The Characters

Alan Gordon: Therapist

Alan has long believed that chronic pain can be unlearned through talk therapy. In his Beverly Hills practice he gets patients to ditch needles and pills, and recover from addiction, or avoid it altogether. Challenged by skeptics throughout his career, Alan’s therapy is now being put to the ultimate test. For the first time, Alan and the rest of the medical world, will see patient's brain scans before and after treatment, potentially proving or disproving that his therapy directly affects the brain.

Dr. Karen Knight: Physiatrist

Dr. Knight is skeptical that Alan’s therapy approach can cure back pain. The data will tell. Dr. Knight is a pioneer in her field of orthopedics and the only female board member among 40 at a large orthopedic clinic. Frustrated by a lack of viable treatments for patients, she seeks the latest technologies to help her patients. Her involvement in the study might make her rethink her own personal truth.

Yoni Ashar, PhD Neuroscience

Seeking to uncover the brain's role in chronic pain, Yoni leads the largest fMRI brain imaging study to date. He's in search of more effective treatments, and he doesn’t take sides. He doesn’t have the personal convictions that Alan and Karen do. He is the filter between them, letting the data point to the truth. With Yoni, we get a window into how a brilliant mind works, as he leads us into a new frontier of science that could help millions.

The Filmmakers