AANP ABSTRACT for Oral Presentation \u2026Power Point Presentation
Contact
Paul Epstein, ND

Westport, CT. 06880
203-226-3923
www.drpaulepstein.com
epsteinmb@aol.com

Dis-ease tells a story, not just about our cells and a diagnosis, but about our self and our life.
Listening to the story, we are led to the truth of what happened to us and the emotions that lie at
the core of our authentic being. In this talk on mind-body integrative medicine we discuss the
mind-body connection and the role of attitudes, beliefs, stresses and emotions in the healing
process. We will explore the importance of looking and listening within to discover the message
and meaning hidden inside stress, pain and illness. We\u2019ll explore how our life histories,
childhood hurts, traumas and stresses affect our mind-body-heart and spirit, our whole person
health, and how healing happens when we engage our inner healer and unburden ourselves from
the wounds of our life story. Seeing with new eyes we discover that illness is an opportunity to
embark on a journey of self-healing and awakening, to come home to our true and authentic self.

Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses waiting to see us act just once, with beauty
and courage, perhaps everything that frightens us is in its deepest essence a part of us that
feels helpless and needs our love,. Rilke

4. To appreciate that how we are with our patients may be as important as what we do,
and who we are may be as important as what we know. The power of the healing
relationship and relationship centered care.

\u201cIn curing, we are trying to get somewhere, we are looking for answers. In curing,
our efforts are specifically designed to make something happen.
In healing, we live questions instead of answers. We hang out in the unknown. We trust the
emergence of whatever will be. We trust the insight will come. The challenge in medicine is not
the choice between one and the other. We need both."

Paul Epstein, ND, is a Naturopathic Physician, mind-body therapist and Buddhist meditation
teacher who integrates the teachings of the Buddha, mindful awareness and contemplative
psychotherapy in his whole-person approach supporting people on their self healing journey and
spiritual path. He is a 1984 graduate of the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, where he
did a residency in holistic medicine. Paul co-founded and co-directed the Israel Center for Mind-
Body Medicine. He is also a certified yoga instructor, and has studied Buddhist psychology,
mindfulness meditation, clinical guided imagery, stress reduction and psychotherapy in a spiritual
context and has successfully advocated the clinical application and integration of mind-body-
spirit therapies in health care for over 25 years. He graduated from the Academy for Guided
Imagery, completed the three year training program for Community Dharma Meditation Leaders
at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center,and has trained in the Internal Family System Model of
Psychotherapy. He currently writes and lectures extensively, leads workshops and mindful
healing retreats and mind-body medicine training worldwide. He is a core faculty member of the
Graduate Institute Masters Program in Experiential Health and Healing. Paul maintains a private
practice in Westport CT. where he is the guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Community of
Fairfield County.www.drpaulepstein.com epsteinmb@aol.com 203-226-3923