Welcome! We are Dr. Sammy Steele, DPT, and Dr. Monika Stefanowicz, DPT, WCS. As pelvic health specialists, we explore the soft skills and self awareness needed to thrive in our niche. Our work requires a deeper intimacy and often exposes us to more stories of shame and trauma. However, few of us get training in the ”soft skills” essential for our wellbeing and longevity in this specialty. We believe the therapeutic alliance is the foundation for change and healing. Join us for new reflections, inspiration, and practical tips to thrive in your work!
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Welcome! We are Dr. Sammy Steele, DPT, and Dr. Monika Stefanowicz, DPT, WCS. As pelvic health specialists, we explore the soft skills and self awareness needed to thrive in our niche. Our work requires a deeper intimacy and often exposes us to more stories of shame and trauma. However, few of us get training in the ”soft skills” essential for our wellbeing and longevity in this specialty. We believe the therapeutic alliance is the foundation for change and healing. Join us for new reflections, inspiration, and practical tips to thrive in your work!
Episode 19: Putting It All Together: A Case Study of Conscious Clinical Practice
The Conscious Clinician Podcast
44 minutes 36 seconds
4 years ago
Episode 19: Putting It All Together: A Case Study of Conscious Clinical Practice
In this episode, Monika shares a case study to illustrate integrating the principles of emotional intelligence, trauma-informed, and patient-centered care. It's a story we're all familiar with: a man with chronic low back pain.
He was in the midst of a prolonged flare-up when they started working together and had seen many physical therapists before. She realized that she would have to do something different if they wanted a new result.
With this in mind, we discuss how Monika:
Prepared herself mentally and emotionally for a different approach
Shifted her focus from “fixing” to collaborating
Listened closely
Managed her own emotional reactions
Confronted her own biases about injections
Challenged his fear-avoidance beliefs (gradually)
Tune in to hear his story and her behind-the-scenes thought processes. We hope this inspires you to reflect on a case and share it with a conscious clinician!
Note: Some details have been omitted and/or changed in order to maintain patient privacy. The patient consented to share this material.
Highlights from our conversation in Episode 19
(1:41) Case introduction
(5:18) Patient-centered history taking
(12:06) The power of preparing for patient care
(13:49) Trauma-informed care in action
(16:46) The ripple effect of conscious clinical practice
(19:30) How did follow-ups go?
(25:24) Injections, nocebo, and self-awareness
(28:58) A major turning point in autonomy
(34:50) Planning for the future
(38:56) Reconciling your identity with chronic pain
(40:39) Wrap up and final thoughts
Thank you for listening to The Conscious Clinician! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and write a review for the podcast to grow our community. Keep the conversation going by following The Conscious Clinician on Instagram and Facebook.
Resources for Episode 19
(5:18) Episode 6: History Taking Pearls & Pitfalls
(10:15; 26:02) Episode 12: Our Words Have the Power to Heal and Harm
(12:17) Episode 15: The Power of Understanding Patient Beliefs with Mike Nelson, DPT
(13:20) Episode 4: The Fixer
(13:49) Episode 9 Dr. Brie Robertori, PsyD on Vicarious Trauma in Healthcare and Episode 8: Dr. Krystyna Holland on Trauma-Informed Pelvic Health Practice
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The Conscious Clinician Podcast
Welcome! We are Dr. Sammy Steele, DPT, and Dr. Monika Stefanowicz, DPT, WCS. As pelvic health specialists, we explore the soft skills and self awareness needed to thrive in our niche. Our work requires a deeper intimacy and often exposes us to more stories of shame and trauma. However, few of us get training in the ”soft skills” essential for our wellbeing and longevity in this specialty. We believe the therapeutic alliance is the foundation for change and healing. Join us for new reflections, inspiration, and practical tips to thrive in your work!
