KEMIA SARRAF

MD, MPH, RCC, TIPC™

Dr. Sarraf, is Lodestar Founder and CEO, a professional healthcare and leadership coach who developed a trauma-informed coaching paradigm for her private coaching practice. She coaches physician and executive clients suffering from extreme burnout, vicarious trauma and moral injury. She is a much-sought keynote speaker, trainer and facilitator in meaningful resilience and courageous conversations. She received her Medical Degree and Master of Public Health at the University of Utah School of Medicine, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine.
She left clinical medicine more than a decade ago to start a public health initiative for children in her community. genHkids focused on working with and teaching children in schools and community organizations to “Eat Real, Move More” through trauma-informed programming in the kitchen, gardens and playgrounds.
As a trauma-mitigation specialist, executive coach, physician and a physician wife, Kemia became increasingly concerned by the number of physician colleagues who were reporting high levels of toxic stress and burnout, all of which was leading to a distressing increase in physician disengagement, attrition, self-medication and suicide. Blending her experiences as a physician and public health professional she developed trauma-mitigation coaching paradigms specifically to address the needs of high-performing professionals working in environments of caustic stress. Since its inception, Lodestar has expanded to include a Trauma-Mitigation Coach training and a subspecialty coaching fellowship program, group coaching for first-responder professions, and Equity-Diversity-Inclusion facilitation for organizations and institutions.

In addition to her private practice, Dr. Sarraf serves as adjunct faculty at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, working in the office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Her work includes bringing a trauma-informed lens and trauma-mitigation approach to Diversity and Anti-Racism work. Dr. Sarraf and her senior team at Lodestar developed and co-teach a Trauma-Mitigation Master Course, training other experienced coaches in trauma-mitigation strategies and the trauma-informed approach.