287. When Family Health Decisions Conflict with Your Training: A Mindful Path for Physicians

A real-time reflection on nervous system triggers, leadership, vulnerability, and mindful responses to criticism. Have you ever found yourself physically triggered by feedback even when your logical mind knows it shouldn't be a big deal? This episode is a real-time, honest exploration of how high-achieving women—especially physicians, leaders, and caregivers—respond to emotionally charged moments of disapproval, and how to begin unwinding the nervous system patterns that often get activated. I share a recent, raw experience with receiving unexpected criticism that sent my nervous system into full activation, despite all my mindfulness tools, coaching experience, and good intentions. Alongside Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang, we unpack how medical culture, leadership visibility, and deeply ingrained perfectionism contribute to why these moments can feel so threatening and how to meet them with compassion and presence instead of shame and overreaction. We invite you to witness what it looks like to pause, process, and reflect before reacting as someone who's been conditioned to perform, fix, and never disappoint. Whether you're navigating visibility, leadership, or simply trying to show up with integrity in a complex world, this episode offers insight, grace, and nervous system wisdom for your journey. Here is link to a blog I wrote about this same experience.     Pearls of Wisdom: Your nervous system's response is not a personal failure but, it's a patterned response that can be gently re-trained. Leadership, visibility, and authenticity are inherently vulnerable—and feedback will always come with risk. Graceful responses don't always happen in the moment. The pause is where your power lives. Emotional reactivity is often a reflection of two activated nervous systems—not personal wrongdoing. Mindfulness helps us build the space to respond rather than react—and to remember we're human.     Reflection Questions: How does your body respond when you receive criticism or feel misunderstood? What do you tend to do when you're activated—fix, explain, retreat, or push back? What might become possible if you paused and got curious before reacting?     If you're a high-achieving woman in medicine or leadership navigating transition, visibility, or feedback with tenderness and courage, I invite you to explore coaching with me.  My Leading From the Heart and Transition Well small group programs beginning this January offer practical support, grounded insight, and compassionate connection. Learn more at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching. You're also warmly invited to join Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang and me for the Connect in Nature Retreat this summer, where we'll practice mindful communication, nervous system regulation, and self-compassion in a nourishing, in-person community. www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats To bring this kind of insight to your team, organization, or leadership event, we offer keynote talks and workshops that integrate mindfulness, medicine, and human connection. Explore at: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking and www.awakenbreath.org     Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.  

Physicians are trained to believe that skepticism keeps us safe and belief is generally risky. Over time, this quietly erodes trust in ourselves and what might be possible. What once felt protective can slowly narrow our lives and choices.  Stuckness, disconnection, and a subtle loss of feeling alive grows.   PEARLS OF WISDOM Medical culture often rewards certainty while sidelining imagination, hope, and belief. • Not believing in ourselves can feel protective, yet it frequently keeps us confined to versions of life that no longer fit. • Belief is not naïve optimism. It is a skill and a gift that can be practiced and borrowed when our own feels unsteady. • Imagining what is possible, even without a clear path, is essential for healing, leadership, and sustainable change. • Practicing belief does not abandon logic or science. It creates the spaciousness and courage to move toward alignment. Reflection Questions Where have we organized our lives around not believing, perhaps to avoid disappointment? What have we stopped believing in, and what did that belief once offer us? Who has offered us borrowed belief, and how did it feel to receive it? What might it look like to risk a small disappointment in service of something more alive or more true? If you are ready to gently begin believing again, mindfulness and coaching offer grounded places to start. Slowing down allows us to notice where fear has shaped our choices and where belief may still be quietly present. Whether you are navigating burnout, transition, or a longing for more meaning and spaciousness, coaching and retreat spaces can support this remembering. They all offer a compassionate, practical way to reconnect with belief and possibility. Enjoy a yoga class on this topic on Jessie's YouTube channel - Mindful Yoga to Grow Trust and Belief with Dr. Jessie Mahoney Read more about this topic on Jessie's Blog - The Gift of Belief The Connect in Nature Retreat is also a meaningful space to rediscover awe, wonder, and belief—in ourselves and in what is possible. Partners and colleagues are encouraged to join. Shared experiences often deepen connection and clarity. www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats If we would like to bring this work into our organizations, Dr. Liang and I both offer speaking and workshop experiences that support belief, healing, and connection in healthcare and beyond. www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking www.awakenbreath.org Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.

Have you ever considered how a few carefully chosen words could shape your year, your energy, your decisions, and the way you experience life? In this annual tradition, we share our personal practice of choosing intention words for the year ahead. This isn't about goals or resolutions. It's about choosing how you want to be, move through, and live your life. This year's process was deeper, slower, and more nuanced than in past years.  Intention words act like a GPS for your nervous system. They offer clarity and direction through challenge, and how the right words if chosen with care can become some of your most transformative tools for personal and professional growth. Whether you're new to this practice or returning to it, you'll find inspiration, permission, and a deep sense of possibility. Pearls of Wisdom: Intentions are not goals, they're a mindful orientation. They work at the nervous system level to support aligned action and self-compassionate growth. Choosing multiple words (including a stretch word) adds richness and dimension. Life is complex, and your words can meet that with grace. Words should feel aligned, not performative. Let go of judgment, and choose words that support the version of yourself you're growing into. Words are powerful tools for decision-making. Ask yourself: Will this make me feel wealthy, healthy, strategic, or exquisite? This practice is most powerful when done with intention, over time, and often with support. It's subtle but profoundly transformative work Reflection Questions: How do you want to feel at the end of next year? What do you want to experience emotionally, physically, and in your relationships? What version of yourself are you growing into? What does she wear, how does she lead, how does she make decisions? If you'd like support in choosing your own intention words and integrating them into your year, I offer this process within all of my 1:1 coaching and group programs. This work is gentle, profound, and truly life-changing. If this episode resonates and you're ready to lead your life, your relationships, or your team more strategically, bravely, and exquisitely—join me in a coaching container or at a retreat. Explore retreats at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats Learn about coaching at https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching If you'd like to bring this mindful approach to your team or conference, I'd be honored to speak or lead a workshop. Learn more at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking For Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang's speaking and workshops, visit www.awakenbreath.org Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.  

What if the very things you're hard on yourself about are actually strengths that are simply overused?  In this solo episode, I invite you to step into a new understanding of your patterns without judgment or shame. Explore the "overs" and the "toxics" which are the subtle (and not so subtle) ways our best traits become burdens when they're overdone. If you've ever been told you're too much, felt depleted by the traits that once helped you succeed, or wondered why awareness alone isn't shifting your patterns,  this episode is for you. Pearls of Wisdom: Many of your "admirable" qualities such as achievement, responsibility, or independence can become draining when taken too far. There's nothing wrong with you; you're just overdoing what once worked. Naming the "overs" (like overthinking, overdoing, overfunctioning) and the "toxics" (toxic productivity, toxic independence) brings both awareness and relief. It's not about fixing yourself; it's about finding your way back to balance. Awareness alone doesn't shift entrenched patterns. Real change happens in relationships with yourself, your nervous system, and others who can reflect your patterns back to you compassionately. Reflection Questions: What are you over right now? Which of your strengths has become emotionally or energetically expensive? What might become possible if you moved beyond consuming and started engaging with this work in a deeper, more embodied way?   If you're ready to move beyond listening and into transformation, join me for small group coaching or a nourishing retreat. Both are designed to help you unwind the "overs" and move from depletion to aligned ease.  Learn more at: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats If you'd like to invite me or Dr. Liang to speak or lead a workshop for your team, institution, or conference, learn here: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking www.awakenbreath.org Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.  

As we celebrate five years of the Healing Medicine podcast, this episode is a reflection on what has truly sustained us—intention, alignment, and choosing with awareness.  Together, we explore how consistency rooted in love, not obligation, leads to energy, creativity, and sustainability. We share personal stories about letting go, taking pauses, and returning to what feels alive.  This conversation is also a joyful announcement: our Connect in Nature Retreat is returning July 30–August 2, 2026. It's a decision made not out of expectation, but because we missed it, and because we chose it again. Whether you're feeling weary from "pushing through" or simply curious about a gentler way to stay committed, this episode offers a new lens and a powerful invitation to rechoose, realign, and return to yourself.     Pearls of Wisdom: Sustainability isn't about willpower, it's about choosing with presence and letting alignment lead. Feelings of resistance or resentment are gentle cues to pause, reevaluate, and possibly release. Healing happens when we release the pressure to perform and give ourselves permission to rest and evolve. Fun, ease, and joy aren't frivolous, they are wise signals of what's truly aligned. Spaciousness, non-judgment, and collaboration support the longevity of meaningful work.     Reflection Questions: Where in your life are you being consistent by force, rather than by choice? What would it feel like to choose instead of push? Which commitments feel alive and which might be asking for a pause, a shift, or a graduation? Where could more lightness or joy gently be welcomed in?   Why Connect in Nature is a Different Kind of Retreat Connect in Nature is unlike any other retreat I offer. It is the only opportunity to work in person with both Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang and Dr. Jessie Mahoney. It's intentionally designed for healers, physicians, and wellness professionals who crave a reset rooted in nature, mindfulness, and joy. Held at the Green Gulch Zen Center just north of San Francisco, you'll be surrounded by eucalyptus groves, redwoods, gardens, and the quiet beauty of the California coast. Here's what makes it special: Nature as co-teacher: Forest bathing, beach meditation, and fog hikes support nervous system healing. Freedom to choose: All practices are optional and guided with non-judgment—you participate in what serves you. Spaciousness: Core retreat hours are 10:30–3:30, with optional morning offerings and space for rest, reflection, or local exploration. Inclusive and welcoming: Open to all genders and professions—bring a partner, a colleague, a friend, or come solo. Choose your own lodging at local inns, allowing for private rest and personal integration. This retreat isn't about pushing yourself. It's about letting nature and mindfulness gently bring you home. Join us July 30–August 2, 2026 at Green Gulch Zen Center.   And yes—it's over my birthday weekend, and there's no better way to celebrate than in community, in nature, and in joy. Retreat details + registration: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats     Our Birthday Wish is to Help More Healers Find This Work As part of celebrating five years of the Healing Medicine podcast, we'd love to ask for your help in spreading this healing ripple even further: If this podcast has supported you... Please leave us a written review and a 5-star rating on your favorite listening platform. It helps others find the show and tells the algorithms to share this with more people who need it. Recommend it to a friend or colleague. Send them your favorite episode. Share it in your Facebook group, department, or residency class. Let someone know how it's helped you—that personal sharing is how this work continues to grow. This podcast was born out of love, and continues because of you. We are so grateful you are here.     If you're longing for more intention and joy in your life and career, I invite you to explore mindful coaching with me: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching To bring this kind of healing to your institution, department, or medical team, learn more about my speaking offerings: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang also offers powerful keynotes, workshops, and wellness sessions through www.awakenbreath.org We would love to meet you this summer in the redwoods, and help you reconnect to what's truly meaningful. Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine podcast is medical advice.  

*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:68ce92f3-792c-4cdc-8844-a0b15dab7687-12" data-testid= "conversation-turn-26" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> Many of us want to support children through big emotions but feel unsure how. We may notice anger, overwhelm, or shutdown and struggle to respond calmly. This episode reminds us that regulation begins with presence, not correction. Sometimes the most powerful tools are simple, creative, and shared together. This conversation offers a gentle path back to breath, connection, and play. PEARLS OF WISDOM • Teaching children to breathe through big feelings is a lifelong gift that supports emotional regulation and resilience. • What looks like anger in children is often fear, anxiety, or overwhelm beneath the surface. • Creative metaphors, like sports and play, can make mindfulness accessible and engaging for kids. • Co-creating meaningful projects can deepen connection and help families navigate transitions together. • Mindfulness is not just an individual practice but something we can model, share, and build in relationship. Reflection Questions: When a child in our life has a big emotion, how do we usually respond? What might shift if we paused to take a breath first? What creative practices could bring more connection into our family, classroom, or inner life? If we feel called to support children with mindfulness in tangible ways, there is an opportunity this month to donate a copy of Inhale, Exhale, Shoot to a child in need. For $15, books are being hand-delivered to shelters in New Orleans by Maeve and her school's service club—mindfulness in action. susanschadtpress.com The book is also available as a gift through Amazon or susanschadtpress.com. For those longing to embody these practices more fully, retreats offer space for rest, presence, and shared healing. Upcoming dates are available here: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats To bring mindful, compassionate conversations into organizations, schools, or healthcare settings, I offer keynote talks and workshops on emotional awareness, leadership, and well-being. www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang also offers breath-centered workshops and speaks on mindfulness and medicine. www.awakenbreath.org Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. Hashtags for YouTube (SEO Optimized): #HealingMedicinePodcast #MindfulnessForKids #ParentingWithPresence #EmotionalRegulation #MindfulParenting #WomenInMedicine #PhysicianWellness #Breathwork #MindfulnessEducation #JessieMahoneyMD    

  When Family Health Decisions Conflict with Your Training: A Mindful Path for Physicians Loving our families while holding medical expertise can be profoundly complicated. We are trained to assess risk, give guidance, and prevent harm. When family health decisions differ from our training, that role can collide with love. We may feel fear, grief, or an urgent need to intervene. This episode offers a grounded way to stay connected when letting go feels hardest. PEARLS OF WISDOM • Medical advice and love are not the same, and withholding advice can sometimes be the most loving choice. • Connection is medicine, and staying in relationship often matters more than being right. • Our role in our families is not to be "the doctor," even though stepping out of that identity is deeply challenging. • When our medical expertise is not invited or followed, presence and compassion still matter. • Mindfulness helps us notice urges to control, advise, or correct and choose connection instead. • Letting go of being right can open space for trust, gratitude, and peace. • Cultural, generational, and spiritual influences shape health decisions, and awareness invites curiosity and compassion. • Practicing mindful boundaries within families supports ease, authenticity, and deeper trust. Reflection Questions Where do we feel the urge to protect, control, or advise, and what is that urge trying to offer us? What shifts when we pause and ask ourselves, "What would love do here?" What might trusting our loved ones, or ourselves, look like in this moment? When we feel exhausted from being the expert in our families, mindfulness and coaching offer a different path forward. These practices help us untangle the emotional weight of "doctoring" the people we love and support more easeful, connected relationships. Whether we are navigating family tension, medical disagreement, or the quiet loneliness of holding expertise, coaching and retreat spaces can provide grounded support. Working together allows us to practice boundaries, presence, and compassion without abandoning our values or ourselves. www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats Related Kevin MD articles by Dr. Jessie Mahoney MD  Pediatrician vs. grandmother: Choosing love over medical advice — Jessie's personal reflection that directly parallels the episode's story about family health decisions outside standard medical training. Read the article on KevinMD Why physicians struggle with caregiving and how to cope with grace — Explores how physician training often makes caregiving for aging or ill family members more emotionally and psychologically difficult, and offers mindful strategies for presence and grace. Read the article on KevinMD If we would like to bring this conversation into healthcare teams or organizations, I offer speaking and workshop experiences that support mindful connection, autonomy, and healing in professional spaces. www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking To invite Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang to speak or lead mindfulness offerings, visit: www.awakenbreath.org Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice. #HealingMedicinePodcast #MindfulnessInMedicine #PhysicianBurnout #WomenInMedicine #PhysicianWellness #MedicalBoundaries #FamilyHealthDecisions #MindfulLeadership #AgencyInMedicine #JessieMahoneyMD

What if the holidays could feel spacious, nourishing, and connected? This episode offers a strengths-based perspective on holiday dynamics—focusing less on what goes wrong and more on the mindful choices that cultivate ease, joy, and connection, even amidst grief, change, and complexity. We share what helped us experience Thanksgiving with ease this year.  Our experiences were quite different, and yet a shared approach grounded in intention, space, simplicity, and trust led to remarkably peaceful gatherings. Whether you're anticipating difficult family moments, feeling the ache of absence, or simply longing for more presence, we hope this conversation brings clarity and peace. Pearls of Wisdom: Speaking early and clearly about what matters shifts the energy of gatherings. Grief and joy can coexist—and allowing grief makes more room for peace. Space (mental, emotional, physical) supports nervous system regulation and connection. Letting go of rigid plans often makes things flow better. Flexibility and boundaries are both acts of love. Reflection Questions: What would a spacious, easeful holiday look like for you? What expectations are you willing to soften or let go? Where might more trust, flexibility, or rest make a difference? If this episode resonated… We invite you to take this work deeper.  Coaching with me offers personalized support to create space, peace, and purpose in your life—through the holidays and far beyond. Learn more here: https://www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching For a truly transformative experience, consider joining me on retreat in 2025: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.  

Many of us carry shame and anxiety around money and stories we've inherited, absorbed, or unconsciously lived into. Mindfully acknowledging our stories is the first step toward freedom. Money is emotional, relational, and often a mirror of what matters most in life. Awareness of your money "story" creates spaciousness for something more compassionate. This week, Jessie is joined by Helena Rosenthal, MBA, MPH, and Nikki Macdonald, CFP®, financial advisors from Northwestern Mutual who specialize in supporting women and women-led households.  Mindfulness and money are powerful partners. Thoughtful awareness transforms how we save, spend, and invest.  Learning to trust yourself with money is a practice. Financial safety doesn't come from overthinking but from clarity, planning, and presence. Reflection Questions: What story were you taught about money growing up? What feelings arise when you think about money? Are they guilt, fear, shame, or hope? If money weren't an issue, how would you spend your time? What would change if you approached your finances with compassion and curiosity rather than fear or judgment? If you'd like support to integrate what you heard today into your life, coaching is a powerful place to begin. You can explore working with me here: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching To experience this kind of reflective work in a beautiful and nourishing setting, join me at a retreat: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats If you'd like to bring this kind of mindful conversation to your team, institution, or conference, reach out to explore having me speak: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking To learn more about Dr. Liang's work or invite her to speak, visit: www.awakenbreath.org Helena and Nikki offer a complimentary 30-minute session that's thoughtful, values-aligned, and designed to help you begin with ease. *Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.  

Misguided ideas surface in healthcare settings all the time.  With warmth and loving amusement, we reflect on how these initiatives—often wrapped in corporate optimism—miss the mark.  yet don't have to steal our peace.  Brilliantly bad ideas aren't about you and tehy don't have to steal your peace. They're structural, impersonal, and often just disconnected from the day-to-day reality of clinical life. We invite you to laugh with us, reflect, and most importantly, not to take them personally. Pearls of Wisdom: • Bad ideas often come with good intentions—they're usually more about systemic gaps than personal disrespect. • You get to choose how much energy to bring to these initiatives—humor and grace are powerful tools. • "Wellness" programs often miss the mark because they don't reflect the lived reality of those they're meant to support. • Expecting and accepting mismatched ideas can bring lightness—and maybe even loving amusement. Reflection Questions: • What is your favorite "brilliantly bad idea?"  • How might you use humor to help you when the next one comes your way? Please send us the brilliantly bad ideas you have witnessed.  We would love to hear them! If you're navigating burnout, frustration, or the absurdities of healthcare, we offer coaching, retreats, and workshops to help you find clarity, compassion, and joy again. Jessie offers 1:1 coaching and mindful retreats designed to bring back peace, purpose, and presence in your work and life.  Learn more at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching and www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats. CME is available for most Pause & Presence offerings. If you'd like to bring humor, mindfulness, and meaning to your institution or event, we both offer also offer keynotes and workshops. Learn more here: Jessie Mahoney, MD: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking Ni-Cheng Liang, MD: www.awakenbreath.org Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.