Edison de Mello, MD, PhD, is a board certified Family Physician by the American Board of Family Medicine and a licensed psychotherapist by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. He practiced psychotherapy for 13 years before entering medical training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan, New York and now practices and teaches evidenced- based integrative medicine.
Dr. de Mello’s PhD dissertation, entitled “Gut Feelings - A Psychosocial Approach to Gastrointestinal Illness,” inspired his conception of a center where Western and Eastern medicines combined with psychology would be fully integrated. The de Mello Institute was formed in 1996 with the goal of employing safe and complementary approaches to healthcare while also addressing a person’s emotional and spiritual health. Fully committed to these goals ,in 1999 Dr. de Mello entered residency at the prestigious Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center Urban Family Residency program inNew York City, including training at the Center for Health and Healing also in Manhattan. His training utilized a biopsychosocial model offering innovative experiences in the integration of complementary medicine into the practice of Family Medicine. Upon completing his medical training, Dr. de Mello expanded the de Mello Institute and founded the Akasha Center for Integrative Medicine.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Dr. de Mello was at a very early age introduced to the practice of complementary medicine by his beloved grandmother, Nana. Dr. de Mello remembers her as a natural healer who, with her many teas and potions, always had a remedy for the common everyday malady. Nana practiced her “medicine” with so much love and dedication that her simple presence, caring manner, smile, and unwavering respect for people were healing and inspiring. Nana became Dr. de Mello’s most significant mentor and in 1979, when he started college, a career in healthcare was a natural choice.
He graduated from the University of North Texas in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and went on to earn an MA degree in Psychology and a doctoral degree in Health and Human Services - Psychology. For his masters degree thesis Dr. de Mello was the co-author of a Head Start program funded by the National Institute of Mental Health entitled “Strengthening Head Start Families through Mental Health Intervention.” Intrigued by the biopsychosocial aspects of gastrointestinal disease - the subject of his doctorate dissertation, Dr. de Mello entered medical school in 1991 with the ultimate goal of creating an innovative medical practice that would bridge the gap between Western and Eastern medicines.
Dr. de Mello’s strong commitment to the practice of integrative medicine is evidenced in his clear vision for the Akasha Center. “A healing sanctuary” where all parts that compose a person, namely mind, body and spirit, are equally addressed when treating and preventing disease. His goal is to help every patient get the best out of the integration of science-proven approaches to medicine - drawing from both the technological advances of the West and the ancient wisdom of the East.
Dr. de Mello is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish. He was an attending physician at the Santa Monica/UCLA Medical Center and at Saint John’s Medical Healthcare Center in Santa Monica until recently when he decided to dedicate all his energy to expand the Akasha Center and its new supplement line, Akasha Naturals. In addition, Dr. de Mello is also on the advisory board of several organizations including Helpquide.org and volunteers for ACAM, a Mayan Midwifery program in Guatemala. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Association of integrative Medicine, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Doctor’s Without Borders.
