Prioritizing Your Physical Health: Who do I See?

By Dr. Erica Wade

This month, we’re launching a special edition Spotlight series for the Year of Y.O.U. newsletter focusing on a question many of us face:

Who is the right person to talk to when it comes to my body?

Our focus for this series is on physical health, one of the key dimensions of wellness, to better understand who to turn to when your body needs support.

What Do We Mean by Wellness?

In 1961, Dr. Halbert Dunn first coined the term high-level wellness to describe a lifestyle that reflects the highest standard of health and balance (Zsuzsa & Printz-Marko, 2017). His work emphasized the symbiotic connection of the mind, body, and spirit, highlighting the importance of caring for the whole person, not just physical health in isolation.

Dunn also combined the words well-being and wholeness to create what we now call wellness (Zsuzsa & Printz-Marko, 2017). His early ideas sparked the evolution of today’s wellness models, which have grown from five dimensions into a more holistic eight dimensions of wellness: Physical, Social, Emotional, Intellectual, Spiritual, Environmental, Financial, and Occupational.

The wellness model reminds us that all areas of life are interconnected (Swarbrick, 2023). For example, financial stress (like losing a job) can create emotional stress (such as anxiety or depression), which can lead to physical health concerns (like poor sleep or headaches). Likewise, struggles with purpose or meaning can affect our spiritual wellness, and limited resources can affect our ability to connect socially or even meet physical needs like safe housing or nutritious food.

Understanding wellness in this way reminds us that tending to one area of life always supports the others. When we strengthen one dimension, we strengthen the whole self. This Spotlight series focuses on the physical health dimension of wellness, but can also influence wellness in other dimensions to support overall well-being.

Spotlight Series: Who Do I See?

After a personal injury left Dr. Erica questioning her own physical wellness needs, she realized how easy it was to get confused between a personal trainer, athletic trainer, or physical therapist. Do you just go to the gym and push through the pain? Do you seek out a rehab specialist? Or should you talk to your physician first?

In this first conversation, we bring together two professionals with unique perspectives to help clear the confusion.

• Julia Baden, Licensed Professional Counselor and CrossFit Level 2 Coach, who highlights the role of coaches and trainers in helping people move safely, stay strong, and prevent injury before it starts.

• Khadijah Williams, LAT and ATC (Licensed & Certified Athletic Trainer), who shares how athletic trainers work across schools, clinics, and industrial settings to prevent injuries, respond to emergencies, and support recovery.

Together, we explore:

• The differences between Athletic Trainers and Physical Therapists

• Why scope of practice matters when choosing who to see

• How prevention, treatment, and performance all fit together in supporting your physical well-being.

Because when you know who to turn to, you’re better able to support not just your body, but your whole self.

We hope you enjoy the discussion on identifying who to seek out when you have challenges with your physical health. Stay tuned for the next video where we discuss the benefits of working with a Personal Trainer.