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16 Mindbody Experts Reveal
“If I could say only ONE thing to a patient with mindbody symptoms, it would be…”
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Learn more about each expert below, listed alphabetically by last name.
Dr. Abbass is a professor, psychiatrist, and the founding Director of the Centre for Emotions and Health at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. His clinical specialty and research focus is the use of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP). He has developed psychotherapy training programs in ISTDP and published clinical trials on the effectiveness of ISTDP. Dr. Abbass is an Elected Member of the Royal Society of Medicine and has received numerous awards and recognition for his work. He is currently the President of the International Experiential Dynamic Therapy Association. He is an advisory board member on the American Psychological Association's Unified Psychotherapy project, and is on the scientific committee of the American Psychoanalytic Association. He is on the faculty of the Norwegian Institute for ISTDP.
Frances Sommer Anderson, PhD, SEP - PPDA Co-Founder
Dr. Anderson, a psychologist and psychoanalyst, learned to treat chronic pain from the late John E. Sarno, MD and Arlene Feinblatt, PhD at Rusk Institute-NYU Langone Medical Center starting in 1979. Recognized internationally for her experiential teaching style and publications on pain and the body, she integrates contemporary neuroscience of pain, trauma, and psychoanalytic attachment theory into the treatment of chronic physical pain and other symptoms of overwhelming experiences. You can view her contributions to the field on her two websites: FrancesSommerAnderson.com & PathwaysToPainRelief.com
David Clarke, MD - PPDA President & Co-Founder
Dr. Clarke, in addition to being President of the PPDA, is also Assistant Director at the Center for Ethics and Clinical Assistant Professor of Gastroenterology Emeritus both at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon, USA. As Faculty Associate at Arizona State University and at the Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies he teaches graduate courses on Psychophysiologic Medicine. His book for patients, They Can’t Find Anything Wrong!, was praised by a president of the American Psychosomatic Society as “truly remarkable.” Since 1982 he has diagnosed and treated over 7000 patients whose symptoms were not explained by diagnostic testing. Dr. Clarke has lectured extensively on Psychophysiologic Disorders to health care professionals and the public across North America and in Europe. He has appeared on over 100 television and radio broadcasts throughout the U.S. Website: Stressillness.com
Mags is a qualified teacher, university lecturer, and teacher trainer. Mags taught dance, movement, psychology and communication studies, before training in Body Mind Centering and Body Control Pilates. She is a Qualified Back4Good Practitioner, and a Supervising Teacher for Body Control Pilates and certified Whole Health Medicine Institute care provider. Since 2002 Mags has been a practitioner in Psychophysiologic Disorders. She draws on her extensive knowledge of the body through dance, psychology and non-verbal communication to empower people to resolve their chronic pain and stress illness. Mags is an active member of the Irish Pain Society. She continues to lecture part time at Edinburgh University, and researches in the area of pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain with collaborators at the Department of Neuroscience at University College Cork.
Alan Gordon, LCSW - PPDA Co-Founder
Alan is the founder and executive director of the Pain Psychology Center, where he oversees a team of forty therapists. Gordon developed Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), a cutting-edge protocol for treating chronic pain, and just completed a groundbreaking neuroimaging study on the efficacy of PRT in conjunction with the University of Colorado-Boulder. He was featured on CBS's The Doctors, where he conducted the first fMRI case study of a patient eliminating chronic pain. He is an adjunct assistant professor at USC and has presented on the topic of pain treatment at conferences and trainings throughout the country.
David Hanscom, MD - PPDA Board
Dr. Hanscom practiced complex orthopedic spine surgery for 32 years. He quit his practice in Seattle, WA to present his insights into solving chronic pain, which evolved from his own 15-year battle with it. He eventually escaped from the ordeal and discovered that mental pain is the biggest issue. Anxiety is the pain. His book, Back in Control: A Surgeon’s Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain systematically presents established treatments for chronic mental and physical pain, which the current medical establishment is overlooking. The self-directed action plan is available at TheDocJourney.com. It reflects the approaches of hundreds of patients who have escaped from chronic pain.
Daniel is a psychotherapist and mental health coach based in Los Angeles, CA & Portland, OR. He specializes in the treatment of chronic pain, anxiety (including OCD), depression, and sexuality. He earned both a masters degree in Social Work and Public Administration from the University of Southern California. Integrating a sense of humor into all modalities, Daniel works to enable and motivate his clients to take steps towards creating lasting change. Using a neuroscience perspective, Daniel utilizes cognitive processes and techniques that change the patterns in your brain to allow for greater ease in day-to-day to functioning. Beyond his work, Daniel likes to exercise, play with his dog, and travel.
Jessica Oifer Stelle, MA, LMFT - PPDA Board
Jessica is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who runs a private psychotherapy practice in Marina del Rey, CA. She specializes in working with clients struggling with chronic pain, trauma and anxiety. She has an expertise in Attachment-Focused EMDR and somatic therapies, and incorporates a mind-body perspective into the psychotherapy process. Jessica also provides supervision and training for pre-licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapists both in her private practice as well as through The Maple Counseling Center in Los Angeles. As an Adjunct Faculty Member, she taught graduate students in the MFT Masters Program at Phillips Graduate University. Jessica also has an MBA from the University of Southern California.
Georgie is a leading physiotherapist and UK Specialist in a pioneering approach to chronic pain that is evidence-based, educational and focuses on self-empowerment. Georgie is a clinician and author, having initially developed her online recovery programme in 2012 and publishing her book, Chronic Pain: Your Key to Recovery in 2014. Through her company, SIRPA, Georgie also developed the first training programme in this field in 2010, enabling health professionals to learn how to integrate this approach and the concept on which it is based within their own work. This training is now online and Georgie also speaks widely about this approach, gave a TEDx talk in 2019 and since 2015 has organised and hosted international conferences, which are held at the Royal Society of Medicine in London.
Nicole is a speaker, writer, podcaster and psychotherapist who has dedicated her work and her practice to the treatment of emotional and physical chronic pain, symptoms, syndromes, and conditions. She is the author of the book The Meaning of Truth, and the online courses FREEDOM FROM CHRONIC PAIN and FREEDOM FROM AN ANXIOUS LIFE. Her brand, The Cure for Chronic Pain, includes a Website, Podcast and YouTube Channel. She holds faculty positions at The Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, 1440 Multiversity, and The Center for Living Retreat Center. Nicole's personal experience with Dr. John Sarno as well as work with thousands of people around the world have shaped and evolved her theories, which serve to teach those suffering how to heal themselves completely with no medication or surgery.
David Schechter, MD - PPDA Board
Dr. Schechter’s first experience with a Psychophysiologic Disorder was his own! After successful treatment as a patient of Dr. John Sarno, he performed a follow up study in Dr. Sarno’s office, the results of which are cited in Dr. Sarno’s first two books. Dr. Schechter, who specializes in Family Medicine and Sports Medicine, has been treating chronic pain and other functional disorders with a psycho-education approach for over 25 years in private practice. He is the author of Think Away Your Pain and other educational resources for PPD. Dr. Schechter has been named a Top Doctor for over ten years and is listed in US News and World Report, Men's Health Magazine, and LA Magazine as a Top Doctor in his field(s). He spends most of his time seeing patients in Culver City, CA and educating the public about PPD with podcast, TV, and radio appearances. Websites: MindBodyMedicine.com, SchechterMD.com
Howard Schubiner, MD - PPDA Co-Founder
Dr. Schubiner is an internist and the director of the Mind Body Medicine Center at Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan and a Clinical Professor at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. He has authored more than 100 publications in scientific journals and books, and lectures regionally, nationally, and internationally. Dr. Schubiner is the author of three books: Unlearn Your Pain, Unlearn Your Anxiety and Depression, and Hidden From View, written with Dr. Allan Abbass. Dr. Schubiner lives in the Detroit area with his wife of thirty-seven years and has two adult children.
Laura is a Co-Founder and Head of Content at Curable. Serial storyteller currently focused on bringing relief to those in chronic pain. Content and marketing expert, recovered from 5 years of migraine, sciatica, and knee pain. Now running, spinning, and jumping for joy on a daily basis. Host of the podcast Like Mind, Like Body.
Jessica Shahinian - PPDA Executive Director
Jessica overcame years of 20+ mindbody symptoms that threatened to end not only her musical theater career but also her life. She created GotPainCure, an educational web series about Psychophysiologic Disorders. As Executive Director, Jessica helps to create, manage and curate the PPDA’s resources and is an instructor for our online course. Sought after for her recovery story, she’s been interviewed by The Mind and Fitness Podcast, Simply Sarno, TMS RoundTable, Falling Up Radio, and was a speaker on PPD at events in New York, Michigan and Colorado. Jessica is contributing a chapter about her experience as a PPD patient for our second textbook.
Eric Sherman, PsyD - PPDA Co-Founder
Dr. Sherman currently has a full-time private practice treating adults in psychoanalysis and individual psychotherapy. He provides training and consultation to health care professionals. Dr Sherman has expertise in the evaluation and treatment of patients with psychophysiological disorders. While on staff at The Rusk Institute, he trained psychology interns in the evaluation and treatment of Psychophysiologic Disorders. He regularly consults with physicians and other health care professionals struggling to understand and manage their own and their patients’ psychological reactions to acute and chronic medical conditions, especially cancer and physical disabilities.
Christie is a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of chronic pain, anxiety, and depression and the Executive Director of The Better Mind Center. She pursued extensive clinical training at the Pain Psychology Center in Los Angeles, where she worked alongside Alan Gordon to train clinicians in Pain Reprocessing Therapy. Christie lectures nationally on psychotherapeutic interventions to treat chronic pain and is committed to cross-disciplinary collaboration between mental health and physical medicine.