training"
Biofeedback Society of California Conference, Monterey, CA
November 2002

"EEG Biofeedback and Seizure Control"
Alternative Therapies for Special Kids Conference, Boston, MA
May 2002

"Promoting Physiological Self-Regulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder"
Infant Mental Health Symposium, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
April 2002

"Frontal Lobe EEG Training: Optimizing Organization and Control of Brain Function"
Future Health Winter Brain Conference, Miami Beach, FL
February 2002

"Interhemispheric EEG Training: Theory and Application"
Future Health Winter Brain Conference, Miami Beach, FL
February 2002

"EEG Training to Enhance Stability of Brain Function: A New Alternative to QEEG-driven Training"
Future Health Winter Brain Conference, Miami Beach, FL
February 2001

"An Arousal and Stability Model of Brain Disregulation"
Future Health Winter Brain Conference, Palm Springs, CA
February 2001

"Recovering Social-Emotional Connectedness with Neurofeedback Training"
Autism Society of America Conference, Long Beach, CA
November 2000

"Cortical EEG Training and the Descending Modulation of Pain"
Biofeedback Society of California Conference, Monterey, CA
November 2000

"The Hijacked Brain: Subcortical Survival Mechanisms and Alpha-Theta Training"
Future Health Winter Brain Conference, Palm Springs, CA
February 1999

"EEG Biofeedback: Its Application to Affective Disorders"
Biofeedback Society of California Conference, Monterey, CA
November 1998

"EEG Biofeedback: An Update of the Clinical Model"
EEG Spectrum Annual Clinical Interchange Conference
October 1994-2002

"EEG Biofeedback Training for PMS"
Society for the Study of Neuronal Regulation Conference, Las Vegas, NV
May 1994

"EEG Biofeedback for Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke"
Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback Conference, Los Angeles
March 1993