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THE PROGRAM
The Mind-Body Program
for Women's Health Conditions provides a complementary short-term
treatment approach to enable women to develop new skills, which
utilize the mind, to change physiology and promote the relief from
or resolution of physical and emotional conditions. This program
provides women with valuable tools to alleviate the symptoms of
PMS, ameliorate the discomforts of menopause, reduce the pain of
endometriosis and other pelvic conditions, alleviate the suffering
of infertility as well as potentially increasing conception rates,
and increase the probability of delivering healthy, full-term babies
in mothers experiencing complicated pregnancies.
Women with physical and emotional conditions often live with a certain
amount of anxiety, sadness, isolation, and a sense of helplessness.
The body can begin to become a source of solely negative sensations.
Behaviors, emotions, attitudes, and ways of thinking aggravate symptoms
and interfere with the healing process. This program enables women
to develop skills to enhance the natural healing capacities of the
mind and body. Through these powerful tools, women learn to relax,
transform negative thought patterns, and express emotion, which
ultimately eases the suffering of many physical and emotional symptoms.
An introduction to the relaxation response, relaxation response
modalities, self-care approaches, and strategies for emotional expression
are components included in this program. Through the Mind-Body Program
for Women's Health Conditions, women are empowered to reclaim health
and well-being, and to live in the present with mind, health, and
senses fully engaged. These tools are effective proven ways to break
the cycle of stress by changing your emotional reaction to negative
experiences.
MIND-BODY
APPROACH
The underlying logic
of the mind-body approach is not complicated. Since the mind and
body are intertwined, efforts to heal the mind will have positive
effects on the body.
The mind-body approach addresses the cycle of stress, anxiety, muscular
tension, symptoms, and physical conditions. Stress wreaks havoc
on the body. The heart gets overstimulated, hormonal outputs get
imbalanced, the neuromuscular system tightens, and the immune system
is weakened. Evidence now indicates that women's reproductive systems
are negatively affected by stress, depression, and anxiety, all
of which negatively impact women's health conditions.
No bodily system is immune to the effects of thoughts, emotions,
beliefs, and behaviors. The mind influences every part of the body.
Thus, the power of the mind to harm or heal the body cannot be underestimated
or ignored. When women integrate mind-body approaches into their
lives, they alter their physiology in favor of health.
CREDENTIALS
Dr. Gebhard
Dr. Gebhard is a clinical health psychologist with a specialty in
behavioral medicine and dedicated to empowering women to positively
impact their bodies in favor of health by healing their minds.
Dr. Gebhard's highest degree is a Ph.D. from the California School
of Professional Psychology. She received specialized training in
mind-body medicine during her post-doctoral fellowship through Harvard
Medical School at Cambridge Hospital and her pre-doctoral internship
through the University of Miami School of Medicine at Jackson Memorial
Medical Center.
Dr. Gebhard has advanced training in hypnosis, biofeedback, TFT,
and EMD-R. She is a member of the American Psychological Association,
WI Psychological Association and Milwaukee Psychological Association.
She is licensed in the State of WI, and a member of the National
Register, Biofeedback Society of Wisconsin in addition to the American
Psychological Association's Health Psychology Division.
Dr. Gebhard has also
served as a guest lecturer for area organizations including the
Karen Yontz Center, Aurora Women's Pavillion, Resolve, Bulimia Education
& Support, and the American Cancer Society. Dr. Gebhard facilitates
an ongoing cardiac rehab support group at St. Luke’s Medical Center
and provides consultation to the program. She has served on the
steering committees for Aurora’s Complementary Medicine Division
and the Aurora Women’s Pavilion related to program development.
Dr. Damm
Dr. Damm is a bilingual climical health psychologist who is dedicated to assisting individuals to acquire tools to unleash the power of the mind to heal the physical, emotional and spiritual self. Dr. Damm's highest degree is a doctorate from Pepperdine University. She received specialized training in behavioral medicine, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Dr. Damm incorporates various relaxation approaches and stress reduction techniques such as guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, hypnosis, biofeedback, autogenic training, and breath awareness in a compassionate and caring therapeutic approach. Her research background examines the intersection of spirituality and traumatic life events.
Dr. Damm treats individual with a wide variety of health concerns including insomnia, weight management, headaches, smoking, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, sexual issues, body image, fibromyalgia, HIV, diabetes, hypertension, IBS, infertility and cancer. She conducts health and behavioral assessments and interventions and provides consultation to medical providers regarding the psychological impact of these illnesses.
Dr. Damm is licensed in the state of Wisconsin. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, Wisconsin Psychological Association, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. She is also a member of the American Psychological Association's Health Psychology Division as well as the Psychology of Religion Division. |
