Phil Stutz, MD, worked as a prison psychiatrist on Rikers Island and then in private practice in New York before moving his practice to Los Angeles in 1982. He earned his medical degree from New York University.

He is coauthor, with Barry Michels, of The Tools, which offers "five tools to help you find courage, creativity, and willpower—and inspire you to live life in forward motion."

These five tools comprise a results-oriented practice that aims to deliver readers/participants relief from persistent problems and restore control in their lives.