My teachers, instructors, and mentors
I'm proud to say I've been learning from the best in the field of Mind-Body Medicine
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Dr. Howard Schubiner
Howard Schubiner, MD, is the Mind Body Medicine Program director at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan, and a clinical professor at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. He is the author of Unlearn Your Pain and Unlearn Your Anxiety and Depression, the book “Hidden from View’, and his most recent “Diagnostic Guide for Psychophysiologic Disorders.” He consults with insurers/payers and health tech companies and lectures/teaches clinicians internationally. He is a co-founder of the Psychophysiologic Disorders Association (PPDA). With Alan Gordon, Yoni Ashar, and others, Dr Schubiner recently published a groundbreaking study (Ashar et al., JAMA Psychiatry, 2021) on novel psychological interventions for chronic low back pain. The film “This Might Hurt” documents Dr Schubiner’s important work on primary symptoms. Dr Schubiner is board-certified in pediatrics, adolescent medicine, and internal medicine. He was a full Professor at Wayne State University for 18 years. He is also a Co-Founder, Clinical Director, and Medical Advisor of the ‘Freedom From Chronic Pain’ training I graduated from.
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Alan Gordon
Alan Gordon, LCSW, is the founder and executive director of the Pain Psychology Center in LA. Overcoming his own ordeal of 22 (!) chronic pain symptoms, Alan developed Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), a cutting-edge protocol for treating chronic pain. He just completed a groundbreakingly successful 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. Alan is the author of the book 'A Way Out' which details the PRT approach in an easy-to-understand way. He is an adjunct assistant professor at USC and has presented on pain treatment conferences nationwide. In conjunction with his team at www.painreprocessingtherapy.com, Alan teaches Pain Reprocessing Therapy to healthcare professionals.
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Charlie Merrill
Charlie Merrill, MSPT, owns Merrill Performance in Boulder, CO, where he's practiced, mentored, and taught manual therapy for 23 years. Charlie uses a mind-body approach to treat primary pain with a wide range of clients, including the best runners, cyclists, rock climbers, and CrossFitters worldwide. He’s the co-developer of the ‘Beyond Pain Education’ course I took and is actively building a program for athletes seeking to overcome chronic pain. Charlie is a content creator in the pain and fitness space, a competitive master athlete in multiple disciplines, and has invented and prototyped mobility tools with Rogue Fitness.
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Dr. David D. Clarke
Dr. Clarke, MD, is President and Co-founder of the Psychophysiological Disorder Association (PPDA). He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Gastroenterology Emeritus and Assistant Director at the Center for Ethics at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), where he teaches PPD to Internal Medicine Residents. He is a Faculty Associate at Arizona State University and the Cummings Graduate Institute (both in Arizona), where he teaches candidates for the Doctor of Behavioral Health degree. He is a Clinical Lecturer in the Physician Assistant School at Pacific University in Oregon. Dr. Clarke is board-certified in Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine and practiced Gastroenterology in Portland, Oregon, from 1984 to 2009. During that time, he diagnosed and treated over 7000 PPD patients. His book for patients with PPD, They Can’t Find Anything Wrong!, was praised as "truly remarkable" by a past president of the American Psychosomatic Society and described as "wonderful" by the founder of the Gastroenterology Dept at Yale University.
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Vanessa Blackstone
Vanessa Blackstone is the Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center and a clinical trainer/consultant at the Pain Reprocessing Therapy Center. She is a direct, transparent therapist specializing in mindfulness-based approaches. Following her own personal recovery from chronic pain, Vanessa understands the importance of meeting the unique needs of each patient. She is an outstanding teacher and mentor.
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Daniella Deutsch
Daniella Deutsch, ASW, is a Co-Founder, content developer, and the lead trainer at the Pain Reprocessing Therapy Center, training and certifying over a thousand mental health clinicians and practitioners across various health disciplines. Daniella has presented on the topic of pain treatment at conferences and trainings internationally and is currently involved in a PRT clinical trial and ongoing pain research. She is a psychotherapist treating chronic pain using evidence-based practices to reduce pain and improve mind and body wellness.
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Hal Greenham
Hal Greenham, BSc (Psych), BA, Somatic Psychotherapist, is a co-founder and Clinical Director of Freedom From Chronic Pain. After recovering from chronic pain with a mindbody intervention he retrained, studying psychology and several schools of psychotherapy and now specializes in helping other people to do the same. He has ten years of clinical experience in the treatment of chronic pain and fatigue syndromes. He employs a combination of neuroplasticity and psychotherapy techniques to help people achieve optimal results.
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There are so many more people that I learned from indirectly through their published work (books and research papers), internet lectures, podcasts, or public health campaigns (Pain Revolution Australia, Flippin' Pain, UK). So much to learn, so little time... ;)
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