For TMS practitioners

Welcome, Practitioners, to the TMS Wiki!

By being here, on this page, you have shown yourself to be interested in mind-body medicine. TMS (The Mindbody Syndrome, also known as Tension Myositis Syndrome) is the label for physical pain and disability that is caused by, or aggravated by, psychological etiologies. It is also known as PPD (Psychophysiologic Disorders) a term coined by a group of U.S. professionals (Psychophysiologic Disorders Association) which may replace TMS.

We hope to provide you with a source of group support, mutual referrals, and resources for you and your patients.

Please explore this website, take what information would be helpful to you, and feel free to contribute.

We are eager to hear your thoughts about how best to achieve our mission, and want you to feel comfortable referring your patients to the wiki. If you have any concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to email us at .

The TMS Wiki's Story

The TMS Wiki was initially formed by a group of recovered TMS/PPD patients who joined this Wiki for group support, to raise the visibility of TMS around the world, and to contribute to a under recognized, but deserving, cause. Our next step was to form a non-profit organization called the PPD/TMS Peer Network (the PTPN for short), which in 2012 obtained 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.

This wiki was just the first project of the PTPN. Other projects and programs include our weekly drop-in chat, Peer Supervision Teleconferences, participation in medical conferences, and several mailing lists.

We make no financial profit from this website and associated ventures. We have no financial ties to any of the medical or mental health practitioners we discuss on this site. Further, all TMS/PPD professionals on the site must adhere to our very stringent Conflict of Interest Policy.

On behalf of TMS patients everywhere, we thank you for the wonderful work that you do helping people with pain and disability.

Get Involved with the PTPN Community

• Be listed on our directory of TMS practitioners by a verification of qualifications and the completion of our practitioner survey. To do this, Contact Us so that we can verify your qualifications and send you the survey. To learn more about updating existing information and adding more content to your listing or other places on the TMS Wiki, please read this article.
• Create an account on our forum and post in the Practitioner's Corner Subforum
• Join the panel of experts in our Q&A with an Expert program. (Click here to see the current panel of experts)
• To learn more about how to do any of these things, email

Resources for Practitioners

• Downloadable brochures for you and your patients or clients can be found in our PPD Brochures page. Color printouts are available on request.
• Peer Supervision Teleconferences for TMS/PPD psychotherapists
• Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, with an introduction by Arlene Feinblatt, PhD.
• TMS/PPD Conferences
• TMS/PPD Organizations
• SIRPA Practitioner Training Programme

PTPN Practitioner Newsletter

Between 2011 and 2013, the PPD/TMS Peer Network published a newsletter exclusively for TMS practitioners. The newsletter included a combination of announcements, Q&A with expert responses, interviews, and articles about TMS. Past issues can be viewed at the PTPN Newsletter Archive. Highlights of these issues include:

• An interview with Howard Schubiner, MD
• An interview with Frances Sommer Anderson, PhD and Eric Sherman, PsyD about the October 2012 PPDA Conference in New York
• An interview with the Rocky Mountain Stress Check-Up Network
• Review of Alan Abbass's ISTDP research
• Breaking the Pain Cycle, an article by Alan Gordon, LCSW
• Can Tics Be Contagious: An examination of the Le Roy, NY ailment mystery, an article by Howard Schubiner, MD
• Adversity to Advocacy in the PPD/TMS Movement
• The Bio-Technological Approach to Back pain: Dangerous Road Ahead, an article by Howard Schubiner, MD

Resources For Your Patients

• So You Think You Might Have TMS
• Comprehensive list of TMS/PPD-relevant books with summaries
• Lists of success stories, categorized by symptom group and previous diagnosis, so people can find an inspiring story by someone like them
• A free, online, Structured Educational Program written by people who recovered from TMS/PPD
• TMS Discussion Forum

Archived Announcements Unlocking Pain - Disrupted Attachment and Chronic Physical Pain 22nd John Bowlby Memorial Conference 2015 Saturday April 25 2015, 9:00AM - 5:30PM GMT This year's John Bowlby Memorial Conference aims to bring together medical and mental health practitioners to explore how attachment - namely the result of attachment difficulties such as disrupted attachment relationships and other traumatic experiences - can cause physical pain. Dr. Frances Sommer Anderson will be giving the John Bowlby memorial lecture, entitled "It Wasn't Safe to Feel Angry": Disrupted Early Attachment Bonds and the Development of Chronic Pain. Dr. David Clakre, Professor Stephen McMahon, Dr. Patrick Luyten and Sarah Benamer will also present at the conference. Tickets cost £160.00 for individuals ($243.84 in US dollars). Additional prices for organizations and Bowlby Center members. Click here to register for the conference and to learn more. View the conference flyer Clinical Workshop with Dr. Frances Sommer Anderson Sunday April 26 2015, 10:00AM - 1:00PM GMT Following the previous day's John Bowlby Memorial Conference, Dr. Frances Sommer Anderson will be running an experiential seminar for a maximum of 25 participants. She will be teaching techniques for helping people in pain to self-regulate so they can effectively identify and address the emotional causes behind their chronic pain. The workshop costs £45.00 ($68.58 in US Dollars). Note: this event is open only to delegates of the 2015 John Bowlby Memorial Conference. SIRPA Inaugural Conference Sunday April 26 2015, 9:00am - 5:30pm GMT Organized by SIRPA founder Georgie Oldfield, MCSP, this inaugural conference brings together medical experts from all over the world to discuss the causes and treatment of TMS. The event aims to educate attendees about the causes and treatment of TMS: how chronic pain can become a learned nerve pathway as a response to strong emotions, and how individuals can overcome their symptoms through identifying and addressing the underlying emotional causes. The conference will be held at The Royal Society of Medicine in London. Registration is £150.00 ($236.01 in US dollars) for a Standard Ticket or £190.00 ($298.94 in US dollars) for a Premium Ticket. To learn more about the two tickets, and to register for the conference, click here. Visit the conference website for more information. Pathways to Pain Relief Practitioner Training Program First class: September 20, 2014 Psychologists and co-authors of Pathways to Pain Relief Frances Sommer Anderson, PhD, SEP and Eric Sherman, PsyD are offering a training program for practitioners in the treatment of TMS/PPD for the academic year of 2014-2015. The intensive seven-month program includes classroom instruction, experiential learning, reading and writing assignments, and individual case consultations with Drs. Anderson and Sherman. Tuition ranges from $725 - $925, depending on participants' affiliation with the PSP, with an additional fee for case consultations of $100/session (or $125 for those unaffiliated with the PSP). To register, contact Nicole M. Seitz, LPC via email at nicolemseitz@yahoo.com or via telephone at (267) 971-5729. For complete details about the program, curriculum, requirements and tuition, click here

DISCLAIMER: The TMS Wiki is for informational and support purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. See Full Disclaimer.