About Us

About Dr. Amit Sood

Executive Director

Dr. Sood is the creator of the Resilient Option program. He is one of the world's leading experts on resilience and wellbeing, and executive director of the Global Center for Resiliency and Wellbeing. He was also professor of medicine, and Chair for student life and wellness at Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Sood has authored or co-authored over 70 peer-reviewed papers and is the author of several books including, The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living, The Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness, Mindfulness Redesigned, SMART with Dr. Sood, The Resilience Journal, and Build Your Immune Resilience.

Dr. Sood has presented at some of the highest impact forums like, TEDx, Lake Nona, Forbes Under 30 Forum, Conference Board, Beckers, YPO, NPR, NAMI, NBGH, NASA, keynotes for Fortune 500 companies, universities, foundations, and others.

He has received numerous awards including the 2010 Distinguished Service, 2010 Innovator of the Year, 2013 Outstanding Physician Scientist and 2016 Faculty of the Year awards, all from Mayo Clinic. He was selected as one among top 20 intelligent optimist in the world (Ode Magazine). Dr. Sood was also selected by RWJ Foundation as one of the health care pioneers.

Dr. Sood serves as the member of the Everyday Health Wellness Advisory Board.

About our team

Debbie Fuehrer, M.A., LPCC

Program Manager

Ms. Fuehrer is employed as a Mind-Body Medicine Counselor in Integrative Medicine

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Carla J. Paonessa

Administrative Director

Carla Paonessa lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband of 46 years, Russ Paonessa.

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Ann Clark

Education Director

Ann Clark is an Education Consultant, Facilitator, and Coach at AC Company. 

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Brent A. Bauer, M.D.

Research Advisor

As director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program,

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Carla J. Paonessa

Administrative Director

Carla brings her enormous corporate experience to support the growth of the programs.

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Arush Chandna

Director of Strategy

Arush supports the strategy and technology aspects of the program.

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Brent A. Bauer, M.D.

Research Advisor

Dr. Bauer is one of the world's foremost experts on research and practice of Integrative Medicine.

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Sherry S. Chesak, Ph.D., R.N.

Research Advisor

Sherry is a Global Resilience and Inner Transformation Institute certified Resilience Trainer.

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Debbie Fuehrer, M.A., LPCC

Program Manager

Debbie oversees the administration of the Transform and Certified Resilience Trainer courses.

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Our collaborators

Bridget Berkland

Sandhya Chandna,
Ph.D.

Sherry S. Chesak,
R.N. Ph.D.

Susanne M., Cutshall,
R.N., C.N.S.

Ed Spilg, M.D.

Deirdre R. Pachman, M.D.

Scott Koon, M.A.

Why choose Resilient Option?

For the engaging and actionable modules, or the simple and relatable but effective approach we take.
But most importantly, for the science behind it all.

Our four modules – Gratitude, Mindful presence, Kindness, and Resilient mindset – are science enabled and scientifically proven to decrease stress, and help you withstand and bounce back from adversities.

Through short engaging videos, quizzes, and a blend of science, stories and skills, each module takes you a step closer to fostering a resilient mind, helping you get the most out of life.

ENROLL IN COURSE

In the news

Our work has been highlighted in several leading publications
and media houses. With some of the notable ones being:

Implementation of our program improved resiliency, quality of life, and health behaviors, and reduced anxiety and stress among professionals

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Implementation of our program improved resiliency, quality of life, and health behaviors, and reduced anxiety and stress among professionals

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Implementation of our program improved resiliency, quality of life, and health behaviors, and reduced anxiety and stress among professionals

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Carla J. Paonessa

Carla Paonessa lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband of 46 years, Russ Paonessa.They have 3 children, 5 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren.

Carla chairs the Mayo Clinic Leadership Council in Chicago while also being active on theLeadership Council of Mayo Clinic in Arizona. She is Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees forLeaderShape, a 35+ year old organization that has trained more than 100,000 young peoplehow to lead with integrity and a sense of possibility.

Prior to retirement, Carla was a Managing Partner of Change Management for Accenture, the$139b global consulting company. During her 25-year career there she held several positions,including global responsibilities for client service in multiple industries and working with the CEO and the Executive Team during their successful IPO in 2001. Prior to Accenture, Carla had 12years in government service with IRS, running an 8 state Regional Training Center and FAA,retraining air traffic controllers who had to leave their jobs for health reasons.

She holds a BA in English from the University of Oklahoma and a MA in English from theUniversity of Kansas.

Carla describes her life’s work as “...reminding other people how good they are. Sometimesthey forget.”

Carla brings her enormous corporate experience to support the growth and dissemination of theprograms.

Carla J. Paonessa

Carla Paonessa lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband of 46 years, Russ Paonessa. They have 3 children, 5 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren.

Carla chairs the Mayo Clinic Leadership Council in Chicago while also being active on the Leadership Council of Mayo Clinic in Arizona. She is Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees for LeaderShape, a 35+ year old organization that has trained more than 100,000 young people how to lead with integrity and a sense of possibility.

Prior to retirement, Carla was a Managing Partner of Change Management for Accenture, the $139b global consulting company. During her 25-year career there she held several positions,including global responsibilities for client service in multiple industries and working with the CEO and the Executive Team during their successful IPO in 2001. Prior to Accenture, Carla had 12 years in government service with IRS, running an 8 state Regional Training Center and FAA, retraining air traffic controllers who had to leave their jobs for health reasons.

She holds a BA in English from the University of Oklahoma, and an MA in English from the University of Kansas.

Carla describes her life’s work as “...reminding other people how good they are. Sometimes they forget.”

Carla brings her enormous corporate experience to support the growth and dissemination of the programs.

Ann Clark

Ann Clark is an Education Consultant, Facilitator, and Coach at AC Company. 
‍
Ann is an experienced leader and facilitator, and has held leadership roles at every level in education - classroom, building, district, and state. She has guided the growth and development of youth and adults, in the U.S. and internationally, for over 30 years. And is passionate about the development of positive mindsets in Resilience, Leadership, Equity, and Empowerment.
‍
Ann is dedicated to help individuals and organizations reduce stress and anxiety while building resilience, and is licensed by Dr. Amit Sood to facilitate Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) to educators, caregivers and health care workers, businesses, and organizations.
‍
She is also a certified yoga instructor through The Yoga Sadhna & Social Welfare Centre in Bhopal, India. 

Brent A. Bauer, M.D.

Dr. Brent Bauer is Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic.

As director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program, Brent A.Bauer, M.D., has broad and varied research interests. Since its founding in 2001, the program has promoted a collaborative spirit that enables researchers from both within and outside Mayo Clinic to share resources, ideas, and expertise regarding research in this exciting realm.

Dr. Bauer is one of the world's foremost experts on research and practice of Integrative Medicine.

Sherry S. Chesak, Ph.D., R.N.

Sherry Chesak, is a Nurse Scientist in the Department of Nursing, Division of Nursing Research at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Her program of research is centered on care for the caregiver. She is primarily focused on investigating stress management interventions to enhance resilience in both professional and family caregivers. She received a Master’s degree in Nursing Education from Winona State University, and a PhD in Nursing from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. The focus of her doctoral dissertation was the integration of the Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) program in a Nurse Residency Program. In addition, she has conducted multiple trials with the SMART program among numerous groups including nurses, physicians, family caregivers of oncology patients, and teachers. She is certified by the Global Resilience and Inner Transformation Institute as a Resilience Trainer.

Debbie Fuehrer, M.A., LPCC

Ms. Fuehrer is employed as a Mind-Body Medicine Counselor in Integrative Medicine and Health at Mayo Clinic, working with Dr. Amit Sood since 2010. She has a master’s degree in counseling and psychological services and is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with the academic rank of Instructor in Medicine, Mayo College of Medicine. She provides counseling services to patients, educational activities and presentations related to IMH Mind-Body practices, including the topics of stress management, anxiety reduction, and hypnosis to other healthcare professionals and groups external to Mayo. She coordinates Integrative Medicine and Health, Mind-Body program/services including clinical practice, education and research initiatives. She provided crisis assessment and counseling for Olmsted County Diversion Program as a mental health professional through Zumbro Valley Health Center for several years. During her internship at the Federal Medical Center – Rochester, she started the theatre program for inmates at the mental health unit, directing plays and substituting for actors when needed. She co-wrote a play workshopped at FMC which will be presented at the Rochester Repertory Theatre in January 2019.

Debbie oversees the administration of the Transform and Certified Resilience Trainer courses.

Arush Chandna

Arush Chandna is a Corporate Strategy professional. He has worked at EAB (formerly The Advisory Board Company), where his team was responsible for defining and executing the firm's growth strategy.

Arush worked on a range of initiatives during his time at EAB including strategic planning, new product launches, and M&A due diligence. He holds a Masters in Engineering Management from Dartmouth College.

Arush supports the strategy and technology aspects of the program.

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