Belief Systems, featuring Dr. Christy Walter — 

by | Mar 23, 2023 | blog, podcast

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About: My name is Dr. Christy Walter and am a board certified Emergency Medicine Physician and hold a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. Having the privilege of serving people over the last 20+ years in settings ranging from crisis counseling centers, hospice, trauma hospitals, community hospitals, and rural hospitals, has been rewarding. I helped spearhead the development of an Urgent Care in an underserved, rural community in Missouri. Currently, I practice telemedicine in order to have more time to dedicate to DogGone Depression. There have been gut-wrenching moments and joy-filled encounters, but some of my wildest adventures in medicine happened while serving people in Zambia, Africa.  The belief started…  (Crazy stories. Book coming soon…)

Most people think that the medical profession offers a luxurious life filled with high salaries, beautiful homes, nice cars, and security. Some of that is true…But that’s not the whole truth. Trauma, death, long hours, student loan debt, lack of belife and hope, and unrealistic expectations take a toll. There were times I felt like I was dying inside.

Life Beliefs

See, I have struggled with Anxiety, Depression and cPTSD for decades. I know what it is like to live in “survival mode.”  There have been countless hours and thousands of dollars in therapy spent. In 2019, at the height of my career, I fell and broke my foot and shoulder. The focus was to  try andmake it work but couldn’t safely maneuver through the ER, so I went out on FMLA. Forced to slow down, the depression and PTSD that I kept at bay through work and busyness overtook me.

I knew I was going down but couldn’t stop the slide into despair, hopelessness, and suicidality. Overwhelmed by trauma triggers and I then reached the end of myself. A friend noticed the change and convinced me to get more help. Reluctantly, I checked myself into residential treatment. Hospitalizion was the next step for a total of six months. Most of it is a blur but I clearly knew that what I had been doing to stave off the depression and anxiety was not working and I needed to make some radical changes.

Plans of Belief

My psychiatrist cleared me to return to work in January 2021. I was excited to jump back into the fray. However, my employer unexpectedly fired me. As the only breadwinner, I panicked. See, my husband had gone out on “temporary disability” six months after we got married and never returned to work. I begged him to get a job but he was unable to help. We had to sell everything: our home, the horses, and a car. Therefore, I found myself scrambling to find another job.

Fortunately, I hired on with an organization that needed a physician with my skill set to open an Urgent Care. I landed on my feet. But the experience and life circumstances changed me. No longer willing to carry all the weight and I knew I was not able to work at the same level of intensity as I had before. My goal and mantra became: “NO DEBT, NO GUILT, MORE TIME.”

With a clear vision and new focus, I took steps to freedom. I ramped up work with a telemedicine job, filed for divorce, and moved to Florida. Determined to reinvent myself, one day during prayer and meditation, I started to sketch the face of my dog. As the portrait unfolded, I felt the love of God through the heart and eyes of my dog. I shared the finished portrait with friends who then asked me to do portraits of their dogs. Before I knew it, a business was born. But I didn’t stop there.

Teachngs of Belief

In medical training we live by the motto: “See one, do one, teach one.” So, I am combining my years of education and my own experiences into a course to help other people who struggle with mental health issues. I am taking the best of what I have learned, combining it with art and creating tangible action steps that will lead to lasting change.

I want to come along side you. Together we will systematically break down the barriers that perpetuate anxiety and depression and will learn the skills needed to  step into freedom. Together we will find hope, healing and happiness.

QUOTE of The Moment: Life is the sum total of what you are willing to accept.

Professional Bio: A Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physician with 20+ years of experiencing working in various facilities including trauma centers, community hospitals and telemedicine. In addion, I also helped spearhead the development of an Urgent Care in rural Missouri to provide care to an underserved community.

Life Accolades

I also have an MA in Counseling Psychology  I worked as a crisis counselor, hospice counselor, trauma counselor at Vietnam Veterans of San Diego and Marriage, Family Child Counselor in private practice.

Writing is another thing I do, as I am a published author, recently published a children’s book called: “An Unlikely Champion: The Story of a Horse and the Girl Who Loved Him.” It is a true story about a horse who was felt to be inferior and how he and the little girl found his special gifting and went on to become world champions.

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