MIND/BODY MEDICINE

An Alternative and Complementary Medicine Resource Guide

Contents:

   Introduction
   Books
   Journals
   Professional and Research Organizations
  Self-help and Referral Organizations
   Treatment Centers
  Web resources

INTRODUCTION

Beginning in the 17th century, the need for separation between the mind and body arose within Western cultures.  This gave medical science the freedom to explore and experiment on the physical body while maintaining the church's domain over the mind.  While this separation has permitted great advances in the understanding of the nature and treatment of diseases, it has also limited its progression as it has produced a reliance of Western medicine on technology and what has come to be known as "body-mind dualism."

Within the last 30 years, some researchers have turned to alternative and complementary medical systems to explore the interconnections between mind and body.  Researchers have also learned that most traditional systems of medicine appreciate and incorporate into their practice the complex and powerful relationship between the mind and the body.

Scientists have developed a new discipline, called psychoneuroimmunology, which interlinks psychological, autonomic, immune, and nervous system functioning.  Current mind/body medicine extends beyond psychoneuroimmunology to include the fields of psychology and physics in a new "science of consciousness," which views energy as the underlying pattern of the universe.  This is similar to many Asian philosophies, such as Ayurveda and Tibetan medicine, that see human beings as part of an interconnected, universal energy field. 

Healing, using mind/body medicine, usually begins by promoting physical and mental relaxation, and developing better ways of coping with stress.  A variety of techniques may be used, including biofeedback, body psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and guided imagery (see our Molecules of Emotion Resource Guide for resources on these and more topics).  Mind/body medicine is based on the recognition of the relationship between mind and body, the body's innate healing potential, and the partnership of patient and healer in restoring the body to health.

In 1993, The New England Journal of Medicine published a study stating that one in three adults had used some form of unconventional medicine, with mind/body techniques being the most frequently used type.  Mind/body medicine has emerged as an integral part of comprehensive health care, has given rise to the legitimization of wide-spread research, and the incorporation of mind/body programs in major medical institutions.

NOTE: The following resource listings are not intended to be comprehensive, nor to be used as a guide for treatment.   They are provided for information only.  The resources are selected and categorized to help you with your own research.

BOOKS

AUTHORITATIVE RESEARCH RESOURCES

MIND/BODY

James S Gordon, MD Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression Penguin Press HC, 2008 Insights into how James Gordon of the Center for Mind Body Medicine in Washington, DC, has been helping patients and trauma victims find their way out of the darkness of depression for the past forty years.

Daniel Goleman, Ph.D. and Joel Gurin Mind-Body Medicine: How to Use Your Mind for Better Health Consumer Reports Books, 1995 Provides current information compiled by several contributors on the crucial role the mind plays in health, an analysis of the mind/body connection, and specific techniques for using the mind to achieve better health.

James S. Gordon, M.D. Manifesto for a New Medicine: Your Guide to Healing Partnerships and the Wise Use of Alternative Therapies Perseus Press, 1997 Provides an understanding for the use and applications of alternative therapies with a strong guide for blending the best of traditional and alternative methods.

Steven Locke, M.D. The Healer Within: The New Medicine of Mind and Body Plumsock Mesoamerican Studies, 1997 A clear authoritative presentation of psychoneuroimmunology, showing how emotions and attitudes can affect health and treatment of illness.

Candace B. Pert, Ph.D. Foreword by Deepak Chopra, M.D. Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel Scribner, 1997 Based on her own research, discusses how molecules and chemicals are capable of linking mind and body such that our emotional state may affect your health.

PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY

Elliot S. Dacher, M.D. Psychoneuroimmunology: The New Mind/Body Healing Program Paragon House, 1991 A detailed explanation of psychoneuroimmunology.  Dr. Dacher provides a program on disease prevention, risk reduction, and recovery, applying principles based on imagery, meditation, and biofeedback research.

Manfred Schedlowski and Uwe Tewes Psychoneuroimmunology: an Interdisciplinary Introduction Academic Publishers, 1999 Examines the complex functional relationships between the nervous, neuroendocrine, and immune systems.  Produced by international leaders in the field, and includes a wealth of cited research studies.

Dr. Alan Watkins Mind-Body Medicine: A Clinician's Guide to Psychoneuroimmunology Harcourt Health Sciences Group, 1997 Each chapter focuses on a different clinical problem that practitioners commonly encounter.  Provides the reader with current research, scientific explanations of research findings and some helpful suggestions on alternative therapeutic approaches.

CASE STUDIES/OBSERVATIONAL DATA

Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. Minding the Body, Mending the Mind Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishers, 1993 Each chapter focuses on a different clinical problem that practitioners commonly encounter.  Provides the reader with current research, scientific explanations of research findings and some helpful suggestions on alternative therapeutic approaches.

Norman Cousins Anatomy of an Illness: As Perceived by the Patient Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishers, 1991 Cousins examines creativity and humor as essential components of treatment for chronic illness.

Norman Cousins Head First: The Biology of Hope and the Healing Power of the Human Spirit Penguin USA, 1990 Cousins' account of his personal triumph over severe illness.  This book describes his 10-year quest to find the proof that positive attitudes are actually biochemical factors which combat disease.

Burton Goldberg Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide Future Medicine Publishing, Inc., 1998 Based on physician testimonials, a general overview of mind/body medicine, and explanations of various modalities such as yoga, meditation, imagery, hypnotherapy and biofeedback.

Paul R. Martin, Ph.D. The Healing Mind: The Vital Links Between Brain and Behavior Immunity and Disease Dunne Books, 1998 An easy to read presentation of what is now know about how psychological and emotional states influence physical health and are in turn affected by it.

Bill Moyers Healing and the Mind Main Street Books, 1995 A compilation of transcripts of fifteen interviews with leaders in the field of body/mind healing.

Bernie Siegel, M.D. Love, Medicine and Miracles Harper Perennial Library, 1990 Siegel describes how exceptional patients work to heal themselves, and how they find courage and determination to follow new, inspirational paths.

David S. Sobel, M.D., and Robert Ornstein, Ph.D. The Healthy Mind, Healthy Body Handbook ISHK Book Service, 1997 Presents strategies and techniques for health improvement such as relaxation, humor and stress management and evidence of their effectiveness.

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JOURNALS

Advances in Mind-Body Medicine
http://www.harcourt-international.com/journals/ambm/default.cfm?jhome.html
A publication of the Fetzer Institute, which is a non-profit private foundation.   The Institute supports research, education, and service programs exploring the integral relationships among body, mind, and spirit.  This journal explores the interactions of thoughts, emotions, attitudes and related phenomena with the body and examines their effects on health.

The Humanistic Psychologist
http://www.westga.edu/~thp/
A journal of the humanistic psychology division of the American Psychological Association; published three times per year.

Journal of Humanistic Psychology
http://www.ahpweb.org/pub/journal/menu.html
This journal provides a comprehensive look at humanistic psychology, integrating theory, research, and application through a variety of features, such as experiential reports, theoretical papers, research studies, and analyses of contemporary culture.

Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine Journal
http://www.issseem.org/journal.html
Peer-reviewed journal designed to provide guidelines, scientific background, and scientific credibility for subtle-energies applications and to support increased dialogue among clinicians, healers, and the scientific and medical communities.

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PROFESSIONAL AND RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS

Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB)
http://www.aapb.org/
10200 W.. 44th Ave., Suite 304
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-2840
Phone: (303) 422-8436
Fax: (303) 422-8894
Email: AAPB@resourcenter.com
A non-profit organization largely composed of clinicians, researchers, and educators in biofeedback and related mind-body therapies.

Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM)
http://www.cmbm.org/
5225 Connecticut Ave., NW
Suite 414
Washington, DC 20015
Phone: (202) 966-7338
Fax: (202) 966-2589
Email: center@cmbm.org
A non-profit educational organization aimed at transforming medicine into a more compassionate, open-minded and effective model of health care and health education, addressing the mental, emotional, social, spiritual, and physical dimensions of health and illness.  Offers several training programs.

Fetzer Institute
http://www.fetzer.org/
9292 West KL Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
Phone: (616) 375-2000
Fax: (616) 372-2163
Email: info@fetzer.org
A non-profit private foundation that supports research, education, and service programs exploring the integral relationships among body, mind, and spirit.

Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)
http://www.noetic.org
475 Gate Five Road, Suite 300
Sausalito, CA 94965
Phone: (415) 331-5650
Fax: (415) 331-5673
E-mail: Chris@noetic.org
The noetic sciences study the mind and its diverse ways of knowing in a truly interdisciplinary fashion.  The IONS is a research and education foundation that produces several publications, organizes educational events, and provides grants for scholarly research.

International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine (ISSSEEM)
http://www.issseem.org
11005 Ralston Road, #100-D
Arvada, CO 80004
Phone: (303) 425-4625
Fax: (303) 425-4685
E-mail: issseem@compuserve.com
An interdisciplinary organization for the study of the basic sciences and medical and therapeutic applications of subtle energies. 

Mind/Body Medical Institute and Mind/Body Medical Clinic
http://www.mindbody.harvard.edu
Division of Behavioral Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital
110 Francis St.
Boston, MA 02215
Phone; (617) 632-9530
E-mail: mbmi@mindbody.harvard.edu
Non-profit scientific and educational organization dedicated to promoting worldwide health and well being, through the study and advancement of mind/body medicine, including the relaxation response and belief systems. Conducts basic and clinical research, offers training to health care professionals and others.

National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine
http://www.NICABM.com
PO Box 523
Mansfield Center, CT 06250
Phone: (800) 743-2226
Fax: (860) 423-4512
E-mail: NICABM@nicabm.com
Establishes practitioner-oriented conferences and seminars for health care providers, specifically on the interface between health and psychology.

Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM)
http://www.sbmweb.org
7600 Terrace Ave., Suite 203
Middleton, WI 53562
Phone: (608) 827-7267
Fax: (608) 831-5485
Email: sbm@tmahq.com
A multidisciplinary, non-profit organization that provides a scientific forum for behavioral and biomedical researchers and clinicians to study the interactions of behavior, physiological and biochemical states, and morbidity and mortality.

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SELF-HELP AND REFERRAL ORGANIZATIONS

Association for Humanistic Psychology (AHP)
http://www.ahpweb.org/
45 Franklin Street, Suite 315
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 864-8850
Referral service: (415) 964 8850
Fax: (415) 864-8853
Email: ahpoffice@aol.com
An international non-profit association that emphasizes consciousness, human dignity, and the capacity for people to direct their own destinies.  The AHP offers publications and a yearly directory of humanistic professionals.

Consortium for Holistic Studies
http://www.holisticstudies.org
P.0. Box 224
Newport Beach, CA  92662-0224
(949) 723-5104
Fax: (949) 723-5104
Email: info@holisticstudies.org
A public dialogue, information, and consulting organization dedicated to exploring the intersections of health, psychology, spirituality, and culture.   Services include online Public Dialogue Forums, an Information Network database referral system, newsletter "Consortium News", and integrative health consultation.

Mind/Body Health Sciences, Inc.
http://www.joanborysenko.com
393 Dixon Road
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 440-8460
Fax: (303) 440-7580
Email: borysenkoco@aol.com
Publish free annual newsletter/Catalogue: Circle of Healing. Information about the work of Joan Borysenko.

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The Life Sciences Institute of Mind-Body Health
http://www.cjnetworks.com/~lifesci/
2955 SW Wanamaker Dr.
Suite B
Topeka, KS 66614
Phone: (785) 271-8686
Fax: (7850 271-8698
Email: lifesci@cjnetworks.com
Founded by health professionals who pioneered applications of biofeedback to mental and physical problems, such as stress-related disorders, addictive disorders, attention deficit disorder, depression, anxiety, immune deficiencies, and urinary incontinence.   The institute also offers support in accessing particular states of consciousness associated with concentration or creativity.

Mind/Body Medicine
http://www.mindbodymedicine.org/
The Behavioral Medicine Department
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
The Behavioral Medicine Department-Copley practice
185 Dartmouth St.
Boston, MA 02116
Email: wellnow@vmed.org
This center treats patients with chronic or recurrent illnesses,  physical and/or emotional problems that are stress-sensitive, and help patients become aware of their unique stress response patterns and to learn skills for making healthy changes.  

The Mind-Body Wellness Center
http://www.mind-body.org/
18201 Conneaut Lake Rd.
Meadville, PA 16335
Phone: (814) 724-1765
Fax: (814) 333-8662
Email: doctorb@mind-body.org
This center focuses on treating the whole person with an open-minded approach that focuses on each individual in a caring, comprehensive and coordinated manner.  Offers treatment and courses in many mind-body therapies.

St. Elizabeth's Medical Center
http://www.semc.org/altmed/mind.html
736 Cambridge St.
Boston, MA 02135-2997
Phone: (617) 562-7916
Email: shagop@aol.com
Participants in this eight-week program are taught to incorporate meditation and yoga into their lives for the purpose of relieving stress and its effect on the mind and body.

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WEB RESOURCES

Note: Promotional and commercial sites are not included in this listing unless they provide significant impartial information resources.

Alternative Health News Online: Mind/Body Control
http://www.altmedicine.com/altmind.htm
Provides links to sites offering information on an overview of mind/body healing, and discussions on various mind/body techniques, such as music therapy, art therapy, yoga, hypnosis, biofeedback, and guided imagery.

Cygnus: Books on Mind-Body Medicine
http://www.cygnus-books.co.uk/cats/b2359.htm
http://www.mind-body.com/
A brief list of mind/body books, with a description of the book and links to books on related topics.

HealthWorld Online
http://www.healthy.net/
Choose links to general mind/body topics such as, medicine, health, exercise.   Also has comprehensive links to specific mind/body therapies, such as bodywork, guided imagery, etc.

OnHealth: Mind/Body Medicine
http://onhealth.com/alternative/resource/althealth/item,15041.asp
Brief descriptions on mind/body medicine therapies, including biofeedback, guided imagery, hypnosis, meditation, yoga, and more.  Also offers an overview of mind/body medicine and tips on choosing a practitioner.

Yahoo! Health: Mind-Body Medicine
http://sg.yahoo.com/health/alternative_medicine/mind_body_medicine/
Provides several links on mind/body medicine, with definitions, related resources, biofeedback, meditation, hypnosis, psychoneuroimmunology, and more.

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