David MartinezDavid Perez-Martinez MD is an Integrative Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist and Therapeutic Sound Practitioner currently in private practice in New York City. His work in the therapeutic use of sound dates back to 1977 when he started a Music Therapy worshop that utilized the voice as the primary instrument for self-awareness, empowerment and wellbeing. At that time he was a mental health counselor and coordinator in a pioneering comprehensive / holistic health care and social services agency in New York City called The Door that still exists today and has served as a model and incubator for similar agencies nationally and internationally. He was also a graduate student of Anthropology at the New School for Social Research where he was drawn to the work of Dr. Michael Harner in Shamanism and hallucinogenic experiences. He received theoretical and experiential training on the practice of Shamanism and was invited by Dr. Harner to co-lead a graduate seminar on the subject. Being a life long musician and student of music from all over the world, Dr. Perez-Martinez travelled with the noted ethnomusicologist Dr. Verna Gillis to West Africa and South America where they researched, recorded and published the native music of Ghana, Peru and Suriname. Following his interest in Yoga and more specifically Meditation and Pranayama, Dr. Perez-Martinez spent a year in India where he solidified a personal practice that he maintains till the present. In clinical practice Dr. Perez-Martinez has completely integrated breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation, cognitive behavioral therapeutic techniques, physical exercise and therapeutic sound protocols with standard psychiatric care. His goal is to provide patients with self-help tools and practices that can be utilized to complement and optimize treatment outcomes, decrease dependence and use of medications and to promote wellness and a greater sense of wellbeing. The voice and the full range of sound healing instruments (tuning forks, gongs, singing bowls, drums, shruti boxes, etc.) are utilized in both group and individual sessions. Currently Dr. Perez Martinez divides his time between clinical practice, academic research, writing, teaching, lecturing and conducting workshops. He recently co-wrote with Dr. John Beaulieu the chapter on the therapeutic use of sound in "Nutrition and Integrative Medicine - A primer for Clinicians," an Integrative Medicine textbook. He's also taught therapeutic sound healing workshops to therapists and psychiatrists at the American Psychiatric Association and to many other medical and non-medical professionals. He is currently on the staff of the Sound and Music Institute at The Open Center in New York City and is a psychiatric consultant for the Sivananda Ashram in the Bahamas. Read More Read Less