S10e5: Nita Gage – Remembering Lee Lipsenthal, M.D.

Nita Gage, Hoffman teacher and Director of Faculty, worked closely with Dr. Lipsenthal, M.D., for several years before his death. He was an internationally recognized leader, teacher, and author in integrative medicine and physician wellness. And he loved the Hoffman Process. The vision, care, and understanding that Dr. Lipsenthal brought to the world of medicine and medical doctors has changed how doctors care for themselves. Through his own time in the medical profession, Dr. Lipsenthal observed that the health, morale, and work satisfaction of many physicians were often worse than that of their patients. He found a way to support physicians in improving these areas of their lives. Like both Dr. Lipsenthal and Nita, many physicians they worked with eventually came to do the Hoffman Process, which gave them additional tools to change their lives for the better. Listen in as Nita shares her experience of working with Lee, the physician, and Lee the man. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Nita and Drew. More about Lee Lipsenthal, M.D.: Lee Lipsenthal, MD Lee Lipsenthal, M.D., was an internationally recognized leader, teacher, and author in integrative medicine and physician wellness. He was the medical director with Dean Ornish of the Preventative Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, for ten years, and has also served as president of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine and on the American Medical Association’s Physician Wellness Committee. Through his years in the medical profession, Dr. Lipsenthal observed that the health, morale, and work satisfaction of many physicians were often worse than that of their patients. Inspired by his personal and professional experience, he developed the “Finding Balance in a Medical Life” program, which has been adapted by major medical groups and is being delivered at medical schools and residency programs nationwide. Lee was a 2006 graduate of the Hoffman Process. He died in September 2011. His wife, Kathy, also a physician, and his two children live in California. Lee Lipsenthal authored, Enjoy Every Sandwich: Living Each Day as If It Were Your Last. More about Nita Gage: From 1970 to 1980, Nita trained in psychoanalysis with R.D. Laing in London. Upon returning to the United States, she pursued graduate degrees in clinical psychology and a doctorate in shamanic psychology. Nita has been leading transformational healing retreats for over 25 years and the last 10 years recently with the Hoffman Institute. She is now the Director of Faculty for Hoffman Institute.  Before Hoffman, she founded the Healer Within Retreats, with Lee Lipsenthal, MD, offering physician wellness retreats.  She also served clinical and executive positions in hospitals and treatment centers over the 50 years of her career. Listen to Nita on The Hoffman Podcast – A Courageous Ripple   Nita has authored two books: Soul Whispering: The Art of Awakening Shamanic Consciousness and Women in Storage: How to Reimagine Your Life. As mentioned in this episode: Dean Ornish Ornish.com ACEs – Adverse Childhood Experiences Sausalito, CA Moloka’i, Hawaii •   Hui Ho’olana Retreat Center Buddhist Fundamental Teachings Co-Dependency Work addiction Chronic Illness/Disease IONS – Institute of Noetic Sciences, Established by Hoffman Graduate, Astronaut, Dr. Edgar Mitchell. “I realized that the story of ourselves as told by science—our cosmology, our religion—was incomplete and likely flawed. I recognized that the Newtonian idea of separate, independent, discrete things in the universe wasn’t a fully accurate description. What was needed was a new story of who we are and what we are capable of becoming.” Dr. Edgar Mitchell HeartMath Recycling – Hoffman tool Self-Compassion •   Kristen Neff and self-compassion on the Hoffman Podcast – Goodwill & Intention, the Magic Ingredients •   Chris Germer and self-compassion on the Hoffman Podcast – The Antidote to Shame Randy Perkins – previous Hoffman Institute Foundation Board Member “Today is a good day to die.” Lee’s book, Enjoy Every Sandwich: Living Each Day as If It Were Your Last Warren Zevon’s final appearance on the David Letterman Show The iPod The Shadow •   “Do you want to be good or do you want to be whole?” Carl Jung John Lennon