Gary Sprouse, MD

Gary Sprouse is a retired primary care physician and stress-management expert, known as “The Less Stress Doc.” He practiced primary care medicine for 38 years in a rural area of Maryland, providing comprehensive care ranging from managing chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes to performing procedures such as suturing lacerations, removing skin cancers, and injecting joints. Sprouse describes his approach as a modern take on the classic Marcus Welby style of care hands-on, personal, and deeply connected to his patients. He retired from active practice two years ago but continues to maintain his license and perform DOT physicals.

Throughout his medical career, Sprouse developed a unique perspective on the origins of stress, observing that much of human worry stems from the very skills that make us exceptional like the ability to envision the future. He integrated this insight into his practice, helping patients manage stress more effectively, and expanded these principles into his writing. He is the author of Highway to Your Happy Place: A Roadmap to Less Stress and contributed to the best-selling book Mindset Matters with Jack Canfield, co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul. In addition to his general practice, he successfully treated patients with opioid use disorder through Suboxone therapy, achieving a 95% success rate with 100 patients by combining medical and behavioral models.

In retirement, Sprouse focuses on sharing his methods for reducing stress and promoting happiness with broader audiences. He hosts a podcast, produces a 5-minute radio show on health and happiness, and delivers seminars, keynotes, and workshops. He is also launching Loop Breakers, a group dedicated to helping people break persistent stress loops using techniques such as neuro-linguistic programming and hypnosis. Through these initiatives, Gary Sprouse continues his mission of helping individuals and teams reclaim energy, clarity, and fulfillment, guiding them toward what he calls their “Happy Place.”

• The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences - MD

• Recipient of a Stevie International Business Award
• Winner – 19th Annual National Indie Excellence® Book Awards
• Gold – National Indie Excellence® Awards
• Gold – Goody Business Book Awards
• Finalist – Eric Hoffer Da Vinci Eye Award
• Quilly® Award
• Visible Voice Expy Award

• MedChi – The Medical Society of Maryland
• Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society
• American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
• American Medical Association (AMA)
• Queen Anne’s Medical Society

• Assistant Wrestling Coach for local high school wrestling team

Dr. Sprouse is the author of 'Highway to Your Happy Place: A Roadmap to Less Stress,' available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble as well as in audiobook format. The book presents his unique approach to understanding stress as a side effect of human mental skills like envisioning the future, distinguishing right from wrong, and problem-solving. He has also produced approximately 20 episodes of a podcast and hosts a 5-minute radio show on health and happiness. He has been a guest on about 100 podcasts discussing his work on stress reduction and his reframing of addiction as stress reducer loops.