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Our Physicians, Providers, & StaffDuke Integrative Medicine PhysiciansAdam Perlman, M.D. - Executive Director; Integrative Medicine Physician; Associate Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine Evangeline Lausier, M.D. - Director of Clinical Services; Integrative Medicine Physician, Internal Medicine; Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine Sam Moon, M.D., M.P.H. - Integrative Medicine Physician; Associate Professor, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Shelley Wroth, M.D. - Integrative Medicine Physician, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Michelle L. Bailey, M.D. - Director of Medical Education; Pediatric Integrative Medicine Physician Jeffrey Brantley, M.D. - Director of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction; Consulting Associate, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Susan P. Blackford, M.D. - Integrative Medicine Physician; Consulting Associate, Department of General Internal Medicine Duke Integrative Medicine Providers and StaffMary Matthews Brantley, M.A., L.M.F.T - Teacher, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program Myra Blackwell, L.M.B.T. - Massage Therapist Kelly Cross, M.F.A, L.M.B.T - Massage Therapist Linda Duda, M.S.W., P.C.C., C.P.C.C. - Integrative Health Coach Janna L. Fikkan, Ph.D. - Clinical Psychologist; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Louise Goldstein, R.N., C.N.I.V., O.C.N., C.H.P.N. - Nurse Program Coordinator Jeffrey M. Greeson, Ph.D., M.S. - Clinical Health Psychologist; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Jeanne Gresko, M.S., L.P.C., BCIA-C. - Integrative Health Coach Erin Gunter, M.S. - Distance Learning Coordinator Tim Hackett, L.M.B.T. - Massage Therapist Phyllis Hicks, D-Min, NCLPC - Psychotherapist; Teacher, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program Julie Kosey, M.S., P.C.C., R.Y.T. - Integrative Health Coach;Teacher, MIndfulness Based Stress Reduction Carol Krucoff, E-R.Y.T. - Yoga Therapist Rachel Kuliani, M.P.H., C.H.E.S. - Program Coordinator Kerry Little, M.A., C.P.C.C. - Integrative Health Coach Cath Lloyd, L.M.B.T. - Massage Therapist John C. McCall - Operations Director Maya McNeilly, Ph.D. - Teacher, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program Maria Moraca Blankenship, L.Ac. - Licensed Acupuncturist Cathy Parham, B.S., M.B.A., P.C.C., C.P.C.C. - Integrative Health Coach Mary B. Peterson, P.C.T. - Medical Assistant Beth Reardon, M.S., R.D., L.D.N. - Integrative Nutritionist Janet K. Shaffer, L.Ac. - Licensed Acupuncturist Andrea Shaw, Ph.D., M.C.C. - Integrative Health Coach Leigh Ann Simmons, Ph.D. - Senior Faculty Fellow for Clinical and Translational Research, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Senior Research Fellow, Duke Center for Research on Prospective Health Care Linda L. Smith, P.A., M.S. - Director of Professional and Public Programs Noah St. John, M.S., R.D. - Exercise Specialist Melva Strait, Kim Turk, L.M.B.T. - Lead Massage Therapist Jeanne van Gemert, M.F.A., L.M.B.T., M.A., L.P.C. - Mind/Body Therapist Ron Vereen, M.D. - Teacher, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program Jessica P. Wakefield, M.A., L.P.C. - Psychotherapist; Integrative Health Coach Riitta H Rutanen Whaley, M.S., M.S.P.H. – Teacher, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program Ruth Q. Wolever, Ph.D. - Director of Research; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Clinical Health Psychologist Duke Integrative Medicine Physicians
Dr. Perlman joined the staff of Duke Integrative Medicine in 2011. Prior, he was Executive Director of the Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (ICAM) and associate professor of medicine within the School of Health Related Professions at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). In 2010, Dr. Perlman became chair for the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine, a consortium comprising 50 leading academic medical centers around the country with integrative medical programs. Dr. Perlman was chairperson for the Department of Primary Care within the School of Health Related Professions at UMDNJ, and he held the UMDNJ Hunterdon Endowed Professorship in Complementary and Alternative Medicine since 2004. Dr. Perlman's scholarly activities include numerous grants and publications. He was guest editor for the Complementary and Alternative Medicine volume of Medical Clinics of North America, and is associate editor for the Complementary and Alternative Medicine section of the Physician Information and Education Resource (PIER), developed by the American College of Physicians and American Society for Internal Medicine. His diverse research interests have included a clinical trial evaluating the effect of multivitamin supplementation on school performance in underserved children, a trial assessing the efficacy of massage for osteoarthritis of the knee and a survey exploring the use of CAM in patients with cancer. Most recently, he was the recipient of an R01 Research Grant, funded by the NIH's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, to continue his research on massage therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee. Dr. Perlman's research has been published in the Archives of Internal Medicine and featured in the New York Times.
Dr. Lausier has been on the faculty at Duke General Internal Medicine since 1993, and transferred to Duke Integrative Medicine in 2006, after completing an associate fellowship at the Program in Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona, directed by Dr. Andrew Weil. She was named Director of Clinical Services in 2009. Dr. Lausier holds a degree in Medicine from the University of Vermont and completed a medical residency at Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME. She holds a pre-med degree in pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy. Originally from Maine, she has a strong connection to naturalism and botany. Areas of interest include botanical medicine and pharmacognosy, women's health, and complex multi-system illness, with an emphasis on preventative lifestyle and interdisciplinary approaches to complicated medical issues.
Dr. Moon’s primary specialty is Preventive Medicine—Occupational and Environmental (OEM), in which he is board-certified. He served from 1998 to 2005 as OEM Chief in the Department of Community & Family Medicine at Duke. He is certified by the American Board of Pain Medicine, a non-ABMS board. Dr. Moon's clinical background includes 9 years of rural primary care on the Oregon-Washington border, 4 years in a multi-disciplinary pain rehabilitation center in Atlanta, and 18 years in an academic occupational and environmental medicine practice at Duke. He has served a number of roles with Duke Integrative Medicine from its beginning in the late 1990’s to present. Dr. Moon lectures nationally and internationally. He has expertise in ergonomics, musculoskeletal disorders, general prevention, and the mind-body interaction. He provides clinical consultations and performs medical acupuncture.
Dr. Wroth obtained her medical doctorate from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University and completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University Medical Center. She provides integrative health care to women through comprehensive consultations, as well as membership and immersion experiences. She was a recipient of the Bravewell Fellowship and completed a two year fellowship in Integrative Medicine through Dr. Andrew Weil’s program at the University of Arizona. Dr. Wroth is a medical acupuncturist, and completed the UCLA/Helms Medical Institute training. She is also a certified yoga instructor. In addition, she teaches first and second year Duke medical students clinical skills in the Practice Course, a 2 year introduction to patient care. Dr. Wroth's special interests include bridging the gap between complementary and alternative practices and conventional medicine to achieve optimal health for women. She enjoys working with women on menopausal health, bio-identical hormones, fertility, painful and irregular periods, improving energy and sleep, cancer survivorship, and approaching health as a foundation for achieving life meaning and purpose.
Dr. Bailey received her M.D. at the State University of New York Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn and completed her residency in Pediatrics at Duke University Medical Center, North Carolina. Dr. Bailey directs educational programs in integrative medicine for medical students, residents, and faculty at Duke. She currently provides primary care in the department of pediatrics and provides integrative medicine consultations for children on a variety of health conditions at Duke Integrative Medicine. Dr. Bailey was a recipient of the Bravewell Fellowship scholarship award and completed the 2 year Associate Fellowship program in Dr. Andrew Weil's Program in Integrative Medicine through the University of Arizona. Special interests include community education in nutrition and prevention and management of overweight and obesity in children. She is planning to pursue research in pediatric integrative medicine, specifically looking at the effectiveness of mind-body therapies for a variety of conditions affecting children.
Dr. Brantley is one of the founding faculty members of Duke Integrative Medicine, where he started the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program in 1998. He is also a member of the Community of Scholars of the Center for Spirituality, Theology, and Health at Duke University. He is a Consulting Associate in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke Medical Center. He teaches intensive courses on mindfulness meditation and conducts extensive experiential programs and group lectures. Dr. Brantley completed his psychiatry residency at the University of California at Irvine Medical Center. He is Board Certified in psychiatry and and was elected as a “Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association” in 2008. He worked for 14 years in community mental health and private practice. Dating back to medical school, meditation has been a focal point of Dr. Brantley's private life, as well as an integral part of his work with people seeking healing in their lives. Dr. Brantley has participated in many intensive meditation retreats, practicing with a variety of teachers, including Joan Halifax, Thich Nhat Hanh, Larry Rosenberg, Christina Feldman, and members of the Amaravati Buddhist monastic community. He has also completed the professional training for Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction offered by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli. Dr. Brantley is the author of Calming Your Anxious Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion can free you from Anxiety, Fear, and Panic and is the co-author, with Wendy Millstine, of the Five Good Minutes series and Daily Meditations for Calming Your Anxious Mind.
Dr Blackford obtained her medical doctorate at Duke University School of Medicine and completed her residency in General Internal Medicine at University of Virginia Hospital. She is board certified in Internal Medicine. She worked seven years in private practice in Green Bay, Wisconsin where she was one of few female primary care practitioners. Her practice quickly filled with women seeking an alternative approach to menopausal treatment and more open mindedness to alternative and complimentary practices in general. This helped spark her interest in Integrative Medicine. In 2002, she and her family set off for the warmer climate of North Carolina for a more ethnically diverse population and a longer growing season. She joined the faculty at Durham Medical Center, a part of Duke Primary Care. Dr Blackford was a recipient of the Bravewell Fellowship scholarship award and completed the 2 year Fellowship in Dr. Andrew Weil's Program in Integrative Medicine through the University of Arizona and Duke Integrative Medicine in 2010. She enjoys working with patients on lifestyle modification and managing complex medical issues. She has a special interest in mind body medicine and medical hypnotherapy. Duke Integrative Medicine Faculty, Providers, and Staff
Mary Matthews Brantley has been practicing meditation for over 25 years. She has done many intensive retreats and her teachers have included Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein, Larry Rosenberg, Rodney Smith, Ruth Denison, Joan Halifax, and Thich Nhat Hanh. She has been an instructor in the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program at Duke Integrative Medicine since 2000. She has a master’s degree in psychology from Pepperdine University of California. In addition to teaching she has developed and taught a course based on loving-kindness meditation. She is co-author of The Gift of Loving-Kindness: 100 meditations on Compassion, Forgiveness, and Generosity from New Harbinger Publications.
Myra is a graduate of the Body Therapy Institute in Siler City in 2004, and comes to Duke Integrative Medicine with a background in Swedish, Deep-Tissue, Reflexology, and Chair Massage modalities to help relieve the impacts of stress, tension, and injuries. She also provides massage services for the UNC football Department, to assist in the prevention of injuries and increase recovery time, and to help athletes to increase flexibility and ROM through various stretching techniques. She has experience in On-Site Chair Massage at festivals, expos, corporate events, and offices. Myra earned a B.A. in Psychology at UNC in 2002, and has used that background to tremendous advantage in her massage career.
Kelly began his private massage practice in 1989, and later added part-time work for eleven years at the UNC Cancer Center providing bodywork for cancer patients and their family members. Over the years he has refined his techniques in deep Swedish massage, incorporating studies such as reflexology and Reiki levels I and II. He also practices Thai Yoga Massage which provides a refreshing change of pace, working on a futon on the floor, client fully clothed in loose comfortable clothing. The practitioner guides the recipient through a series of yoga postures while palming and thumbing along the body's energy lines and pressures points. Together these actions result in a comprehensive full body treatment that relieves muscular tension, improves circulation, boosts the immune system and balances the body energetically. Kelly is a certified Rosen Method Practitioner, a modality which at its core is about the integration of physical and emotional awareness. Rosen Method can be an effective therapeutic component in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Kelly has a BA in Religious Studies from UNC, and received an MFA in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute. He attended the Carolina Massage School in Carrboro. His Rosen trainings took place in North Carolina, Connecticut, and California. He was also a teaching assistant at subsequent Rosen intensives. He has attended meditation retreats with teachers including Pema Chödrön, Thich Nhat Hanh, Adyashanti and Katagiri Roshi, as well as Men's Rites of Passage with Fr. Richard Rohr at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico. At present he maintains a painting studio at Golden Belt and enjoys the interplay of art and bodywork in daily life.
Linda Duda is a professional coach who remains passionate and grateful to have the opportunity to partner with amazing individuals who are committed to building healthy, meaningful lives. Linda joined the Duke Integrative Medicine coaching team in 2003, initially providing group coaching experiences for selected Duke Prospective Health members interested in making significant lifestyle changes. Since then, her responsibilities have broadened to include individual coaching with Duke Integrative Medicine clients, coach training, and participation in Integrative Medicine research studies. While living in Connecticut for 15 years, Linda maintained an active, psychotherapy private practice as a licensed clinical social worker. She counseled adolescents, adults and families. In addition to her clinical work, Linda spent 8 years teaching an interview techniques course at Yale Medical School. Throughout her years in Connecticut, she volunteered her time mentoring young teens and supporting elementary education projects. Linda received a Masters of Social Work (MSW) from Boston College, specializing in clinical work. She obtained a BA from Meredith College with a double major in Psychology and Sociology and social work certification. In 1992, she acquired Level I and Level II Reiki training in the Usui method. Reiki remains a part of her daily life. In 2004, Linda completed coaching training from The Coaches Training Institute, and in 2009, she completed the advanced CTI coaching certification program. At present, Linda is teaching in both the Duke Integrative Health Coaching foundation and certification programs. Linda’s interest, exploration, and instruction in complementary and alternative medicine are longstanding. She holds a deep belief in the magnificent healing power that is present when mind and body work together.
Prior to beginning her fellowship at Integrative Medicine, Janna completed her internship in medical psychology at Duke University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Montana in 1999 and her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Vermont in 2008. Janna’s clinical interests include applying mindfulness and acceptance-based treatment approaches to a variety of behavioral disorders. She is also interested in how interventions that promote self-acceptance can assist individuals in achieving health-related goals. Her clinical training at Duke included rotations in the Duke Eating Disorders Program, as well as the Cognitive Behavioral Research and Treatment Program, where she received training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Janna’s research has focused on understanding how body image and disordered relationships with food are maintained over time and how they interfere with the adoption of long-term health-promoting behaviors. She is also interested in exploring the stigma associated with body size, particularly as it disproportionately affects women. She has presented her work at both national and international conferences, published in academic journals and co-authored a chapter in a recent book on weight bias.
Louise is a Registered Nurse that has been in the Nursing Department at Duke University Health Systems for 15 years in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Louise’s professional practice has always been focused on integrative holistic health, patient advocacy, and patient education. Louise believes the essence of nursing practice is based on integrative health care; the fundamental principal being holistic health; bringing together the art of caring with biomedical technology for the purpose of healing the mind, body and spirit. She explains, “As nurses, we are on the front lines of patient care. I value the philosophy that nurses are not only privileged but also obligated to create a comfortable collaboration between traditional Western health care and complementary therapies.” As a member of the opening team of the first free-standing Acute Care Inpatient Hospice facility in the Triangle, Louise provided comfort care and helped to “normalize” the dying process and the grieving process for her patients and their families for 5 ½ years. She maintains specialty certifications in Oncology Nursing and Hospice and Palliative Nursing and continues to co-facilitate Bereavement Support Groups for Duke Community Bereavement Services at the beautiful Unicorn Bereavement Center in Hillsborough, North Carolina.
Dr. Greeson specializes in integrating mind-body skills like meditation and hypnosis with cognitive-behavioral therapy to help clients treat and prevent stress-related health problems – from obesity, high blood pressure and chronic pain, to depression, anxiety and insomnia. Dr. Greeson holds a PhD in Clinical Health Psychology (University of Miami, 2006) and a Masters degree in Biomedical Chemistry (Thomas Jefferson University, 2001). He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke, and a Licensed Psychologist and Health Services Provider in the state of North Carolina. Dr. Greeson has conducted research in the fields of integrative medicine, mindfulness meditation, and stress physiology since 1998. His work has been recognized at national and international conferences, and his studies have been published in several scientific journals, including Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine; Brain, Behavior, and Immunity; and The Journal of Neuroscience. Dr. Greeson has a growing interest in mind-body skills that promote cardiovascular health and that help patients prepare for successful surgery.
Jeanne loves to partner with those who are seeking effective ways to improve their health and wellness and bring a sense of wholeness into their lives. She believes in the importance of making changes mindfully, as well as finding ways to make healthy behaviors fit into an already busy life. Her special interest is in working with people with challenges of stress, chronic pain or chronic illness. Jeanne has an MSc in Rehabilitation Counseling from West Virginia University and is a LIcensed Professional Counselor in NC. She is certified in Interactive Guided Imagery and Biofeedback. She also completed coursework in coaching through MentorCoach, and recently completed training in Chronic Disease Self-Management. Prior to working at Duke, Jeanne taught Stress Management workshops in NC and SC, and she has had a private practice specializing in stress and chronic pain management for more than 12 years. Since 2001, she has also worked at Duke as a health coach in NIH-funded research studies promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, including one study which developed a model of health coaching.
Erin Gunter received her B.A. in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2005. After working for a nonprofit organization that provided services for people with developmental disabilities for 2 years, she enrolled in the Master of Science in Instructional Technology program at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. In 2010, she received her Master of Science degree in Instructional Technology and moved to Durham. She is now the Distance Learning Coordinator for the Duke Integrative Medicine division of the Duke University Health System. She is responsible for designing, developing, and implementing the curriculum and delivery platform for the Integrative Health Coach Professional Training programs at Duke Integrative Medicine.
Tim Hackett specializes in NeuroMuscular Reprogramming, a comprehensive technique predicated on specific muscle testing. The NMR protocol allows him to identify muscles that are either weak or inhibited by other muscles or groups that cause imbalance, impairment, restricted motion and often chronic pain. Drawing on 6 years of private practice, Tim is able to correct these imbalances through extensive work with Sports Massage, Myofascial Release, Trigger Point and Swedish, all with a primary focus on increasing healthy and pain-free movement in the affected area. He has worked with many local athletes from fun runners to competitive ultra marathoners and tri-athletes. In addition, Tim has worked at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center for nearly 3 years. Tim is also a Certified Personal Trainer, and he focuses on increasing strength, flexibility, a full range of motion, and a life long love of fitness.
Phyllis Hicks is a psychotherapist, meditation teacher and minister. She directs the Pastoral Care and Counseling Institute, a nonprofit in Durham, NC and offers psychotherapy, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and clinical training. For twenty-five years she has melded eastern and western understandings of psychology and contemplative practice, studying with a variety of western Vipassana teachers since 1999. She trained intensively with Gregory Kramer in the practice of Insight Dialogue since 2004 and teaches Insight Dialogue retreats internationally. She is a guiding teacher for Triangle Insight and faculty for the Metta Foundation’s Whole Life Program.
Julie Kosey, MS, PCC, RYT is credentialed as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coach Federation. She is also a certified health coach. She has supported people with health behavior change since the 1980’s and specifically in a coaching capacity for the past 10 years. Over the years, Julie has consulted with companies to create nationally award-winning worksite wellness programs. She has offered health coaching to employees both individually and in groups, showing positive outcomes in worksite wellness pilot programs. People have lost weight, quit smoking, become more physically active, managed stress more effectively, and created better work/life balance. While she has provided health coaching in many different settings, she began working with Duke Integrative Medicine as part of a worksite wellness initiative in 2004. Within Duke, Julie has served as Integrative Health Coaching Manager helping to define the role of coaching within a healthcare system. She played a key role in the creation of the Duke Integrative Health Coach Professional training and been a co-leader and core instructor in the foundational and certification programs, supporting new health coaches in developing their skills. Julie has co-presented Duke’s health coaching research at the International Coach Federation (ICF) conference. She has remained current with health coaching developments on a national level by attending ICF events, the National Wellness Conference, the Harvard Coaching Conference, and the Health Coaching Executive Forum. She will be presenting a workshop on the use of coaching skills to support mindfulness practice at the Investigating and Integrating Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society: 9th Annual International Scientific Conference for Clinicians, Researchers and Educators in April 2011. Julie is also a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher for Duke Integrative Medicine. She began teaching MBSR through Rex Healthcare in 1996 and has also taught for the University of North Carolina’s Program on Integrative Medicine, Duke Raleigh Hospital and a number of other organizations. She originally trained with Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and Dr. Saki Santorelli from the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and has participated in numerous intensive retreats and trainings with various teachers since then including Sylvia Boorstein, Rodney Smith, and Sharon Salzberg among many other less-known but very experienced teachers. Julie has developed a strong level of competence teaching mindful movement by becoming a Certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher in 1999 and pursuing numerous advanced yoga teacher trainings since that time. She has been registered through the Yoga Alliance (RYT) since its inception. Julie’s academic credentials include an MS in Wellness Management with minors in Business and Counseling, a BA in Psychology, and a Graduate Certificate in Alternative Health and Healing. She blends all of these aspects of her background to continue to forge the frontier of wellness, creating new possibilities for health and well-being for individuals and organizations.
Carol Krucoff is a yoga instructor/therapist who specializes in therapeutic applications of yoga for medical concerns. She creates individualized yoga practices for people with health challenges. A frequent contributor to Yoga Journal magazine and founding editor of The Washington Post’s Health Section, Carol is co-author of Healing Moves: How to Cure, Relieve and Prevent Common Ailments with Exercise. She is co-director of the Yoga Therapy Intensive, Teaching Yoga to Seniors, held annually at Duke Integrative Medicine to train yoga teachers how to work safely and effectively with older adults. A registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance and a certified personal trainer with the American Council on Exercise, Carol is a graduate of Esther Myers’ Yoga Teacher Training and Nischala Joy Devi’s Yoga of the Heart Cardiac and Cancer Certification Training, which focuses on adapting yoga for people with heart disease, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. She has practiced yoga for more than 30 years and is grateful to have taken classes and workshops with a broad array of senior teachers from around the United States and in India. A member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, Carol is on the Peer Review Board for the International Journal of Yoga Therapy. She also teaches yoga at Duke University’s Center for Living and at a senior residential community near her home in Chapel Hill—where her students are in their 70s and 80s. Her passion for sharing the gifts of yoga with older adults began in 2001, when she created and taught a yoga program for seniors enrolled in a Gerontology Rehabilitation program at the Durham, NC, Veterans Administration Medical Center. Carol also spent a decade studying martial arts, earned a second-degree black belt and the honored title of Sensei and taught karate for four years. Before moving to North Carolina in 1988, Carol spent 10 years as a reporter and editor at The Washington Post. An award-winning journalist, she has published hundreds of articles in a wide variety of national media outlets including The New York Times, Reader's Digest, Prevention, Glamour, and Health. Most recently, she has written a new book, Healing Yoga for Neck & Shoulder Pain. She is also creator of the audio home Yoga practice CD, Healing Moves Yoga.
Rachel received her Master of Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a focus on Health Behavior and Health Education. Her masters thesis, based on work completed during an internship at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, focused on best practices for lipid-management with veterans. She served as Project Manager for one of the Durham Health Innovations teams formed by the Duke Translational Medicine Institute during their planning period of program development. Rachel also maintains the professional credential of Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). Prior to her focus on Public Health, Rachel earned a B.A. in Industrial Design from North Carolina State University. She enjoys being able to utilize her design skills to enhance the presentation impact of health related information.
Kerry Little has over ten years of experience teaching and working with groups and individuals with a focus on improving their well being. From corporate presentations to one-on-one sessions, Kerry has helped clients lose weight, stop smoking, reduce stress, become physically active and improve their health and quality of life. As an integrative health coach at Duke Integrative Medicine, Kerry is involved in cutting-edge healthcare and research. It is her calling to assist others in their journey towards better health. She also enjoys coaching clients to achieve the better life they seek and deserve. Kerry received her BA in health education from Elon University, her masters' degree from N.C. State University with a focus on health behavior, and her coaching certificate from Totally Coached. Prior to working at Duke, she was an account manager with Johnson and Johnson's Health Care Systems, where she designed and led a three-month weight loss program in which Duke employees lost over four thousand pounds collectively. Kerry also worked as a health educator and manager at a top hospital-based wellness center where she designed and taught a variety of health programs for corporate clients and members of the community.
Cath Lloyd, Myokinesthetic Specialist, is a North Carolina Licensed Massage Therapist. The myokinesthetic system is a muscle movement technique that connects and balances the nervous system. Exclusively using this technique, Cath has had success treating muscle/nerve complaints such as migraines, carpal tunnel syndrome and frozen shoulder syndromes, low back pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, and SI joint discomfort. Working closely with myokinesthetic technique's founder, Dr. Michael Uriarte, Cath has further used the treatments to successfully reduce restless leg syndrome, tinnitus, nerve discomfort from shingles, incontinence/overactive bladder, chronic coughing, and chemotherapy side effects including hand-foot syndrome. The treatments have brought improved growth development to clients as young as 13 months as well as enhanced the physical and cognitive functions of 70 to 90 year old individuals. Cath also has a private practice as a Duke-trained Integrative Health Coach and as a flower essence practitioner, supporting individuals in their quest to achieve optimal health and lifestyle goals. Cath holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University and a Medical Technology certificate from Iowa Methodist Medical Center.
John has over 20 years of diverse healthcare experience in Hospital Operations and Group Practice Management. At Duke Integrative Medicine, John is responsible for total center operations including facility management, admissions/guest services, food service management, billing and collections, Human Resources, payroll, IT, and professional contracting. He holds these same responsibilities at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center. John earned his bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University and is an active alumnus of both Brevard College and East Carolina University.
Maya McNeilly is a licensed clinical psychologist with twenty-five years of clinical, research, and teaching experience, including full time faculty at Duke University Medical Center Departments of Psychiatry, Medical Psychology, Behavioral Medicine, and the Center for Aging. She currently teaches MBSR Foundation courses and a Graduate course in Interpersonal Mindfulness through Duke Integrative Medicine. Dr. McNeilly has practiced meditation since childhood in Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and Judeo-Christian Contemplative traditions. Since 1982, she has formally studied and practiced Mindfulness in the Vipasana, Zen, and Tibetan traditions; Christian Contemplative Prayer; and Jewish Meditation with teachers in the United States, India, China, Nepal, Tibet, and Israel. Dr. McNeilly practices psychotherapy as part of the McNeilly Center for Well Being, which is a collaborative network of caring practitioners whose mission is to promote Integrative health and well being in the Triangle and surrounding area. At present, the services of this network include psychotherapy; creative expressive arts, bodywork, horticulture therapy, and animal assisted therapy as adjuncts to psychotherapy; Christian counseling; substance abuse and addiction treatment; physical therapy; and energetic and spiritual approaches to healing. Dr. McNeilly has also done extensive work in the corporate sector, developing and delivering work-site wellness programs for a number of Fortune 500 companies. Academically, Dr. McNeilly has conducted research since 1982, investigating the effects of stress and racism on blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and renal sodium handling, along with developing instruments to measure perceptions of racism among ethnic populations and experiences of death and dying. Her research has been recognized at national and international conferences, with numerous articles published in academic journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Psychophysiology, Health Psychology, Hypertension, Circulation, along with a number of published book chapters. This work has also been cited in national newspapers and magazines such as Oprah, Men's Health, Ms., Jet, Heart and Soul, Essence, and broadcast on national and local radio and television programs. Dr. McNeilly has also taught courses and mentored numerous undergraduate and graduate students at Duke, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina Central University, and Wayne State University. Philanthropically, Dr. McNeilly and her husband established the Hope James Foundation, whose mission is to support humanitarian, spiritual, and educational causes. It maintains two retreat houses, one rural and one urban, which are available for individual and small group contemplative, meditative, spiritual, or healing retreats and workshops. The facilities are available on a donation basis, and all proceeds are in turn donated to the Hope James Foundation charitable, spiritual, and humanitarian causes.
Maria began her career in integrative medicine in 1995 as a licensed massage therapist; she then went on to receive private instruction from a Licensed Acupuncturist, in addition to completing an Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Program at the Academy of Chinese Healing Arts in Sarasota, Florida. She has been licensed as an Acupuncturist since 1999, and is certified by the National Certification Commission in Acupuncture. She has also trained in multiple qi balancing techniques over the years to further her understanding and knowledge of the Chinese medicine system. Maria has been in private practice since 1996 and has worked with clients who exhibit a wide range of health conditions. Maria is very well versed in the mind-body connection and enjoys working with individuals of all ages to assist them in achieving their goals regarding physical health and emotional well-being.
Cathy Parham is a certified professional coach who works with individuals to discover and authentically express their unique purpose, passions, and values. Through encouragement, support and meaningful assessments, she enables clients to implement lasting changes that generate more fulfillment, balance, and well-being in their lives. Cathy is known for her courage and compassion in helping clients to see and act upon the possibilities they have for creating lives filled with enhanced health and wellness, joyful work and effective relationships. She integrates body-centered practices, mindfulness meditation, and creative processes into coaching. Cathy currently shares time between her role as an Integrative Health Coach at Duke Integrative Medicine and her private coaching practice. Prior to joining Duke, Cathy coached over 50 executives and managers at SAS Institute, Inc. to achieve individual, team, and organizational goals. Her past clients consistently reported experiencing increased satisfaction in their personal and professional lives, greater work-life balance, and enhanced effectiveness in their leadership and communication skills. Cathy’s academic credentials include a Masters in Business Administration from Meredith College, and a B.S. in Business Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) through the Coaches Training Institute (CTI) and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coach Federation (ICF). She has training in mindfulness meditation, through Duke Integrative Medicine, somatics training through Strozzi Institute, and a Certification in Teaching from the Body Therapy Institute.
Mary’s love of the pregnancy and birthing processes led her to become a Certified Hypnobabies Childbirth Instructor in May, 2005. The use of hypnosis during the birthing process awoke her desire to learn more about other modalities of health and healing. She earned her Master’s degree in Experiential Health and Healing from the Graduate Institute in Connecticut. This program recognizes the interdependence of body, mind, spirit, and energy, as well as environmental factors, beliefs, and lifestyle choices that have an impact on wellness.
Beth Reardon received her undergraduate training in Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University and her master’s degree in Kinesiology from University of Michigan. She takes a holistic approach to wellness, recognizing that the foundation for optimal health and healing begins with a health promoting diet. Her emphasis is on using medical nutrition interventions to create a foundation for health promotion and healing. In addition to her work at Duke Integrative Medicine, she serves on the Advisory Board for Natural Solutions Magazine and the Council on Nutrition for Contemporary OB/GYN, a peer reviewed journal. She co-authors monthly articles and CME’s for the OB/GYN Alliance, a peer to peer educational network for the OB/GYN community of physicians. Prior to her work at Duke Integrative Medicine, Beth held an adjunct faculty position at Elon University teaching Nutrition and Cooking for Cancer Prevention and Survival. While serving as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Duke, her clinical and research focus centered on the role of diet and exercise in managing outcomes for pre-menopausal breast cancers and prostate cancers. Past positions include Wellness Coordinator for the Johns Hopkins Health Plan in Baltimore, Maryland and Program Consultant for the Fitness Research Center at University of Michigan.
Janet K. Shaffer has been in private practice since 1999 and is certified in Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology and Oriental Medicine from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She also brings the tools of counseling, coaching and teaching to her collaborative relationship with patients. Janet graduated from Brown University with a BA in Psychology and was a Division I swimmer. Prior to her work in health care, she counseled young adults with disabilities, taught English as a Second Language in night school, and coached club and high school swimming programs in upstate New York and Nicaragua. She graduated from the comprehensive Chinese Medicine program at the Florida Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1999 and interned in a family and geriatric practice before opening her own practice in Tampa, Florida. Janet has been an instructor in community college and graduate courses, community education panels, and Hospice retreat workshops. She has cared for patients of all ages and levels of health and is dedicated to the implementation of wellness and assisting patients in attaining the healing results they want for themselves.
In 2002, Andrea joined the Health Coaching team at Duke Integrative Medicine, as one the first coaches in the department. Her inaugural work was participation in a randomized, controlled study of participants at moderate risk for coronary heart disease. More recently, she was one of the creators of the Integrative Health Coach Professional Training. She is a Certified Integrative Health Coach, and does health coaching and training. Andrea partners with people who want to develop themselves and maximize their attention in order to live and work in the ways they most desire. She provides expert coaching for health, performance, empowerment, and life balance. Her expertise lies in the areas of eliminating stress, managing anxiety and time issues, pin-pointing and supporting strengths, cultivating personal awareness, creating balance in life and work, emotion and mood self-management, clarifying values, maximizing leadership skills, and pursuing one’s vocation. In her private coaching business, Andrea works with individuals, leads on-going groups and teleclasses, gives workshops, and does public speaking on a variety of skill-building and life-enhancing topics. In addition to a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the California Graduate School of Psychology, Andrea graduated from Coach University and trained at The Coaches Training Institute. She is a Master Certified Coach, which is the highest designation awarded by the International Coach Federation. She has been coaching for fifteen years and has worked as a psychotherapist for twenty-nine. Her work now is primarily as a coach.
Dr. Leigh Ann Simmons is Senior Faculty Fellow for Clinical and Translational Research at Duke Integrative Medicine, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine, and Senior Research Fellow in the Duke Center for Research on Prospective Health Care. A former Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health scholar, she has published and presented nationally and internationally in the areas of personalized health planning, the psychological well-being of women, women’s health care decision-making, and health care policy. Her research focuses on designing and evaluating personalized approaches to health care for women, including personalized health planning, integrative health coaching, and predictive health risk modeling, with a specific focus on pregnant and postpartum women. She is also interested in understanding the role of patient activation and engagement in health behavior change and establishing the effectiveness of group-based models of care. For the last 12 years Dr. Simmons has been an active member of a multi-disciplinary research team known as Rural Families Speak, an epidemiologic study examining the personal and contextual issues influencing the health and well-being of rural women and their families in 17 states. She is principal investigator on a study examining the effectiveness of personalized health planning and integrative health coaching at reducing the incidence of postpartum weight retention in first-time mothers. In response to the large number of women affected by untreated depression either in themselves or a family member, Dr. Simmons co-developed Blue to You, a comprehensive, group-based depression awareness program for community educators. She also serves as co-investigator on an NIH study examining the efficacy of mindfulness meditation and personalized health planning at reducing cardiovascular disease risk in adults. Dr. Simmons’ research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the March of Dimes. Prior to arriving at Duke, Dr. Simmons was an assistant professor of family studies and health services management at the University of Kentucky. She also worked as a Congressional Fellow for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Dr. Simmons earned a Ph.D. in child and family development from the University of Georgia, a master's degree in Couple and Family Therapy from MCP-Hahnemann University in Philadelphia (now Drexel University), and a B.A. in literature/writing from the University of California at San Diego. In addition to her academic training, Leigh Ann is a long-time yoga and mindfulness meditation practitioner and a first degree reiki practitioner in the Usui Shiki Ryoho lineage.
Cate is the Executive Chef at Duke Integrative Medicine’s café, which is a critical link in the services and programs offered by Duke Integrative Medicine. Cate is a Certified Dietary Manager and Food Protection Professional, and brings more than 20 years of culinary and management experience to Duke Integrative Medicine. Cate is responsible for ensuring that the café and food services serve as a touchstone for the nutritional philosophy of Duke Integrative Medicine’s services and programs. Cate has been employed by Meriwether-Godsey, a premier regional food service management company, for more than seven years in a variety of settings.
Linda Smith is the Director of Professional and Public Programs for Duke Integrative Medicine, a Physician Assistant, certified health coach and the Director of Duke’s Integrative Health Coach Professional Training. As one of the founding executive team members of Duke Integrative Medicine, she is a core collaborator in bringing the vision of this new field of medicine into fruition at Duke from conception through operational planning and program development.
Noah St. John brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his work as an integrative exercise specialist. Noah earned his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Penn State University and his master’s degree in Clinical and Sport Nutrition at Florida State University. Noah is also a Registered Dietitian, which makes his contribution to the integrative care team even more valuable. Noah has worked extensively with a variety of populations, from elite athletes to the elderly and disabled. Highlights include extensive strength and conditioning work with Penn State athletes, as well as three years of professional personal training in both Florida and North Carolina, during which he provided teaching, motivation and assistance to clients wishing to lose significant weight and increase fitness. He also spent two years providing personal training support for an academic research project investigating the effects of resistance training on chronic pain and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia. Noah believes that, while exercise and the prescription of exercise is largely mechanical in dealing with the body, understanding the complexities of motivation, emotion and spirit are critical in order to achieve optimal health.
Melva is a Registered Nurse and received her RN Diploma from St. Vincent's School of Nursing, Toledo, Ohio. She has been at Duke since 1983 with extensive clinical experience ranging from neurology, cardiothoracic surgery, interventional cardiology, and outpatient cardiology with an emphasis on cardiovascular prevention through lifestyle therapies as well as medical therapies. Melva also has previous experience in cardiovascular research. She is a member of the American Heart Association (AHA) including AHA Basic Life Support Instructor. She is also a member of the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association. Melva enjoys the opportunity to partner with clients in developing lifestyle skills for a healthier and more fulfilling quality of life.
Kim leads the massage therapy team at Duke Integrative Medicine. She has been in practice since 1998. Kim has worked in various hospital settings, in private practice, and currently is also the lead therapist at Duke Health & Fitness Center. She has coordinated massage at Duke Diet and Fitness Center as well. Kim uses a wide range of techniques to get to the heart of the matter in bodywork. She is well versed in several modalities: Swedish, Deep Tissue, Thai, Reflexology and scar tissue management. She specializes in Repetitive Use Injury Therapy ® through Muscle Release Technique. Medical massage for those recovering from surgery or trauma is a particular passion. She is also a second level Reiki practitioner. Kim enjoys co-creating individualized sessions tailored to each client's specific needs. She is also a lifestyle maintenance coach for Duke's Diet & Fitness Center. Kim has a BA in Psychology from Midwestern State University. She received her massage therapy training in 1998 from the Body Therapy Institute (BTI). Kim is a member of AMTA—the American Massage Therapy Association.
Jeanne van Gemert is a Mind/Body Therapist utilizing Body-Centered and Expressive Arts modalities as well as Mindfulness Meditation. Jeanne assists individuals and groups to understand, transform and integrate their emotions, beliefs, thoughts and spirit. Using skilled attention, Jeanne offers collaborative multi-modality interventions that promote the unfolding of individuals' psyches and provide deeply meaningful experiences. Jeanne has been an Instructor in the Duke Integrative Medicine Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program since 1999 and is a graduate of the Community Dharma Leader training program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Jeanne is a co-founder and teacher at Triangle Insight Meditation Community in Durham, NC. Jeanne holds an MFA in Sculpture from Syracuse University and an MA in Counseling Psychology from Lesley University with specializations in Holistic Health, the Expressive Therapies of Art, Movement and Sand Tray work, and Group Dynamics. She received Bodywork training at the Baltimore Holistic Health Center and is certified in CranioSacral Therapy, Zero Balancing and Massage. She is a graduate of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing and has trained in other body energy systems and shamanic practices.
Ron Vereen is a board-certified psychiatrist with a private practice in Durham, NC, and serves as a Consulting Associate in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University. A practitioner of mindfulness meditation since 1992, he participated in a professional training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli, and has been teaching in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program at Duke Integrative Medicine since 1999. In addition, he completed the Community Dharma Leader Program though Spirit Rock Meditation Center in 2007, and has been teaching introductory meditation classes throughout the community, along with leading a weekly sitting group in Durham. His interests are in exploring the interface between contemplative practices and Western psychology.
Prior to joining Duke Integrative Medicine in 2002, Jessica P. Wakefield was a lifestyle maintenance counselor with the Duke Diet and Fitness Center and an assistant research coordinator for the Duke Cancer Control Research Program. Wakefield received her Master of Arts in health psychology from Appalachian State University in 2001, and completed her clinical internship at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center and the Duke Center for Living that same year. Since 2004, Wakefield has sought additional training in life coaching through the Coaches Training Institute and has learned coaching techniques to help clients find life fulfillment, balance, and process. Wakefield is currently a Licensed Psychological Associate (North Carolina), a certified Health Services Provider-Psychological Associate (NC), and a certified Quit Smart smoking cessation instructor. Wakefield's clinical and coaching practices have focused on helping individuals to obtain optimal health and well-being. She has helped clients lose weight, stop smoking, reduce stress, become physically active, better cope with anxiety, depression and life adjustments, and improve overall health and quality of life. In her work with clients, Wakefield uses the mind-body approaches of mindfulness meditation, relaxation training (i.e., breath work, progressive muscle relaxation and imagery), hypnosis and cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused, person-centered therapies and coaching techniques with clients. Wakefield's research has also focused on helping individuals to make healthy lifestyle changes. During her time at Duke Integrative Medicine, she has been a research therapist on an NIH-funded study exploring the utilization of meditation and mindfulness-based treatments for binge-eating disorder and weight maintenance; a health coach for a CMS-funded grant using a Strategic Health Planning model to reduce 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease; and as a health coach for a GlaxoSmithKline-funded study working with individuals who have Type 2 Diabetes so they become adherent to taking their medications and in making lifestyle changes.
Riitta H. Rutanen Whaley is a health professional with a comprehensive educational background and professional experience in the health sciences and integrative body-mind approaches/therapies, including stress reduction, yoga, Reiki, and meditation. Riitta has studied, worked, and lived for extended periods in Europe, the U.S., South Asia, and the Middle East, serving in various capacities, including as an officer of various governmental and international organizations. She has maintained a regular meditation practice since 1987. Over the past 11 years she has engaged in private teaching practice, guiding individuals from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and with varying degrees of physical health in the practical application of mindfulness-based techniques to cope with bodily limitations and/or to mitigate the stresses of modern life. Riitta holds a Master of Science in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Eastern Finland, and a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance (USA), having earned her yoga teacher certificate at Yogalife (India), and is a member of the Himalayan Institute Teachers Association (USA), as well as the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Her training in mindfulness includes four professional Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction intensives from University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Center for Mindfulness (including one led by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli), Duke Integrative Medicine, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as a number of silent meditation retreats. Riitta is the founder of Yoga for Life LLC, where her work is grounded in a range of mindfulness and awareness enhancing approaches, including the application of therapeutic yoga for clients with health challenges. She has personally experienced meditation and yoga to be invaluable tools for dealing with intense pain and the limitations it imposes on everyday life. This approach has been informed by her intensive yoga therapy training at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (India), Himalayan Institute (USA), and Auroville (India). She has produced a mindfulness practice CD, Trusting the Experience I, for home use.
Ruth Quillian Wolever is a clinical health psychologist and the Research Director of Duke Integrative Medicine. She specializes in behavior change, treatment of stress-related problems, and mind-body health. Both her research and her clinical practice focus on utilizing the connection between mind and body to improve health, and the application of integrative medicine techniques to affect lifestyle change. She also consults with Duke Corporate Education and the Fuqua School of Business Executive Education programs, helping executives identify strategies to better manage their challenging environments. From a research perspective, Dr. Wolever studies the integration of innovative Mind-Body-Spirit treatments into mainstream medicine. She has specifically explored such treatments to improve sleep, weight management, diabetes control, and other health indices; some of this work focuses on the role of integrative health coaching in creating significant lifestyle change. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute of Mental Health, Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the Office of Women’s Health), the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and by GlaxoSmithKline. Dr. Wolever has been working in the field of Health Psychology since 1989 and at the Duke University School of Medicine since 1994. She received her PhD in Clinical Health Psychology from the University of Miami in 1994, and completed her Clinical Internship at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill the same year. She is licensed as a Clinical Psychologist (State of NC), is certified as a Health Services Provider (NC), a PAIRS Facilitator (PAIRS Foundation, Fairfax, VA), a Lifeskills trainer (Williams’ Lifeskills Inc., Durham, NC), and is credentialed in Medical Hypnotherapy (Institute for Health Psychology & American Society for Clinical Hypnosis) as well. Formerly, Dr. Wolever was the Clinic Director of Duke Integrative Medicine, and the Director of the Health Psychology component of the Duke University Executive Health Program, Duke Diet and Fitness Center, and Duke Health and Fitness Center (collectively known as the Duke Center for Living). Prior to entering the field of Health Psychology, she earned her B.A. in Spanish at the University of Virginia, taught in the Dade County Public High Schools and directed a youth program in South Florida. She and her husband Mark are active in educating the public on Rett Syndrome. Her deepest delight is her daughter Emma. |
