Kent Bassett, LMSW, MFA

Symptom Recovery Coach and Therapist

Kent is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, film editor, chronic symptom recovery coach, and therapist. He directed and edited This Might Hurt (Austin Film Festival), a feature documentary about chronic pain and a radical mind-body treatment. Once on the fringes, the paradigm explored in the film, Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET), was proven effective in randomized controlled trials and is now listed as a “best practice” by the HHS for addressing chronic pain.

Much of the drive to spend seven years making This Might Hurt came from Kent’s own struggle with chronic tendonitis and repetitive stress injury as a 22-year-old. Unable to type or even turn a doorknob without severe pain, he was forced to drop out of college. Although he saw several doctors and tried physical therapy, strength training, and opioids—his pain grew steadily worse. It wasn’t until he had an insight into the role of the brain in triggering real physical symptoms that he was able to completely recover.

After completing the film, Kent trained as a symptom recovery coach and therapist and works with people struggling with chronic pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and other chronic symptoms. His approach to coaching and therapy is influenced by his own healing journey that involved fear reduction, emotion-focused therapy, and mindfulness meditation. He’s completed Dr. Howard Schubiner’s and Hal Greenham’s live practitioner’s training, Freedom From Chronic Pain, as well as Mark Lumley’s Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) training. In 2023, he was invited to present at the Psychophysiologic Disorders Association’s annual conference for physicians, therapists, and coaches.

He draws from 15 years of practicing mindfulness (including 6 months of cumulative silent retreat practice at centers like Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock) and telling stories for film and TV. Kent has a Master’s in Social Work from Silberman School at Hunter College, an MFA in film directing from Chapman University, and a BA in history from Swarthmore College.