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What if the “safe” path in medicine is actually keeping you from practicing the way you want?

After nearly 20 years treating eating disorders, Dr. Lauren Hartman left the traditional healthcare system to build Aspen Grove Adolescent & Young Adult Medicine, a direct-care practice in Berkeley, California.

We talk about leaving security behind, betting on yourself, charging for your value, and designing a practice around time, autonomy, and the care patients actually need.

Dr. Hartman is a double board-certified pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist, serves on the Eating Disorder Committee for SAHM, and is the author of Freeing Children and Young Adults from Shame, Scales and Stigma, published by Routledge in March 2026.

Connect with her:

• Website: Aspen Grove
• Instagram: @laurenhartmanmd
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/lauren-hartman-b4bab9a0
• Book: Freeing Children and Young Adults from Shame, Scales, and Stigma

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