261. From ER Burnout to Soulful Living: Enia Oaks on Poetry, Pause, and Healing

A heartfelt conversation with an ER physician, poet and author. 

From a Studio in Oakland, California: 108 Notes on Existence, is a must-read - whether you’re an ER physician, a young adult navigating the uncertainty of life, or someone simply seeking meaning and alignment. 

I discovered this book serendipitously a few weeks ago.

Enia and I connected via her publicist, who reached out asking if I was interested in receiving a copy of the book. Because the title had the word Oakland in it, near where I grew up, her email caught my eye.

Then I saw that an emergency room doctor had written it.  So I said yes. 

Once the real book arrived in my real mailbox, it was clear that we were meant to connect. 

Every passage resonated deeply.   

The book, released in May 2025, is a powerful integration of poetry, soul, and the lived experience of a physician waking up to a life more deeply felt.  

It is a beautiful and honest invitation to reconnect with ourselves, especially when we've been trained to disconnect. 

Pearls of Wisdom from our conversation:

• Your soul knows when you’re out of alignment. Dr. Oaks ( a pseudonym) shares how taking a pause—not knowing what came next, was what brought her back to life. We explore the courage it takes to step away from what’s expected to reconnect with what’s real.

• Disillusionment is a pathway, not a failure. We talk about how medicine teaches us to disconnect, but the cost is profound. Dr. Oaks’ writing gives voice to the silent grief and subtle truths that live within many of us.

• You don’t need permission to live a beautiful life. Through her reflections and poetic insights, Dr. Oaks reminds us that we are not here to endure life—we are here to feel it, shape it, and choose it.
  
  

Reflection Questions:

• What might you discover if you allowed yourself to pause, even for a moment?

• How might your life shift if you believed you were already whole?

• What would it feel like to choose a path because it feels right, not just because you can?
  
  

I encourage you to get yourself a copy of From a Studio in Oakland, California: 108 Notes on Existence.  It's a book to keep close by, to fold the corners of, and return to again and again.  

Please share the book, and this podcast conversation, with others.

AND please join Enia and me for a book club on July 13th @ 5 pm Pacific on Zoom.

More info coming soon.

If you're feeling the pull to reconnect with yourself, explore what’s next, or live more fully, join me for a coaching journey at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching.  Evem better, join me in person and come to a retreat where we rediscover alignment, community, and joy: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats.

If you’d like to bring a conversation like this to your team, institution, or conference, reach out for speaking opportunities at www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking.

Connect with Enia Oaks through her website at www.eniaoaks.com.

Nothing shared in the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.