Heal Your Chronic Pelvic Pain

Rachel Gofman, DPT
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Alternative Health

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.

  1. 4d ago

    The Power of Support (You Don’t Have to Do This Alone)

    Even though no one can do the healing work for you, that doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. For most of my own healing journey, I struggled to ask for help. Shame kept me from talking about what I was experiencing. Financial fears made support feel inaccessible. And because I knew no one else could heal me, I convinced myself there was no point in letting anyone support me. Looking back, I wish I had understood just how much easier it can be to navigate something hard, heavy, and uncertain when you have someone there who can guide and support you along the way.  In this episode, I’m sharing why support has become one of the most valuable parts of my life, what it means to be supported without expecting someone else to fix you, and what individualized support can make possible along the chronic pelvic pain healing journey. I talk about: The shame, financial fears, and hyper-independence that kept me from asking for help Why understanding the mind-body approach intellectually isn’t always enough to help you implement it How co-regulation can support your nervous system when symptoms are loud or fear takes over What I help my 1:1 clients do when they feel scared, stuck, frustrated, or uncertain How individualized coaching helps us explore your specific symptoms, nervous system patterns, and life patterns How I help clients stay in the process without turning healing into another thing to fix Why many of my clients continue this work even after their chronic symptoms have resolved My 1:1 coaching practice will have a very limited number of openings soon. If you feel like individualized support may be the right next step for you, you can learn more about 1:1 coaching and join the waitlist below. Join the 1:1 coaching waitlist  Joining the waitlist isn’t a commitment to coaching. It simply means you’ll be the first to know when consultation calls become available. Resources: Learn more about 1:1 coaching Join the 1:1 coaching waitlist Get Your Free Pain Flare Plan Follow me on Instagram: @thepelvicpaincoach

  2. Sep 7

    From Bracing for Pain to Feeling Safe in Your Body Again (with Jessie Hoffer)

    In this episode, I’m joined by Jessie Hoffer, an associate clinical social worker at the Pain Psychology Center.  In this episode, Jessie shares her own experience with pelvic pain and pain during intimacy as well as her experience working with her clients. We explore how the cycle of fear, bracing, and pain can become a learned pattern and how healing involves supporting both the physical components and the fear response within the nervous system. We also talk about creating safety during intimacy, learning to advocate for your needs, and recognizing when relational or emotional factors may be contributing to a very real sense of unsafety. Jessie offers a compassionate look at how past experiences can shape our expectations in the present, even when our current circumstances are different. Together, we discuss: How anticipating pain can create a cycle of fear, bracing, and increased symptoms The role of safety in pain reprocessing and pelvic pain recovery Creating safety with your body, with a partner, and within yourself Learning to pause, recognize what’s happening, and choose a different response Why outcome independence is an ongoing practice Shifting from fixing and fighting your pain toward curiosity and compassion The stories pelvic pain can create about your future How to make space for grief while also offering your brain new possibilities Integrating pelvic floor physical therapy and other physical treatments with mind-body work Most importantly, this conversation is a reminder that even if you’ve been living with pain for months or years, your relationship with your body, your symptoms, and your future doesn’t have to keep looking the way it does today. Change is always possible.  You can connect with Jessie through the Pain Psychology Center, on Instagram at @jesstalkaboutit, or by emailing jhoffer.therapy@gmail.com Connect with Rachel:  Get Your Free Pain Flare Plan Join BCPP  Instagram: thepelvicpaincoach Disclaimer:This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

  3. Aug 31

    The Only Way Out Is Through: Moving Through the Hard Moments in Healing

    In this short episode, I’m sharing a phrase that helped me through some of the hardest moments in my own healing journey. We’ll talk about what happens when we stop using all of our energy to fight against the reality of where we are and instead ask: What do I need to support myself in moving through this? If you understand the mind-body approach in theory but need support applying it to your own symptoms, nervous system, and life, you can learn more about my program, Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain here. Connect with Rachel:  Get Your Free Pain Flare Plan Instagram: thepelvicpaincoach Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

  4. Aug 24

    The Missing Piece in Healing: Why More Information (Likely) Isn’t the Answer

    Have you ever felt like you’re just one podcast episode, one success story, one book, or one explanation away from finally healing your chronic pelvic pain? Maybe you keep searching for someone whose symptoms sound exactly like yours. Someone with the same diagnosis, the same symptoms, the same timeline, who fully recovered. Because if you can just find that person, maybe you’ll finally have the proof you need that healing is possible for you too. And not only that, the EXACT steps for you to take to get there. Oh, just me? In this episode, I’m talking about what I call the “missing piece fallacy”: the belief that if you’re still having symptoms, there must be something you haven’t learned yet. That there’s some magic missing piece of information that will be the key to healing. And while learning absolutely has a place in healing, there can come a point where constantly acquiring more information actually becomes a protective strategy from your nervous system. It feels productive. It feels like you’re taking action. But it can actually keep you spinning in inaction. At some point, your nervous system doesn’t need another explanation. It needs new lived experiences. In this episode, we talk about: Why constantly searching for more information can keep you stuck How learning can become a protective stalling strategy Why believing you’re “missing something” can become a danger signal in itself The difference between intellectually understanding safety and actually experiencing safety Why healing requires moving toward the things you’ve been avoiding because of symptoms What a corrective experience actually looks like (hint: it doesn’t necessarily mean doing something without symptoms) How to start taking small, tolerable steps toward the life you want to be living Why you are the safety you’ve been looking for You don’t have to wait until you’re pain-free to start living your life again. In fact, expanding your life while you heal can be a huge part of how you heal. If you’ve learned the pain science, listened to the podcasts, read the books, and you’re thinking, “Okay, I understand this... so why am I still stuck?” this episode is for you. Want support implementing this work?  That’s exactly what I help you do inside Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain. Inside the program, I help you move beyond simply understanding neuroplastic pain and start applying this work to your actual symptoms, nervous system, and life. Through the self-paced curriculum, weekly live group coaching, and private Q&A podcast, you’ll learn how to build safety with your body, with yourself, and within your life while you start moving back toward the things pain has taken from you, while rewiring your nervous system out of chronic pelvic pain.  Learn more about Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain here Connect with Rachel:  Get Your Free Pain Flare Plan Instagram: thepelvicpaincoach Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

  5. Aug 10

    The #1 Thing Holding You Back From Doing What You Want (Hint: It’s Not Symptoms)

    Have you ever found yourself wondering if you should postpone a vacation, skip an event, put off dating, or wait to make a big life decision until your symptoms are better? When you're living with chronic pelvic pain, it can feel like your symptoms are the thing keeping you from doing what you want. But often, there’s something else happening too: you’re waiting for a guarantee that you’ll feel good enough to enjoy the experience. And when you can’t get that guarantee, it can feel safer to wait. But in the waiting… we can miss out on our lives. In this episode, we’re talking about what it means to allow for imperfect experiences while healing. I share why it’s so important to reconnect with what you actually WANT, how to shift from “what if?” to “even if,” and how learning to support yourself through uncertainty can help you expand your life without waiting for your symptoms to disappear first. Because healing doesn’t have to mean putting your life on hold until you can guarantee you’ll feel good. Sometimes, the work is learning that an experience can be hard, imperfect, AND still incredibly worth having. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the desire for certainty can keep you from doing the things you really want to do How to reconnect with and amplify your desire instead of only listening to all the reasons your brain gives you not to do something Why allowing an experience to be imperfect is different from pushing through or forcing yourself to tolerate discomfort How all-or-nothing expectations can make an experience feel like it “wasn't worth it” unless you felt good the entire time How to shift from “What if…” to “Even if… Five questions to help you move toward experiences you want while making room for uncertainty How expanding your capacity for imperfect experiences can help you expand your life while healing Why this work can still feel really hard even when you know exactly “how” to do it, and why that doesn't mean you're doing it wrong Connect with Rachel:  Get Your Free Pain Flare Plan Join BCPP  Book A Pelvic Pain Strategy Session Instagram: thepelvicpaincoach Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

  6. Aug 3

    Rethinking Interstitial Cystitis: Food Fear, the IC Diet, and Healing (with Callie Krajcir)

    In this week's episode, I'm joined by registered dietitian, Callie Krajcir, to explore why the conversation around interstitial cystitis (IC) needs to change.  We discuss the limitations (and potential harm) of the traditional IC diet, why food restriction can reinforce fear rather than facilitate healing, and how the nervous system often plays a much bigger role in chronic bladder symptoms than most healthcare providers realize.  Callie shares her own journey from living with lifelong bladder pain, overactive bladder, pelvic floor dysfunction, and vulvodynia to finding relief through a mind-body approach. Together, we explore how fear around food can become part of the chronic symptom cycle, why the nervous system should be addressed with interstitial cystitis, and what a more flexible, hopeful approach to healing can look like. Whether you've been diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, struggle with chronic bladder symptoms, or have found yourself trapped in cycles of food restriction and symptom fear, this conversation will give you a broader framework for understanding what's happening and where healing is possible. In this episode, we discuss: Callie's personal journey recovering from interstitial cystitis, overactive bladder, pelvic floor dysfunction, and vulvodynia Why she no longer recommends the traditional IC diet for most people What the research actually says about food and interstitial cystitis The difference between true food sensitivities and nervous system-driven symptom responses How food fear can unintentionally reinforce chronic symptoms Why restrictive diets can keep the nervous system in a state of threat How pelvic floor dysfunction and nervous system dysregulation often overlap The connection between chronic symptoms, uncertainty, OCD tendencies, and reassurance-seeking About Callie Krajcir: Callie Krajcir, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian specializing in interstitial cystitis (IC), overactive bladder, and bladder health. After living with IC and pelvic floor dysfunction for nearly two decades, she found lasting relief through a nervous system-informed approach and now helps others do the same. She's the founder of Road to Remission, host of the IC You Podcast, and serves as Vice Chair of the Interstitial Cystitis Association. Connect with Callie: Website: https://www.callieknutrition.com/ Instagram: @callieknutrition TikTok: @callieknutrition Podcast: IC You Road To Remission Program: https://www.callieknutrition.com/road-to-remission Connect with Rachel:  Get Your Free Pain Flare Plan Join BCPP  Book A Pelvic Pain Strategy Session Instagram: thepelvicpaincoach If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you subscribed to the podcast, left a review, or shared this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Healing is possible. I'm rooting for you, always. 💜

  7. Jul 27

    Medical Gaslighting & Pelvic Pain: Why Words Matter with Dr. Jen Romanello

    In this week's episode, I'm joined by physician and researcher Dr. Jen Romanello to explore why the words healthcare providers use matter, how seemingly well-intentioned interactions can contribute to medical trauma, and why understanding neuroplastic pain isn't dismissive of your symptoms, but one of the most hopeful frameworks for recovery. Dr. Romanello shares her own recovery from neuroplastic pelvic pain while in medical school, the research she conducted on patients' experiences seeking care for pelvic pain, and how she's working to help change the conversation inside the western medical system itself.  This is an honest, nuanced conversation about validation, science, hope, and the future of pelvic pain care. In this episode, we discuss: Dr. Jen Romanello's personal journey through neuroplastic pain and symptoms Why so many people with pelvic pain feel dismissed by healthcare providers The difference between medical gaslighting and a science-based neuroplastic pain explanation Findings from Dr. Romanello's Words Matter research study on patients' experiences seeking pelvic pain care Why language can either build trust or contribute to medical trauma How physicians are (and aren't) currently educated about pelvic pain and sexual medicine Why education and accurate diagnosis can be life-changing for both patients and clinicians How the medical community is beginning to embrace neuroplastic pain science About Dr. Jen Romanello Dr. Jen Romanello is an internal medicine physician, researcher, and advocate for improving education around chronic pain and sexual medicine. She co-leads the Early Career Special Interest Group through the Association for the Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms (ATNS) and has conducted published research exploring patients' experiences seeking care for pelvic pain. Her work focuses on bridging the gap between traditional medicine and modern pain neuroscience while improving how clinicians communicate with patients living with persistent pain. Resources Mentioned The Way Out by Alan Gordon Dr. John Sarno's The Mindbody Prescription Association for the Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms (ATNS) Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) Tight Lipped International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH) Connect with Dr. Jen Romanello Instagram: @jenromanello Learn more about the ATNS Early Career Special Interest Group: earlycareer@symptomatic.me Connect with Rachel:  Get Your Free Pain Flare Plan Join BCPP  Book A Pelvic Pain Strategy Session IG: thepelvicpaincoach If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you subscribed to the podcast, left a review, or shared this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Healing is possible. I'm rooting for you, always. 💜

  8. Jul 20

    When the Patterns That Kept You Safe Start Keeping You Stuck with Dr. Trisha Wolfe

    What happens when the patterns that were formed to keep you safe, start keeping you stuck? In this episode, I’m joined by therapist, researcher, educator, and writer Dr. Trisha Wolfe for a conversation about identifying and working with the protective patterns we develop throughout our lives. We talk about how patterns like people-pleasing, perfectionism, intellectualization, hypervigilance, and chronic bracing don’t come out of nowhere. They’re often incredibly adaptive strategies our brains learned because, at some point, we needed them to keep us safe.  The challenge is that the patterns that once protected us can eventually become the patterns that keep us stuck.  And simply understanding why you have these patterns isn’t usually enough to change them. In this episode, we talk about: What implicit learnings are and how they shape the way we move through the worldWhy you don’t have to identify as having experienced “trauma” to have protective patterns from earlier experiencesHow people-pleasing, perfectionism, and intellectualization can develop as ways of creating safetyHow these patterns can show up in the body through chronic bracing, tension, and physical symptomsWhy trying to observe yourself with curiosity can sometimes bring up judgment and shameThe difference between understanding your patterns intellectually and actually creating changeWhy changing old protective patterns can feel uncomfortable, even when the change is good for usHow our identity can become wrapped up in the strategies we developed to keep ourselves safeWhy healing isn’t about getting rid of your protective partsWhat a disconfirming experience actually is, and why it doesn’t require your pain to immediately go away or someone else to respond the way you hoped they wouldHow showing up for yourself differently can begin to teach your nervous system something new One of the most important pieces of this conversation is that the goal isn’t to convince your protective parts to disappear. It’s to give your nervous system new experiences that show it:  I can feel discomfort and still be okay. I can set a boundary and have my own back no matter how someone responds.  I can stop bracing for every possible outcome and trust myself to respond to what actually happens. Over time, these new experiences can begin to update what your nervous system believes it needs to protect you from, so the patterns that once kept you safe no longer have to run the show. Mentioned in this episode: Connect with Trisha  Instagram Substack Connect with Rachel:  Get Your Free Pain Flare Plan Join BCPP  Book A Pelvic Pain Strategy Session IG: thepelvicpaincoach 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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5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Rachel Gofman, DPT
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rachel Gofman, DPT
  • Show Website
    Heal Your Chronic Pelvic Pain

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