About Us
Honoring Legacy. Empowering the Future.
For over 40 years, The Pain and Stress Center has been a trusted name in natural health—founded in San Antonio, Texas by pioneering experts in brain chemistry and nutritional therapy. Groundbreaking formulations like Anxiety Control 24® and a commitment to orthomolecular medicine helped change the way thousands manage stress, mood, pain, and overall well-being.
Founded in San Antonio, Texas in 1979 by Dr. Billie Sahley, Ph.D., C.N.C., PSC was one of the first organizations in the U.S. to bridge orthomolecular medicine with mainstream nutritional therapy.
Dr. Sahley, a former pain patient herself, became a national voice in the integrative health movement. Her mission: to help others find relief from stress, anxiety, chronic pain, and depression using neurotransmitter-targeted amino acid therapy. Alongside Dr. Katherine Birkner, C.R.N.A., Ph.D., C.N.C., the duo brought a revolutionary model of care to light—one based on restoring biochemical balance through precise, research-backed supplementation.
Thought Leaders, Educators, and Innovators
Together, Dr. Sahley and Dr. Birkner authored many books and countless research articles exploring the connection between brain chemistry, mood, behavior, and nutritional deficiencies. Their best-selling titles—such as “Heal with Amino Acids and Nutrients ," "Break Your Prescribed Addiction ," and "Post Trauma and Chronic Emotional Fatigue"—became foundational texts for practitioners, educators, and patients alike.
Their work contributed to shifting the national conversation around mental health and chronic illness from one of symptom suppression to biochemical restoration. PSC's clinic not only offered treatment—it trained thousands of healthcare professionals and laid the groundwork for what is now widely recognized as functional medicine.
A New Era Begins — Meet Based Vitality
Today, we’re proud to carry this legacy forward through Based Vitality — the next generation of PSC Products.
While our most beloved formulas remain unchanged and true to their clinically researched roots, Based Vitality introduces an expanded vision for total human wellness. Inspired by the same scientific rigor and passion for healing, we’ve reimagined our offerings to meet the needs of a modern, high-performance lifestyle.
Why Based Vitality?
Being “Based” means tuning out the toxic noise of modern life and tuning into what really matters — performance, clarity, resilience, and recovery. We’ve created a new line of clean, filler-free supplements built around these Four Pillars of Health:
- Performance: Fuel stamina and strength with clinically dosed nutrients.
- Mental Clarity: Sharpen focus with nootropics and adaptogens.
- Stress Resilience: Calm your nervous system, regulate cortisol, and stay balanced.
- Recovery: Sleep deeper, recover faster, and wake up ready to go.
Same Excellence. Fresh Identity.
We remain committed to the principles that made PSC Products a trusted name:
- Clinically researched, high-quality ingredients
- Integrity and transparency in every formula
- Education-first approach to wellness
- Root-cause solutions over symptom-masking
Whether you’re a longtime PSC customer or new to the Based Vitality brand, you can count on the same commitment to real results—now with a bold new energy.