EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE WITH DR. JAY FABER!

John A. “Jay” Faber, MD, is a clinical and forensic double-board-certified psychiatrist. He has been seen on the morning news KTLA 5 TV. His book “Escape: Rehab Your Brain to Stay Out of the Legal System” has received recognition as he lives by his word, making the impossible possible.

Currently, Dr. Faber is a vital member of the medical staff at the Amen Clinics in Encino, California, where he brings a wealth of knowledge in pharmacological management to his patients. His extensive background spans across private practices in Colorado, California, and Georgia, showcasing his adaptability and commitment to providing effective psychiatric care.

Dr. Faber’s expertise transcends traditional psychiatry; he has developed a keen interest in the advancement of the mind-body connection, exploring how physiological factors impact mental health. His board certification in metabolic medicine by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and fellowship in Integrative Medicine at George Washington University epitomizes his commitment to integrating medical science with psychiatric care.

One of Dr. Faber’s notable contributions to the field is his book, “Escape; Rehab Your Brain to Stay Out of the Legal System.” Recognizing the alarming rates of mental illness and substance abuse among incarcerated individuals, Dr. Faber penned this guide to help those in the legal system. We had the chance to do an interview with Dr. Jay Faber, talking about his latest works, involvement in the entertainment industry, and more. Read our exclusive Q&A below and follow Dr. Jay Faber on official sites!

Q & A with Dr. Jay Faber

Q: Dr. Jay Faber, it is amazing to have you! Getting into your background, where did you grow up?

Dr. Jay Faber -A : I grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis called Burnsville, Minnesota.

Q: Did you always want to get into the medical field?

Dr. Jay Faber -A : I grew up playing sports and loved ice hockey. I was kind of an average player until high school, and then I took it to a completely different level and became an all-conference hockey player. I played in college my first year, but I had to quit because of medical school. The kids I grew up playing with were all on a different team. Yeah, 1980 US Olympic gold medal team.

Q: Can you share more about your book?

Dr. Jay Faber -A : Yes, so I wrote a book called “Escape: How to Rehab Your Brain to Stay Out of the Legal System Forever.” I’ve found no one to have written on the topic, and that’s the first book I’ve written. The book is geared towards people who are either in or have encountered the legal system and how to get out and then stay out forever. I go into five kinds of different subtopics within the book.

Q:What is the brain-body connection?

Dr. Jay Faber -A : So there is a brain-body connection. I went back to school after becoming double board certified in adult child adolescent psychiatry to expand on this important relation. By adding these additional therapies, my past unremitting patients are seeing significant improvements and getting better.

For Example, I had a previous patient who had chronic lingering depression. She had been on a long list of antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and anti-anxiety agents without ANY improvement. I started asking what else might be going on. It was at that point I conducted a deeper dive at her medical problems. Subsequently, I meticulously reviewed her blood work; her thyroid levels were off, she had diabetes, and she was overweight. At that point I said to myself, “you know, maybe there’s something else going on requiring me to better understand how different organ systems are affecting the brain.” So, I decided to get more education. I went first to the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and completed their rigorous metabolic medicine fellowship. Wanting even more practical knowledge, I decided to go to an unchartered level in my psychiatric field. I decided to get a fellowship at the prestigious George Washington University in Integrative Medicine. The academic rigor and cognitive intensity to understand how organ systems and how they can relate with each other exhaustive but so worth the effort. Also learning how to use a holistic approach, including supplements and nutrients, to get the brain and body working more together gravitates with my personal philosophies of healing.

It is so motivational how you approached this to gain more knowledge to find the missing link to one patient.

Dr. Jay Faber -A : I can tell you this from my experience. I go to medical school for four years, complete residency, which was six years, and then think that we know everything we need to know for the rest of my career. I can distinctly remember ten years after getting out of residency reading a Harvard Business Review article that poignantly stated if you don’t keep up with new research and innovations five years after you complete your education, no matter what the profession, you are already behind the cutting edge.

Look at it this way, my psychiatric training emphasized treating mood disorders with medications that manipulated chemicals known as neurotransmitters. These may work if there is an underlying inherent condition not producing neurotransmitters. But, what if you’ve got something inflammatory going on? In those situations, there are different treatments that need to be utilized. That is just one aspect of what integrative medicine teaches

I had a young patient who had several serious brain and medical conditions. So we got some new labs to assess for inflammation. Once those results were reviewed, he did have something inflammatory going on. This changed his entire treatment plan. Twelve months later, he’s doing great and back in school, and family and friends are so grateful about his progression.

Q: You’ve been involved with a lot of charities, can you share more about your work?

Dr. Jay Faber -A : I am the chair of the foundation called the Faber Ryan Youth Foundation. It’s an organization that reaches out to our 20 to 30 young adults, who are primarily focused on working in the entertainment field. We teach them fundamental leadership skills to help them advance their careers by improving their internal thinking and character skills.

Q:What else do you have going on?

Dr. Jay Faber -A : I recently came back from a neuro-imaging conference discussing some very exciting changes in neuroscience. One of the talks dealt with increasing diversity in helping those in need of neuroimaging .Know it’s like we need to get more people in our community to help us do things. I started to think about my book, Escape, and wondered what it would be like to get MRI imaging in our larger jail such as LA County jail. What if we found a group of people willing to invest the capital to offer free neuroimaging services to a population that would really benefit from it?

We get a group of people to donate for the technology and services. We collect data, and we’d put it on a big website where research institutions would be able can come in and request data so they can do studies. I think this would help the system.

Q: Have you ever thought about making a film on this topic?

Dr. Jay Faber -A : Yes, I’ve had a few opportunities. I currently have something going on that will make a great impact, but that’s all I can share on it for now!

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?

Dr. Jay Faber -A : I like watching movies. I love dancing. I would like to have more time to go to acting lessons, but you can only do so much in a day. I also love going out to events and seeing everyone dressing up, everyone having fun, and everyone laughing, it’s great energy and also gives you inspiration.