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. 6h ago

    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. 💜

  2. 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. 💜

  3. 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.

  4. Jul 6

    Why This Isn't Your Forever (And Why You Haven't Tried Everything Yet), with Jessica

    She saw the most eminent experts in the field of chronic pelvic pain in Western Medicine. And nothing worked. This week, my client Jessica shared her story.   After years of chronic pelvic pain, countless medical appointments, pelvic floor physical therapy, and being told to stop exercising, Jessica felt like she'd reached the end of the road. She'd exhausted every option she knew, yet her symptoms remained unchanged and her life shrank smaller and smaller.  Then she discovered a mind-body approach to healing. In this deeply honest conversation, Jessica shares what it was like to move from skepticism to hope, how she rebuilt trust in her body, and the lessons she wishes she'd known years earlier.  We talk about why pain isn't always a sign of damage (even if you get pain with specific movement), how fear of pain can keep the nervous system stuck in protection, and what actually helped her return to the movement, travel, and life she thought she'd lost forever.  If you've been wondering whether healing is still possible for you, or you've caught yourself thinking, "Maybe this is just my forever," my hope is this episode will change that.  In this episode, we discuss: Jessica's journey through years of chronic pelvic pain and the medical system Why she was initially skeptical of a mind-body approach How understanding the nervous system changed everything The fear of returning to exercise and rebuilding trust in movement The role of catastrophizing in keeping pain cycles alive Why continuing to live your life is part of the healing process Learning to trust yourself as part of the healing process.  Why occasional symptoms no longer scare her Why you probably haven't tried everything yet How her healing journey led her to the work she now does  Mentioned in this episode: Connect with Jessica (The Pelvic Pain Mentor): Website:https://www.thepelvicpainmentor.com/ Instagram:@thepelvicpainmentor Ready for more support? The doors to Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain reopen soon. But you must be on the waitlist to get early access in mid-July.  Inside my signature group coaching program, I'll walk you through the same evidence-based mind-body framework I use with my private clients to heal their chronic pelvic pain while returning to living full and empowered lives in the process.  👉 Join the waitlist here! If this episode gave you hope, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a review, share it with someone who needs to hear it, or send it to a friend who's been struggling with chronic pelvic pain. Healing is possible for you.  And I'm rooting for you, always. 💜

  5. Jun 29

    Why It's All in Your Body, with Dr. Sula Windgassen

    If you've ever been told your symptoms are "all in your head," this episode is for you. Today I'm joined by health psychologist, cognitive behavioral therapist, EMDR therapist, and author Dr. Sula Windgassen to discuss her incredible new book, It's All in Your Body. Sula has become one of my favorite educators in the mind-body space because of her unique ability to explain the science behind chronic symptoms in a way that is both accessible and  deeply validating. Together, we explore why symptoms that often feel random, confusing, or "unknowable" are actually incredibly understandable when you begin to view the body as one integrated system. Whether you're living with chronic pelvic pain, bladder symptoms, recurrent infections, or another chronic condition, this conversation will help you better understand what's happening in your body and why healing is possible. In this episode, we discuss: Why "It's All in Your Body" is a complete reframe from "It's all in your head"The science behind the mind-body connectionWhy your symptoms make sense, even when medical testing is normalHow the brain, nervous system, immune system, and body constantly communicateWhy mindfulness and nervous system regulation feel so difficult when you're highly symptomaticThe difference between acceptance and resignationWhy suppressing emotions and thoughts often backfiresWhy trying to "think positively" isn't the goalThe biology behind bladder urgency, pelvic pain, and pelvic floor tensionHow chronic stress can influence the immune system and recurrent infectionsWhy the length of time you've had symptoms does not determine how long healing will takeHow small, consistent shifts can create meaningful change over time Resources Mentioned It's All in Your Body by Dr. Sula Windgassen Follow Dr. Sula Windgassen: Website: https://healthpsychologist.co.ukInstagram: @the_health_psychologist_Podcast: How We Really Feel Ready for the next step? The doors to Beyond Chronic Pelvic Pain reopen in July. Inside BCPP, I'll teach you exactly how to apply these mind-body principles to your own healing through structured lessons, live coaching, and practical tools that help you change your relationship with symptoms, create safety within your nervous system, and get back to living your life. 👉 Join the waitlist here!

    Why It's All in Your Body, with Dr. Sula Windgassen

  6. Jun 22

    Why "Just Allow" Isn't Working

    One 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 Plan 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.

    Why "Just Allow" Isn't Working

  7. Jun 19

    How to Keep Going When Healing Takes Longer Than You Want (with Sarah)

    What 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 Plan 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.

    How to Keep Going When Healing Takes Longer Than You Want (with Sarah)

  8. Jun 5

    Sex, Intimacy, and Chronic Pelvic Pain: The Conversation We Need to Have (with Vanessa Blackstone)

    Let'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 symptoms This 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.therapist PRT Workbook Vanessa’s Substack: https://substack.com/@vanessablackstone Connect with Rachel:  IG: thepelvicpaincoach Get Your Free Pain Flare Plan Book A Pelvic Pain Strategy Session Get 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.

    Sex, Intimacy, and Chronic Pelvic Pain: The Conversation We Need to Have (with Vanessa Blackstone)
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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
    44
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rachel Gofman, DPT
  • Show Website
    Heal Your Chronic Pelvic Pain

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