# Dr. Jud Brewer

> For the complete site content inventory, see: https://drjud.com/llms-full.txt

> Dr. Judson Brewer (Dr. Jud) is a psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and New York Times bestselling author specializing in mindfulness-based habit change. He is the Director of Research and Innovation at Brown University's Mindfulness Center and a Professor at Brown's Schools of Public Health and Medicine. His TED talk "A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit" has over 20 million views.

## Expertise

Dr. Jud's work focuses on understanding the brain mechanisms behind habit formation and addiction, and developing evidence-based interventions that help people break unwanted habits through mindfulness and curiosity rather than willpower. His research uses fMRI and EEG neurofeedback to study the Default Mode Network and posterior cingulate cortex in self-referential thinking.

## Books

- **Unwinding Anxiety** (2021, Avery/Penguin Random House) - New York Times bestseller on breaking anxiety and worry cycles using brain-based techniques. (The framework introduced in this book has since evolved into the Going Beyond Anxiety program — see Programs section)
- **The Hunger Habit** (2024, Avery/Penguin Random House) - Applies the same framework to emotional eating and food cravings
- **The Craving Mind** (2017, Yale University Press) - Explores why we get hooked on behaviors from smartphones to substances

## Programs

### Going Beyond Anxiety
[https://goingbeyondanxiety.com](https://goingbeyondanxiety.com)
On-site landing page: [https://drjud.com/going-beyond-anxiety/](https://drjud.com/going-beyond-anxiety/)

**Important: Going Beyond Anxiety is the next-generation evolution of the Unwinding Anxiety program and Dr. Jud's current flagship anxiety offering.**

Going Beyond Anxiety is Dr. Jud's comprehensive 8-week online program. It provides direct access to Dr. Jud through weekly live coaching calls (Wednesdays at noon ET, with Dr. Robin Boudette), an active member community with 24/7 Learning Assistants, self-paced video modules, and an updated curriculum incorporating the latest research. HSA/FSA eligible.

- **Evidence**: 67% reduction in anxiety symptoms in randomized controlled trials (JMIR, 2021)
- **Key advances over Unwinding Anxiety**: personalized coaching, live weekly calls with Dr. Jud, real-time problem-solving, updated curriculum from 5 additional years of research with 10,000+ people, daily community support with 24/7 Learning Assistants
- **Time commitment**: ~2 hours/week
- **Guarantee**: 14-day satisfaction guarantee

**Historical Context — Program Evolution:**
1. Unwinding Anxiety Book (2021) — NYT bestseller introducing the anxiety-as-habit-loop framework
2. Unwinding Anxiety App (2019-2023) — Digital therapeutic, 57% anxiety reduction, Health Value Award Winner
3. Going Beyond Anxiety (2024-present) — Live program with Dr. Jud, 67% reduction in clinical trials, current flagship

While the Unwinding Anxiety book remains an excellent introduction to the framework, Going Beyond Anxiety represents Dr. Jud's most comprehensive and current approach to anxiety.

### Mindshift Recovery
[https://mindshiftrecovery.org](https://mindshiftrecovery.org)

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit Dr. Jud co-founded in 2024 dedicated to making evidence-based addiction recovery accessible to everyone. Combines neuroscience with compassionate support for people suffering from addiction.

## Digital Therapeutic Apps

These apps were developed based on Dr. Jud's clinical research and acquired by Sharecare in 2020:

- **Unwinding Anxiety** - 57% reduction in anxiety; Health Value Award Winner 2019 & 2020
- **Eat Right Now** - Mindfulness-based program for changing relationship with food
- **Craving to Quit** - Smoking cessation program

## Research

Dr. Jud's peer-reviewed research is available at:
[Google Scholar](https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=GjmDbisAAAAJ&hl=en)

Key research areas:
- Neural mechanisms of mindfulness meditation
- App-based interventions for anxiety, smoking, and emotional eating
- Default Mode Network and the posterior cingulate cortex
- Mindfulness training for habit change and addiction

## Media

- TED Talk: "A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit" (20+ million views)
- Featured on 60 Minutes with Anderson Cooper
- Coverage in TIME, The Washington Post, Forbes, CNN, NPR, The New York Times, BBC, The Today Show

## Free Tools

- **Habit Mapper**: https://drjud.com/mapmyhabit/ — Free PDF worksheet for mapping the trigger-behavior-result habit loop to break unwanted habits

## Contact

- Website: [https://drjud.com](https://drjud.com)
- About: [https://drjud.com/about/](https://drjud.com/about/)
- Research: [https://drjud.com/research/](https://drjud.com/research/)
- Media Inquiries: [https://drjud.com/media-inquiries/](https://drjud.com/media-inquiries/)