Beth Frates, MD is a trained physiatrist and a health and wellness coach, with expertise in Lifestyle Medicine. She has received several teaching accolades from Harvard Extension School and Harvard Medical School, where she is an assistant clinical professor. Dr. Frates is a pioneer in lifestyle medicine. In 2008, Dr. Frates created the first Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group at Harvard Medical School. In 2014, she developed and taught a college Lifestyle Medicine curriculum at the Harvard Extension School, and it is still one of the most well-received courses offered at the school. Dr. Frates serves as President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
Dr. Frates co-authored The Lifestyle Medicine Handbook: An Introduction to the Power of Healthy Habits, which was ranked in the top 20 by Book Authority for medical books released in 2018. She also co-created Lifestyle Medicine 101, a full college curriculum with 12 weeks of PowerPoints and a teacher’s manual, which is free and accessible through the ACLM website. In addition, Dr. Frates co-authored The Teen Lifestyle Medicine Handbook, published in 2020 , and In September of 2023, she co-authored The Lifestyle Medicine Pocket Guide.
As Director of Wellness Programming at the Stroke Institute for Research and Recovery at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, Dr. Frates has created and implemented a 12-Step wellness program, PAVING the Path to Wellness™ for patients and providers. Most recently, she co-authored the book PAVING the Path to Wellness Workbook: A Guide to Thriving with a Healthy Body, Peaceful Mind and Joyful Heart. As of the fall of 2020, Dr. Frates serves as the Director of Lifestyle Medicine and Wellness for the Department of Surgery at Mass General Hospital. In addition, Dr. Frates has her own Lifestyle Medicine consulting/coaching practice where she sees patients 1:1 and in groups.