About Cynthia Ackrill, MD, PCC, FAIS
Cynthia Ackrill, M.D. is a leader in the field of stress mastery and an expert in the critical connections between lifestyle choices, performance capacities, leadership effectiveness, health, and happiness. As a physician trained in neuroscience, wellness and leadership coaching, she brings a unique and holistic perspective to what it takes to truly thrive.
Through workshops, retreats, keynotes, and one-on-one coaching, she helps fellow humans create practical wisdom and science-based strategies to handle the challenges of real life with more brilliance and resilience, energy and grace, wisdom and compassion, happiness, humor, and health. And she is dedicated to making the learning process engaging and fun, because that’s what motivates the human brain.
Cynthia also serves as editor of Contentment magazine and chair of the Daily Life and Workplace Stress Board for the American Institute of Stress. In addition, she helps design curriculum and teaches in several coach programs, including the College of Executive Coaching, Positive Psychology Health and Wellness Coaching, and the Healthcare Coaching Institute.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Dr. Ackrill earned her B.S. at Duke University and M.D. at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and practiced primary care for over a decade before taking time off to raise her daughter. It was her daughter’s ADHD that triggered a deep interest in neuropsychology, brain mapping, neurofeedback, and biofeedback—essentially “looking under the hood” to understand the brain patterns of human behavior, health, and performance, and learning the profound impact of stress on all mental and physical functions.
Fascinated by how hard it is to make and sustain better thought or behavior choices, Dr. Ackrill sought out coach training and certified with Wellcoaches, Wellness Inventory, The College of Executive Coaching, Team Advantage, and Stress Mastery Educators, pursuing advanced training in positive psychology, motivational interviewing, and peak performance. Forever passionate about well-being, she focuses her continuing medical education on integrative and functional approaches, including nutrition and exercise, as well as the science of mind-body practices.
PERSONAL
Cindi was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and excepting a brief 5-year return to the DC area, has spent most of her adult life calling the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina home. She is passionate about food, travel, art, yoga, hiking, time at the beach, music, dancing (badly!), and just hanging out—eating and laughing with her husband, family, and friends.
THE BACK STORY
How did I move from the practice of medicine to a passion for stamping out the suffering of poorly managed stress and supporting human thriving and leadership excellence?
- Firstly, by experiencing all the pain and ravages of stress myself, i.e., how NOT to manage stress!
- Secondly, by becoming far more interested in the wellbeing side of the disease-wellness spectrum—how we can make choices to prevent disease.
- And thirdly, by realizing that our leaders have the power to help create workplaces, communities, and homes that help humans thrive.
As a young doctor, chronically sleep deprived, with more on my plate than humanly possible to handle, I was sinking under the weight of 24/7 responsibility for the care of real live humans—from my patients to my family to my self. I was overwhelmed, exhausted, and having a hard time remembering if I fed the cat, let alone maintain any semblance of a healthy perspective. I tried a constant infusion of M&M’s, but sadly, that didn’t help. Nor did the time-honored professional tactics of learning to beat myself up, or just keep moving faster, working harder.