Psychiatrist & author Daniel Fisher, MD, will be in Portland April 3, 2017 to talk about his new book, “Heartbeats of Hope, The Empowerment Way to Recover Your Life“.

Daniel Fisher MD, PhD

While carrying out neurochemical research at NIMH, Fisher was diagnosed with “schizophrenia.” He recovered, and to humanize the mental health system obtained an MD and completed psychiatric training. He worked for 25 years as a community psychiatrist, founded the National Empowerment Center, was a member of the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, and is Chair of the Board of the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery.

Dr. Fisher is presently on the faculty of U. Massachusetts Dept. of Psychiatry, where he is helping to adapt Open Dialogue to the US. He helped peers in Louisiana respond to hurricane Katrina, and based on those experiences he helped develop Emotional CPR.

“I hope for a day when:

Every person who experiences extreme emotional states is engaged in respectful, hopeful, humanistic, and empowering relationships that enable them to heal and recover full, meaningful lives in the community.

Instead of being seen as threats to society, we will be seen as a source of wisdom that we have obtained through our recovery.

Practices like Open Dialogue will eliminate the long-term iatrogenic effects of a prophesy of doom and lifelong illness.

Suffering will be seen as an understandable human response to trauma rather than a chemical imbalance or a defective fear circuit.

Voluntary, community-based, recovery-oriented, culturally-attuned, trauma-informed services and housing will replace psychiatric hospitals.

The mental health system will be run by persons with lived experience of recovery from extreme emotional states.

Everyone will learn how to assist each other through extreme emotional states by learning communication skills such as Emotional CPR.”

Monday, April 3rd, 2017, 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Montavilla United Methodist Church
232 SE 80th Ave, Portland, Oregon