Deft Heart
Contemplative coaching for physicians.
"Deft" means skillful and nimble in one's movements or actions. I haven't come across a heart that is not deft.
If you’re like most of us, you spend the majority of your days in an ecosystem permeated with stress, fatigue, and disconnection. And you feel it. We all feel it.
You’re not weak, or insane, or unworthy.
Your eyes are opening.
And you can wake up.
A Journey: Deepening Ourselves
Led by Tim Thayer MD, Deft Heart offers contemplative coaching for physicians rooted in vulnerability, acceptance, attunement, and courage. The experiences of physicians are unique and intense. Deft Heart is here to facilitate the transformation of these unique and intense experiences into authenticity, creativity, and compassion.
On a deeper level, Deft Heart is an exploration of the forces shaping the consciousness of western medicine. In the tension between my deepening contemplative practice and my career in cardiology, a knowing crystalized: the deepest healing/growth/awakening is a shift in consciousness. This fascination with shifts in consciousness is what led me to this work. I want to know my fellow physicians deeply and for them to know themselves. And, once we regather ourselves and rediscover the essence of what we are, something new can come into form. The future we want is inseparable from rediscovering our wholeness.
"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
— Howard Thurman (civil rights leader)
Tim's Capabilities
Deep practice meets deep need
Spacious Awareness
Training in Buddhist, Taoist, and other eastern practices to cultivate spacious, nonjudgmental awareness anchored in the present moment.
Interpersonal Attunement
Specialized training in resonant relating, creating a space where the subtle agitations and joys of the physician can relax and open.
Medicine Expertise
Deep clinical experience in cardiology and internal medicine at both academic centers and inner-city hospitals, honoring the reality of the medical path.
My own healing work
I meet with a therapist and coach regularly to continue my work of making conscious my shadows and integrate the intensities of daily life. This practice protects clients from my unconscious projections and allows me to deepen in my capacity to be a nourishing presence for others.
Trauma-Integration
A clarity around developmental and healthcare-associated trauma, providing safety and groundedness throughout deep contemplative work.
Empathic Relating
Deep training in Nonviolent Communication (NVC), facilitating a transformation from scarcity and judgment toward curiosity and authenticity.
Grief & Transformation
Through honoring the suffering we carry, we navigate the personal practice of transformation required for a new healthcare consciousness to emerge.
What does 1 on 1 contemplative coaching look like with Tim?
We often live in recurring patterns that are predominantly unconscious. To experience greater freedom, joy, and meaning in life we need to invite these patterns into the light. There are two major themes to the work at Deft Heart that help facilitate making conscious the unconscious:
First, wounds made in misattuned relationships need to heal in attuned ones. I am with you as you share the joys and tensions of your life as I gently guide us to where the energy is, to where change is emerging.
Second, we can expand capacity for self-regulation and self-discovery through contemplative practices. If you are interested, we can experiment with weaving tailored practices into your daily life that cultivate groundedness, ease, and joy.
What the structure of a coaching session might look like:
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Guided meditation (2-10 min)
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Emergent exploration of what's most alive (40-55min)
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Intentional landing of conversation (2-15 min)
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”
-Einstein
Insights & Investment
I believe clarity and transparency are foundational to growth. Here, I outline stewardship-based pricing model for our communal journey. You decide what level of support feels good to you.
THE STEWARDSHIP MODEL
Our financial landscape as physicians varies widely. To help this transformation remain relatively accessible across career stages—from medical students to seasoned attendings—I utilize an Equitable Stewardship model with a sliding range of $150 – $300 per hour.
The Benefactor Tier — $300
Typically for established attendings or those in high-earning specialties. Choosing this tier subsidizes our ability to provide reduced-rate coaching to residents and those in lower-paying specialties.
The Professional Tier — $225
Designed for most physicians who are comfortably meeting their financial obligations and building personal savings.
We partner with Certified B Corps, including Sunrise bank (via Lili), in attempt to match our financial ecosystem with our commitment to social and environmental integrity.
The Equity Tier — $150
Intended for physicians in training, those working in under-resourced community health settings, or those for whom this simply feels best.
Using CME Funds for Coaching - IN DEVELOPMENT AND NOT YET AVAILABLE
Coaching with Deft Heart may qualify for AMA PRA Category 1 CME credit. I am working with CMEfy, an ACCME-accredited platform, to build a path by which a client can complete a brief 2-minute reflection after each session. Each completed reflection earns 1 credit, making the sessions an eligible expense for many employer stipend programs.
Resources for Transformation
At times, I may recommend companion resources for this process, such as the books "No Bad Parts", "Wild Edge of Sorrow", or "Focusing" or meditation resources such as the Waking Up app. These resources help build a baseline skills/perspectives that can catalyze deep momentum in our work together.
The Journey and Relationship
This work is intended for those ready to deepen their capacity for authenticity. While I am a physician, I am not acting in a clinical capacity. This is present-moment coaching aimed at making available the potential of awareness, attunement, and growth. It is not psychotherapy.
Structure and Cadence
Sessions are 60 minutes with the potential for an additional 5-10min of landing time beyond the hour. I recommend meeting every 1–2 weeks initially to build momentum (while recognizing that may not be possible for some clients). Ultimately, you choose how often we meet in a pay-as-you go model.
Let's Explore
Let me know if you have questions or want to connect prior to booking a discovery call. I do consider working with non-physician clients so please reach out if you are interested in meeting even if you are not a physician.