IC You

Listen to this quick update on how the ATNS conference went!

Some fantastic mind body resources:

The Pain Reprocessing Therapy Workbook

The Way Out

Unlearn Your Pain

If you've ever struggled with painful sex, low libido, or feeling guilty about turning down intimacy because of your bladder or pelvic pain, this episode is for you.

In this episode of IC You, I'm joined by Hannah Strom, a licensed therapist specializing in sex therapy and Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), to talk about the complicated relationship between chronic pelvic pain, sexual desire, intimacy, and the nervous system.

Hannah shares her personal experience with interstitial cystitis (IC), vaginismus, and vulvodynia, including how she went from experiencing chronic pain for years to finding relief through a neuroplastic approach.

We also get pretty personal about our own experiences with painful sex, the emotional impact of years of pelvic pain, and why sexual desire doesn't always return immediately after the pain resolves.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Hannah's recovery from interstitial cystitis, vaginismus, and vulvodynia
• How Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) can help with neuroplastic pelvic pain
• Why painful sex can lead to low libido, anxiety, and avoidance of intimacy
• The difference between spontaneous and responsive sexual desire
• How your nervous system can influence sexual pain, arousal, and pleasure
• Why guilt and pressure around sex can make intimacy even more difficult
• How sex therapy can help couples navigate mismatched sexual desire
• Practical strategies for rebuilding intimacy, including gradual exposure, somatic tracking, and taking penetration off the table temporarily
• Why recovering from pelvic pain doesn't automatically resolve the emotional associations you've developed around sex

Whether you're navigating interstitial cystitis, bladder pain syndrome, vulvodynia, vaginismus, or painful intercourse (dyspareunia), this conversation offers a compassionate, practical look at how you can begin rebuilding a healthier relationship with sex and intimacy.

Resources mentioned:

• The Way Out by Alan Gordon
• Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski
• Mind Your Body by Nicole Sachs
• Pain Reprocessing Therapy practitioner directory

Connect with Hannah:Hannah's website

Want to learn more about the role your nervous system may be playing in your chronic bladder symptoms?

Watch my FREE masterclass to learn about the different factors that can contribute to interstitial cystitis symptoms and how we address them inside Road To Remission.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not replace individualized medical or mental health care.

How much can your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs actually affect interstitial cystitis symptoms?

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Laura Katz, a Health, Rehabilitation, and Clinical Psychologist specializing in women’s health and chronic pain. Her research has focused on how women cope with chronic pelvic pain conditions, including interstitial cystitis, and she spent eight years working at the Michael G. DeGroote Pain Clinic at McMaster University.

We talk about what her research has taught her about why some people with interstitial cystitis cope and improve differently, including the role of emotion regulation, cognitive flexibility, fear, and hope. We also get into medical trauma, fear of flares, pelvic floor physical therapy, and why combining different approaches to chronic pain can be so valuable.

If you have interstitial cystitis and feel like you’ve tried treatment after treatment without getting the relief you hoped for, this conversation offers a different perspective on what may be worth exploring next.

Endometriosis360: Learn more about the program here

FREE MASTER CLASS: Watch my FREE master class on how to get relief from chronic bladder symptoms here!

September is coming to an end, and I’m wrapping up my four-part IC Awareness Month series with some of my biggest takeaways about interstitial cystitis treatment.

I also just got back from PelviCon, where I represented the Interstitial Cystitis Association and spent the weekend surrounded by pelvic floor PTs, OTs, and other pelvic health professionals. So it felt like the perfect time to talk about why understanding your individual symptom picture matters SO much.

In this episode, I’m covering:

• Why people with IC can have very different factors contributing to their symptoms
• Why pelvic floor physical therapy is an evidence-based IC treatment and why I think the pelvic floor should be evaluated
• My own experience with pelvic PT and why it didn’t help me at first
• How the pelvic floor and nervous system can reinforce each other
• Hormones, GSM, and vaginal estrogen as potential pieces of the puzzle
• Nutrition, hydration, bowel health, and food sensitivities
• Why IBS, migraines, TMJ issues, and other overlapping conditions may provide clues about nervous system involvement
• Why nervous system work has been such an important part of my recovery and the work I do with clients
• How to start thinking about which pieces may actually be relevant to YOUR symptoms

I also share what I want every person with IC to understand as we close out IC Awareness Month: treatment doesn’t have to look exactly the same for everyone, and your diagnosis doesn’t tell us every reason you’re experiencing symptoms.

Plus, if you missed the Interstitial Cystitis Association’s virtual conference, The IC Connection: Science, Strategies, and Support, you can still purchase access to the recordings for $25.

And if you’ve enjoyed this IC Awareness Month series, make sure you follow or subscribe to IC You so new episodes automatically show up each week. If the show has helped you, I’d also LOVE if you left a five-star rating and review!

September is IC Awareness Month, and I’m back with Part 3 of my four-part series all about interstitial cystitis.

In this episode, we’re talking about one of the most important pieces of my own recovery and something I wish I’d understood MUCH earlier: the nervous system.

I’m breaking down what neuroplastic pain actually means, how your brain can learn to become overly protective around bladder sensations, and why symptoms like burning, urgency, and pelvic pain can be very real even when your nervous system is contributing to them.

I’m covering:

• What neuroplastic pain is and how it can develop
• The connection between your brain, bladder, and pelvic floor
• Patterns that can suggest your nervous system may be contributing to symptoms
• How fear, symptom monitoring, and expectations can reinforce the symptom cycle
• What provocative testing can teach us about learned triggers
• How somatic tracking can help you respond differently to bladder sensations
• How graded exposure gives your brain new experiences of safety
• Why a little bit of symptoms doesn’t automatically mean you’ve failed
• What I’m learning through my Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) training
• Simple ways you can start teaching your brain that safe sensations and activities don’t require a five-alarm response

I also share some of the changes I’ve made in how I respond to my own bladder. Today, if I notice a random sensation, I can notice it and move on. And when you’ve spent years monitoring every little thing your bladder does, that’s a pretty big deal.

FREE MASTERCLASS: If you’re wondering whether your nervous system, pelvic floor, or other factors could be contributing to your symptoms, watch my free masterclass, How to Find the Root Cause of Chronic Bladder Symptoms. I’ll walk you through patterns that can help you understand what may be keeping you stuck in the flare cycle and how to start identifying your individual root cause.

Watch for free here!

THE IC CONNECTION: The Interstitial Cystitis Association is hosting The IC Connection virtually on September 26! Learn more and register here.

September is Interstitial Cystitis Awareness Month, and I’m back with Part 2 of my four-part series all about interstitial cystitis.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the IC diet, where our food trigger recommendations actually came from, and what the research really tells us about food and bladder symptoms.

I’m covering:

• What the research says about IC food triggers
• What a newer systematic review tells us about diet and IC
• How to identify your individual food triggers
• Why hydration matters for bladder symptoms
• The nutritional and mental health risks of overly restrictive diets
• How fear and learned associations around food can affect symptoms
• Why your current food sensitivities don’t have to be forever

I also share why I’ve seen so many people, myself included, eventually get back to drinking coffee, eating tomatoes, ordering pizza, traveling without packing their own food, and eating at restaurants without worrying about what their bladder will do afterward.

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FOOD SENSITIVITIES? Listen to Episode 97 of IC You, How to Overcome Food Sensitivities with IC and OAB, where I chat with nervous system therapist Grace Secker about food fear, the nervous system, and reintroducing foods.

FREE MASTERCLASS: If you’re wondering what may actually be driving your bladder symptoms, watch my free masterclass, How to Find the Root Cause of Chronic Bladder Symptoms. I’ll walk you through what may be keeping you stuck in the flare cycle, why symptoms can keep coming back, and how to start identifying your individual root cause. Watch for free here!

THE IC CONNECTION: The Interstitial Cystitis Association is hosting The IC Connection virtually on September 26! Learn more and register here.

September is IC Awareness Month, so I’m kicking off a four-part series covering what I want people with interstitial cystitis to know, especially if you’re newly diagnosed.

In Part 1, I’m sharing what I’d focus on if I were diagnosed with IC today, including:

• Understanding that different factors can contribute to IC symptoms
• Getting evaluated by a pelvic floor physical therapist
• Hydration and bowel health
• Approaching food without immediately cutting out everything on an IC diet list
• Understanding the role of the nervous system
• Being intentional with supplements
• Looking for patterns without making your bladder a full-time job

I’ve recovered from IC, and I’ve spent years helping others better understand what may be contributing to their symptoms. I want this series to give you more information, more options, and a clearer idea of where to go from here.

NEW FREE MASTERCLASS: Want to learn more about my root-cause approach to IC? Watch my free masterclass here!

THE IC CONNECTION: The Interstitial Cystitis Association is hosting The IC Connection: Science, Strategies, and Support virtually on Saturday, September 26 from 12:00–4:45 p.m. ET. The conference will cover topics including pain science, sexual health, disability, and more. Click here to register!

If you've ever found yourself going to the bathroom "just in case," constantly checking your bladder, Googling your symptoms, or wondering why your bladder is always on your mind, this episode is for you.

I'm joined by OCD therapist Kaylee Bullen, LCSW, to talk about the surprising connection between OCD and bladder symptoms. We discuss how OCD differs from anxiety, why intrusive thoughts and compulsions can keep you stuck, and how bladder hypervigilance can become part of the cycle.

I also share my own experience being diagnosed with OCD at 28, how exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy changed my life, and why getting the right diagnosis made such a difference.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What OCD actually is (and why it's so much more than being organized)
• The difference between OCD and anxiety
• Somatic OCD and bladder hypervigilance
• Why reassurance seeking, body checking, Googling, and "just in case" peeing can become compulsions
• How avoidance keeps the OCD cycle going
• What ERP therapy is and why it's considered the gold standard treatment
• How to find an OCD therapist who truly understands the condition

Whether you have interstitial cystitis (IC), overactive bladder (OAB), pelvic pain, or unexplained urinary urgency and frequency, this episode may help you understand the role OCD can play in your symptoms.

Connect with Kaylee:Instagram: @kayleebullentherapyTikTok: @kayleebullentherapy

Kaylee's website

Connect with Callie:

Instagram: @callieknutrition

Tiktok: @callieknutrition

Watch my FREE master class

Have you ever noticed one symptom improves, only for another one to appear?

In this episode, I sit down with mind-body coach Alex McQueen to discuss:

• What the symptom imperative is and why it happens
• The connection between chronic pelvic pain, bladder symptoms, IBS, TMJ, headaches, and other chronic symptoms
• Why healing is rarely linear
• How fear can keep the nervous system stuck
• The difference between symptom imperatives and extinction bursts
• Why stress doesn't have to feel "bad" to affect your body
• A simple body awareness exercise you can use when symptoms arise

Whether you're living with interstitial cystitis (IC), overactive bladder (OAB), vulvodynia, pelvic pain, or other persistent symptoms, this conversation will help you better understand the nervous system's role in recovery and why new symptoms don't always mean something is wrong.

LINKS:

Alex's Instagram

Alex's Website

Callie's Instagram

Callie's Tiktok

Work with Callie

In this episode of IC You, I sit down with pelvic floor physical therapist and chronic pelvic pain coach Rachel Gofman to talk about bladder retraining, pelvic floor dysfunction, prolapse, and the connection between the nervous system and bladder symptoms.

We discuss why urgency and frequency can persist even when your bladder isn't full, how "just in case" peeing can impact bladder function, and practical strategies to retrain your bladder with less fear and frustration. 

Rachel also explains prolapse, when pelvic floor physical therapy can help, and how to approach healing through both a mind-body and physical therapy lens.

If you've ever felt stuck between pelvic floor dysfunction, nervous system dysregulation, and chronic bladder symptoms, this conversation will help you better understand what's happening in your body and what recovery can look like.

Links discussed in this episode:

Listen to Rachel's story on Episode 83 of IC You

Follow Rachel on Instagram

Rachel's website

WORK WITH CALLIE

Watch my FREE master class

Join Road To Remission

Join R2R Self Study (men welcome)