Explore the connection between chronic pelvic pain and trauma with sex therapist Rachel Zar. Learn about trauma-informed care, interdisciplinary treatments, and how women can advocate for their health in this insightful Fempower Health episode.

Chronic Pelvic Pain and Trauma Episode Summary:

In this episode of Fempower Health, host Georgie Kovacs speaks with Rachel Zar, an AASECT certified sex therapist and Ph.D. in clinical sexology, about the complex relationship between chronic pelvic pain and trauma. Rachel shares her personal and professional insights into how trauma manifests physically and emotionally, particularly in relation to chronic pelvic pain. As someone with extensive experience working with patients at Northwestern Medicine’s Center for Sexual Medicine, Rachel emphasizes the importance of trauma-informed care, interdisciplinary treatments, and self-advocacy. This conversation is essential for women struggling to find answers about chronic pain and clinicians seeking to better serve their patients.

Key Discussion Points:

• What is the link between trauma and chronic pelvic pain?
• How does chronic pain manifest in both physical and emotional ways?
• What role does trauma play in conditions like vaginismus and vulvodynia?
• How can clinicians provide trauma-informed care for patients with chronic pelvic pain?
• What are the common misdiagnoses and challenges in the treatment of pelvic pain?
• How can women advocate for their health when facing dismissive or uninformed healthcare providers?
• What are the best resources for finding trauma-informed therapists and pelvic pain specialists?
• How can unresolved trauma impact physical sensations, including pain and pleasure?
• What does interdisciplinary treatment for chronic pelvic pain look like?

"The pain that they're experiencing is real, even if it started off as a psychological issue, our body adapts, and these are real physical things that are happening."

— Rachel Zar

Related to this episode:

• Learn more about Rachel Zar, PhD, LMFT, CST
• Follow Rachel Zar on Instagram and LinkedIn

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Fempower Health Guest Bio

Rachel Zar, PhD, LMFT, CST is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist. She holds a Master’s of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from The Family Institute at Northwestern University, a PhD in Clinical Sexology from Modern Sex Therapy Institutes, and certificates in sex therapy and sexuality education from University of Michigan. Dr. Zar is a clinical supervisor at Avid Intimacy, a sex and relationship therapy private practice in Chicago. Dr. Zar is passionate about educating and mentoring other clinicians, and she frequently lectures, writes, and provides expert interviews for the media on myriad sex and relationship topics.

Disclaimer

**The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for informational purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor. Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. Additionally, the views expressed by the Fempower Health podcast guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.**