Women of the Well | Holistic Women’s Health and Wellness

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Send us a text hereA quick note: We recorded this at our practitioner event, so we're talking clinician-to-clinician in parts. But if you're navigating pelvic pain yourself, you might find it really validating to hear how we think about symptoms, nervous system states, and what actually drives lasting change.If you're a practitioner working with pelvic pain, you've probably felt the pressure to fix, the complexity of trauma and chronic symptoms, and the frustration of treatments that don't create lasting change.In this episode, we share the foundations of the Vera Wellness approach to pelvic pain – an evidence-informed, nervous-system-led framework that shifts care away from symptom whack-a-mole and toward genuine transformation.Recorded live at our online practitioner event on 30 October, this conversation includes practical tools, a powerful case study, and a clear reframe that changes everything: pain isn't the problem to eliminate – it's information. And the nervous system is the foundation of both patient outcomes and practitioner sustainability.If you're craving a more grounded, embodied approach to pelvic pain care – one that supports your patients without burning you out – this episode is for you.In this episode, we explore:Why the nervous system is the foundation of pelvic pain care (and clinician wellbeing)A real patient case study – and what changed when care shifted from "fixing" to listeningThe Vera philosophy: no one is broken, and no one needs to be fixedPain as information – and what happens when we replace fear with curiosityPolyvagal theory: nervous system states and what they look like in the consult roomThe "alarm vs fire" reframe: why conventional care often tries to silence symptoms while the deeper drivers remainCatastrophising, overprotection and central sensitisation – and why these matter clinicallyCo-regulation: how your tone, pace and presence shape patient safety and outcomesGuided regulation practices you can use immediately (including pelvic and self-compassion-based tools)Why paradigm-shifting care requires paradigm-shifting ways of workingFor practitioners:If today's conversation resonates, you may be feeling the same shift we're seeing across women's health – a desire for care that is more embodied, integrative and nervous-system-led.In 2026, Dr Peta Wright, Dr Thea Bowler and holistic physiotherapist Paula Hindle are hosting Transformational Medicine: Alchemising Pain into Power with two pathways:4-day in-person immersive retreat (17–20 April 2026)12-week online program (starts 4 May 2026)Explore the program here: https://www.verawellness.com.au/practitioner-program-intensive______________________For more information about us, visit VeraWellness.com.au. We’d love to continue the conversation with you on Instagram @verawellness.com.au______________________ DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for information and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Send us a text hereToday’s conversation is a little different.Dr Thea and Vera physiotherapist Paula Hindle take you inside the sauna at the end of a long clinic day – a place where their most honest reflections tend to unfold.This episode opens a deeper look at what it really means to hold space for suffering in women’s health. Not with a rush to fix, but from a grounded, embodied place where practitioners learn to regulate their own nervous systems while sitting alongside their patients’ pain.Paula and Thea explore the subtle but profound shift that happens when clinicians start listening with curiosity.This is a conversation about attunement, presence and the reality that true transformation rarely begins with a medical intervention – it begins with being witnessed.If you’re a practitioner who feels called toward a more heart-centred, embodied, nervous-system-led approach to pelvic pain, this episode is for you.In this episode, we talk about:The art of sitting with discomfort – what happens in us as clinicians when we witness pain without immediately jumping to solutions.A powerful patient story and how healing unfolded when the focus shifted from pathology to nervous system understanding.Attunement in practice – how Paula recognised dysregulation the moment the patient walked in, and why she abandoned the “plan” to create space for grief, safety and connection.Letting the patient guide the process – the difference between algorithmic care and compassionate, responsive care in pelvic pain.Why clinicians must be regulated first – the capacity to hold another’s story is directly linked to the state of our own nervous systems.The truth is, real healing often begins long before hands-on treatment.It begins in the pause – the moment we sit with discomfort, listen deeply, and allow a patient’s story to unfold without rushing toward certainty or control.When practitioners regulate themselves, the whole room changes.Safety expands. Insight emerges.And the patient’s own wisdom becomes a central part of the therapeutic process.______________________For practitioners: Transformational Medicine – Alchemising Pain into Power If today’s conversation resonates, you may be feeling the same shift we’re seeing across women’s health – a desire for more embodied, integrative, nervous-system-based care.In April 2026, Dr Peta Wright, Dr Thea Bowler and Paula Hindle will be hosting a 4-day immersive retreat and practitioner program designed to help clinicians:Understand their own nervous systemExperience regulation and embodiment tools firsthandLearn how to attune to complexity, trauma, and pain in the clinical roomDevelop a more grounded, compassionate and effective approach to pelvic painYou can find all the details here: https://www.verawellness.com.au/practitioner-program-intensive. Early bird pricing ends on 31 December 2025 and payment plans are available.______________________For more information about us, visit VeraWellness.com.au. We’d love to continue the conversation with you on Instagram @verawellness.com.au______________________ DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for information and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Send us a text hereAfter a long pause, Women of the Well is back.In this conversation, Dr Peta, Dr Thea and Sam sit together in a very real season of life transition – talking about menopause, ageing, endings and the one thing most of us are trying to avoid thinking about: death.In this episode, we talk about:Sam’s real-time experience of perimenopause – still cycling at 51, noticing stronger bleeds, night waking and hot flushes that arrive like a clear “message” from her body.Listening instead of resisting – how tuning into symptoms (rather than fighting them) has helped Sam adjust her training, eating and lifestyle in ways that feel right for her.Why menopause isn’t just decline – the cultural story that says menopause “takes everything away” versus the reality of greater freedom, time, clarity and physical strength many women experience in midlife.Anxiety, mood shifts and the luteal phase – Peta and Thea share candidly about premenstrual anxiety, irritability and “existential dread”, and how naming these patterns with family helps.Ageing, fear and the medicalisation of menopause – a critical look at the booming “menopause industry”, the framing of oestrogen deficiency as a disease, and the idea that all women should be on hormones forever.Death as the unspoken backdrop – how our fear of mortality shows up in the obsession with trying to keep bodies the same, and why accepting change can soften this fear.Suffering, growth and feeling it all – the difference between caring for our bodies and micromanaging them, and why discomfort can be a portal to meaning and maturation rather than something to eliminate at all costs.From attraction to resource – shifting from needing to be sexually “attractive” to being valued for presence, wisdom, skills and contribution as we age.Competing, comparing and complaining – how these patterns keep us stuck in misery about our changing bodies, and what opens up when we practise acceptance instead.Soul, spirit and the unchanging self – returning to the part of us that doesn’t age, even as our bodies inevitably do.A reflective invitation as you listen to this episode:Where are you feeling pain, discomfort or resistance right now?If you treated those sensations as messages rather than problems to fix, what might they be asking of you?How could you allow what is happening – rather than trying to control or outrun it – and see what unfolds next?Resources mentioned:“The Thunder, Perfect Mind” – an ancient poem from the Nag Hammadi / Dead Sea Scrolls collection, often read as a voice of the divine feminine. Stay connected – the conversation doesn’t end here.If this episode brought up reflections, questions or stories of your own menopause experience, the Women of the Well team would love to hear from you. Share your thoughts or topic requests for future episodes via email to [email protected] and let us know:What are you noticing in your own season of change – and what might your body be trying to tell you?______________________ DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for information and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Send us a text hereWe didn’t plan for this to happen… but when we sat down to talk, something shifted.This week's episode is not a conversation about a particular health topic or a deep dive into hormones or cycles…It’s an honest reflection on where we’re at, and an invitation to pause.After more than 30 episodes, we’ve arrived at a natural winter – a moment to slow down, reassess, and honour the cycle of this podcast project.We didn’t plan this in advance.But when we sat down to record and felt our energy shift, we realised it was time to listen to our bodies and our inner knowing, just as we always invite you to do.This may not be a forever goodbye… but it is a “pause for now.”🎙️ In this final episode for now, we reflect on:🌿 Why it’s okay to rest, and how we can honour the natural seasons and cycles of life🌿 The truth behind why we started this podcast (and what we never wanted it to become)🌿 How constantly striving to optimise our health can become another form of self-judgement🌿 Why letting go, embracing stillness, and trusting our own inner knowing is the most powerful healing we can doWhether this is a short pause or a more permanent ending, we’re so grateful you’ve been with us.The full library of episodes will remain available, so you can return to them whenever you need support, insight, or a gentle reminder to come back to yourself.💬 If this podcast has impacted you, we’d honestly love to hear from you. Send us a message on Instagram @verawellness.com.au or email [email protected] you for being here.Thank you for listening.And thank you for honouring your own rhythms, too.______________________Additional resources to support you:🧘‍♀️ Heal Your Pelvic Pain – Our live online program delivered by leading women's health experts to help you alchemise your pain, reconnect with your body, and reclaim your life.🌕 Unlocking the Power of Your Cycle – a self-paced course to help you understand and work with the phases of your cycle for more vitality and clarity.📖 Healing Pelvic Pain by Dr Peta Wright – A comprehensive guide on managing pelvic pain.______________________ DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for information and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Send us a text hereThis week, we’re continuing the powerful conversation we started in Episode 32 about victim consciousness – and how it shows up in our lives in ways we might not expect.But this time, we go even deeper.Dr Peta and Sam explore the unconscious patterns that keep us stuck – from our beliefs about who we are to the stories we tell ourselves (and others) about our pain.Together, they unpack:🌿 Why victim, rescuer and perpetrator roles always co-exist – and how we can move beyond this triangle🌿 The subtle ways women are taught to bond over suffering (and what to do instead)🌿 How shame, superiority and saviour-complex behaviour keep us disempowered🌿 Why our language matters (and how to stop casting spells like “I have to…”)🌿 How our beliefs about our body, our past, and our identity shape our sufferingThis episode isn’t about blame or denial – it’s an invitation to start recognising your own patterns and beliefs, and gently shifting them so you can experience more joy, peace, and presence.🎧 Listen now to part 2 of this raw, transformative series – and let us know how it lands for you.Resources mentioned:The Wheel of Consent by Betty MartinThe Four Cs Practice (Don’t complain, compete, compare or criticise – from yogic tradition)The Power of Now by Eckhart TolleTeachings from Caroline Myss and Byron KatieQuestions and topics:Do you have a question about this episode or a topic you want us to explore on the podcast? Send us a text (link above episode description), a message on Instagram or email us at [email protected].______________________For more information about us, visit VeraWellness.com.au. We’d love to continue the conversation with you on Instagram @verawellness.com.au​​To stay in the loop with every new episode of Women of the Well and gain first access to special resources and events – join our Podcast VIP Club here.______________________ DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for information and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.