Ever feel like you're doing everything "right" and still feeling drained? This episode of Prescribing Possibility is for anyone, especially high achievers who's tired of running on empty and ready to reconnect with what matters most. Dr. Mary Leung, a triple-board-certified physician turned certified life coach, gets candid about her own experience of burnout, and how she rewrote the script of her life to find clarity, balance, and real joy. Her story is packed with both heart and practical tools to help you shift from survival mode to intentional living.

Thanks for listening. Your support means everything - so if you are moved to, please leave me a review and share this episode with a friend who may need the messages held here.

Don't be a stranger.

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It's just us today.

Join me for a conversation about one of the simplest and most useful tools I've found — one I use personally, teach regularly, and come back to especially when life feels like it's running the show instead of me.

It's called the CALM Method. And before your brain tells you this sounds too simple to matter — I'm going to lovingly challenge that thought. Because the things that change us most often aren't complicated. What makes them powerful is consistency, intentionality, and practicing them in the middle of real life — not in retreat centers or perfectly quiet rooms.

CALM stands for Compassion, Awareness, Listening, and Mindfulness. And in this episode I walk you through exactly what each one looks like in practice — not in theory, but in the parking lot at Target, in the checkout line at the grocery store, sitting in your car after a long day trying not to fall apart before you walk through the door.

Free Resource Mentioned in This Episode

📥 Download the free CALM Method Workbook a practical, simple tool to help you reconnect with yourself and find your way back to calm in the middle of real life.
👉 https://dympna.myflodesk.com/calm

Thanks for listening. Your support means everything - so if you are moved to, please leave me a review and share this episode with a friend who may need the messages held here.

Don't be a stranger.

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What does it actually mean to know your body and how do we get there when the medical system, social media, and decades of inadequate education have left most women without the tools to even ask the right questions?

In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, I sit down with award-winning health journalist and author Meghan Rabbitt to talk about her landmark book The New Rules of Women's Health, a comprehensive, evidence-based guide to women's health at every stage of life. Meghan spent three years interviewing over 130 all-female experts across medicine, research, and clinical practice to create the book she wishes every woman had on her shelf.

What We Talk About

• How a single magazine article on women's brain health — and one phone call with Maria Shriver — led Meghan to write this book

• Why "bikini medicine" is no longer enough and what a truly comprehensive view of women's health actually looks like

• Meghan's personal story of years of heavy periods, fibroids that went undetected, and what she learned about her own role in that

• The single most powerful thing you can do before your next doctor's appointment — and it takes less than ten minutes

• Why women brag about their high pain tolerance and the real cost of that habit

• The evidence — or lack of it — behind cycle syncing

• The shame we carry about our own bodies and why it is costing us our health

• Why it's time to start calling things by their actual names

• How to be an empowered partner in your own care — not a passive recipient of it

About Meghan Rabbitt

Meghan Rabbitt is an award-winning health journalist whose work has appeared in Prevention, Women's Health, and dozens of other national publications. She spent three years and interviewed over 130 all-female experts to write The New Rules of Women's Health — Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age, a comprehensive, evidence-based guide to women's health across every life stage. She has worked closely with Maria Shriver and the Women's Alzheimer's Movement and is one of the most trusted voices in women's health journalism today.

Connect with Meghan

• Find The New Rules of Women's Health: https://newrulesofwomenshealth.com/

• Follow Meghan on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/meghanrabbitt

Thanks for listening. Your support means everything - so if you are moved to, please leave me a review and share this episode with a friend who may need the messages held here.

Don't be a stranger.

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What happens when you dedicate your life to something you love… and then one day, you can no longer feel it?

In this deeply human and unexpectedly moving conversation, I sit down with Elizabeth Sobol, CEO of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, for a conversation that transcends music, leadership, and career paths.

This is a conversation about disconnection, burnout, awe, and what it means to come back to yourself.

Elizabeth shares her journey from a childhood steeped in storytelling and song in rural North Carolina to a high-powered career in New York City’s classical music world, eventually rising to Managing Director at IMG and later President of a label at Universal Music.

But beneath the success, something quietly unraveled.

She found herself sitting in concert halls, surrounded by extraordinary music… and feeling nothing.

What unfolds is an honest exploration of burnout before we had language for it, the cost of chronic stress and disembodied work, and the quiet crisis of losing connection to what once made you feel alive.

Together, Dympna and Elizabeth explore:

• The early roots of awe, wonder, and creativity and why they matter more than we realize

• The unseen emotional labor of caregiving roles beyond medicine

• Burnout as a physiological and relational experience

• Why live, communal experiences (like music and dance) are biologically regulating

• The concept of “entrainment” and how shared experiences sync our nervous systems

• The difference between consuming life… and actually feeling it

• How a surprising “retirement” call changed everything and led Elizabeth back to meaning

About Elizabeth Sobol

Elizabeth Sobol is the CEO of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), where she has reimagined what a performing arts institution can be in the modern era.

During her tenure, she has transformed SPAC into a year-round cultural destination, expanding programming across culinary, literary, healing, and visual arts, while dramatically increasing access through education initiatives that now serve tens of thousands annually.

She also led the creation of the SPAC School of the Arts and major campus renovations designed to deepen community connection and accessibility.

Before SPAC, Elizabeth held leadership roles at some of the most influential organizations in the arts, including serving as President & CEO of Universal Music Classics and Managing Director of IMG Artists, where she worked with world-renowned artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Renée Fleming, and Joshua Bell.

Her career has spanned artist management, music production, and cultural leadership—but at its core has always been about one thing: bringing people into deeper connection with art, with each other, and with themselves.

Connect with SPAC

🌐 Website: https://spac.org
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spacsaratoga
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SPACSaratoga

You can reach me at [email protected]

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Have you ever felt overwhelmed by anxiety, as if the weight of the world is resting on your shoulders?

You’re not alone.

Join Dr. Dympna Weil in a heartfelt conversation with Jessica Ortner, co-creator of The Tapping Solution and a New York Times bestselling author, as they explore the transformative practice of EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). Jessica shares, “Tapping is not just a technique; it’s a pathway to self-discovery and healing,” highlighting how this simple yet profound method can unlock the door to emotional well-being.

In this enlightening episode of Prescribing Possibility, we delve deep into the world of tapping, uncovering its roots in the groundbreaking work of Dr. Roger Callahan. Jessica recounts her personal journey, revealing how EFT helped her navigate through profound anxiety during one of life’s most challenging periods.

Together, they discuss the science behind tapping and its applications in modern stress management, offering insights into how this technique can serve as a vital tool for caregivers, healthcare professionals, and anyone facing the daily chaos of life.

Join us in this reflective dialogue that not only sheds light on the healing power of EFT but also encourages bold growth and clarity in the face of adversity. Discover how simple practices can lead to significant shifts in mental health awareness and emotional well-being, allowing you to navigate chaos with grace and resilience.

This episode is an invitation to embrace the possibility of a harmonious life, where wellness support is within reach, and self-discovery is celebrated.

Tune in and let’s embark on this healing conversation together!

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In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we're bringing back one of our most important conversations — and it's just as urgent today as when we first aired it.

In this episode, host Dr. Dympna Weil sits down with Dr. Stephanie Simmons, Chief Medical Officer of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation, to tackle a challenge hiding in plain sight: the mental health crisis among the very people who care for us.

Healthcare workers face extraordinary emotional demands — yet too many hesitate to seek help, fearing it could cost them their careers. Dr. Simmons shares how the Foundation is working to change that, from building more supportive workplace cultures to eliminating stigmatizing language embedded in medical licensing requirements.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• The mission and advocacy work of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation

• How licensing language creates real barriers to care-seeking

• The personal stories that are driving systemic change

• Why seeking mental health support is a sign of strength — not weakness

• What healthcare organizations can do right now to foster a culture of care

This conversation is a reminder that protecting the well-being of healthcare workers isn't just a compassionate goal — it's a patient safety issue.

🌱 This Mental Health Awareness Month, share this episode with a colleague, a friend in healthcare, or anyone who needs to hear that asking for help is an act of courage.

Thanks for listening. Your support means everything - so if you are moved to, please leave me a review and share this episode with a friend who may need the messages held here.

Don't be a stranger.

You can reach me at [email protected]

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In this deeply personal solo episode, Dr. Dympna Weil pulls back the curtain on what’s been happening behind the scenes—and why she’s been quieter lately

She shares her experience navigating debilitating vestibular migraines, the invisible cost of chronic illness, and the emotional weight of guilt that so often accompanies it. From missed moments to misdiagnoses, insurance battles to unexpected relief, this episode is an honest look at what it means to live in a body that doesn’t always cooperate—and how to find compassion anyway.

If you’ve ever felt unseen in your struggle, or found it hard to receive support when you’re used to being the caregiver, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• What vestibular migraines actually feel like (and why they’re often misunderstood)

• The hidden cost of chronic illness: missed moments, limitations, and guilt

• Why conditions like vestibular migraine are frequently misdiagnosed

• The frustrating reality of navigating insurance and treatment access

• The impact of losing a medication that was working—and what came next

• A powerful moment of relief (and what it revealed emotionally)

• The challenge of receiving care when you’re used to giving it

• Why asking for help is not weakness—it’s part of healing
  

Key Takeaways

• Chronic conditions don’t always look the way we expect—and that can delay diagnosis and validation

• Guilt often compounds physical suffering, especially for high-achieving caregivers

• The healthcare system isn’t always designed with the patient’s lived experience in mind

• Relief, after prolonged struggle, can feel more like an exhale than celebration

• Receiving care is a practice—and sometimes the hardest one to learn
  

A Moment to Reflect

Where in your life are you pushing through… when your body might be asking you to pause?

What would it look like to let yourself receive support—without apology?

Thanks for listening. Your support means everything - so if you are moved to, please leave me a review and share this episode with a friend who may need the messages held here.

Don't be a stranger.

You can reach me at [email protected]

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In this powerful episode of Prescribing Possibility, I sit down with Dr. Christine Yu Moutier, a physician, mother, and national leader in suicide prevention. We cover the most pressing questions parents, educators, and clinicians are asking right now. From the unsettling rise of AI chatbot dependency to the surprisingly simple things that can save a young person's life.

In this episode:

• The state of youth mental health today What the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey tells us about anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation

• AI, chatbots, and your child Why Dr. Moutier is sounding the alarm about platforms like Character AI

• Warning signs that are easy to miss Why most suicide risk factors are invisible and why trusting your gut as a parent matters more than you might think.

• How to have the conversation How to open a caring dialogue and why asking directly about suicidal thoughts doesn't plant the idea it saves lives.

• The role of pediatricians and primary care How new AAP guidelines are bringing suicide risk screening to well-child visits

• Positive social contagion How peer-to-peer conversations and community events are modeling a stigma-free culture

Connect with Dr. Christine Yu Moutier:

• LinkedIn

Resources:

• Seize the Awkward — Youth-focused suicide prevention campaign from AFSP, NAMI, and the Ad Council

• Talk Saves Lives — AFSP's free one-hour suicide prevention education program

• Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention — A clinical guide for pediatricians, available on the AAP website

• Out of the Darkness Walks — Community walks hosted by AFSP chapters nationwide

• How to Find Your Local AFSP Chapter

• Real Convo Guides

• Teens and Suicide: What Parents Should Know

• The Good Behavior Game — Long-term upstream prevention research

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988

• The Trevor Project — Crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth: 1-866-488-7386

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What if the hardest feelings you have as a mother are actually the most important ones? In this deeply honest conversation, Dympna sits down with psychotherapist, researcher, and author Dr. Margo Lowy to explore the concept of maternal ambivalence and why naming it might be the most liberating thing a mother can do.

Dr. Lowy brings over 45 years of personal and professional experience to this conversation, drawing from her book on maternal ambivalence, her PhD research, and her work as a practicing psychotherapist. She challenges the polished, one-dimensional portrait of motherhood we see in social media and offers something far more honest, and far more human, in its place.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• What maternal ambivalence actually means — and why it's so often misunderstood. (Hint: it's not indifference, and it's not just "mixed feelings.")

• Why the difficult, dark feelings of motherhood aren't signs that something is wrong — they are the experience.

• How shame builds up when we suppress our complicated feelings, and what it looks like when women begin to work through it.

• The power of three guiding mantras Dr. Lowy returns to throughout her work: mothering is messy, it's interrupted, and it's loving — all at once.

• Why the idea that you're "making it up as you go along" is actually a gift, not a failure.

• How mothering is a lifelong process of holding on and letting go — from newborns to teenagers to adult children.

• The role of self-forgiveness, flow, and fluidity in becoming the mother you want to be.

• Why who you surround yourself with matters enormously — and how to build your "team."

• How our children learn emotional regulation by watching us navigate our own feelings.

• Why the narrative of motherhood needs to shift from exclusive (either/or) to inclusive (and/and).

Resources & Links

• 📖 Dr. Margo Lowy's book: https://drmargolowy.com/book/

• ✍️ Read her monthly articles on Psychology Today: http://psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/margo-lowy-phd

• 🎬 Film recommendation: A Happy Event (French film, 2000s)

Don't be a stranger.

You can reach me at [email protected]

Website

https://www.dympnaweil.comThanks for listening. Your support means everything - so if you are moved to, please leave me a review and share this episode with a friend who may need the messages held here.

Don't be a stranger.

You can reach me at [email protected]

Website

https://www.dympnaweil.com

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What happens when medicine meets storytelling? Dr. Danielle Ofri — physician, author, and founder of the Bellevue Literary Review — joins Prescribing Possibility for a conversation that will stay with you.

From asking patients what it's actually like to be sick, to 125 people walking past a wall of missing persons posters on October 9th, 2001 and choosing, in their grief, to gather and listen to poetry — this episode is a beautiful reminder of why the arts belong at the heart of medicine.

Dr. Ofri shares how a simple question to medical students ("just tell the patient what it's like to have diabetes") sparked a literary journal that is now celebrating its 25th anniversary and 50th issue. She also opens up about her forthcoming book on facing our fears of death — and why leaning into that conversation might be the most universal thing we can do.

Her dose of inspiration? You don't have to publish something for it to be meaningful to have written.

🕐 TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Welcome & Introduction

01:25 – How the Bellevue Literary Review was born

05:00 – Celebrating 25 years & Issue 50

06:17 – Launching the journal on October 9th, 2001

07:37 – Why we turn to the arts in times of vulnerability

08:22 – Dr. Ofri's unexpected path to writing

13:09 – How BLR evolved after COVID

23:59 – BLR Writing Studio & upcoming events

26:34 – Celeste Ng, Abraham Verghese & the writers BLR helped launch

30:34 – Dr. Ofri's new book on facing the fear of death

32:44 – Dose of Inspiration: put your thoughts on the page

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED

Bellevue Literary Review → blreview.org

Subscribe to the BLR Weekly Newsletter → https://blreview.org/product-category/subscriptions/

BLR Upcoming Events: https://blreview.org/blog/#events

BLR Writing Studio (launching soon)

✨ CONNECT WITH DR. DANIELLE OFRI

Website: danielleofri.com

Bellevue Literary Review: blreview.org

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/blreview/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/danielle_ofri/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/bellevue-literary-review/

🎙️ CONNECT WITH PRESCRIBING POSSIBILITY

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dympnaweil/

Website: https://www.dympnaweil.com/

Subscribe so you never miss an episode ❤️

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