We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Cece Brooks, Dnp a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Dr. CeCe, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?
Prior to starting my own functional medicine practice, I worked as a practitioner in two other offices. Although both were holistic in their approach to healthcare, one was pediatric focused while the other was family centered. After about a year with the first office, I knew it wasn’t my ‘forever’ job. I was overworked, underpaid, and often felt disrespected. I ended up leaving and working for a very well know functional medicine practice. The knowledge and experience I gained was invaluable. However, over time, I felt this constant pressure of a ceiling being placed over my head. And I wanted so desperately to break through that ceiling. The feeling grew as the months went on, but the next move, which would be starting my own practice, was more of a ‘5-Year-Plan’ and not a ‘right then’ plan (in my head!). Until, it was forced to happen. Due to a chain of events, more than half of the staff resigned – myself included. I resigned December 11th and by February 1st, I had my own medical practice fully up and running with a schedule that was booked 6 weeks out. My point is: listen to your instincts and believe in yourself. If you feel those strings tugging at you to leave your job or start your own practice – do it. Do it with confidence and certainty. You will never regret pouring your time and energy into yourself versus building someone else’s empire!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My story starts when I was 21-years-old. My husband (then boyfriend) and I were living in Florida and all of a sudden I went from a healthy young adult to struggling deeply with my health. I suffered from memory loss, word retrieval issues, joint pain, brain fog, fatigue, and the inability to process emotions. I visited numerous doctors and specialists without any resolution. Over the next 6 years, my health continued to decline and it wasn’t until I turned to functional medicine that I finally received an answer – I had Lyme Disease – and was able to completely heal.
I know what it’s like not to be heard. I know what it’s like to be told “it’s all in your head”. I was misdiagnosed, misled, and misunderstood by conventional medicine. And, because of that, I’ve dedicated my education and career to discovering the true root cause of symptoms; to uncovering the truth. As a Functional Medicine Nurse Practitioner, I work to solve the jig-saw puzzle of illness.
When it comes to investigating my patient’s health at my medical practice, Discovery Wellness Group, I dig deep and constantly ask “why?”. Because relief doesn’t come from masking symptoms or a bottle of pills that eases discomfort temporarily, true relief comes from identifying triggers and healing the body.
The years I struggled with being chronically ill led me to where I am today. That struggle allows me to truly feel for my patients- to understand and validate how they feel. To be a source of hope and comfort, to be a teammate in their health journey, and to be someone who will never give up on them. That journey fuels my fight to provide patients with answers and solutions to their medical mysteries.
Outside of my Lyme Disease journey, being a mama of four also allows me to connect to a completely different subset of patients. I strive to take the time to understand each child as a whole and provide unique, holistic, and integrative care that leads children down the path of healing. I offer a safe space to listen to parent’s concerns, provide holistic treatment options, and dig to find the root cause of the symptom. In well child care, I utilize natural remedies whenever possible and focus on providing preventative care. I’m all about having open conversation with my patients and their parents in order to foster a trusting environment.
On The Discovery Doc platform, I share tips and tricks on living a less toxic lifestyle, holistic options, natural remedies, & all things mama and kiddo related. I have tons of resources available, including various E-Books and Guides as well as a podcast, that focus on non-toxic living and optimizing health!
How’d you meet your business partner?
The co-owner of my medical practice, Heidi, and I worked together at my previous place of employment. We worked side by side for three years – Heidi as the medical assistant and I as the provider. She was the glue of that practice. And over the years, a professional trust formed between us that went unmatched. So, when the events took place that caused many staff members to resign, Heidi approached me and said “ok, so are we starting a practice or what?” It was a no-brainer. I knew I could entrust Heidi with this venture – from the nitty-gritty business aspect to the day-to-day of running patients. Together, we work efficiently, decisively, and honestly. We balance out each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I would choose her a thousand times over!
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
Yes, I wouldn’t change a thing about my journey. When I was chronically ill, I spent years asking “why me?”… “why can’t I just be a normal 22 year old?”. Well, this is exactly why. My medical practice is exactly why. The hope, encouragement, and empowerment I am able to genuinely give my patients is why. Being able to wake up and honestly love what you do – no matter how stressful it can be sometimes – is a privilege. I have that privilege and I wouldn’t change it for anything!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.discoverywellnessgroup.com (medical practice) ; www.thediscoverydoc.com (educational platform)
- Instagram: @TheDiscoveryDoc ; @DiscoveryWellnessGroup
- Facebook: @TheDiscoveryDoc ; @DiscoveryWellnessGroup
- Other: Tiktok: @TheDiscoveryDoc
The Discovery Doc Podcast (on all streaming platforms)
Image Credits
Kelley Raye