Welcome to episode 02 of our special Be a Coach Series. In this series, I answer questions about our Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® class and what it takes to be a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®. I cover all the basics… the who, what, when, where, why, and even the how.

Don’t understand what a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® or Adviser is? No problem. Just pop on over to episode one of the series because that is exactly what we covered in that episode.

In this episode, I’m covering the who. Who makes a good coach? Who makes a good Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®? Who makes a good Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor®? And, how do you know which one you might be?

I also cover what I look for in the applications I accept into the training program and what you need and don’t need to join us a become a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® or Advisor yourself.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

Don't like waiting? Register now to have the complete 'Be A Coach' series, along with several bonus episodes, delivered straight to your favorite podcast app.  Use this link to sign up for FREE.

Interested in hearing from our alumni about their journey in our courses? Register to receive our complimentary 'Fibromyalgia Stories of Hope' collection, automatically delivered to your favorite podcast app. Use this link to subscribe.

Join our next Virtual Open House and learn about our specialized training programs. Understand the difference between our Coach and Advisor paths, explore tuition options, and discover our fibro-friendly class structure. Click here to register or watch the replay.

To learn more about the Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® class, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

There aren't enough stories out there of people who have fibromyalgia and who have found ways to feel better. Many of our doctors tell us there’s nothing we can do, and it’s not uncommon to hear about how terrible life with fibromyalgia is. But while it can be debilitating, it’s not a life sentence.

There’s always something else you can try to manage your fibromyalgia symptoms. Life adjustments will have to be made, but feeling better is absolutely possible, and all of our students have experienced this for themselves. After taking the Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® program, graduates see an average of 50% improvement in their symptoms, and after taking the Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® program, are often nearly symptom-free. Most fibromyalgia medications only offer 15-30% improvement, if they work for the individual at all.

Today, in the eleventh installment of our Stories of Hope and Healing, you’re going to hear the stories of four recent graduates, as told by them. For this class, the Advisor students showed an average improvement of 66%, while our Coach students achieved scores that align with what some people consider remission.

In this episode you’ll hear about how Jeannette overcame perfectionism and what she did to pace herself, why Jeannette wanted to become a coach, what she’s learned from both client wins and challenges, the tools and strategy that most helped Jeannette improve her Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) score, Jeannette’s ideal coaching clients, her advice for perfectionists just starting their healing journey, why Shelly chose community and coaching for her fibromyalgia journey, how her coach, Kim, helped her learn to manage her pace and setbacks, how Shelly achieved a 59% FIQR improvement through small, sustainable changes, Shelly’s advice for listeners who feel overwhelmed, what it was like for Jacqui to start the class during her worst fibro flare, the major differences in Jacqui’s life before and after coaching, the specific steps Jacqui took with her coach around medication, nutrition, and mindset, what inspired Jacqui to become a coach and help other fibromyalgia patients, Lauren’s experience being diagnosed during the pandemic and with two young children, Lauren’s two-year journey of gradual healing and the long-term strategies that made a difference, success stories from Lauren’s clients, how Lauren supports mothers of neurodivergent children, Lauren’s encouragement for moms navigating both fibromyalgia and caregiving, how you can get support on your fibromyalgia journey, and more.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

As a master Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®, author, and fibro podcaster, the questions I’m asked more than any others are:

How do I get better?

How do I improve my Fibromyalgia so I can get back to living the life I want to live?

While those sound like simple questions, they do not have simple answers. We all have similar symptoms, what helps you feel better may not be the thing that helps me feel better. We all have to find our own magic formula for what makes us feel best.

I know from personal experience just how overwhelming it can be to find that formula on your own. That’s why I created a training program in 2015 that would teach people just like you how to improve their own Fibromyalgia, and how to help others do the same.

In this first episode of a special series where I’ll be answering a lot of questions I get about our Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® class and about becoming a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®, I want to start super basic.

We’re going over what a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® is, how that’s different from a Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor®, why you should consider the Advisor class if you’re a patient who just wants to feel better, who else the Advisor class is perfect for, what the certification aspect really means, the staggering statistics on how many participants see significant improvements in their symptoms by the end of the Advisor class.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

Don't like waiting? Register now to have the complete 'Be A Coach' series, along with several bonus episodes, delivered straight to your favorite podcast app.  Use this link to sign up for FREE.

Interested in hearing from our alumni about their journey in our courses? Register to receive our complimentary 'Fibromyalgia Stories of Hope' collection, automatically delivered to your favorite podcast app. Use this link to subscribe.

To learn more about the Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® class, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

“It’s never too late for your second spring.” - Angi McClure

Have you ever felt like you were losing your physical independence because of your fibromyalgia? Maybe you struggle with tasks like climbing stairs, carrying groceries, or getting up off the floor? For many of us living with fibromyalgia, even simple daily tasks can feel draining.

Strengthening your resilience is the key to adapting through life’s seasons. The good news is that, no matter what age or stage of your life you're in, there are gentle, practical, and sustainable ways to reconnect with your body, build resilience, and enhance your physical independence.

Today, Tami is joined by Angi McClure, a neuro-based movement therapist and founder of Bamboo Bodies. Angi specializes in age science and supports her clients through functional Chinese medicine, nutrition, and seasonal lifestyle habits. While Angi’s work focuses on age training and longevity, the principles apply perfectly to those of us with fibromyalgia.

In this conversation, Tami and Angi discuss how Angi became interested in exploring age training and her personal and professional journey into supporting older adults, the parallels between aging and living with fibromyalgia, adapting to life’s changes, why we should redefine physical independence as an athletic pursuit, recognizing the resilience of those with chronic illness and pain, why “training like an athlete” is more about mental and emotional resilience than physical exercise, the meaning of neurological resilience, why community is a crucial element in reconnecting with your body, energy management and The Spoon Theory, seasons of life and how they relate to aging and fibromyalgia, insights from Chinese medicine on life’s seasons and their impact on health, the “second spring” and why it’s never too late to adapt, how Angi bridges neuroscience and Chinese medicine, why pain is a brain output, how mindset and working on yourself builds resilience, the “threat bucket” analogy for stress and pain, practical ways to lighten your load, practical tools you can start using to support resilience, how to find joy in movement, the need for a personalized approach to movement, the benefits of qigong and playful movement, and more.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

“Listening to your body is one of the key things you need to do to make everything else work.”

Over the past ten years of teaching people about fibromyalgia, Tami has seen certain issues repeatedly come up that get in the way of the healing journey. Last week, during our Certified Fibromyalgia Coach® training class, a student raised an important question about how we identify these issues when we have a client who isn’t improving as we would like them to.

The more you learn about fibromyalgia, the more aware you are of tools that could help you and why your symptoms may not be improving. At the same time, some less obvious issues often go unnoticed but must be addressed to make progress. Things like working with a doctor who doesn’t quite know what to do with us, being in a season of life that doesn’t allow us to prioritize ourselves, or unconscious trauma responses that block us from making the changes we need to.

In today’s episode, Tami is sharing the top three hidden reasons why your fibromyalgia symptoms might not be improving. She discusses why not listening to your body can block healing (whether or not it’s unintentional), the key difference between consciously ignoring your body and being unaware of what it needs, the benefits of writing your body’s owner’s manual, how trauma can make it harder to manage your symptoms, acknowledging that rest and awareness are essential for healing, how undiagnosed or undertreated health conditions can get in the way of your healing journey, underlying conditions that Tami had to address as a part of her fibro journey, advocating for yourself and finding medical professionals who listen, how fibromyalgia amplifies other sources of pain, the importance of being realistic and managing expectations, why some people may not be ready, willing, or able to do the work required for improvement, when it’s okay not to do the work, support for those facing financial or geographic limitations, and more.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

In this special bonus episode, Tami is sharing a recent guest appearance she made on the To Your Health podcast hosted by Esther Avant.

Esther is a health industry veteran with 20 years of experience, passionately helping people stop starting over so they can build the consistency and confidence to create the kind of life they want — starting with their health.

Through her work, Esther shares practical tools and new ways of thinking to help audiences focus on what matters, lean on those who can help, and take compassionate ownership of the process.

With the To Your Health podcast, Esther empowers women to make meaningful, lasting changes for their physical, mental, and emotional health.

In the interview, Tami and Esther discuss everything from the basics of what fibromyalgia is, to how to tell the difference between fibromyalgia and other conditions like menopause. Tami also gives you some tips to better budget your energy and how to communicate better with your loved ones. Tami also discusses some mindset shifts that can really make a difference as you’re learning to manage your fibromyalgia.

If you enjoy this episode, please check out the rest of Esther’s podcast here.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

“It’s pretty amazing how much stress, emotion, memory, and trauma the pelvic bowl itself holds.” - Dr. Desiree Cassell

Pelvic floor health is important to all of us. We all have a pelvic floor, and pelvic floor dysfunction can contribute to everything from incontinence and painful sex, which you might expect, but also knee, back, and hip pain, and even TMJ.

This dysfunction can stem from many different types of triggers, and the signs are not always obvious. Seeking out a specialized pelvic floor PT who is trauma-informed and understands the importance of an internal assessment can be life-changing for many women experiencing pelvic floor issues, as Tami has seen for many of her fibro clients.

Today, Tami is joined by Dr. Desiree Cassell, an expert pelvic floor physical therapist. After her first pregnancy, Dr. Desiree suffered from her own pelvic floor dysfunction, which she was able to resolve completely during her second pregnancy. This experience led to her passion in educating, empowering, and supporting other women throughout their lifespan, so that they don’t have to accept these common issues as part of life.

In this conversation, Dr. Desiree and Tami discuss how to find a qualified pelvic floor physical therapist and why in-person exams matter, what the pelvic floor is, how it works, and how pelvic PT differs from traditional physical therapy, why internal pelvic floor assessments are important, how they help to break stigma, what to expect during an internal assessment, what these assessments can reveal about your pain, how to choose a trauma-informed pelvic floor therapist, why comfort and trust are essential, common symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, why the condition is often misunderstood, the connection between your pelvic floor and the rest of your body, the impact of surgeries like C-sections and hysterectomies on pelvic health, the lack of follow-up care, how fascia, scar tissue, and emotional trauma can affect your pelvic floor and overall well-being, what to do if you’ve had surgery or trauma without pelvic floor rehab, breathwork to support pelvic floor healing and nervous system regulation, practical breathwork tips for identifying and releasing tension in your body, and more.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

In this special bonus episode, Tami is sharing a recent guest appearance she made on the Manders Mindset podcast hosted by Amanda Russo.

Also known as The Breathing Goddess, Amanda is a Breathwork Detox Facilitator, Transformative Mindset Coach, and Divorce Paralegal.

Amanda's journey into mindset and empowerment began by working with children in group homes and daycares. She later transitioned to family law, helping people navigate the challenging emotions of divorce. During this time, Amanda also overcame her own weight and health challenges through strength training, meditation, yoga, reiki, and plant medicine.

The Manders Mindset podcast is where real people tell how shifting their mindsets—and often their words—has dramatically changed their lives.

In the interview, Tami and Amanda discuss the realities of living with a chronic illness that most doctors don’t know how to treat, the emotional toll of being dismissed, the myths around fibromyalgia, what true healing looks like, the role radical self-awareness plays in that true healing journey, and why Tami decided to become the coach she wishes she would’ve had when she was first diagnosed.

If you enjoy this episode, please check out the rest of Amanda’s podcast here.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

“Autism is not a problem that needs to be solved. Our co-occurring conditions are what need to be solved or accommodated.” - Dr. Angela Kingdon

Did you know 41% of people with strong autistic traits also have fibromyalgia? It works the other way around, too, with 10 to 20% of people with fibromyalgia having autistic traits. Even for those of us who only have one of the two, there are many parallels, and our shared experiences are numerous. Embracing this as part of our identity and accepting the strengths and challenges associated with fibromyalgia and autism is the key to finding new levels of joy and healing.

Today, Tami is joined by Dr. Angela Kingdon to talk about the connection between autism and fibromyalgia and clear up the rampant misinformation around autism. Angela is a dynamic autistic advocate, author, and speaker renowned for her impactful work in promoting neurodiversity and supporting autistic individuals. 

In this conversation, Angela and Tami discuss Angela's experiences from late diagnosis to burnout, statistics on fibromyalgia and autism, understanding the concept of autistic traits, the challenges in obtaining an autism diagnosis for women and people of color, the importance of self-diagnosis in managing your health, how masking can complicate autism diagnosis, risks associated with high masking, the growing recognition of fibromyalgia and autism in healthcare, the stigmatization and misunderstanding of autism, why it’s important to research and request accommodations the causes of autism, debunking the vaccine controversy, the impact of genetics vs. environment in developing autism, the need for more research to support autistic individuals, the prevalence of fibromyalgia and other conditions among autistic individuals, creating an inclusive environment that benefits everyone, recognizing autism as a different way of processing information, synaptic pruning in brain development and its relation to autism, differences in sensory processing in autistic brains, the uniqueness of each autistic individual's experience and the need for personalized accommodations, managing overwhelming situations and their impact on the nervous system, how societal factors influence the expression of autism, what do to next if you think you may be autistic, reasons for seeking a formal autism diagnosis, challenges associated with having a fibromyalgia or autism diagnosis, common misconceptions related to autism, navigating the pressure to conform, social challenges faced by autistic individuals and the desire for connection, comparing experiences of autism and fibromyalgia, the shift from viewing autism as a medical issue to embracing it as part of your identity, the role of coaching, the correlation between identity acceptance and mental health outcomes, accepting your identity as the first step in the healing process, the benefits of having a supportive community of people with similar experiences, the challenges of labels in the autistic community, understanding the spectrum concept in autism, how autism and fibromyalgia symptoms can vary from day to day based on numerous factors, finding joy in your identity, the bond between fibromyalgia and autism communities, and more.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

“Inflammation is one of the root causes of many of our health issues, and we have the power to overcome it.”

Western medicine has a toolkit that can be very effective, but, especially as fibromyalgia patients, we need options. Whether it’s a prescription, practice, or natural supplement, expanding our fibro toolkit means that we’re prepared no matter how life shifts on us. That’s where natural options like turmeric can be an important addition to your fibro toolbox for managing symptoms like pain and inflammation.

In this Ask the Coach episode, Tami is joined by Dr. Shivani Gupta, an Ayurvedic practitioner who has her PhD in turmeric. In a world where conventional pain medications are no longer our first choice, the powerful anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric and its active compound, curcumin, have gained significant attention as natural alternatives.

In this conversation, Tami and Dr. Shivani discuss Ayurveda, its history, and its holistic approach to health and healing,  key principles of Ayurveda, why Dr. Shivani chose to study Ayurveda, her PhD research on turmeric, the difference between turmeric and curcumin, curcumin's potency and why consuming turmeric itself is probably not enough, how Dr. Shivani developed her products, the role of sleep in reducing inflammation and overall health management, the importance of sourcing high-quality curcumin, the lack of regulation in the supplement industry, why she chose to have her products third-party tested, Tami and Dr. Shivani’s experiences with supplement quality and safety, the surprising statistics around loq quality and counterfeit supplements, the high standards required for supplements used in functional medicine, balancing natural remedies with conventional medicine for effective treatment, how to start supplementing with curcumin, who should avoid taking curcumin, the role of health coaches in simplifying health management, what to look for in your search for high-quality supplements, and more.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.