Meet Arwen Podesta

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Arwen Podesta. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Arwen below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Arwen with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

My grandmother always said I had “sticktuitiveness”. She was an inspiration, full of knowledge, also humble. She worked on political campaigns, was always outspoken and commented on the world. She said that “education is wasted on the young” and I took that to heart. I pursued my medical degree starting at the age of 27, a little later than most. As a self-starter and a later trained MD, I felt it was necessary to work hard and provide my best care with integrity and determination.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a physician, triple boarded in psychiatry, addiction medicine and forensic psychiatry, and practice all of that and integrative and functional medicine. I love learning and teaching, and consume from the best researchers in the world to help overcome the severe barriers to mental health and addiction treatment and wellness. I teach these topics to lots of people in the community and providers. I wrote a book on addiction and integrative tools to treat- Hooked https://www.amazon.com/Hooked-underlying-mechanics-addiction-treatment/dp/1952481317/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=hooked+arwen+podesta&qid=1629375948&sr=8-4
and have masters classes available on www.DrArwen.com
I am excited to soon create a metabolic mental health awareness coursework for my patients.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Having no family members in medicine, it was not a typical choice and I had no real guidance or advisors in my life. During undergraduate I landed some good internship then ended up working in biochemistry and genetics. I was trying to figure out what was next- MD or PhD or something else. A karate sensei I trained with made an amazing suggestion- find 5 people top in their fields, doing what you think you might want to do. And take them to lunch. Do an “informational interview” asking them 5 questions: how did you get into your field; what do you like about it; what do you dislike about it; describe your day to day; and would you do it again (and if not, what would you do?)
I did this and learned so much and it led me to at least give a try to apply to medical school, which was successful and then took it from there.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

Being overwhelmed cripples many, but for me it quickly makes me pause, pivot and make a change. Having people around that you can bounce ideas off of is key. During one of my burnout phases during the pandemic, I was feeling very siloed and alone in the challenges of my career and I created a simple text thread with 19 other female psychiatrists in the area, which has proven to be an incredible support system for all of us.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.DrArwen.com
• Instagram: @doctor.arwen
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PodestaPsychiatry/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arwen-podesta-md-8a396042?trk=public_profile_browsemap.
• Youtube: @doctorarwenpodesta
• Other: https://www.podestawellness.com