My decision to pursue a clinical doctorate in psychology was two-fold.
First, as a hospital CEO for over 20 years, I realized I actually was using my bachelor’s degree in psychology in my executive career even more than I ever used my MBA!
Managing corporate culture and inspiring a successful and profitable workforce is far more about mastering the interpersonal motivations and competing stakeholder needs than running spreadsheets and revenue projections.
Secondly, I witnessed firsthand the psychological toll that was being exacted from the high achievers in the healthcare space.
I’d watch as the people who supposedly had it all–high-ranking titles, professional esteem, and hefty paychecks–had personal lives that were falling apart as a result of the stressful stakes of their careers. From affairs and divorces, to overdrinking, insomnia, and weight gain–the pressure to perform was leading executive leadership ranks to extreme burnout.
It truly is lonely at the top, as they say.
Many of the hospitals where I was CEO were on the verge of closure, requiring changes that led to tremendous stress for me. I often felt out of control and under constant scrutiny for the decisions and actions I had to implement. Not immune to the rigors of corporate life myself, I found a severe lack in true mental health resources for the most ambitious of us. So I decided to fill that gap.
As a doctorate of psychology and certified professional coach, working with individuals and organizations to manage and prevent burnout is truly the culmination of my life’s work.
