Elizabeth Callaghan, MD

As a physician, I want people to focus on the things that they can change and less on the things they can’t change. I bring a positive approach to my patients and find that it helps then bring about positive change in their lives and achieve goals they set for themselves. I find that many people focus on the negative things in life and have a difficult time moving forward. The ownership of your health is in each individual’s control. Patients who try to improve their outlook on life also try to improve their health and well-being. I emphasize focusing on the positive side of life with my patients and to view themselves as healthy. I encourage spending less time focused on the negative “don’t haves” and to stop, take a moment and appreciate everything around them.

I love working with the younger spectrum of patients because of their hopeful and willing attitude, and find that I can still affect a change in them by teaching them to take care of their mind and body. It’s also the ideal time to teach them how to feel empowered by building their self-esteem. I ask about their friends and what they do for fun in a non-judgmental conversation to open the door to discuss healthy and smart choices and to understand if they, themselves are making wise choices. I also like to ask them about the plans they have for the future and are always surprised to find very few adolescents who have thought about future plans.

Mental health and environmental influences on domestic life have always been a key point of interest for me. Raising children is a marathon and what you do early in the marathon can affect the final outcome both positive and negative. I like to help parents understand how a negative environment affects kids physically and mentally. Kids are influenced by everything around them. They become adept at reading body language and intuitively understand the unspoken. It’s important for parents to remember that they have a lot of influence as children are growing up. Waiting until they are teens is less effective.