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2014 Washington Street
Newton, MA 02462
617-243-6000
Open 24 hoursLab Hours and Holiday Hours Vary
307 W Central St
Natick, MA 01760
617-243-5345
159 Wells Ave
Newton Centre, MA 02459
617-243-5777
111 Norfolk Street
Walpole, MA 02081maps
978 Worcester Road (rte 9)
Wellesley, Massachusetts 02482
781-235-5200
Open 24 hours
Lab Hours and Holiday Hours Vary
25 Washington Street
Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481
617-219-1520
9 Hope Ave
Waltham, MA 02453
617-243-5590
Monday through Saturday: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm
Sunday: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
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Alan Witkower, EdD, CGP Director, Behavioral Medicine
David P. Bullis, PhD Director, Ambulatory Behavioral Medicine
Behavioral medicine, often referred to as “Mind-body Medicine”, is a field of study that recognizes the behavioral, social, spiritual and emotional aspects of illness, health and healing. Our interventions are integrated into the comprehensive care that patients receive in the Mass General Cancer Center at Newton Wellesley Hospital as well as the Pain, Spine and Rehabilitation services in the Ambulatory Care Center at Wells Avenue.
Our behavioral medicine specialists help patients with cancer, chronic pain and other debilitating medical problems recover their physical functioning, reduce their emotional suffering and restore their healthy relationships.
A behavioral medicine assessment is a personalized review of the patient’s unique challenges and meaningful goals. The patient is then offered a variety of treatments that may include individual skills training, classes for stress, pain and symptom management, and group-based therapies for reducing isolation and enhancing relationships.
Mind-body coping strategies taught to patients may include combinations of self-hypnosis, meditation, guided imagery, diaphragmatic breathing, cognitive reframing, problem-solving. These strategies are typically included in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT).
Patients who benefit from these behavioral medicine interventions will describe having moved from a state of “just existing” with their suffering to a place where they are now able to “live and thrive” despite their persistent pain and impairments.
Mass General Cancer Center at Newton-Wellesley Hospital 2014 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02462 617-219-1230
Newton-Wellesley Hospital Ambulatory Care Center 159 Wells Ave., Newton, MA 02459 617-243-6142