Leaving Conventional Healthcare to Help You Live (& Die) on Your Terms, with Dr. Veronica Riera-Gilley
Holistic pharmacist and functional medicine practitioner Dr. Veronica Riera-Gilley shares what led her to leave conventional healthcare—and how that decision reshaped the way she thinks about health, work, and ultimately, how we live and die.
This is a conversation about agency. About questioning the systems we’ve been taught to trust, and learning to listen to your body, your values, and your own inner knowing instead. Veronica breaks down what values-based medicine really looks like, why symptoms are signals (not problems to silence), and how your lifestyle, mindset, and daily choices have more influence on your health than you’ve likely been led to believe.
Not from a place of fear—but as a way to get honest about how you want to live now. From the Death Café to DIY home funerals, you'll learn get a whole new perspective on rituals and grief, and the level of control you can take back.
If you’ve ever questioned the traditional path—whether in your health, your career, or your life—this one will open up a different way of seeing what’s possible.
We cover:
* Leaving a “secure” career to build values-aligned work
* What values-based, integrative health actually looks like in practice
* Why your body’s symptoms are messages—not something to suppress
* Genetics vs. lifestyle: how much control you actually have
* The role of mindset, spirituality, and community in long-term health
* How thinking about death can shift how you live and work right now
* Alternative burial choices you may not have known existed
* What a Death Cafe is—and why these conversations matter
About Dr. Veronica Riera-Gilley:
Dr. Veronica Riera-Gilley is a pharmacist, educator, Adaptive Yoga Instructor, and functional medicine practitioner. A passionate advocate for whole-person wellness at every stage of life, she blends root-cause medicine with geriatric care to help people live and age well while minimizing medication harm and face aging and dying with understanding instead of fear.
Veronica is the owner of Prairie Fire Pharmacy Consulting, Executive Director of the Functional Medicine Pharmacists Alliance, and faculty at Evidence in Motion.
She is also the creator of The Navigation Deck: Comforting Cards for Navigating an Ocean of Grief, a project inspired by her patients and their families to offer comfort and hope through difficult seasons of loss.
She resides in Texas with her family, two rescue pets, a dog and a cat, and a small flock of city chickens.
Connect with Veronica:
* Website: www.prairiefirerx.com [http://www.prairiefirerx.com/]
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prairiefirerx/ [https://www.facebook.com/prairiefirerx/]
* LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronica-riera-gilley/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronica-riera-gilley/]
* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@veronicariera-gilleyPharmD [https://www.youtube.com/@veronicariera-gilleyPharmD]
Connect with Michelle:
* 💻 Website [https://soulalignedceo.com/]
* Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/MichelleRabellCoaching/]: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleRabellCoaching/ [https://www.facebook.com/MichelleRabellCoaching/]
* Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/michelle.rabell/]: https://www.instagram.com/michelle.rabell/ [https://www.instagram.com/michelle.rabell/]
* Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellerabell/]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellerabell/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellerabell/]
Resources:
* Business Coaching For Practitioners, Coaches, & Heart-Centered Entrepreneurs -Tap into your genius, be seen, build an aligned strategy, & and grow your purpose-driven business without the burnout and stress. Book a call to get clarity on your vision and your best next steps. 👉 Book your business exploration call [https://calendly.com/bizlifelove/exploration-call-with-michelle-form]
* Transformational Leadership Coaching For Heart-Centered Founders & INTRAPreneurs - Practical as well as Inside-out, identity-level change to fundamentally transform how you lead. Build a strong, authentic leadership presence & personal brand. Communicate with clarity, lead with confidence, and shift from burnout to sustainable energy. Ex 👉 Book your leadership exploration call [https://calendly.com/bizlifelove/leadership-exploration-with-michelle]
LINKS we discussed in the video:
* The Death Deck (card game) https://thedeathdeck.com/products/the-death-deck-game [https://thedeathdeck.com/products/the-death-deck-game]
* "What Matters to Me Workbook from The Conversation Project": https://theconversationproject.org/what-matters-to-me-workbook-additional-resources/ [https://theconversationproject.org/what-matters-to-me-workbook-additional-resources/]
* "Extreme Measures: Finding a Better Path to the End of Life" by DrJessica Zitter: https://amzn.to/4cEEgE2 [https://amzn.to/4cEEgE2]
* National Home Funeral Alliance [NHFA]: https://www.homefuneralalliance.org/ [https://www.homefuneralalliance.org/]
🫶 Don't forget to rate, review, and share to win a free 1-1 with me. This podcast is 100% free – ratings, reviews, & shares helps people find it! Each month there’s a draw from reviews for a free 1-1 with me! Just take a screenshot of your review and send it to me in my DMs or via email.
🎶 Music Credits:
Intro/Outro music: “Sacred Temple” by Equanimous. Licensed for use with full rights purchased by Michelle Rabell.
* Equanimous on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/equanimouslove/]
* Equanimous on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/artist/33W9Pu3NHtSlqbaOI6pqXn?si=fE1PaSbGRcuSPnTSfyR_xg]
