Hey hey! We’re wrapping up another season! Season 12. Thank you SO much to everyone who has listened and been a part of the conversation this season. 

We kicked off this season with an amazing live panel discussion with Dr. Louisa Olushoga, Sarah Brown, and Ana Lopez. They all brought such great wisdom to the conversation. When it comes to our health… sometimes it can be the last thing on our long list of things to take care of. I know that was the case for me. For as long as I can remember I don’t think I ever prioritized my health…well maybe just when I was pregnant. 

But this year I knew that I needed to be intentional about taking care of my health physically and mentally. My father was the one that told me that my health was my biggest asset. While he told me this a loooong time ago, I’m finally listening to him.

As we get older and our body changes, it is going to need different things for it to thrive. And we need to get over this mentality that it’s “selfish” to set aside time for our health. We may think, oh I don’t have time for therapy, or I don’t have time to fit in a doctor’s appointment, or I shouldn’t be spending money for bloodwork but rather on something else for my kids…however, when we show up for ourselves, we are showing the next generation that our bodies and our minds are worth prioritizing. 

The conversations this season have kept me grounded amidst all the chaos we’ve been experiencing here in Chicago with ICE. It’s really taken a toll on everyone in the community. But I’ve had to remember to take my health, mental and physical, seriously so that I can keep showing up for my family, and my community. I’m so grateful to everyone who has attended live events that I’ve hosted, and listened to the Elevating la Cultura Podcast. I will continue to create safe and impactful events where we can come together and learn from each other, and just exist authentically. 

I’ll be taking a break for the holidays but will be back in the new year. I wish everyone a safe and joyful holiday season. If you'd like to be on the podcast in the future or know of someone who should be a guest, please don’t hesitate to reach out. The more we share our stories, the more we can potentially inspire and encourage others. And that’s why I do what I do, to elevate our voices, our experiences, our expertise, and our cultura. 

Ok amigos, thank you so much for listening, after you listen feel free to take a screenshot to post on IG and tag @elevatinglacultura or send me a DM. You can also comment on our YouTube video if you’re watching online. I always like to hear from people and how they resonate with the stories I share. SO leave a review on apple podcasts so we can get more ears listening to these stories and we can continue elevating la cultura.

Enjoy the rest of the day/afternoon/evening whenever you’re listening, y nos vemos next year. 

Dr. Mae Lynn Reyes-Rodríguez is a clinical psychologist and Associate Director of Inpatient Psychological Services at the UNC School of Medicine. Her professional goals are focused and straightforward: make mental health care fit women’s real lives by closing cultural, linguistic, and access gaps. A former NIMH postdoctoral fellow who adapted cognitive behavioral therapy for Latinas, she now brings that same precision to perinatal mental health as a co-investigator on the MomGenes study. She is committed to practical, evidence-based tools for all mothers while offering a deep, bilingual understanding of Latina and immigrant families. She hopes to expand bilingual screening and education, reduce stigma around postpartum depression, and train clinicians to deliver culturally relevant care across communities.

Please enjoy our conversation!

Website: https://momgenesfightppd.org/

What a wonderful and honest conversation that is sure to keep raising awareness for our community.

Thank you so much for listening. There will be one more episode next Tuesday as we close out season 12 and take a break for the holidays, so after you listen feel free to take a screenshot to post on IG and tag @elevatinglacultura or send me a DM. You can also comment on our YouTube video if you’re watching online. I always like to hear from people and how they resonate with the stories I share. SO leave a review on apple podcasts so we can get more ears listening to these stories and we can continue elevating la cultura. Alright, enjoy the rest of the day/afternoon/evening whenever you’re listening, y nos vemos next week.

Dr. Alma is a pharmacist and functional health rebel blending ancestral wisdom with modern science to help mujeres heal holistically. She’s the bridge between cultura and cutting edge wellness, turning overwhelm into action and burnout into balance. Part coach, part comadre, all heart - she tells it like it is and helps you heal while doing it. Dr. Alma doesn’t just talk health, she makes it aspirational.

Please enjoy our conversation!

Website: soulbodyholistix.com

Instagram: @soulbodyholistix

TikTok: @soulbodyholistix
Facebook: @soulbodyholistix

I’m so thankful for all this knowledge I’m getting and sharing with you all this season!

Thank you so much for listening. There will be a new episode every Tuesday, so after you listen feel free to take a screenshot to post on IG and tag @elevatinglacultura or send me a DM. You can also comment on our YouTube video if you’re watching online. I always like to hear from people and how they resonate with the stories I share. SO leave a review on apple podcasts so we can get more ears listening to these stories and we can continue elevating la cultura. Alright, enjoy the rest of the day/afternoon/evening whenever you’re listening, y nos vemos next week.

Jelitsa is an RN and the founder of Uviña Holistic Wellness, a Chicago-based boutique rooted in gut health, lymphatic care, and holistic beauty. As a registered nurse specializing in internal balance and skin health, Jelitsa helps clients reconnect with their bodies through her signature Uviña Flow Framework — a serene, science-informed approach that supports gut function, detoxification, and lymphatic flow for radiant whole-body wellness.

Her philosophy is simple yet powerful: when the gut flows, the skin glows.

Please enjoy our conversation!

Website: uvinawellness.com

Instagram: @uvinawellness

TikTok: @uvinawellness

Facebook: @uvinawellness
YouTube: @uvinawellness

What a great conversation! I LOVED learning more about how to care for our bodies! 

Thank you so much for listening. There will be a new episode every Tuesday, so after you listen feel free to take a screenshot to post on IG and tag @elevatinglacultura or send me a DM. You can also comment on our YouTube video if you’re watching online. I always like to hear from people and how they resonate with the stories I share. SO leave a review on apple podcasts so we can get more ears listening to these stories and we can continue elevating la cultura. Alright, enjoy the rest of the day/afternoon/evening whenever you’re listening, y nos vemos next week.

Xochitl is the founder of Werk Mija, a brand that celebrates Latinas who unapologetically embrace their culture and individuality. Werk Mija’s mission is to empower and inspire through relatable designs that honor our heritage and amplify our voices. 

Every design is crafted to embody the boldness, beauty and resilience of nuestra comunidad. From Latina-inspired coffee mugs and cozy sweatshirts to statement-making t-shirts and vibrant stickers, each product reflects what it means to be "Unapologetically Latina, Authentically You."

At Werk Mija, you'll discover more than apparel and accessories- you'll find a celebration of identity, strength, and the journey that makes you uniquely Latina.

Please enjoy round two of Xochitl being a guest on the podcast. Xochitl’s first debut on Elevating la Cultura: Episode 39

Website: werkmija.com

Instagram: @werkmija

TikTok: @werkmija

Facebook: @werkmija
Podcast: The Werk Mija Podcast

She’s grown her business so much in just a few years! Go check out her growing collections.

Thank you so much for listening. There will be a new episode every Tuesday, so after you listen feel free to take a screenshot to post on IG and tag @elevatinglacultura or send me a DM. You can also comment on our YouTube video if you’re watching online. I always like to hear from people and how they resonate with the stories I share. SO leave a review on apple podcasts so we can get more ears listening to these stories and we can continue elevating la cultura. Alright, enjoy the rest of the day/afternoon/evening whenever you’re listening, y nos vemos next week.

Dr. Louisa Olushoga is a dedicated reproductive psychiatrist with a fervent commitment to women's health. She completed her medical education at the University of Illinois Chicago and residency at the University of Chicago, where she co-created the women's mental health clinic. Specializing in reproductive psychiatry at Northwestern University, she also served as a consulting psychiatrist for the ERASE Trafficking program, offering vital care to survivors of sex and labor trafficking. She currently works as a consulting psychiatrist at Lawndale Christian Health Center where she practices alongside primary care providers to deliver psychiatric care to residents of North Lawndale and the surrounding areas. I’m so excited for this conversation.

Website: wellwomanpsych.com

Linked in: Louisa Olushoga

Email: [email protected]

I just love Louisa, for real she is an amazing psychiatrist, so she’s an amazing person to reach out to if you ever need more answers as to what is happening as we age.

 Ok amigas, thank you so much for listening. please rate and review this podcast so we can get more ears listening to these stories and can continue elevating la cultura. You can also comment on our YouTube video if you’re watching online. I always like to hear from people and how they resonate with the stories I share. 

Enjoy the rest of the day/afternoon/evening whenever you’re listening, y nos vemos next week. 

Ana Lopez, is a bilingual sexologist and sex coach and founder of Sex in Spanglish. She is here to help Latinas heal from the cultural conditioning that’s held them back and reconnect with their pleasure—a su manera.

She believes your pleasure matters. Sex should be about you—what you want, what you need, and what actually feels good—without guilt, fear, or outdated beliefs holding you back.

No more shame. No more silence. Just real, empowering, culturally relevant sex ed that lets you enjoy sex sin vergüenza. 

Let’s get into it!

Website: sexinspanish.com

Instagram: @sexinspanglish

Podcast: Sex In Spanglish

YouTube: Sex In Spanglish

I’m so glad we finally got to have Ana on the podcast. I just love her calm and chill vibe. Ok amigas, thank you so much for listening. please rate and review this podcast so we can get more ears listening to these stories and can continue elevating la cultura. You can also comment on our YouTube video if you’re watching online. I always like to hear from people and how they resonate with the stories I share. 

Enjoy the rest of the day/afternoon/evening whenever you’re listening, y nos vemos next week. 

Sarah Brown, DNP, CNM, WHNP is a certified nurse midwife and women’s health nurse practitioner (NP). She has experience working in pediatrics, labor & delivery, community birth, and gynecology settings. She obtained her doctorate degree from University of Illinois at Chicago. A primary passion of Sarah’s is physiologic birth, which involves moving through labor, birth, and postpartum in a way that prioritizes a woman’s natural body processes and capabilities. Through this love she found her second passion in functional medicine which she recognized had a profound intersection with her own specialty. Sarah practices at Retreat Care Group where she integrates her knowledge in traditional western medicine with the body's innate ability to heal. She combines reproductive and intimate health with her functional medicine training to optimize health outcomes from puberty to menopause, and everything in between.

Enjoy our conversation.

Website: tryretreat.com

Instagram: @retreatcaregroup

Sarah has legit been amazing to work with. She’s got me feeling better AND understanding more about what is going on in my body from a hormonal perspective. So please reach out to her if you’re wanting more answers on what’s happening inside your body as you age.

Ok amigos, thanks for listening, please rate and review this podcast so we can get more ears listening to these stories and can continue elevating la cultura. You can also comment on our YouTube video if you’re watching online. I always like to hear from people and how they resonate with the stories I share. 

Enjoy the rest of the day/afternoon/evening whenever you’re listening, y nos vemos next week. 

Susie Gómez-Ortega, LCSW, PMH-C, is a Mexican-American woman, mother, and survivor of relationship loss and recovery. As a relational therapist and founder of Connection & Belonging Therapy, she draws on over 20 years of clinical experience to help men and women heal attachment wounds and return to themselves through relational self-awareness. Her work is rooted in authenticity, compassion, and the belief that deep connection is the path to healing and belonging. 

Enjoy our conversation.

Website: cb-therapy.com

Where you can find/connect with Susie: Psychology Today, PSI Directory, ChicagoEFT

Instagram: @connection_belonging_therapy

Ok amigos, thanks for listening, please rate and review this podcast so we can get more ears listening to these stories and can continue elevating la cultura. You can also comment on our YouTube video if you’re watching online. I always like to hear from people and how they resonate with the stories I share. 

Enjoy the rest of the day/afternoon/evening whenever you’re listening, y nos vemos next week. 

Hola! We are back to continue season 12. I took a small break for August as I focused on the transition back to the school year for my kids, as well as hosting a Women’s Health Panel Event. 

Anyone else feel like this year’s back to school is just heavier, and more chaotic than previous years? Maybe it’s just me as we navigate Elena’s first year in high school and part of a ballet company. Plus Elias’ last year in middle school and focusing more on his gaming skills. My schedule seems packed to the minute. 

But better that, than bored in Pennsylvania like I was all summer. We are glad to be back and settling into a routine, even if it is a lot. 

Anyway, I’m excited to continue season 12 with our focus on women’s health. And we are starting with a recording of our Fuerte & Fearless Panel which focused on women’s health. 

My panelists were amazing, and I’m still getting great feedback about the info shared on that day..

On the panel was Dr. Louisa Olushoga. Is a reproductive psychiatrist with a fervent commitment to women's health. It's essential to her to integrate all aspects of a patient's life into their treatment plan, ensuring comprehensive care that addresses their unique needs and fosters holistic well-being. And I think after hearing her on the panel you will know why she is amazing at creating an honest and safe space for everyone.

Sarah Brown also joined me on the panel. She is a certified nurse midwife and women’s health nurse practitioner. She is intentional about integrating her knowledge in functional medicine training with a holistic approach to focusing on the body as a whole.

And lastly Ana Lopez joined me as a bilingual sexologist and sex coach. Her main focus is to help Latinas heal from the cultural conditioning that’s held them back and reconnect with their pleasure.

This conversation was amazing, and honestly could have probably kept going all evening. The Q&A at the end was great as well. 

Thank you to everyone who came out to the first LIVE panel discussion in our new studio. I’m excited to host more events like this in the future. 

I will be having each of these panelists back for their own episodes this season, so stay tuned for a deeper dive on their areas of expertise. 

Ok amigos, thanks for listening, please rate and review this podcast so we can get more ears listening to these stories and can continue elevating la cultura. You can also comment on our YouTube video if you’re watching online. I always like to hear from people and how they resonate with the stories I share. 

Enjoy the rest of the day/afternoon/evening whenever you’re listening, y nos vemos next week.