Dr. Stacie Stephenson, bestselling author of Vibrant: A Groundbreaking Program to Get Energized, Own Your Health, and Glow and Glow: 90 Days to Create Your Vibrant Life from Within, knows what it means to survive devastation and emerge stronger.
Recognized leader in functional, integrative and lifestyle medicine, survivor, and former elite athlete, Dr. Stacie is dedicated to helping people build a more energized, joyful, and resilient life — one small habit at a time.
Dr. Stacie’s journey is as inspiring as it is hard-won. A former competitive figure skater with Olympic dreams, her future was upended by a life-altering injury. Though doctors recommended drugs and surgeries, she felt sure the accident happened, at least in part, because she was burned out and not taking care of herself.
The experience led her to medical school, but she once again was disappointed by a system she says is designed to treat disease rather than create health. That’s when she discovered the field of functional medicine, which seeks the root causes of dysfunction rather than just treating symptoms, and prioritizes nutrition and lifestyle as the keys to good health.
But the physical setback was only part of her story. She also survived an abusive marriage with a man who subjected her to years of physical and emotional violence.
She was, in her own words, “threatened, insulted, manipulated, and literally strangled until she lost consciousness.” Although she eventually escaped the relationship, the toll on her health and well-being was profound. In order to heal from the trauma, Dr. Stacie says she had to prioritize self-care.
Now, Dr. Stacie channels her pain into purpose, helping others heal through integrative, regenerative, and anti-aging medicine. Her approach blends traditional healthcare with holistic, personalized strategies that empower individuals to take control of their own well-being.
“Witnessing changes fuels my passion,” she says. “Whenever I see someone or hear about someone or get a question from someone who is stuck and doesn’t know how to help themselves, I can provide information and guidance that empowers them to take their health into their own hands.”
Her book Glow is a daily wellness guide built around her trademark VIBRANT strategy, which focuses on:
Voice: consciously considering how you talk to and express yourself.
Intuition: learning how you listen to your inner voice.
Balance: strategies for juggling self-care, work, and care of others.
Rejuvenation: slowing down, aging better, and restoring energy.
Abundance: filling your life with the things you value most.
Nurturing: loving others well.
Thoughtfulness: improving how you express gratitude, kindness, and joy.
“What really matters is what you choose to do, every day, over and over, and how well you can listen to your own body and your own intuition to guide your decisions,” Dr. Stacie says. “Even if you are busy, even if you are overwhelmed, there are always things you can do to take care of yourself. Even small things make a difference.”
In addition to her work as a health and wellness leader and speaker, Dr. Stacie serves as Vice Chair of Gateway for Cancer Research, a nonprofit organization focused on funding innovative early-stage clinical trials.
“I celebrate anyone working to help bring a broader vision to healthcare and a personalized approach to patient care,” she says. “What helps improve the health of communities and societies is what will win in the end, so keep pushing and fighting the good fight, even when it’s hard.”
Dr. Stacie’s own fight — through physical setbacks, emotional trauma, and personal reinvention — has given her a unique voice in the world of wellness. She speaks not just as a healthcare expert, but as a survivor who intimately understands the toll that stress, abuse, and disconnection can take on the human body and spirit.
Along with her cancer-focused charitable work, inspired by her own family’s experiences with the disease, she is also passionate about children’s health and welfare. She supports Childhelp, which assists and advocates for victims of child abuse. The organization operates a national child abuse hotline as well as the Courage First athlete helpline for student-athletes, coaches and parents with abuse concerns.
“What I try to do in my career, and in my personal life as well,” she says, “is to focus on where my insights, knowledge, talents, and resources can have the most influence — and by that I mean, can do the most good.”
