Michelle LaMasa-Schrader is a PhD student in the Saybrook University School of Mind-Body Medicine in the Healthcare Practice Specialization, currently in the dissertation research stage. She reports that her doctoral program has been a turning point in her professional and personal growth. During the past three years, she served the Saybrook Mind-Body Medicine Community as a member of the Student Academic Review Board Committee, as a Teaching Fellow, and most recently as a mentor to incoming PhD students to support and guide them in their journey toward the PhD.
As part of the required Saybrook Mind-Body Medicine curriculum, Michelle flew to Washington D. C. three years ago, to attend the Center for Mind-Body Medicine’s Professional Training Program. That experience profoundly changed her life. The tools that she learned were transformational; they allowed her to manage the stress of balancing graduate school, work, and family life in an effective and healthy way. The next leg of her journey involved completing the Center’s Advanced Training Program (ATP). After completing ATP, she ran her own mind-body skills group, while receiving weekly supervision from Center faculty. This experience ignited a fire for her to continue teaching and providing others with mind-body skills. Almost two years ago, she became a certified facilitator of mind-body skills groups through the Center for Mind-Body Medicine. The experience enabled her to deepen and hone her mind-body skills while continuing to facilitate groups and teach others the tools to manage stress in their own life.
Michelle believes whole-heartedly in the mission of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and wants to continue aligning herself with the Center. As such, she applied for a Center internship position this year and was one of five interns accepted into the program. She will attend the Professional Training Program October 4-10, 2013, in Redwood City, California and will intern with one of the Center’s senior faculty members. This is an exciting opportunity for her and she hopes to one day become a full Center faculty member. She also hopes to work with the Center’s Global Trauma Relief program in a setting such as Haiti, Gaza, or Israel, and with the Cancer Guides Program. Michelle has incorporated the tools she learned from the Center into her private practice, has continued facilitating mind-body skills groups, and has presented several workshops teaching mind-body skills. She hopes to continue honing her skills and to be able to witness and guide others in their quest toward health and wellness.