Pediatric Mind Body Medicine Program

About the program

Founded in 2018, the Pediatric Mind-Body Medicine Program at Mass General Brigham for Children is one of the first-of-its-kind in the nation.

The program’s mission is to educate about the connection between mental, emotional, and physical health and to empower children, adolescents, and young adults living with chronic gastrointestinal illness, especially Disorders of the Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI), to restore their well-being.

By providing patient-centered care and extended appointments with our clinicians, we ensure our patients feel seen, heard, and understood. We help patients recognize how stress, especially from mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD, can manifest as and/or exacerbate physical symptoms, and how to utilize the bidirectional connection between the mind and body to return to health.

In addition to medications known as gut-brain neuromodulators, our program uses a variety of mind-body interventions such as gut-directed hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and biofeedback. We also educate about the self-care practices of meditation, physical exercise, healthy sleep hygiene, and social connectedness, all of which buffer the effects of stress on the body, reduce symptoms, and build resiliency.

Given the high frequency of mental health conditions associated with DGBIs, the Pediatric Mind-Body Medicine Program is embedded within Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, ensuring a comprehensive treatment approach for every patient. Our program is also closely affiliated with the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine, a world-renowned clinical and research institution, which allows us to incorporate the latest knowledge from cutting edge research into our treatment strategies.

Our multidisciplinary team brings more than 45 years of collective clinical experience and includes Sarah Shea, PhD, assistant clinical director and head of psychological services; Aarya Rajalakshmi, MBBS, and Matthew Gerace, MD, both child, adolescent and adult psychiatrists; and Hillary Ditmars, PhD, a pediatric and adult psychologist. The team is led by founding clinical director Mark Salvatore, MD, MS, a pediatric gastroenterologist and consultant pediatrician to the Benson-Henry Institute and Child Resiliency Program.

Part of Mass General Brigham for Children