Smudge Bunny

Dr. Bernie Siegel is a well-known proponent of alternative approaches to healing that heal not just the body but also the mind and soul. Bernie, as his friends and patients call him, studied medicine at Colgate University and Cornell University Medical College. His surgical training took place at Yale New Haven Hospital, West Haven Veteran’s Hospital, and the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. In 1978 Bernie pioneered a new approach to group and individual cancer therapy called ECaP (Exceptional Cancer Patients). His innovative methods used patients’ drawings, dreams, and feelings, and broke new ground in facilitating important lifestyle changes while engaging patients in the healing process.

Bernie retired from general and pediatric surgical practice in 1989. Always a strong advocate for his patients, Bernie has since dedicated himself to humanizing the medical establishment’s approach to patients and empowering individuals to play a greater role in the healing process. He is an active speaker, traveling around the world to address patient and caregiver groups. As the author of several books, including Love, Medicine & Miracles; 365 Prescriptions for the Soul; Smudge Bunny; and Faith, Hope & Healing, Bernie has been at the forefront of the medical ethics and spiritual issues of our day. He and his wife, Bobbie, live in a suburb in Connecticut. They have five children and eight grandchildren.