Hi, I'm Kendra

I’ve been married to a neurosurgeon since 2003. I’ve lived every season of medicine, from residency with four young children to attending life and I know firsthand that external stability doesn’t automatically create internal peace. I spent years waiting to feel better. When that didn’t happen on its own, I started untangling who I had become inside survival mode. Now, as a Professional Certified Coach, I help physician spouses do the same.

Episode 15: The Truth About Physician Spouse Burnout & Secondary Trauma with Dr. Sarah Grimmer

Podcast

In this episode, Kendra welcomes Dr. Sarah Grimmer, a licensed clinical psychologist with a PhD in clinical psychology, to discuss her groundbreaking research on physician spouse burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and the program she has developed to support medical families.

Sarah shares her personal journey of balancing PhD studies and family life while her husband pursued a medical career. (Can you imagine?? 🤯) The conversation explores:

How secondary traumatic stress affects physician spouses
The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and suicidality among spouses
Key findings from Sarah’s research and what surprised her most
The importance of resilience and how medical life impacts families
A new digital video series to support physician families virtually

The episode also highlights collaboration with the Tarrant County Medical Society Alliance and Sarah’s upcoming research presentation at the American Conference on Physician Health.

Resources & Links

Dr. Sarah Grimmer, PhD
- Instagram: @drsarahmedlife
- Email: sarahadamsongrimmer@gmail.com
- Research Paper: When perceived physician burnout leads to family burnout: How secondary emotional trauma impacts physician spouses
Register for WellRounds (Sarah’s virtual program through the Tarrant County Medical Society Alliance):
👉 Event Registration
Upcoming Discussion Groups
- September 16, 2025 — 12:00 PM & 8:00 PM CT

Episode Timeline

00:00 – Introduction and Guest Welcome
04:05 – Meet Dr. Sarah Grimmer
05:07 – Balancing PhD and Medical Residency
06:17 – Research on Physician Spouse Burnout
08:04 – Understanding Secondary Traumatic Stress
10:29 – Collecting Data and Surprising Findings
13:03 – Suicide Awareness and Statistics
14:20 – Resilience and Medical Life Impact
16:34 – New Digital Video Series for Medical Families
19:25 – How to Participate and Register
21:40 – Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Check out this episode!

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Life After Survival Mode

A private reflection guide for physician spouses who thought it would feel better by now.

HI, I’M KENDRA

I’ve been married to a neurosurgeon since 2003. I’ve lived every season of medicine, from residency with four young children to attending life, and I know firsthand that external stability doesn’t automatically create internal peace. I spent years waiting to feel better. When that didn’t happen on its own, I started untangling who I had become inside survival mode. Now, as a Professional Certified Coach, I help physician spouses do the same.