Building Wholeness: Susan Pellish-Thaler’s Transformational Journey with Integrative Care at Wellness Insights

At Wellness Insights, Dr. Katie founded our practice on four pillars of integrative care: rest, joyful movement, food as medicine, and nourishing the spirit. These pillars support a holistic view of health - one that honors the full human experience, not just physical symptoms.

As part of our commitment to sharing meaningful transformation, we recently interviewed three long-time patients who’ve worked with multiple providers on our team. Their stories are powerful reminders that healing happens when we address the whole person - body, mind, and spirit.

This month, we’re honored to share the second of these stories: Susan Pellish-Thaler's journey and her quest to find holistic ways to approach her health from the inside out. Her journey with Wellness Insights exemplifies the life-changing power of collaborative care.

Susan’s Story: Building a Foundation for Wholeness

When Susan first arrived at our office, she wasn’t just looking for a doctor - she was looking for a team. Someone who would listen to her story, honor her intuition, and help guide her toward true healing - not just symptom relief. What she found was a community that helped her build a new foundation to live each day with more ease.

Susan had always been interested in alternative approaches to health. Herbs, tinctures, food as medicine - these weren’t new ideas to her. But even in Fairfield County with all that it offers for wellness, she found few places that offered the type of integrative care she was looking for: care that honored both science and soul. 

Then came a series of major life challenges. The stress of the pandemic had already taken a toll. Susan had global responsibilities at work, and the weight of leading through uncertainty wore heavily.  When her husband became seriously ill, her sister-in-law fell sick and passed, and her job came to an end, she hit a breaking point.

Susan felt a need to find the kind of care that could empower her and assist her through this challenging life chapter. A Google search for “integrative care” led her to Dr. Katie - and something clicked. A female-led practice focused on integrative care? A team approach? It felt like exactly what she’d been searching for.

Listening to Her Story, Not Just Her Symptoms

Susan didn’t come to Wellness Insights with a list of symptoms; she came in with a story and a clear desire for answers to the questions from her story. She had been gathering knowledge on her own - reading plant-forward cookbooks, exploring emotional and spiritual wellness, and recognizing that nutrition and supplements alone weren’t going to solve the deeper layers of her stress and anxiety. “You can eat great,” she said, “and still be an anxious person.”

Moments of Insight and Shifting Perspective

As she began working with multiple providers in the practice, Susan started to experience what she calls “a-ha” moments - shifts in perspective that transformed the way she moved through the world. One of the meaningful connections she made was with Dr. Sharon Kiely. Together, they worked to shift Susan’s mindset from fear to growth. Rather than seeing life through a lens of loss, Susan learned to reframe her thoughts. With tools like the “three-question pause” - Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? - she began responding to situations with clarity rather than reacting from fear. She even learned how to spot the “stories” her mind would create, recognizing the power of simply breathing and making space before jumping to conclusions.

“Loosen Your Bun”: A Metaphor for Letting Go

A favorite turning point memory she shared with me: One morning while walking her dogs, her daughter observed how tightly Susan was holding the dog leash.  She told Susan the dogs could feel her stress through the tension on the leash.  Susan added to this story by sharing with me what her dog trainer told her at a training session.  After observing the way Susan was gripping the leash, he suggested she “loosen her grip, lighten up, and loosen her bun.”  Susan laughed, but the comment landed.  

Her trainer was right - the leash was tight, her shoulders tense, and her thoughts were racing. That small moment became a metaphor: “lighten the leash,” not just for the dogs, but for herself.  

Aligning from the Inside Out

Susan also works with Dr. Becky, who helps her see that good posture isn't just about standing tall - it starts with inner alignment. “You can’t build a house without a solid foundation,” Susan reflected. And that’s exactly what she is doing: healing from the inside out.

Permission to Choose Joy

With Dr. Katie, Susan discovered that joy was just as important as plant-forward food choices and supplements. “If something makes you feel happier,” Dr. Katie said, “make it part of your daily living.” 

Susan began asking herself what a healthier, happier version of herself looked like — and began living that answer. She embraced the 80/20 approach to life: 80% dedicated to wellness, 20% for treats and giving herself wiggle room to loosen the grip on the idea of perfection. Most importantly, she gave herself permission to choose joy.

Living with Intention, Not Perfection

Today, Susan says she feels more peaceful, less anxious, and more present. She no longer believes in the myth of “fixing one thing to make everything work.” She knows that health is multi-layered, multi-dimensional - a tapestry woven from body, mind, and spirit.

Susan’s journey reminds us that healing is not about doing it all at once, doing it perfectly, or doing it alone. It’s about building something solid, with support, intention, and compassion. And perhaps most importantly - remembering to loosen the grip, and let joy lead the way.