Dr. Michael Amster is a double-boarded pain management specialist and family physician. He brings a rich, diverse clinical experience to patient care with training in mindfulness and holistic medicine, as well as offering a variety of traditional in-office procedures and advanced surgical techniques like spinal cord stimulation and nerve ablations.   He has led hundreds of patients in group medical appointment-style programs teaching patients how to successfully self-manage chronic pain with mindfulness techniques, cognitive behavior approaches, and movement practices.  He is also a mindfulness researcher at the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berekely studying positive emotions and their beneficial impact on health.   

Michael is a true Californian, born and raised in San Diego; earned his undergraduate degree from UC Santa Cruz; his medical degree from UC Irvine; and completed his residency at UC Davis.  He is mission-driven, passionate about collaborative care, and thrilled to be part of the SCCH team! In his free time, he can be found in the water, either surfing, ocean swimming, sailing, or paddleboarding.