Optional Online Pre-Course Workshops
One day prior to the start of the Herbert Benson, MD Course in Mind Body Medicine, you have the opportunity to expand your education with three online pre-course workshops. Each workshop will be recorded and available to registrants for viewing, at their convenience, for 90 days following the course.
(If you choose both workshops that stream live on Wednesday afternoon, you can attend one of them live online and review the other as a recording after the completion of the course.)
Mind Body Approaches to Weight Management
Under the direction of Chika Anekwe, MD, MPH and Shalu Ramchandani, MD
Wednesday, October 21, 9:00 am – 12:10 pm
ONLINE, LIVE STREAMING
Weight regulation involves intricate biological and physiological processes. Traditional methods for managing weight encompass advocating for physical activity, balanced nutrition, pharmacotherapy, and surgical interventions for eligible individuals. This workshop delves into the myriad ways in which chronic stress can influence weight regulation. Psychosocial stress, often underestimated, significantly affects self-care practices, thereby predisposing individuals to noncommunicable diseases such as obesity. Mind Body Medicine uses evidence-based effects of thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, and emotions to promote health and reduce stress.
In this course, you will explore:
- Epidemiological and pathophysiological evidence regarding obesity as a chronic disease and the mechanisms underlying body weight regulation.
- Biological targets and mechanisms involved in pharmacotherapeutic approaches to treating obesity.
- The significance of regular physical activity, nutritious diet, and restorative sleep in weight regulation.
- The detrimental effects of chronic stress on metabolism and weight regulation, manifested through maladaptive behaviors, altered self-regulation, and physiological changes.
- Personal testimonials illustrating the impact of the Benson Henry Institute’s Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) Program on patients’ ability to enhance their self-care practices.
Schedule: Weight Management
Live Streaming in US Eastern Daylight Time
Mind Body Approaches to Weight Management | |
Overview of Obesity: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Pharmacotherapy, and Medications | 9:00-10:00 am |
Optimizing Weight Management: The Role of Physical Activity, Sleep, and Nutrition | 10:00-10:50 am |
| Break | 10:50-11:00 am |
Unpacking the Weight: How Chronic Stress Fuels Obesity and Mind-Body Strategies Fight Back | 11:00-11:40 am |
Panel Discussion: Patients’ Perspectives on Mind Body Techniques for Self-Care | 11:40 am-12:10 pm |
Group Medical Visits to Guide Patients to Healthier Lifestyle Behaviors
Under the direction of Jacob Mirsky, MD, FACLM
Wednesday, October 21, 1:00 – 4:00 pm
ONLINE, LIVE STREAMING
Group medical visits—both in-office and online—are becoming increasingly popular tools in primary care and specialty practices to help patients make healthy lifestyle changes for:
- Symptom and chronic disease management
- Disease prevention
This special online pre-course workshop provides a practical, evidence-based introduction to group medical visits. Unique to this program is its immersive, fast-paced, 360-degree educational experience. You will learn about how group medical visits can promote health from four critical perspectives:
- Clinical
- Patient
- Provider
- Practice
EDUCATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
Clinical Perspectives
- Types of conditions that are appropriate for group medical visits
- Considerations of population and cultural factors in running group medical visits
- Impact of group medical visits on patient outcomes
- Connection between stress and chronic conditions and its role of group medical visit
Patient Perspectives
- What a group visit looks like for a patient
- Patient perspectives on group medical visits
- Strategies for encouraging patients to join group medical visits
Provider Perspectives
- How a provider can run group medical visits in practice
- Impact of group medical visits on provider satisfaction and burnout
Practice Perspectives
- Length and structure of a group visit
- Strategies for training providers to run group medical visits
- Nuts and bolts of billing and documentation
- Staffing needed to support group medical visits
- Resources and references
Schedule: Group Visits
Live Streaming in US Eastern Daylight Time
Group Medical Visits to Guide Patients to Healthier Lifestyle Behaviors | |
Welcome and History of Group Medical Visits | 1:00-1:25 pm |
Clinical Considerations and Benefits for Putting Group Medical Visits into Practice | 1:25-2:00 pm |
Administration and Billing of Group Medical Visits | 2:00-2:15 pm |
| Break | 2:15-2:30 pm |
Virtual Group Medical Visits in the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Healthy Lifestyle Program: Patient and Provider Perspectives | 2:30-2:55 pm |
Logistics and Tips for Running a Group Medical Visit | 2:55-3:10 pm |
Q&A and Panel Discussion: Invaluable Lessons Learned Through Our Experience of Group Medical Visits Across MGH | 3:10-4:00 pm |
Mind Body Approaches to Trauma-Informed Care
Under the direction of L. Elizabeth Lincoln, MD and John Denninger, MD, PhD
Wednesday, October 21, 1:00 – 5:00 pm
ONLINE, LIVE STREAMING
Traumatic experiences are highly prevalent and have profound effects on the brain, body, behavior, and health outcomes for patients and clinicians alike. This experiential course explores mind–body approaches to trauma‑informed care, with a focus on enhancing safety, therapeutic presence, and resilience in clinical encounters.
In this course, you will explore:
- How trauma and post‑traumatic stress affect the nervous system and patient behavior
- How evidence‑based mind–body practices can support healing while avoiding re‑traumatization
- Self‑compassion and resilience skills to prevent clinician burnout
- Practical tools to support well‑being while caring for patients with trauma histories.
Schedule: Trauma-Informed Care
Live Streaming in US Eastern Daylight Time
Mind Body Approaches to Trauma-Informed Care | |
Welcome and Announcements | 1:00-1:10 pm |
How to Incorporate Trauma-Informed Care into the Patient Encounter | 1:10-2:00 pm |
Practical Skills: Role Play | 2:00-2:15 pm |
What Clinicians Need to Know About How Trauma Effects Patients' Physical and Mental Health and Behavior | 2:15-3:00 pm |
| Break | 3:00-3:15 pm |
Mind-Body Approaches to Facilitating Mindful Self-Compassion Among Clinicians Treating Post-Traumatic Stress | 3:15-4:00 pm |
Practical Skills: Grounding Techniques | 4:00-4:15 pm |
Trauma-Informed Care in Intensive PTSD Treatment: Safety, Agency and Momentum | 4:15-4:45 pm |
Panel Discussion and Q & A | 4:45-5:00 pm |
PLEASE NOTE
- These programs will be recorded and made available online for registrants of each pre-course workshop to view at their convenience for 90 days
- These online pre-course workshops are only available to participants of THE HERBERT BENSON, MD COURSE in MIND BODY MEDICINE (October 22–24, 2026)
- To optimize the value of these workshops for each participant, registrations will be limited and accepted on a first-come, first-served basis
- To be assured a place in these programs, early registration is advised
Workshop Directors
Chika V. Anekwe
MD, MPH
- Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Diplomate, American Board of Obesity Medicine
- Preventive Medicine and Obesity Medicine Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital
- President and Founder, New England Obesity Society
- Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Diplomate, American Board of Obesity Medicine
- Staff Physician, Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital
Jacob Mirsky
MD, FACLM
- Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Staff Physician, Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine
- Medical Director, Division of General Internal Medicine Healthy Lifestyle Program, Massachusetts General Hospital
John W. Denninger
MD, PhD
- Director of Integrative Science and Clinical Training, Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine
- Associate in Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Senior Mentor, MGH/McLean Psychiatry Residency Research Concentration Program
- Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
- Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Staff Physician, Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital