Amen Clinics Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Changing Brains, Changing Lives

The year 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the opening of the first Amen Clinics location. Over the past three decades, since we first began using brain SPECT imaging as a tool to more accurately diagnose and personalize treatment for our patients, we have reached some remarkable milestones. Now, with eight locations nationwide, we have the world’s largest database of functional brain scans related to behavior and have treated over 80,000 patients for a variety of conditions. The Amen Clinics’ groundbreaking work has been featured on Dr. Oz, Today, GMA, The View, Dr. Phil, and our 14 National Public Television Shows that have aired over 110,000 times across North America, and we have published over 82 professional papers and research articles in collaboration with scientists from Google, Johns Hopkins, UCLA, UCSF, NYU, and other esteemed institutions.

Dr. Daniel Amen, the founder, and CEO of Amen Clinics and a 10-time New York Times bestselling author started his journey in 1972 as an infantry medic and later an X-ray technician, where he learned the foundational concept: “How do you know unless you look?” After completing his child and adult psychiatric training in 1987, he became the Chief of Mental Health at Fort Irwin before choosing to start his own practice. This decision has led to a revolutionary brain-centered approach to psychiatry that has helped millions around the world change their brains and change their lives.

Take a look at some of the highlights from the past 30 years.

1989: The first Amen Clinic opens in Northern California.

1991: Dr. Amen starts his work with brain SPECT imaging, which shows that mental health is really brain health. This was a break from tradition in his field, psychiatry remains the only medical profession that rarely looks at the organ it treats. 

1993: Dr. Amen begins lecturing about the importance of brain imaging in psychiatry by presenting the Brain SPECT Imaging conference at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting. He follows this up with many important presentations, including a “State-of-the-Art Lecture” to the Society of Developmental Pediatrics in 1996.

1998: Dr. Amen’s book Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, which shows that you are not stuck with the brain you have and that you can make your brain better, is published and becomes a New York Times bestseller that has now sold nearly 1 million copies.

2000: Amen Clinics begins opening additional locations with new clinics in Orange County, California (2000); Bellevue, Washington (2003); Washington DC (2005); Atlanta, GA (2012); New York City (2012); Chicago, IL (2017); Encino, California (2018); and more to come.

2005: With Dr. Jesse Payne, Dr. Amen creates “Brain Thrive by 25,” a brain health program that teaches students how to love and care for their brain. It has been taught in all 50 states and in 7 countries.

2008: “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life” becomes Dr. Amen’s first show to air nationwide on Public Television. He has now written and appeared in 14 Public Television shows that have aired over 110,000 times across North America.

2008: Amen Clinics surpasses 50,000 SPECT brain scans.

2009: This year marks the beginning of the Amen Clinics-NFL Retired Players Association Brain Imaging and Rehabilitation Study on Active and Retired NFL Players, which found that NFL players who suffered multiple concussions and had cognitive dysfunction, memory loss, mood and anger issues, weight gain, and other symptoms could improve their brain function by following a brain healthy program.

2010: Launches the 501(c)3 End Mental Illness Now, which is dedicated to brain imaging to change how psychiatry is practiced, brain health education for all, and service for people who cannot afford it.

2010: Launches BrainMD Health, which provides the highest quality nutritional products for optimizing and balancing brain health, as well as books, CDs, and other products designed to boost brain power.

2011: The Washington Post names Dr. Amen the “most popular psychiatrist in America.”

2012: Launches Brain Health Coaching Certification Course, which teaches providers and professionals of all backgrounds how to implement The Amen Clinics Method into their client protocol. Over 2,900 providers in 59 countries have taken the course.

2013: The Daniel Plan, which Dr. Amen wrote with Pastor Rick Warren and Dr. Mark Hyman, hits #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. The brain health program, which helped congregants of Saddleback Church lose a quarter or a million pounds, is now taught in churches worldwide.

2013: Dr. Amen’s TED Talks, “The Most Important Lesson from 83,000 Scans” and “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life” garner over 10 million views.

2014: Amen Clinics surpasses 100,000 SPECT brain scans.

2015: “On the Psychiatrist’s Couch” airs nationwide on Public Television and is Dr. Amen’s 10th and most successful show.

2015: This year marks the launch of Amen University, which offers direct access to brain-centered online courses designed to improve your mood, memory, behavior, attention, and overall health.

2016: Discover Magazine ranks Amen Clinics’ groundbreaking research on using brain imaging to differentiate PTSD from TBI as #19 on its list of Top 100 Stories in Science for 2015.

2017: A clip from Dr. Amen’s “The Most Important Lesson from 83,000 Scans” TED Talk goes viral on social media and racks up over 40 million views.

2017: The Brain Warrior’s Way Podcast debuts and now has over 4 million downloads.

2018: Launches “Creating BRIGHT MINDS” program to help businesses, churches, schools, and other organizations collectively enhance brain health for greater success at every level. Earth Friendly Products located in Southern California tests the program and experiences greater productivity, reduced absenteeism, and higher engagement with employee wellness programs.

2019: Over 2 million people worldwide have taken our Brain Health Assessment, which identifies your brain type and gives you a personalized report that includes personalized recommendations for your brain type. 

2019: Amen Clinics surpasses 150,000 brain SPECT scans of patients from 121 countries, making it the world’s largest database of functional brain scans related to behavior.

The Future

Amen Clinics is poised for continued growth with new clinics set to open and will continue reframing the way we think about mental health as brain health with Dr. Amen’s book The End of Mental Illness, which is scheduled to be published in 2020.

If you or a loved one are struggling with a mental health/brain health issue or you want to enhance your own brain health or the brains of everyone in your organization, reach out to see how Amen Clinics can help. Our specialists are waiting to hear from you at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit online.