Brandon Gimbel, M.D.

We'd like to introduce our two new psychiatrists: Adult psychiatrist Dr. Chadwick Yip Child & Adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Dongho (Damian) Gwak Both Drs. Yip and Gwak have immediate Northbrook, Chicago, and virtual availability to treat new patients - adults for Dr. Yip and children and adolescents for Dr. Gwak. For more information about our new colleagues, please visit our website: https://www.northstarbh.com/team Our team of clinicians can provide comprehensive care from childhood through...

During the Buddha’s travels, he once arrived at a small town where his presence was anticipated by many. While the Buddha spoke to the crowd, one person began shouting at him. The Buddha did not pay attention to the shouting and instead continued speaking, which infuriated the person. This man eventually approached the Buddha and yelled, “You have no right to teach others. You’re a fake!” The crowd began to turn on the man, reacting to his anger. The Buddha intervened, addressing the crowd:...

Last year, the world lost a compassionate and wise thought leader: Thich Nhat Hanh. He was very active in promoting and teacher mindfulness, from his home in France. Fortunately, Thich Nhat Hanh will live on through his writings and recordings, which are accessible to us all. Thich Nhat Hanh has shared many meditation practices. Among my favorites is flower fresh, mountain solid. In his words, abbreviated to fit in this brief newsletter: We have a poem that helps us to practice: Breathing in,...

There once was a man who lived alone, isolated in his small village. One day, upon returning to his home, he discovered that several demons had moved in. The man tried everything to make them leave: he demanded that they leave; he prayed; he meditated, he scheduled telehealth appointments with his therapist; but nothing worked! The demons grew bigger and they grew stronger. He soon realized that the demons were projections of his own mind, so he decided to try a different approach. This time,...

There was once a Buddhist monk who wished to teach a lesson to his students. He picked up a glass of water and asked his students, "How much does this glass weigh?" "About 8 ounces," replied his students. "Correct. And what happens if I hold up this glass for a few minutes?" "Nothing," replied his students. "Correct. And what happens if I hold it up for an hour?" "Your arm will get tired," they said. "Correct. And how about for a few hours?" "Your arm will probably start to hurt," they said....

Announcing our new Chicago location! Conveniently located in the loop, select providers will be available for in-person treatment at our new Chicago office: 122 South Michigan Ave, Suite 1413, Chicago, IL, 60603 In an effort to better meet our patients' needs, psychiatrist Dr. Rebecca Cho and our new therapist Ms. Ulyana Doko will now have availability in Chicago. Interested patients can reach us either by e-mail or phone: [email protected] 847-892-7300 x9 Click here for more about Dr....

December 2022 Once, there was a rumor of a wise holy man who lived some distance from a small remote village. A young city man wished to visit him, and so after a long and difficult journey, he was relieved when he arrived at the rumored house. However, all he saw there was an old servant standing at the door. The young man said: "I would like to see the wise holy man." The old servant smiled and led him inside the house, and began walking through the rooms. The young man looked eagerly...

There was once a buddhist monk who watched as a snake got caught in a fire. He promptly decided to save it, reached into the fire with his bare hands, grabbed the snake, and dragged it out. As he was doing so, the snake bit him several times, but the monk didn't let go until he had successfully removed the snake from the fire. Seeing this, one of the monk's students exclaimed: "But the snake bit you! Why did you save it?" The monk replied: "The nature of a snake is to bite. It does not change...

A great exercise as outlined by Steven Hayes is to, as he puts it, make friends with your cravings. A helpful example is a food craving. I personally like cookies, and especially those from Crumbl or Shookies Cookies. So, when I recently walked past a chocolate chip cookie on my kitchen counter, I felt the urge to stop and inhale said cookie. Instead, as advised by Steven Hayes, I found myself stopping in front of the cookie then paying attention to the craving: 1. If your craving had a...