Meet Dr. Suzie Carmack
PhD, MEd, MFA, PCC, NBC-HWC, C-IAYT
Dr. Suzie Carmack is a best-selling author (4x), award-winning certified coach, peer-reviewed scholar, motivational speaker, and leadership development trainer/facilitator with over three decades of experience empowering 1000's of leaders, teams, and organizations around the world. Her work is centered in her research exploring the impact of communication on leader well-being, team trust, and organizational performance.
Weaving together her interdisciplinary graduate education and training in health communication science (PhD); theatre (MFA); and kinesiology education (MEd) with her professional certifications in somatic (mind-body) practices and executive coaching, she teaches leaders and teams how to use talk as medicine—because how we speak to ourselves and each other determines how well we lead, perform, and experience life.
Learn more about Dr. Carmack's work below:
Vitae Highlights
Author - Best-Selling Books:
- Well-Being Ultimatum: A Self-Care Guide for Strategic Healers (2015)
- Genius Breaks: Optimize Your Workday Performance and Well-Being (2017)
- Yoga for One: How to Co-create an Inclusive and Evidence-Informed Practice On and Off the Mat 2024)
- Chakras of Business: The Energetics of Co-Creating Prosperity for a Brighter World (2025)
Science Contributor - Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters:
- Carmack, S. (2022) Stress Management. In Cheskin, L., et. al. (2022). Weight Loss for Life. Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Carmack, S. (2018). U.S. Physicians’ Burnout: A Systems-level problem in need of a socio-ecological solution. In Sturmberg, J., ed. (2018) Embracing Complexity in Health: the Transformation of science, practice and policy. Springer.
Author, Peer-reviewed Journal Articles (Highlights):
- Schmidt, K, Schultz, C., Carmack, S., Cline, T., and Wolever, R. (2025)*. Evaluation of the National Diabetes Prevention Program for the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Diabetes Translation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Preventative Medicine. *In press; due for Release Spring 2026.
- Kennedy, S., Carmack, S., Li, L., Lin, F. C., Hatch, J. E., Chan, K., ... & Noah, T. L. (2024). Coaching Pediatricians for Wellbeing: A Pilot Feasibility and Acceptability Study. Journal of Academic Pediatrics.
- Wolever, R. Q., Cline, T. R., Weiss, J. M., Carmack, S., Schultz, C., Arloski, M., & Lawson, K. (2024). Group Health & Wellness Coaching: development and validation of the required competencies. BMC Health Services Research, 24(1), 392.
- Ahmadian, M., Carmack, S., Samah, A. A., Kreps, G., & Saidu, M. B. (2016). Psychosocial predictors of breast self-examination among female students in Malaysia: A study to assess the roles of body image, self-efficacy and perceived barriers. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 17(3), 1277-1284.
- Carmack, S. (2014). Making Sense of Well-being: A mixed-methods study applying sense-making theory to explore the role of interpersonal communication competence and social support in physical, mental, emotional and comprehensive well-being. Doctoral dissertation. (George Mason University).
Academic Appointments:
- George Mason University - Dr. Carmack has been a Senior Scholar with the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being since 2019.
- Dr. Carmack has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses for:
- Maryland University of Integrative Health (2022-2024)
- George Mason University (2011-present)
- The American University (2015-2018)
- Northern Virginia Community College (2008-2012)
- St. Louis University (1996-1999)
- College of Charleston (1992-1995)
Academic Degrees:
- PhD in Health Communication from George Mason University (2014)
- MEd, Health and Kinesiology Education, University of Texas at Tyler (2009)
- MFA, Theatre, University of Alabama and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival (1991)
- BA, Communication Arts, Allegheny College (1989)
Professional Certifications:
- Executive Leadership Coach (PCC), International Coaching Federation (since 2022)
- Board-Certified Health Coach (NBC-HWC), National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (since 2018)
- Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT), International Association of Yoga Therapists (since 2022)
- Facilitator, Leadership Training Systems
- Myers-Briggs MBTI Type 2
- Emotional Intelligence
- The Decision Style Profile
- MyHardwired Behavioral Profile System
Thought Leadership Highlights:
- Her evidence-based approach to coaching was shown to improve well-being in a pilot study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- As an Online Course Creator and Business Coach, she has personally mentored 100's of soulpreneurs and servant leaders through her Chakras of Business online course and book.
- She has designed and delivered 100+ Keynote speeches, leadership development workshops and offsite retreats for the public and private sectors, including:
- U.S. National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (2025)
- U.S. Air Force (2018; 2019; 2020; 2022; 2025)
- Health Resources and Services Administration (2022-2024)
- U.S. Department of Education (2021-2022):
- U.S. Treasury Executive Institute (2020-2021)
- U.S. Parks Service (2016)
- U.S. Department of Defense (2015)
- Pan American / World Health Organization (2013-2015)
- She led the team that designed and delivered the award-winning stakeholder engagement and communication strategies that led to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s adoption of the Cloud and Shared Services in 2016.
- She served as the Lead Researcher and Storyteller for the U.S. Surgeon General's Report (2020) and served as the Lead Writer of multiple strategy papers for the Departement of Defense in 2016 - convincing Pentagon leadership to prioritize resilience as a matter of national security.
