About The Barefoot Doctor
Lived 1954 – 2020 (aged 65). The Barefoot Doctor was a British writer and physician.
Stephen Russell, who wrote under the pseudonym The Barefoot Doctor, was a practitioner and teacher of Taoism.
Work and teaching Russell grew up in Hampstead, an area in London. On leaving full-time education Russell started to travel extensively and began to deepen his study of Taoism. He returned to London in 1983 where he ran an acupuncture practice for 17 years, as well as facilitating self-help workshops. Some of his clients included celebrities such as Madonna.
He wrote twenty one books, including Barefoot Doctor's Handbook for the Urban Warrior, A Spiritual Survival Guide and Pure: A Path to Peace, Power and Prosperity.
Russell was a weekly columnist for The Observer for five years.
In addition to giving talks, leading workshops and commenting on holistic and spiritual matters, he made a series for BBC UK Style named "Barefoot Doctor" which was broadcast in 2003.
Selected bibliography Russell, S and Jurgen Kolb (1992) "The Tao of Sexual Massage" : Gaia Books Russell, S. (1998) Barefoot Doctor's Handbook for the Urban Warrior : Piatkus : London Russell, S. (1999) Barefoot Doctor's Guide to the Tao: A Spiritual Handbook for the Urban Warrior : Three Rivers Press : London Russell, S. (1999) Barefoot Doctor's Handbook For Heroes : Piatkus : London Russell, S. (2000) Barefoot Doctor's Handbook For Modern Lovers : A Spiritual Guide to Truly Rude and Amazing Love and Sex: Piatkus : London Russell, S. (2001) Barefoot Doctor's Handbook for Modern Lovers: A Spiritual Guide to Truly Rude and Amazing Love and Sex : Broadway : New York Russell, S. (2001) Return Of The Urban Warrior : Element Books Russell, S. (2002) Liberation : Element Books Russell, S. (2003) Twisted Fables For Twisted Minds : Element Books Russell, S. (2004) Instant Enlightenment : Element Books: London Russell, S. (2005) Manifesto London: Element Books Russell, S. (2005) Dear Barefoot: The Wisdom of the Barefoot Doctor Atlantic Books: London Russell, S. (2006) Invincibility Training : Element Books Russell, S. (2008) Pure : Hay House Russell, S. (2009) The Man Who Drove With His Eyes Closed : Hay House Russell, S. (2009) Jewels of Enlightenment : Nightingale Conant Russell, S. (2010) Supercharged Taoist: An Amazing True Story to Inspire You on Your Own Adventure " : Hay House Russell, S, (2012) The Message, vision for a new golden era : Imago
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Important facts
People in The Barefoot Doctor's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped The Barefoot Doctor's
Frequently asked questions
Who was The Barefoot Doctor?
British Taoist practitioner (1954-2020)
When was The Barefoot Doctor born?
The Barefoot Doctor was born on 13 September 1954 in London.
When did The Barefoot Doctor die?
The Barefoot Doctor died on 25 January 2020.
What was The Barefoot Doctor's occupation?
The Barefoot Doctor was a writer and physician.
What nationality was The Barefoot Doctor?
The Barefoot Doctor was British.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: The Barefoot Doctor
· DBpedia: The Barefoot Doctor
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). The Barefoot Doctor. https://biography.guide/the-barefoot-doctor/
MLA: "The Barefoot Doctor." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/the-barefoot-doctor/.
Chicago: "The Barefoot Doctor." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/the-barefoot-doctor/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-25 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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