We are physicians, non-profit leaders, authors, community organizers, mind-body medicine experts, design strategists, social workers, mothers of kids living with chronic conditions, and young people with first-hand experience of chronic illness.
Dr. Blockman sees the role of physicians as one of helping people not only stay healthy but also helping them live better lives — and sees that role as extending beyond the bounds of the clinic or the hospital.
James S. Gordon, MD, a Harvard-educated psychiatrist, is a world-renowned expert in using mind-body medicine to heal depression, anxiety, and psychological trauma. He is the Founder and Director of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine and a Clinical Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Family Medicine at Georgetown Medical School.
Oren Slozberg is the chief strategies officer and EDGE program director at Commonweal in Bolinas, CA. He has been a senior program developer in the fields of education, youth development, and the arts.
Lily Shouldice is a 20-year-old, third-year communications major at San Francisco State University. Ever since 1998, she has lived with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis—an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation and pain in her joints. Because of this disability, she is extremely passionate about spreading awareness for the 300,000 American children suffering from chronic Arthritis.
Sandra Pelletier, M.Ed, is CEO and President of Gateways Community Services, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization based in Nashua, NH with a focus on services to children and adults with disabilities.
Jennifer Groebe, MSW,’s background in the senior health care industry speaks volumes. Earning a Master Degree in Social Work from UC Berkeley, Jennifer’s major combined agency management with gerontology.
Érika Padilla-Morales is a Laney College graduate and facilitator trained in the methods of the Center for Mind Body Medicine. She graduates from her bachelor’s program at the Kaiser Permanente School.of Allied Health Sciences in 2016.
A 2015 high school graduate, Chris plans to attend Chabot Community College in the fall. Chris survived a random shooting in 2008 when he was 10 years old. He has used a wheelchair and experienced chronic pain since then. He lives in the East Bay with his mom, dogs Kaine and Misty and lizard Geko.
Bianca Valdivia is a 17-year-old who has been living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease that forced her to become reliant on oxygen, since she was 11 years old.
Olivia Bryant recently graduated from Stanford University where she studied history and human-centered design with a focus on designing for social change. She is currently organizing cross-disciplinary teams to design and build technology ventures in a wide range of markets including the healthcare sector.
Cliff has been teaching mind-body skills for 25 years as a teacher of the Feldenkrais Method of awareness through movement. He is a health and wellness coach, as well as a Feldenkrais Practitioner, and has a private practice at the Feldenkrais Center for Movement and Awareness in San Francisco. He lives nearby.