The Herbert Benson, MD Course in
Mind Body Medicine
- Continuing Education
The Herbert Benson, MD Course in Mind Body Medicine is a comprehensive CME program teaching evidence-based interventions to enhance patient care and clinical outcomes. Discover how to incorporate meditation, yoga, tai chi, cognitive skills, lifestyle interventions, positive psychology and other self-care techniques to reduce patient stress and enhance health and resilience. This year’s program offers you the choice to attend in person in Boston or live online.
- Live Online or In Person
- Live Online
- In Person
Choose your learning experience:
» ATTEND ONLINE for live streaming education and online Q&A with faculty.
Or
» ATTEND IN PERSON in Boston, MA at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel. Faculty provide dedicated time for Q&A with participants.
Save $100. The tuition listed above is for physicians; see the course fee table for pricing for other health professionals. To ensure your participation at the lowest possible cost, early registration is strongly recommended.
Continuing Education
» 25.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
» 25.75 ANCC contact hours
» Psychologists: 25.75 CE credits
» Social workers: 25.75 CE credits
» 25.75 European CME credits (ECMEC®)
» Commensurate credits through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Three Days
This program, which is among the highest-rated Harvard Medical School CME courses, offers evidence-based mind body interventions to enhance patient care. The program also offers three optional half-day online pre-course workshops.
On This Page
Overview
Comprehensive Education and Skills Development for an Integrated Model of Care
The Herbert Benson, MD Course in Mind Body Medicine will be held on October 22–24, 2026. You have the option to attend either online as the course is live streamed or in person in Boston, MA. All sessions will be recorded and made available to all participants to view online, at your convenience, for 60 days following the course.
COURSE OVERVIEW
Mind body approaches such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, cognitive skills, lifestyle interventions and positive psychology now boast an impressive evidence base to support their ability to improve—and in some cases, prevent—stress-related illnesses, ranging from asthma to hypertension, functional bowel diseases and pain syndromes.
Whether you are a physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker or therapist, mind body techniques provide you with evidence-based interventions to enhance patient care and clinical outcomes.
The Herbert Benson, MD Course in Mind Body Medicine is a comprehensive education program where you learn how to incorporate these skills into your practice. It teaches:
- The latest data on stress, stress management, and resilience enhancement, and their impacts on patient health and treatment options
- The mind body approaches that form the foundation of modern self-care
- When, where, and how you can employ mind body approaches to enhance patient care
- Practical skills to guide your patients in the use of self-care techniques
In addition to clinical approaches and integrative models of care, this program provides:
- Education on genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and how to leverage recent advances in the neuroimaging of contemplative states
- Opportunities for certification
HOW TO BEGIN OR ADVANCE YOUR USE OF MIND BODY MEDICINE
For those who are new to mind body medicine, this program provides comprehensive education to begin using integrated models of care within your practice. For those who have experience in these methods, this program provides updates and workshops to take your skills to the next level.
CUSTOMIZE YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE
All participants can customize their learning experience. The program offers 48 skills development sessions, focused presentations, and interactive workshops. You can choose the ones that align with your specific goals and clinical interests.
WORLD-RENOWNED FACULTY
This program is taught by leading practitioners and experts in the field of mind body medicine—including Drs. Yvette Cozier, Stephen Post, Adam Rodman, Kasisomayajula Viswanath, and Rochelle Walensky, who are all experts in the scientific research and practical application of mind body medicine.
In addition to being presented live in person and streamed live online, all sessions and workshops will be recorded and placed in the online course library, enabling registrants to view them at their convenience. Recordings will be available for viewing for 60 days after the conclusion of the course. All live streaming and recorded sessions are eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and other relevant credits, up to the approved maximum. (Note: Evaluations must be completed within 30 days of the conclusion of the course to receive CME credit.)
Developed and Offered By:
Continuing Education courses are developed by faculty from Harvard Medical School's teaching hospitals and accredited by Harvard Medical School. This course is offered by the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Who Should Participate
- Physicians
- Nurse Practitioners
- Physician Assistants
- Nurses
- Psychologists
- Social Workers
- Counselors
- Dietitians
- Educators
- Health Coaches
- Physical Therapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Residents
- Fellows
…and other health professionals who provide direct patient care or patient education in areas of self-management, lifestyle behaviors and mind body medicine.
Schedule
This program is among the highest-rated Harvard Medical School CME courses.
All agenda sessions are in Eastern Time.
Please note that program changes/substitutions may be made without notice.
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Optional Online Pre-Course Workshops
Mind Body Approaches to Weight Management
Under the direction of Chika Anekwe, MD, MPH and Shalu Ramchandani, MD
Click here for full description and agenda
9:00 am-12:00 pm
Group Medical Visits to Guide Patients to Healthier Lifestyle Behaviors
Under the direction of Jacob Mirsky, MD, FACLM
1:00-4:00 pm
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Session 1: Welcome to the Herbert Benson, MD Course in Mind Body Medicine
Dr. Gregory Fricchione
8:00-8:20 am
Session 2: KEYNOTE: Beyond Individual Happiness: Understanding the Role of “Social” in Health and Well-Being
Dr. Kasisomayajula Viswanath
8:20-9:20 am
Stretch and Move Break
9:20-9:30 am
Session 3: Education and Skills Development Sessions 3A - 3C
9:30-10:30 am
3A
From Complex PTSD to MD and Back: One Pediatrician’s Story Told Through a Mind-Body Perspective
Dr. Mark Salvatore
3B
Culinary Medicine and Teaching Kitchens for Improving Community Health
Dr. Jacob Mirsky and Elliot Kephart, RD, Chef
3C
Mind Body Approaches to Managing Post-Traumatic Stress
Dr. Zeba Ahmad
All sessions will be recorded as they are live streamed and placed in the online course video library, enabling registrants to view more than one session. The video library will be available for 60 days after the conclusion of the course.
Break
10:30-11:00 am
Session 4: Education and Skills Development Sessions 4A - 4C
11:00 am-12:00 pm
4A
Mind Body Medicine and the Evolution of Attachment and Cooperation
Dr. Gregory Fricchione
4B
Psychological Well-Being in Patients with Cancer: Does Positive Psychology have a Role?
Dr. Hermioni Amonoo
4C
A Mind Body Approach to Menopause
Dr. Mahmooda Qureshi
All sessions will be recorded as they are live streamed and placed in the online course video library, enabling registrants to view more than one session. The video library will be available for 60 days after the conclusion of the course.
Break*
12:00-1:30 pm
Session 5: Optional Sessions
Please note: If you would like to attend the tai chi session in person, pre-registration is requested.
1:00-1:20 pm
Guided Meditation
Peg Baim, MS, NP
Experiential: Tai Chi
Dr. Peter Wayne
(In-person space is limited; pre-registration requested for in-person attendees)
Ways to Use Mind Body Skills with Patients
Laura Malloy, LICSW, C-IAYT
Session 6: Education and Skills Development Sessions 6A - 6C
1:30-2:30 pm
6A
“Minding” Your Balance: Tai Chi for the Prevention of Falls and Cognitive Decline
Dr. Peter Wayne
6B
Healing Transformations: How Partnership, Presence, and Patterning Foster Patients’ Personal Integration
Dr. Katherine Rosa
6C
Optimizing Health Outcomes for Your Most Vulnerable Patients
Dr. Giselle Perez
All sessions will be recorded as they are live streamed and placed in the online course video library, enabling registrants to view more than one session. The video library will be available for 60 days after the conclusion of the course.
Stretch and Move Break
2:30-2:40 pm
Session 7: Education and Skills Development Sessions 7A - 7C
2:40-3:40 pm
7A
Advanced Meditation and the Third Wave of Meditation Research
Dr. Matthew Sacchet
7B
Qigong and Tai Chi for Treatment of Depression
Dr. Albert Yeung
7C
Mind Body Practices for Managing Fear and Enhancing Resiliency: Insights from Survivors of Cancer and Mylagic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Dr. Daniel Hall
All sessions will be recorded as they are live streamed and placed in the online course video library, enabling registrants to view more than one session. The video library will be available for 60 days after the conclusion of the course.
Break
3:40-4:00 pm
Session 8: Education and Skills Development Sessions 8A - 8C
4:00-5:00 pm
8A
Being SMART: Harnessing Resiliency Amidst Uncertainty
Dr. Elyse Park
8B
Think Like A Sleep Doc: A State-of-the Art Approach to Healthy Sleep
Dr. Suzanne Bertisch
8C
Healthy Aging Lifestyle Interventions to Address Loneliness in OIder Adult Informal Caregivers of People Experiencing Dementia
Dr. Jane Flanagan
All sessions will be recorded as they are live streamed and placed in the online course video library, enabling registrants to view more than one session. The video library will be available for 60 days after the conclusion of the course.
Stretch and Move Break
5:00-5:10 pm
Session 9: KEYNOTE: Stress and Response in the Black Women's Health Study
Dr. Yvette Cozier
5:10-6:10 pm
Optional In-Person Activity
Networking/Cocktail Reception
Join faculty and colleagues for refreshments and conversation.
(Additional fee required.)
6:15-8:00 pm
*There are many convenient and varied lunch options within a short walking distance of the in-person venue.
Friday, October 31, 2025
KEYNOTE: Thinking about Stress in a Whole New Way: Lessons learned from the Pandemic
8:00-9:00 am
Break
9:00-9:10 am
The Science Underlying Sleep and Meditation
9:10-10:10 am
Improving Daily Happiness in Older Adult Caregivers with a Remote Virtual And Smartphone-Based Mind/Body Program
9:10-10:10 am
Workshop
9:10-10:10 am
Tools for Integrating Mind Body Medicine into an Office Visit
9:10-10:10 am
Break
10:10-10:30 am
Interactive Workshop: How to Teach Meditation and Deepen Your Own Practice
10:30-11:30 am
Break
11:30-11:40 am
Mindfulness, Self-Compassion and Psychedelics
11:40 am-12:40 pm
Mindfulness Training for Healthy Aging - Impact on Memory, Attention, Well-being, and the Brain
11:40 am-12:40 pm
Biophilic Medicine & the Neuroimmune Benefits of Nature
11:40 am-12:40 pm
Lunch Break
12:40-1:15 pm
Guided Meditation
1:15-1:45 pm
Experiential: Tai Chi
1:15-1:45 pm
Ways to Use Mind Body Skills with Patients
1:15-1:45 pm
Break
1:45-2:00 pm
Clearing the Smoke: Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Cannabis
2:00-3:00 pm
Yoga: Understanding the Underlying Biomedical Science and Research
2:00-3:00 pm
Music, Spirituality, and Healing Within Black LGBTQIA+ Communities
2:00-3:00 pm
Stretch and Move Break
3:00-3:10 pm
Heated Yoga for the Treatment of Depression
3:10-4:10 pm
Inflammation in the Brain and Body: Depression as a Whole Body B Disorder
3:10-4:10 pm
Coaching Techniques for a Sustainable Meditation Practice
3:10-4:10 pm
Break
4:10-4:30 pm
KEYNOTE: Pure Unlimited Love: Science and the Seven Paths to Inner Peace
4:30-5:30 pm
Saturday, November 1, 2025
KEYNOTE: Towards a Medical Superintelligence: The Brave New World of "Reasoning Models" and the Implications for Medical Education and Human-Computer Collaboration
8:00-9:00 am
Break
9:00-9:10 am
Coaching Your Patients to Get Moving
9:10-10:10 am
Resilient Youth
9:10-10:10 am
Integrating Mind Body Approaches in Primary Care Visits
9:10-10:10 am
Break
10:10-10:30 am
Beyond the Back: The Art and Science of Chiropractic Care in Whole Person Health
10:30-11:30 am
It's All in Your Mind! (and Brain...and Body): Using Mind Body Skills to Improve Resiliency in Pediatric Oncology Patients and their Families
10:30-11:30 am
BHI-Certified Providers Share Tips on How They Put SMART into Practice
10:30-11:30 am
Stretch and Move Break
11:30-11:40 am
A Salute to Salutogenesis: Creating New Definitions and Delivery of Health through Patient Care, Technology and Education
11:40 am-12:40 pm
Stress and Cardiovascular Disease
11:40 am-12:40 pm
Introduction to Wellness: Positivity and Relaxation Training (PART
11:40 am-12:40 pm
Lunch Break
12:40-1:15 pm
Guided Meditation
1:15-1:45 pm
Experiential: Gentle Yoga
1:15-1:45 pm
Ways to Use Mind Body Skills with Children
1:15-1:45 pm
Break
1:45-2:00 pm
Treating Addiction through a Whole Person Lens
2:00-3:00 pm
Mind Body Skills for Managing Pain
2:00-3:00 pm
A 360 Degree Approach to Study Meditation as a Tool for Mind Body Evolution
2:00-3:00 pm
Break
3:00-3:10 pm
Going Forward: What We've Learned about Mind Body Medicine and How to Put It into Practice
3:10-4:10 pm
Faculty
Course Directors
John Denninger
MD, PhD | Course Director
- Director of Genomic Research, Benson-Henry Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital; Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Katherine Rosa
PhD, FNP-BC | Course Director
- Co-Director, SMART Clinical Program, Benson-Henry Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital; Instructor, Part-Time, Harvard Medical School
Course Fees
Registration Details
Registrations for Harvard Medical School CME programs are made via our secure online registration system. At the end of the registration process, a $10 non-refundable processing fee will be added to your registration.
Upon receipt of your paid registration, an email confirmation will be sent to you. Be sure to include an email address that you check frequently. Your email address is used for critical information, including registration confirmation, evaluation, and certificate. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until you have received an email confirming your paid registration.
Please review the cancellation policy.
All attendees of The Herbert Benson, MD Course in Mind Body Medicine will be provided with an online syllabus.
All sessions will be recorded as they are live streamed and placed in the online course video library, so that registrants can review them at their convenience. The video library will be available to all registrants for 60 days after the conclusion of the course.
For our in-person attendees, continental breakfast will be offered each morning and coffee and snacks will be available during morning and afternoon breaks.
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Harvard Medical School is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 25.75 general continuing education credits.