Client Testimonials
Over the course of her career, Dr. Gazelle has had the opportunity to coach over 500 physicians one-to-one. Here’s what a few of them have to say:
What clients are saying about Dr. Gail Gazelle’s physician , leadership, and executive coaching
“Dr. Gazelle is a fantastic resource! She fosters growth by listening patiently, probing carefully into all the problems, and sternly developing specific behaviors to help her physicians reach new levels of success. As a mid-career neurosurgeon, I feel she has helped rejuvenate my attitude while at the same time helping me be more mature and understanding.”
“I began coaching with Dr. Gazelle during a time of great change in my life. I was continually evaluating what felt authentic to me and what I truly wanted, and trying to let go of the “shoulds” that had been a big part of my life. Gail was instrumental in the process; she listened deeply, frequently hearing what I was saying “between the lines” and reading my body language and facial expression. I emerged with a clear sense of what matters most to me as well as a growing ability to autocorrect when I start to stray off course. I cannot recommend her highly enough!”
“It is an honor to work with Dr. Gazelle. Her approach to charting efficiency is so humane, and filled with so much understanding of what goes on in a physician’s daily life. She has helped me develop a mindset of focusing on what is really important both in work and life, and has given me the tools to accomplish it. She has challenged me to become the best version of myself. Thank you!!”
“Dr. Gazelle is a fantastic coach, mentor, and sounding board. She listens, takes it all in, and quickly understands the strategic vision, leadership styles, and personal and organizational roadblocks to success. It’s all about growth as a leader and a person, and I am most appreciative of her gentle challenges to perhaps see things from a different perspective. Her constant refrain is to understand and draw upon our value system – that inner core that shapes how we perceive ourselves and how others receive us as leaders.”
“I found Gail’s teaching very helpful in identifying areas where bad habits and emotions were contributing to my charting issues as well as some solutions to those issues. I came away from her charting program with concrete ideas for improvement going forward, and I am happy to report that I have been able to maintain control over charting since the workshop. I feel optimistic going forward.”
“Gail’s charting coaching helped me see how much my mindset was contributing to my difficulty getting my charts done. I now see that I was making my notes into something much more than a note. It was so helpful seeing that a is not all me! I can now give myself permission to drop my perfectionism, and I am closing my notes faster and not having them build up in the same way.!”
“Gail has helped me take my career productivity and happiness to the next level. In the span of working together for just 3 months, I successfully studied for and passed licensing boards without procrastinating. I applied for and won a leadership role in my department that I wouldn’t have thought to consider a few months ago. I am spending my time pushing goals forward and enjoying my family instead of spinning my wheels on worrying thanks to helpful mental constructs she has helped me develop. I can’t wait to see what the next few months working together will bring!”
“The time that I spent working with Gail has been invaluable for my career and personal well-being. Through careful listening and understanding how my mind “ticks”, Gail helped me develop an arsenal of tools for daily interactions that I used to find draining. I am more confident, ruminating less, and much happier!”
“I learned so much from my coaching sessions with you. You opened my eyes to how I was seeing things and empowered me with the many strategies and insights you shared. Your advice to crystalize and use my life purpose to center my perspectives and decision-making was invaluable and freeing. I now find myself more focused when facing challenges and dilemmas. I am so grateful that I found you!”
“I came to Gail burned out, down about my work, and dreading every shift. After only 3 sessions with Gail, I don’t dread my shifts anymore, and now feel balanced, grounded, and truly happy with my work life, which I haven’t felt in years. The difficulties in my job remain but I feel like I have control over them, rather than vice versa, and that I know how to manage them without being overwhelmed by them. I feel like I’m gaining confidence in my own resilience every day. Thank you, Gail!”
“As a recent “graduate” of Gail’s leadership program, I am amazed at what a difference a year makes. Gail helped me lean into my strengths, values, and emotional intelligence to build confidence and overcome imposter beliefs. Gail was a delight to work with – easy to talk to, asked thought-provoking questions, and committed to finding ways to help me achieve my goals.”
“When I took a charting program with Dr. Gazelle, I learned a lot of insight into things that were holding me back and it’s really made a big difference. I highly recommend learning from her around charting and around doctoring in general.”
“I looked into several coaches before choosing Gail, one of whom charged over $5,000 just to get started! Gail has helped me clarify my goals, create positive momentum, and explore my options for a more fulfilling career. She is concise, affordable, on track, and holds me to task. I recommend her highly.”
“Gail is absolutely the best! I have utilized her expertise and coaching services for 2 years now, and I have been nothing but impressed. She has helped me ground myself so that I am able to be the best leader that I am capable of being. She has provided training for me far beyond what any book or course could ever teach. I cannot say enough about how essential she has been to my career.”
“After practicing Emergency Medicine for 12 years, I was completely burned out, experiencing profound dread prior to every shift, and a major sense of frustration. After working with Gail for less than 3 months, my mind is more at ease while at work and the angst that I experienced beforehand has begun to fade. I now have a restored sense of what I want for myself, my family and my career in medicine going forward. I owe Gail my peace of mind and will forever be indebted to her.”
“Dr. Gail Gazelle is absolutely amazing! I started working with Dr. Gazelle as my faculty coach in February 2020, just before COVID-19 cases surfaced. My original goals were to be more productive, to procrastinate less, and to be more present for my family. With the advent of the Coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Gazelle not only helped me with my original goals but also with working through the fears, uncertainties, and stressors of being a physician and frontline worker. She is observant, thoughtful, kind, and very effective with her methods. The fact that she can help physicians stay calm, focused, and productive during a pandemic is a testament that she is a phenomenal coach.”
“As a new physician joining an established group, I found myself disrespected and bullied. Gail helped me recognize my vulnerability, unpack my imposter syndrome, validate my experience, and define my strengths and core values. I am at the same place, with the same flawed cast of characters, but I am now much more resilient. Gail also gave me tools to respond and deflect, rather than taking things so personally. In all the years of training, I never knew how helpful physician coaching could be, and I would recommend Gail highly without any reservation. Thank you so much, Gail, for your insight and encouragement.”
“I met Gail during a very challenging time in my professional life. I was highly impressed by how quickly and well she could understand the complexity of my work situation. I feel she did that by listening carefully and with an open mind, putting in the time and effort required to understand things, being humble, and utilizing her vast experience and wisdom as a physician coach. Step by step, she helped me discover and leverage my own strengths to navigate some very difficult and gut-wrenching issues to achieve personal growth and professional success. I would highly recommend Dr. Gazelle to any physician who needs a steady, helping hand during a difficult time.”
“Before coaching with Gail, I was miserable. I hated going to work. I felt like my patients were a burden and the front desk staff and the medical assistants were out to get me. I found Gail on the Internet and I jumped in with both feet. It has been worth every penny and then some.
I have the same job with the same inexperienced supervisor, the same staff, and the same patients but I have changed. My outlook and attitude have changed. I have developed tools to help me with the difficult administrator and staff. I enjoy the patients again. I enjoy the discovery of medicine again. I do not feel that everyone is against me. I am more present with my daughters and my husband.
It was the best money I have ever spent.”
“I’ve tried many things to manage long-standing anxiety, reactivity, and self-criticism. From a very insightful and empathetic stance, Gail’s mindfulness coaching has helped me reshape how I approach work and life, utilizing concrete mindfulness tools to keep me grounded, less anxious, and with a whole new level of clarity and sense of control. I feel so much happier and less reactive at work. With Gail’s guidance, I’m living more and more as the best possible me.”
“I came to Gail because I felt dissatisfied with my work and wasn’t sure how to move forward. Coaching was unexpectedly illuminating and it was also fun! Gail helped me learn quite a bit about myself and I now feel much freer. I’m in the same job but am clearer about my priorities, am more present for myself and my family, and am experiencing much less stress. Thank you Gail.”
“Working with Gail far surpassed my expectations. I work in a very politically charged environment with many silos having competing interests and agendas. Gail’s coaching helped me see thru this, and to maintain focus on the priorities of my department. Managing the inter-personal relationships with these individuals with competing interests was initially hampering my abilities as a physician leader. Now, rather than being managed, I am leading more effectively. I couldn’t have gotten here without Gail.”
“I started coaching with Gail because I was dreading going to work, had some incapacitating anxiety attacks on my way to work, and I seriously thought about early retirement. Coaching with Gail turned things around. After only a few sessions, and some deep soul searching, one year later I am still working at the same place but am less distressed, actually relatively content, my Press Ganeys have skyrocketed, and I have not had an anxiety attack since our coaching. I am much less cranky at work and now my staff smile when they see me coming in for my shift. I hope to continue working for a few more years and am enjoying my relationship with my patients and their families. Life is good. Thank you Gail.”
“I’ve been very frustrated with my current practice but, before our work, I lacked the confidence to make the career change I knew I wanted to make. It helped immensely that Gail is a physician. She helped me figure out what was holding me back and clearing it out of the way. Gail has been very supportive, insightful, and 100%+ in my camp. With her assistance, I recently moved forward with a new job. Gail has been a great sounding board, confidante, and strategic planner. I recommend her highly.”
“Having Gail as my coach has been the best decision I made since deciding to go into medicine. In the summer of 2016 I felt burnt out and overwhelmed. Gail helped me understand the underlying causes and align my priorities, transforming my professional and social life. Now I have more free time with my family while still maintaining my salary. Gail even helped me secure a significant raise! Most importantly, I now feel better prepared to handle any new challenges that will come in the future. I can’t thank Gail enough.”
“Leadership coaching with Gail led me to understand what I need to do to be at my best. I now operate from a place of greater personal autonomy, sense of options, and make decisions every day based on a greater sense of priorities. The external pressures haven’t changed, but I now have stronger tools for coping with them.”
“I was very pleasantly surprised and very pleased with our coaching. A voyage of introspection can sometimes start with an external nudge, as mine did. Your coaching helped me to see what I was doing well and what needed work. The whole process was collegial and I felt the sessions were more like talking with a friend. I am grateful for the opportunity and glad you made it both helpful and painless.”
“I started coaching because, although I appeared to be at the pinnacle of my academic career, I was unhappy at work, was so stressed I couldn’t sleep and was developing other health problems, and didn’t value myself. Through coaching with Gail, I feel a renewed sense of purpose and life, and now not only enjoy my work but am more productive. My life is moving forward in ways I couldn’t imagine before. Gail gives 150% of herself and is highly skilled. My life has changed fundamentally while working with Gail for the last year. I am very grateful to have discovered her coaching.”
“Dr. Gazelle knocks the Charting Your Life course out of the park. Examining both the front and backstories of what causes charting inefficiency, she helps us explore the mental models that hold us back. Can’t recommend this highly enough!“
“Forced to receive counseling by my hospital’s medical board after a single careless utterance, Dr. Gazelle was recommended. She was direct and effective in the most compassionate possible way. She was creative, insightful, and resourceful in guiding me on a journey of self-reflection, mindfulness, and behavior modification with the overarching goal of helping me be the best I can possibly
“When I started working with Gail, I was overwhelmed with work and home responsibilities but felt unsure of how to change my circumstances and of what I really wanted my life to look like. I really appreciated Gail’s ability to take me back to my core values and goals and figure out small steps to take to move toward these. Taking these small steps helped me gain the courage to make a bigger change in my career which I could have never imagined six months ago. I am really grateful for her support and ability to challenge me to take action. I would highly recommend her services to anyone who needs a little extra help getting to a more satisfying and peaceful place in their work/life balance.”
“I came to Gail feeling trapped, dragged down by work, and unsure of how to take care of myself. Through Gail’s mindfulness coaching, I am much more in touch with the truly important things in my life. I started because of work related issues; but it suddenly became clear that my perspective about life in general was what I needed to find clarity about. Many “ aha” moments have emerged about how changes in the practice of medicine had wreaked havoc on my soul and how I want to deal with it. I learned a path to letting go of the past. During our time together I have been diagnosed with serious illness, and my time with Gail helped me to face this with courage and hope for the best life from now on. All of this has led to better self-compassion and the ability to have glimpses of joy in every day. Months of Gail’s coaching has been endlessly more effective than years with various therapists.
I highly recommend Gail to my colleagues who are feeling the moral pressure of being torn from the patient’s bedside and thrust into unfulfilling work.”
“I came to Gail after realizing that my old ways of coping no longer worked as well as I wanted. From the start, Gail’s supportive and empathetic stance helped me see that I can cope despite the many stressors of practice. She brings much insight, and the multiple mindfulness tools we utilize have expanded my awareness and perspective. I am now more patient with staff, less judgmental, and much less reactive. I feel a sense of empowerment and success at handling the challenges. I am very grateful to Gail.”
“I was being bullied in my workplace and felt trapped, inferior, and depressed. Gail’s supportive coaching gave me the tools to see my strengths, stand up for myself, and reverse the pattern of negativity. She’s also helped me be the parent I want to be. Coaching with Gail has been a lifesaver. I give Gail my highest recommendation. “
“I had been unhappy for a few years at my current job at a large academic medical center – uncertain promotion process, burnout, lack of focus, frustration, and indecision about how to manage. Gail’s coaching helped me and guided me to gain clarity about my strengths, motivations, and purpose. The process helped me be more aligned with exactly what it is that I want as opposed to what others want for me. Whether I stay or leave my position, I’m much more at peace and can see more clearly the right steps in my path forward.”
“I have been a client of Dr. Gazelle’s for over a year. She has coached me through the process of clarifying my career goals from this point forward, helped me to make some difficult decisions by clarifying how I framed the issues, and has helped me through some personal rough places. Many of us in medicine find ourselves in places we never wished to be, and we feel trapped there. I recommend Dr. Gazelle highly for any physician who is facing career decisions that are not simple, or who is feeling trapped in her/his current situation. It is very much time well-spent.”
“Gail has helped transform my career from one that was perfectly fine into one that is truly outstanding and satisfying. In leadership training, individuals are recommended to lead from their own strengths, but it’s easier said than done. Working with Gail, it has been a natural progression of identifying and using my strengths to the advantage of me and others involved in my work. Instead of focusing on what I don’t have, now I find ways to depend on what I do have to make it all work. I cannot say enough about how useful Gail’s coaching has been to my career and quality of life.”
“I was at a crossroads in my career and lacked the confidence to make decisions about next steps. Working with Dr. Gazelle helped me see my inner strengths and how to use them going forward. She helped lessen my anxieties and pursue my goals both personal and professional. For high-functioning professionals, coaching makes more sense than psychotherapy.”
“In the midst of never-ending pressures of work and family life, it has been very helpful to have a safe and supportive space to focus on me. Through coaching, I feel more in control and empowered in my life. Dr. Gazelle is completely focused on my goals and agenda, and as someone growing into my leadership position, it has been invaluable working with her. The return on investment has been far more than I ever could have anticipated.”
“I was referred for coaching by my hospital. Although it was not my choice to see a coach, I found the process worthwhile and actually enjoyable. Dr. Gazelle’s process helped me focus on my strengths and what I have to offer those around me. It was a unique and valuable experience to spend time looking at me, instead of all my responsibilities, and Gail helped me reach my goals. I am glad to have worked with Dr. Gazelle.”
“Gail was a lifeline for me. She helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses, and how to work through very challenging career circumstances I was facing. She encouraged me, she inspired me, she pushed me, and all of that helped me get through a really rough year. I owe her a lot.”
“I came to coaching to resolve workplace issues that seemed intractable and left me feeling powerless. In just three months of working with Gail, I have gained an arsenal of skills and strategies that help me be more productive and content at work. If you’re looking to increase your confidence and make changes in your life, coaching with Gail can really help.”
“Coaching with Gail has been an enjoyable and transformative journey beginning with burnout, a sense of desperation, and doing more and more to prove my worth. With Gail’s mindfulness coaching, I have more authenticity, ease, and enjoyment both at work and at home. The challenges in professional and family life remain, but I am more efficient and at ease with my clinical work, more comfortable with a wider range of emotions, and am living a much happier and full life. Thank you so much Gail.”
“Initially, I thought coaching would be too touchy-feely and not practical. Over the last 6 months, those reservations are gone and I’m getting great results. Gail’s unyielding support and expertise has helped me be much more productive at work and gain a sense of calm. Gail has helped me grow into my increased leadership role. Coaching with Gail has been more helpful than I could have imagined.”
“Working with Dr. Gail Gazelle in a one-time negotiation session was worth every penny and minute and truly helped me gain the confidence and know-how I needed to negotiate a larger raise with a recent promotion. I was particularly impressed that Dr. Gazelle went out of her way to touch base with me the night before I was scheduled to meet with my boss to give me a few extra tips and go over a few details. In the end, I received a larger raise than I had even asked for. I would recommend without hesitation scheduling a negotiation session with Dr. Gazelle to any of my colleagues or friends who find themselves in a similar situation.”
“As a fellow physician, Gail Gazelle understands that we are “action-oriented” types of people; we like to set and reach goals. She uses a similar approach as sports coaches and unlike traditional ‘therapy’: focus on the present and future, set goals outside of your comfort zone, and push yourself to reach them. As I am both a physician and an athlete, her style is akin to ‘deliberate practice’ in medicine or ‘running lines’ in sports. She helped me target and reach my own personal and professional goals. Thank you Gail.”
“Through leadership coaching with Gail I’m gaining clarity and focus that helps me deal with a variety of leadership situations more effectively and with a newfound confidence. Gail’s relaxed and flexible style makes each coaching session enjoyable and productive, and with each session I see immediate results! I’ve truly thrived and I’m developing the leadership style that fits for my personality and strengths. Thank you Gail.”
“Gail’s unique combination of strengths — her intelligence, compassion, perception, and enthusiasm — are unmatched. Her fun, yet focused, style of coaching connected me to the best version of myself and helped me move forward personally and professionally into a life that is fulfilling and purposeful. With her encouragement, I felt supported every step of the way.”
“I came to coaching because I was stuck regarding a work situation that left me frustrated and exhausted. Although it was very difficult for me to effect the change I wanted to make, Gail provided the accountability and encouragement that kept me moving forward. She was also flexible, tailoring her approach to meet my individual style and needs. Having Gail by my side allowed me to move from a stuck position. It wasn’t as difficult as I had imagined and I felt better afterwards.”
“Working with Gail this past year has been immensely helpful. As a retired physician reentering the workforce, Gail has helped me with specific tasks, and with understanding and overcoming internal and external obstacles. I have strengthened my communication skills, and I am much clearer about what I have to offer the world. With her expert mindfulness coaching, I’m moving closer toward my goal and finding more life satisfaction along the way. I give Gail my highest recommendation!”
“Gail Gazelle is a compassionate and insightful person, who will work hard to get you to moving toward your goals. Coaching with Dr. Gazelle helped me step back and begin to align all aspects of my life toward the goals I choose. I feel more relaxed and also am becoming the captain of my own ship. Dr. Gazelle’s dedication to her work is obvious, and with her skills and talents, you will find yourself advancing toward a new you before you know it.“
“I was eager to work with Dr. Gazelle after an eye-opening 30-minute introductory session. Her creative and empowering guidance for self-assessment and realization gave me the confidence I needed to transition from a clinical to an executive role in hospice. I recommend Dr. Gazelle highly to all who need career-polishing of any kind!”
“In her coaching, Gail brings a unique and much-needed combination of wisdom, compassion, and competence to physicians and physician leaders.”
“My dream job was a stretch and, as a Latina woman, I was insecure about my qualifications. Gail got me to believe in my strengths and value and worked intensively to prepare me so I was able to project that I was the perfect candidate. I not only got the job but, with Gail’s expert coaching, I didn’t settle… I pushed and got the salary I wanted. I never could have done this without her. I am so grateful to Gail.”
“As surgeons, we are taught to always be efficient and to lash out at anything that gets in our way. Gail’s coaching helped me step out of patterns that were ingrained in me in my training, and were now tripping me up. Now I have a protocol for stepping back that allows more productive and constructive ways to work with others and still accomplish all my tasks. The surgeon’s work is highly stressful. Working with Gail has given me the tools to manage the stresses and to thrive.”
“I started coaching with Gail as my Press Ganey’s were in the gutter and I’d tried everything imaginable to improve them. Using mindfulness and other techniques, Gail helped me figure out exactly where I was getting hung up and how to do things differently. Same patients, same problems but now I’m not only getting much better scores but I’m also much happier at work and at home. The impact of Gail’s coaching has been immeasurable.”
“Gail helped me recognize and articulate my strengths and values, improve my professionalism as a physician, and develop the servant-leadership skills needed to support my career growth. As a result of our work, I’m much happier in my job, have stronger skills for working with non-physician administrators, and have landed the leadership role I’ve long wanted.”
“Coaching with Gail was a professional game changer for me. She helped liberate me from long-standing impostor feelings and facilitated the emergence of my true leadership self. Thank you Gail.”
”My group hired Dr. Gazelle to work with a physician that we really wanted to succeed who was struggling to integrate into our practice. Dr. Gazelle did a thorough assessment of our department identifying staff and physician concerns. We saw substantive improvement and progress in all areas of concern. I was impressed that the physician being coached by Dr. Gazelle was the one most appreciative of the process. I am happy to say the physician was offered partnership in our practice. Without reservations I would recommend Dr. Gazelle as a physician coach.”
“I had the pleasure of attending a mindfulness and resilience retreat led by Gail and Paula Gardiner this past January. We were a group of 25 physicians feeling burnt out and looking for ways to master the stresses of our daily lives. Gail and Paula helped identify the factors contributing to burn-out and then gave us tools to help manage and overcome those feelings.
I left the retreat refreshed and more confident in my ability to minimize the stressors in my life with the goal of becoming more competent, compassionate, and satisfied in my work and home life.”
“Gail has the wisdom, character and years of experience in healthcare systems that allows her to create safe space for physicians to reflect. I attended a physician meditation and wellness retreat she offered in Boston and left feeling energized, connected and renewed. Her simultaneously gentle and strong nature was exactly what was needed to allow me to ask myself critical questions and create a sustainable self-care routine for the future. Highly recommend.”
Working with Gail helped me in a number of ways. She provided me the tools to manage self-doubting beliefs that were holding me back and keeping me from recognizing my full worth to patients and colleagues. She also helped me think through and prioritize opportunities so they’re based not only on career advancement but also on family and personal fulfillment and alignment. I would recommend coaching with Gail to any physician looking to increase resilience and focus on what truly matters!”
“I came to Gail after 10 years as a PCC coach, wanting a “tuneup”. I learned a tremendous amount working with her as a mentor coach and felt at once stretched and supported. Gail was perceptive and responsive and allied with me in addressing my goals. She always summoned me to my strengths and best self as a coach. Thank you Gail. I will be back!”