Catherine Schaffer is a Physician Assistant, trauma survivor, and the author of Letters of Forgiveness, as well as Savage Grace, Savage Medicine and Savage Mercy: Shadows and Fire, Stories of Addiction and Grace.

After more than 30 years in medicine—including cardiothoracic surgery and critical care—she now speaks and writes about the urgent issue of clinician burnout and the pathways to resilience. Catherine combines her frontline healthcare experience with her own story of survival to help others name burnout, recognize its impact, and discover ways to heal.

Her work explores emotional resilience, creative expression, and the fierce beauty of beginning again. Through memoir, workshops, and speaking engagements, Catherine invites clinicians and caregivers to step out of silence, reclaim their voice, and find renewal even in the hardest seasons. Go to her Speakers Page Here

About Catherine

Personal Note

As a child, Catherine learned early how to read a room, stay quiet, and survive. Growing up in an unstable home taught her to listen closely, to see what others missed, and to find light in unlikely places.

Those early lessons shaped her life in medicine—caring deeply for patients, mentoring colleagues, and advocating for compassion in healthcare. Her story isn’t just one of survival—it’s one of resilience and rising, again and again, into purpose.