Patient Portal: https://www.onpatient.com/login

Phone: (949) 535-2322

Technical Support: I'm here to help with your technical questions! Michaele Dimock at [email protected]

Phone: 1-833-988-0277

Website Addresses:

The DOC Journey: https://thedocjourney.com/

RHC Landing Page: 

https://courses.thedocjourney.com/restoration-health

This partnership was kindled when Dr. David Hanscom, an orthopedic spine surgeon, and Dr. Tom Bakman, one of the founders of Restoration Healthcare, met a few years ago at an educational conference. They discovered that in their clinical curiosity and passion for discovery of novel solutions for their patients they had similar approaches to chronic disease - taking all factors affecting a given patient into account and systematically addressing them.

 Dr. Hanscom suffered from distressing chronic mental and physical symptoms for over 15 years. He did not realize that mental and physical pain were processed in a similar manner. Through his own journey out of pain and working with thousands of patients, he has developed a sequence of training steps that allow patients to learn skills to process stress, calm down the nervous system, and optimize the body’s chemistry. As the body comes back into balance, both mental and physical symptoms abate.

 The DOC (Direct your Own Care) Journey provides a program and resources complementary to Restoration Healthcare’s functional medicine whole person care. Anxiety is the common link to physical and mental threats and essentially is the pain. It is a complex neurochemical survival response creating many adverse conditions. All aspects must be addressed to find resolution.

 By learning and implementing these DOC Journey skills, you can predictably break free from the grip of many chronic illnesses including pain. It is a solvable problem, and we are excited to work with you.

             Restoration Healthcare Team and David Hanscom, MD

This course provides insights and tools to systematically address the complexity of chronic illnesses including pain. As you master these skills, you will regain control of your body’s reactions to stress and be able to live the life you want on your own terms.

How do humans survive on this planet?

We survive by our nervous system continuously receiving signals from sensors located throughout our bodies (input). Your brain instantly sends out signals that cause reactions to keep you safe. Every cell is involved, adjusting your body temperature and chemistry, respiratory rate, heart rate, dilation and constriction of your pupils, etc.

Most of the time our bodily state is in a range where you feel content, but when an imbalance creates a threat, your body goes into survival mode and makes you feel uncomfortable. These feelings are valuable and compel us to take action to resolve the threat (output). It is how we evolved and continue to stay alive. There is deep science behind how and why physical and mental symptoms develop.

 The DOC Journey offers clients the following resources that will lead to relief and recovery:

• Guided Journey - A self-directed series of lessons with "rest stops" that allow you to review and practice what you have learned.
• Monthly Webinars - These provide in-depth discussions on various topics and are also interactive.

• Helpful Tools - Solving chronic pain requires that you learn techniques to calm down and rewire your nervous system
• Education - As you learn these concepts, you will be able to translate them into action that is relevant to your specific situation.

• Hope - Most people with chronic illness have lost hope, and research shows that simply having hope is a significant factor in calming the body’s immune response and inflammation. You will hear stories of success to help you regain hope and foster healing.
• Access - Caring professionals are available throughout your journey to answer your questions.

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Group Coaching:

Meets every Tuesday & Thursday 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time via Zoom.

The Importance of Human Connection:

Much of the group coaching effect is simply spending time with other people. Human connection is essential for health and that being socially isolated has a detrimental impact on your health.

Meeting Agenda:

11:50 to noon - Informal discussion / catching up
12:00 to 12:05 - Relaxation exercise
12:05 to 12:15 -  Didactic session / sharing successes and challenges
12:15 to 12:30 -  Open discussion and questions
12:30 to 12:50 - Small group discussion - discussion will be based on that day's topic or what may have been brought up in the sharing session.
12:50 to 1:00 -   Closing discussion

Rules of Engagement (key points):

• One of the purposes of the group coaching sessions is to find out what approaches you have found useful.
• Ask yourself how you might support others on the Q&A.
• Your mood has a mirror neuron effect on others. The term is called "co-regulation." Corresponding neurons in other people's brains are directly stimulated.
• If you are upset for any reason before the session, consider using some of your tools to calm down such as: 1) slow breathing, 2) humming, 3) active meditation, 4) expressive writing, 5) awareness, 6) taking a walk outside.  If you are still agitated, that is fine but please consider just listening and relax. 
• Although your participation with comments and questions is welcomed, please don't feel obligated. We want you to feel comfortable with the group.
• The sessions are intended to deepen your skills and answer questions. 
• Reading my book, Back in Control: A Surgeon's Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain will provide a framework for better understanding of the nature of chronic pain.
• At no point, in any of the sessions with any facilitator will medical advice be given or implied. These are strictly educational, sharing, and coaching groups.  Your medical care is between you and your providers.
• Don't complain - about anything.  If you are having a problem with any aspect of the process, please contact us directly.