Talks for Residents and Fellows Finishing up Training
About Sarah Epstein, LMFT
Sarah Epstein, LMFT, is a licensed psychotherapist who specializes in supporting physicians and trainees across all levels of medical training — from medical students to residents, fellows, and early-career attendings. With a decade of clinical experience, she has worked with physicians in diverse specialties including cardiothoracic surgery, psychiatry, pediatrics, interventional radiology, radiology, ICU, emergency medicine, cardiology, nephrology, urology, ophthalmology, OB/GYN, general surgery, and robotic surgery.
She has provided both individual and couples therapy, addressing the unique challenges of medical training, including professional burnout, boundary-setting, balancing career and personal demands, and managing the emotional toll of patient care. Sarah is an Amazon bestselling author on medical relationships and has appeared on multiple podcasts discussing physician well-being and relational challenges.
Drawing on this experience, Sarah offers interactive, evidence-informed sessions designed to give trainees and early-career physicians practical tools to navigate stress, build resilience, and honor their humanity while developing their professional identities. Her goal is to equip participants with skills to thrive during critical transitions and in the high-pressure world of medical practice.
Note: All sessions are educational and interactive. They are designed for group learning and do not provide personal therapy.
Available Sessions
Available Sessions
Medical Students: Managing Relationships in Medical School
Audience: Incoming medical students
Length: 30–45 minutes
Focus:
Principles for healthy romantic relationships during medical training
Building effective communication skills
Common pitfalls in medical school relationships
Practical tools for balancing relationships with academic demands
Medical Students: Building Clinical Resilience (3rd Year Students)
Audience: Students starting clinical rotations
Length: 30–45 minutes
Focus:
Identifying personal strengths and stressors in patient care
Managing difficult patient encounters
Coping with grief, anger, and overwhelm in clinical settings
Self-care strategies when facing critically ill or dying patients
Medical Students: Managing Relationships During Residency Applications (4th Year Students)
Audience: Students applying for residency
Length: 30–45 minutes
Focus:
Navigating relationship challenges during residency applications
Having important conversations with partners about stress and logistics
Coping with the uncertainty of waiting periods
Building additional supports to sustain relationships
Residents and Fellows: Transitioning to Early Career Practice
Audience: Senior residents, fellows, new attendings
Length: 30–45 minutes (can be adapted)
Focus:
Managing expected and unexpected professional transitions
Redefining success and personal identity outside of training
Re-tooling relationships and recalibrating personal priorities
Professional boundaries in early career practice
Coping with the emotional challenges of patient care
Honoring your humanity while building your clinical identity
What I Help Physician Clients Address
Overcome burnout and reclaim parts of themselves lost during medical training
Manage anxiety, depression, and stress related to medical practice
Navigate relationship and marriage challenges when one or both partners are doctors
Balance the competing demands of patient care, paperwork, and family life
Address gender dynamics and workplace challenges in medicine
Manage the impact of metrics and institutional pressures on patient care
Sarah’s Featured Writing on Physician Well-Being
As part of my work supporting physicians and healthcare professionals, I regularly contribute articles to KevinMD.com. My writing explores physician burnout, relationship challenges, and the emotional side of practicing medicine.
Recent Articles
The Unseen Emotional Toll of Being a Physician
4 traits every new attending physician needs to thrive
Successful life after residency: 6 key ways to recover and thrive
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer in-person therapy for doctors and physicians in Maryland and Washington DC?
Yes. I’m a licensed LMFT offering in-person therapy in Silver Spring, MD (as of September) and currently offering virtual sessions to clients across Maryland and Washington, DC. Many clients I work with are physicians or other medical professionals with high-pressure schedules. My practice offers understanding and flexibility to schedule as works best.
What makes you different from other therapists that address things like anxiety and burnout?
Because I work with many doctors, residents, and other healthcare professionals, often comprising almost half of my caseload, I already understand the medical system, training pressures and indiosyncracies, and the unique pressures of corporate medicine. Many of my doctor clients express relief that they don’t have to explain things to me that they had to explain to other therapists. And because I see what has helped others in the same field, I’m well equipped to help new clients.
Is therapy confidential for doctors, surgeons, and other healthcare professionals?
Yes. Confidentiality is legally protected and taken seriously in therapy. I work with physicians, surgeons, and other professionals who often fear their vulnerability could affect their reputation or licensing. Therapy is a private space, and nothing is shared without your written consent unless there's a legal requirement to do so (such as safety concerns). I also offer secure telehealth options for added discretion.
I don’t have consistent availability because my schedule shifts week to week or month to month. Is that ok?
Yup! I understand that doctors, especially those in hospitals or surgical specialties, have unpredictable and inconsistent schedules. We can take scheduling week by week.
I work at a big medical center outside of the immediate DMV area, can I still see you privately for therapy?
Yes, I’m licensed in the entire state of Maryland as well as DC, so I can work with those located in Baltimore and other cities. I also work with physicians based in Pennsylvania and Texas.
I’m doing fine at my job. Nothing is lagging, but lately I feel burned out. Would therapy actually help?
Yes—therapy can help even when everything “looks fine” on the outside. You can reach a breaking point internally without any obvious signs to the outside world. Therapy helps you reconnect with yourself, identify what's driving the burnout, and make changes without having to give up your identity or success. And ideally, you don’t wait until things fall apart.
Ready to take the next step? Schedule therapy here.
Read Sarah’s articles on therapy in Psychology Today:
The discourse around family relationships has become all or nothing. Either we need to accept family members exactly as they are, or we have to cut them off entirely. Either they need to be met with gratitude, or they need to be held accountable.