Our History

  • 1991
    The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM) is founded by James S. Gordon, MD.
  • 1992
    CMBM begins offering weekend educational workshops
    featuring Dr. Gordon's colleagues who joined the Center's Professional Advisory Board, including Herbert Benson, MD, Dean Ornish, MD, Joan Borysenko, PhD, Larry Dossey, MD,
    and Rachel Naomi Remen, MD.
  • 1993
    CMBM forms Board of Directors with founding members, Don de Laski, JD, Tom Joe, The Honorable Lane Evans, Ann Hoopes, Mary Lynn Kotz, Robert Shaye, JD and Bob Schwartz.

    Center offers the first of its Mind-Body Skills Groups to the local community.
  • 1994
    CMBM launches the first Professional Training Program in Mind-Body Medicine in Washington DC.

    Dr. Gordon appointed to Chair the Program Advisory Council of NIH's Office of Alternative Medicine.
  • 1996
    CMBM launches its first national Professional Training Program in Mind-Body Medicine.

    Dr. Gordon publishes Manifesto for a New Medicine: Your Guide to Healing Partnerships and the Wise Use of Alternative Therapies.

    CMBM begins its Healing the Wounds of War program working in Mozambique, South Africa, Bosnia and Serbia
  • 1997
    CMBM launches its first Advanced Training in Mind-Body Medicine.
  • 1998
    Healing the Wounds of War program in Kosovo begins during Serbian offensive.

    CMBM launches its first Comprehensive Cancer Care Conference with 900 attendees sponsored by NIH.
  • 1999
    CMBM launches Certification Program in Mind-Body Medicine.

    CMBM hosts its second Comprehensive Cancer Care Conference attracting 1500 participants with sponsorship from National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, Komen Foundation and NIH.

    CMBM leads first large-scale training in MindBodySpirit medicine in Kosovo, after the NATO bombing working with 140 health and mental health professionals, teachers, and community leaders.
  • 2000
    Dr. Gordon appointed by President Clinton to Chair the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy.

    CMBM hosts its third Comprehensive Cancer Care Conference.

    Publication of Comprehensive Cancer Care: Integrating Complementary and Conventional Therapies by Dr. Gordon and Sharon Curtin.
  • 2001
    CMBM launches its Food As Medicine training program.

    CMBM begins its Healing the Wounds of War work with New York City firefighters and their families post 9/11.

    CMBM hosts its fourth Comprehensive Cancer Care Conference.
  • 2002
    CMBM launches its CancerGuides® training program.

    CMBM's core Kosovo faculty begin training all psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals who work in the new, WHO- funded Kosovo-wide community mental heath center system.

    Final Report of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy published under Dr. Gordon's leadership.
  • 2003
    CMBM hosts its fifth Comprehensive Cancer Care Conference.

    Ground work begins for Healing the Wounds of War with Israelis and Palestinians.
  • 2004
    Publication of research on the effectiveness of the Center's work with Kosovo high school students with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in The Journal of Traumatic Stress (April 2004).

    CMBM begins Healing the Wounds of War program in Israel and Gaza.
  • 2005
    The Atlantic Philanthropies awards CMBM $2.23 million grant to fund the Healing the Wounds of War program in the Middle East.

    Multiple training programs completed in Israel and Gaza firmly establishing CMBM's presence in the region.

    Research published on the effectiveness of the Center's Mind-Body Medicine training program for healthcare professionals (Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine, July/Aug 2005). Click here to read

    15 Medical schools are using CMBM's Mind-Body Skills Group model for medical students.
  • 2006
    11th professional training in Mind-Body Medicine offered in the United States with a record 190 attendees.

    5th Food As Medicine training to be presented in Baltimore, Maryland (June 10-16).

    5th CancerGuides® training to be presented in Chicago, IL (October 9-15).