Feeling stuck in a loop of anger, grief or overwhelm? You're not alone. But you don't have to stay there.

In this episode, Luan explores how internal programming and mindset shape the way we respond to life’s hardest moments - grief, diagnosis, overwhelm - with Toni Powell.

Toni is an author, happiness speaker and self-confessed former misery expert who went from living in a shed, broke and heartbroken, to becoming a joyful, purpose-led speaker helping people rewire their thinking and reframe their struggles.

We talk about how self-advocacy can start with the stories you tell yourself - especially when life feels unfair, uncertain or just plain awful. This isn’t about toxic positivity or pretending things are fine. It’s about pausing, processing and gently shifting what you focus on so you can feel more in control, more connected and more okay.

Toni’s story is packed with practical wisdom, heartfelt honesty and a whole lot of humour. From reprogramming your 'sh*t algorithm', to discovering the power of gratitude and connection, this is a conversation about what happens after everything goes to crap - and how you might start again, one thought at a time.

Content note: This episode includes a brief mention of suicidal thoughts and a few choice words. Nothing graphic, just honest, human conversation. Pop in your headphones if you’re listening with little ears around, or hit pause if you don't feel in the right frame of mind to listen.

Get 50% off Toni's course 'Happy Healthy You' with the discount code 'regardingme'!

For the links to all the resources mentioned in this show, go to the episode blog page.

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Disclaimer

CREDITS:

Host & Producer: Luan Lawrenson-Woods, Self-Health Advocate

Sound engineering: Paddy from Goosewing Sounds Ltd (UK)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you tell a stranger all your personal health info? Would you trust them not to tell anyone else?

They’re the kind of questions we need to ask ourselves when using generative AI tools like ChatGPT to support our healthcare decisions.

ChatGPT recently introduced changes to how it stores memories and chat history, raising important questions about data, privacy and trust across all public artificial intelligence models.

In Part 2 of this conversation, Luan continues her chat with health literacy expert Dr Julie Ayre to unpack the next layer of AI and self-advocacy. They dig into how generative AI memory works, how your data is handled, and how you can protect your privacy while still getting value from these tools.

Luan shares her own experience using ChatGPT and her medical history as a test case, giving listeners a first-hand look at how AI “talks back” when fed real-world information.

You’ll also learn about data risk and digital footprint, what AI hallucinations are, and whether the health data you share in a personal AI chat could become interconnected with your work data.

Because advocating for your health means being curious and asking questions - and that includes asking questions of the tech we’re using, too.

We recommend you listen to episode 1 - ‘Can AI & ChatGPT Help You Prepare for an Appointment?’ - which is part 1 of this interview, before diving into this episode.

For links to the resources in this show - visit the episode blog page.

Let’s make your healthcare me-centred!

Do not use AI tools like ChatGPT in a medical emergency—contact your local emergency services immediately.

Subscribe & Share:

• Know someone who’s using Google or ChatGPT to make sense of their health? Send them this episode.
• And don’t forget to follow Regarding Me so you never miss an honest, practical conversation that helps you speak up for yourself.
• Rate & review—your feedback helps more women find this empowering content!
• Follow & join the conversation on Instagram: @luanlawriewoods

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Disclaimer

CREDITS:

Host & Producer: Luan Lawrenson-Woods, Self-Health Advocate

Sound engineering: Paddy from Goosewing Sounds Ltd (UK)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re back! Regarding Me Season 2 is here and we’re starting strong with a topic that’s dominating headlines, healthcare and workplaces: AI.

In this episode, we’re diving into how tools like ChatGPT might support you to self-advocate for your health, especially in those early appointments. Luan’s joined by Dr Julie Ayre, a health literacy and digital health expert, for an easily understandable, practical chat about using generative Artificial Intelligence.

They talk about how to use AI, the risks of oversharing health info online, and how to stay in control when the algorithm might add to the noise and overwhelm.

And you’ll hear one of the best pieces of advice about using digital tools in your healthcare (it’s worth tuning in for that alone!).

Because in a world full of information, the real power lies in knowing what’s right for you. And that includes understanding what you want from digital and online tools and resources.

Let’s make your healthcare me-centred!

For links to the resources in this show - visit the episode blog page.

Do not use AI tools like ChatGPT in a medical emergency—contact your local emergency services immediately.

Subscribe & Share:

• Loved this conversation? Share it with someone who’s navigating a diagnosis, or needs a nudge to trust themselves.
• And don’t forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode.
• Rate & review—your feedback helps more women find this empowering content!
• Follow & join the conversation on Instagram: @luanlawriewoods

Connect with Luan:

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Disclaimer

CREDITS:

Host & Producer: Luan Lawrenson-Woods, Self-Health Advocate

Sound engineering: Paddy from Goosewing Sounds Ltd (UK)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Regarding Me Rewind, we revisit three powerful stories that show what can happen when women speak up, trust their instincts, and refuse to stay silent - especially when faced with bias, dismissal, or healthcare systems that weren’t built with them in mind.

From challenging assumptions about metastatic breast cancer, to refusing to accept medical gaslighting, to navigating care that excluded or erased their needs - Kate, Sonya, and Rena show us that self-advocacy isn’t about being difficult. It’s about being heard.

Each of these women faced different health challenges. But what they share is a refusal to let their care be dictated by silence.

• Kate Hardman made a deeply personal choice to have breast reconstruction despite living with metastatic breast cancer.
• Sonya Lovell challenged dismissal and bias after feeling sidelined by her doctors.
• Rena Patel realised she wasn’t represented in her care and found strength and support in her online community.

These are the kinds of stories we need to hear more of. Not just to raise awareness but to build a culture where care isn’t done to women, but shaped with them.

Whether you're navigating your own diagnosis or supporting someone who is, this episode is a reminder: You don’t have to be loud to be powerful. You just have to believe your voice matters.

What You’ll Learn:

• How self-advocacy can be collaborative—not confrontational
• How cultural bias and dismissal show up in healthcare
• The role of community in building confidence to speak up
• Why it’s okay to say, “This doesn’t work for me”
• That sharing your story helps others find theirs

Free Resource

Want to start showing up with more clarity and confidence? Download Luan’s free guide: The Six Self-Advocacy Steps (SSAS).

Get yours at https://www.luanlawriewoods.com.au/self-advocacy-resources

Rewind episodes

• Kate Hardman – Pausing Life-Saving Treatment to Regain Femininity-How Do You Decide?
• Josie Thomson – Menopause, Gaslighting, and the Power of Self-Advocacy
• Dr Susannah Graham – This Isn't Just Me: The Power of Community, Connection and Speaking Up

Subscribe & Share

New to Regarding Me? Hit follow and check out our back catalogue of empowering conversations. And if this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend—you never know who needs to hear it.

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Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before Season 2 lands, we’re rewinding to some of the most powerful insights from Season 1—because some messages are worth hearing more than once.

In this special recap episode, Luan revisits three expert interviews that sparked aha moments and offered real tools for self-health advocacy. Whether you’re navigating a diagnosis or just want to speak up with more confidence, this episode will remind you: you don’t have to know it all—you just have to start asking.

Insights from:

• Dr Liz O’Riordan – A breast surgeon-turned-patient advocate on why slowing down, asking questions, and getting a second opinion is a powerful act of self-advocacy.
• Josie Thomson – Neuroscience-based leadership coach, on how to quiet your inner critic and let your wise inner guide lead the way.
• Dr Susannah Graham – Breast surgeon, on why consent is more than a signature and how to make space for collaborative, informed decisions.

What You’ll Learn:

• The difference between being ‘difficult’ and being engaged
• How to reframe self-doubt and trust your inner advocate
• Why informed consent starts with you
• Tips for preparing for appointments and getting the answers you need

Free Resource

Want to start showing up with more clarity and confidence? Download Luan’s free guide: The Six Self-Advocacy Steps (SSAS).

Get yours at https://www.luanlawriewoods.com.au/self-advocacy-resources

Rewind episodes

• Dr Liz O’Riordan – Dr Liz O’Riordan on Self-Advocacy and Spotting BS Cancer Info Online
• Josie Thomson – You’ve Got You: Trust Your Wise Inner Advocate
• Dr Susannah Graham – Biology and Biography: Shared Decision-Making in Your Healthcare

Subscribe & Share

New to Regarding Me? Hit follow and check out our back catalogue of empowering conversations. And if this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend—you never know who needs to hear it.

Connect with Luan:

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Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your personal history of disease is a PhD in you—and it deserves to be heard!

How do you find your voice when your body’s in shock and your world’s just turned upside down?

This is a powerful story of women’s health advocacy, integrative care, and navigating the real-world challenges of self-health advocacy during—and after—ovarian cancer treatment.

In this episode, Luan speaks with Gill Stannard, a naturopath and advocate who was diagnosed just hours after a GP visit—and found herself fast-tracked into surgery and chemotherapy before the shock had even worn off.

She shares what it took to reclaim her autonomy, advocate for herself, and find her place in a healthcare system that didn’t always make space for integrative care or informed 'pause'. From rushed chemotherapy decisions to unspoken menopause side effects, she opens up about what she learned, what she’d do differently—and what she wants others to know.

Whether you're mid-treatment, supporting a loved one, or reflecting on your own diagnosis, this conversation is full of real talk, practical wisdom, and the reminder that you know you—and that matters.

In this episode:

• What Gill wishes she could tell her newly diagnosed self
• Why it’s OK to pause and ask for more time before starting treatment
• How to advocate for personalised care
• The challenges of talking about menopause, intimacy and side effects in gynae cancer care
• Practical ways to approach complementary therapies safely and responsibly
• Why open dialogue with your medical team is key—and how to start it

If you are on active treatment for cancer, please check all supplements with your oncologist, oncology pharmacist and/or integrative medicine physician.

Listen to Luan's episode with Liz O'Riordan where they talk about how important it is to talk to your healhcare team about complementary therapies your considering.

For links to the resources in this show - visit the episode blog page.

Follow the podcast and share it with someone who needs to know: you can advocate for your health.

Rate & review—your feedback helps more women find this empowering content!

Follow & join the conversation on Instagram: @luanlawriewoods

Connect with Luan:

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Disclaimer

CREDITS:

Host: Luan Lawrenson-Woods, Self-Health Advocate

Post-production: Paddy from Goosewing Sounds Ltd (UK)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this deeply moving and powerful conversation, Luan speaks with Rena Patel, who was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer at 40—just after her daughter turned four.

Rena felt isolated, unsure where to turn, as she didn’t know anyone in her community who’d been through something similar. On top of that, she often felt unseen and unheard within a healthcare system that doesn’t always account for the diverse needs of women from ethnic minority backgrounds, or understand the different cultural perspectives of their communities. From not being shown how to identify radiotherapy burns on non-white skin to struggling to find wigs that matched her hair, these gaps added to the emotional weight of her treatment.

Connections can help change our experiences. Rena shares how finding Black Women Rising—a UK-based cancer support project for women of colour—opened the door to community, confidence, and self-advocacy. It helped her feel less alone and more empowered to ask for the care that truly met her needs.

In this episode:

• Why self-trust and speaking up are essential in healthcare

• The importance of culturally inclusive supportive care

• How shared stories and visibility reduce isolation

• The role of connection and community in building self-advocacy skills

• How openness can turn silence into strength—for you and those around you

As an Ambassador of Black Women Rising Rena is helping to build a future where all women—regardless of background—feel seen, heard, and supported. For herself, for her community, and for her beautiful daughter.

For links to the resources in this show - visit the episode blog page.

Rate & review—your feedback helps more women find this empowering content!

Follow & join the conversation on Instagram: @luanlawriewoods

Connect with Luan:

Follow Luan on Instagram

Get Luan's free SSASy guide to Self-Advocacy

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Check out Luan's website

Disclaimer

CREDITS:

Host: Luan Lawrenson-Woods, Self-Health Advocate

Post-production: Paddy from Goosewing Sounds Ltd (UK)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it really mean to advocate for your healthcare—especially when you’re the expert?

In this powerful episode, Luan speaks with Dr. Liz O’Riordan—former breast cancer surgeon, patient, author, and award-winning advocate. Diagnosed with the very disease she once treated, Liz quickly realised that clinical knowledge doesn’t prepare you for the lived experience of being a cancer patient—or how hard it can be to find the right information and support.

When she turned to the internet for answers, she was shocked by the sheer volume of misinformation—that don’t just fuel confusion and anxiety, but can have devastating consequences when patients are swayed to abandon evidence-based treatments in favour of unproven alternatives.

Since retiring as a surgeon, Liz has made it her mission to counter online BS with research-based, accessible education—so patients can make informed, confident decisions as part of their self-health advocacy. In this episode, she shares her tips so that you can make decisions that are right for you!

This conversation is packed with practical wisdom and honest reflections that every woman facing a cancer diagnosis—or any health challenge—deserves to hear.

For all the resources in this show - including where to find Liz's books - visit the episode blog page.

Rate & review—your feedback helps more women find this empowering content!

Follow & join the conversation on Instagram: @luanlawriewoods

Connect with Luan:

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Disclaimer

CREDITS:

Host: Luan Lawrenson-Woods, Self-Health Advocate

Post-production: Paddy from Goosewing Sounds Ltd (UK)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Self-advocacy isn’t necessarily about standing up to your medical team—it’s about speaking up so they understand what matters to you and working with them to make informed, shared decisions about your treatment and care.

That’s exactly what Kate Hardman did.

Diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer while pregnant, Kate faced unimaginable challenges, complex decisions, and a treatment path filled with uncertainty.

Now, she’s facing another major decision: Should she have DIEP flap breast reconstruction, even though it means pausing life-saving medication?

In this episode, Kate shares:

• How she worked with her team to explore her options, not against them
• Why self-advocacy isn’t about fighting—it’s about finding the right people who listen
• The emotional and physical factors she considered when choosing reconstruction
• The role of trust, communication, and collaboration in making complex health decisions

Self-advocacy isn’t about going it alone—it’s about having the right support behind you. Kate’s story is a powerful reminder that even in the face of a metastatic diagnosis, your choices still matter.

Rate & review—your feedback helps more women find this empowering content!

Follow & join the conversation on Instagram: @luanlawriewoods

For the resources mentioned in this show, visit the episode blog page.

Connect with Luan:

Follow Luan on Instagram

Get Luan's free SSASy guide to Self-Advocacy

Sign up for Luan's Newsletter

Check out Luan's website

Disclaimer

CREDITS:

Host: Luan Lawrenson-Woods, Self-Health Advocate

Post-production: Paddy from Goosewing Sounds Ltd (UK)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Advocating for yourself can feel uncomfortable—especially when your choices go against social norms. If you’ve ever felt pressured to justify a lifestyle change or struggled to hold your boundaries with family, friends, or colleagues, this episode is for you.

Today, I chat with Kath Elliott, an alcohol mindset coach who reassessed her relationship with alcohol after a breast cancer diagnosis. Kath shares simple, practical strategies to help you confidently communicate your choices, set boundaries without guilt, and handle social pressure with ease.

This conversation goes beyond alcohol—these self-advocacy skills apply to any situation where you need to stand firm in your choices. Whether you’re setting new boundaries or facing difficult conversations, Kath’s insights will help you advocate for yourself with confidence, certainty, and self-belief.

Because self-advocacy isn’t just about healthcare decisions—it’s about standing up for what’s right for you in every part of life.

In this episode:

• How to confidently communicate your choices—without over-explaining
• The power of owning your decision to shut down pushback
• Simple phrases for responding to social pressure with ease
• How to hold boundaries with kindness—even when others push back
• Why self-advocacy in everyday life builds confidence for bigger health decisions

Rate & review—your feedback helps more women find this empowering content!

Follow & join the conversation on Instagram: @luanlawriewoods

For the resources mentioned in this show, visit the episode blog page.

Connect with Luan:

Follow Luan on Instagram

Get Luan's free guide to Self-Advocacy

Sign up for Luan's Newsletter

Check out Luan's website

Disclaimer

CREDITS:

Host: Luan Lawrenson-Woods, Self-Health Advocate

Post-production: Paddy from Goosewing Sounds Ltd (UK)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.