We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr Carla Rodrigues. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr Carla below.
Hi Dr Carla, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I am a first generation American, which means I was raised in an immigrant family. My family first migrated to the USA in the late 70s, to Newark, New Jersey from Portugal. They shared the same aspirations as any other immigrant who chose to move to the land of opportunity. When you leave your country behind, to an unknown place, with the sole purpose of being able to provide for your families, This does not only take a leap of faith, it takes courage, and a very solid work ethic. My family did everything they could to make ends meet so they could make a decent living. Integrity and hard work, this was what I was taught.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I left my home state of New Jersey to go to veterinary school in the Caribbean.
I have always been known for my wanderlust, so this was no surprise to me. Just a few years prior, I had been diagnosed with Endometriosis, a reproductive disease that left me debilitated with severe pain for several years. I was forced to take medical leave from my college courses and navigate the channels of healthcare blindly. I was told more than once there was nothing they could do for me and I would have to live that way. This ignited the fire within me that still burns today.
I took my health into my own hands and would not rest until I found the solution. I was extremely fortunate to find the best surgeon in New York that gave me my life back. Once I recovered, there was absolutely no other way, but forward. I set my mind to go to veterinary school, and the rest is history.
I spent three years in St Kitts at Ross University Veterinary School, and my clinical year at University of Minnesota in Saint Paul. Once I graduated vet school, I moved out to California where I started practicing in Big Bear, California. I was a brand new Vet handling many cases on my own, with on-call shifts overnight. I saw everything from reptiles, birds, bears, wolves, coyotes, birds, to, of course, dogs and cats.
During these first couple of years of practice, I knew there was something else I wanted to integrate into my medicine. And that something else was rehabilitation. I looked into programs and completed my specialty at University of Tennessee. This was the beginning of a whole other world and approach to medicine for me.
When I left California, I moved to Charlotte North Carolina, where I started to integrate Rehab into my practice. From there, I then moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where I currently live, and worked as a full-time Rehab vet for a local company. In that time, I also completed a course in veterinary acupuncture.
One thing led to another, and I decided to open my own practice where I can offer Integrative medicine- both conventional and alternative medicine together. And here I am, proud owner and founder of Pawsitive Healing. I exclusively specialize and mobility, meaning, I only treat patients who have challenges with walking and function. My cases range from geriatrics and arthritis, to postop recovery from orthopedic and neurologic surgeries. This means I see a lot of paralyzed and disabled pets. Pain management and quality of life are at the core of what I do.
In this past year, I have also completed a course in veterinary chiropractic, or spinal manipulation. I am very privileged in my practice to be able to transform my patients to better function and mobility. This is exactly why I became a veterinarian.
Outside my veterinary practice, I have also written a book named Release Your Inner Beast. I am also a certified life coach! My love for art, and culture has also brought me to be involved in the first Coast cultural center, where I currently hold the position as chairwoman on the board of directors.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Although I had not recognized it at the time, following my gut, every time I made a decision, especially when it came to my career. Every job change, every move. Don’t underestimate your intuition.
Perseverance and trust/faith/optimism are the others! Your mentality is about 95% of your journey. It is completely up to you what your path will look like. The other 5% are just the fillers that we call challenges we all face in our life, and always make life interesting.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I always remind myself to bring myself back to Center . It takes a lot of work and discipline to keep yourself balanced and grounded. We are constantly stimulated by our surroundings, societal expectations, work demand, clientele, family demands …. It is crucial to develop a routine for you, and only you. Whether that means reading, meditating, hot baths, getting a massage, sitting on your back porch and enjoying the breeze, drawing or painting; the most important thing is to set the time aside.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pawsitivehealingvet.com
- Instagram: pawsitive_healing_vet
- Facebook: Pawsitive Healing Mobility Center
- Other: www.empoweredwithincoach.com
