Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen is one of the earliest pioneers in the mind/body holistic health movement and the first to recognize the role of the spirit in health and the recovery from illness. She is Co-Founder and Medical Director of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program featured in the Bill Moyers PBS series Healing and the Mind and has cared for people with cancer and their families for almost 30 years. She is Clinical Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine and Director of the innovative UCSF course The Healer's Art, which was featured in US News & World Report. She is Founder and Director of the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness, a professional development program for graduate physicians.
She is also a nationally recognized medical reformer and educator who sees the practice of medicine as a spiritual path. In recognition of her work she has received several honorary degrees and has been invited to teach in medical schools and hospitals throughout the country. Her groundbreaking holistic curricula enable physicians at all levels of training to remember their calling and strengthen their commitment to serve life.
As a master storyteller and public speaker, Remen has spoken to thousands of people throughout the country, reminding them of the power of their humanity and the ability to use their lives to make a difference. She has a 48-year personal history of Crohn's disease and her work is a unique blend of the viewpoint of physician and patient.
Read For:
- Touching stories about coping with illness and facing death
- Rousing vision of service as a way of bringing meaning to all
- Recognition of compassion, listening, and kindness as spiritual keys
