Podcast
Heal Your Chronic Pelvic Pain
Hosted by Rachel Gofman, DPT · EN
The Heal Your Chronic Pelvic Pain Podcast helps you heal chronic pelvic pain through a proven mind-body approach. Hosted by Rachel Gofman, DPT – a pelvic pain coach and physical therapist who overcame years of her own pain — each episode gives you science-based tools and compassionate guidance to partner with your nervous system to heal symptoms and reclaim your life.
13episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Why "Just Allow" Isn't Working
1w ago00:13:09Tap to summarizeOne of the most common pieces of advice in the mind-body healing world is:"Just allow the sensation."But what if allowing feels impossible?What if a large part of you is screaming that this isn't okay, that you want the symptoms to stop, and that you wish things were different?In this episode, I'm sharing why allowing symptoms often feels so difficult and the missing piece I see over and over again with my clients.The answer isn't forcing acceptance.The answer isn't convincing yourself you're okay.The answer isn't suppressing the part of you that hates what's happening.It's facilitating grief.In this episode, I discuss:Why "just allow" can feel impossibleThe hidden grief that often exists beneath chronic symptomsWhy suppressing your frustration, sadness, and anger creates more internal struggleHow grief helps us stop fighting realityThe relationship between grief, agency, and nervous system safetyWhy allowing the grieving part of you often makes allowing sensations possibleHow grief can become a powerful facilitator of healingIf you've been trying to force yourself into acceptance and it isn't working, this episode is for you.Remember, healing is possible for you.You've got this. Rooting for you, Always 💜Connect with Rachel: Get on the waitlist for Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain (doors opening again this summer)Get Your Free Pain Flare PlanBook A Pelvic Pain Strategy SessionIG: thepelvicpaincoachDisclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Transcribe →How to Keep Going When Healing Takes Longer Than You Want (with Sarah)
2w ago00:49:26Tap to summarizeWhat do you do when healing is taking longer than you want?When you're doing the work, showing up consistently, making progress... and you're still not where you want to be yet?In today's episode, I'm joined by my client Sarah, who shares her experience healing her chronic pelvic pain through a mind-body approach.Sarah lived with pelvic pain for over 20 years. Along the way, she received multiple diagnoses, tried countless treatments, was prescribed medications, and was even told she should consider a hysterectomy.When she found this work, she wasn't looking for just another treatment.She was looking for a different way to move forward not only in her healing, but in her life. In this conversation, Sarah shares what has helped her stay in the process, continue expanding her life, and keep moving forward even when healing hasn't happened on the timeline she would have preferred.We discuss:Sarah's 20-year journey with chronic pelvic painWhy she decided not to move forward with a recommended hysterectomyWhat initially resonated with a mind-body approachThe challenge of letting go of timelines, control, and perfectionismWhy tracking small wins became such an important part of her recoveryHow she gradually returned to biking, swimming, exercise, and other activities she had stopped doing because of symptomsBuilding genuine self-compassion and learning to support herself through fearWhat she's still working through todayThe mindset shifts that helped her stay committed to the processOne of my favorite parts of this conversation is that Sarah isn't sharing from the finish line.She's sharing from the middle.She's still healing.She's still learning.She's still working through challenges.And she's also living a bigger, fuller life than she was when she started.If healing is taking longer than you want, I hope Sarah's story reminds you that progress is still progress.Sometimes the most important work isn't learning how to heal faster.It's learning how to keep going.Connect with Rachel: Get on the waitlist for Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain (doors opening again this summer)Get Your Free Pain Flare PlanBook A Pelvic Pain Strategy SessionIG: thepelvicpaincoachDisclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Transcribe →Sex, Intimacy, and Chronic Pelvic Pain: The Conversation We Need to Have (with Vanessa Blackstone)
4w ago01:16:30Tap to summarizeLet's talk about the part of chronic pelvic pain that doesn't get discussed nearly enough.Sex.Intimacy.Navigating Relationships.The fear that your partner might leave.The pressure to push through discomfort.In this episode, I'm joined by my friend and colleague Vanessa Blackstone, Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center, for an honest and nuanced conversation about sex, intimacy, chronic pelvic pain, and healing.Together, we explore the ways shame, cultural conditioning, people-pleasing, and nervous system patterns can shape our relationship with sex and our bodies.We also explore:• Why conversations about sex are often missing from the chronic pain and mind-body healing space• The cultural messages many women receive about sex, pleasure, and their bodies• How people-pleasing and perfectionism can impact intimacy• Why creating safety with yourself matters before creating safety with a partner• Dating and navigating intimacy while living with chronic pelvic pain• Rebuilding trust with your body after years of symptomsThis conversation is for anyone who has ever felt disconnected from their body, afraid of intimacy, or unsure how to move forward when pain has impacted their relationship with sex.You are not broken.You are not alone.And there is another way forward.Connect with Vanessa:Instagram: @that.therapistPRT WorkbookVanessa’s Substack: https://substack.com/@vanessablackstoneConnect with Rachel: IG: thepelvicpaincoachGet Your Free Pain Flare PlanBook A Pelvic Pain Strategy SessionGet on the waitlist for Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain (doors opening again this summer)Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Transcribe →How To Trust Yourself (with Anna Holtzman)
May 2201:01:06Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I’m joined by my friend and colleague, Anna Holtzman, for a conversation about self-trust, visibility, nervous system healing, and what happens after symptoms stop being the center of your life.We talk about the often-overlooked phase of healing where life starts opening back up again… and how terrifying that can feel when your nervous system has learned to associate visibility, expansion, creativity, and authenticity with danger.Together, we explore: Why healing often involves shrinking your world before expanding it again The fear of nervous system “repercussions” when you start taking up more space How perfectionism, people pleasing, and over-self-reliance disconnect us from ourselves The difference between regret and grief Why self-trust doesn’t mean certainty The role of co-regulation and safe relationships in healing The transition from borrowing belief to learning to self-source safety and trust Why “getting the right tool” can eventually become another protective strategy How to begin repairing your relationship with yourselfThis episode is for anyone who feels stuck between wanting more for their life and feeling terrified to fully step into it.About Anna:Anna Holtzman is a licensed therapist and coach who helps high-achieving women move through the fear of visibility and emerge into a truer expression of their work and identity. After 15 years in TV and publishing, Anna experienced firsthand how burnout, chronic pain, and repeated self-silencing can arise when success is driven by pressure rather than self-trust. Her own healing led her to nervous-system-informed tools that helped her reconnect with her voice and show up more honestly in her work.Now she supports other women in doing the same, melting through imposter syndrome, bringing their most authentic visions to life, and allowing themselves to be seen without performing. She lives in Queens with her husband, stepdaughter, and three orange cats, and hosts the podcast How to Trust Yourself.Connect with Anna: Website: AnnaHoltzman.com Free workshop: Let Yourself Be Seen Instagram: @anna_holtzman Podcast: How to Trust YourselfAnna’s Email: Anna@annaholtzman.comConnect with Rachel: IG: thepelvicpaincoachGet Your Free Pain Flare PlanGet on the waitlist for a Pelvic Pain Strategy SessionGet on the waitlist for Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain (doors opening early summer) Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Transcribe →Client Story: Shawna's IC symptoms had her frozen in fear. Now she's training for a ballroom competition.
May 1501:04:29Tap to summarizeShawna spent nearly three years doing everything right. She saw the specialists. She did the rounds of antibiotics (eight of them). She cut out every food on the IC list and tracked her symptoms by the hour. She had a compassionate pelvic PT in her corner.She had done everything she was supposed to do.But she was still having debilitating symptoms. And she was still terrified.Her healthcare providers were doing their absolute best, but they were running out of new ways to help her. So her pelvic PT referred her to me.Now, Shawna is training for her next ballroom competition in August. She took three international trips in three months. She is setting boundaries, speaking up for herself, and she often forgets she ever had symptoms at all.In this episode, Shawna shares her full story. The diagnosis that changed how she thought about her body. The way dance, her biggest passion, became her biggest trigger. The loneliness of living with symptoms that the people in your life can never understand. And how she got to where she is now, living her life beyond chronic pelvic pain.I am so grateful to Shawna for being willing to share her story so openly and honestly. It takes courage, and I know it's going to mean so much to the people listening.We talk about:Her diagnosis of interstitial cystitis Why dance became a trigger, and what was actually happening in her nervous systemThe hypervigilance spiral: tracking, dietary restriction, and what all of it was really doing to her systemWhat made her open to mind-body work when so many people resist itThe specific tools that helped most, including EFT tapping, visualization, and parts workWhat it feels like to say "I like who I am" and actually mean itWhere her symptoms are now, and how she thinks about flare-ups differentlyIf you've been told your pain is something you just have to live with, this episode is for you.Resources & Links:Follow me on Instagram: @thepelvicpaincoachGet Your Free Pain Flare Plan (download): https://thepelvicpaincoach.myflodesk.com/painflareplanGet on the waitlist for a Pelvic Pain Strategy Session: https://thepelvicpaincoach.com/strategy-sessionGet on the waitlist for Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain (doors opening early summer): https://thepelvicpaincoach.com/healing-programDisclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Transcribe →Your Future Self (Part 2): The Practice
May 100:22:51Tap to summarizeLast week I talked about the concept. This week, I'm giving you the practice.The Future Self Visualization is a guided imagery practice that up until now has only lived inside my program, Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain. It was a big part of my own healing. I listened to some version of this almost every single day for years. Until I healed. Until I became my future self.In this episode:Why your brain might resist this (and what to do with that resistance)The full guided Future Self VisualizationHow to take that energy into your actual dayThe one question to ask yourself when you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or like it's not workingBefore you press play: find somewhere safe to sit or lie down where you won't be disturbed. You'll want to close your eyes for part of this.Ready to stop just visualizing your future self and start becoming her?That’s what I help you do inside Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain. Doors Close TONIGHT 5/1 at midnight. When doors reopen at the end of June, the price goes up.[Learn More + Join BCPP]Resources & Links:Follow me on Instagram: @thepelvicpaincoachGet Your Free Pain Flare Plan (download): https://thepelvicpaincoach/painflareplanDisclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Transcribe →Connecting with Your Future Self (and Becoming Her)
Apr 2400:24:45Tap to summarizeThere's a version of you who has already healed.Who feels safe in her body.Whose life is no longer consumed by pain. Who is living the life you've been dreaming of.And, she's closer than you think.In this podcast episode, I discuss practice that changed everything for me in my own healing: connecting with your future self.Not as a theoretical concept. As a decision-making tool.Because when you're in pain, everything narrows down to: how do I feel better right now?And that urgency keeps you stuck in the same patterns that created the pain in the first place.What shifted things for me the most was learning to ask a different question:If I knew I was going to get there... what would I do right now?In this episode, I walk you through how to actually start thinking and making decisions from that place. And I share a deeply personal moment where this practice carried me through one of the hardest days of my healing journey.Want support applying this work?If you’re ready to stop doing this alone and actually start becoming her, I’d love to support you inside Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain.This is your last opportunity to join at $847. Doors close May 1st. When we reopen, it will be $1200.👉 Join the programDisclaimer:This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Transcribe →Why You’re Still In Pain and What To Do About It (Free Masterclass)
Apr 1700:05:53Tap to summarizeIf you’ve been doing everything right… and you’re still in pain, this episode is for you.In this short episode, I’m directing you to a free masterclass I created:“Why You’re Still In Pain, And What To Do About It.”What you might be missingMost providers are only trained to treat pain from a structural perspective.So when nothing shows up on testing, or your symptoms continue after something has been treated, you’re often left without real answers.But that doesn’t mean there aren’t answers.Inside the masterclass, you’ll learn:Why pain can continue even when nothing is structurally wrongThe different types of pain and what’s actually driving your symptomsWhat needs to shift to start moving forwardWatch the Free Masterclass👉 Click here to watch 🗓 Available until April 27thIf you’re feeling stuck or unsure what to do next, this is your next step.Want support applying this work?At the end of the masterclass, I share how to go deeper inside Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain.Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Transcribe →The Validation Trap: A Hidden Block to Healing Chronic Pelvic Pain
Apr 1000:16:03Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I’m talking about something I see all the time with my clients, and something I personally experienced for a long time:The push-pull between validation and empowerment.And how the very thing that once helped you survive… might now be covertly blocking your ability to move forward.In this episode, we talk about:Why the need for validation makes so much sense (especially after medical gaslighting and invisible pain) How self-validation can turn into a loop that keeps you stuck The turning point: wanting to be well more than wanting validation The difference between self-pity and self-compassion (this one is big) What self-compassion actually looks like in real time The grief that comes with realizing no one can fully understand your experience Reflection questions to help you shift out of the validation loop and into healingA question to sit with:Are you validating yourself in a way that helps you feel supported and capable…Or in a way that keeps you stuck, cycling through how hard and unfair this is?If you’re ready for support…This is exactly the work we do inside Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain.Inside the program, you’ll learn how to: Understand why your pain is happening Shift out of fear and symptom focus Respond to your body in a new way Stay in process, even when it feels hard Build real momentum in your healingYou don’t have to figure this out alone.👉 Learn more here: https://thepelvicpaincoach.com/healing-programDoors are currently open, but enrollment is closing at the end of April. When we reopen at the end of June, it will be at a new price.Healing is possible for you.Rooting for you, always 💜Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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Lagging Results: When the Work Is Working (But You Can’t Feel It Yet)
Apr 200:17:20Tap to summarizeIf you’ve been doing the work:✅Regulating your nervous system, ✅Responding to symptoms with safety✅Practicing self-compassion…but you’re still not feeling better yet, this episode is for you.Because one of the hardest parts of the healing journey isn’t learning what to do.It’s continuing to do it when it feels like nothing is changing.In this episode, we’re talking about lagging results — the experience of doing the work without yet seeing symptomatic change.And more importantly… how to stay in the process without spiraling, doubting yourself, or giving up.Inside this episode, we cover:What “lagging results” actually are (and why they’re normal)Why constantly checking your symptoms can keep you stuckHow urgency and outcome-dependence signal danger to your nervous systemThe real mechanism behind neuroplastic healing (what’s happening beneath the surface)Why healing often feels like “nothing is working” right before things start to shiftThe difference between inputs vs outcomes (and where to focus your energy)How to stay in the work, even when your brain is telling you it’s not workingThe core message:You are not doing it wrong.The work is working.The results are just lagging.A reframe to take with you:Healing is not like flipping a switch. It’s more like planting a seed.For a while… nothing looks different. But underneath the surface, everything is changing.Reflection questions to support you:Where am I measuring success only by symptoms right now?What inputs am I consistently providing, even if I can’t feel the results yet?What would change if I trusted that my nervous system is rewiring beneath the surface? What would it look like to stay in process without needing proof right now?Want guidance and support?If this episode resonates and you want guidance and support learning how to consistently ground back into what’s actually in your control, so your energy is moving in the direction of healing, Rachel would love to support you inside her coaching program, Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain.Inside the program, you’ll get a self-paced curriculum grounded in modern pain neuroscience and specifically tailored for healing chronic pelvic pain, along with weekly live group coaching calls where you can ask questions, get clarity, and receive support applying this work to your real symptoms and your real life.You don’t have to do this alone anymore.You deserve to live a life beyond chronic pelvic pain.👉 Learn more about the program hereRooting for you, always 💜 RachelDisclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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