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Episode summary: In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Rita Gupta, a board-certified family medicine physician and integrative medicine practitioner, to discuss why you don't have to choose between traditional medicine and holistic approaches when managing chronic pain. We explore the three types of pain (nociceptive, neuropathic, and neuroplastic), explore how fear and anxiety create real physical symptoms in the body, and tackle some controversial territory around vaccines and chronic illness. Dr. Rita shares her unique perspective as someone who's lived with chronic pain herself while working within both traditional and integrative medical models, and we discuss practical strategies like understanding your personal recovery times, the importance of pain education in changing beliefs, and why finding practitioners who see you as a whole human - not just a collection of symptoms - can be life-changing. Whether you're feeling stuck between medical approaches or struggling to make sense of conflicting health information, this conversation offers a balanced, nuanced perspective on creating your own integrated approach to healing.

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JOIN DESTINY’S MEMBERSHIP - for folks with chronic pain & illness

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🏢 WE’RE HOSTING A CONFERENCE! WOOO! It’ll be an IN-PERSON event in Atlanta, GA, in the Spring 2026! Sign up for the waitlist here!

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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.

Episode Summary: In this episode, registered dietitian Louisa O'Grady shares practical, evidence-based nutrition strategies for managing EDS, POTS, and MCAS without falling into restrictive diet patterns. Louisa, who lives with these conditions herself, debunks common myths about low histamine diets (they're meant to be temporary, not lifelong), introduces important tips like using belly bands for POTS symptom management during meals, and explains why your food reactions might actually be triggered by environmental factors like stress or barometric pressure changes rather than the food itself. She emphasizes an additive rather than restrictive approach to nutrition, offering practical solutions throughout the whole episode to manage histamine levels and strategic fiber introduction for gut health. Throughout the conversation, Louisa highlights the importance of individualized care, nervous system regulation, and working with qualified professionals who understand the complex interplay between these conditions and nutrition.

Resources mentioned:

→ Harvard Healthy Plate

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→ When Everything’s Connected: Understanding Autism, ADHD, and Chronic Health Conditions Sat Aug 30th @ 12pm EST

→ READ THE BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE

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→ 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)

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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.

THERAPISTS! Join me and Victoria Rodriguez of Revive Counseling in our 6-week Chronic Illness Therapists Cohort! This is a curriculum-based consultation class for therapists who want to do their best work with the chronic illness population.

[CLICK HERE TO JOIN]

**

Episode summary: In this follow-up episode with registered dietitian Samina Qureshi, we explore her new clinical textbook that tackles something I see all the time in my practice - when chronic GI conditions create eating patterns that look disordered but have nothing to do with weight or body image. Samina and her team of 10 health professionals wrote this resource because they were seeing patients come in terrified of food, experiencing unexplained weight loss, not because they wanted to be thin, but because they were genuinely afraid of throwing up or having worsened GI symptoms. We talk about ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) and how it shows up in the GI space, why it's so important to believe patients when they say certain foods cause pain even without a formal diagnosis, and how the goal isn't just telling someone to "eat and you'll feel better" - because how frustrating is that advice? Instead, it's about finding accessible ways to nourish their body while expanding their diet and helping them feel confident around food again. This conversation is valuable for both clinicians who want to understand these complex intersections and for anyone living with GI conditions who's been told their very real physical symptoms are just anxiety when they're actually doing what they can to keep their body safe.

Resources mentioned:

→ Samina’s Book, Comprehensive Nutrition Therapy for Co-Occurring Gastrointestinal & Eating Disorders: the EDGI Training Project

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→ Aug 30th

→ READ THE BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE

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→ Submit your questions here

FOR YOU, OUR PODCAST LISTENERS

JOIN DESTINY’S MEMBERSHIP - for folks with chronic pain & illness

→ ⁠Join Welcome To The Waiting Room⁠ (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

🏢 WE’RE HOSTING A CONFERENCE! WOOO! It’ll be an IN-PERSON event in Atlanta, GA, in the Spring or Fall of 2026! Sign up for the waitlist here!

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

💻Join me and Victoria Rodriguez of Revive Counseling in our 6-week Chronic Illness Therapists Cohort! This is a curriculum-based consultation class for therapists who want to do their best work with the chronic illness population.

⁠[CLICK HERE TO JOIN]

🧭 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

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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.

JOIN DESTINY’S MEMBERSHIP - for folks with chronic pain & illness

→ ⁠Join Welcome To The Waiting Room⁠ (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)

**

Episode summary: In this episode, I sit down with ADHD nutrition research expert Annika Angelo to bust some of the biggest myths floating around ADHD and diet. We talk about why that viral "78% improvement" elimination diet study is actually BS, why you shouldn't be afraid of fruit, and the truth about Red 40 and food additives (spoiler: the US actually has stricter regulations than the EU). We talk about what stress really does to our bodies, why community is the secret ingredient most people ignore, and practical tips that actually work for ADHD brains. If you're tired of conflicting nutrition advice and want to know what the research actually says, this one's for you. Bottom line: stop putting so much pressure on yourself around food choices – there are way bigger factors affecting your health than whether you eat gluten.

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

MEET Annika: Website / Instagram / YouTube / TikTok / The Nutritional Mental Health Podcast (Apple)

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→ Nervous System-Informed Care for Chronic Illness: Aligning your self-care habits with your personal values, capacity levels, and nervous system needs. https://chronicillnesstherapist.myflodesk.com/selfcare

→ READ THE BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE

→ ASK DESTINY ANYTHING Submit your questions here

FOR YOU, OUR PODCAST LISTENERS

JOIN DESTINY’S MEMBERSHIP - for folks with chronic pain & illness

→ ⁠Join Welcome To The Waiting Room⁠ (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

🏢 WE’RE HOSTING A CONFERENCE! WOOO! It’ll be an IN-PERSON event in Atlanta, GA, in the Spring or Fall of 2026! Sign up for the waitlist here!

🛋️ 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.

At my sickest, I couldn't leave the house most days. Over 10 years later, I can have full days out without even thinking about it. This is a small part of my real, unfiltered story of living with chronic illness—the struggles with getting diagnosed, what finally started to help, and the hard truths about healing that no one talks about.

In this video, I share:

• Why I stopped chasing diagnoses after being gaslit by doctors
• The role of pharmaceutical medication in my healing journey
• What trauma work actually is (and isn't)
• The truth about neuroplastic pain and medical gaslighting
• How I went from housebound to living a full life

I talk honestly about low-dose naltrexone, ketotifen, functional medicine, and why healing isn't a one-size-fits-all journey. If you're struggling with chronic pain, ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, or just feeling lost in the medical system, this might resonate with you.

Chronic Pain & Illness IntensivesIf you're ready to work on changing your relationship with chronic pain while still taking proper medical care of yourself, I offer 1:1 intensives over 2-3 days.

Apply for an intensive here: https://forms.gle/3Xv6jFcTroX7fbpEA

Episode Summary:

Today I sit down with Emma Tynan, an Irish psychotherapist who specializes in medical trauma and chronic illness, bringing both professional expertise from over a decade as a nurse and personal understanding from her own chronic health journey. We explore the often-overlooked micro-traumas of chronic illness—how the real devastation often hits not during the big diagnosis moment, but in quiet daily realizations like the day you can't hold a spoon or write in a journal the way you used to.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why the recovery period after treatment can actually be the hardest time
• The unique challenges of having symptoms without a diagnosis
• How to work with "different versions of yourself" each day using Emma's "money in your purse" approach to energy management
• Why our goals often need to shift from doing more to doing less
• How family and friends can unintentionally add to trauma through well-meaning but invalidating responses

Emma offers practical guidance for both those living with chronic illness and the people who want to support them, emphasizing that there's no universal experience of illness and the most powerful thing we can offer is simply asking and listening rather than assuming we know what someone needs.

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

MEET EMMA: Website

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEXT LIVE WORKSHOP

→Nervous System-Informed Care for Living With A Chronic Illness 🪴 July 26th 2025 @ 12PM EST / 9AM PST

→ 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!” :)

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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.

JOIN DESTINY’S MEMBERSHIP - for folks with chronic pain & illness

→ ⁠Join Welcome To The Waiting Room⁠ (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)

**

Episode summary:

In this episode, therapist Pamela Madsen, MS, LPC, explores the often-overlooked connection between narcissistic abuse and chronic pain conditions. Pamela breaks down the four types of narcissistic parents (grandiose, covert, malignant, and communal) and explains how growing up with narcissistic caregivers creates hypervigilance that extends beyond scanning the environment to scanning the body internally, amplifying pain perception and contributing to conditions like fibromyalgia, IBS, and migraines. She discusses why many high-achieving adults don't recognize their childhood experiences as traumatic, how complex PTSD manifests in successful people who come to therapy for seemingly unrelated issues, and why addressing the underlying trauma through therapy can significantly improve both emotional well-being and physical pain symptoms. Pamela emphasizes that healing begins with repairing the relationship with oneself and recognizing that you deserve care and are worthy of good things, rather than existing solely to benefit others.

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

MEET GUEST: Website / Instagram / Facebook

Pamela is the owner of Sea Change Therapy, where there is a variety of specialties in the office with accessible building and easy parking access. Pamela also provide supervision and clinical consultation to other professionals.

SIGN UP FOR DESTINY'S NEXT LIVE WORKSHOP

→ Beyond the Behavior: Understanding hair pulling, skin picking, nail biting, or other body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) in Chronic Illness

https://www.thechronicillnesstherapist.com/workshops

→ READ THE BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE

ASK DESTINY ANYTHING

→ Submit your questions here

FOR YOU, OUR PODCAST LISTENERS

JOIN DESTINY’S MEMBERSHIP - for folks with chronic pain & illness

→ ⁠Join Welcome To The Waiting Room⁠ (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

🏢 WE’RE HOSTING A CONFERENCE! WOOO! It’ll be an IN-PERSON event in Atlanta, GA, in the Spring or Fall of 2026! Sign up for the waitlist here!

🛋️ 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.

JOIN DESTINY’S MEMBERSHIP - for folks with chronic pain & illness

→ ⁠Join Welcome To The Waiting Room⁠ (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)

**

Episode summary: This episode features Jared Walker, founder of DollarFor, a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating medical debt by making hospital charity care known, easy, and fair. Walker shares how he discovered that most nonprofit hospitals are legally required to provide financial assistance (charity care) to patients who meet certain income qualifications, yet hospitals rarely inform patients about these programs. And you’d be surprised at how high some of the income requirements are!

Since launching in 2012, DollarFor has helped eliminate nearly $90 million in medical debt by creating user-friendly tools that help patients determine eligibility and apply for charity care programs that can completely wipe out hospital bills. Walker explains that charity care is far more accessible than most people realize, with many programs covering households earning up to 250-400% of federal poverty guidelines, and offers practical advice for negotiating medical bills when charity care isn't an option.

Resources mentioned:

→ dollarfor.org

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

MEET GUEST: Website / Instagram / X / YouTube / TikTok

→ SIGN UP FOR DESTINY'S NEXT LIVE WORKSHOP

→ READ THE BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE

ASK DESTINY ANYTHING

→ Submit your questions here

FOR YOU, OUR PODCAST LISTENERS

JOIN DESTINY’S MEMBERSHIP - for folks with chronic pain & illness

→ ⁠Join Welcome To The Waiting Room⁠ (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.

JOIN DESTINY’S MEMBERSHIP - for folks with chronic pain & illness

→ ⁠Join Welcome To The Waiting Room⁠ (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)

**

Episode summary:

Jackie Williams-Reade, a marriage and family therapist with a PhD in medical family therapy, discusses family systems theory and particularly the concept of differentiation, which involves balancing authenticity with the conforming that’s often required in relationships. Jackie explores how childhood family dynamics, especially scapegoating, can affect adult behavior patterns and relationships with medical providers. She explains how people who were scapegoated as children often struggle with trusting themselves and advocating for their needs in healthcare settings. The conversation covers practical strategies for setting boundaries while staying connected, asking for help effectively, and recognizing that healing isn't about perfect responses but rather increased awareness and continued effort. Jackie and Destiny also discuss the challenges of navigating the medical system and how integrated care models can help bridge communication gaps between patients and providers.

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

MEET GUEST: Website / Jackie’s Textbook for Medical Professionals

→ SIGN UP FOR DESTINY'S NEXT LIVE WORKSHOP

→ READ THE BLOG FOR THIS EPISODE

ASK DESTINY ANYTHING

→ Submit your questions here

FOR YOU, OUR PODCAST LISTENERS

JOIN DESTINY’S MEMBERSHIP - for folks with chronic pain & illness

→ ⁠Join Welcome To The Waiting Room⁠ (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)

🧭 Jackie’s Textbook for Medical Professionals⁠

**

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

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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.

Episode Summary:

In this vulnerable and insightful episode, licensed professional counselor Danielle McDowell shares her journey of navigating professional ambitions while managing fibromyalgia. After experiencing sudden onset of symptoms following the birth of her son, Danielle recounts how she adapted her therapeutic practice and home life by setting boundaries, extending timelines, and finding community with others who understand chronic illness. She discusses the generational patterns of appearing "superhuman" that she inherited and her commitment to modeling authentic struggle for her children. Danielle's story offers valuable lessons on redefining success, embracing limitations, and finding purpose through personal challenges.

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

MEET DANIELLE: Website / Instagram / Danielle's TedTalk! The Painful And Necessary Work of Collective Healing

JOIN DESTINY’S MEMBERSHIP - for folks with chronic pain & illness

→ Join Welcome To The Waiting Room

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)