Dr Miriam Maisel:
Who needs coaching?
While caring for others in a high-stakes environment, with ever increasing demands and pressures of time, even the most successful doctor may find themselves surviving but not really thriving.
The conveyor belt culture of professional advancement can foster a narrow, almost blinkered focus on upcoming milestones. This may come at the expense of seeing the bigger picture of one’s life, or smelling the roses.
Many doctors may aspire to a healthier work-life balance, where the sense of professional purpose is fulfilled, along with the fulfillment of one’s own human potential, in a way that enhances one’s own flourishing, and ultimately gives one more to give.
In our profession, “conscientiousness” trains us to put first the needs of the patients, the team, the institution and the system. When work loads are high and pressures are unrelenting, this can lead to a neglect of one’s own needs, and can pave the way for burnout, and erosion of confidence and empathy. When this happens it is to the detriment of the individual doctor and counterproductive for the medical system as well.
Medical practice of course requires the highest of standards and procedures such as audit and appraisal to guarantee the same. However, little space may be left for the individual doctor to ever let down their guard and explore their own individual experiences, questions, and aspirations.
What is coaching?
Coaching has the potential to provide some of these missing pieces.
In coaching, the client is encouraged to explore, discover and clarify their own deeper needs and wishes, in a supportive, non-judgmental conversation, which is aimed at identifying what the client wants and finding ways to get from A to B.
This is a completely confidential process outside of the client’s personal and professional environment.
The skill set of coaching is derived from a number of sources, including positive and client centered psychology (Rogers and others), the transtheoretical model of change (Prochaska), and motivational interviewing (Rollnick and Miller). The coach offers active listening and reflection, with questions aimed at helping the client discover, or rediscover, their own personal vision, and further helping them move step by step in that direction.
Good coaches will definitely possess these and other skills, but may lack the intimate understanding of a doctor’s life and work.
And that is where I come in
Who am I?
I am a coach with certification in personal and health and wellness coaching, from the pioneering coaching school Wellcoaches, which is closely allied to the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
I am also an experienced and mature practicing doctor, with training in Family Practice/General Practice, and with additional training and certification in Lifestyle Medicine over the past decade. I have decades of experience of medical work, mainly in the NHS, through work in general practice and a special interest in palliative medicine. I currently have a small private clinic emphasizing lifestyle medicine consultations.
I believe this is an ideal background for offering the coaching process to colleagues of all ages and at all stages of their careers.
How do I work?
I offer a series of eight 45 minute coaching sessions over a period of three months, including a two session intake process where long term and medium term goals are explored and defined. Subsequent sessions focus on shorter term practical actions, while keeping the big picture in view. The process of discovery is enjoyable and refreshing.
At the end of the three month period, we reassess and plan continuation in accordance with the client’s wishes.
If you want to be kind to yourself…
If you want to be kind to yourself and give yourself the gift of time and space for such a process, please contact me for the next steps.
I offer a free 15 minute no-obligation phone call to answer further questions about coaching with me and to plan how you wish to proceed.
To schedule a phone call, please email me at
[email protected] with a few words about yourself.
Please include a phone number and some possible times for a short phone call.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon!
With all best wishes,
Dr Miriam Maisel
Working with Miriam has been life-changing for me. I work as a self-employed nutritionist and was initially unsure as to whether health coaching could help me. However, I had experienced bouts of anxiety which had worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic and I knew something had to shift. Miriam helped me to find the answers within myself. With her guidance and support over the course of several months, I was able to achieve my goals and bring a sense of balance to my everyday life. Miriam is a compassionate and patient health coach who draws on her life experience and understanding of the challenges health professionals face on a regular basis. I could not recommend her highly enough.
R.B.
Nutritionist
Working with Miriam helped me to find clarity in my very busy private and professional life. Through her coaching I realised what I considered a weakness could be a source of strength. I was able to identify my key values and set goals based on them. Her help and support gave me a much needed gentle push to be courageous and take the necessary actions to realise. I found the coaching sessions with her very valuable. I cannot recommend Miriam enough.
L.D.
Nutritionist
I am so grateful to Miriam for helping me to identify what my goals really are, to prioritise them and to start taking action towards them. My future is already so much clearer as a direct result of our consultations, and I cannot thank her enough. I would recommend her unreservedly to anyone looking for help from a coach.
S.K.
Doctor
Be yourself. Explore and discover. Expand your horizons. Shape your future.
© 2021 כל הזכויות שמורות. ד”ר מרים מייזל.