In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Deborah Gray, therapist and business owner. She shares her personal account of overcoming chronic neck pain and her path to achieving a pain-free state within 18 months. She discusses the various tools and techniques she employed, including stress management, sleep, and neuro-linguistic programming, as …

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Vanessa Blackstone, a therapist and Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center. She explains Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), a therapeutic modality aimed at eliminating chronic pain by rewiring neural pathways in the brain. She emphasizes that it shifts the patient’s belief abo…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Vanessa Blackstone, a therapist and Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center. She candidly discusses her tumultuous childhood, entering foster care at a young age, and the normalization of the chaos in her life. She talks about how chaos came to feel comfortable and how she later learned that he…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with chaplain and pain coach Bonnie Lester. She explains the different techniques she uses to help herself and her clients. Examples of these approaches include getting better sleep, sensory stimulation, humor and play, planning to do things that will make you feel more comfortable during …

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with chaplain and pain coach Bonnie Lester. She shares her experiences with chronic pain, delving into the profound impact it had on her life. She details the various experiments she tried with alternative approaches to find what would work after conventional medical treatment offered little relief. Her brea…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Senior Feldenkrais Trainer David Zemach-Bersin. He discusses the two aspects of the Feldenkrais method, which include physical work in the office and lessons for home practice. He guides the listener through a movement exercise, emphasizing the importance of reducing effort, observing…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Senior Feldenkrais Trainer David Zemach-Bersin. He discusses the neuroscience behind anxiety and pain and how the Feldenkrais method addresses these. He explains the Feldenkrais emphasis on slow movements to engage the parasympathetic nervous system and promote calmness and a sense of safety. He talks a…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Lisa Goodpaster, author, childhood trauma educator and founder of the Stephood Project. She explains how parental alienation happens following divorce when the mother and father are unable to co-parent. This can create extreme anger in the affected children and result in the formation…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Lisa Goodpaster, author, childhood trauma educator and founder of the Stephood Project. A child of divorce, she broke her neck, and suffered for years with over 22 physical symptoms and intense chronic pain. She shares her experience of feeling alienated from both her mother and father by her stepmother…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Jamie Shafir – LCSW, health coach and adolescent specialist at the Mind Body Therapy Center. She discusses the significance of early intervention and psychoeducation in addressing chronic pain in youth. She explains the different components of her approach including: pain reprocessing…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Jamie Shafir – LCSW, health coach and adolescent specialist at the Mind Body Therapy Center. She shares how her sister’s early experience with chronic pain got her interested in non-pharmacological interventions for anxiety and for pain. She transitioned from her fundraising and grant writing work with …

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Stephanie Carter Kelley – an orthopedic physical therapist. She explains her approach to treating patients with chronic pain and emphasizes the need for a more holistic and empathetic approach to addressing chronic pain. She talks about the benefits of a multi-dimensional approach to …

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Stephanie Carter Kelley – an orthopedic physical therapist. She shares her personal experience of turning to yoga for relief after experiencing physical discomfort following her first pregnancy. She describes how she found hope and persistence in yoga, and how it eventually led her to integrate yoga int…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Agnes Szymczak – an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Pain Reprocessing Therapy Coach, and Restorative Breathing Coach. She explores the crucial steps in the healing journey, emphasizing the need to disassociate pain from the body and nurture joy. She also explains the integrative a…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Agnes Szymczak – an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, She recounts her scoliosis surgery at sixteen and her struggle with chronic lower back pain that started in her early thirties, causing severe limitations and debilitating pain. She tried various treatments without success. After her third child, h…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Matt Bonin – consultant, speaker and author of Light from Darkness. He discusses how getting a new perspective on his trauma was part of his healing. In his therapy, he went from seeing his story as shameful and belittling to it being empowering and a source of pride. He began to heal…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Matt Bonin – consultant, speaker and author of Light from Darkness. He relates the story of his struggle with severe depressive episodes accompanied by a number of physical symptoms. At age 29, he developed functional neurological disorder – and experienced periodic semi-catatonic states where he could …

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Lee Canter – founder of Canter & Co. and author of My Migraine Breakthrough. He discusses the skills he learned in his work with Dr. David Schechter to break out of the pain and fear cycle. These included: realizing he could control his healing; learning to think about his symptoms in…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Lee Canter – founder of Canter & Co. and author of My Migraine Breakthrough. He shares his personal battle with severe migraines which he first experienced when he was 13. When he retired after running two successful businesses, he felt useless and without purpose. His became almost bedridden for 7 year…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Palmer Kippola – best selling author and certified Functional Medicine Health Coach. She discusses the science behind autoimmune conditions and the body's ability to heal itself. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the physiological response to stress and the role it plays …

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Palmer Kippola – best selling author and certified Functional Medicine Health Coach. She shares her personal journey with multiple sclerosis (MS) and discusses the complexities of MS, the importance of hope and optimism in healing, and the limitations of current medical treatments. She also explores the…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Michael Hodge – mind / body coach specializing in men’s pelvic health. He explains his four-step process of pain reprocessing therapy – realization to understand what is happening and why; reprocessing to remove fear; release to learn to feel and let go of the emotions; reprogramming …

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Michael Hodge – a mind / body coach specializing in men’s pelvic health. He shares his personal journey with pelvic pain and how it led him to become a pelvic health specialist. He discusses the link between pelvic pain and mind-body principles, and how anxiety and body chemistry can affect pelvic pain.…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Joe Klemczewski – founder of The Diet Doc and the pioneer of macronutrient-based food intake tracking. Seeing the struggles that people had with dieting, he began re-engineering diets early in his career. The approach he developed is coaching based and experimental. It became known as…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Joe Klemczewski – founder of The Diet Doc and the pioneer of macronutrient-based food intake tracking. He began participating in sports in high school and this eventually led hm to an interest in physical therapy. When he became a high performance weight lifter and body builder, he developed a deep inte…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Dr. Kirk Schneider, an integrative existential psychotherapist. He explains the principles and process of his integrative existential therapy practice. He begins by asking the client two questions: How are you presently living? And how are you willing to live? The first question allow…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Dr. Kirk Schneider, an integrative existential psychotherapist. He shares the early experiences he had that later shaped his approach to his psychotherapy practice. He describes the impact of his older brother’s untimely death that led him to his first visit to a psychoanalyst at the age of 6. Though he…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with world renowned surgeon and best-selling author, Bernie Sigel, MD. He discusses how patient drawings offer key insights into how the patient feels about their illness and treatment, as well as key events that have shaped their lives. He shares stories that illustrate these insights and…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with world renowned surgeon and best-selling author, Bernie Sigel, MD. He shares stories that illustrate the importance of the doctor-patient relationship. He stresses the key role of understanding the patient’s story – their life situation, challenges, motivations and fears to the healing process. He expres…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Dr. David Schechter, a pioneer in the practice of Mind Body Medicine. He shares the approach he uses with patients suffering from chronic pain. He outlines his treatment approach which involves a lengthy interview with the patient to get a fuller understanding of their context, follow…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Dr. David Schechter, a physician focused on Family Medicine and Sports Medicine, and a pioneer in the practice of Mind Body Medicine. He was first exposed to Mind Body Medicine as a patient of Dr. John Sarno and used that experience to fashion his own mind / body approach to treating chronic pain. He ex…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with internist Dr. Matt Lederman and Oriental Medicine and family practitioner Dr. Alona Pulde. They explain their areas of focus in getting patients beyond “normal limits” to thriving. These include: self-awareness, internal state, connection, work and spirituality. They share their belie…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with internist Dr. Matt Lederman and Oriental Medicine and family practitioner Dr. Alona Pulde. They share their approach to healing that begins with understanding the physical and emotional context of the patient and helping them develop awareness about how this affects their health. Learning to deal with u…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussino with psychological anthropologist and ethnomusicologist Dr. Tamara Turner. She explains the cultural context of the Algerian Diwan community’s approach to healing from pain and trauma through trance dancing. She found that one of the most important factors in making this an effective heali…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with psychological anthropologist and ethnomusicologist Dr. Tamara Turner. She shares the origins of her award-winning research into the role of dance and healing in North African communities. Her initial focus was on a career in classical music. But she developed an interest in other types of music that eve…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with pain psychologist, neuroscientist and co-founder of Aivo Health, Melissa Farmer. Or eight years, she has worked with world-renowned neuroscientist Dr. Vania Apkarian on how our brains process chronic pain. She shares the important discoveries resulting from that work including how, over time, the brain …

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with internationally renowned Ayurvedic clinician, Zeeba Khan. She describes how doshas (mind body spirit compositions) can indicate the types of illnesses or disorders you might be susceptible to. She identifies the 3 doshas – Vata Dosha, Pitta Dosha and Kapha Dosha – and gives examples o…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with internationally renowned Ayurvedic clinician, Zeeba Khan. She shares the important role her family life played in the development of her Ayurvedic practice. Her mother was Persian and her father was Indian, and in both her parents’ cultures, the kitchen was the pharmacy. Her experiences taught her the i…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Daniel Atkins, an intuitive psychologist. He explains the steps he uses when working with clients to help them start on their healing journey. These include: focusing on the current issue; listening for emotional associations with the pain; encouraging them to explore new possibilitie…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Daniel Atkins, an intuitive psychologist. He talks about his 10+ year personal journey through pain and illness. He explains that he tried traditional Western psychotherapy approaches to heal but found they focused too much on analyzing his early childhood and were unhelpful. His healing began when he s…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Jeff Frankart, physical therapist and founder of The Fix PT clinic. He explains the three components of chronic pain (biological, psychological and social) and shares the details of his approach to treatment. The first step is getting patients to understand how chronic pain works. The…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Jeff Frankart, physical therapist and founder of The Fix PT clinic. He talks about his work in the military with combat soldiers to help them recover mobility and reduce opioid addiction. He explains how, using a movement-based systems that only relies on body weight and no equipment, he was able to hel…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Dr. Sue Carter, the former director of the Kinsey Institute and a world-renowned scientist. She talks about oxytocin’s important role in human social behavior. She underscores the fact that oxytocin affects every tissue of the body and is the physiologic basis for pair bonding and rel…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Dr. Sue Carter, the former director of the Kinsey Institute and a world-renowned scientist. She shares how the importance of oxytocin has come to be recognized in the scientific community over time. She discusses the evolutionary history of oxytocin and explains the role that oxytocin plays in lowering …

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with neuroendocrinologist and bestselling author Rob Lustig. He explains the different types of sugar we consume in our diet and how the body metabolizes each type. In particular, he focuses on the dangers of the sweetener fructose and discusses how it results in fatty liver disease and di…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with neuroendocrinologist and bestselling author Rob Lustig. He shares how he first got interested in nutrition when he studied the role of the hypothalamus in driving obesity in pediatric patients with brain cancer. He discusses the symbiotic role of gut bacteria in our digestion, immune response and even t…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with Charlie Merrill, a physiotherapist, clinician educator and consultant to startup Lin Health. He outlines his collaborative approach with patients. This begins with a physical assessment to look for a pattern that makes sense. If his findings don’t add up, the pain could be due to psyc…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Charlie Merrill, a physiotherapist, clinician educator and consultant to startup Lin Health. He shares how he has created a practice of treating chronic pain that is based on building a strong and trusting relationship with the patient. He helps patients understand the dynamics of pain by explaining the…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom continues his discussion with author and consultant Gillian Riley. She details the approach she uses to help clients control overeating. Some of the key elements include: getting clients to understand what drives their cravings and why they need to create new neural pathways to control them; developing self-agency…

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with author and consultant Gillian Riley. She explains how we respond to unconscious eating cues with deeply embedded biological responses. She discusses how becoming aware of these hidden cues is the first step to control overeating. Balancing long term and short term rewards is a key to eating less and eat…