Meet Felicia Carpino

We were lucky to catch up with Felicia Carpino recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Felicia, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

I believe that everything happens for a reason. I strongly trust that the universe has a plan for us and no matter what comes our way, there is always a reason for us to experience challenges or celebrations. I am optimistic because without hardship, there would be no reward. Having a positive outlook and hope is something that I have carried with me daily in order to maintain composure and confidence in myself. It is easy to have a negative outlook on the things going on in the world around us, but I practice daily gratitude to try and change the way we are programmed to think and view things from a different lens.

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

I am a Naturopathic Doctor and Doula practising in Wasaga Beach and virtually for all of Ontario residents. My practice is focused on women’s health, as it is such an underserved population in our health care system. I support my patients with health concerns, including menstrual irregularities, hormonal imbalances, PMS, fertility, digestion and mental health. I also support women through the labour and delivery experience with their newborns as a Doula. I love educating patients on their health status, answering their questions when it comes to the latest health trends and also keeping up with research to ensure I have the most evidence-based options. This is where I meet my patients where they are at and build individualized plans for them.

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?

1. Empathy – this helped me build connections with patients, understand them as best I can and support them in the best way possible; everyone’s health concerns are different and I learned quickly how important it is to meet patients where they are at
2. Confidence – I realized that I know more than I think I do and I have all of the necessary skills to be successful; once I gained more confidence in myself and my abilities, I found myself feeling for comfortable supporting patients with their health concerns and being able to adapt whenever necessary
3. Being my own patient – this is still a bit of a struggle for me as it is not always easy to practice what you preach; however, I needed to be a patient myself in order to better understand what type of practitioner I want to be for my own patients; I cannot show up for them if I cannot show up for myself first

Advice that I have for others who are early in their journey is to find who you are and what type of practitioner you want to be. The more confidence and experience that you can bring, the easier it will be for patients to relate to you and feel heard, understood and supported by you.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

When I am feeling overwhelmed, it is mostly from having a long to-do list (patient emails, finalizing treatment plans, signing off charts, prepping for new patient visits, etc.). I usually try to prioritize my list on what needs to be completed first or what tasks I can complete the fastest to shorten my list. In order to set myself up for success, I try to create a comfortable surrounding, so I make a cup of coffee/tea, ensure I ate a nutritious meal to nourish myself, put some calming music on, etc. I also set boundaries with myself and others to ensure that I complete all of my tasks and this includes when I am outside of my office hours or even taking some time for a vacation to recharge. I encourage others to take a deep breath, prioritize and take breaks whenever they are feeling overwhelmed.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @dr.felicia.nd