Episode 151

Published April 28, 2026

In this episode, Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton and Dr. Donielle Wilson discuss Dr. Donielle’s clinical philosophy, research findings, and personal journey around understanding and treating stress.

Their discussion also covers:

• The stress response and how it’s highly individualized, shaped by genetics, and impacted by prior stress exposure
• How standard cortisol testing misses most of the cortisol picture
• Chronic stress and its cascade to multiple body systems, including the reproductive system in women
• The five clinical stress patterns practitioners should be aware of
• Small, consistent actions toward stress recovery, like mindfulness and deep breathing, can make a big difference

Key Moments

0:43 Episode Introduction

7:07 Identifying External Stress Factors

11:01 Diving Deeper Into the Cortisol Story

17:27 The Impact of Stress on the Body

28:08 Become a DUTCH Provider

29:21 The Immune System and Stress Dynamics

34:31 Healing Beyond the Physical: Emotional and Spiritual Recovery

42:59 Practitioner Self-Care: The Key to Helping Others

46:37 Stress and Women's Health: The Impact on Fertility

51:38 Identifying Stress Patterns: A Clinical Approach

About our speaker

Dr. Donielle "Doni" Wilson is a naturopathic doctor, certified professional midwife, and certified nutrition specialist with over two decades of experience helping patients recover from burnout, hormone imbalances, adrenal dysfunction, and fertility struggles. A graduate of Bastyr University, she developed the Stress Recovery Protocol®, a personalized, epigenetics-based approach to root-cause healing, and is the author of Master Your Stress, Reset Your Health and host of the podcast How Humans Heal. 

Show Notes

Learn more about Dr. Donielle Wilson and follow her on Instagram @drdoniwilson!

Check out the study mentioned in this episode, and learn more about Dr. Wilson’s book, Master Your Stress, Reset Your Health and her podcast, How Humans Heal.

Become a DUTCH Provider today to see how the DUTCH Test can profoundly change the lives of your patients.

Disclaimer: Special offer of 50% OFF first five kits is invalid 60 days after new provider registration.