Episode Summary:

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Jenny Tufenkina, a naturopathic physician who shares her framework of five root causes behind chronic fatigue and complex illnesses. Drawing from both her clinical experience and personal journey recovering from fatigue twice in her life, Dr. Jenny walks us through how the hormone triangle, chronic infections, toxic overload, mitochondrial dysfunction, and limbic system dysregulation can contribute to these conditions.

As someone currently addressing my own adrenal/hormone challenges, I appreciated her individualized approach that recognizes each person's unique situation. Dr. Jenny offers practical insights on identifying which root causes might be present in your case and potential paths forward, all while maintaining a compassionate perspective. For those interested in learning more, she's hosting a summit on chronic fatigue running April 11-18, 2025 with researchers and practitioners exploring these topics in depth.

Resources mentioned:

→ Dr. Jenny’s Summit April 11-18, 2025

→ Why Are You So Tired Quiz

MEET DESTINY: Website / Instagram / BlueSky / YouTube / TikTok

MEET GUEST: Website / Instagram / Facebook

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEXT LIVE WORKSHOP

→ Strength Training w/ Fibromyalgia April 5th 2025 @ 10:30am EST / 3:30pm GMT

READ THE BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE

→

ASK DESTINY ANYTHING

→ Submit your questions here

FOR YOU, OUR PODCAST LISTENERS

Join The Membership (ongoing support for staying regulated while living with chronic illness - This does not replace therapy, but it’s a great addition to your regular therapy appointments)

FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

🛋️ Join The Mastermind! (monthly business and clinical consultation calls for medical professionals specializing in working with patients with chronic illnesses)

🧭 Get Your Client Roadmap For Navigating Complex Trauma and Chronic Illness (specifically for mental health therapists) (COMING SOON- sign up for the waitlist)

**

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Disclaimer: Everything we talk about here is just meant to be general education and information. It's not intended as personal mental health or medical advice. If you have any questions related to your unique circumstances, please contact a licensed therapist or medical professional in your state of residence.

**

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Episode Summary:

In this episode, I chat with David McGettigan, an amazing pain and movement specialist who's been helping people for 15 years recover from chronic pain and other symptoms, like chemical sensitivity and insomnia. David works with folks who've been bounced around the healthcare system without finding real answers.

I love how he frames pain as an adaptation instead of a "dysfunction" - such a game-changer! We discuss the connection between sleep and pain (mind-blowing stuff about how poor sleep literally opens neural pathways to more pain), and how morning sunlight can reset your whole system.David shares his own journey with chronic pain and gives super practical advice about healing timelines - did you know tissue typically needs 6-8 week cycles to adapt? No wonder quick fixes don't stick!

What I appreciate most is how David balances solid science with real compassion - "evidence of safety" for your nervous system and pacing your recovery properly. If you're dealing with chronic pain or know someone who is, this conversation offers both hope and practical steps forward. David truly believes change is possible at any stage, and after talking with him, I do too!

Resources mentioned:

→ Bigger Than Pain Program

MEET DESTINY: Website / Instagram / BlueSky / YouTube / TikTok

MEET GUEST: Website / Instagram / YouTube /

SIGN UP FOR DESTINY’S NEXT LIVE WORKSHOP

→ Strength Training w/ Fibromyalgia 🏋️‍♀️ March 29th 2025 @ 12pm EST / 5pm GMT

READ THE BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE

→ coming soon

ASK DESTINY ANYTHING

→ Submit your questions here

FOR YOU, OUR PODCAST LISTENERS

Join Destiny's Membership (ongoing support for staying regulated while living with chronic illness - This does not replace therapy, but it’s a great addition to your regular therapy appointments)

FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

🛋️ Join The Mastermind! (monthly business and clinical consultation calls for medical professionals specializing in working with patients with chronic illnesses)

🧭 Get Your Client Roadmap For Navigating Complex Trauma and Chronic Illness (specifically for mental health therapists) (COMING SOON- sign up for the waitlist)

**

SAY THANKS - Reviews tell the app, “hey, people like this! Show it in the algorithm to more people!” :)

💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify

**

Disclaimer: Everything we talk about here is just meant to be general education and information. It's not intended as personal mental health or medical advice. If you have any questions related to your unique circumstances, please contact a licensed therapist or medical professional in your state of residence.

Episode Summary:

In this episode, we speak with Rachel Smith, a certified personal trainer with a Master's in Exercise Science who specializes in working with clients with fibromyalgia and chronic pain. Rachel shares her personal journey with fibromyalgia, diagnosed in 2010, and how she discovered that strength training was particularly effective for managing her symptoms. She discusses the importance of individualized approaches to exercise, the challenge of breaking the "boom and bust" cycle many chronic pain sufferers experience, and why a gradual, consistent approach is more effective than pushing to extremes. Rachel also addresses common myths about fibromyalgia treatment, particularly around diet, and explains how her program, FibroFit Warriors, combines evidence-based methods with community support. For those newly diagnosed, she emphasizes the value of finding trusted information sources and avoiding the negativity often found in online support groups.

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEXT LIVE WORKSHOP

→ Fibromyalgia 101: What You Wish Your Doctor Told You

→ Strength Training w/ Fibromyalgia

MEET DESTINY: Website / Instagram / BlueSky / YouTube / TikTok

MEET RACHEL: Website / Instagram

Rachel Smith is the founder of Fibro Fit Warriors, a science-based program dedicated to helping people with Fibromyalgia manage their symptoms through movement, nutrition, and lifestyle strategies.

→ READ THE BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE

ASK DESTINY ANYTHING

→ Submit your questions here

FOR YOU, OUR PODCAST LISTENERS

Join The Membership (ongoing support for staying regulated while living with chronic illness - This does not replace therapy, but it’s a great addition to your regular therapy appointments)

FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

🛋️ Join The Mastermind! (monthly business and clinical consultation calls for medical professionals specializing in working with patients with chronic illnesses)

🧭 Get Your Client Roadmap For Navigating Complex Trauma and Chronic Illness (specifically for mental health therapists) (COMING SOON- sign up for the waitlist)

**

SAY THANKS - Reviews tell the app, “hey, people like this! Show it in the algorithm to more people!” :)

💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify

**

Disclaimer: Everything we talk about here is just meant to be general education and information. It's not intended as personal mental health or medical advice. If you have any questions related to your unique circumstances, please contact a licensed therapist or medical professional in your state of residence.

Episode Summary:

In this episode, we speak with Rachel Smith, a certified personal trainer with a Master's in Exercise Science who specializes in working with clients with fibromyalgia and chronic pain. Rachel shares her personal journey with fibromyalgia, diagnosed in 2010, and how she discovered that strength training was particularly effective for managing her symptoms. She discusses the importance of individualized approaches to exercise, the challenge of breaking the "boom and bust" cycle many chronic pain sufferers experience, and why a gradual, consistent approach is more effective than pushing to extremes. Rachel also addresses common myths about fibromyalgia treatment, particularly around diet, and explains how her program, FibroFit Warriors, combines evidence-based methods with community support. For those newly diagnosed, she emphasizes the value of finding trusted information sources and avoiding the negativity often found in online support groups.

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEXT LIVE WORKSHOP

→ Fibromyalgia 101: What You Wish Your Doctor Told You

→ Strength Training w/ Fibromyalgia

MEET DESTINY: Website / Instagram / BlueSky / YouTube / TikTok

MEET RACHEL: Website / Instagram

Rachel Smith is the founder of Fibro Fit Warriors, a science-based program dedicated to helping people with Fibromyalgia manage their symptoms through movement, nutrition, and lifestyle strategies.

→ READ THE BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE

ASK DESTINY ANYTHING

→ Submit your questions here

FOR YOU, OUR PODCAST LISTENERS

Join The Membership (ongoing support for staying regulated while living with chronic illness - This does not replace therapy, but it’s a great addition to your regular therapy appointments)

FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

🛋️ Join The Mastermind! (monthly business and clinical consultation calls for medical professionals specializing in working with patients with chronic illnesses)

🧭 Get Your Client Roadmap For Navigating Complex Trauma and Chronic Illness (specifically for mental health therapists) (COMING SOON- sign up for the waitlist)

**

SAY THANKS - Reviews tell the app, “hey, people like this! Show it in the algorithm to more people!” :)

💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify

**

Disclaimer: Everything we talk about here is just meant to be general education and information. It's not intended as personal mental health or medical advice. If you have any questions related to your unique circumstances, please contact a licensed therapist or medical professional in your state of residence.

Episode Summary: Samina Qureshi is a registered dietitian specializing in IBS management from a weight-inclusive perspective. She challenges the common approach of endless food elimination, revealing that the standard low FODMAP diet should only last 2-4 weeks, not months or years as many attempt. Samina explains why food sensitivity tests are largely unreliable and how restriction often worsens gut symptoms by disrupting motility and starving beneficial gut bacteria. Instead, she advocates for focusing on adding variety rather than eliminating foods, and recognizes that simply nourishing your body regularly is powerful nervous system work. For those caught in cycles of restriction and worsening symptoms, Samina offers a refreshing path forward that expands food choices while addressing individual digestive needs, proving that healing your relationship with food and finding relief from IBS symptoms can happen simultaneously.

MEET GUEST: Website / Instagram / Facebook / TikTok

→ Sign up for Samina’s Free Guide: 5 Ways to Avoid IBS Flares!

MEET DESTINY: Website / Instagram / BlueSky / YouTube / TikTok

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEXT LIVE WORKSHOP

→ Your Perfect Morning Routine 🥞 Jan 25th 2025 @ 10:30am EST / 3:30pm GMT

→⁠READ THE BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE⁠

ASK DESTINY ANYTHING

→ Submit your questions here

FOR YOU, OUR PODCAST LISTENERS

Join The Membership (ongoing support for staying regulated while living with chronic illness - This does not replace therapy, but it’s a great addition to your regular therapy appointments)

FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

🛋️ Join The Mastermind! (monthly business and clinical consultation calls for medical professionals specializing in working with patients with chronic illnesses)

🧭 Get Your Client Roadmap For Navigating Complex Trauma and Chronic Illness (specifically for mental health therapists) (COMING SOON- sign up for the waitlist)

**

SAY THANKS - Reviews tell the app, “hey, people like this! Show it in the algorithm to more people!” :)

💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify

**

Disclaimer: Everything we talk about here is just meant to be general education and information. It's not intended as personal mental health or medical advice. If you have any questions related to your unique circumstances, please contact a licensed therapist or medical professional in your state of residence.

Episode Summary: Samina Qureshi is a registered dietitian specializing in IBS management from a weight-inclusive perspective. She challenges the common approach of endless food elimination, revealing that the standard low FODMAP diet should only last 2-4 weeks, not months or years as many attempt. Samina explains why food sensitivity tests are largely unreliable and how restriction often worsens gut symptoms by disrupting motility and starving beneficial gut bacteria. Instead, she advocates for focusing on adding variety rather than eliminating foods, and recognizes that simply nourishing your body regularly is powerful nervous system work. For those caught in cycles of restriction and worsening symptoms, Samina offers a refreshing path forward that expands food choices while addressing individual digestive needs, proving that healing your relationship with food and finding relief from IBS symptoms can happen simultaneously.

MEET GUEST: ⁠Website⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ / ⁠Facebook⁠ / ⁠TikTok⁠

→ ⁠Sign up for Samina’s Free Guide: 5 Ways to Avoid IBS Flares!⁠

MEET DESTINY: ⁠Website⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ / ⁠BlueSky⁠ / ⁠YouTube⁠ / ⁠TikTok⁠

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEXT LIVE WORKSHOP

→ ⁠Your Perfect Morning Routine⁠ 🥞 Jan 25th 2025 @ 10:30am EST / 3:30pm GMT

→READ THE BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE

ASK DESTINY ANYTHING

→ ⁠Submit your questions here⁠

FOR YOU, OUR PODCAST LISTENERS

⁠Join The Membership⁠ (ongoing support for staying regulated while living with chronic illness - This does not replace therapy, but it’s a great addition to your regular therapy appointments)

FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

🛋️ ⁠Join The Mastermind!⁠ (monthly business and clinical consultation calls for medical professionals specializing in working with patients with chronic illnesses)

🧭 Get Your Client Roadmap For Navigating Complex Trauma and Chronic Illness (specifically for mental health therapists) (COMING SOON- ⁠sign up for the waitlist⁠)

**

SAY THANKS - Reviews tell the app, “hey, people like this! Show it in the algorithm to more people!” :)

💜 ⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠

🟢 ⁠Leave a rating on Spotify⁠

**

Disclaimer: Everything we talk about here is just meant to be general education and information. It's not intended as personal mental health or medical advice. If you have any questions related to your unique circumstances, please contact a licensed therapist or medical professional in your state of residence.

lmk your thoughts on IG! @the.chronicillnesstherapists

Episode Summary:

In this episode, therapist Miranda Campbell, LCSW, co-author of "The Attachment Makeover," joins host Destiny Davis LPC CRC to explore how attachment styles impact chronic illness management. Miranda explains that attachment styles aren't fixed and we can develop "earned secure attachment" through intentional work. She breaks down how anxious attachment (fear of disconnection), avoidant attachment (fear of closeness), and disorganized attachment (unpredictable push-pull dynamics) affect both patients and caregivers in illness contexts.

Drawing from her own experience with migraines, Miranda offers practical strategies for developing more secure patterns and adjusting expectations about what relationships can look like. The conversation highlights the cultural context of attachment wounds, particularly in BIPOC communities, and emphasizes that understanding these dynamics isn't about blame but creating pathways to more compassionate care relationships.

MEET Miranda: Book / Website for therapy clients / Website for services for other therapists / Instagram

Miranda brings 15 years of experience in trauma-informed therapy, specializing in attachment wounds, boundaries, and relationship healing.

MEET DESTINY: Website / Instagram / BlueSky / YouTube / TikTok

SIGN UP FOR THE MENTALLY WELL WHILE CHRONICALLY ILL MEMBERSHIP

→ Sign up here for monthly workshops and a weekly support group on Fridays at noon EST

→ READ THE BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE

ASK DESTINY ANYTHING

→ Submit your questions here

FOR YOU, OUR PODCAST LISTENERS

Join The Membership (ongoing support for staying regulated while living with chronic illness - This does not replace therapy, but it’s a great addition to your regular therapy appointments)

FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

🛋️ Join The Mastermind! (monthly business and clinical consultation calls for medical professionals specializing in working with patients with chronic illnesses)

🧭 Get Your Client Roadmap For Navigating Complex Trauma and Chronic Illness (specifically for mental health therapists) (COMING SOON- sign up for the waitlist)

**

SAY THANKS - Reviews tell the app, “hey, people like this! Show it in the algorithm to more people!” :)

💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify

**

Disclaimer: Everything we talk about here is just meant to be general education and information. It's not intended as personal mental health or medical advice. If you have any questions related to your unique circumstances, please contact a licensed therapist or medical professional in your state of residence.

Episode Summary:

In this episode, therapist Miranda Campbell, LCSW, co-author of "The Attachment Makeover," joins host Destiny Davis LPC CRC to explore how attachment styles impact chronic illness management. Miranda explains that attachment styles aren't fixed and we can develop "earned secure attachment" through intentional work. She breaks down how anxious attachment (fear of disconnection), avoidant attachment (fear of closeness), and disorganized attachment (unpredictable push-pull dynamics) affect both patients and caregivers in illness contexts.

Drawing from her own experience with migraines, Miranda offers practical strategies for developing more secure patterns and adjusting expectations about what relationships can look like. The conversation highlights the cultural context of attachment wounds, particularly in BIPOC communities, and emphasizes that understanding these dynamics isn't about blame but creating pathways to more compassionate care relationships.

MEET Miranda: ⁠Book⁠ / ⁠Website for therapy clients⁠ / ⁠Website for services for other therapists⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠

Miranda brings 15 years of experience in trauma-informed therapy, specializing in attachment wounds, boundaries, and relationship healing.

MEET DESTINY: ⁠Website⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ / ⁠BlueSky⁠ / ⁠YouTube⁠ / ⁠TikTok⁠

SIGN UP FOR THE MENTALLY WELL WHILE CHRONICALLY ILL MEMBERSHIP

→ ⁠Sign up here⁠ for monthly workshops and a weekly support group on Fridays at noon EST

→ ⁠READ THE BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE⁠

ASK DESTINY ANYTHING

→ ⁠Submit your questions here⁠

FOR YOU, OUR PODCAST LISTENERS

⁠Join The Membership⁠ (ongoing support for staying regulated while living with chronic illness - This does not replace therapy, but it’s a great addition to your regular therapy appointments)

FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

🛋️ ⁠Join The Mastermind!⁠ (monthly business and clinical consultation calls for medical professionals specializing in working with patients with chronic illnesses)

🧭 Get Your Client Roadmap For Navigating Complex Trauma and Chronic Illness (specifically for mental health therapists) (COMING SOON- ⁠sign up for the waitlist⁠)

**

SAY THANKS - Reviews tell the app, “hey, people like this! Show it in the algorithm to more people!” :)

💜 ⁠Leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠

🟢 ⁠Leave a rating on Spotify⁠

**

Disclaimer: Everything we talk about here is just meant to be general education and information. It's not intended as personal mental health or medical advice. If you have any questions related to your unique circumstances, please contact a licensed therapist or medical professional in your state of residence.

Click here for the WORKSHEET for this episode

CLICK HERE to sign up for our Reclaiming Intimacy: A Workshop for Bodies in Pain this Saturday Feb 22nd 2025 at 10:30am EST

Disclaimer: Everything we talk about here is just meant to be general education and information. It's not intended as personal mental health or medical advice. If you have any questions related to your unique circumstances, please contact a licensed therapist or medical professional in your state of residence.