About
Concierge Slow Medicine for Young Families in Issaquah
Slow medicine is a philosophy of care that emphasizes a deep understanding of the whole person – their physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual health – within the context of their family and community. It’s about slowing down to truly listen, observe, and collaborate with patients to develop personalized, holistic treatment plans.
For young families, slow medicine is a compassionate and empowering approach. It recognizes that each family is unique, with its own rhythms, challenges, and strengths. As a naturopathic doctor, I partner with families to uncover the root causes of health concerns, rather than just treating symptoms. This might involve exploring lifestyle factors, nutrition, environmental influences, and even family dynamics.
Here’s what slow medicine looks like in my practice:
Unhurried visits
Family-centered care
Focus on prevention
Integrative therapies
Collaboration
Dr. Jill Ghormley, ND, MAMS
Dr. Jill Ghormley is the first licensed deaf Naturopathic Doctor (ND) in the United States. Her passion is neurological function and nervous system management of all ages. Understanding the importance of the mother baby bond she focuses on both mom and baby in her approach to care for feeding coordination issues. Incorporating her extensive experience and research on the Vagus Nerve, facial and airway development, Primitive Reflex, and Pediatric Sacral Occipital Technique (PSOT) she helps children and adults come back to balance.
Using a slow medicine approach, she believes in treating the whole person and understands the nuances of working within the mother and baby duo.
Specialities
- Neurological function & Primitive Reflex testing
- Frenectomies with CO2 laser to address oral ties and facial development
- Pediatric Sacral Occipital Technique (PSOT)
- Feeding coordination & reflux in newborns
- Musculoskeletal dysfunction such as torticollis and plagiocephaly
- Naturopathic manipulative adjustments
- Complete post-injury musculoskeletal rehabilitation (including facial, TMJ, and sinuses)
- Pelvic floor rehabilitation
- Nasal Ballooning (Nasal Specific Technique)
Education, Awards & Volunteer work
- University of California, Berkeley, with honors
- Graduate degree in Biomedical Communications (Masters of Associated Medical Sciences), University of Illinois at Chicago
- Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine, Bastyr University, Seattle
- Advanced certification in Pediatric Sacral Occipital Technique (PSOT)
- The Leading Physicians of the World “Top Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine” award in 2016, 2018, and 2020
- VIS Award in 2019 for outstanding work in patient care and in teaching
- Volunteer medical work in Nepal, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Russia, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka for almost 20 years
Team
Britt Isbell, BSW, CLC
Growing up, there were two things Britt Isbell knew she wanted to do in life – work in the helping profession and become a mother. She obtained her degree in Social Work and worked as a chemical dependency counselor for several years before working with the aging adult population. She and her husband had their first child in 2016 and began trying for their second child in 2018 at which point they were shocked to receive a secondary infertility diagnosis. The road they traveled down to complete their family was fraught with countless unanswered questions, and the ever-winding road of IVF. They had beautiful gains and heartbreaking losses during that journey. The most beautiful gift from that trying time came when they had their rainbow baby in April 2020.
Breastfeeding her youngest was, unlike her first born, challenging. Given he was born at the beginning of the pandemic, in-person lactation visits were hard to come by. When Britt shared her concerns with a friend who is an Occupational Therapist, she said she believed he was suffering from oral dysfunction as a result of tongue ties. This is when she found Dr. Ghormley. Britt truly believes that Dr. Ghormley saved their feeding journey through her expertise of maxillofacial and oral motor functions, performing frenectomies and doing craniosacral therapy (CST).
In 2021, Britt’s career path took a significant shift, partially as a result of the pandemic and partially due to her struggles with infertility, loss, breastfeeding and postpartum anxiety/ depression opened up a new passion for her within the field of social work and counseling – working with moms and babies.
She loves working with moms and women to help them recognize their value as individuals and as mothers. Her desire is to create a community where fostering of support, education and empowerment for healing happens. She feels no matter what their journey to get to that place looks like, every step is an important and impactful way to celebrate all the little (and big!) victories to get there.
Susan is excited to be a part of the collaborative workings of Hands on Natural Medicine. Susan is a Registered Nurse with over 35 years experience in mom and baby health, including over 10 years as an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant. In the last 5 years she has become certified in Pre and Perinatal Somatic Psychology, helping families overcome pregnancy and birth challenges as well as Biodynamic CranioSacral Therapy certification. These two modalities allow clients to reset the nervous system after a stressful pregnancy, birth or unexpected procedures. Bringing the nervous system back into balance through life challenges is a valuable life skill.
Sessions are gentle yet deep, creating a healthier relational field, especially in the mother/baby dynamic. Mothering is intense and often confusing. Susan’s sessions focus on deepening the felt sense of one’s own inner knowing. When we learn to embrace our own wisdom, life unfolds with more ease, grace and joy—and who doesn’t need more of that?
For more information, Susan’s website is mothertrees.com
Kate Sommer, Homesteader and Provider Advocate
Frequently asked questions
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A minor surgical procedure that involves using a C02 laser to correct/release oral ties (tongue, lip, cheek or buccal) OR tongue-tie and lip-tie conditions which prevent airway dysfunctions, restriction of head and neck movements, headaches, etc. as the child develops. This procedure is very short and your baby will be back in your arms in minutes to nurse and cuddle.
What is a Co2 frenectomy?
A minor surgical procedure that involves using a C02 laser to correct/release oral ties (tongue, lip, cheek or buccal) OR tongue-tie and lip-tie conditions which prevent airway dysfunctions, restriction of head and neck movements, headaches, etc. as the child develops. This procedure is very short and your baby will be back in your arms in minutes to nurse and cuddle.
Does it hurt the baby?
Because no anesthesia is used during this procedure, we want the baby breathing and crying to know they are fully engaged in their bodies. The initial onset of the laser does sting but numbs the laser area up to 5 hours.
Does it take long?
Typically, the procedure take approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
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Research shows that oral ties become restricted overtime when they are not addressed early on. They can present with neurological development challenges
Can kids “grow out” of an oral tie without treatment?
Research shows that oral ties become restricted overtime when they are not addressed early on. They can present with neurological development challenges.
What happens during the procedure?
Babies - they are gently swaddled and wrapped. Their eyes are covered and the clinical assistant will do gentle CST while the provider performs the release in order to help the tissues and nervous system relax.
Older kids and adults - We give local anesthetics topically and injection to take tension off the tissue being released. The older patient is in a reclining table/chair for comfort.
We find that soft tissue manipulation like myofascial release along w/adjustments & laser frenectomy has helped significantly in letting people gain more mobility in their upper MSK system.
What can happen if we don’t correct oral ties now?
In addition to supporting a mother and child’s breastfeeding journey, treating oral ties as a baby helps set them up for a lifetime of proper oral growth, digestive health, musculoskeletal development, and breathing through functional airway optimization. Untreated oral ties restrict growth of the jaw and oral developmental functions which initiates a degeneration process which can lead to teeth grinding, TMJ issues, airway dysfunction, neck pain, headaches and more.