Dr. Chrystal Harris Haywood’s Journey from Fighting Personal Struggles to Helping Medical Professionals Thrive

In the world of medicine, where burnout has long been a silent epidemic, the conversation is finally starting to change. But for Dr. Chrystal Harris Haywood, founder of Crystal Violet Solutions, LLC, that conversation isn’t just professional. It is deeply personal.

A family medicine physician by training, Dr. Harris Haywood poured years into her education and practice, driven by a singular goal: to make a difference. Yet after years in medical education and training, she found herself emotionally exhausted, disconnected from her patients, colleagues, and, most alarmingly, from herself. “You’re living your dream, but you’re not feeling the dream,” she recalls. “You’re just going through the motions.”

It was more than stress. It was burnout, and it was compounded by depression and a paralyzing sense of shame. “I thought, ‘I’ve made it this far. I should be able to just push through,’” she says. “But pushing through wasn’t healing me; it was making me numb.”

In those lonely, numbed-out moments, the seeds of her future work were planted. Inspired by her journey back to vitality, Dr. Harris Haywood founded Crystal Violet Solutions, named after the dye used in microbiology to make cells visible under a microscope. “That’s what I wanted to do for people,” she says. “Bring the unseen to the surface to help them see what’s really going on beneath their burnout, their numbness, their exhaustion.”

When Dr. Harris Haywood launched Crystal Violet Solutions in 2012, few in the medical community understood what coaching could mean for healthcare professionals. She began with Violet to Go, a program blending physical activities like indoor climbing and batting cages with coaching principles around goal-setting and action-taking. “I wanted it to be functional and fun,” she says. “The mission was simple: Get out of your head and back into your life.”

Over time, her practice evolved to meet the growing needs of women in medicine and medicine-adjacent fields. She created Women in Scrubs Elevating Women (WISE Women), a community where nurses, physicians, therapists, and other healthcare professionals could connect, share experiences, and focus on self-care as a strategy against burnout.

Then, the pandemic hit, and Dr. Harris Haywood’s experiences during that period of time deepened her coaching practice. Furthermore, the report that suggested one in five physicians would likely leave their current practice within two years made her realize that “Coaching was no longer just an optional add-on,” as she says, “It became survival.”

Out of this season of intense demand and reflection emerged her newest initiative: REIGN—Reigniting Energy, Inspiration, Growth, and Nourishment. Developed with her sister Pamela Harris-Jones, a therapist, REIGN was created specifically to empower professional women of color, a group often doubly burdened by both systemic challenges and internalized doubts. “In a world that can dim your light and sow seeds of doubt, REIGN is about fortifying that light,” Dr. Harris Haywood explains. “It’s about helping women remember who they are and giving them a space where their worth isn’t questioned.”

REIGN offers group masterminds, one-on-one coaching, facilitated discussions, and even free community gatherings. A core philosophy is encapsulated in their FORT framework: Friends, Organization, Readiness, and Time, a practical model for building resilience and community. “We’re not coming in with all the answers,” she says. “We’re coming in with the right questions to help women reclaim their agency and their fire.”

Looking ahead, Dr. Harris Haywood’s vision for Crystal Violet Solutions is quite clear: “I see it being a comprehensive wellness company for medical professionals that would provide 360-degree services, resources, and retreats in the areas of physical, mental/emotional, financial, career/professional, social, spiritual, and intellectual health. The focus would be on ‘wholeness’ for our medical professionals to be at their best for their patients and the communities they serve.”

As for the near-term goal for REIGN, Dr. Harris Haywood imagines it to expand with greater outreach and to include coaches from other communities of color who may have a different perspective. Through the organization, she aims to put a finger on the pulse of the unique challenges those professionals face. 

“I don’t want another woman, or for that matter any other physician, to believe that numbness is normal or that silence is strength,” she says. “Burnout may try to silence the dream, but with the right support, that dream can burn brighter than ever.” With Crystal Violet Solutions and REIGN, Dr. Harris Haywood is building a future where healing is visible, help is accessible, and hope is never out of reach.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. If you are seeking medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider.