Mind-Body Medicine Pioneers to Talk at CME Conference in November

Herbert Benson, MD, and Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD are two of the most influential pioneers in the field of mind-body/integrative medicine. This fall, these two icons will come together for the first time in a historic discussion.

Drs. Kabat-Zinn and Benson will join forces at the Benson-Henry Institute’s Mind Body Medicine Conference, held at Harvard Medical School, on November 5^th, to provide rare insight into how the field of mind-body medicine has evolved, and how it is likely to influence health care in the future.

Their knowledge stems from more than half a century of experience in building the field, from what was once universally viewed by the medical establishment as a marginal approach to care, to what is today increasingly recognized an essential aspect of patient treatment protocol.

Both men have established groundbreaking and highly successful programs in Massachusetts, and so it is no coincidence that Massachusetts, and particularly Boston, is one of the most active areas in the country for research and clinical practice of mind-body medicine.

In research and practice, Benson and Zinn share a commitment to using meditative techniques and an evidence-based approach to practice.

Dr. Benson began his research career into mind-body medicine in the late 1960’s, and dubbed the physiological response to meditative techniques the “relaxation response.”  Early homes for the institute included the Deaconess Hospital and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.  In 2006, the institute was integrated as a thematic center into Massachusetts General Hospital. BHI clinical programs consist of three core components: learning and practicing many techniques to evoke the relaxation response, learning to counter negative stress response with adaptive thinking and building resiliency through adaptive lifestyle behaviors. Benson is the author or co-author of over 190 research papers, and best-selling books including The Relaxation Response, The Wellness Book and The Breakout Principle, among others.

Kabat-Zinn founded the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1979. There, he created the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course, which combines meditation and yoga in an approach that has come to be known as mindfulness training. He subsequently also founded the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is the author of numerous scientific papers on the clinical applications of mindfulness in medicine and health care and several best-selling books, including Full Catastrophe Living, Everyday Blessings and Wherever You Go, There You Are.

The conference is intended for mind-body medicine providers, including physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social worksers, counselors, educators and other health professionals. Early-bird rate currently applies! For more information and to register, click here.