Integrative Women's Health Podcast

“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.” - 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 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-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/).