Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. Speaking Topics

• End Food Confusion: Get the Real Facts about What to Eat and Why One Diet Does NOT Fit All

  Cut through dietary hype and confusion at last! There is no one size fits all diet. When Joan and her husband adopted an ultra low-fat, high carb plant-based diet, they were surprised that their health deteriorated instead of improving. What was the problem? Joan put on her cell biologist’s hat (she has a doctorate from Harvard Medical School) and did some serious science sleuthing, separating the proverbial wheat from the chaff. A plant- based diet (including Plus foods that can range from meat to dairy, and from grains to beans) is key to good health- but it has to be “carb reasonable” and suitable for individual protein needs and sensitivities. Joan will tell you what simple medical tests (and self tests) can help you eat right for your metabolism and lose weight, gain energy, and optimize your health. Nutrition for the 21st century takes genetics, epigenetics, and our symbiotic community of 100 trillion gut microbes into consideration. And personalizing your diet is super fun and tasty. Let’s beat the epidemic of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, inflammation, autoimmunity, Alzheimer’s and depression that makes kids born today the first generation expected to live shorter lives than their parents. We can do it!

• Tending the Soul of HealthCare: Beyond Burnout and Compassion Fatigue

  One of the most widespread problems in healthcare today is the alienation created by burnout and compassion fatigue. In the Healing Arts the relationship itself is part of the medicine, a field of trust and care that forms the fabric of excellence. When the relational field is strong, symptoms are reduced and patients become more mindful, skillful, and empowered as do the clinicians themselves. Re-inspiring staff to care for themselves is a critical component of patient care and satisfaction. This fascinating and practical lecture or workshop provides a close up and personal tour of burnout- how to recognize it; how to prevent it; and how to reverse it.

• Mindfulness and the New Brain Science: Optimizing Health, Emotional Intelligence, and Creativity

  The new brain science is an exciting window into the nature of consciousness, emotional balance, physical health, and the interconnection of informational systems that we call the mind. Interpersonal neurobiology describes how the mind is both embodied in our brain and nervous system, which extends throughout the body, and also embedded in our relationships with the world around and within us.

  The quality of our relationships- whether they support a mindful harmony with life or alternatively create stress- affects the release of informational molecules by the brain. These “mind molecules” are key components of the growth medium that supports all the cells of the body, turning genes on and off and predisposing to health or disease.

  Why not feed your body the molecules that protect your health, while simultaneously feeding your “wise mind,” the part of you that is most creative and in touch with your larger purpose in the world? In this practical presentation participants will learn how to use evidence-based techniques to calm down the fear centers in the midbrain and activate the prefrontal cortex where happiness, resilience, and wise mind reside.

• Embodying Spirit: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science

  Ancient yogic wisdom created maps for the control of mind, body, and emotions. The new brain science builds on and expands these spiritual practices by providing an exciting window into the nature of consciousness, emotional balance, and physical health. The new field of interpersonal neurobiology describes how the mind is both embodied in our brain and nervous system as well as embedded in our relationships. The quality of those relationships- whether they evoke love, compassion, and mindfulness or fear, anger, and constriction- affects the release of informational molecules. These “mind molecules” in turn affect gene expression. The newest body-mind frontier concerns another intimate relationship- the food we eat. Nourishing ourselves wisely in accord with our unique physiological needs- while also being good stewards of the earth- is a missing piece in the puzzle of emotional and physical health.

• Psychotherapy of the Heart: An In-Depth Look at How We Help Others

  .In our increasingly fast-paced technological and data-based world, it’s easy to forget the non-linear wisdom of the heart. Caring relationship to self, others and a larger Whole is the crucible from which healing emerges. Learning to embody that crucible is an important, yet sometimes unarticulated and untaught skill that can transform and amplify the power of therapy. Intuitively, human beings understand that love heals. Sociologically and scientifically, we’re beginning to understand why. Data from the emerging fields of psychoneuroimmunology and neurobiology illustrate the effects of connection and compassion on health, emotional balance, and well-being.

• The Guide to Therapeutic Meditation. How to Do it, How to Teach It, When to Use it

  Meditation is an evidence-based practice useful in treating stress-related disorders, chronic illness, addictions, trauma, anxiety, and depression. In this in-depth introduction to the topic, three basic forms of meditation-concentration, mindfulness, and compassion- will be compared, contrasted, and taught. The physiology of meditation including its effects on the autonomic nervous system, immunity, the cardiovascular system, and the brain will be reviewed.

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