CHEF | SCIENTIST |
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR | PROGRAM DIRECTOR |

Dr. Werner Absenger ("drA")

Creator of the S.H.A.R.P. Mind Protocol

Meet

Dr. Werner Absenger 

From the Heat of the Line to Neuroscience Research

To understand why I do this work, you have to understand where I came from.

My path wasn’t an accident. It was a deliberate journey from the high-pressure world of professional kitchens to the precise environment of the research lab. This transition wasn’t born out of boredom; it was born out of necessity—and a promise.

I am not a clipboard-wielding consultant. I have stood where you stand.

I know the 60+ hour work weeks. I know the adrenaline of the rush, and I know the crash that follows. For decades, I worked in restaurants, hotels, and resorts across Europe and the United States. I saw the industry’s “badge of honor” culture for what it really was: a system that burns through talent at a rate of 30% to 300%.

I grew tired of watching brilliant colleagues burn out, wash out, or numb themselves with illicit substances. But the event that finally pushed me to trade my knife kit for a lab coat didn’t happen in a kitchen.

It happened at a graveside.

In 1999, my father passed away after a brutal six-year battle with esophageal cancer. I was living in the U.S., separated from him by the Atlantic Ocean, frantically trying to navigate the confusing world of integrative medicine to help him. I felt helpless.

Standing at his grave, I made a promise: His suffering would not be in vain.

That promise fueled a new chapter. I committed myself to understanding what scientific research actually said about health, disease, and the mind-body connection. I went back to school with a singular mission: to decode the neuroscience of stress so the colleagues I would eventually leave behind wouldn’t have to suffer the way my father did.

Bridging the Gap: Culinary Art meets Mind-Body Science

My mission is simple: Fuse the discipline of the kitchen with the science of the brain.

I don’t deal in “wellness fluff.” Hospitality professionals don’t have time for vague theories. You need industrial-strength protocols that work when the printer is spitting out tickets.

By combining my background as a Chef with my Ph.D. in Mind-Body Medicine, I developed the S.H.A.R.P. Mind Protocol. This specialized mental performance training system can move chefs and hospitality professionals from reactive (spiraling) to resilient (steady).

Innovating for the Future (NASA & Beyond)

I believe in pushing boundaries. This is best illustrated by my work coaching the NASA HUNCH teams at the Secchia Institute.
  • Culinary Innovation: Coaching teams to develop food solutions for space travel.
  • Material Science: Coached the edible packaging team to create cargo transfer boxes that can be upcycled into food—a project that qualified for final presentations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
If we can solve stress and waste problems for astronauts, we can solve them for line cooks.

The Foundation: Why You Can Trust the Process

My programs aren’t just based on “life experience.” They are built on a rigorous foundation of formal education, peer-reviewed research, and over a decade of university-level teaching.

Academic & Teaching Expertise

I have spent years translating complex science for diverse audiences, from high school students to PhD candidates.
  • CA 170 Stress Management: Staying Grounded in the Hustle (GRCC): A course I developed specifically to fill the gap in culinary education, teaching aspiring chefs and hospitality professionals the skills to survive the industry.
  • IFN 5703 General Biochemistry (Saybrook University): For 10 years, I taught Master’s and PhD students the complex science of integrative nutrition.

Formal Education

  • Ph.D. in Mind-Body Medicine: Saybrook University, Oakland, CA
  • M.S. in Human Nutrition: University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CT
  • B.S., Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Everglades University, Boca Raton, FL
  • Neuroscience Certification: Harvard University (HarvardX), Cambridge, MA

Recognition

  • Excellence in Education Award: Grand Rapids Community College (Presented by President Emeritus Juan R. Olivarez for curriculum restructuring and community impact).
  • The Crasilneck Award: Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis.

Professional Leadership

Program Director: Secchia Institute of Culinary Education (GRCC)
Explore Hospitality Council: Board member dedicated to elevating West Michigan hospitality careers.
West Michigan Welcome Plan Collaborative: Member of the Maximize the Economic Potential of New Americans, Immigrants, and Refugees group.
American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM): Doctoral Membership Level

Testimonials

What My Students Say

Excerpts from anonymous end-of-course evaluations (Saybrook University & GRCC).

“Dr. A is awesome! …His sense of humor, experience, knowledge, and kindness/compassion/empathy definitely took this experience to a different level… I come away from this foundational course with so much knowledge and ‘A-HA’ moments.”
— Graduate Student, IFN 5703 General Biochemistry” (Saybrook University)
“Dr. Absenger has a very extensive amount of knowledge… He understands with the smaller class it can be more personal… he strives each class session to uncover new things about us… building a great community."
— Culinary Student, “CA 170 Stress Management” (GRCC)
“Dr. A's dedication, expertise, excitement for learning, and support of students is evident. These qualities inspire the same effort and enthusiasm from students. The timelines for deadlines greatly assist in time management.
— Graduate Student, IFN 5703 General Biochemistry” (Saybrook University)
“Never in all of my education have I encountered a more involved and responsive instructor than Dr. A… Dr. A was the best instructor I’ve ever encountered.”
— Graduate Student, IFN 5703 General Biochemistry (Saybrook University)

Selected Publications & Research

Absenger, W.
(2015).

Medical hypnosis and interleukin-1 beta in breast cancer survivors. [Dissertation, Saybrook University]. 

Anderson, K., Rubik, B., & Absenger, W. (2019).

Does combining emotional freedom techniques and hypnosis have an effect on sexual assault–specific posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms? Energy Psychology, 11(2), 31–49.

Baker, A. C., & Absenger, W. (2013).

Sexual Wellness Enhancement and Enrichment Training (SWEET): A hypothetical group model for addressing sexual health and wellbeing. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 28(1–2)

Heermann, C., Absenger, W., & Sarris, J. (2016).

Videoconference mind-body group therapy in a public mental health setting: A pilot study. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 1(1–4), 37–42. 

My Guiding Philosophy

There is a quote by Albert Einstein that hangs over most everything I do:

“The significant problems that you face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking you were at when you created them.”

The hospitality industry’s problems—burnout, addiction, turnover—cannot be solved with the same “tough it out” mindset that created them. That mindset is the problem. 

I did the work to find a new level of thinking. Now, I am bringing that framework back to the kitchen.

Don't hesitate

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