Dr. Lillian Somner graduated from Maryland University with a degree in modern dance. She has always understood the relationship between the body and the mind. She attended the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, did a rotating internship covering all the specialties, and went into private practice specializing in osteopathic manual medicine. She then added medical acupuncture and is board certified in medical acupuncture by the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, an organization devoted to teaching physicians.
She did her residency in psychiatry at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey where she was chief resident. In addition to her residency, she also completed training in psychodynamic psychotherapy in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Institute. She is board certified in psychiatry.
She is also board certified in metabolic medicine, a perspective of looking at the why something is wrong, not just that something is wrong. This training allows a deeper understanding of both physical and mental illness.
Dr. Somner was the Medical Director of Behavioral Health at Twin County Regional Hospital in a rural area of southwestern Virginia. She is acutely aware of the needs of rural communities and has a great deal of experience in the management of many disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder, and depression.
Dr. Somner has been in practice since 1990. Her specialty has been in the management of pain utilizing both manual techniques and acupuncture. She incorporates into her thinking and understanding of the body-mind connection and the underlying metabolic problems that may be contributing to the issues.
She has also been trained in the Bredesen Protocol, an approach to stop the decline of Alzheimer’s dementia and its possible reversal. This training dovetails perfectly with Dr. Daniel Amen’s Memory Rescue: BRIGHT MINDS approach to the improvement of cognitive impairment.
In 2022, Dr. Somner released “Herbal Medicine for Mental Health: Natural Treatments for Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, and More.” Her private time is spent with family, cooking, and enjoying the mountains in which she lives.
