Healthcare providers and practitioners are under enormous amounts of mental stress. Caring for patients who are struggling, while maintaining safety protocols, donning masks for entire shifts, and balancing the anxiety of “what’s next?” is casting a shadow over everyday life. And that’s on top of the extra stress of taking care of patients who are extra stressed, while being extra stressed ourselves.

On one hand, this makes self-care incredibly important. On the other hand, self-care has its limitations—and providers need professional support too.

I’ve had a strongly hit-or-miss experience referring my clients to other healthcare providers. Many have gone to other caregivers and received such advice as, “there’s nothing I can do to help until it gets worse.” Or, they’ve been outright dismissed despite clear and present symptoms (a more frequent occurrence for my female clients). 

Because I know how hard it can be to have a conversation with any new healthcare provider, I’m sharing my tips for how to talk to your doctor.

Have you ever noticed that scientific evidence seems to say something different every day?

Keeping up with evidence is a sizable challenge. Many people make it their full-time jobs, and barely manage to scratch the surface. That said, even a non-expert (you) can take some simple steps to critically evaluating evidence that will help you manage your health decisions.