Improve Life PLLC

Improve Life PLLC We provide therapy & medication management to kids 10+, young adults, & pregnancy care both before and after 🤰

At Improve Life, our mission is to provide you with personalized healing designed specifically to enhance your life. We take the approach of high quality individualized care for a few patients rather than the “assembly-line” approach used to treat a large number of patients. Dr. Waggel specializes in women and adolescent mental health and helping patients to overcome tough life transitions. She works with adolescents, young adults, and women of all ages living with anxiety, depression, relationship problems, stress, self-esteem issues and more. Each patient will receive a uniquely made healthcare plan by a medical doctor who takes extra time to explore your needs. This model removes middlemen in order to focus completely on your needs. Improve Life’s practice model of one room and one physician leads to a reduction of unnecessary space and elimination of extra staff. Without these extra expenses, the physician is able to spend more time with patients. This relaxed pace leads to improved patient satisfaction and better treatment outcomes. Dr. Waggel is easily accessible and provides all of her patients with her contact information. You can see the same doctor every time and you do not have to worry about having to provide the same information over and over again. Appointment dates and times are very flexible and can even be made same-day by logging into your online account. We provide therapy, medication management and wellness strategies to adolescents, young adults, and women of all ages in Northern Virginia. Clients leave with a plan for achieving life goals and finding happiness. Therapy focuses – Depression, anxiety, self-esteem, personal growth and development, stress, career counseling, chronic illness, life transition, social anxiety and shyness, sleep disturbances, occupational difficulties, attention and concentration improvement, interpersonal skills and effective communication, relationship concerns, marital/family conflict, and mind-body issues

Medication management – If it is found after evaluation that medication would be of benefit, a carefully planned medication regimen will be discussed and carried out under close physician supervision. As Dr. Waggel is both a therapist and a medical doctor, you do not have to schedule a separate visit or pay another fee. Strategy for wellness – Stress reduction outline, coping skill formulation, nutrition plans, exercise plans, search for underlying issues (food allergies, infections, nutrient deficiencies), chronic fatigue treatment, energy regaining tactics, meditation exercises, spirituality exploration, lifestyle change, and skin health. Dr. Stephanie Waggel is a physician, author, motivational speaker and founder of Improve Medical Culture (IMC). IMC is a place where healthcare workers and patients can work together to improve the culture that currently exists in the medical field. They recently held a fundraiser to send inspiring messages and coffee to healthcare workers that had to work during the holidays. Dr. Waggel has also created a program to protect the rights of chronically ill doctors and medical students called the Physician Wellness Program (PWP). Dr. Waggel was named a Physician of the Year 2016 by Medscape and she has recently published articles with Physician Family Media and Kevin MD. Dr. Waggel has lived in the DC area for 10 years and I would like to become involved with the Northern Virginia community. She hosted and was a speaker for the National Day to Prevent Physician and Medical Student Su***de in Washington, DC. The goal of this day was to decrease the stigma of mental illness that is present in the healthcare field and honor those who have taken their lives. This was a national event that over 800 people participated in. Dr. Waggel was also filmed for the movie "Do No Harm" which exposes abuse that takes place in the medical education system. This year, she has been asked to speak for organizations such as Public Citizen, Care2, and One Story. Dr. Waggel is passionate about enhancing medical education, ending mental health stigma, and helping patients improve their lives. Dr. Waggel typically focuses on achieving life and career goals despite adversity, mental health education, and tips and tricks for premeds and medical students, depression, addiction, stress, sexual assault, discrimination and women’s health issues. She has a huge social media following and, you might say, she is very popular with the under 30 crowd on social media. She greatly enjoys working with young people as she believes helping them to overcome barriers in today’s world will make for a better tomorrow. If you are interested in learning more, please visit www.ImproveMedicalCulture.com There are links to some of her many publications and speeches. If you are interested in scheduling and appointment to see Dr. Waggel, please visit her website www.ImproveLifePLLC.com or contact her directly at (703) 988-5433.

03/31/2026

There are medical situations when you might be unable to speak:
• Severe allergic reactions
• Stroke symptoms
• Choking
• Difficulty breathing

In these critical moments, Text to 911 can be a lifesaver.

REMEMBER:
• Text your EXACT location first
• Describe your medical emergency clearly
• If possible, note any relevant medical conditions
• Answer all dispatcher questions if able
• EMS will be dispatched just as quickly as with a call

03/31/2026

About 75% of pregnant patients at risk for preeclampsia are not taking low-dose aspirin, the recommended preventive treatment, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Session 2026 in New Orleans.

Despite meeting high- or moderate-risk criteria for preeclampsia, only 24% of eligible women had a documented directive or prescription for the medication, despite its relative affordability and few potential side effects. https://mdsc.pe/4m3gar5

03/30/2026

Preeclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome has a direct impact on family planning. 1 in 4 preeclampsia survivors decided not to get pregnant again after their experience.

According to The Preeclampsia Registry™, 28% of the 424 preeclampsia survivors who responded to a recent survey indicated that they decided not to have another pregnancy. Another 9% were considering or already pursued adoption, and 5% were considering or already pursuing surrogacy.

If you are considering another pregnancy after preeclampsia, our support article may be helpful to you: https://www.preeclampsia.org/the-news/community-support/after-preeclampsia-another-pregnancy-or-not

You will make the best choice for you and your family. ❤️

03/28/2026

"This prospective study used objective data collection of activity through an accelerometer in patients who are at risk for preterm birth. There was no association between latency to delivery and activity level in patients at risk for preterm birth with a short cervix. This study does not support the use of activity restriction in patients with an increased risk of preterm birth."

Read the full study for FREE at: https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/fulltext/2026/04000/activity_restriction_in_pregnancy_and_the_risk_of.2.aspx

Listen to the Green Room podcast at: https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/pages/podcastepisodes.aspx?podcastid=9

This is why fast cheap mental healthcare with no physican oversight is NOT a good choice.
03/25/2026

This is why fast cheap mental healthcare with no physican oversight is NOT a good choice.

When 32-year-old Tranyelle Harshman sought help in late 2024 for postpartum depression from Sage Psychiatry Services, a provider in Wyoming, a nurse practitioner named Krista Blough met her in person and prescribed ketamine lozenges for Harshman to take at home.

Harshman suffered heart palpitations, had difficulty focusing, and felt disconnected from reality for days after taking the drug.

Harshman was scared, but Blough told her that such side effects were common at first and increased her dose, according to Harshman’s mother, Rhonda Coplen.

On Feb. 10 of last year, Harshman scheduled playdates for her four girls, ages 2 to 8, and put them down for a nap. Then she took her increased dose of ketamine.

Soon afterward, in an eerily emotionless voice, Harshman called 911 and told the emergency responder that she had shot and killed her four daughters and was about to kill herself too, according to a 911 recording reviewed by the Journal. She told the operator that someone had been trying to take her girls, and it was easiest if everyone went at once.

All five died. Harshman had no history of violence or suicidal thoughts, Coplen said.

Harshman’s toxicology report, which was reviewed by the Journal, shows that the level of ketamine in her blood was more than four times the threshold reported in studies for mind-altering effects and physical impairment. Some medical reports suggest that patients could be prone to violent behavior under the drug’s influence or coming off it, since they are dissociated from reality.

“She was a good mom and loved her girls,” said Coplen, who filed a lawsuit against Sage Psychiatry and Blough alleging wrongful death. She said she believes ketamine has a purpose, but “it is reckless to allow it to be in a setting where you don’t have clinical supervision.

In a legal filing in November, lawyers for Sage Psychiatry and Blough said that they didn’t cause the tragedy, adding that the “injuries and damages” may have been caused by third parties or from pre-existing conditions, and that Harshman was “adequately informed of the risks, benefits and alternatives of the treatment and gave their consent based on that information.”

Ketamine is now at the heart of a largely unregulated online industry offering depression relief.

More than a million Americans used ketamine in 2024, legally or not, twice as many as in 2021, according to federal data. Prescriptions dispensed by pharmacies, including for at-home use, rose more than eightfold in the first nine months of 2025 compared with all of 2024, according to the Iqvia Institute for Human Data Science.

Evidence is mounting of ketamine’s potential dangers. Read more at the link in comments.

03/23/2026

We strongly supports using maternal mortality data to inform programs and interventions to reduce the high maternal mortality rate in the United States. In this Special Statement, we outline the three types of maternal mortality data used in the United States; provide an overview of the common US data sources; and offer considerations and best practices for understanding, comparing, and using the data.

Read the special statement here: https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pmf2.70270

03/22/2026

đź’¬ Editorial: Nighttime is consistently linked to later sleep onset and poorer sleep quality among youth, with repeated within-person studies confirming direct associations between evening phone use and sleep disruption.

https://ja.ma/4bu6UHr

With Ashburn Pharmacy – I'm on a streak! I've been a top fan for 17 months in a row. 🎉
03/22/2026

With Ashburn Pharmacy – I'm on a streak! I've been a top fan for 17 months in a row. 🎉

03/22/2026

Do you HAVE TO sleep only on your left side while pregnant?

In a perfect world everyone would only eat healthy food, drive the speed limit, exercise every day, always be kind, and never breathe in pollution. Since we don’t live in a perfect world and no one is perfect, here are 3 studies showing no difference between pregnant women sleeping on their left side, right side, and backs. I’m not saying to not try, but if you aren’t in full control of your body position while sleeping then don’t beat yourself up about it:

Prospective Evaluation of Maternal Sleep Position Through 30 Weeks of Gestation and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
Robert M Silver et al.

Sleep practices and association between supine sleep position and stillbirth in a rural sample of pregnant women in Bangladesh
Stella Rose Harris et al.

Maternal Going to Sleep Position and Late Stillbirth: Time to Act but With Care
Robert M Silver

Fun and crazy woman facts!
03/20/2026

Fun and crazy woman facts!

03/20/2026

Stress is a part of life, but learning healthy ways to cope can make a meaningful difference.

Excited to share that I just got recognized as one of Kelly Hof's top fans! 🎉
03/20/2026

Excited to share that I just got recognized as one of Kelly Hof's top fans! 🎉

Address

11250 Roger Bacon Drive
Reston, VA
20190

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 10pm
Tuesday 9am - 10pm
Wednesday 9am - 10pm
Thursday 9am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 7pm
Saturday 9am - 7pm

Telephone

+17039885433

Website

https://linktr.ee/improvemedicalculture

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