The Catalyst Way™: Creative Strategies for Women in Medicine to Flourish

Did you know that women physicians, despite their expertise, have a shorter lifespan than the general population?

What?

Yeah, I know. I was shocked too.

This statistic really stuck with me because it's not about intelligence or access or effort. It's truly showing that the system of health care is not built to help women clinicians succeed at all. It's not built for us emotionally, neurologically or biologically.

If you are a woman clinician right now, silently wondering how much longer you can hand...

Blah…

That’s how I feel about AI-generated writing.

I have become personally outraged by all the sloppy AI that I read every day in social media. (However, it's actually working in my favor because I'm not scrolling as much as I used to.) Are you also tired of seeing the same phrases and the same cliches?

Let’s both be better.

In this episode, I’ll teach you the FLAT mnemonic test so you can spot when AI language is leaving you, well, generic. Trust me when I say it will enh...

Your Apple Watch is reducing your IQ points.

Studies show that each time you turn your focus to something else, even if it's a minor eye glance to look at the pop-up on your window or your Apple Watch message that came in, you lose the equivalent of one IQ point. Eek!

As a woman in medicine, the term invisible work usually evokes highly charged emotions. But, what if I told you multitasking prevents you from getting things done? After a whole day of being distracted, your productivity actually slows down.

Do you provide a heart-centered service?

As clinicians, we are wired for compassion. However, we can fall into the habit of over-giving, under-charging and stretching ourselves so thin, all in the name of helping!

In this episode, I’m sharing 6 creative, ethical and energizing ways to help your community that doesn't cost you your peace. This episode isn't just about giving back. It's also about re-imagining generosity as a creative exchange, as an ethical service and an important exercise in boundaries. 

Most importantly, I’m explaining the energy o...

What lights you up?

In this episode, I’m sharing how my approach to annual visits in functional medicine has changed over the years. Instead of piling on labs and long checklists, I’m leaning into something much more meaningful—creativity and personal values as part of the visit itself.

I walk through the framework I use now, touching on brain health, hormones, metabolism, detox support, structural health, and something we don’t talk about enough: personal fulfillment. My goal is to help practitioners rethink the “annual exam” and turn it into a moment...

The first 100 feet of your patient’s journey can determine whether they feel safe enough to heal or guarded enough to hold back.

In this episode, I’m wrapping up my four-part miniseries on how to create a trauma-informed and neurodivergent-inclusive onboarding experience. I’ve learned that the way we welcome patients says as much about our care as the medicine we practice. Every detail - the tone of our emails, the questions we ask, the space we create - either builds trust or adds stress. What if every first interaction helped someone exhale and feel se...

What happens right after someone says “yes” to working with me? That moment always feels small, but it’s where trust starts to deepen and patients begin to understand what it means to be cared for in my practice.

In this episode, I’m talking about the post-discovery-call window - the time after that initial “yes” when alignment, clarity, and values really matter. I’ve learned that how we follow up says as much about our care as the medicine we deliver. So I want you to ask yourself: How do you show patients what it feels like t...

Discovery calls don’t have to feel awkward or forced. They can actually be some of the most energizing conversations you have in your practice. In this second part of my Transformational Onboarding Mini-Series, I share my five-step framework for turning those calls into genuine moments of connection and clarity. I call it connect, clarify, align, invite, and detach - a simple flow that helps you stay grounded while confidently guiding patients toward the next step that feels right for them.

If you’ve ever found yourself overexplaining when it’s time to talk about pricing...

Discovery calls can feel uncomfortable, like you’re supposed to sell yourself or convince someone you’re worth the investment. I used to dread them too. Over time, I realized they’re not about persuasion at all. They’re about alignment. These first conversations give both of us a chance to decide if working together feels right.

This is Part 1 of my four-part series on Transformational Onboarding, where I’ll walk you through the red, yellow, and green flags I use when screening new patients. Green flags tell me someone is open, hopeful, and ready to do the w...

Most clinicians update their medical knowledge regularly, but when was the last time you updated the way you introduce yourself to the world? 

We often think of self-introductions as something we did once - on a website, a business card, or at the start of our practice - and then moved on. But what happens when your services shift, your voice matures, or your life evolves, and the story you’re telling no longer fits?

In this episode, I share why reintroducing yourself is less about ego and more about alignment. I’ll...

So many of us assume we can’t focus because we don’t have enough discipline, but I’ve found that the real issue is often depleted capacity. Discipline works like a muscle we can strengthen, but capacity depends on the deeper reserves of our nervous system - things like sleep, nutrition, emotions, and recovery. I like to ask myself: which one am I low on right now? And what happens if I try to push through without the fuel to back it up?

In this episode, I share how flow neuroscience and my own journey...

Burnout can sneak into every corner of life - your work, your relationships, even the way you show up as a parent! I call it “grief in the brain,” because it quietly drains energy and joy while convincing you that you’re not doing enough. The real shift comes when you stop chasing discipline and start building a framework that helps you feel steady and whole again.

In this episode, I share the idea of a flow menu, a tool I use with my mentees and in my own life. It’s a way to organize...

I’ve come to believe that play and creativity can completely change the way we move through our days. For me, it started when I decided to bring Halloween back into my life and create a whimsical “crow lady” character, and that one spark of joy gave me more energy, focus, and flow than I’d felt in years. 

In this episode, I share how that experience opened my eyes to the bigger question of why joy matters so much in medicine and in life, and why so many of us, especially women in medicine and workin...

Burnout began to lose its hold on me when I realized my practice should support my life instead of forcing my life to fit around my practice.

In this episode, I share a personal moment when the signs of burnout resurfaced as I was driving to care for my parents. That experience pushed me to look at how I had been structuring my days and reminded me that clear boundaries and intentional choices bring ease and clarity. You’ll also hear from my Catalyst community, clinicians who are designing careers that give them freedom, like tak...

AI is showing up everywhere in medicine, from symptom checkers to lab summaries, and I often hear clinicians wonder where that leaves us. 

In this episode, I share how I see technology as a helpful partner while holding firm to the truth that no algorithm can replace the trust, empathy, and presence our patients deserve. My own journey from burnout to building a practice rooted in connection has shown me that we carry a kind of medicine AI will never touch. Can a computer sit with someone in grief? Can it notice the subtle shift in...

Friction in a practice can feel uncomfortable, but I’ve learned that those moments often point to where the real growth is waiting to happen.

In this episode, I share how resistance can strengthen Membership models and create deeper healing in integrative medicine. As a physician turned entrepreneur and mentor, I’ve faced the same challenges many of you have – explaining the value of membership to patients, setting boundaries around pricing and re-enrollment, and sitting with the hard truths that surface when people start making real changes in their lives. I often ask myself: am I letti...

The simplest act of self-care? Saying no. It protects your time, preserves your energy, and keeps your productivity focused on what matters most.

In this episode, I’m talking about the “nope list,” a simple but powerful way to guard your time, energy, and attention. I’ll share why women in medicine are especially prone to overcommitting, how chronic yeses chip away at intuition, and why naming your no’s can be as game-changing as chasing your yeses. You’ll hear stories from my own life (including why a hot air balloon ride will never make my bucke...

Have you ever stood at the edge of a big decision and wondered if what you’re feeling is fear holding you back or excitement nudging you forward? I’ve been there more times than I can count. What I’ve learned is that the difference between dread and a breakthrough isn’t always in the situation. It’s in how we choose to frame it.

I’m sharing how I navigate those pivotal moments by listening to my body and reframing fear into curiosity and creativity. I’ll tell you the story of Vinny, my colorful man...

Triggers can feel inconvenient, even overwhelming, but I’ve come to see them as powerful clues pointing toward something deeper we need to notice.

In this episode, I’m sharing how emotional triggers can actually help us grow, especially as women in medicine try to find more grounding, clarity, and sustainable productivity. I’ll walk you through what’s happening in the brain during those reactive moments and offer some ways to pause, get curious, and shift the pattern.

Have you ever found yourself overcommitting or people-pleasing just to feel seen? Are there...

Your productivity isn’t powered by hustle but by the deeply personal tools you carry in your inner medicine bag.

What helps you feel grounded when everything feels chaotic? What small rituals or comforts help you reset and keep showing up? In this episode, I’m sharing the idea of the inner medicine bag, a collection of items, habits, and practices that support your well-being in ways no planner or productivity hack ever could. I’ll walk you through how mine has changed over the years, from med school to motherhood to where I am now, an...

Resentment gets a bad rap, but what if it’s actually a guidepost?

This episode is a look inside one of my recent Catalyst Studio mentoring sessions, where a brilliant practitioner found herself loving the work… and hating how it made her feel. Sound familiar? She wasn’t burned out, yet, but the resentment was building. And it wasn’t loud. It was quiet, chronic, and easy to ignore. Until it wasn’t.

We talked through where that resentment was coming from, how it tied to people-pleasing, guilt around pricing, and the belief t...

I’m back with a new season of The Catalyst Way, and I’m not picking up where I left off. I’m starting from a very different place, one shaped by change, growth, and a reminder that joy has to lead the way.

In this episode, I’m sharing why I paused the podcast and what brought me back. A lot has shifted, personally and professionally, and I want to be honest about what that looked like. I’ve been through some big transitions lately, and like many of you, I’ve had to untangle part...

I used to dread discovery calls. Before switching to a membership model, I felt like I was constantly chasing patients, trying to get them to use their remaining visits, and repeating myself over and over again. But once I transitioned to a membership model, everything changed. I started attracting patients who were just as enthusiastic as I was about finding the root causes of their health concerns. Instead of feeling like a salesperson, I became a true partner in their healing journey.

Membership works because it’s clear, structured, and provides the ongoing support that fun...

A career in functional medicine should feel fulfilling, not exhausting. So how do you build a practice that supports both your patients and your well-being?

I sat down with Lisa McDonald, founder of Integrated Connections, to talk about what it takes to create a sustainable career in personalized medicine. Lisa’s own journey—from struggling patient to industry leader—shaped her passion for helping practitioners find roles that align with their values and prevent burnout. With over 15 years of experience in recruitment, she’s seen firsthand the challenges and opportunities in functional and integrative medicine.

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Trusting your gut in business isn’t magic. It’s a skill you can develop, and once you do, decisions feel clearer, opportunities stand out, and success starts to flow.

I’ve learned firsthand how powerful intuition is for entrepreneurs. Have you ever felt pressured to chase an opportunity that looked great on paper but didn’t sit right with you? I’ve been there. When I was encouraged to start an agency, it seemed like a smart move. But something felt off. So instead of jumping in, I used my 48-hour snooze rule—a simple pause...

Your brain makes thousands of decisions every day. Why not make the process easier?

In this episode, I share how heuristics, or “life rules” can lighten your cognitive load, simplify daily choices, and free up energy for what actually matters. I’ll walk you through practical shortcuts like the one-touch rule, theme days, and energy matching to help you work with your brain instead of against it. I’ll also share how a simple mindset shift, “everything is art,” transformed my approach to home design and decision-making. 

What life rules could help you bring...

How can we, as healthcare professionals, transform portal messaging from a burden into an efficient tool for care? In this episode, I explore how both patients and practitioners can approach portal communication with more clarity and balance.

I share tips for patients to craft concise, actionable messages that respect their provider’s time while ensuring their concerns are addressed. For practitioners, I point out setting boundaries, managing expectations with clear guidelines, and leveraging group visits to reduce message volume.

By rethinking how we use portal messaging, we can protect vital energy and...

When I think about how Practice Better could have transformed my practice, I can’t help but wish I’d found it sooner. In this episode, I reflect on the game-changing potential of this intuitive EMR system, and I’m joined by Natalie Mullin, whose background in education and wellness coaching brings fresh insights into how tools like automations and AI charting save time and improve care. What would it mean for your practice if you could focus more on your patients and less on administrative tasks? Together, we explore how technology and community can revolutionize holistic healthcare, supporting both y...

This year, let’s skip the resolutions and try something more transformative. I’m inviting you to join me in rebranding your year and creating a life that feels more aligned and energizing. In this episode, I’m sharing insights from "The Year in Review and Rebrand Guide”, where we’ll reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and what truly lights you up.

I’ll share my personal journey of navigating burnout, setting boundaries, and finding clarity. Together, we’ll talk about choosing a guiding word for the year, like my mantra for 2025—"magnetic joy"—and crafting s...

Women in medicine face stark inequities, from pay gaps to higher burnout rates. But what does it take to truly support us? In this episode, I share personal stories and hard truths about the systemic challenges we encounter every day. Why are female physicians expected to shoulder more emotional labor, yet still struggle to break through leadership barriers?  

I also explore the unique strengths we bring to medicine—empathy, communication, and better patient outcomes—and share how these qualities make such a difference in patient care. Along the way, I’ll talk about my decision to focus...

Forget resolutions. This year, I’m setting intentions with 10 bold wishes for 2025, and I’m inviting you to join me.

Why not approach the New Year by focusing on joy, creativity, and connection instead of rigid goals? My wishes are all about creating positive energy, grounding mind and body, and embracing creativity as a tool for growth.  

I want to bring joy into every room I enter, deepen meaningful relationships, and spark transformation in the lives I touch. Along the way, I’m giving myself permission to let go of perfectionism and live w...

Worried AI is coming for your job? You’re not alone. In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain behind a big question: Will AI make my job obsolete? Read my lips: NO. No, it won’t. But that fear is real, and it’s something I tackled with a mentee who’s a functional medicine health coach. Together, we worked through her burnout and found a way to bring more flow and ease into her busy life.

Here’s the thing—AI can spit out facts, but it can’t do what you do. It can’t repl...

Feeling overwhelmed by decisions that seem impossible to make? I get it—I’ve been there, and so have the Catalysts I mentor. In this episode, I’m sharing a powerful tool I call the “Reverse Time Capsule,” a guided visualization exercise that can help you step out of indecision and into clarity and confidence.  

What if you could imagine a future where everything feels easy, abundant, and in flow? By anchoring those positive emotions, you can change how you approach the choices in front of you right now. I’ll explain why emotional regulation and visualizati...

Healthcare entrepreneurship is a bold move, and I know firsthand how much emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and resilience it takes. Are you ready to take the leap?

As the new year approaches, it’s natural to reflect on your current path and wonder if it’s time for something new. In this episode, I’m sharing twelve essential insights from my journey to help you move from burnout to building a business that truly aligns with your passions and purpose. We’ll cover strategies like mastering your calendar, clarifying your vision, managing setbacks, and creating the suppo...

“Everyone’s gut microbiome is different, their genetics are different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all,” 

I had the privilege of talking with Dr. Yu, an integrative rheumatologist that incorporates complementary medicine with traditional rheumatology, about his journey with autoimmune disease and how it shaped his unique approach to patient care.

Hearing his story of being diagnosed with gout at 17 and later spondyloarthritis was powerful. His experience pushed him to look beyond conventional medicine. Could diet, lifestyle, and mental health be the missing links in managing these conditions? Dr. Yu found relief through a p...

What if inspiration didn’t have to arrive in rare, dramatic bursts? Inspired by Mason Currey’s “Daily Rituals: How Artists Work,” I’ve learned that simple routines can nurture creativity in ways we don’t always expect. By creating rituals, we can stay energized, connect more deeply with patients, and prevent burnout.

For me, a daily writing routine became a powerful tool for self-expression and healing during a difficult time. This wasn’t about waiting for the perfect moment to write; it was about showing up consistently and letting creativity flow. I believe rituals help us turn ev...

How do you show up when your heart is broken?

I’m inviting you into one of my most personal episodes yet. This isn’t about frameworks or takeaways; it’s about showing up when everything feels heavy. I call it my “Surrender and Acceptance Tour™.” After a challenging election and the heartbreak of ending a 20-year marriage, I’m sharing how I’m navigating grief and finding ways to keep moving forward.

Grief and burnout share the same brainwave patterns. That insight hit me hard, reminding me of tools I’ve used before—tools...

“When we dive into the complex world of functional and integrative medicine, it can feel overwhelming. And the best asset you have is designing your own unique method that you will bestow to your patients”

In this episode, I’m sharing my six-step roadmap to help you, as a functional or integrative practitioner, build a method that’s structured, personal, and truly impactful. Imagine guiding each patient’s journey with clarity and consistency, while also reigniting your own passion for medicine.

We start with the discovery call, a powerful first touchpoint that often g...

“We’re always going to be lifelong learners when we get into functional medicine. Curiosity is what brought us here,” says Meg McElroy, a physician assistant with a deep background in integrative medicine. Her journey began as a patient facing her own health struggles, which eventually fueled her passion for managing autoimmune conditions—not just for herself but for others as well. Meg’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of setting boundaries and prioritizing self-care, both for patients and practitioners.

In this episode, Meg joins me to explore the world of functional medicine tr...

“The secret to thriving is embracing change, not resisting it.” In this episode, I share how I made the shift from feeling burned out as a physician to finding success as an entrepreneur in functional medicine—all by learning to embrace change instead of fighting it. Being both a mom and a practitioner taught me to adapt and grow in ways I never expected.

To avoid burnout, it’s crucial to design a practice that evolves with you. I offer practical insights on how you can reflect on your values, lean into discomfort, and follow your curi...

“Overcommitting and overworking won’t lead to more popularity or more business success. It just means you’re not discerning your internal boundaries well enough to give yourself that permission for space and time,” I share in this episode of The Catalyst. I’ve seen how neglecting those internal boundaries can fuel burnout and overwhelm, especially in high-pressure environments like healthcare.

When we push ourselves to overcommit and chase perfection, we end up ignoring our personal needs, and that’s actually blocking us from reaching a state of flow—a powerful state where we perform and feel our be...

“Trust your gut. That was it. That was the whole conversation,” recalls Jenn Johnson, a seasoned ER nurse with over 16 years in the field. Those simple words from her professor shaped how she approaches patient care and the importance of intuition in nursing.

In this episode, Jenn joins Dr. Lara Salyer to share how intuition has been her guiding light throughout her career, especially during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. She talks about battling burnout and how creativity and emotional resilience have helped her. Her book, “Nursing Intuition,” encourages healthcare professionals to reconnect with their pas...

“Affiliate marketing in an ethical way not only helps patients see things from a different light, it builds relationships in the community that you live in,” says Dr. Lara Salyer. In this episode, Dr. Salyer talks about how healthcare professionals can use affiliate marketing without compromising their integrity. The key is to build trust by partnering with affiliates who truly align with your values.

But can these partnerships really improve patient care? According to Dr. Salyer, the answer is yes. Drawing from her own experience with float therapy, she explains how the right affiliate relationships can e...

“Functional medicine is slow cook, not fast food,” says Dr. Lara Salyer as she talks about the challenges of running a fee-for-service model in functional medicine. While it’s a common approach, this model can struggle to support the ongoing, holistic care that functional medicine requires. Dr. Salyer emphasizes practical strategies, like booking follow-up appointments before patients leave and setting clear expectations for long-term treatment. She also highlights the value of using digital tools to keep patients connected between visits.

Beyond these tactics, Dr. Salyer explores creative options such as group visits and loyalty programs, which c...

“One of my personal mantras every day is to try to bring love into the room,” shares Dr. Allison Becker, a pioneering naturopathic physician in Evansville, Wisconsin. Her approach centers on truly listening to her patients and being fully present to create a space of trust and connection that’s often missing in modern healthcare.

Dr. Becker’s practice is rooted in functional testing and personalized care, which addresses the root causes of health issues rather than following the quick, checklist-driven model that we often see in conventional medicine. She takes the time to get to know h...

“What we forget, and what is undertrained in our medical field, is the bottom-up processing of making a decision, where you rely on your body, your emotions, and your interoception to give you information on which of the decisions might feel right for you. That’s the art of medicine that we don’t talk about often,” begins Dr. Lara Salyer. 

In this episode, Dr. Salyer introduces the “Quiet Compass,” a five-second technique designed to help people tap into their inner wisdom when faced with decisions. By blending analytical thinking with intuition, this approach offers a more balance...

“We all outgrow things,” says Dr. Lara Salyer. This week, she dives into the vital topic of recognizing when it’s time to move on from a mentor, teacher, or training organization. Reflecting on her experiences from medical school and beyond, Dr. Salyer emphasizes the importance of self-assessment in professional growth. She recalls realizing that the rigid teachings of her attendings were often more about personal preferences than universal truths, sparking the idea that healthcare professionals need to cultivate their own unique approaches to knowledge and practice.

Dr. Salyer shares ten red flags that might signal...

“As doctors and clinicians in healthcare, we might have our own full moon stories. Things go a little crazy during a full moon,” says Dr. Lara Salyer. In this episode, Dr. Salyer uses the full moon as a powerful metaphor for growth and self-discovery, sharing her life experiences, including a memorable incident where a car crashed into a Nine West shoe store during a full moon, to illustrate how these lunar phases can shed light on our purpose and intuition.

Dr. Salyer dives into the cultural significance of the full moon, exploring themes of enlightenment, trans...

“When something stops being fun, I advocate that you stop doing it. It’s an adage I live by, and I tell my kids the same,” says Dr. Lara Salyer. In this episode, she dives into the concept of “intermission”—those often challenging middle phases in life and career—and how to navigate them with courage and intention. Drawing from her own experience of transitioning from dyeing her hair teal to buzzing it off, Dr. Salyer demonstrates how embracing change can be a powerful act of bravery.

What role do intermissions play in your life? Dr. Salyer beli...

“I had a great job. I loved it. I had great work hours. I had a great life balance. I had all of these things, but there has to be more,” says Dr. Nneka Unachukwu, also known as Dr. Una, the founder of EntreMD—a company that empowers physicians to build profitable businesses and reclaim their autonomy in the medical field. This week, Dr. Una sits down with Dr. Lara Salyer to share her journey from feeling unfulfilled in a traditional medical role to finding success as an entrepreneur. What does it take to step away from the conventional path...

“In healthcare, as much as I love being a physician, there are many gaps and deficiencies. Patients often have to rely on their own persistent autonomy, badgering caregivers, doctors, and providers to get attention; otherwise, details slip through the cracks because of the way the system is,” says Dr. Lara Salyer. This week, she delves into the art of transforming patient visits into home-like experiences, drawing inspiration from a heartwarming TikTok video of a foster parent welcoming a new child.

Dr. Salyer emphasizes the importance of setting the right tone from the very first interaction. She d...

“The dirty little secret in healthcare is that vacations are not easy,” says Dr. Lara Salyer. This week, she shares her comprehensive checklist for ensuring a worry-free vacation. Drawing from her personal experience of transitioning to a private membership-only practice, Dr. Salyer emphasizes the importance of establishing healthy boundaries and creating systems that support a balanced lifestyle business.

Dr. Salyer’s meticulously crafted vacation checklist, refined over seven years, helps solo practitioners and healthcare providers prepare for absences without compromising patient care or personal well-being. She highlights practical steps such as clear communication with patients and sta...

“What do you say when it feels like the patient is stuck, and you’re stuck, and you’re not sure it’s landing?” asks Dr. Lara Salyer. In this episode, inspired by a recent mastermind session within her Catalyst Studio mentorship, she tackles the challenging moments in healthcare when both practitioners and patients feel stuck, often referred to as “plateaus.”

Dr. Salyer shares strategies for maintaining peace while helping patients, including practical scripts to foster open communication and reflection. She emphasizes setting boundaries, guiding patients toward internal tools like meditation, and leveraging community support for better outc...

“Don't switch your tech,” advises Dr. Lara Salyer. In this episode, she shares a childhood memory of playing board games to illustrate the importance of sticking with technology that works for you, rather than constantly switching to new tools. She addresses “shiny object syndrome,” where new tech can disrupt workflows and cause inefficiencies.

Dr. Salyer emphasizes stability over novelty in choosing tech tools and resources. While new solutions may seem promising, they often come with steep learning curves. Instead, she advocates for using a tech stack that works about 80% of the time, fostering efficiency and familiari...

“There are mundane tasks, and then there are those that are so overwhelming, detailed, and comprehensive that just thinking about them exhausts our minds. We already feel depleted and suffer from cognitive drain,” begins Dr. Lara Salyer.

In this episode, Dr. Salyer shares how to turn overwhelming chores into manageable and even enjoyable activities. Drawing from her experience as a physician who overcame burnout, she provides strategies to optimize flow and boost productivity. Key tactics include eliminating unnecessary tasks, breaking them into manageable steps, automating repetitive chores, and adding elements of fun or ease.

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“I just felt a calling to support doctors,” says Kim Downey movingly. “And so that’s what I do all day, everyday. I try to find ways to support doctors.”

In a heartfelt conversation with Dr. Lara Salyer, Kim Downey, Community Ambassador for Medicine Forward and a three-time cancer survivor, shares her mission to combat burnout in the healthcare system. Triggered by the tragic loss of her radiologist, Kim’s journey highlights the profound impact of burnout and grief within the medical community.

Kim discusses her initiatives, including her YouTube channel, Stand Up For D...

“I see functional medicine as a great opportunity to provide psych rehab,” says Dr. Achina Stein, clinical director of the Healing Depression Project and a board-certified psychiatrist with over 30 years of experience. Dr. Stein, also a best-selling author, shares insights from her book, “What If It’s Not Depression? Your Guide to Finding Answers.”

Dr. Stein recounts her journey into functional medicine, initiated by her son’s mental health crisis. Conventional medicine failed to help, but she discovered his issues were due to celiac disease and nutritional deficiencies. Addressing these root causes led to his recovery with...

Is there more joy coming into the system? Andrea Telfer-Karbo, a nurse practitioner in functional and integrative medicine, poses this question in her discussion with Dr. Lara Salyer. Drawing from personal experiences and professional expertise, Andrea champions treating root causes of illness for genuine healing.

Her journey, shaped by her sister’s childhood leukemia, highlighted the limitations of conventional medicine and guided her toward a holistic approach. Andrea’s four-step healing process—implemented at The Remedy clinic and her Total Gut Reset program—focuses on identifying stressors, intensive repair, rebalancing health, and teaching resilience.

“As a society of humans, we were bad at grace for ourselves and so you have to build that into being a peak performer to be a great leader,” says Dr. David Radosevich, a psychologist specializing in high-performance leadership. In this episode, Dr. Radosevich shares his expertise on achieving the flow state—a mental condition where individuals perform and feel their best. He explains how tapping into this state involves harnessing neurochemicals that elevate focus and performance.

The discussion covers practical strategies for accessing flow, such as eliminating trivial tasks, prioritizing crucial activities, and managing energy...

“I view social media as a long game,” asserts Dr. Lara Salyer. “When you are opening up an entrepreneurial business, you have to have a footprint online, a website, a social media profile, but it’s up to you to dial up or down your presence,” she says. In this episode, Dr. Salyer explores how to leverage natural personality traits for smarter, more effective social media engagement. She introduces a framework of personality archetypes—Resolute Rock, Fervent Flame, Wise Wind, and Reflective River—each offering unique strengths and challenges in content creation.

Dr. Salyer shares personal anecdo...

“You are educating your prospective patients about the transformation you can give,” Dr. Lara Salyer explains as she delves into the evolution of healthcare marketing. She redefines marketing as a form of education rather than mere salesmanship, encouraging healthcare providers to view it as a tool for informing and educating about the care they provide.

Dr. Salyer urges healthcare providers to align their marketing strategies with their personal values and strengths, allowing them to connect genuinely with their audience and avoid the discomfort often associated with traditional marketing tactics.

The episode explor...

“Every practitioner needs to know what is the frame of their work-life masterpiece,” states Dr. Lara Salyer. “And by that, I mean knowing yourself from inside out,” she explains. In this episode, Dr. Salyer redefines work-life integration for healthcare professionals. As an osteopathic physician who has conquered burnout herself, Dr. Salyer offers insights and strategies to help medical practitioners craft a “work-life masterpiece” rather than chase the unattainable ideal of balance. She highlights the importance of self-awareness, knowing one’s optimal working conditions, and aligning one’s practice with personal values and creativity.

Dr. Salyer addresses the cha...

“How do I let people know that creativity and community bring about a sense of joy that is actually a requirement and is really a life force that we all have access to?” Dr. Talissa Dorsaint, a clinical psychologist who integrates creative practices into therapy, poses this question as she discusses, alongside host Dr. Lara Salyer, the role of creativity in overcoming burnout.

Dr. Dorsaint explains how creativity and community were crucial in reclaiming her joy and well-being. She outlines her method of offering consultations, workshops, and events aimed at sparking creativity in both individuals and o...

“If you start to think of freedom as a state of mind, it has a whole different meaning in your body,” says Dr. Lara Salyer as she explores redefining freedom within the medical profession. Recounting her journey from burnout to a revitalized career, Dr. Salyer shares how she reshaped her definition of freedom to extend far beyond financial wealth, emphasizing autonomy, creativity, and personal well-being.

Dr. Salyer recalls the traditional motivations that draw many into medicine—job security and financial stability—and challenges these conventional markers of success. She shares stories from fellow healthcare professionals who found...

What does “success” look like and who gets to decide? In this episode, Dr. Lara Salyer explores how customized success metrics can revolutionize the patient and physician’s work together.

Dr. Salyer recounts a mentoring session with a healthcare practitioner who is developing a program for patient education but feels it may not be comprehensive enough. This story highlights the practitioner’s hesitation, rooted in a fear of success and the responsibilities and criticisms that come with it. Dr. Salyer reintroduces the “WARM” method—Who, Aim low, Reason, and Messy—as a tool to combat self-sabotage and...

Finding your tribe and embracing change can enrich personal growth and lead to fulfilling life changes. In this “Friends & Family” series opener, Dr. Lara Salyer sits down with her longtime friend Jill Pyrz, mixing humor with raw truths as they look back on the moments that defined their friendship. They reflect on shared challenges in the healthcare industry and personal ventures that tested their resilience and determination.

Jill's career, spanning diverse roles from the office of a university president to various entrepreneurial endeavors, highlights her passion for people’s stories. Whether involved in a state product...

How does one unlock a focused and stress-free mind? Dr. Lara Salyer sits down with Dr. Romie Mushtaq, a neurologist turned wellness pioneer, who brings a wealth of experience from her journey through medicine, corporate wellness, and mindfulness practice. As the author of “The Busy Brain Cure” and a recognized leader in the field of integrative medicine, Dr. Mushtaq sheds light on the epidemic of "busy brain syndrome"—a cluster of symptoms including difficulty focusing, anxiety, and insomnia, which she attributes to chronic stress and neuroinflammation.

Dr. Mushtaq introduces her “brain shift protocol,” an eight-week program aim...

Pediatrics is evolving and Dr. Ellie MacGregor is at the forefront of this change, integrating functional medicine and holistic wellness practices into child care. Alongside host Dr. Lara Salyer, they explore the critical role of the vagal nerve in children's health, discussing its impact on conditions such as anxiety, depression, and ADD. 

After recognizing the limitations of conventional methods in addressing the root causes of health issues, Dr. Ellie transitioned from traditional pediatrics to an integrative approach. Her relocation from California to North Carolina marked the beginning of a new chapter in her career, where sh...

Feeling stuck is a condition often rooted in fear, “inertia,” and a lack of support. Host Dr. Lara Salyer explores the concept of inertia, its complexities, and how it can hinder progress in various aspects of life, especially in healthcare. Drawing from personal experiences, Dr. Lara will guide you on how to overcome inertia using a method she calls “W.A.R.M.”

The W.A.R.M. method—”Who Dis,” “Aim Low,” “Reason Why,” and “Messy Moves the Needle”—offers a new perspective on overcoming the inertia that often afflicts individuals. Through sharing personal stories from her life and her...

Technology is empowering healthcare providers to do two crucial tasks at one time - document clinical conversations in an accurate and structured way and simultaneously provide attentive patient interactions. CEO Erez Druk and Dr. Gabi Meckler, a husband and wife duo, discuss how they have developed an innovative solution to one of healthcare's most demanding tasks: charting.

It began with Erez, a software engineer, asking Gabi, a family medicine resident overwhelmed with paperwork, a simple question: “What can I do to make your life better?” Dr. Gabi expressed her wish to delegate her note-taking tasks. Their...

Here's a secret that could save you hours, energy, and money: In this episode of The Catalyst, Dr. Lara Salyer shares a valuable insight on personal investment—a practical solution for managing your workload more efficiently. 

Inspired by a transformative story from her Catalyst Studio mentorship, she highlights how a mentee changed the way she handled her business tasks by adopting a system that suited her needs. This change led to the development of clear, actionable steps, demonstrating how organizing thoughts effectively can cut through the overwhelm.

Listeners explore different tools for o...

Healthcare practices are ready for innovative solutions with modern technology paving the way forward. Host Dr. Lara Salyer delves into how holistic practices can benefit from smarter, technology-driven solutions with Kristen Ford, CEO and co-founder of Holistic Office. Kristen, with her solid background in finance, accounting, and operations, brings critical insights to the table for any independent medical practice looking to evolve.

Their conversation centers around  “My Holistic Office," an app designed by Kristen to meet the specific needs of holistic healthcare practitioners. Drawing from her extensive experience, Ford developed this Electronic Medical Record system to h...

"What's your experience with gratitude? Do you write thank you letters? Do you know this emotion?" These probing questions from Dr. Michelle Flowers, a board-certified psychiatrist and guest on The Catalyst Podcast, open a fascinating dialogue on the transformative role of gratitude in healthcare. Host Dr. Lara Salyer sets the stage for a deep dive into how this profound emotion can spark innovation and foster positive change within the healthcare landscape.

Dr. Flowers, an advocate for the therapeutic power of gratitude, shares the "NOW" technique, her unique approach to cultivating gratitude among both children and a...

"How can healthcare professionals turn portal messaging from a source of burnout into a tool for efficient communication?" In this compelling episode of "The Catalyst" podcast, Dr. Lara Salyer addresses the double-edged sword of portal messaging within the healthcare system. She delves into the impact of this digital communication tool, initially designed to streamline interactions but now a significant contributor to practitioner burnout.

Dr. Salyer shares actionable advice for both patients and practitioners on managing portal messages effectively. For patients, she emphasizes the importance of clear, concise communication—detailing actions taken and asking specific questions to...

“Space is power,” says Sharon Woodworth, sector leader at National Healthcare Practice at Harley Ellis Devereaux, who joins The Catalyst to discuss the changing face of healthcare architectural design. With so many industries using technology to create automated experiences for patients, the healthcare industry is wise to follow suit. Sharon explains why she would like outpatient care to more resemble the Apple Genius Bar, and hospitals to have a layout like the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. 

She and Dr. Lara discuss the pros and cons of what is an increasing level of standardization in health...

In a special 100th episode of The Catalyst Podcast, Dr. Lara Salyer tackles the pervasive issue of burnout within the healthcare system, intertwining celebration with a deep dive into systemic reform and personal resilience. This milestone episode is not just a moment of reflection but a call to action, offering a blend of systemic solutions and individual strategies to combat the growing epidemic of burnout among healthcare professionals.

Dr. Salyer addresses the root causes of burnout with a critical eye, suggesting systemic changes that promise to restore autonomy to physicians, recalibrate patient expectations, and foster a...

How can bringing patients together transform their healthcare experience? In this episode of The Catalyst podcast, Dr. Lara Salyer delves into this question with Dr. Jeff Geller, a family physician and innovator in integrative medicine. Dr. Geller shares his impactful journey working with underserved communities and his dedicated efforts to alleviate loneliness and enhance healthcare outcomes through the concept of group medical visits.

Dr. Geller's approach, rooted in his research on loneliness and empowerment, showcases the remarkable benefits of group visits. He explains how these sessions, ranging from acupuncture to mental health support groups, not o...

In a world where wealth is often measured in material terms, Dr. Lara Salyer invites us to consider a deeper, more personal definition in this episode of The Catalyst Podcast. Sparked by a TikTok video that reminisces about childhood indicators of wealth, Dr. Salyer urges us to reflect on perceptions that may have shaped our understanding of wealth. She suggests that just as we periodically reassess our health, our ingrained beliefs about money and success might also require a fresh perspective!

Wealth, as Dr. Salyer presents it, is a multifaceted concept. She shares her own e...

Who’s driving the roadmap of change in a patient’s sequencing of healthcare and what is the right order? Dr. Lara Salyer tackles this question, focusing on what she sees as the crucial need to align healthcare strategies with each patient's unique readiness for change, instinctive understanding of their health priorities, and personal energy and motivations. She emphasizes that a plan that considers these factors  is magic - evidenced by treatment effectiveness and overall patient progress toward wellness.

Dr. Salyer uses the example of Susie, a patient with multiple health decisions. She demonstrates how variou...

How can manifestation shape your dream healthcare career? Dr. Salyer shares insights from her own career transformation, from experiencing burnout in family practice to finding joy in functional medicine. She highlights the role of visualization in this process, demonstrating how imagining an ideal work environment full of creativity and color led her to create the environment she now enjoys.

In explaining manifestation, Dr. Salyer underscores its effectiveness in visualizing and familiarizing the brain with a desired future, much like mental rehearsals used by elite athletes. She offers actionable tips on vividly imagining success and the s...

Are you seeking a way to reduce burnout and bring more creativity into your medical practice? This episode of The Catalyst Podcast with Dr. Lara Salyer, we learn about Freed.ai, which she calls “a game-changing app for doctors”. It’s an innovative peripheral listening system designed to revolutionize patient-doctor interactions and it’s a tool that listeners may want to consider testing in their practices.

Dr. Salyer discusses the often-overlooked contributor to healthcare burnout: the cumbersome electronic medical records (EMR) systems. She reveals that EMRs are responsible for a significant 20% of burnout metrics in healthcar...

Advice from Dr. Lara? Avoid overwhelm by starting simple and where you are. Join us in this episode for a behind-the-scenes look at a mini mentoring session Dr. Lara Salyer conducted with an aspiring functional medicine doctor. She’s full of dreams for her future practice, but finds herself tangled in the complexities of starting up.

Working closely with this doctor, Dr. Salyer helps bring her vision closer to reality. She advises starting with what's available, emphasizing the significance of an online presence. Creating a professional profile, tagline, and mission statement on social media can com...

Have you ever wondered what 'coloring outside the lines' really means in day-to-day life? Dr. Lara Salyer walks us through a day in her life, revealing how she optimizes flow and sparks innovation in healthcare. From her intentional morning rituals to strategic time management, Dr. Salyer shares her personal systems for success!

There are four stages of the flow cycle: struggle, release, flow, and recovery. Dr. Lara highlights the necessity of balancing skills with challenges to effectively achieve a state of flow, explaining how each stage plays a crucial role in the overall experience.

Discovery calls are a vital tool for making your practice stronger. In this episode Dr. Lara Salyer explores the power of discovery calls in healthcare, and shares how they can be a tool for connecting with potential patients, especially for a provider in a community where functional medicine is yet to gain ground.

Dr. Salyer explains how aligning discovery calls with core values like education, transparency, autonomy, and efficiency can transform patient engagement. She uses her website as an example, showing how these values, integrated into pre-education materials, help potential patients grasp her approach even b...

Did you know your walk could be the key to better spinal health? Join Dr. Lara Salyer and Dr. Michelle Veneziano, a renowned osteopathic physician and cranial osteopathy expert, as they unravel the concepts of flow and energy in healing. Dr. Michelle brings a unique perspective on self-care, emphasizing the vital role of aligning with nature's rhythms.

Throughout the episode, Dr. Michelle delves into how something as simple as the way we walk can significantly influence our spinal health, often exceeding the benefits of traditional treatments. She advocates for attuning to our body's natural rhythms, suggesting that...

Ever wondered what happens when cybersecurity meets functional medicine? In this engaging episode of The Catalyst podcast, host Dr. Lara Salyer welcomes Josh Zappacosta, founder of Function 365, an innovative electronic medical record (EMR) system tailored for functional and integrative medicine practices. Josh's journey is a captivating one, beginning in cybersecurity and leading to the co-founding of both a functional medicine practice and Function 365. His story is a perfect blend of tech-savvy expertise and healthcare innovation.

Josh delves into the reasons why some clinics in the functional and integrative medicine space struggle, highlighting the crucial need for systemization...

Have you ever scheduled a date with your patient only to be stood up? In this episode, Dr. Lara Salyer tackles the perplexing trend of patient ghosting with wit and wisdom, offering five key strategies to keep your patients as engaged in their appointments as they are with their social media feeds.

The conversation starts by debunking the myth that ghosting is just a patient problem, urging healthcare providers to look at their own systems and practices.

Here's a quick breakdown of the action plan Dr. Salyer proposes:

In this episode of The Catalyst Podcast, Dr. Lara Salyer interviews Dr. Reena Kotecha, a medical doctor and organizational well-being consultant. Dr. Kotecha shares her personal journey of experiencing burnout and struggling with mental health issues while working as a hospital doctor. She discusses a pivotal moment in a supermarket where she had a panic attack, highlighting the lack of self-awareness and self-care among healthcare professionals.

Dr. Kotecha emphasizes the importance of creating space for human connection and self-reflection in the healthcare system. She believes that healthcare starts with self-care and advocates for the integration of mindfulness...

From HPA axis analysis to the sizzle of a skillet—discover how Dr. Cheng Her integrates cutting-edge science with culinary arts in functional medicine. Join Dr. Lara Salyer as she explores Dr. Cheng Her's innovative union of medicine and meal prep. In addition to being a true food lover, Dr. Her is a physician and founder of Telos Functional and Integrative Medicine in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Dr. Her shares his journey from conventional family practice to functional medicine and discusses the importance of creating a space that reflects his passion and values.

He focuses on core functional me...

Does patient charting feel like the bane of your existence? It doesn’t have to feel that way.In this episode, Dr. Salyer will tell you how it's done. She shares a game-changing tool, TextExpander, that allows you to create personalized shortcuts for your charting needs. By using this app, you can streamline your communication, ensure consistency, and save valuable time. Dr. Salyer walks you through her pre-charting routine, during which she copies and pastes relevant information from patient forms and pre-populates recurring items. She also shares her approach to creating concise and actionable visit summaries, making it easy fo...

“I help people take data and turn it into compelling storytelling,” explains Ari Mostov, a healthcare narrative strategist at WellPlay, a business consulting firm where she utilizes the power of storytelling to help healthcare consumers become more empowered and proactive agents of their own healing journeys. Storytelling is in our human DNA, Ari explains, and most of us aren’t fluent in the hard data involved in diagnosing and treating disease. By packaging data in relatable, allegorical form that clients can understand, healthcare professionals can increase the likelihood that patients will take the necessary steps to improve and maintain their...

Searching for a balance between excellent patient care and practitioner well-being? In this episode of The Catalyst, Dr. Lara Salyer sits down with Dr. Jordan Robertson, a naturopathic doctor who is revolutionizing patient care and practitioner support in the field of integrative medicine. Together, they discuss Dr. Robertson's extensive work with Clarity Health, impacting over 20,000 patients, and her initiative, the Confident Clinician—a resource aimed at supporting naturopathic doctors globally.

Dr. Robertson sheds light on key insights, identifying three common challenges that often obstruct functional medicine practices, such as the tendency to focus too narrowly on...

Ever feel like there aren't enough hours in the day? Jenna Piche, once a marketing executive and now a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner, has dialed in the art of mastering her time and mindset. This week, Dr. Lara Salyer learns Jenna's game-changing strategies for a balanced and productive life and medical practice.

One of the key insights Jenna shares is the concept of the “positive no”. She explains that it's okay to say no and set boundaries, as long as it is done in a respectful and positive manner. By communicating your limitations and commitments, you c...

Dr. Christina Bjorndal, a naturopathic doctor and authority in the treatment of mental illness joins The Catalyst to speak about her own experience with depression, bulimia and suicidality, which, at one point, left her in a coma. Yet, in a stunning message of hope she reveals that it was this latter incident that set her on a trajectory of healing, a process she says is both individual and ongoing. As human beings we are divided into four quadrants: mental, emotional, spiritual and physical. Western medicine is limited, Dr. Christina explains, focusing only on the physical aspects of mental health...

Dual board-certified physician in family and integrative medicine, Dr. Jill Valerius has a valuable story to share on this continuation of our mini-series of successful practices. Her journey reflects a narrative familiar to many: beginning in a conventional medical setting, trying to cater to thousands, only to grapple with mounting frustration as her practice began to drift from her core purpose in medicine.

Dr. Valerius abandoned traditional family practice delivery models and transitioned to a membership-based approach. This move not only streamlined her patient list but also deeply enriched her patient relationships, elevating the overall q...

20 years into practicing family medicine, Dr. Myrto Ashe completely reimagined the way she delivers healthcare. In this episode of our mini-series focusing on successful functional medicine clinics, you'll hear an inspiring and relatable story of one doctor’s journey to functional medicine. 

After witnessing the failure of conventional medicine to improve symptoms for a family member, Dr. Ashe began exploring alternatives to medications and began to try some of these practices on herself and her family. The near immediate improvement in everyone's health was so compelling, that in 2011 she decided to orient her consultation-based practice full...

Movement is medicine, and play is the secret ingredient that makes it enjoyable and sustainable.  This is the message of Darryl Edwards, a movement coach and founder of the Primal Play Method.

In this episode, Darryl shares his personal journey of overcoming burnout and transforming his health through exercise. He discovered that traditional exercise programs didn't resonate with him and his clients, so he developed the Primal Play Method, which combines the science of evolutionary biology with exercise physiology and play psychology. The Primal Play Method focuses on three pillars: primal movement patterns, exercise science, an...

When embarking on a new venture, it’s easy to compare ourselves negatively to our peers on social media, to try to be too much to our patients and forget what brings us joy. The more you define success on your own terms, based on your own values, the less you’re likely to feel imposter syndrome or burnout. Today, Dr. Lara will delve into the three categories that tend to cause medical entrepreneurs the most overwhelm and worry: social media, patients and their healing, and overall success. She’ll help you determine your own personal metrics to help you ga...

“We need to understand that feedback is part of our growth” Dr. Lara says on this solo episode of The Catalyst. Feedback–including and perhaps especially negative feedback–is vital not only to providing the best value to your community, but in allowing to shape your company and its services. It’s a metric which helps to ensure you’re fulfilling your set mission and goals and even lets you know what services are worth letting go of to save time and money. Dr. Lara shares three impactful questions that you can model to glean impactful insights from your community. T...

"Listen, Lara, you are preaching to the converted there because that is one element that helped me with my recovery," shares Helen Perks, a registered nutritional therapist, during her captivating conversation with Lara Salyer on the Catalyst Podcast. The duo delves into their experiences at the International Precision Medicine (IPM) Congress in London, which brought together diverse thought leaders in the field of functional medicine. In this exciting three-part episode, the co-hosts unravel fascinating anecdotes, inspiring talks, and the value of connecting with like-minded professionals to explore cutting-edge knowledge in nutrition, breathwork, and holistic health.

T...