Meet Dr. Whitney Donohue

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dr. Whitney Donohue. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dr. Whitney, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Oooh I love the topic of resilience! I believe that resilience is the built in, it is the deepest form of human nature, as we are designed to adapt & thrive in the face of adversity: physically, mentally & emotionally. Resilience is your body’s ability to adapt, change & bounce back. I believe we are all built with resilience, but the degree at which it differs is based on your ability to grow & to push the edges and lean into the discomfort, as resiliency is like a muscle, we all have it but it’s adaptability must be maintained and built.

For me personally, I learned to get comfortable with the uncomfortable, to push my limits enough that it feels scary but that is where the growth & the magic happens. It comes from getting knocked down and building back up, instead of giving up. I’m not great at giving up. I always strive for more, for better, to be better & to grow. The only way you get better is to lean into the discomfort & to get comfortable with the risks it takes to move forward & change. Never giving up, always pushing forward, being willing to pivot, change and grow is how you build resilience, it is how you become better. Building resilience is a powerful tool to have when life throws you curve balls in any form, you have greater ability to adapt, thrive and bounce back. Fortunately, for all of us, humans are wildly resilient. It’s inherent. You just have to use it to your advantage.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m Dr. Whitney, Naturopathic Physician, Professional Applied Kinesiologist, Certified NET Practitioner & Lifestyle Medicine Expert! I am the owner & lead physician at Quantum Body Optimization in Scottsdale, AZ.

Naturopathy is the core of my values. With every fiber of my being I believe in the healing power of nature, I believe in the body’s innate ability to heal itself, we has humans, just have to get out of our own way! By removing the obstacles, replenishing nutrients & getting back to the basics of being human, we are able to create space for the body to do its thing. This is where the magic happens. I always approach healing by looking at the whole person, peeling back the layers of the onion (body) to get to the root cause & do so by treating as naturally as possible. I am a huge fan of putting as many natural human habits back into your life!

What is super exciting about my practice is that I use the amazing tool of Muscle testing. This allows us to identify what the body needs most, to peel back the layers & get you thriving faster & more efficiently! This allows for deeper evaluation, to receive in- real time feed back from the body and allows us to address the physical, chemical (toxins or nutrients) & emotional aspects that need to be addressed for you to heal. It is so much fun and provides immediate changes to jump start your healing journey!

Sports medicine & performance optimization is my bread and butter! Healing unresolved stress patterns & balancing the nervous system are my secret weapons. My approach is always less is more. If I can restore balance in the nervous system by releasing emotions, correcting a movement patterns or prescribing sunlight, I prefer that over giving out loads of supplements. You have the power to heal your own body, you don’t need all the quick fixes & magic pills.

I have personally crawled my way back from severe chronic pain & every modality I use in my practice is something that helped me personally heal, therefore I set out to learn all the techniques, so I can help you heal faster, deeper & more efficiently! Because of this, I am one of deep compassion but also full of tough love! I believe that your health & your healing is YOUR responsibility. I am here to guide you, give you the support & the tools you need, but the power is yours & yours alone. I believe that you should feel empowered in your health & your life!

Most the healing comes from my hands but I have a deep love for homeopathy, herbs, flower essences & essential oils. I believe in the power of sunlight, nature, grounding, cold water, whole foods, laughter, positive human connection & love. I am here to make you think differently about health & healing. I am here to empower you & support you! Being human is complicated but healing doesn’t have to be when you get back to the basics of what you really need to thrive!

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?
Three most important qualities and skills that have been the most impactful in my journey so far has been deep passion, my work ethic and willingness to grow. One of the biggest things for me was my passion. I’ve been obsessed with muscles, movement and the human body since I can remember and it was the driving force behind my journey taking the course it has. It was also the thing that kept me going when things were/are difficult. You always have to remember why you started, stay connected to the things that you are truly passionate about and connect often. Another is my work ethic. I have always been determined to show up and give 100% of myself and hold high expectations of my self and what I put out into the world no matter what it is I am doing. Some of it is perfectionism, but it allowed me to be really good at what I was passionate about and pursing. In turn, it shows up in every part of my business, how I work with people, how I can best serve, the services and products I put out, etc. I also knew that I wanted to do things differently and to do so, I had to take the lead, I had to pave the way for my own goals and to do so I had to stay the course and believe in my vision but I also had to work hard really had and put good things out into the world. With that comes the skill and the ability to grow. I think when we envision our goals we only see one way of getting there but through the process you have to be willing to pivot, to personally grow and be open to change, to really be able to succeed. I was not always great at this but the more I leaned into change & pushed myself to grow both personally and professionally, the more things changed in a positive way. My advice would be to keep moving forward, be willing to pivot and change course even if it’s not exactly how you planned, as sometimes the things that unfold are far greater than what you could have ever imagined. And remember your WHY. Continue to check in and connect to your why, what makes it fun and what drives you, because you’ll need it when things get tough to help remind you why you started in the first place.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
I think one of the most impactful things my parent did for me was to lead by example. They also own their own business and they worked really hard everyday to build it. I think that is where a lot of my work ethic came from, watching them be so hands on in their business and take so much pride in what they built from the ground up. When I run into challenges or have questions, hearing about how they started and the things they had to do to get to where they are today is really special and a gentle reminder of doing good work and showing up, being willing to adapt and change allows your business to thrive!

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Image Credits
Jared Murray

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