A few weeks ago, I had a FANTASTIC (although much too short!) conversation with Dr. Sheila Crowe, a chiropractor and acupuncturist whose own menopause journey completely changed her perspective on bioidentical hormone therapy.

Rather than sticking with what she thought she knew, she got CURIOUS. She educated herself, changed her approach, and became passionate about helping other women navigate menopause with better information and more options. 👏

And THAT is what I love about her. She's not only incredibly knowledgeable, but she's also curious, open-minded, and genuinely passionate about women's health.

Another thing I LOVE? She's not a supplement pusher! 🙌

She believes in keeping things SIMPLE. A healthy lifestyle, hormone therapy when appropriate and desired, and targeted supplements like vitamin D and magnesium when needed. Not a cabinet full of expensive pills and powders!

We need MORE healthcare professionals who are willing to keep learning, question what they've been taught, and actually LISTEN to women.

If you're in the Orland Park, IL area and looking for someone to help you navigate your menopause journey, check her out!

📍 Instagram: @drsheilacrowe

🌐 Website: bodyandsoulhealthcare.com

NOTE: Dr. Crowe is not able to prescribe HRT, but she CAN help you better understand what's going on with your body and work toward becoming the healthiest version of yourself as you navigate this changing time of life.

Curiosity changes minds. Education changes lives. And women deserve BOTH.

Sam Wade, @samwade72, is back on the podcast almost exactly one year after we first sat down together.

If you haven’t listened to Part One, I really encourage you to go back and listen before this episode, because Sam’s story has stayed with me.

During one of the darkest periods of her life, Sam spiraled to the point of trying to end her life and ultimately spent an extended period of time in a psychiatric hospital. She was put on 11 different medications (AND had electric shock therapy while in the hospital) and then spent THREE YEARS trying to get off of them because she never needed them in the first place! She just needed her hormones regulated.

Today, Sam is back to tell us what her life has looked like since starting HRT, what has changed, and what she now understands about what was happening to her during those years.

In Sam’s case, hormones turned out to be a massive missing piece of the puzzle. And yes, that makes me angry. Because how many women have been treated for anxiety, depression, insomnia, rage, or other psychiatric symptoms without anyone ever stopping to ask whether perimenopause or menopause could be contributing? Why is the first line of therapy SSRIs?

This conversation is not about telling women to stop psychiatric medication or suggesting that hormones cause every mental health crisis. It’s about asking why hormones aren’t part of the conversation more often. Women deserve providers who understand that.

Please listen to Sam’s story. And please share this episode. There may be a woman out there who desperately needs to hear it.

xxx,

Heather

In Part 1 of my conversation with Hope Henderson, we talked about the sexual assault she experienced in her early 20s and how that trauma shaped so much of what came next.

In Part 2, we talk about the man she thought was going to be her forever.

Hope’s sister introduced them. Her family already knew him. He worked for a church. They dated for three years. He was her everything, and from the outside, it looked like all the pieces were falling into place for the perfect life.

But even after three years together, Hope says she didn’t know the man she was actually marrying.

After the wedding, another side began to emerge. The control. The manipulation. The narcissistic behaviors. Slowly, the marriage she thought she was walking into became something very different.

Hope shares what it was like to recognize what was happening inside her marriage, how difficult it can be to see controlling behavior when you’re the one living in it, and what ultimately led her to divorce and begin rebuilding her life.

This conversation is about marriage and divorce, but it’s also about trusting yourself again, finding your voice, and realizing that sometimes the life you thought you were supposed to have is the life you have to find the courage to leave.

Thank you again to Hope for being vulnerable. Thank you for sharing YOUR story so that others won't feel so alone. Thank you for giving other women HOPE❤️.

Go follow Hope @joinfranke, and yes, she is open to DM's if you need someone to talk. xoxo