Women Strong

In this passionate & interesting interview on Pelvic Floor PT, Buffy Stinchfield, shares a ton of useful information on pelvic health and the many ways symptoms can present and impact overall physical and mental health. Buffy is the founder of Pinnacle Women's Therapeutics and the host of the "Birth Ready and Beyond - From Mom to Menopause" podcast."Buffy Stinchfield, PT, MPT, became a passionate advocate for women’s and pelvic health after years of suffering in silence with pelvic pain. She realized she finally needed to specialize in pelvic health after the birth of her first child in 2008 when her labor was anything but simple and her recovery was even more difficult. As she began her studies into this specialty, she was floored at the staggering statistics in pelvic health that pointed to the fact that pelvic health issues are VERY common. All of those years suffering in silence thinking she was ALONE should never have happened… and it is STILL the case for so many." ~Pinnacle Women's TherapeuticsDuring this conversation, Buffy & Dr. Nicole discuss pregnancy, postpartum, and some general physical & mental health symptoms that often impact women whether they've birthed babies or not. Buffy provides loads of pelvic health education and resources for this common, and commonly overlooked, women's health concern. Buffy offers online courses as well, so although her practice is located in the Pacific Northwest, you can begin learning more from her vast knowledge and experience today!Connect with Buffy (podcast, blog, courses, etc) here:https://pinnaclewt.com/Follow Buffy The Dysfunctional Pelvis Slayer, AKA "The Pelvic Health Coach" on IG:https://www.instagram.com/thepelvichealthcoach/If you'd like to be present for live interviews like this one in the future, sign up for the Women Strong membership at:https://www.womenstrongtogether.com/

Amy Newmark, best-selling author, publisher, and editor-in-chief of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, drops some serious wisdom in this interview focused on her recent book, Your 10 Keys to Happiness! Amy describes this book as her "love letter" to the Chicken Soup readers, her pre-retirement synthesis of all that she's learned after decades of editing Chicken Soup for the Soul. Amy has read tens of thousands of stories about everyday people's unique coping strategies, and in this wonderful book, she has compiled 101 stories (plus personalized introductions from Amy on each concept) that illustrate the following Keys to Happiness: GratitudePracticing ForgivenessHelping OthersDe-clutteringMaking Me-TimePositive Thinking (NOT Toxic Positivity)Stepping Outside of Your Comfort ZoneSpending Time in NatureBeing True to YourselfPursuing Your PassionAmy shares stories from the book, as well as several stories from her own personal experiences utilizing these easy-to-implement and evidence-based techniques for boosting happiness. BONUS: At the end of this interview, Amy also shares the one key to happiness that she didn't include in the book!Purchase Chicken Soup for the Soul: Your 10 Keys to Happiness here:Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3AkGXI2B&N:  https://bit.ly/3wQQF43Bookshop.org:  https://bit.ly/3AI4fcbCheck out Chicken Soup for the Soul books, pet food, educational resources, streaming service, and connect with Amy here:https://www.chickensoup.com/(sign up for the chicken soup for the soul newsletter to receive a daily story)@chickensoupsoul on social media@amynewmark on social mediahttp://www.amynewmark.com/This episode was edited by Kai of "Fam Band" - check out his family's music here:https://www.famband.co/If you'd like to be present on live interviews like this one in the future, sign up for the Women Strong membership at:https://www.womenstrongtogether.com/

This interview features Alie Sweany-Rich, a nature-art guide and the founder of Wild Roots Studio, who offers nature-art classes for children and adults, women's circles, and more. Alie inspires us with a beautiful conversation about the many therapeutic benefits of creativity, nature, art, community, self-care, and women connecting with one another as we travel life's many seasons."Alie Sweany-Rich is an Earth Artist, Ceremonialist, Herbalist, Nature-Art Guide and Founder of Wild Roots Studio in Fort Collins, Colorado. She offers soulful nature-based art workshops, custom rituals and art installations aimed to support & strengthen our connection to nature and explore our wild creativity. She is endlessly inspired by the peace, joy, and soulfulness that nature stirs in one’s heart. She believes that nature art is a powerful vehicle to support us in syncing with our natural rhythms and helps us feel more in tune with the seasons and cycles that hold us. Alie believes creativity is medicine for the soul, as it allows us to quiet our mind chatter and let our wild, inner voice talk through our hands. Creating something with intention from the heart is truly our purest offering out into the world."Connect with Alie here:http://www.wildrootsstudio.com/If you'd like to be present on live interviews like this one in the future, sign up for the Women Strong membership at:https://www.womenstrongtogether.com/

This is an unusual episode for Women Strong, as we typically feature our expert interviews within this podcast, but Dr. Brooke (also affectionately known as "Babbling Brooke") felt inspired to speak directly to our podcast listeners about what's been on her mind lately. Sound is a little funky since Dr. Brooke recorded this entire episode as a voice memo while cross-country skiing!!! Please ignore her panting at times! This recording of Dr. Brooke's reflections was made specifically for the podcast (vs. our usual episodes that contain excerpts from our expert interviews that are made specifically for our Women Strong members, as they are the only women with immediate and exclusive access). There are LOADS (pun intended, you'll get this joke after you listen to the episode) of shout-outs in Dr. Brooke's conversation, so check out all of the links below to connect with these awesome folks! And, of course, if you'd like to be present on live interviews with Dr. Brooke, Dr. Nicole, the Women Strong members, and all of our fabulous female experts in the future, sign up for the Women Strong membership at womenstrongtogether.com!Check out other mental health related podcasts through Mental Health News Radio Network:https://www.mentalhealthnewsradionetwork.com/Connect with Dr. Candace Carmel Blagmon Weaver (AKA "ceasydoesit") here:https://www.instagram.com/ceasydoesit/?hl=enhttps://www.niaspuzzle.com/Connect with Carol King here:http://www.seaoflightwellness.com/Connect with Dr. Mary Rondeau here:https://www.wholeness.com/Connect with Jennifer Ciplet and Avail Divorce here:https://availdivorce.com/Check out the Sand, Surf, and Soul Retreat here:https://sandsurfandsoulretreat.godaddysites.com/Connect with Jen Strating of Fort Collins Biofeedback here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenstratingCheck out Frankly Speaking music here:https://www.franklyspeakingmusic.org/Check out Fam Band's music here:https://www.famband.co/

Betsy Crouch (AKA "Coach Sizzle") is the founder of Sizzle Consulting. Betsy has coached thousands of individuals as a life and executive coach, and has facilitated hundreds of group workshops for businesses and teams as a consultant. In this interview Betsy shares about the "superpower" of recognizing and shining light on the "sizzle" in ourselves and others. Betsy is playful, wise, compassionate, and gives lots of inspiration and tips to utilize along this human journey of life that we all travel together.This interview was particularly helpful and impactful for me (Dr. Brooke) personally. I embraced Coach Sizzle's recommendation to start a "Clue Paper" and write down all of the times I felt alive and lit up! And guess what, my Clue Paper (I named it my "Sizzle Sheet") listed loads of things related to the Women Strong program, lots more related to spending time laughing and playing with my friends and family and being outdoors doing physical activities, things related to self-exploration and personal development, but only one thing related to my main occupation (I love seeing my patients, but the rest of my clinic responsibilities were consuming my life, not leaving much leftover time for my Sizzle!).  As a direct result of my Sizzle Sheet, I took action to cut my clinical workload down dramatically which completely transformed my work-life balance, leaving much more time for the things that bring out my sizzle! Thank you SO much Coach Sizzle, for your positive contribution to me and to those lucky enough to come into your orbit!Disclaimer: If you don't want to hear Dr. Brooke and Coach Sizzle re-live (in great detail) one of their college soccer games from 1997, or if you're a serious Ohio State fan, you might want to begin listening to this interview after the first 4 minutes!Connect with Betsy (Coach Sizzle) here:sizzleconsultingllc.comUnlock WisdomAlign with Purpose, Deepen Connections, Engage all Voices@coachsizzle on instagramIf you'd like to watch the complete video of this interview and be present for live interviews like this one in the future, sign up for the Women Strong membership at womenstrongtogether.com

Maggie Tibbetts, LCSW has been a therapist in private practice for 25 years specializing in grief and loss, anxiety, depression, life transitions, spirituality and mindfulness. In this wonderful interview Maggie educates us on the many ways grief, loss, and transitions impact our lives. Maggie shares several helpful strategies for coping with grief and loss, especially during the holiday season which can be particularly challenging and triggering for those who are actively grieving. No matter what specific circumstances you're experiencing this year, Maggie will inspire you to nourish yourself, create new traditions, set healthy boundaries, and practice radical self-care this holiday season!Connect with Maggie here:https://www.maggietibbettslcsw.com/More grief resources that Maggie mentions during this interview:https://www.griefrecoverymethod.com/http://www.megandevine.co/The Women Strong member who shares during the last portion of this interview gave permission for her voice and words of wisdom to be included in this podcast episode.Additionally, during this interview, I (Dr. Brooke) botched my description of the Holmes & Rahe research that focuses on the contributions of stress to the development of illness. Check out the Holmes & Rahe Stress Scale for examples of some seemingly "positive" and other obviously "negative" life transitions that all have the potential to create stress (you'll find "major holidays" on the list)!If you'd like to watch the complete video of this interview and be present for live interviews like this one in the future, sign up for the Women Strong membership at womenstrongtogether.com!

Dr. Beth O'Brien PhD (AKA "the relationship whisperer") has been a psychologist in practice for 25 years, specializing in couples work. Dr. O'Brien utilizes PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy) principles, and in this interview she shares some tools that can help couples develop and strengthen their bond. There were tons more relationship tips that were edited out of this wonderful interview, as well as insights regarding the pandemic's impact on couples, so sign up for the Women Strong membership if you'd like to learn more about this topic!Connect with Dr. O'Brien (and read her published articles on relationships!) here:https://bethobriencounseling.comThe Women Strong member who asks a question toward the end of this recording gave permission for her conversation with Dr. O'Brien to be included in this podcast episode. Her name was edited out of the interview to protect the anonymity of our private Women Strong community.This episode was edited by Kai of "Fam Band", filling in for Jordon of "Frankly Speaking". You can listen to both of these talented musicians/bands on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or check them out here:https://www.famband.cohttps://www.franklyspeakingmusic.orgIf you'd like to watch the complete video of this interview and be present on live interviews like this one in the future, sign up for the Women Strong membership at womenstrongtogether.com!

In this very moving and honest interview, Shelly Dutch and Amanda share their personal stories of recovering from addiction and co-occurring mental health conditions. Themes that are highlighted include: addiction is a chronic, relapsing, emotional, spiritual, and physical medical condition that requires lifelong attention and treatment; predisposition to addiction can run in families; substance use disorders often co-occur with other mental health symptoms including but not limited to anxiety, depression, disordered eating, self-esteem challenges, trauma, and other co-occurring addictions; addiction impacts the entire family and community, and family members have their own healing work to do alongside their loved ones with addiction; women in particular face unique challenges re: prioritizing self-care and obtaining treatment for addiction; a holistic treatment approach (body-mind-spirit-family-& more) can help recovery; there is lots of hope for recovery from addiction, and mentors/community support can make a huge difference in maintaining successful, long-term recovery from substance use disorders and many other mental health conditions!Shelly Dutch has dedicated her working life to people seeking recovery and their families. She has built community and tools to support long term recovery including founding Connections Counseling LLC, founding Recovery Foundation (a 501(c)(3) to support individuals seeking recovery), co-founding the non-profit recovery focused Horizon High School, and co-founding the TMS Center of Madison for medication resistant, severe depression. Shelly emphasizes mentoring, service, accountability, and personal connections as keys to recovery. Shelly strengthens local recovery supports via partnerships with various community organizations, staff training and development, and relentless support of internship and fellowship training with local and national institutes of higher learning. In 2018, Ms. Dutch was recognized by the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) as the Mel Schulstad professional of the year. Amanda is a yoga instructor, businesswoman, mother, and a phenomenal mentor to other women at Connections Counseling.Connect with Shelly and her team here:https://connectionscounseling.comThis episode was edited by Kai of "Fam Band" and is dedicated to Jordon of "Frankly Speaking". You can listen to both of these talented musicians/bands on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or check them out here:https://www.famband.cohttps://www.franklyspeakingmusic.orgIf you'd like to watch the complete video of this interview and be present on live interviews like this one in the future, sign up for the Women Strong membership at womenstrongtogether.com!

Dr. Mary Rondeau is a naturopathic doctor and functional medicine expert and the co-founder of the Wholeness Center, a cutting edge integrative mental health clinic in Fort Collins, Colorado. Dr. Mary has a very busy clinical practice and she believes that a crucial component of any successful physical and mental wellness plan is self-care! Jennifer Ciplet, is a certified divorce coach and the Chief Creative Officer and co-founder of Avail Divorce, a membership-based library of divorce resources, tools, plus a community of support! Jenn works primarily with women who have left (or are leaving) marriages to pursue and discover the authentic, vibrant lives they are most longing to live. She helps her clients break through feeling "stuck" and get clear about their next steps with confidence, new knowledge and integrity. Jenn has also led numerous international retreats! In this interview, Dr. Mary, Dr. Brooke, and Jenn discuss the importance of self-care in general, how challenging it can be (and how vital it is) for women to put their self-care first, and these 3 women share passionately about how transformative retreats can be for so many reasons (this interview also talks specifically about their wellness retreat occurring in Nicaragua in April 2022-- The Sand, Surf, and Soul Retreat).Check out the Sand, Surf, and Soul Retreat here:https://sandsurfandsoulretreat.godaddysites.comCheck out Coco Loco Eco-Resort here (they offer several retreat options):https://www.cocolocoecoresort.comConnect with Dr. Mary here:@maryrondeaund on IG@wholenesscenterpc on FBhttps://www.wholeness.comConnect with Jenn here:@availdivorce on IGhttps://availdivorce.comIf you'd like to be present for future Women Strong live expert interviews, visit www.womenstrongtogether.com to sign up for the Women Strong membership!

Kelsey DiAstra is a Fort Collins based yoga and meditation teacher, specializing in mindfulness, stress management, and overall mental well-being.  In this interview Kelsey generously shares many useful and easy-to-implement tools from her mindfulness course. Kelsey works with clients both in-person and virtually.  Her “4 Weeks to More Mindfulness” course is an individualized 1:1 training that is aimed to “reduce stress, improve productivity, enrich your interactions, create more space, sharpen your focus, and help you feel better as you go throughout your daily life."Connect with Kelsey here:trainwithkelsey@gmail.com703-861-7478@kelseydiastra on socialIf you'd like to be present for future Women Strong live expert interviews, visit www.womenstrongtogether.com to sign up for the Women Strong membership!

Carol King is a Licensed Acupuncturist who also hosts several online nutrition courses including guided cleanses and "uncovering your emotional connection to food" workshops. Carol is SO passionate about nutrition and finding out how to uniquely inspire each one of us to fuel our bodies, hearts, and souls with delicious and nourishing food! She shares so many wonderful tools for enhancing nutrition in this interview!Connect with Carol here:http://www.seaoflightwellness.com@sea.of.light.wellness on socialIf you'd like to hear the complete interview (including more info on mindful eating, involving kids in nutrition and meal planning, plus Carol and Dr. Brooke's sharing of their personal journeys related to these topics), then sign up for the Women Strong membership at www.womenstrongtogether.com

This interview with therapist Annah Schnaitter focuses on EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), an evidence-based trauma-focused therapy modality.  The complete interview (available through the Women Strong membership) highlights additional trauma-focused therapies and resources, plus exciting and hopeful research that Annah is involved with through MAPS (Annah is a therapist for the MDMA assisted psychotherapy for PTSD research study)!  In this excerpt from Annah's wonderful interview, she tells us how she fell in love with treating trauma, educates us on "Big T" and "Little T" trauma, and instills lots of hope regarding the benefits of treating and healing our past traumatic wounds.Connect with Annah Schnaitter through Psychology Today.Learn more about the MAPS research at www.maps.orgIf you'd like to be present for future Women Strong live expert interviews, visit www.womenstrongtogether.com to sign up for the Women Strong membership!

Dr. Laura Rues of Kansas City Integrative Health, is a naturopathic doctor who specializes in women's health, hormones, and fertility.  In this episode she shares about all things related to our monthly cycles, and what our periods and related symptoms can tell us about our hormones.  To watch this interview in its entirety (and see Dr. Laura's cool graphs), sign up for the Women Strong membership at www.womenstrongtogether.com!  And definitely check out Dr. Laura's website for lots of free resources to learn more about hormones, fertility, and ways to, as Dr. Laura says, "love your hormones" and "feel like yourself, everyday"!Connect with Dr. Laura here:www.drrues.comIf you'd like to be present for future Women Strong live expert interviews, visit www.womenstrongtogether.com to sign up for the Women Strong membership!

Nancy Martin is a mother, a grandmother, a retired professor, an author, an activist, a former senior Olympic champion, and an inspirational female athlete! She is currently the oldest woman in the world competing in the male-dominated sport of paddleball! In this interview from June 2020, Nancy shares inspiring and fascinating stories about her personal journey.  She also highlights the many health and wellness benefits she has experienced by prioritizing movement and exercise as the core of her self-care regimen.  Nancy's passion is contagious and her wisdom, timeless.Here's an awesome article on Nancy from UC San Diego's Center for Healthy Aging:https://medschool.ucsd.edu/research/aging/events/Pages/Nancy-Martin.aspxIf you'd like to be present for future Women Strong live expert interviews, or if you'd like to hear Nancy's complete interview, visit www.womenstrongtogether.com to sign up for the Women Strong membership!

Leah Barrett is a therapist, nutritionist, and the host of a very moving podcast called "Precarious".  Leah has been diagnosed with cancer multiple times and through her podcast, she vulnerably shares about her personal journey living with a terminal illness.  Precarious attracts guests who also share about their own dark periods and life challenges.  The podcast is all about vulnerability, connecting through our stories, and just how fragile life can be.  We invited Leah as an expert within our Women Strong "Mindset" lessons.  Her resilience and stories of finding "beauty in the struggle" are so inspiring.  Thank you, Leah, for sharing your precious time and beautiful being with all of us.Connect with Leah here:www.leahbarrett.com Leah's Precarious Podcast is available through Mental Health News Radio Network or anywhere you listen to podcasts.If you'd like to be present for future Women Strong live expert interviews, visit www.womenstrongtogether.com to sign up for the Women Strong membership!

Doreen Horan is a grief specialist who shares so many useful tips and action steps to help us cope and move through periods of grief and transition.  This interview took place on May 22nd, 2020, and there is a video of Dr. Nicole and Doreen's conversation on the Women Strong Facebook page: facebook.com/womenstrongtogether (if you'd prefer to watch these ladies talk vs. just listening).  Connect with Doreen here:doreen@3hopefulhearts.comwww.3hopefulhearts.comwww.wholeness.comIf you'd like to be present for future Women Strong live expert interviews, visit our website at www.womenstrongtogether.com to sign up for the Women Strong membership!

Meet Dr. Brooke and Dr. Nicole, the co-creators of Women Strong!  In this episode we reminisce about the birth and evolution of Women Strong!   Women Strong is an online women’s wellness program covering the foundations of health through lessons, daily challenges, live interviews with female experts, and a supportive community.  Women Strong is all about empowerment, connection, and education!  This podcast features excerpts from some of our expert interviews.  Get ready to learn tons of wellness tips related to Mindset, Nutrition, Physical Health, Self-care, Exercise/Movement, Stress Management, and Mental/Emotional Health!www.womenstrongtogether.com