Rita Benn, Ph.D.

Dr Benn has recently joined the Arizona Center of Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine as their Director of Evaluation and a Research Assistant Professor. Dr. Benn is continuing her affiliation with the University of Michigan where she served as the Director of Education for their program in integrative medicine and held faculty research appointments in the Department of Family Medicine and Institute for Research on Women and Gender for almost ten years. During her tenure at Michigan, Dr. Benn taught and developed integrative medicine curriculum for medical students and family medicine residents, implemented mind-body skills groups for stress reduction, designed physician wellness and continuing education courses and directed a year long interdisciplinary faculty development program in Integrative Healthcare. Dr. Benn has published educational guides and articles in the areas of integrative medical education, mind-body practices, and meditation.

Dr. Benn received her PhD from the University of Michigan's Combined Program in Education and Psychology. Prior to her work in the field of Integrative Medicine, she worked as a program director at Merrill Palmer Institute where she created national models of interdisciplinary, community based training and state policies in family centered early intervention (birth through five). In the first part of her career, she practiced as a clinical-child and school psychologist, and conducted research on infant-mother attachment.

Dr. Benn is a perpetual student of meditation, and yoga. She is the mother of three college age adults and has a passion for children and exploring dimensions of spirituality and healing. She currently resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her husband and has plans to relocate in the near future to Tucson, Arizona.