Every year millions die from cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, HIV infection, and diabetes. These conditions contribute to 40 % of all deaths in the more developed and affluent countries. For each of these diseases, healthy behaviors have been identified, which can prevent onset of these diseases. For example, the onset of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes can be prevented by maintaining a healthy body weight. Once these conditions are present,behavioral and lifestyle change are important for managing the course of these illnesses.
Efforts to increase healthy behaviors and minimize health risk behaviors (such as smoking) become increasingly important in enhancing health in this context. Mobile technology such as texting and smart phones offer platforms for innovative approaches to health enhancement and disease management.
School of Mind-Body Medicine to Feature Videoconference with James Lake, MD, Leader in Integrative Mental Health Movement01/26/2013
On February 12, 2013, James Lake will make a presentation for the School of Mind-Body Medicine: “The Promise of Integrative Mental Health”
James Lake, MD, is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the integrative mental health movement. Integrative mental health is a comprehensive whole-person approach to mental health care providing an alternative to the mainstream biomedical and pharmaceutical approach to mental health treatment. The addition of evidence-based behavioral, nutritional, and spiritual/transpersonal interventions can supplement and sometimes replace medication regimens for individuals with acute and chronic mental health disorders.
Dr. Lake is the author of several books: Integrative Mental Health Care: A Therapist’s Handbook (2009), Complimentary and Alternative Treatments in Mental Health (2007), of Integrative Mental Health Care (2006), and Chinese Medical Psychiatry (2001).
Saybrook University Psychology Student Completes Dissertation on Biofeedback and Yoga for Undergraduate Stress Management01/16/2013
Carla Benejam lives in Salinas, California with one of her three sons and a big tabby cat. When not teaching courses in biology, life science, or psychology at Cal State University Monterey Bay, she spends many days in her apothecary garden, growing and tending herbs and seasonal veggies. Carla has been teaching for ten years and before that owned a rather eclectic used book store in Monterey. She has an affinity for languages and has studied German, French, Spanish and Indonesian, and a little Italian. Travels have taken her to Sumatra (to see young orangutans in the wild), Fiji, Moscow, Singapore and the Malay Peninsula, Britain, France, Spain, Alaska and Hawaii, Nepal, India, and Tibet.
Carla has a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley in Physical Anthropology, and a master's degree from San Jose State College in Evolutionary Biology. On December 27, 2013, she defended her dissertation and completed her doctorate in Psychology from Saybrook University in San Francisco. She is currently preparing a program of biofeedback for stress relief for college students to be implemented at her university, and is also pursuing life as a garden wise woman. Although a Psychology student, the three individuals guiding her dissertation were all faculty from Saybrook’s School of Mind-Body Medicine, chair Donald Moss, and committee members Eric Willmarth and Eliza Bigham.
Over 30 years ago, as a 19 year old girl, Beth Haggett told her husband that someday she wanted to earn a PhD in Psychoneuroimmunology. When she first heard that Saybrook University was developing a PhD program in Mind-Body Medicine, she jumped at the opportunity and became the first to apply for the new program.
On December 28, 2012, Beth defended her doctoral dissertation, and became the first student to complete the new PhD. Her degree is a “PhD in Mind-Body Medicine with a specialization in Health Care Systems.” She achieved her goal within the time frame that she set for herself of three and one half years. Most importantly, because of her mind-body learning, and the self-care that was a component in her mind-body medicine education, her own mental, emotional, and physical health have improved dramatically in the course of her education. Beth’s husband and adult children have also benefitted greatly from applying mind-body skills to their lives.