Episode 18: Finding Peace in Turbulent Times: Grounding, Faith & Community for Physician Families
Release Date: 09/30/2025
Episode 31: End-of-Year Wrap Up for Physician Spouses: Favorite Episodes, Listener Stories, and What’s Coming in 2026
Supporting Physician Spouses
If you’re married to a physician and you’ve been holding a lot this year, this one is for you. Katie and Kendra share highlights from our first year, read reviews from listeners, and tease what’s ahead in 2026, including a Fair Play series and conversations about your family’s ecosystem. As we head into a new year, we’re looking back on the first year of the Supporting Physician Spouses podcast, how it began, what resonated most, and what we’re building next. If you’ve been listening quietly, this is your invitation to step closer. Leave a review, send a DM, or email us with what...
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Episode 30: Do We Even Have Traditions? Holiday Life as a Physician Family
Supporting Physician Spouses
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Episode 29: Balancing Holiday Stress and Rest for Physician Spouses
Supporting Physician Spouses
Today we’re talking about the kind of rest physician spouses actually need during the holidays—especially when the whole world seems to slow down while your home ramps up. If you’re carrying the family load while navigating your spouse’s demanding end-of-year schedule, this episode was made for you. Today we’re talking about… Rest—not the “add another task to your list” kind, but the biological, necessary kind that helps you survive and stay present during an already overwhelming season. In this episode, we talk about: The three types of rest most depleted in physician...
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Episode 28: The Solo Holiday Season: What You & Your Family Really Need From You
Supporting Physician Spouses
In this episode, Katie and Kendra talk honestly about what it’s like to attend holiday events solo as a physician spouse. From classroom parties to winter concerts, this season often highlights the unique pressures physician families face. We normalize the mixed emotions, offer simple ways to reduce the pressure to “perform,” and share strategies to stay connected with your partner and present with your kids—even when you’re the only adult who can be there. ✨ Key Takeaways Your presence matters more than perfection. Kids remember how it felt, not whether two parents were in the...
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Episode 27: Making the Season Lighter: A December Re-frame for Physician Spouses
Supporting Physician Spouses
In this honest solo episode, Katie shares what’s coming up for her as December begins—resistance, overwhelm, perfectionism, small-space stress, seasonal energy dips, and the pressure to “make magic” during the holidays. Instead of powering through it, she slows down and walks through the SEE–SAY–FEEL–DO framework in real time to bring intention, clarity, and compassion into the season. If you’re feeling behind, heavy, stretched thin, or unsure how to make the holidays feel good for you, this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air. Listen In If You’ve Ever Felt: ...
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Episode 26: Holiday Expectations for Physician Spouses: Ditch the Date, Ditch the Pressure, Keep the Magic
Supporting Physician Spouses
In this episode, Katie and Kendra talk honestly about navigating holidays in medical families—when schedules rarely match the calendar, traditions shift, and expectations don’t go as planned. Listen If You’ve Ever Felt… Sad or frustrated celebrating without your spouse Guilty for not doing “traditional” holidays Tired of explaining your family’s reality Worried your kids are missing out Unsure how to create meaning when nothing feels normal What We Cover The mindset shift that removes holiday pressure Creating flexible, meaningful traditions Splitting...
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Episode 25: Are You Using Gratitude to Avoid Hard Emotions Without Realizing It?
Supporting Physician Spouses
This week, Kendra and Katie unpack a quiet but common struggle among physician spouses: the belief that gratitude and dissatisfaction can’t coexist. We explore: Why so many physician spouses downplay their hard moments The “gratitude as gaslighting” trap How privilege guilt + comparison silence our real needs A simple AND vs BUT framework to spot healthy vs harmful gratitude How to hold emotional complexity without minimizing yourself Four questions to help you take action instead of staying stuck Why acknowledging what’s hard is not selfish—but essential for thriving ...
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Episode 24: The Predictability Problem Series (Part 4) - How Physician Families Build Systems That Bend, Not Break
Supporting Physician Spouses
When the call schedule explodes, the backup plan fails, and everyone’s unraveling — how do you hold it all together? In the final episode of The Predictability Problem Series, Kendra and Katie unpack what it really means to create flexible family systems that bend but don’t break when medicine runs the clock. You’ll learn: Why rigid plans actually increase stress in high-uncertainty seasons The Plan B Framework — Predict, List, Automate, Name — to restore calm when things go sideways How to build “structured flexibility” that keeps the household steady Why Plan B...
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Episode 23: The Predictability Problem Series - From Parallel Lives to Connection (Part 3) How Physician Spouses Can Rebuild Connection When Medicine Feels Unpredictable
Supporting Physician Spouses
Even the calmest, most grounded person can feel off balance when their relationship starts to feel like two people living parallel lives. In Week 3 of The Predictability Problem Series, Katie explores how physician spouses can rebuild calm through connection, even when medicine keeps changing the plan. You’ll hear: A real-life story of emotional safety in action Research from Dr. Tate Shanafelt and Dr. Wayne Sotile on what predicts thriving in physician families How much “meaningful time” couples actually need—and what to do if you can’t get it Why micro rituals of connection...
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Episode 22: The Predictability Problem Series - From Bracing to Anchoring (Part 2) How Physician Partners Can Reclaim Calm Amid Burnout and Uncertainty
Supporting Physician Spouses
When the text comes — “Got pulled into a case. Won’t make it for dinner.” — your whole body reacts. The plan falls apart, and suddenly, you’re bracing again. This week, Kendra walks physician spouses through the science of why unpredictability hits so hard — and a powerful, research-backed framework for reclaiming calm in the middle of it. Drawing from cognitive behavioral therapy and resilience training, she shares the ANCHOR Framework — six practical steps to shift from bracing for chaos to anchoring in calm, even when the schedule changes for the hundredth time. You’ll...
info_outlineIn this heartfelt episode of Supporting Physician Spouses, Kendra and Katie pause to acknowledge the heaviness in our world right now. With tragic shootings, heartbreaking losses, and ongoing uncertainty, many of us feel shaken and weary. Together, we explore what it means to steady ourselves when the world feels unsteady—and how to cultivate peace that is both grounding and real.
We walk through six steps that help us (and can help you) navigate turbulent times:
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Return to the Basics — Sleep, water, nourishment, and movement aren’t luxuries; they are anchors for your nervous system.
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Let the Hard Be Hard — Peace doesn’t come from denial. Acknowledging pain allows us to process it without rushing to fix.
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Lean into Faith and Values — Reconnect with your higher power, your community, or the values that give life meaning.
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Focus on What You Can Control — Even small actions, like tidying a space or decorating with your kids, help restore calm.
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Connect with Others — Peace is often carried communally. Don’t isolate; reach out for support or offer it to someone else.
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Look for Flecks of Gold — Joy and sorrow can coexist. Notice the small, shining mercies and moments of tenderness that remind you of goodness.
Along the way, we share personal stories—feeling discombobulated, finding grounding through walks or decorating, the power of a kind text, and the simple healing of connection.
Whether you’re a physician spouse navigating the added weight of medicine’s demands or simply someone searching for steadiness right now, this conversation offers both practical tools and gentle reminders: you are not alone, peace is possible, and the small things really do matter.
Referenced Episodes:
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Ep. 3 & 4 — The Basics of Self-Care
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Ep. 7 — Who’s in Your Corner? Building a Strong Support System as a Physician Spouse
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Ep. 8 — Spiritual Self-Care When Life is Loud
Listen in, take what steadies you, and remember: even in heavy times, flecks of gold can still be found.