About

Rebellious Health is a forward-thinking, open-minded community of healthcare professionals with connection and true wellbeing at the heart of what we do.

Our mission is to co-create, envision, reimagine and rebuild a healthcare ecosystem that is better for healthcare workers, better for patients and better for the planet.

This starts with healing our healers.

We were born from a desire to do things differently in a system that suppresses our creativity and humanity, and instead fuels burnout and a growing sense of demoralisation.

Rebellious Health is working on an innovative and exciting solution to the healthcare system and workforce crisis by prioritising our wellbeing needs first.

My journey

Dr Emma Presern

Founder

Adventurer | GP | Lifestyle Medic

Quiet Rebel | Writer

Rebellious Health was founded in 2024, although the seed was planted in 2019. Growing up in Nepal, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Switzerland, and having lived and worked in the UK and Australia, home was always somewhat difficult to define. It's been a meandering, nomadic, adventurous journey to get to where I now live in the foothills of Eryri National Park in North Wales but my experiences have shaped my views around healthcare, wellbeing and purpose. Rebellious Health is very close to my heart. It's been a creative, chaotic melting pot of ideas and brain downloads for a long time, but it's starting to take root and grow.

Prior to studying medicine at Barts Medical School, I did a degree in anatomical science and neuroscience, and have always been fascinated by the brain, the mind and the body.

Following a two year period of burnout during my specialist training in general practice, I embarked on a deeply personal journey of soul searching, self development and self healing. Confronting aspects of both my personal and professional life head on, this is where my passion for holistic wellbeing, nature connection, and adventure was reignited.

A year long sabbatical from clinical medicine gave me the time to reflect on what health and wellbeing really meant - to me and my colleagues, and for my patients. Studying for a diploma in lifestyle medicine, researching and immersing myself into breathwork practices, and undertaking a six week solo hike through the Slovene Mountains all served as catalysts for a breakthrough for Rebellious Health and its mission.

I returned to complete my GP training in East London with a renewed sense of purpose and energy. Unfortunately, the cultural and systemic issues that were at the root cause of my burnout have not changed. These are all contributing to the ever worsening workforce crisis in healthcare systems, failing our healthcare workers and failing our patients.

So I'm on a mission to start a rebellion. A quiet rebellion, a rebellion from the inside, but a rebellion nonetheless. It's a rebellion against our current system. A rebellion against the old ways of working, which are definitely no longer working.

Dr Erica McNabb

Co-facilitator, Co-creator

GP | Integrative Medicine Doctor Breathwork Facilitator | Reiki EFT | Change Maker

With over a decade of experience working in the NHS, I’ve witnessed the remarkable power of modern medicine to save lives and transform them. I remain deeply grateful for all it offers. Yet over time, I also came to feel that something essential was missing, particularly when it came to truly supporting the people who deliver care.

My personal turning point came during medical school, when I was diagnosed with cancer in my early 20s. I received excellent medical treatment and have no doubt about the value of science in curing disease. But the emotional and psychological aftermath; the trauma, fear, and identity shift was something I had to navigate largely alone. It was through exploring mind-body practices and holistic healing that I began to truly process and recover. That experience opened my eyes to a broader view of healing, and inspired me to retrain in a range of complementary modalities.

After years of carrying these insights alongside my medical career, I eventually reached a point of burnout. Like many others, the relentless pace and emotional strain, especially during the pandemic, took a toll. But what was equally painful was realising how unsupported I felt by the system I had given so much to. The structure of healthcare as it stands no longer felt sustainable, or fit for purpose. Not just for patients, but for those working within it.

I took a step back and gave myself permission to pause, something that was never granted easily in the system. During a sabbatical, I travelled, spent time with loved ones, and deepened my healing practices in places like Mexico. That period of reflection allowed me to reconnect with myself and reimagine what kind of doctor, and human, I wanted to be. This is a gift we hope to offer those who come along on the Rebellious health journey with us.

It was during this transformative time that I met Emma, through a series of serendipitous events. We instantly connected over our shared experiences of burnout, disconnection, and a deep desire to create a different kind of healthcare, one rooted in care, community, and connection. Emma had already founded Rebellious Health, and invited me to join her; together we shaped and grew the organisation, bringing our personal experiences and shared commitment to creating something truly meaningful.

This work comes from lived experience. It’s about reimagining and recreating what care means, for ourselves, for each other, and for the future of healthcare. Changing the system from within.