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Background & Experience

Dr. Silver's current clinical work focuses on helping patients with chronic medical illness live more fully and comfortably. His goals are to help them cope more effectively with the emotional aspects of their illness (such as anxiety and depression); and to learn psychological techniques to change physical symptoms (such as hypnosis for reducing pain or lowering blood pressure). His interest in the link between mind and body dates to the early 1970's, when he began learning such approaches as Mindfulness Meditation, hypnosis, Gestalt therapy and Medical Crisis Counseling. In the early 1980's, Dr. Silver worked for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where he developed and taught programs in stress reduction. During his psychiatric residency, he served as a fellow at the University of Maryland's Complementary Medicine Program, where he developed a medical school course on alternative medicine and a chronic pain management program. Currently, he is a faculty member with the University of Maryland Department of Psychiatry, where he teaches a course on Mind-Body Medicine.

Treatment Philosophy

1. all healing must begin with self-awareness -- of our bodies, our feelings, our old patterns of acting and thinking -- in order to develop a sense of our own healing capabilities;
    
2. mind, body and spirit are all connected, and psychological approaches can help transform physical processes;
    
3. since all physical illness has psychological and spiritual meaning, healing involves exploring the impact of illness on our hearts and souls; and
    
4. healing occurs most completely if done in a community of caring, supportive people. I work with individuals, groups and couples.

Education