The AGES Multimedia Committee invited two speakers whose perspectives combined lived experience, medical expertise and coaching skills: Dr Tabitha Healey and Dr Olivia Ong.<\/p>\n
Dr Tabitha Healey, an Executive, Leadership and Life Coach and former medical oncologist, addressed the often-unseen emotional labour involved in caring for patients with chronic, complex or incurable conditions. Drawing on her experience balancing a demanding oncology practice with family life, she reflected on the cumulative impact of hearing trauma stories and witnessing suffering. She explored the distinction between personal failure and system failure, particularly when clinicians face barriers to care caused by resource constraints and access limitations.<\/p>\n
Tabitha emphasised that compassionate care involves action, but also recognises that being a present and attentive listener is often enough. She highlighted the importance of the energy clinicians bring into consultations and the value of maintaining a grounded presence while staying aligned with personal values and professional boundaries.<\/p>\n
Providing practical advice, she discussed values-based boundaries that preserve clinicians’ capacity to care rather than diminish it. Attendees were offered frameworks and language for responding to unrealistic expectations, requests for inappropriate interventions and patient anger in ways that remain honest, respectful and compassionate. She also reflected on how teams can process fear and grief following adverse events or public criticism, and what a wellbeing-informed gynaecology service might look like.<\/p>\n
Dr Olivia Ong, rehabilitation physician, coach and author of Back on My Feet<\/em>, shared her personal journey through catastrophic injury, disability, burnout and recovery. She described how these experiences reshaped her understanding of medicine, identity and self-worth. Olivia spoke about the impact repeated exposure to trauma, distress and complex pain can have on clinicians, leading to hypervigilance, exhaustion, numbness or compassion fatigue. Importantly, she emphasised that these effects are not permanent and that healing is possible.<\/p>\n Her presentation focused on practical strategies clinicians can use during challenging consultations, including grounding techniques before clinic, micro-pauses during difficult conversations and rituals following distressing cases. She encouraged attendees to support their own nervous systems rather than simply “push through” and reflected on moving away from an identity built on being endlessly capable toward one grounded in self-compassion, sustainable practice and shared responsibility.<\/p>\n Across both presentations, a consistent message emerged: setting appropriate boundaries does not create barriers to care; it creates the conditions for safe and sustainable care. By openly discussing these challenges and providing practical tools for emotional regulation, self-compassion and resilience, AGES aimed to support members to “heal while they help” and continue providing high-quality care to their patients.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/escope.ages.com.au\/july-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/OG_Headshots-2023_Kate_Full-Res-3_resized-300x225.jpg\")
<\/p>\nDr Kate Martin![\"\"](\"https:\/\/escope.ages.com.au\/july-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-22-at-9.25.44-pm-300x296.png\")
<\/p>\nDr Samantha Mooney