Lauren Varney, MD, CHWC
As a first year medical student back in 1997, my first assignment was to write a personalized version of the Hippocratic Oath. My last paragraph stated: “There is no I in the patient-doctor relationship. Rather, WE shall work together to understand the meaning of illness, health, prevention, life, death, pain and suffering, as it is experienced by each individual and family.” Over many years I have sought to live this out with passion, first as a physician, then as health teacher, consultant, educator, and certified health and wellness coach through Wellcoaches .
Though I may not have realized it at the time, the countless hours I have spent with the elderly in nursing home visits over the years, my hospice experience as both a doctor-in-training and as a volunteer, the months I spent visiting hospital patients as a volunteer chaplain, my weekend camp experiences as a big buddy to children experiencing the loss or critical illness of a loved one, my many years ministering to women in my church communities, and the years I have spent helping my mother navigate her chronic illness, have also helped to prepare me for God’s calling on my life —to help heal.
My desire to understand and experience personally what it means to be well (physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually) has led to years of independent study, training, and experience in many areas of interest such as nutrition, lifestyle medicine, mental health, brain health, stress modification, the faith and health connection, health coaching, and hospice. I have been trained to lead faith based programs such as the Pathway to Wholeness and ACE Overcomers, and have a certificate in mental health coaching and youth mental health coaching through AACC. In 2022 I completed a passion project and self published “On the Rock Wellness: Stepping Stones to Health and Wholeness”, to help others move in the direction of healing and wholeness, one step at a time. In 2024 I completed an 8 week Attuned Listener course which has forever changed the way I engage with and listen to others. Most recently, I completed a chaplaincy certificate program through the IFOC. Over the years I have enjoyed speaking to large groups on important topics such as stress, sleep, and anxiety. I also enjoy leading small groups through programs that I have intentionally designed to support them on their journey toward health and healing.
Then and Now
As a medical student, psychiatry resident, and urgent care physician early in my medical career, I learned all that I could about the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Since trading medicine for motherhood in 2006, my focus, energy, and passion have shifted from disease to health.
When I consider the trajectory of my life over all these years, I understand now what I couldn’t have seen at the beginning of my journey through medicine and healing:
- My medical training, training in psychiatry, in-depth research on psychotic depression, and experience working in an inpatient locked psychiatric facility taught me firsthand about the amazing complexity of the brain, diseases of the brain, and the impact of disease on minds, hearts, lives, families, and communities.
- Over the last few decades of my life, I have learned, both on an intellectual level and on a personal level, what was never taught to me in medical school (though thankfully things are changing in medical training today) — that lifestyle IS medicine. Our lifestyle — the way we eat, sleep, breathe, move, and connect with others — prevents and heals disease, and moves us powerfully in the direction of mental and physical healing.
- My relationship with God has taught me the importance of seeking God first and making Him my solid foundation for healing. The truth of the matter is that spirituality is linked with better health outcomes. For, what happens in our souls, happens in our cells. Amazing AND true.
What amazes me the most, but doesn’t really surprise me at all, is that what’s good for our brains (and thus our mental health) is good for every system in our bodies. So, as we take steps to heal our brain, the side effect is the healing of our hearts, our vessels, our immune system, our gastrointestinal systems, our metabolism — the list goes on and on. Who wouldn’t want that as a side effect? The reverse is also true — as we tend to our bodies, our mental health will improve.
I believe with all my heart and mind that the best approach to healing is to tend to your spirit, your soul, and your body. By design, these parts of us are intimately and intricately related. This whole-person approach will lead you on a journey toward healing, wholeness, and freedom, one step at a time.
My desire to educate, equip and support others on their journey toward wholeness is at the foundation of Stepping Stone Wellness. When it comes to the terms health and wellness, I see health as a desired outcome, elusive though it be. Wellness, however, is not about the outcome but the journey. It’s a day-by-day process involving awareness, learning, understanding, and then stepping toward both a greater sense of well-being and positive health outcomes. I believe that even in the midst of chronic disease, you can be well as you tend to your body, your soul, and your spirit, and begin to experience greater peace and less stress wherever you are on your journey toward health.
Disclaimer
Any information provided on this site and/or within formal and informal coaching sessions with me is intended to provide a broad understanding and knowledge of wellness topics. This information should not be considered complete and is not in any way a substitute for the advice of your own physician(s) or other healthcare provider(s) that is based on your own individual conditions, symptoms, or concerns. I recommend that you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet, or supplementation program. I specifically disclaim all responsibility for injury, damage, or loss that you may incur as a direct or indirect consequence of following any directions or suggestions given either on this site or in any formal or informal coaching session with me.