Integrative Women's Health Podcast

“It takes more than hormones to fix our hormones.” - Dr. Anna CabecaWhen it comes to vaginal health, pelvic floor health, and incontinence issues, hormones play a critial role. From the type of hormones to oral formulations, injections, and topicals, there are a lot of options for hormone therapy, from the delivery vehicle to the forms of hormones used.At the same time, you can't optimize hormone health through hormone replacement only. We have to take a holistic picture, starting with the gut, lifestyle, and stress management. This approach enables the body to resuscitate, repair, and rejuvenate itself, allowing it to function at its peak. At this point, hormone therapy can offer a complementary supporting role, increasing the opportunity for optimal health and wellness.Today's guest, triple board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Anna Cabeca, has been working with women in midlife for decades, and she's an advocate for a holistic approach to hormone support, which she calls hormone replenishment.In this episode, Dr. Anna and I discuss when to start thinking about supporting your hormones, the connection between gut health and hormone balance, the need for personalized treatment appraoches, detoxification pathways, and the use of topical hormones, Dr. Cabeca's products for women in midlife, how her patients have improved their vaginal health and reversed incontinence in post-menopause, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!---Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/getting-nerdy-about-hormones-topical-transdermal-oral-oh-my-with-dr-anna-cabeca-do/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Pelvic health physical therapy is the best-kept secret in medicine.” - Dr. Heather JeffcoatWhile we've been seeing Super Bowl ads for erectile dysfunction for years, women's sexual dysfunction is very stigmatized. The idea of women having the freedom to discuss sexual health and get their questions answered is a new concept that's only started in the last decade or so.Sexual health is an important part of a person's life, and as healthcare professionals, we need to treat it as equal to all other kinds of health. For many women, sexual dysfunction not only impacts their relationships but also their self-esteem. As practitioners, we can help to shift the narrative away from the stigma and bring awareness to the fact that many of these issues are fixable with physical therapy. It's just important for a woman to know that they can heal and have a more fulfilling sex life.Today, I'm excited to introduce you to Dr. Heather Jeffcoat, author of Sex Without Pain and a pelvic health physical therapist who has been on a mission to increase access to care and empower women to find more complete healing for their sexual health challenges.In this conversation, Dr. Heather and I discuss the importance of addressing sexual health as part of overall well-being, Dr. Heather's career journey from sports medicine to specializing in pelvic health, the need for holistic treatment approaches, how we can address the stigma surrounding sexual pain, accessibility to resources for secual health, ongoing challenges in accessing care, advocating for open conversations about women's sexual health, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!---Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/sex-without-pain-with-dr-heather-jeffcoat-dpt/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

Women are juggling a lot at every age and stage, from engaging with exciting opportunities and caring for aging parents to raising kids and showing up for all the extras like bake sales and school events. With everything on our plates, it's easy to miss the signs of stress and burnout. We keep pushing through until our bodies start to whisper (or shout) that something's off, and for many women, it begins in the pelvic floor.So much of our well-being comes down to nervous system regulation, and the pelvic floor is more connected to this than most people realize. It's tied into things like anxiety, migraines, neck pain, even voice and immune issues. When we recognize those signs, we can start to care for ourselves and our patients in a deeper, more effective way.Today I'm excited to introduce you to Dr. Sara Reardon, a board-certified pelvic health therapist better known as The Vagina Whisperer. Sara is also the author of the upcoming book, Floored: A Woman's Guide to Pelvic Floor Health at Every Age and Stage. If you've ever thought about being a thought leader in the area of women's health you're most interested in, you will want to hear all about the trajectory of Sarah's remarkable career.In this episode, Sara and I discuss her journey from working in hospitals and private practices to founding her own practice, why she created an online pelvic floor workout program, how she grew her social media platform, why we need to empower women to take charge of their health, the challenges of writing a book, the need for innovative healthcare approaches, how we can create more accessible resources, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!---Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/meet-the-vagina-whisperer-and-what-your-clients-need-to-know-about-their-pelvic-floors/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

Chronic complex illnesses can be particularly difficult to treat with genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors converging to create a perfect storm, particularly during life stages such as perimenopause or postpartum. There are no simple, accessible tests to differentiate between viral activation, mold issues, gut issues, or any of a number of different possibilities.As clinicians, our first step is to take the time to deeply listen to our clients' stories to start to pick up the risks and triggers that may appear along the way. When you take this approach, you can identify the warning signs earlier and help clients to take a more preventive approach or to recover more quickly. It's a challenging thing to do, but you're on the front lines, and your community needs you.Today, I'm excited to introduce you to Dr. Jennifer Tufenkian, a naturopathic physician who has had her own journey with chronic illness. Dr. Jenny and I discuss the often-overlooked emotional and psychological aspects of chronic conditions, the importance of validating the experiences of those suffering from chronic illnesses, what an informed approach to treatment looks like, how we can best support our patients, developing personalized care strategies, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!---Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/how-to-prevent-and-heal-chronic-fatigue-and-post-viral-illness-with-dr-jennifer-tufenkian-nd/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“I had two choices. Either give up what I love to do or look for a new path and figure it out.” - Dr. Carrie PaglianoFrom the newborn months to the teen years, modern motherhood is crazy busy for most of us. Juggling children's needs, managing our careers, and carrying the mental load often means living in a state where we need not only physical rest, but activities that help with neurologic rest and nervous system regulation.As health care professionals, we can facilitate that. By collaborating with your clients to help them clarify their vision and goals, you can refine your recommendations down to the most efficient and necessary things that will make a significant difference to their lives. Guiding your clients through our overly complicated healthcare system and pointing them in the right direction for sub-specialists can be the key to achieving the patient outcomes you want. She wants to feel well, and you get to be a part of making that happen, no matter where you are on her team.In this episode, Dr. Carrie and I discuss the often-overlooked complexities of returning to fitness after childbirth, navigating the physical changes that accompany perimenopause and menopause, the importance of integrating orthopedics and sports medicine with women's health, the necessity of a holistic and proactive approach to care, empowering women through education and support, the value of strength training, the role of hypermobility in pelvic floor health, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!---Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/running-while-postpartum-and-perimenopausal-with-dr-carrie-pagliano/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Everything you do in your day-to-day life matters for your metabolic health.” – Dr. Ritamarie LoscalzoMetabolic health is one of the critical factors behind every disease known to mankind. It's the most common cause of cardiovascular disease and digestive imbalances, and it becomes more and more vital for women as we age.When it comes to supporting our clients as health and wellness professionals, metabolic health and inflammation are two of the areas we must focus on. We need to ask the right questions and do the proper tests to identify some of the red flags and the areas that are less obvious and that many doctors miss.Today, I'm excited to introduce you to my friend and colleague, Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, who has been working in the field of metabolic health for decades. Dr. Ritamarie says life begins at 50, and she is an inspiration for women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who feel like life is ending. Through her work and how she lives, Dr. Ritamarie helps women take data, utilize it in an actionable way, and open their vision of what is available to them through perimenopause and beyond.In this conversation, Dr. Ritamarie and I discuss why good metabolic health is critical for women, the need to focus on metabolic health during perimenopause and post-menopause, the benefits of integrated health practices, how metabolic imbalances manifest, the roles of stress and sleep in overall health, strategies for metabolic resets, the importance of social health, how to make sustainable positive change, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!---Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/why-your-clients-metabolic-health-is-the-key-to-her-longevity-in-menopause-and-beyond-with-dr-ritamarie-loscalzo/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Blood pressure is an important marker – the first red light on the dashboard that something is amiss.” – Dr. Ellie CampbellCardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women. As practitioners, it's crucial that we're thinking about preventative care strategies and measuring blood pressure as a public health service to all of our patients. It's the first signal that something is out of balance with the body.While we don't think about it a lot, oral health and airway health are also significant, but often quiet, contributors to cardiovascular issues that we should proactively assess in our patients. Comprehensive screening and monitoring of these cardiovascular risk factors, especially for midlife women, can make all the difference in preventing serious health events.Today, I'm excited to share my conversation with Integrative Family Medicine physician Dr. Ellie Campbell. Dr. Campbell advocates for a whole-body view of health management and believes that we need to shift how healthcare providers view and address the interconnectedness of oral health and cardiovascular wellness to achieve better patient outcomes.In this conversation, Dr. Campbell and I discuss the connections between cardiovascular and oral health, why regular blood pressure and oral health screenings are essential, the new guidelines for blood pressure, special considerations for women in midlife, preventative strategies for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, the role of our lifestyle choices, the impact of COVID-19 and long COVID on cardiovascular health, supporting the immune system, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!---Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/top-preventive-tests-every-woman-should-have-to-prevent-stroke-and-heart-attack-with-integrative-family-medicine-physician-dr-ellie-campbell-do/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“We have to move our bodies to tell the brain that it's safe to access certain ranges of motion and interrupt whatever patterns we might be in.” - Julia BlackwellThere's always an emotional component to chronic injuries and illnesses. And part of what causes your body to hold on to these emotions is the feeling of not being safe or being fragile. As rehab and fitness professionals, we often see people after injury and illness battling with internalized ableism, blaming themselves and asking “What did I do wrong? Why can't I fix this on my own?”There's a lot of grief, fear, sadness and anger that can be compounded by the external pressure that many feel from the greater wellness community that if you do everything right, your body should be perfect. That's just not true.We have an opportunity to create safety for our clients. A space for them to release the emotions they've stored physically, without having to dig into the details behind them, and allowing them to move, be safe and be comfortable.Today I'm excited to introduce you to Julia Blackwell, a fascia release practitioner who experienced the lasting impact of fascia release therapy herself and who has helped clients for over 11 years. In today's episode, Julia and I discuss her journey with chronic pain, how discovering fascial release transformed her understanding of healing, how our fascia connects with our physiology and mental health, its impact on movement and pain perception, practical techniques for working with fascia, the importance of dynamic movement and compression, the need to address both physical and emotional components in healing, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!---Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/an-innovative-approach-to-healing-chronic-pain-and-trauma-with-active-fascia-release-with-julia-blackwell/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

Healthcare is very expensive right now, and the most profitable business models all rely on people being attached to a chronic illness model.How can we make healing through functional medicine more accessible? We've been asking ourselves this question at the Integrative Women's Health Institute and it's difficult to answer. Treating clients who have complex chronic conditions requires active participation by practitioners. We bring together coaching skills and look at different physiologic systems as a whole, all while being mindful of overwork and burnout ourselves.Technology will change how healthcare is delivered, and the role of clinicians will change. The good news is that there are ways we can integrate these new systems into our practices to create better outcomes for our patients and clients. When done correctly, technology can help us scale our skillsets and improve accessibility.Today I'm excited to share my conversation with Diane Ducarme, creator of Migraine Heroes. Diane and her team have created a solution to chronic migraines that comes from a very unique perspective that combines technology with traditional Chinese medicine, Western medicine, and functional medicine strategies. They're also working towards making the platform more accessible and approachable for people who can't afford functional medicine.In this conversation, Diane and I discuss insights from her sister's migraine experiences, the importance of integrative approaches to women's health, the complexities of migraines, the need to address the root causes of migraines, integrating traditional Chinese medicine with Western medical practices, the role of nutrition and lifestyle changes in migraine management, how migraines impact health journeys, the prevalence of migraines among women and hormonal influences, financial barriers to accessing quality healthcare, the use of technology and innovative tools in migraine management and support, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!---Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/healing-migraines-by-combining-an-integrative-approach-with-technology-with-diane-ducarme-founder-of-migraine-heroes/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

It's critical for women all over the world to have financial nourishment and independence, as well as physical health. It's all connected.For women, one method of empowerment is through financial stability. That stability can come naturally as you gain more confidence and consistency in your work. Still, we often don't pay enough attention to it because of the stigma and the feeling that we shouldn't talk about money. When you also consider that income inconsistency can be a significant stressor in our lives, it's crucial for us to start to find ways to address the existing issues.The good news is your business can be a source of financial stability and nourishment, not stress. Today's guest, Tekla Diriczi, is a transformative Women's Health Coach from Hungary whose journey is as inspiring as it is impactful. After feeling stuck in the feast-and-famine cycle that many entrepreneurs experience, Tekla decided to build on her existing experience and skill set. Now, she's one of the top three menstrual cycle coaches in her country, and her business is thriving.In this conversation, Tekla and I discuss her path from financial instability to becoming a confident coach, the pivotal role of community support and mentorship in her growth, why it's essential for us to share personal stories, the potential for personal and professional transformation, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!---Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/how-to-have-financial-health-in-your-practice-with-the-leading-menstrual-health-coach-in-hungary-womens-health-coach-graduate-tekla-diriczi/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

When you're just starting your career, there's so much to learn and grow into. After the first decade or so - especially in a clinical setting - the pressure typically builds to a point where getting burned out becomes a problem.There's the time, effort, and energy needed in your work, raising your kids or caring for aging parents, responsibilities in your community, and so much more. Especially now, as healthcare resources dwindle and systems begin to crumble all over the world, burnout is so common.As a person in clinical healthcare, if you want to shift away from the burnout-inducing productivity pressure and think about what you could do to honor your needs while becoming even more valuable for your clients and patients, coaching might be the right path for you.Today, I'm excited to introduce you to Tamarah Calyniuk-Nerrete, a physiotherapist who found herself very burned out and made the decision to join our Women's Health Coach certification program. Through developing her coaching skills, Tamarah was able to build a practice that allowed her to slow down and support her physical and mental health while providing a holistic well-being approach for her clients.In this conversation, Tamarah and I discuss her extensive background in physiotherapy, her transition into coaching, how our personal experiences shape our professional practices, why adaptability is a critical skill in your career, how coaching skills benefit both your personal and professional life, the value of continuous growth, the integration of diverse experiences for a fulfilling career in women's health, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/burnout-in-womens-health-how-coaching-training-can-help-you-sustain-your-career-tamarah-nerreter/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“I joined thinking functional nutrition was going to heal me, and what I actually needed was the coaching.” - Dr. Rose SchlaffIn the world of women's health and wellness, there's a lot of conversation about pelvic pain, sexual pain, and low libido, especially for women with complex chronic pain and those navigating the stages of life from postpartum to perimenopause. Despite that, the bar is usually set at removing acute pain, and we rarely dig past the point of acceptable sexual experiences.As women's health practitioners, we have the opportunity to help our clients fully reach their goals and achieve more pleasurable and connected sexual experiences. Just as we would work with an athlete to restore them to their elite-level function, we can think of sexual health similarly. Today, I'm joined by Women's Health Coach Dr. Rose Schlaff to explore how we can better support our clients in optimizing their sexual wellness and achieving their personal goals. Rose's background in sexual health, pelvic floor physical therapy, and coaching has shown her that by combining modalities, she could honor her purpose and serve clients in a way that created a significant positive impact on them but also supported her mental and physical health.In this conversation, Rose and I discuss how the pelvic floor and nervous system impact sexual wellness, what it means to optimize sexual wellness, the effects of perimenopause, how chronic conditions affect women's sexual health, how libido changes over a lifespan, simple techniques holistic practitioners can use to better support our clients, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/womens-desire-and-integrative-sexual-health-coaching-with-womens-health-coach-dr-rose-schlaff-dpt-whc-if/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Women need a sacred space, where they are listened to and can be guided to find their own solutions.” - Mila ShwabMindful listening is one of the best ways we can support our clients. In conventional medicine, there's so much focus on giving directives and instructions that women often feel as though their experiences of their health are pushed to the side.Through coaching, we help our clients from a different angle - empowering them in their journeys. When we create that space and utilize the tools available to us, our clients learn to listen to themselves, making it easier for them to make the sustainable changes they need to achieve optimal health in the long run.Today, I'm joined by Mila Shwab, a graduate of the Women's Health Coach Certification program who is out in the world doing amazing things. Mila's experience with breast cancer and the trauma that it brought informs her approach to coaching. Now, her practice supports women in aging beautifully and with energy, and she embodies so much of that.In this conversation, Mila and I discuss how her breast cancer diagnosis sent her on a deep dive into nutrition and women's health, her approach to coaching, the importance of providing a safe space for clients, the power of personal experience in guiding others, building a successful health coaching practice, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/how-mila-shwab-transformed-her-life-from-breast-cancer-survivor-to-womens-health-coach-helping-women-age-vibrantly/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

What makes someone a successful women's health coach?After 15 years of the Women's Health Coach Certification program, I've seen thousands of students become coaches, and there are certain elements that our most successful graduates have in common.Whether they come from a clinical background, have a passion for helping a particular type of woman, or felt called to this career because of their personal experiences, the most successful people are those with deep curiosity and care about individual women's stories who are navigating challenging things and learning.As we approach the final cohort of the Women's Health Coach Certification program, I'm exploring how to determine whether becoming a women's health coach is the right career for you. In this episode, I'm talking about the essential qualities of successful health coaches, the role of passion, patience, mindfulness, and curiosity, what it means to create supportive client relationships, the support we offer to people considering joining the program, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/is-womens-health-coaching-the-right-career-for-you/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

As a medical professional, you're trained in a model encouraging you to “solve” your patient's health problems. It's one thing to be able to prescribe medication for your patients and move on and another thing to integrate that with the tools that allow you to work together to figure out the drivers of their illness. Health is a skill set that your patients have to learn to integrate into their daily lives, and with the right tools, you can help them achieve that.When we shift our mindset toward helping our patients and clients practice this new paradigm of health, we also live richer, more fulfilled, healthier lives. As a women's health professional, you get to have a fully supported, life-giving life where you feel well in your body, and you can continue to do the vital work your clients need you to do.Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Dr. Dawn Allen, a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Women's Health Coach certification program graduate. Dawn's story is an inspiration and a great reminder of what's possible when we shift into a collaborative model to help clients not only understand from a clinical perspective but also help them to do the healing.In this conversation, Dawn and I discuss how health coaching can integrate into clinical practice, the limitations of the conventional medical approach, why Dawn became interested in health coaching, the benefits of health coaching for patients and clinicians, the value of communication skills and holistic approaches in healthcare, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/why-becoming-a-womens-health-coach-is-the-key-to-a-fulfilling-healthier-and-wealthier-career-for-medical-professionals-fixing-healthcare-together-with-dr-dawn-allen-nurse-practitioner/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“I want my life to look different day-to-day and to solve different problems, and I want support and a way to do that sustainably.” - Stephanie HarrodA big part of being a healthcare provider is helping people and servicing those who need our skills. This is reinforced when we train in a conventional healthcare field, where we're taught to work in a service model that focuses on becoming a resource for our patients.While service is a critical aspect of what we do, it's essential to realize that your practice can also be something that serves you. When you refine your niche, the women you're serving in your coaching practice can give you energy instead of draining you. Our jobs can nourish us, be in alignment, and propel us towards our goals.Today, I'm joined by Stephanie Harrod, a graduate of the Women's Health Coach certification program and a pelvic health physical therapist transitioning into her women's health coaching practice. During the program, Stephanie created a very clear vision which she is now living. It's an inspiring journey.In this conversation, Stephanie and I talk about when she recognized the need for more tools and flexibility to serve her patients better, the challenges she faced in deciding whether to join the certification program, the value of community and mentorship, her advice for others considering similar career changes, the significance of vision in achieving professional fulfillment, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/from-pelvic-health-pt-to-womens-health-coach-stephanie-harrods-journey-to-living-her-vision/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

The role of health professionals has had to shift significantly over the past 20 years.Patients have more tools than ever, from functional nutrition and lifestyle medicine to cutting-edge medical interventions and alternative therapies. Yet, even for those with access, it can be extremely difficult to navigate these resources and implement them sustainably over time.That's where health coaching plays a crucial role. It's a set of communication skills that enables health and wellness professionals to guide people through the complexities of caring for themselves in an increasingly and acceleratingly complex and environmentally toxic world. I started to see this increasing need back in 2006, and that's when I created the first iteration of the Women's Health Coach certification program.Today, I'm telling you how the Integrative Women's Health Institute came into being and why I developed our flagship program, the Women's Health Coach certification. I'm also sharing why this cohort will be the final one of the program and the exciting changes we have on the horizon.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/15-years-of-transforming-womens-health-the-legacy-and-evolution-of-the-womens-health-coach-certification/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“I have a bigger connection with my patients than I ever have, and that even translates to working with other professionals on the care team.” - Dr. Maggie Roth, PT, DPT, ATC, WHCIntegrating health coaching into our existing practices and skills can profoundly improve patient care and outcomes. In clinical training, we're typically taught to measure success against a set of functional goals. It's rare for clinicians to encourage patients to think about goals specific to their lives and support them in achieving them.The healing journey is not just about evidence-based measures like how far a patient can walk and what their endurance is. Those metrics are important, but they're not the whole story and don't reflect a holistic approach to women's health.Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Dr. Maggie Roth, a graduate of our Women's Health Coach certification program. Maggie is a pelvic health expert and physical therapist who now specializes in working primarily with mothers who also deal with chronic pain. Since graduating, she has integrated her coaching training into her physical therapy practice in a way that has helped her clients get to the point of being fully well and in alignment with their goals.In this conversation, Maggie and I discuss her journey into physical therapy, what it has been like integrating health coaching into her physical therapy practice, what holistic, client-centered care looks like, why relieving physical symptoms doesn't address the whole picture, her experiences as a postpartum mother and working with women suffering from chronic pain, the need for continuing education and community support among healthcare professionals, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/a-truly-integrative-approach-to-womens-health-physical-therapy-with-womens-health-coach-graduate-dr-maggie-roth-pt-dpt-atc-whc/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

[TRIGGER WARNING: Suicidal ideation]“Most of the things I did were not given to me by my practitioners because they had no clue what was going on.” - Dr. Madhu BagariaWalking the path of complex chronic illness is a difficult one. Even when we're highly motivated and have the technical understanding as practitioners, it's never that simple. One specialist can't solve everything, but that doesn't mean there's no hope. Rather than focusing only on symptom management, we must embrace a holistic approach that addresses the physical, mental and spiritual aspects as a whole.Toda,y I'm excited to introduce you to one of my colleagues, Dr. Madhu Bagaria, an endometriosis surgeon who struggled for years with severe chronic pain. Despite Dr. Bagaria's position as a medical doctor, she experienced firsthand the frustration many women feel when navigating the healthcare system. Despite seeing a series of specialists, no one tried to uncover and address the root causes of her pain and instead offered her opioids and anti-depressants.In this conversation, Dr. Bagaria and I discuss the complexities of chronic illness and pain, her struggles with fibromyalgia, what a holistic approach to patient care looks like, the benefits of integrating Eastern and Western medicine, the importance of emotional, psychological, and spiritual bodies in healing, the role of support networks, mindfulness practices, self-advocacy, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/endometriosis-and-the-pain-of-medical-gaslighting-with-endometriosis-surgeon-dr-madhu-bagaria-md-facog/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Healthcare professionals who are not trained in treating chronic pain but trying to treat chronic pain are actually detrimental.” - Monica DemitorWhen you're living with chronic pain, accessing the services and care you need can be challenging. From identifying providers and treatments that have the right expertise to taking care not to make your diagnosis your entire identity, trying to navigate all the nuances and building out the right health team for you can be a tricky line to walk.Healthcare professionals have an opportunity to help people navigate their chronic pain in a productive way rather than a traumatic and exhausting one. That's where organizations like Anodunos are essential in their work to train the practitioners who serve chronic pain patients.The Anodunos Method is a revolutionary approach to pain management and education. Anodunos means “without pain” in Greek, and the Anodunos method is a truly integrative approach to care, recognizing that combining various treatment modalities enhances patient outcomes.Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Christine Sotmary, Monica Demitor, and Jenn Trepck from Anodunos. Their goal is to train people who want to help those with chronic pain navigate a multi-disciplinary set of resources that actually will help them meet their goals. Over the past 25 years of my career, the evolution of the research and resources for chronic pain has been amazing to witness.In this conversation, Christine, Jenn, Monica, and I discuss the Anodunos Method, why a multidisciplinary approach to chronic pain management is essential, the role of pain navigators in coordinating care, knowledge gaps among healthcare professionals treating chronic pain, why building a health team can make all the difference, what collaborative care looks like, how we can best support patients in their healing journeys, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/innovative-approaches-to-chronic-pain-with-the-anodunos-method-team/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“I always pair the exercise and nutrition plan with the medication because the goal is to foster positive behavior changes to reinforce the changes occurring with the medication. That's what maintains the weight loss.” - Dr. Elizabeth SharpLosing weight can be very challenging, and many people get stuck in a vicious cycle where they are making positive changes but not seeing their desired results. In these cases, when we understand how to integrate a healthy diet and exercise, having something like a GLP-1 agonist to help jump-start your hormone balance can be a game-changer.Whether it's pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic and Wegovy are no different. They can be highly beneficial when we view them as morally neutral tools, especially in collaboration with practitioners who can put them in context alongside exercise and nutrition.Today, I'm so excited to introduce you to Dr. Elizabeth Sharp, an internal medicine doctor in New York City who recently started her private primary practice with an additional focus on weight management. Dr. Sharp has a preventative mindset that is rare in conventional medicine, and seeing her approach gives me hope that we're turning a corner in the Western medical system.In today's episode, Dr. Sharp and I discuss the role of GLP-1 agonists in weight management, the importance of lifestyle changes, what an integrative approach to weight loss looks like, the need for preventative health measures, her approach to longevity, how you can reach your long-term health goals, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/an-integrative-approach-to-weight-loss-with-dr-elizabeth-sharp/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“When we recognize that a stress and trauma response is about movement in the body, then it makes sense that the recovery response is also about movement.” - Richmond HeathTrauma is an underlying factor for many chronic illnesses. From digestive issues to autoimmune diseases and problems with the nervous system, in many instances, one of our physiologic systems is stuck due to a traumatic pattern.The most important thing to know as a practitioner or a patient is that we don't have to know where the trauma came from to release it. TRE® is a revolutionary technique that utilizes the body's natural reflexes to allow you to relax your body, calm your mind, and recover from trauma.Today, I'm joined by Richmond Heath, physiotherapist, TRE® Certification Trainer and National Coordinator of TRE® in Australia. TRE® has had a significant impact on Richmond's life, and he's passionate about helping people understand TRE® as a pathway for ongoing growth and development in all areas of our lives.In today's episode, Richmond and I discuss the connection between trauma and chronic illness, how trauma manifests physiologically, the role of movement in recovery, how we can use the body's natural mechanisms for releasing trauma, how to integrate TRE® into your practice, trauma's impact on health and healing, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/using-trauma-release-exercise-to-heal-chronic-pain-with-richmond-heath/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“All the coaching skills are important, but without the vision, the rest are really hard to put in place.” - Bianca SiravoWhen you're in a traditional healthcare field, you can feel boxed into a cog-in-the-wheel role. With most clinical professionals having minimal time to interact with clients and patients, visits are rushed, and you simply don't have time to do the important work of listening and visioning. Instead, clients leave with a checklist of valuable recommendations they often struggle to implement.For many of our students, this frustration led them to look outside of the current corporate model of healthcare. These hybrid models create a space to combine your clinical skills with your life experience and non-clinical skills to empower patients to have the best possible health outcomes.Today, I'm introducing you to one of the recent graduates from our Women's Health Coach certification program, Bianca Siravo, whose personal journey and career experience provide many insights into how a collaborative multidisciplinary team can significantly transform women's health journeys.In this conversation, Bianca and I discuss her transition from a traditional clinical setting to a health coaching model, her struggles with pelvic pain, the importance of personalized care, the transformative power of coaching, how coaching and traditional healthcare can work together for the patient's benefit, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/creating-a-successful-medical-coach-model-for-vulvar-pain-with-whc-graduate-bianca-siravo-np-whc/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“You can't isolate the thyroid from the rest of the endocrine system.” - Dr. Dana GibbsThyroid health issues commonly go beyond the endocrine system and involve the metabolic and immune systems. The siloed nature of conventional medicine specialties combined with inadequate testing means that many women continue to live their lives in suboptimal health due to undiagnosed thyroid conditions.Today, I'm excited to share my conversation with board-certified ENT and hormone expert Dr. Dana Gibbs. Dr. Gibbs has a fascinating story of how her healing journey came about after realizing she had never felt completely well in her entire life. Like so many of us, once she learned about the root causes of these issues, her whole career trajectory changed.Our stories ignited our passion for healing others, but one individual's experience is not enough to safely support the healing of others without further education. We need many people practicing with a broad lens, reading the literature, sharing our stories, sharing our cases, and learning from each other so that we can better serve our clients who are falling through the cracks of a system that is too hyper-specialized.In this conversation, Dr. Gibbs and I discuss the complexities of thyroid health, her surprising self-diagnosis with thyroid issues, the limitations of conventional medicine specialties, why she transitioned away from her traditional practice, the need for comprehensive thyroid evaluations, common symptoms of thyroid issues, the impact of lifestyle changes, how to create sustainable habits, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/breaking-out-of-the-traditional-healthcare-system-to-heal-thyroid-issues-from-the-root-cause-with-dr-dana-gibbs/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Health happens at home, and it happens with the decisions that you make every single day.” - Dr. Jenn SimmonsCancer doesn't come out of nowhere. An increasing number of factors in our everyday environment contribute to cancer and many other chronic diseases. Unfortunately, changing our habits and eliminating these factors can feel so overwhelming to people that it stops them from getting the best possible care.That's where a health coach's skills can be especially beneficial. Most types of cancers are metabolic diseases, and as health coaches, we can teach people how to be metabolically healthy. There's so much that we can do to help people lower their risk of cancer and improve outcomes for those diagnosed with cancer or who have been through conventional recovery. Healing complex chronic illnesses doesn't happen quickly but over the course of collaborative and integrative therapeutic relationships.To explore more about what that support can look like, I'm joined by Dr. Jenn Simmons, who transitioned from breast surgeon to integrative oncologist to better empower her patients to take care of their health. Dr. Jenn believes that if people could shift their thinking to view their cancer as an opportunity to restore health and wellness, we would be much better off.In this conversation, Dr. Jenn and I discuss her cancer journey, why we need to focus on addressing the underlying causes rather than just managing symptoms, the importance of a holistic approach to cancer care, the role of the immune system, the impact of environmental toxins, the need for supportive relationships, how health coaches can make a vital contribution to a healthcare team, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/innovative-approaches-to-breast-cancer-recovery-with-dr-jenn-simmons/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“The hardest thing to do is to be yourself in every moment because we all want to be so spiritually evolved and perfect.” - Alexandra CousinsTW: If you're living with chronic illness, some of this may feel hard to hear. We talk about how navigating chronic illness has some difficult aspects spiritually and emotionally and how that can keep people stuck.Healing is about much more than physical health. While nourishing and regenerating physically, we must constantly reevaluate where our energy is going and what we want our lives to look like. But while having a vision is essential, we have to be careful not to hold on to it too tightly and get caught up in rigid ideas of who we need to be and what wellness looks like.There is no perfect journey. There is no perfect herbal protocol, no perfect nutrition protocol, and no perfect way to work on our spirituality. Even the clearest vision often doesn't end up being exactly what we thought it was going to be, and that's perfectly normal. Instead of aiming for perfection, we can ground ourselves in the fact that navigating challenging situations is what most often leads to significant personal and spiritual growth.Today, I'm excited to share my conversation with Alexandra Cousins, a colleague and mentor of mine, for the last year and a half as I've navigated my long COVID healing. In this episode, Alex and I discuss her chronic illness healing journey, the intricate relationship between physical and emotional health, personal transformation through challenging experiences, the realization that true healing involves embracing authenticity, the need to listen to your body and intuition, the value of community support in the healing process, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/navigating-menopause-through-healing-as-a-personal-spiritual-experience-with-alexandra-cousins/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Your brain has a lot to do with the way that pain is showing up in your life.” - Sally BrownThere's a chronic pain epidemic among women in midlife, and it shows up in a lot of different ways, from stress to lack of sleep, and more. While there's a lot we can do to have healthier hormone levels and more stress resilience, another element that can make a big difference is creating a daily practice using simple tools to rewire the nervous system.Having a practice that you follow regularly, especially on days you're not in pain, is as important as the tools themselves when it comes to supporting women with chronic pain or struggling with pain in the menopause transition.Today, I'm excited to introduce you to Sally Brown, the co-founder of Women in Harmony. Sally and her co-founder, Charla Stilling-Hayes, are occupational therapists committed to educating and providing harmony within the transformation process of menopause that goes beyond managing symptoms.In this conversation, Sally and I discuss how pain neuroscience education can empower women in midlife, what we need to understand about the nervous system's role in pain perception, practical tools to incorporate into daily self-care practices, fostering resilience, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/using-neuroscience-to-relieve-chronic-pain-with-occupational-therapist-sally-brown/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“None of us deserve to suffer needlessly.” - Dr. Mariza SnyderThe menopause transition typically begins somewhere in our late 30s to mid-40s, and most of us don't come into it with absolutely optimal health. Despite that, the reality is that only 6% of women in perimenopause are getting any kind of treatment at all, much less comprehensive, integrative treatment that takes care of all of the pre-existing challenges.When we're addressing perimenopause and menopause care, we have to expand beyond the typical - it's not just a hormone conversation. Women are already dealing with migraines, injuries, and other vulnerabilities and comorbidities that can influence their symptoms and how they experience the menopause transition. As Women's Health Coaches, it's up to us to understand how best to support our clients holistically.Today, I'm thrilled to bring you my conversation with Dr. Mariza Snyder, 8X Best-Selling Author, and Naturopathic Physician. Dr. Mariza and I have a very behind-the-scenes discussion on lesser-known symptoms of perimenopause and how we can be part of the solution to get women the menopausal care that they need.In this episode, Dr. Mariza and I talk about the complexities of perimenopause and menopause, often-overlooked symptoms, the importance of a holistic approach, the decline in stress resilience due to hormonal changes, strategies to manage symptoms, the need for comprehensive care to address both physical and emotional well-being, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/surprising-menopause-symptoms-and-how-to-overcome-them-with-dr-mariza-snyder/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“With health coaching, the self-revelation kicks in. It's a very magical tool.” - Dr. Silvana YeeAs clinicians, we often see patients becoming their own worst enemies. They've heard our recommendations, know exactly what to do, and understand it will help them, but still, they don't follow through. That's where health coaching can make a significant difference.Health coaching is not a cookie-cutter skill. It's an art and a science, and for those of us with clinical training, it can be a fantastic complementary toolkit to expand the support we can offer clients.Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Dr. Silvana Yee, a Pelvic Physical Therapist and recent Women's Health Coach graduate. As a later-in-life mom, Silvana experienced the postpartum period at the same time as perimenopause and has a unique perspective from that journey. During her maternity leave, she decided to join the Women's Health Coach certification program, and today, she's sharing her insights and how it's given her the tools to take care of herself for decades to come and transformed her approach to her career.In this conversation, Silvana and I discuss the gaps in support for perinatal women, how the WHC certification program provided her with tools to empower her clients and improve her health, the value of integrating health coaching into your clinical practice, the importance of empathy, the transformative impact of continuous learning and community support, and more. This episode will show you the magic of how we help our clients be so empowered that they are the ones leading their healing journeys.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/how-health-coaching-can-reduce-burnout-and-improve-outcomes-with-pelvic-physical-therapist-and-womens-health-coach-graduate-dr-silvana-yee/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Mindfulness is one of the most important life skills we can give to our teenagers.” - Dr. Elisa SongOur kids are under stress more so now than ever before. Their easy access to smartphones and social media also means they have fewer opportunities to blow off steam with simple activities like hanging out, chatting with friends, or riding a bike to a neighbor's house.Like anything else, kids need to learn how to make better choices, just as they have to learn to do everything else they will eventually need to do on their own. As parents, grandparents, and caregivers, the best thing we can do for them is empower them with tools and strategies they can use to increase their resilience and improve their health without feeling disconnected from their peers. Today, I'm thrilled to be joined by Dr. Elisa Song to talk about her book, Healthy Kids, Happy Kids. Dr. Elisa teaches a wide range of tools, from nourishment, movement, and mindfulness to nervous system regulation - strategies that benefit us and our kids. When we get better at them ourselves, we are better equipped to share a skill set for good health that will grow with our children as they do.In this conversation, Dr. Elisa and I discuss her insights on pediatric health, the gut microbiome's role in children's well-being, the impact of diet, lifestyle, and technology on children's health, strategies for supporting kids with long COVID, the need for improved stress resilience, practical advice for fostering children's physical and emotional health, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/supporting-teen-immune-and-mental-health-with-holistic-pediatrician-dr-elisa-song/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“I wanted to do the work I was trained to do and to help treat their cancer, but also to help them live well in the long term.” - Dr. Allison QuickSometimes, when people consider training in health coaching skills, there's a lingering worry that they'll have to completely leave the conventional system they're already a part of. Whether you're a physician, nurse practitioner, physical therapist, or something else, many of our graduates have stayed within the convention systems and simply expanded into new offerings for patients and clients.At first, this might come with growing pains for you and your organization, but ultimately, it's so valuable to make this change from within since conventional practices are where most of the patients are. Many of these patients want and can benefit from additional support on their healing journeys, and your health coaching skills can help them navigate this.Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Dr. Alison Quick, one of our Women's Health Coach Certification Program graduates who has done just this. Dr. Allison is a radiation oncologist who works at Ohio State University in the women's health oncology specialty and uses her coaching training to improve long-term health outcomes for her patients.In this conversation, Dr. Allison and I discuss what it looks like to integrate health coaching into oncology, Dr. Allison's career journey, the challenges of motivating survivors to adopt healthier lifestyles, the importance of addressing emotional and relational health, the benefits of health coaching for both patients and healthcare professionals, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/how-holistic-recovery-support-improves-cancer-care-with-womens-health-coach-graduate-dr-allison-quick/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“I feel like fitness is a gateway to health coaching.” - Mary VidalWhen we think about health and wellness, it seems like a linear process—either you're sick or healthy. That's hardly ever the case. Each of our health journeys is dynamic and individual.Often, when one thing gets solved, something else comes up, and that's one of the central reasons why having a coach with the experience and skill set to help monitor and navigate this journey makes all the difference.Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Women's Health Coach Graduate Mary Vidal. As an empty nester, Mary wanted to expand her practice to be able to help people as a health coach. After participating in multiple certification programs, Mary's business is thriving in multiple areas, and she's built a career that's meaningful to her and aligned with her vision.In this conversation, Mary and I discuss her journey from a corporate career to health coach specializing in women's health, the importance of creating a supportive community, why we need to celebrate small victories, using data to empower clients, the transformative power of health coaching, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/how-creating-community-can-supercharge-your-practice-meet-womens-health-coach-graduate-mary-vidal/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“It's important to look at food first before supplementation.” - Margie BissingerFor most people, bone health is not a topic that comes into focus until later in life or when an issue arises. Bone health is strongly linked to quality of life, so it's never too early or too late to start supporting strong and healthy bones.Optimizing your overall health in areas like reducing inflammation, optimizing nutrition, and incorporating resistance training will also help increase bone density and the dynamic capacity of your bones. Anything you can do to help your clients improve their bone health sets them up for improving their lives in the future. If you're a clinician working with women of any age, you have the opportunity to prevent the 25% death rate that we have from osteoporotic fracture.Today, I'm excited to be joined by Dr. Lisa Moore and Margie Bissinger for a fantastic roundtable conversation about bone health. They share their extensive experience and insights into bone health, osteoporosis, bone building, bone maintenance strategies, estrogen and breast cancer, and beyond. Our bones generally don't give us any symptoms until we're at a life-threatening fracture level, so it's our responsibility to reduce the risk or optimize recovery so that we can positively impact bone health in the long term.In today's episode, Dr. Lisa, Margie, and I discuss the importance of maintaining and building bone density through nutrition and exercise, strategies for those recovering from cancer, tailored exercise protocols, preventative strategies, integrating strength training and balance exercises, mindful movement to reduce the risk of fractures, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/strengthening-bones-osteoporosis-cancer-and-beyond-with-dr-lisa-moore-margie-bissinger/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Our brain and our thoughts change our biology and chemistry in the body.” - Jane HoganWhen someone is diagnosed with an autoimmune disease or chronic pain condition, there's a common pathway we tend to explore. It starts with conventional medicine and medications to suppress symptoms or stabilize the immune system. Then, going deeper to address the root cause, they'll turn to a functional medicine practitioner who will help with nutrition plans and supplementation. Even with all that, most people will hit a wall where it's hard to sustain the changes they've made. That's where a coaching model that supports the deeper social and emotional piece comes in.When it comes to chronic illness, healing must involve addressing the emotions, fears, and beliefs that no longer serve us. By changing the messages in our brain, we can change our physiologic functions and our biochemistry, even at the level of our labwork, and that's empowering.It's not about doing things perfectly and never taking a break, but instead recognizing that by incorporating nervous system regulation work and brain retraining strategies, we can accelerate the healing potential of all the tools we're already using.To explore this further, I'm sharing a fascinating interview with Jane Hogan, The Wellness Engineer. After being diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis in her early 50s, Jane dived deep into the world of mind-body medicine. Recognizing that if we want a different output in the body, we need to change the input, she now helps her clients release chronic pain and empower themselves on their healing journeys.In this conversation, Jane and I discuss her journey of healing from severe rheumatoid arthritis, the limitations of conventional and functional medicine, the importance of addressing emotional and psychological factors in chronic pain management, strategies and tools to address the mind-body connection, why we need a holistic approach to healing, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/how-to-use-neuroscience-to-heal-chronic-pain-with-jane-hogan/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Change is terrifying, especially change when it's somewhat subversive.” - Dr. Sara Sohn DPT, WCSChoosing to go in a different direction from what society tells you to do can be difficult. Making decisions like not overworking, not giving to the ends of your depth, and not focusing on external measures of productivity goes against what many of us have been taught, but that's what's necessary if you want to create a practice and a life that is supportive to you.Have you ever had a moment where you're questioning whether you have the energy, time, or mental capacity to take care of a patient? Or a client gets vulnerable and your first reaction is to minimize their issues and internally compare your pain to theirs? These are some of the first signs many of us experience on the journey to burnout.Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to support yourself and come back from burnout or avoid it altogether. By figuring out your North Star, celebrating your accomplishments, and consciously making space for rest and healthy boundaries, you can establish a life that works for you instead of drains you.Today, I'm excited to be joined by Dr. Sara Sohn, DPT, WCS, to explore how you can build that next-level life for yourself without burnout. We discuss our experiences with burnout, what it was like for Sara to create an aligned practice, the systemic issues contributing to how common burnout has become, practical strategies for achieving work-life balance, Sara's "BURN" framework for navigating, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/from-burnout-to-passion-in-our-work-with-physical-therapist-dr-sara-sohn/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“If we can, at the grassroots level, start getting to the patients and the community providers and then start moving up the chain, we can do a lot of amazing work.” - Dr. Juan Michelle MartinThe pregnancy and postpartum periods are huge eye-openers for most women. There's such a lack of education around pregnancy and birth that women are often not even aware of their options and the different options for support, including pelvic floor physical therapy and working with a doula or coach.After becoming a mom, today's guest, Dr. Juan Michelle Martin, recognized the significant need for more transparency and guidance and decided to specialize in pelvic and women's health. Dr. J's journey is so inspiring. While working in a physical therapy practice that was hyper-focused on productivity, she decided to pivot and build her own practice where she could serve her community and have the flexibility to be present for her family in the way she wanted to be.In this conversation, Dr. J and I discuss her journey from traditional physical therapy to establishing her private practice, why she decided to add coaching to her skillset, how it has helped her to improve the way she supports her clients, why it's essential to address both physical and emotional aspects of health during the perinatal period, the value of coaching in providing comprehensive care, what it means to foster deeper client relationships, how practitioners can work together to improve patient outcomes, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/improving-perinatal-care-with-physical-therapy-and-health-coaching-with-whc-grad-dr-juan-michelle-martin/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Once I started the program and began practicing and learning, it's hard to describe the freedom and excitement that it brought.” - April HabermanAre you wondering about the next step in your career? If you love supporting women and are passionate about women's health, healing, and helping women lead meaningful lives, women's health coaching might be for you.Today, I'm excited to be joined by April Haberman, a recent Women's Health Coach certification program graduate who has become a leader in corporate menopause care. After a long career in the non-profit and development space, April wasn't sure what she wanted to do next. She had a blank slate vision before her but wasn't sure what a midlife transition would mean for her career. By using all the resources available to her in the Integrative Women's Health Institute, April has made a dramatic and meaningful change, helping women navigate the kinds of changes that she navigated in the corporate world.In this conversation, April and I discuss her decision to become a health coach, her focus on menopause, the experiences that influenced her desire to support women, how community helped her through her midlife career transition, the importance of self-care and a client-centered approach in health coaching, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/whc-graduate-april-haberman-how-to-be-a-leader-in-corporate-menopause-care/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“I'm 31 and feel better than I've felt since I was 14. There is hope for you to feel better.” - Camille Dollins[TRIGGER WARNING: Suicidal ideation]Having to carry on, believe in yourself, and find answers is extremely hard to do when you're in pain.In today's episode, I'm joined by pelvic health expert Dr. Shanti Mohling and Camille Dollins, Lead Marketing Manager here at the Integrative Women's Health Institute and a woman who has navigated her own experience of healing from endometriosis.Camille's story is both inspiring and hopeful, and it's a credit to her that she held on to the tenacity to push forward and get the care she needed in a system that gaslit her and did not respect what she was going through. Thankfully, Camille is now living very healthfully, and her journey sheds light on a lot of the challenges of navigating the healthcare system with endometriosis, specifically extrapelvic endometriosis. As Dr. Mohling shares, this is a remarkably complex condition to treat and ideally requires the collaboration of a healthcare team.As practitioners, we can no longer treat the body and mind as distinctly separate beings. People navigating complex chronic pain need both physical symptom and emotional health experts on their teams to truly make progress on their health journeys.In today's episode, Dr. Mohling, Camille, and I discuss the complexities of endometriosis, Camille's struggles with diagnosis and treatment, how she connected with Dr. Mohling, Dr. Mohling's extensive surgical experience, the challenges of diagnosing extrapelvic endometriosis, the interconnectedness of physical and emotional health, why we need holistic treatment approaches, what we can do as practitioners to offer integrative support in managing endometriosis, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/what-is-extrapelvic-endometriosis-case-study-with-camille-dollins-and-dr-shanti-mohling/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Let's empower patients to help themselves. That's going to be the best way to affect change.” - Iris Kerin Orbuch, MDEndometriosis is a condition with neurologic, immune-inflammatory, and autoimmune components. While surgical excision is the cornerstone of treatment and necessary for most people to recover fully, we need a multidisciplinary approach to address endo's massive impact on the body comprehensively.As practitioners, one of the most important aspects to address is the sensation of safety in the body. To do that, we have to work both with physical tools, like optimizing nutrition, and with trauma and the mental/emotional impact of chronic illness. A part of your work is also to practice your own self-regulation so that being in your presence will help your clients regulate themselves.Today, I'm so excited to be joined by a dear friend of mine and one of the top endometriosis surgeons in the world, Iris Kerin Orbuch, MD. For years, Dr. Iris has been outspoken about the need for a multidisciplinary approach to treating endometriosis, and she continues to challenge her colleagues to rethink some of the earlier ways of addressing the condition. Dr. Iris uses an integrative approach to help her patients heal and get on the road to recovery.In this conversation, Dr. Iris and I discuss the complexities of endometriosis, the need for an integrative approach to treatment, Dr. Iris' journey with endometriosis, her advocacy for patients, the challenges of diagnosis, why we need to address the whole body, mind-body medicine, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/getting-better-outcomes-with-endometriosis-excision-surgery-with-dr-iris-orbuch/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Strengthening your gastrointestinal system is foundational to strengthening your immune system.” - Dr. Jessica DrummondIn this post-COVID world, we're constantly exposed to serious viruses daily. Knowing this, we must optimize our digestive, immune, and nervous systems to improve our resilience to infections, especially if we are high risk or working in a health facility or in other situations where we may be more vulnerable.The good news is that we have more tools than ever to combat the spread and damage caused by these viruses. From masking and HEPA filtration to ventilation and nasal sprays, there are many strategies that we can use in our homes and workplaces to mitigate the risk of infection. The less exposure, the better.Today, I'm sharing the second part of our case study with Terry Brown, a 22-year-old physical therapy student navigating a chronic long COVID case. Terry has now been dealing with constant chronic infections for over 18 months, and in our first conversation, we discussed the IWHI seven-step system and strategies to help her start to optimize her health.In this conversation, Terry and I discuss her progress since our last call, what it's been like to implement new practices into her busy daily life, strategies for enhancing gut, immune, and nervous system health, the importance of sustainable lifestyle changes, the benefits of stress management practices, specific nutrients and supplements to support your physiologic systems, and more. Let's get into part two, where you'll see exactly how we implement working with clients with complex chronic illnesses.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/immunocompromise-after-covid-in-a-physical-therapy-student-live-client-case-study-part-2/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“A COVID infection often reveals deeper vulnerabilities that you didn't know were there.” - Dr. Jessica DrummondThe COVID virus can be difficult to deal with, even when you're very healthy. So many factors can influence how your body responds, and we still have a lot left to learn. Unfortunately, that means that for those of us who are struggling with long COVID and the chronic health struggles that it brings, it's difficult to access help.The level of medical gaslighting is intense, and most of the medical community can't wrap their heads around the fact that COVID isn't going away or weakening in the way they expected.Today, I'm sharing a special case study using the IWHI seven-step system for navigating a chronic long COVID case. For this case study, I'm talking to Terry Brown, a 22-year-old physical therapy student who got COVID during orientation week at the beginning of physical therapy school. She's now been dealing with it for over 18 months and shares the ups and downs and the vulnerabilities that may have put her more at risk for long COVID.In this conversation, Terry and I discuss her health struggles in the year and a half since her initial COVID infection, how factors like anxiety, cortisol levels, and genetic predispositions may have contributed to her condition, our systematic approach to long COVID recovery, strategies for improving immune resilience, the significance of nervous system regulation, the value of individual mitigation tools, and more. Let's dive into this story and learn more about how to take a systematic approach to addressing long COVID from the root cause.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/immunocompromise-after-covid-in-a-physical-therapy-student-live-client-case-study-part-1/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“There are multiple - often overlooked - causes of depression.” - Dr. Achina SteinDepression is more than just a mental health issue. Years of research show that it can be related to your nutrition, chronic infections, environmental toxins, stress, hormones, or problems with cellular metabolism.Many of us in integrative and functional medicine have recognized this multi-factorial issue, and the Healing Depression Project has put together all the elements in a revolutionary way to help clients with treatment-resistant or chronic depression. I think their unique and highly integrative approach to depression and other brain-based mental and physical health challenges could become an ideal model for addressing many complex chronic illnesses.Today, I'm joined by the Healing Depression Project Founder and CEO Silvia Covelli and Clinical Director Dr.Achina Stein. While struggling with depression for over 25 years, Silvia realized that the only thing that helped was to combine several different modalities that created a whole-person approach to treating depression. The Healing Depression Project follows a retreat model where clients come to their center to complete the in-person portion of the program and then transition back into their daily lives with ongoing support for a period afterward.In this conversation, Silvia, Dr. Stein, and I discuss the mission behind the Healing Depression Project, the importance of integrating functional medicine, metabolic psychiatry, and lifestyle changes to address the root causes of depression, Silvia's struggle with depression, the need for comprehensive treatment, why individualized care is crucial, how the Healing Depression Project supports clients, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/healing-depression-project-with-silvia-covelli-dr-achina-stein/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Even the smallest changes, if they are consistently applied, will result in something positive.” - Kirstin NussgruberCancer isn't something that just happens out of the blue. Like every other complex chronic illness, it's influenced by various environmental and individual factors. As practitioners, we can help our clients optimize their health by supporting them holistically with everything from metabolic health and gut health to nervous system regulation and bringing more joy into their lives.When we can empower our clients to take a proactive role in their health and to realize that working on their health is a lifelong mission, it becomes easier for them to push through the inevitable challenges and commit to their long-term health.Today, I'm excited to introduce you to cancer nutrition expert, author, and speaker Kirstin Nussgruber, who has extensive experience working with women with cancer to prevent recurrence and to support them during the acute phase of cancer treatment for a more optimal outcome and to be healthier during their cancer journey.In this conversation, Kirstin and I discuss her journey into cancer care and nutrition studies, the importance of individualized nutrition, proactive prevention, the role of lifestyle in cancer care, how practitioners can empower women dealing with cancer, practical steps to address fears, the critical role of maintaining joy and engagement in life, ongoing monitoring and proactive health management, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/delicious-nutrition-to-prevent-and-recover-from-cancer-with-nutritionist-kirstin-nussgruber/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Reproductive health is the Wild West. You cannot protocol this; you must be willing to create it.” - Dr. Yeni AbrahamReproductive care is some of the deepest work you can do in the human experience. You can't go in without empathy, and you have to be prepared to bear witness to the highest highs and lowest lows in the lives of your patients or clients.For black women in the US, the black maternal health crisis adds a significant layer of complexity to an already complicated experience. Systemic racism in healthcare has created an environment where black women are especially vulnerable during pregnancy and postpartum and are experiencing disastrous consequences.As providers, we have a responsibility to develop our skills, deepen our relationships in our communities, and trust our instincts because our patients need us to be their advocates. If you're willing to tune into what your patients need, you can make a significant impact in the fertility world.Today, I'm excited to be joined by my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Yeni Abraham. Dr. Yeni has one of the most innovative practices in pelvic rehab and integrative medicine in the fertility space, and she's done a fantastic job of integrating manual and visceral therapies with holistic, mindful, and listening medicine.In this conversation, Dr. Yeni and I discuss what inspired her to do this work, what she's doing to innovate the field of fertility education, the factors contributing to the black maternal health crisis, what we can do to help mitigate this crisis as women's health and wellness professionals, her insights into creating a fertility practice in your community, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/a-holistic-approach-to-infertility-and-the-black-maternal-health-crisis-with-physical-therapist-dr-yeni-abraham/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“As women transition through pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause, the physiology is dynamic. We have to check in regularly.” - Dr. Jessica DrummondA whole-body approach is essential when working on complex cases involving multiple conditions. As a clinician, this is why the pillars of my seven-step protocol for navigating hormonal health are foundational.In part two of my interview with Women's Health Coach Aurélie Maire, we're continuing our in-depth case study on her experience with endometriosis, perimenopause, and long COVID. Aurélie is a biochemist and nutrition scientist and an expert in endometriosis and using yoga to nourish the system with endometriosis.Remember to check out our previous episode for part one of this conversation if you haven't already done so. If you or your clients are struggling with endometriosis, perimenopause, and/or long COVID, this is a really valuable and vulnerable case study for you.In this conversation, Aurélie and I discuss the critical elements of a protocol for complex cases like hers, different modalities and practices for nervous system regulation, the importance of a balanced diet, supporting digestive, mitochondrial, and immune health, managing histamine reactions, the need for personalized recommendations for supplements and lifestyle changes, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/how-to-balance-hormones-in-perimenopause-with-endometriosis-and-long-covid-live-client-case-study-part-2/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“We have to hold two things gently together: working on optimizing your health while being mindful not to limit the key priorities of your life.” - Dr. Jessica DrummondWith endometriosis - even in cases where it's very stable and well-managed - symptoms can change and even worsen when circumstances shift. This can be a result of stressful life events but also because of the hormonal shifts that come with perimenopause. In fact, for some women, endometriosis isn't diagnosed until perimenopause because that's when the symptoms start to be expressed for the first time.Knowing this, it's no surprise that for some women with endometriosis, long COVID can be a trigger for a change in endometriosis expression. Plus, when women are in a lower estrogen state, which can be the case with perimenopause, that alone puts them at higher risk for complications from COVID. For many, it's the perfect storm of elements that can lead to long COVID.Today, I'm interviewing one of our Women's Health Coach Certification graduates, Aurélie Maire. Aurélie is a biochemist and nutrition scientist and an expert in endometriosis and using yoga to nourish the system with endometriosis. If you or your clients are struggling with endometriosis, perimenopause, and/or long COVID, this is a really valuable and vulnerable case study for you.Aurélie brings a wealth of tools from her perspective and her experience, and we are doing a deep dive into her experience of having endometriosis, being hit by long COVID in perimenopause, and a lot of other stressors in her life. This type of situation is not unique to Aurélie, and it's common among people who are dealing with complex chronic illnesses.With at least 50% of the US population and a very large percentage of the global population expected to be struggling with long COVID within the next five to six years, we must take a closer look at how we support our clients.In this episode, Aurélie and I discuss her endo diagnosis, her journey with long COVID and endometriosis, the importance of nervous system regulation, how wearables and tracking have helped, adapting your lifestyle to manage energy limitations, the significance of yoga, breathwork, and mindfulness, finding joy amidst health challenges, why we need to make deliberate choices about our health practices, reconnecting with your body, and more.We went deep and detailed in this conversation, so we split the interview into two parts. Be sure to tune in to next week's episode, during which we'll continue the live case study with Aurélie.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/how-to-balance-hormones-in-perimenopause-with-endometriosis-and-long-covid-live-client-case-study-part-1/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“My passion is to be able to change things for women. No one should be dismissed; no one should be told it's all in their head. We have so much catching up to do in women's health care.” - Heather FlorioWhen we work with complex chronic conditions, we have to become very integrative. In our practice, we take a multidisciplinary approach to helping women with bladder pain heal from the root causes by starting with a whole-system assessment.When it comes to treatment, many of these cases cross systems and require us as practitioners to have a deep and well-understood toolbox to be able to work with these clients who have been struggling for years, if not decades. That toolbox will often include high-quality supplements, which, in many cases, can be safer and more effective than pharmaceuticals.As practitioners, we need to ensure that the products we recommend to our clients are of good quality and efficacy and of high value for the cost. Today, I'm excited to explore this topic deeper with Heather Florio of Desert Harvest, who has been on the cutting edge of using aloe vera and other natural products for over 30 years.In this conversation, Heather and I discuss the complexities of bladder pain, the use of aloe vera for managing conditions like interstitial cystitis, challenges with the diagnosis and treatment of complex bladder conditions, the role of diet and supplements in bladder health, the safety of long-term use of natural products, potential autoimmune aspects of bladder conditions, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/how-to-heal-bladder-pain-syndrome-and-interstitial-cystitis-with-top-quality-aloe-as-part-of-the-protocol-with-heather-florio-ceo-of-desert-harvest/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“In the last ten years, I really began to appreciate the gap between sports medicine and pelvic health.” - Dr. Ginger GarnerWhen you're living with chronic pain and acute conditions, it's easy to miss the potential interconnectedness of your symptoms. An appendix issue leads to appendix surgery, a gallbladder issue leads to gallbladder removal, and the list goes on. But what happens when there's an underlying issue connecting these conditions?In the conventional medical system, doctors will likely miss it because of the siloed approach to treatment. Even with a functional medicine approach, it gets tricky. Today's guest, Dr. Ginger Garner, lived with endometriosis for decades with fertility challenges and a broad range of symptoms before being able to get an accurate diagnosis.Ginger's insights are particularly valuable since she has both the skillset and training to understand her journey from a practitioner's perspective, as well as experience with her clients and as a patient herself. With that unique lens, she can look back at her story and show us, as women's health professionals, areas that were missed and where we may need to change the way we screen for endometriosis.In this conversation, Ginger and I discuss the potential connection between endometriosis and orthopedic health, the challenges of diagnosis and treatment, the importance of a holistic approach, endometriosis and infertility, the complexity of endometriosis symptoms, challenges with healthcare access in rural areas, the role of physical therapists, the need for legislative advocacy, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/when-multiple-hip-surgeries-is-a-sign-of-endometriosis-with-dr-ginger-garner/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Diet was by far the only thing that helped change the course of my endometriosis.” - Katie EdmondsA healing journey can be a nourishing experience. When we stop thinking of food as medicine but instead as part of a bigger lifestyle shift with social connection and emotional support, we can see the transformative potential of a truly holistic approach to optimizing our health.It's not about finding the perfect endo diet. Start with eating whole foods and tuning into what your body tells you about what it needs. From there, you can start fine-tuning as you figure out what's best for your unique body. Give yourself time to get familiar and comfortable and let go of rigidity. Nourishing every part of your body and soul at the same time is critical.Today, I'm joined by endometriosis author, educator, and Nutritional Therapist Katie Edmonds to explore why nourishment is an essential part of bringing your endometriosis into symptom remission. Katie wrote the 4-Week Endometriosis Diet Plan and Heal Endo: An Anti-Inflammatory Approach to Healing From Endometriosis. She lives on the North Shore of Kaua`i next to the biggest mahogany forest in the United States (fun fact) with her loving husband and two wonderful “miracle” kiddos. She's absolutely passionate about helping women with endometriosis.In this episode, Katie and I talk about why endometriosis requires a holistic approach, Katie's struggle with endometriosis and fertility issues, the role of stress, the complexity of endometriosis, the impact of diet and lifestyle on symptom management, Katie's three pillars of nutrition for endometriosis, the value of individualized care, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/hope-and-nourishment-for-people-with-endometriosis-with-katie-edmonds/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“How can we better help ourselves and our clients with endometriosis or other complex conditions navigate perimenopause and menopause?”Given some of the pervasive myths around perimenopause and menopause in the endometriosis community, many people are confused about the core challenges they may experience while navigating this transition.As with everything when it comes to our health, what is needed are more nuanced conversations. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all fix that suits everyone. For example, for some people, hormone replacement therapy is a crucial element in their toolbox; for others, it's a bad fit. As coaches and health and wellness practitioners, this is where we can guide our clients to find the best path forward for their specific needs.In this episode, I'm doing a deep dive into the research and our unique approach to helping women with endometriosis and other complex conditions navigate this transition. I'm debunking common myths, discussing the importance of personalized treatment protocols, outlining the pillars of our seven-step protocol for navigating hormonal health during these transitions, exploring the interconnectedness of bodily systems, the role of lifestyle factors, risks and benefits of specific treatment options, and more.Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/navigating-perimenopause-and-menopause-with-endometriosis/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).

“Good surgery matters, but a lot of other things matter too.” - Dr. Sallie SarrelAt the Integrative Women's Health Institute, we take a multidisciplinary approach to endometriosis care. From balancing the gut and uterine microbiomes to utilizing tools like hormone therapy and GLP-1 agonists, there are many more options available today for women with endometriosis.A big part of this shift resulted from the work of people like today's guest, my friend and colleague Dr. Sallie Sarrel. After taking 23 years to get her endo diagnosis, Sallie has been a strong voice in advocating for people with endometriosis for her entire career. In addition, for the past seven-plus years, she has partnered with Dr. Andrea Vidali to produce The Endometriosis Summit, which is now expanding globally and highlights the integrative and multidisciplinary conversation we need around endometriosis care.In this conversation, Sallie and I discuss the need for a multidisciplinary approach to endometriosis treatment, her passion for advocacy, the role of physical therapy, nutrition, and mental health in managing endometriosis, misconceptions about menopause and endometriosis, the impact of the Endometriosis Summit, and more. Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/cutting-edge-endometriosis-care-and-research-with-dr-sallie-sarrel/.Connect with me and access our entire platform at IntegrativeWomensHealthInstitute.com (https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/). Find and follow us @integrativewomenshealth on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@integrativewomenshealth) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/integrativewomenshealth/).