Mark Farris Pirtle
The M. Farris Corporation
Pathways Technologies, Inc.
2506 E. Drachman Street
Tucson, Arizona 85716

Phone: (520) 795-3563
Fax: (520) 795-3622
Cell: (520) 250-9027

Arizona Physical Therapy license #1846
California Physical Therapy license # 33478

Recent Speaking Engagements
  • “Skillfully Aware™: How to Heal Chronic Pain.” FACES Conferences, Awakening to Mindfulness, Buddhism and Psychology, October 15-17, 2009, Seattle, WA.
  • “Skillfully Aware: At Home, at Work and in Life.” Weekly lectures for guests at Miraval Resort, Tucson, AZ

  • “Skillfully Aware: How to Heal Your Mind, Body and Emotional Pains.” The Tucson Integrative Health Professionals breakfast, May 19th, 2009. Tucson, AZ

  • “Skillfully Aware: How to Heal Your Mind, Body and Emotional Pains.” A two day meditation retreat, February 20-21, 2009. San Jose, CA.

  • “Skillfully Aware: The Science and Practice of Healing Chronic Pain – An Intentional Change Proces.” The 2008 Los Angeles Professional Development Series, November 14th, 2008. Sherman Oaks, CA.
  • “Managing Chronic Pain: An Eastern / Western Approach to Total Mind-Body Healing.” 2008 Chicago Professional Development Seminar, September 11th, 2008. Chicago, Il.
  • “Serenity Now!” the Keynote Address at the Sierra Tucson Alumni Reunion, August 8th, 2008. Tucson, AZ
  • “Healing Chronic Pain: Learning to Swim in a Sea of Sensations:” 5TH UK/EUROPEAN SYMPOSIUM on addictive disorders. Europe’s largest conference on Addiction and treatment 8, 9 & 10, May 2008. London, UK.
  • “The Mind-Body Reality of Chronic Pain”
    • Clarus Center, December 13, 2007, Chicago, Illinois.
    • Maggiano’s Grand Rounds dinner, November 6th, 2007, Scottsdale, Arizona.
    • Ben Franklin Summit for Clinical Excellence, October 19th, 2007, Tempe, Arizona.
    • Grand Rounds, Cedar Sinai Hospital, Beverly Hills, California, September 20th, 2007
    • Grand Rounds, Brotman Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, Sept 19th, 2007
    • La Terza Grand Rounds dinner, Beverly Hills California, September 19th, 2007
Professional Education
  • Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), musculoskeletal emphasis; September 2005, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona. WITH DISTINCTION
  • Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), conferred by the National Strength and Conditioning Certification Commission, Phoenix, Arizona. October 1st, 2005.
  • Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist (COMT). Completed study and examinations for certification by the International Academy of Orthopedic Medicine—Europe, September 10th, 2002.
  • Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy, August 1989, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona. MAGNA CUM LAUDE
  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, May 1984, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona. 50 units of elective credit over graduation requirements including psychology, eastern thought, business administration, and astronomy.
Professional Experience
    Independent Contractor, Miraval Resort. Provides weekly Skillfully Aware™ lectures and individual consultations to assist guests resolve stress-related, mind-body health problems.
  • Independent practice, Tucson, Arizona. Emphasizing treatment of co-morbid stress related conditions, chronic pain, chemical dependency and mood disorders. Twenty years of clinical experience.
  • Current President of The M. Farris Corporation. This entity develops seminars, publishes, and markets self-care education materials for persons who suffer from chronic stress, pain, addictions and mood related issues. The principle work centers around teaching “Skillfully Aware,” a mindfulness program that integrates science and mindfulness practices to enable a participants to transform suffering states. Corporate papers filed in Arizona, March, 2003.
  • Current President of Pathways Technologies, Inc. Pathways is developing, and testing an “expert system” software program. Preliminary work focuses on the diagnosis of painful conditions in and around the low back. Corporate papers filed in Arizona, September, 2002.
  • Current faculty for Dr. Andrew Weil’s Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, teaching neuro-orthopedics and pain science University Medical Center, Tucson, Arizona. April 2005 to present.
  • Associate Director of the Pain Program, Sierra Tucson, in-patient rehabilitation hospital dedicated to the prevention, education, and treatment of chronic pain, chemical dependency, eating and mood disorders. Hired to start the first ever pain program. Catalina, Arizona, April 2007 to November 2008.
  • Consultant to Casa Palmera rehabilitation hospital specializing in the in-patient treatment of addictions, co-dependency, eating and anxiety disorders, trauma and abuse, Del Mar, California, September 2006 to April 2007
  • Adjunct Faculty, International Spine and Pain Institute, May 2005 to November 2007.
  • Founder of ProActive Physical Therapy, Tucson, Arizona. Outpatient neuroorthopedic caseload. March 1993 to July 2003.
  • Director of Physical Therapy at Student Health Service, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona. Outpatient orthopedic caseload. July 1990 through July 1992.
  • Staff Therapist at Lynn Carlson, Inc., Tucson, Arizona. August 1989 to July 1990.
Educational / Development Activities
  • Two-day meditation retreat with Upasaka Culadasa on the 4-milestones and 10- stages in the progress of meditative training, November 2008.
  • Six-day meditation retreat with American Monk, Shinzen Young on “the 5-ways to know yourself as a spiritual being.” Oracle, Arizona, October 2008.
  • Denial Management Counseling for Effective Pain Management, Instructor Stephen Grinstead of the Gorski-CENAPS Corporation, March 21 – 23, 2008, Tucson, AZ.
  • Addiction-Free Pain Management Competency Certification Training. Advanced clinical skills training in managing pain and coexisting addictive disorders for chronic pain and behavorial health problems. The Center for Applied Sciences, Dr. Stephen F. Grinstead, Senior Trainer. January 11-13th, 2008.
  • Two-day meditation retreat with Sharon Saltzberg of the IMS, November 2007.
  • US Journal Training Counseling Skills Conference, special track on pain and addiction, Las Vegas, Nevada, September 27 – 29, 2007.
  • Six-day meditation retreat with American Monk, Shinzen Young, Oracle, Arizona, September 2007.
  • Six-day meditation retreat with American Monk, Shinzen Young, Oracle, Arizona, November 2006.
  • Mind & Life Institute’s seven day meditation “Scientists Retreat” at the Insight Meditation Society, Barre, Massachusetts. January 7 – 14, 2006.
  • Mind & Life XIII: Investigating the Mind 2005: The Science and Clinical Applications of Meditation conference, Washington DC. November 8 – 10, 2005.
  • Presented “Integral Recovery”, a workshop at the Universal Compassion & Wisdom for Peace inaugural conference, London, UK. October 25 – 30, 2005. UCWP’s mission is to develop curriculum to enable understanding of the mind and emotions for the purpose of creating a culture of compassion.
  • “Pain, Mind, and Movement”, A Satellite Symposium of the 11th World Congress on Pain, Cairns, Australia. August 17 – 19, 2005. International Association for the Study of Pain.
  • “Living Centered Program”, a week-long experiential therapy residency program exploring issues of co-dependency recovery and 12-step self-help put on by Onsite Workshops, Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee. July 7 – 15, 2005.
  • Extended Retreat. Spent 49 days in retreat at the Buddhist Monastery, Chenrezig Institute, Queensland, Australia. Participated in daily study and meditation as experiential research directed towards a better understanding of the interplay between chronic pain and afflictive emotions. July 21st through September 10th, 2003.
  • Orthopedic Medicine and Manual Therapy for the Spine and Extremities: Hand and Wrist, November 1998; Cervical Spine, August 1998; Hip, April 1998; Foot and Ankle, December 1997; Knee, November 1997; Lumbar II, October 1997; Lumbar I, July1997; Hip, May 1997; Thoracic Spine, April 1997; Shoulder, April 1997; Elbow, March 1997. Omer Matthijs, PT, instructor; head instructor for the International Academy of Orthopedic Medicine-US.
  • Orthopedic Medicine and Manual Therapy for the Spine and Extremities: Lumbar I and II, Thoracic Spine, Shoulder, Elbow, Hip, Knee, Ankle and Foot; August 28 through October 14, 1996. IAOM-Eur Instructor Omer Matthijs, PT. All courses taken in Germany and Austria.
  • Orthopedic Medicine and Manual Therapy for the Lumbar Spine and Sacrum, and Cervical Spine, March 1996 and January 1996 respectively. IAOM-US instructor Omer Matthijs, PT.
  • Year-long course on Australian Manual Therapy. Emphasis on evaluation and treatment of soft tissue injuries of the spine and the extremities, 1990. Barbara Stevens, GDMT, PT and Margaret Anderson, GDMT, PT, instructors.
  • Eight-week clinical internship in Australian Manual Medicine, July-August 1989. John Sievert, GDMT, PT, instructor.
Current Professional Interests
  • Professional and public education on the topic of “Skillful Awareness™” via seminars, print and other media
  • Ongoing clinical work with an emphasis on the “Skillfully Aware™” approach to mindfulness practice for patients suffering from chronic pain, chemical dependency and associated mood issues
  • Development and marketing of a web-based, diagnosis and treatment software tool for the purpose of improving and standardizing the delivery of evidencedbased neuro-orthopedic medicine
Publications
  • The Spiraling Cycle of Pain and Addiction, Arizona Together, October, 2008
  • Healing Chronic Pain: Learning to Swim in a Sea of Sensations, Addiction Today, January, 2007
  • Co-Author with Lin et al: Adaptive Medical Knowledge Management: An Integrated Rule-Based and Bayesian Network Approach, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 2003.
  • The End of Back Pain as we Know it: Understanding the “Effauses” and “Caufects” of Chronic Back Pain—a patient’s guide to understanding the causes and remedies of chronic low back pain. Seeking publication.
Awards, Honors, and Accomplishments
  • Ist Dan Black Belt United Tae Kwon Do, Chun Do Kwan Association, March 2007.
  • American Sailing Association certified as Basic Keelboat, Coastal Cruising, and Bare-boat skipper; and US Coast Guard Auxiliary certificate of completion Advanced Coastal Navigation.
  • Completed Officer Candidate School US Marine Corps, summer 1981. Received 97% approval rating from commanding officers. Voted one of top three candidates by peers in each of three separate votes taken over the course of OCS training. Professional Affiliations
    • Member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
    • Member of the Arizona Physical Therapy Association
    • Member of the International Association for the Study of Pain
    • Member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association
    • Past member of the North American Spine Society
    • Past member of the Cervical Spine Research Society
    • Past member of Greater Tucson Leadership
    Extracurricular Affiliations
    • Member of the Insight Meditation Society
    • Member of the World Future Society
    • Member of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
    • Member of the Nature Conservancy
    • Former Member of the United States Coast Guard Axilliary
    Special Interests
    • Meditation
    • Reading
    • Endurance and trail running
    • Weight training
    • Martial arts
    • Sailing
    • Scuba
    Professional References available upon request.









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