Diva Tonight with Carlene Humphrey

If you’ve ever been told to “just deal with it” when your periods are brutal or your energy disappears in your 40s, this conversation is for you. I’m Carlene Humphrey, and I’m joined by Dr. Anne-Marie Regina, a Greatee Toronto-area naturopathic doctor and Menopause Society certified practitioner, to get honest about what perimenopause and menopause can really look like and what you can do before things spiral.

We break down the difference between normal cramps and severe period pain that signals something deeper, including endometriosis and fibroids. Dr. Regina explains why perimenopause can feel like a “zone of chaos” with irregular cycles and shifting symptoms, and why a proper assessment matters. We also talk about overlapping conditions like PCOS, plus how personal history, family history, thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, and past treatments can affect when symptoms show up.

Then we go practical. We connect heavy menstrual bleeding to iron deficiency and anemia, and we make lab terms like ferritin and hemoglobin finally make sense. Dr. Regina shares evidence-informed supports many women ask about, including vitamin D3, hydration, and creatine monohydrate for energy, mood, and brain fog. We also discuss hormone therapy, including why it should be on the table after surgical menopause from a full hysterectomy, and how patient-centered decision-making weighs risks and benefits.

If you want clearer answers, better questions to ask your provider, and reliable menopause resources like menopause.org, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

If you want to work with Dr. Ann Marie or do some research here is her contact information! 

Website link: https://www.drannmarieregina-nd.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.regina_nd/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.regina_nd
Menopause society - finding a practitioner: https://menopause.org/patient-education/choosing-a-healthcare-practitioner

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Please see your family doctor or medical practictioner before seeking medical advice from a Acupuncturist, Natural Doctor etc... 

Diva Tonight Podcast is sharing the opinions of special Guest Kirsten Karchmer with hopes of educating you on different options, that are available.

Your cycle is giving you data every month and most of us were never taught how to read it. We sit down with Kirsten Karchmer, a reproductive acupuncturist with 20 plus years of clinical experience and a women’s health tech founder, to talk about what fertility symptoms can reveal about energy, inflammation, and overall health.

We start with Kirsten’s personal story of competitive gymnastics, extreme overtraining, and what it taught her about the gap between how “healthy” someone looks and what their organs and hormones are actually doing. From there, we dig into precision medicine for women’s health: why there’s an optimal range for period health, how personalized diet and lifestyle changes can shift outcomes fast, and why social media sound bites often keep women stuck.

Then we get practical. Carlene shares her experience with anemia, fibroids, and heavy bleeding, and Kirsten breaks down why “just take iron” is not the same as asking what’s driving the problem. We talk PMS, clotting, nutrition you can actually stick with, and the bigger picture connection between stress physiology, heart rate variability, PCOS, endometriosis, and inflammation. We also call out detox myths, doom scrolling, and the impossible workload many women carry, plus Kirsten’s vision for virtual care that supports women from fertility through perimenopause and menopause.

If you want smarter women’s health education, real talk about hormones, and actionable fertility and cycle health insights, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with the biggest takeaway you’re trying next.

https://kirstenkarchmer.com/

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Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a friend. Stay connected with the show across all official platforms:

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• ...

Most of us bring a spreadsheet brain to work and a wish-and-hope brain to love, then we wonder why relationships feel chaotic. Psychologist, author, and couples coach Dr. Robin Buckley joins us to lay out a practical marriage blueprint that treats partnership like a real plan: clear goals, clear roles, and habits that keep you connected long before you hit crisis mode. If you’ve ever said “we’re fine, just busy,” this conversation is the wake-up call and the roadmap.

We dig into what it looks like to build a couple mission statement and vision statement, so you’re not guessing what your partner wants or assuming you’re aligned. Dr. Buckley breaks down the difference between couples coaching and couples therapy, and why relationship maintenance should be as normal as dentist visits. Then we get specific with her four check-ins (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly), including a monthly SWOT analysis that covers finances, communication, sex and intimacy, and the outside stressors that sneak into your home life.

For anyone dating or starting over, we talk negotiables and non-negotiables and why writing them down protects your boundaries when chemistry is loud. We also go straight at a topic many couples avoid: sex. Dr. Buckley explains how scheduling sex can work without pressure, why intimacy is bigger than intercourse, and how a “menu” of five intimacy types helps couples reconnect even when life is exhausting. Finally, she shares CBT and neuroscience tools (amygdala vs prefrontal cortex) that help you pause, stay logical, and repair conflict faster.

Dr. Buckley’s book Marriage Incorporated: The Boardroom Blueprint To A Lasting Love and its workbook are available now, and you can find her at drrobinbuckley.com (use code marriage20 for 20% off). If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can build relationships with intention.

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Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a friend. Stay connected with the show across all official platforms:

• 📷 Instagram: @diivaontheradio – Behind-the-scenes content and daily updates.
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• ...

Money can feel like math, but the truth is it’s memory, identity, stress, and sometimes even comfort. I’m joined by Amanda Cassar, a financial advisor and author based on Australia’s Gold Coast, and we get honest about why so many of us reach adulthood with huge responsibilities and almost zero financial education to match.

We talk about the money beliefs we inherit and the ones we accidentally build from childhood moments, family comments, and hard seasons. Amanda breaks down how those stories show up later as a scarcity mindset, overspending, or avoiding the numbers entirely. We also get into couples and money, including the conversations most partners skip until it’s too late: shared accounts, splitting bills when incomes differ, protecting independence, and how communication can lower conflict before it turns into a crisis.

Then we go practical. We unpack emotional spending and the dopamine loop, how to spot your triggers, and what to do instead of “treating yourself” into regret. Amanda shares a simple way to approach budgeting as an empowerment tool by first learning what it costs to live, plus real-world ideas for surviving cutbacks with frugal creativity, community support, and smart trade-offs. And if travel is on your mind, we walk through building a travel budget by pricing the trip, breaking it into pay packets, and choosing timing or comfort levels that keep you out of debt.

If you take one thing from this conversation, let it be this: clarity gives you options. 

Subscribe to Diva Tonight, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review so more people can find these money and relationship conversations.

To Listen to her Podcast, or support her book check out her website at:

https://www.wealthplanningpartners.com.au/amanda-cassar/

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Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a friend. Stay connected with the show across all official platforms:

• 📷 Instagram: @diivaontheradio – Behind-the-scenes content and daily updates.
• 👥 Facebook: @Diivaontheradio – Join our community and share your thoughts on this episode.
• 🎵 TikTok: @diivaontheradio – Catch the best short-form video highlights.
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• ...

We talk with Simone Kinego about building real confidence in midlife, from surviving chaos at home to choosing the brave thing when self-doubt is loud. We connect the dots between patience, adoption, community support, and the mindset shift that turns “not enough” into “I can do hard things.” 

• managing a busy household by practising patience and staying calm when things go wrong 
• learning resilience from a trailblazing mother in medicine and carrying forward that legacy 
• giving yourself permission to change your mind on careers and still commit to what matters 
• building a podcast with consistency and showing up as your real self 
• finding your “Kilimanjaro” and using challenges to transform self-belief 
• asking for help without shame and letting your community show up 
• adopting three children and growing a family with intention 
• staying grounded through meditation, positive affirmations, gratitude, and self-care 
• breaking down Simone’s REAL method for confidence and why confidence is a skill 
• why phone calls still matter for clear communication and real life problem-solving 

Follow us on Instagram at DivaOnTheRadio. That's D.Va with two eyes. 
And don't forget to follow us on TikTok at DivaOnTheRadio for more clips and conversations you'll love. 
Want to share your thoughts or send us a message? Text us anytime at divatonight.bussprout.com. 

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Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a friend. Stay connected with the show across all official platforms:

• 📷 Instagram: @diivaontheradio – Behind-the-scenes content and daily updates.
• 👥 Facebook: @Diivaontheradio – Join our community and share your thoughts on this episode.
• 🎵 TikTok: @diivaontheradio – Catch the best short-form video highlights.
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• 📺 YouTube: @diivaontheradio – Watch full video episodes and exclusive clips.
• ...

Forty can arrive with confetti and a quiet crisis at the same time. 

I’m Carlene Humphrey, and I’m now kicking off my This Is 40 series with the real story behind why this milestone changed me: the joy of celebrating with friends, the shock of hearing new health concerns, and the moment I realized I had to advocate for myself instead of accepting one scary answer.

Diva Tonight is a Podcast based in Toronto, Ontario Canada. Carlene Humphrey is not a therapist, nor is she a doctor. The opinions expressed are those of the Diva Tonight Podcast. 

For assistance with crisis, please contact:

Distress Centre of Toronto:  416-408-4357
Gerstein Crisis Centre:  416-929-5200 
Assaulted Women’s Help Line: 416-863-0511
Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape: 416-597-8808
Suicide and Crisis Hotline (Canada Wide): 1-800-448-3000
Mental Health Crisis Line (Canada Wide): 1-888-893-8333  

We get honest about the pressure of life timelines and the way society expects women to hit certain markers by certain ages. I talk about what it feels like to look back and think, “I didn’t do what I was supposed to do,” and how those beliefs get louder when you grew up without support. I also share how negative self-talk can be rooted in childhood emotional abuse, and why doing the work on mental health is not optional if you want peace in your relationships, your career, and your own skin.

You’ll hear why I believe therapy matters, how stigma keeps people silent, and what “start somewhere” can look like if you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, or feeling broken. We also touch on generational trauma in the Caribbean diaspora, the deep impact of words, and why your community and chosen family can be the difference between quitting and continuing.

If any part of this hits home, listen all the way through, share it with someone who needs a push, and subscribe so you don’t miss what comes next. After you listen, leave a review and tell me: what’s one decision you made that changed your life path?

This episode reflects the opinions of Carlene Humphrey the host of Diva Tonight- I am not a counselor or therapist - I am just sharing my personal experience.

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Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a friend. Stay connected with the show across all official platforms:

• 📷 Instagram: @diivaontheradio – Behind-the-scenes content and daily updates.
• 👥 Facebook: @Diivaontheradio – Join our community and share your thoughts on this episode.
• 🎵 TikTok: @diivaontheradio – Catch the best short-form video highlights.
• 🐦 Twitter/X: @DivaontheRadio – Live-tweeting and trending conversations.
• 📺 YouTube: @diivaontheradio – Watch full video episodes and exclusive clips.
• ...

We talk with ADHD-informed coach Sarah DeGrave about getting diagnosed later in life and why it can bring both grief and freedom. We connect ADHD to creativity, perfectionism, anxiety, and the simple systems that help us stop relying on memory and start building support that lasts. 

• turning 40 as a reset point and a chance to shed old expectations 
• the grief and relief that can follow a late ADHD diagnosis 
• why ADHD often shows up as procrastination, shame, and emotional overload 
• the strong link between ADHD brains and creative work in theater, music, and dance 
• how structure and movement can regulate mood and focus 
• advice fatigue and why “ADHD systems” still might not fit you 
• practical organization strategies using paper lists, Post-its, and small daily priorities 
• using digital notes for portable ideas while avoiding out-of-sight pitfalls 
• feeding yourself with low-friction defaults and accessible snacks 
• what to do if you suspect ADHD, including self-assessments and getting support 
• hormones and perimenopause as a major factor for women in their 40s 
• going back to basics with sleep, hydration, and regular meals 

Follow us on Instagram at DiivaOnTheRadio. That’s diva with two eyes. And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok at DivaOnTheRadio. Want to share your thoughts or send us a message? Text us 

https://www.sarahdegravecoaching.com/links/

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Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a friend. Stay connected with the show across all official platforms:

• 📷 Instagram: @diivaontheradio – Behind-the-scenes content and daily updates.
• 👥 Facebook: @Diivaontheradio – Join our community and share your thoughts on this episode.
• 🎵 TikTok: @diivaontheradio – Catch the best short-form video highlights.
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• 📺 YouTube: @diivaontheradio – Watch full video episodes and exclusive clips.
• ...

We sit down with relationship coach Bryan Power to unpack integrated attachment theory and the six pillars that can change how we love, fight, and repair. We connect the dots between childhood wounds, midlife turning points, and the practical tools that helped Brian rebuild his marriage after a separation.
• six pillars of integrated attachment theory: core wounds, needs, emotional stability, boundaries, communication, behaviors
• how early childhood patterns shape adult attachment and conflict
• why wounds can intensify in your 40s and 50s and show up as “midlife crisis” moments
• what happened leading up to separation and why space can create clarity
• how learning to meet needs and regulate emotions reduces pressure on a partner
• boundary setting as protection rather than punishment
• communication that prioritizes understanding over defensiveness
• what to do when your partner will not do the work and why one person changing still matters
• why healing the subconscious patterns matters when willpower is not enough
If you would like to know about IAT check out Bryan Power information
Go to his website myrelationshipfail.com. 
You can take the attachment style quiz from there. It’s free to do that. 
If you decide you want somebody to work alongside with you, please contact me. I’ll also give you a free session. 

Diva Tonight Glamour for your ears! 
Follow us on Instagram at DiivaOntheRadio. 
Don’t forget to follow us on TikTok at Diiva on the radio. 
Text us anytime at divatonight.buzzsprout.com.

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Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a friend. Stay connected with the show across all official platforms:

• 📷 Instagram: @diivaontheradio – Behind-the-scenes content and daily updates.
• 👥 Facebook: @Diivaontheradio – Join our community and share your thoughts on this episode.
• 🎵 TikTok: @diivaontheradio – Catch the best short-form video highlights.
• 🐦 Twitter/X: @DivaontheRadio – Live-tweeting and trending conversations.
• 📺 YouTube: @diivaontheradio – Watch full video episodes and exclusive clips.
• ...

A high-powered career can look perfect on paper while quietly shrinking your world. Carlene talks with Trisha Daho, CEO and founder of Empowered and a former EY partner, about what happens when you stop chasing approval and start building a life you actually want, even if it means leaving the safest path behind.

Trisha shares what it’s like to run a people and culture firm while living outside Paris and serving mostly US clients, plus the mindset shift from being rewarded in a giant organization to hearing “yes” or “no” as a business owner. We dig into the practical side of entrepreneurship too: how much financial runway you need, why founders should get help with accounting and cash flow, and what “business development” really means when your work depends on trust and relationships.

We also unpack the link between company culture and personal branding: brand is culture externally and culture is brand internally. Trisha explains how to build intentional culture through value-based behaviors that show up in hiring, promotions, mentoring, and performance management so norms don’t swing with personalities. Then we go wider into modern leadership in diverse teams, the deeper lessons of turning 40, and a grounded take on AI in the workplace: use it to remove low-value tasks, not to replace your wisdom.

If you’re navigating a career transition, leadership development, DEI, or building a stronger workplace culture, this conversation will give you language and next steps. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s ready for a change, and leave a review with the biggest shift you’re making right now.

https://empoweredlc.com/about-us/

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Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a friend. Stay connected with the show across all official platforms:

• 📷 Instagram: @diivaontheradio – Behind-the-scenes content and daily updates.
• 👥 Facebook: @Diivaontheradio – Join our community and share your thoughts on this episode.
• 🎵 TikTok: @diivaontheradio – Catch the best short-form video highlights.
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• 📺 YouTube: @diivaontheradio – Watch full video episodes and exclusive clips.
• ...

We sit down with relationship coach and author Joni Woods to trace how fear, family pressure, and faith shaped a marriage that never felt healthy and the divorce that changed everything. We talk emotional intelligence, boundaries, and the daily practice of love and kindness as a real strategy for parenting, conflict, and healing.
• Growing up fast after family abandonment and choosing safety over love
• Reframing divorce as fixing an early decision
• Using self-reflection, self-awareness, and accountability to build emotional intelligence
• Repairing conflict with kids through timeouts, honest talk, and real apologies
• Choosing “love and kindness” while still holding firm boundaries
• Letting kids have access to extended family without using it as control
• Writing a book during overnight shifts in the middle of divorce
• Losing Instagram and Facebook overnight and rebuilding a marketing plan from scratch
• Learning boundaries through dating, saying no, and speaking needs out loud
• Valuing authenticity and accountability without shame or performative punishment
• Recognizing an unhealthy relationship when home feels heavy or unsafe
• “You can follow her on Instagram at Author Johnny Woods”
• “Follow us on Instagram at DivaOnTheRadio. That’s Diva with two IIs”
• “And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok at Diiva on the radio for more clips and conversations you’ll love”
• “Want to share your thoughts or send us a message? Text us anytime at divatonight.buzzsprout.com”

Want to purchase the book!

Follow @authorjoniwoods on Instagram 

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Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a friend. Stay connected with the show across all official platforms:

• 📷 Instagram: @diivaontheradio – Behind-the-scenes content and daily updates.
• 👥 Facebook: @Diivaontheradio – Join our community and share your thoughts on this episode.
• 🎵 TikTok: @diivaontheradio – Catch the best short-form video highlights.
• 🐦 Twitter/X: @DivaontheRadio – Live-tweeting and trending conversations.
• 📺 YouTube: @diivaontheradio – Watch full video episodes and exclusive clips.
• ...