The Thriving Doctor

Achieving balance and fulfilment

Psychologist Sharee Johnson’s book The Thriving Doctor aims to help doctors care for themselves so they can provide the best possible healthcare to others. 

Described as “life-saving”, “a gift to doctors everywhere”, and a “must-read for any aspiring doctor” – The Thriving Doctor was released November 2021 to assist doctors in looking after their own wellbeing. 

Sharee Johnson wrote The Thriving Doctor after witnessing firsthand the stress and anxiety medical professionals experience in their day to day lives.

In 2011, Sharee’s husband was diagnosed with cancer and throughout his treatment he crossed paths with many different doctors. The level of compassion and care from his treating doctors ranged from kind to cold. 

“It really stayed with me the variation of care we received, and it made me really curious about what was happening to the health professionals – why they were so rude or so cold, and that they seemed to be so removed from the work they were doing, which is ultimately caring for other people,” Ms Johnson said.

This led her to delve more deeply into their lives. She asked about their training, expectations from management, patients, and their families. She was blown away to hear how many health professionals experience anxiety, depression, drug and alcohol addiction, and suicide due to the pressures of medicine.

“As patients we can often forget that doctors are only human – and doctors also forget they are only human, there is a strong culture of never showing weakness,” she says.

As a psychologist, Ms Johnson was able to use her skills and help doctors who were struggling. She went from thinking she would be a ‘patient advocate’ to working as a ‘doctor advocate’.

Ms Johnson said that the pandemic has allowed more doctors to speak publicly about their thoughts and feelings. 

An alarming 87% of Australian doctors are concerned about burnout, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. 

“The statistics demonstrate that we need to be doing a lot more and the pandemic has put our medical professionals under much more pressure than what they were already facing, and it’s harder for many of them to get a break and to step away.”

The Thriving Doctor is written for doctors to take a break and listen to their thoughts, and to learn new skills to help them through challenging situations. 

“Doctors cannot change the system, they can only change within themselves to look after their own emotional wellbeing and develop better connections and communication with colleagues and patients, which in turn leads to better health outcomes for patients.

“I hope The Thriving Doctor leads to more conversations about doctor wellbeing and about how they feel when they are exhausted. I also hope that by building the skills from the book, doctors will feel more fulfilled. 

“What doctors do is amazing, and we all have a vested interest in their wellbeing,” she says. 

The Thriving Doctor – How To Be More Balanced And Fulfilled Working In Medicine is available now in book stores and online. RRP $32.99. Purchase here https://learn.coachingfordoctors.net.au/