Mark Olson holds an M.A. in Educational Psychology and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois, with specialized training in cognitive and behavioral neuropsychology and neuroanatomy. He has more than 30 years of teaching experience and previously spent ten years as director of the Pacific Center for Awareness and Bodywork in Hawaii. He is also a NARM® practitioner, aquatic therapist, and published author on chronic pain and trauma-informed care.
His teaching focuses on the neuroscience of pain and bodywork, interoception, trauma-informed care, and contemporary understandings of how massage may influence the nervous system and human experience. He brings neuroscience together with practical and relational approaches to help massage therapists think critically about their work and better understand the people they work with.
