Have you ever felt the quiet pull to change everything you thought you were building?

For Marty Ross-Dolen, that moment came on September 11, 2001. She had devoted her entire life to psychiatry, but as she watched the towers fall with her children nearby, something in her said it was time to let go. That decision set her on a new course — one that led to motherhood, teaching, and eventually a memoir that uncovered the silence of multi-generational grief.

In this conversation, Marty shares what it means to step away from a lifelong identity and find a new one through writing and reflection.

Marty’s journey is both personal and universal, a reminder that it’s never too late to begin again.

👉 Listen to the full conversation and support more stories like this.

Marty Ross-Dolen is a graduate of Wellesley College and Albert Einstein College of Medicine and is a retired child and adolescent psychiatrist. She holds an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her memoir, Always There, Always Gone: A Daughter’s Search for Truth, was released with She Writes Press in May 2025. She teaches writing and lives in Columbus, Ohio. Learn more at www.martyrossdolen.com.

🎧 Listen and follow at www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/follow

✨ Support the show with ad-free early access at www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcast

📬 Join the newsletter for more reflections and behind-the-scenes: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/

💬 Connect on socials @thelifeshiftpodcast