Mindfulness Meditation as Therapy, Featuring Deborah Norris, Ph.D., Part 3 of 3

Part 3: What You Practice is What You Get: Practices That Clinically Improve Well-Being

In this video series Deborah Norris, Ph.D. discusses meditation as an effective clinical therapy for the treatment of numerous health conditions, including both mental and physical health.

As the evidence-basis for using meditation in clinical care grows, many people are turning to mindfulness practices for the treatment of pain and associated medical conditions. Dr. Norris presents the research that supports the therapeutic potential of these self-care practices, as well as the mechanism of action and the relevant components or “active ingredients” of mind-body therapies. Understanding these mechanisms and practices helps us to apply them in our own lives and in our medical care.

Deborah Norris, Ph.D. is the Founder and Executive Director of The Mindfulness Center in Bethesda, MD. A neuroscientist by training, she is the Director of the Psychobiology of Healing Program in the Department of Psychology at American University where she is Psychologist-in-Residence. She has a research appointment at the D.C. Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center and at Children’s National Hospital. Dr. Norris previously taught in the Psychiatry Department at Georgetown University Medical School, and in the Health/Fitness Department at American University. She served as the U.S. lead neurotoxicologist to the US Environmental Protection Agency, and to the European Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation. Her research focus is on the mechanism of action and standardization of mind-body practices in the treatment of mental health and pain in under-served and special needs populations.