The Vocal Pelvic Floor with Dr. Ginger Garner

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Low libido and sexual pain are often treated as isolated hormonal, psychological, or relationship problems. But sexual function also depends on sleep, energy, attention, vascular health, pain processing, and nervous-system regulation. 

In this season finale episode, Dr. Ginger Garner examines what patients and partners should stop saying, what they can do instead, and how restorative sleep and effective stress management can create the physiological margin required for desire, arousal, comfort, and pleasure.

Read the blog post here!

Resources:

1. Dr. Garner’s Instagram & YouTube Channel
2. Schedule a free consult with Dr. Garner
3. Garner Pelvic Health
4. Relevant Research Articles:
   1. Dilixiati D, Kadier K, Laihaiti D, Lu JD, Rezhake R, Azhati B, Rexiati M. The relationship between sleep disorders, quality, and duration and sexual dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sex Med. 2023 Apr 26:qdad054. doi: 10.1093/jsxmed/qdad054. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37186140.
   2. Su L, Zhang SZ, Zhu J, Wu J, Jiao YZ. Effect of partial and total sleep deprivation on serum testosterone in healthy males: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med. 2021 Dec;88:267-273. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.10.031. Epub 2021 Nov 8. PMID: 34801825.
   3. Zhong O, Liao B, Wang J, Liu K, Lei X, Hu L. Effects of Sleep Disorders and Circadian Rhythm Changes on Male Reproductive Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Front Physiol. 2022 Jul 13;13:913369. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.913369. PMID: 35910569; PMCID: PMC9326175.
   4. Steinke E, Palm Johansen P, Fridlund B, Broström A. Determinants of sexual dysfunction and interventions for patients with obstructive sleep apnoea: a systematic review. Int J Clin Pract. 2016 Jan;70(1):5-19. doi: 10.1111/ijcp.12751. Epub 2015 Nov 30. PMID: 26620672.
   5. Afolalu EF, Ramlee F, Tang NKY. Effects of sleep changes on pain-related health outcomes in the general population: A systematic review of longitudinal studies with exploratory meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2018 Jun;39:82-97. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2017.08.001. Epub 2017 Aug 18. PMID: 29056414; PMCID: PMC5894811.
   6. Runge N, Ahmed I, Saueressig T, Perea J, Labie C, Mairesse O, Nijs J, Malfliet A, Verschueren S, Van Assche D, de Vlam K, Van Waeyenberg T, Van Haute J, De Baets L. The bidirectional relationship between sleep problems and chronic musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Pain. 2024 Nov 1;165(11):2455-2467. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003279. Epub 2024 May 28. PMID: 38809241.
   7. Rouhi S, Topcu J, Egorova-Brumley N, Jordan AS. The impact of sleep disturbance on pain perception: A systematic review examining the moderating effect of sex and age. Sleep Med Rev. 2023 Oct;71:101835. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101835. Epub 2023 Aug 7. PMID: 37586144.
   8. Tavares IM, Moura CV, Nobre PJ. The Role of Cognitive Processing Factors in Sexual Function and Dysfunction in Women and Men: A Systematic Review. Sex Med Rev. 2020 Jul;8(3):403-430. doi: 10.1016/j.sxmr.2020.03.002. Epub 2020 May 10. PMID: 32402763.
   9. Kadah S, Soh SE, Morin M, Schneider M, Ang WC, McPhate L, Frawley H. Are pelvic pain and increased pelvic floor muscle tone associated in women with persistent noncancer pelvic pain? A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sex Med. 2023 Aug 25;20(9):1206-1221. doi: 10.1093/jsxmed/qdad089. PMID: 37507352.

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Reviews help more people discover the podcast and keep these critical discussions going! Thanks for your support—you’re helping grow this community and amplify the voices that need to be heard. 💛

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If you’ve found value in the content we share on women’s and pelvic health—including topics like endometriosis and pelvic pain—please consider supporting the show with a contribution. Your support helps us continue producing high-quality, evidence-based episodes. At this time, we don’t receive any funding to create the podcast, and production costs are coming entirely out of pocket. Every bit of support makes a meaning.

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Trauma can shape far more than our memories—it can influence desire, pleasure, pain, and our ability to feel safe in our own bodies. In this deeply compassionate conversation, Dr. Ginger Garner is joined by psychotherapist and certified sex therapist Brooke Bralove, LCSW-C, CST, to explore the profound connections between trauma, sexuality, and pelvic health. 

Together they discuss the subtle ways shame, resentment, and nervous system dysregulation can disrupt intimacy; why sexual struggles do not mean you are broken; and how healing can begin through reclaiming safety, voice, and pleasure. Brooke also introduces Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), an innovative, neuroscience-based approach that helps people process trauma without repeatedly reliving painful experiences. 

This episode offers hope, practical wisdom, and a powerful reminder: pleasure is your birthright, and healing is possible.

Read the blog post here!

Resources:

1. BrookeBralove.com
2. Instagram @BrookeBralovePsychotherapy
3. Facebook: Brooke Bralove Psychotherapy
4. Tik Tok @BBralovePsychotherapy
5. Keep up with Brooke on LinkedIn
6. Brooke’s YouTube Channel

Enjoying The Vocal Pelvic Floor? Leave us a review!

Reviews help more people discover the podcast and keep these critical discussions going! Thanks for your support—you’re helping grow this community and amplify the voices that need to be heard. 💛

-

If you’ve found value in the content we share on women’s and pelvic health—including topics like endometriosis and pelvic pain—please consider supporting the show with a contribution. Your support helps us continue producing high-quality, evidence-based episodes. At this time, we don’t receive any funding to create the podcast, and production costs are coming entirely out of pocket. Every bit of support makes a meaning.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of The Vocal Pelvic Floor, Dr. Ginger Garner welcomes Dr. Nikitha Paluri for a nuanced conversation about testosterone, women’s sexual health, libido, metabolism, menopause, and nervous system regulation.

Together, they explore why testosterone in women is often reduced to libido, even though women’s hormone biology is far more complex. They discuss where the evidence for testosterone is strongest, how to avoid both medical dismissal and hormone hype, and why sexual health must be understood through a whole-body lens.

This episode also looks at the many contributors to low desire — including pain, sleep disruption, stress, pelvic floor dysfunction, relationship safety, medications, metabolic health, and perimenopause. It is a validating and practical conversation for women who have been told their symptoms are normal, insignificant, or simply part of aging.

Read the blog post here!

Resources:

1. IG @nikithapalurimd & @drnikisbotanica
2. Facebook: Dr. Nikitha Paluri
3. Keep up with Dr. Paluri on LinkedIn

Enjoying The Vocal Pelvic Floor? Leave us a review!

Reviews help more people discover the podcast and keep these critical discussions going! Thanks for your support—you’re helping grow this community and amplify the voices that need to be heard. 💛

-

If you’ve found value in the content we share on women’s and pelvic health—including topics like endometriosis and pelvic pain—please consider supporting the show with a contribution. Your support helps us continue producing high-quality, evidence-based episodes. At this time, we don’t receive any funding to create the podcast, and production costs are coming entirely out of pocket. Every bit of support makes a meaning.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Sexual health is often reduced to libido, hormones, or relationship status — but for many women, it is far more complex. Painful sex, endometriosis, pelvic floor dysfunction, menopause, vulvovaginal tissue changes, cancer survivorship, low desire, fear of pain, and medical dismissal can all shape a woman’s ability to experience intimacy safely and fully.

In this episode, Dr. Ginger Garner is joined by Jennifer Lanoff, a board-certified Women’s Health and Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner specializing in gynecology, menopause, sexual health, pelvic pain, and complex vulvovaginal conditions. Together, they explore how endometriosis, menopause, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, vulvodynia, lichen sclerosus, pelvic floor dysfunction, and chronic pain can complicate sexual health — and why women deserve care that looks beyond “just use lube” or “just relax.”

This conversation validates the reality that sexual health is whole-person health. Desire, arousal, pain, hormones, tissue integrity, nervous system regulation, trauma history, and pelvic floor function are all connected.

Read the blog post here!

Resources:

1. Washington-GYN.com
2. IG: @jlanoff_gyn_np
3. Jen’s Substack
4. Washington Endometriosis & Complex Surgery

Enjoying The Vocal Pelvic Floor? Leave us a review!

Reviews help more people discover the podcast and keep these critical discussions going! Thanks for your support—you’re helping grow this community and amplify the voices that need to be heard. 💛

-

If you’ve found value in the content we share on women’s and pelvic health—including topics like endometriosis and pelvic pain—please consider supporting the show with a contribution. Your support helps us continue producing high-quality, evidence-based episodes. At this time, we don’t receive any funding to create the podcast, and production costs are coming entirely out of pocket. Every bit of support makes a meaning.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What if pleasure isn't just about arousal but about breath, voice, nervous system regulation, and pelvic floor health?

In this solo episode, Dr. Ginger Garner explores the physiology of pleasure and the concept of "orgasmic confidence." She unpacks the powerful connection between breath, vocalization, pelvic floor function, and sexual wellness, while addressing common barriers like pain, tension, shame, trauma, and performance pressure. You'll learn why pleasure is a whole-body experience, how the nervous system influences sensation, and practical ways to cultivate greater safety, self-trust, and connection in your body.

Whether you're navigating pelvic pain, changes in sexual function, or simply want a deeper understanding of how your body works, this episode offers a compassionate, evidence-informed perspective on reclaiming pleasure and pelvic health.

Read the blog post here!

Resources:

1. Ginger’s Breathing Playlist on YouTube
   1. Ujjayi/Victorious Breath
   2. Belly Breathing
   3. 3 Part Breath
   4. 4 Part Breath
   5. Sandbag Breathing
2. Keep up with Ginger on Instagram, Facebook, &  LinkedIn
3. Ginger’s Private Practice: Garner Pelvic Health
4. AASECT-Certified Sex Therapists
5. APTA Pelvic Heath PT Locator
6. Becoming Cliterate Book by Laurie Mintz
7. Ohnut device

Enjoying The Vocal Pelvic Floor? Leave us a review!

Reviews help more people discover the podcast and keep these critical discussions going! Thanks for your support—you’re helping grow this community and amplify the voices that need to be heard. 💛

-

If you’ve found value in the content we share on women’s and pelvic health—including topics like endometriosis and pelvic pain—please consider supporting the show with a contribution. Your support helps us continue producing high-quality, evidence-based episodes. At this time, we don’t receive any funding to create the podcast, and production costs are coming entirely out of pocket. Every bit of support makes a meaning.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Sexual health is often treated as an afterthought in healthcare—something separate from our mental health, physical health, relationships, or overall well-being. But what if it’s all connected?

Dr. Ginger Garner sits down with board-certified psychiatrist and certified sex therapist Dr. Elisabeth Gordon for a compassionate, stigma-free conversation about sexual health through a whole-person lens. Together, they explore how factors like stress, nervous system regulation, pain, hormones, relationships, culture, and body awareness all shape our sexual experiences.

Dr. Gordon shares practical guidance for navigating shame, advocating for yourself in healthcare settings, understanding the mind-body connection, and moving away from performance-based ideas about sexuality toward curiosity, pleasure, and connection. Whether you're struggling with pain, low desire, communication challenges, or simply want a healthier relationship with your body, this episode offers validation, insight, and hope. Because sexual health isn’t separate from health - it’s an essential part of it.

Read the blog post here!

Resources:

1. PsychandSexMD.com
2. Instagram @psychandsexmd
3. Sexual Medicine Society of North America: resource for finding sexual medicine specialists, particularly for sexual function concerns.
4. International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health: provider directory and educational resources focused on women's sexual health.
5. Society for Sex Therapy and Research: directory of sex therapists and professionals specializing in psychological and relational aspects of sexual health.
6. American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists: certification body and directory for sex therapists, sexuality counselors, and educators.

Enjoying The Vocal Pelvic Floor? Leave us a review!

Reviews help more people discover the podcast and keep these critical discussions going! Thanks for your support—you’re helping grow this community and amplify the voices that need to be heard. 💛

-

If you’ve found value in the content we share on women’s and pelvic health—including topics like endometriosis and pelvic pain—please consider supporting the show with a contribution. Your support helps us continue producing high-quality, evidence-based episodes. At this time, we don’t receive any funding to create the podcast, and production costs are coming entirely out of pocket. Every bit of support makes a meaning.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when being responsible, disciplined, and always doing the "right" thing starts getting in the way of intimacy, pleasure, and connection?

In this episode, Dr. Ginger Garner is joined by sex and relationship therapist Dr. Tom Murray, author of Making Nice with Naughty, for a candid conversation about perfectionism, over-control, sexual shame, and the hidden ways they impact our relationships. Together, they explore how cultural messaging, fear of vulnerability, chronic pain, and nervous system protection can shape our experiences of desire, intimacy, and sexual wellness.

If you've ever felt disconnected from pleasure, struggled with performance pressure, or wondered why intimacy feels harder than it should, this episode offers a compassionate and practical perspective on creating more flexibility, curiosity, and connection.

Read the blog post here!

Resources:

1. DrTomMurray.com
2. APathtoWellness.com
3. PracticeMuse.com
4. Email: [email protected]
5. Instagram @drtommurray @apathtowellness
6. Facebook: Dr Tom Murray
7. Youtube: @makingnicewithnaughty 
8. Making Nice with Naughty Podcast
9. Making Nice with Naughty Book
   1. Audible Version
   2. Spotify Audiobook

Enjoying The Vocal Pelvic Floor? Leave us a review!

Reviews help more people discover the podcast and keep these critical discussions going! Thanks for your support—you’re helping grow this community and amplify the voices that need to be heard. 💛

-

If you’ve found value in the content we share on women’s and pelvic health—including topics like endometriosis and pelvic pain—please consider supporting the show with a contribution. Your support helps us continue producing high-quality, evidence-based episodes. At this time, we don’t receive any funding to create the podcast, and production costs are coming entirely out of pocket. Every bit of support makes a meaning.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What does red light therapy actually do and where does it fit in pelvic health care? In this episode of The Vocal Pelvic Floor, Dr. Ginger Garner is joined by Dr. Genevieve Newton, DC, PhD, and pelvic health physiotherapist Liz Frey, MScPT, FCAMPT, to explore the science and clinical applications of photobiomodulation. 

Together, they unpack the research behind red and near-infrared light therapy and discuss its potential role in supporting chronic pelvic pain, endometriosis, postpartum recovery, menopause, tissue healing, sexual wellness, and rehab outcomes. This grounded, science-informed conversation separates hype from evidence while highlighting how light therapy may serve as a supportive adjunct in pelvic health and whole-body healing.

Read the blog post here!

Resources:

1. FringeHeals.com : all products and product info is here, but we also have a lot of consumer education content
   1. Consumer Education content
2. Fringe University : continuing education site; on this site we have educational videos about red light therapy including a free one for pelvic health
3. Instagram @fringeheals
4. For more info or questions, email us at [email protected]

Enjoying The Vocal Pelvic Floor? Leave us a review!

Reviews help more people discover the podcast and keep these critical discussions going! Thanks for your support—you’re helping grow this community and amplify the voices that need to be heard. 💛

-

If you’ve found value in the content we share on women’s and pelvic health—including topics like endometriosis and pelvic pain—please consider supporting the show with a contribution. Your support helps us continue producing high-quality, evidence-based episodes. At this time, we don’t receive any funding to create the podcast, and production costs are coming entirely out of pocket. Every bit of support makes a meaning.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Kimberly Kushner returns to The Vocal Pelvic Floor  for a deeply validating and educational conversation on the connection between gut health, hormones, pelvic pain, libido, and chronic illness. Together with Dr. Ginger Garner, Kimberly explores how symptoms like bloating, constipation, fatigue, painful periods, low libido, and nervous system dysregulation are often interconnected—especially for women navigating endometriosis, POTS, MCAS, hEDS, perimenopause, and complex pelvic pain.

Drawing from both clinical expertise and lived experience, Kimberly shares practical, holistic insights on estrogen metabolism, the gut microbiome, mast cell activation, stress, sleep, nutrition, and why personalized care matters so much for women with complex chronic conditions.

This episode is a powerful reminder that your symptoms are real, connected, and deserving of compassionate, whole-person care.

Read the blog post here!

Resources:

1. EndoNaturopath.com
2. Kimberly’s Instagram: @endonaturopath
3. Kimberly’s YouTube Channel: EndoNaturopath
4. Bristol Stool Chart

Enjoying The Vocal Pelvic Floor? Leave us a review!

Reviews help more people discover the podcast and keep these critical discussions going! Thanks for your support—you’re helping grow this community and amplify the voices that need to be heard. 💛

-

If you’ve found value in the content we share on women’s and pelvic health—including topics like endometriosis and pelvic pain—please consider supporting the show with a contribution. Your support helps us continue producing high-quality, evidence-based episodes. At this time, we don’t receive any funding to create the podcast, and production costs are coming entirely out of pocket. Every bit of support makes a meaning.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Dr. Ginger Garner is joined by pelvic health pioneers Stephanie Prendergast and Elizabeth “Liz” Akincilar, co-founders of the Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center (PHRC), for an honest and insightful conversation on pelvic pain, sexual health, and the ongoing gaps in healthcare education and treatment.

Together, they discuss why conditions like vulvodynia, vestibulodynia, vaginismus, pudendal neuralgia, and painful sex are still frequently misunderstood or dismissed, leaving many patients feeling unheard and medically gaslit. Stephanie and Liz share their perspectives on what comprehensive pelvic health care should actually look like, why pelvic floor dysfunction is about far more than just muscles, and how providers can better support patients through informed, compassionate, interdisciplinary care.

The episode also explores advocacy, patient empowerment, and the future of pelvic health education — from improving clinician training to expanding pelvic health access globally.

Read the blog post here!

Resources:

1. PelvicPainRehab.com
2. Pelvic Pain Explained: What You Need to Know
3. Subscribe to their blog
4. Instagram @PelvicHealth
5. TikTok @PelvicPainRehab
6. YouTube Channel: PelvicHealth
7. Facebook: Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center
8. LinkedIn: Stephanie Prendergast & Elizabeth Atkincilar
9. Jackson Clinics Foundation (Where Elizabeth teaches the Pelvic Health Program in Kenya) - Donate to their PT program in Nairobi
10. Tight Lipped
11. International Pelvic Pain Society 
12. ISSWSH - International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health
13. Materna Medical
14. Milli Dilator
15. Kiwi Pelvic Floor Massager

Enjoying The Vocal Pelvic Floor? Leave us a review!

Reviews help more people discover the podcast and keep these critical discussions going! Thanks for your support—you’re helping grow this community and amplify the voices that need to be heard. 💛

-

If you’ve found value in the content we share on women’s and pelvic health—including topics like endometriosis and pelvic pain—please consider supporting the show with a contribution. Your support helps us continue producing high-quality, evidence-based episodes. At this time, we don’t receive any funding to create the podcast, and production costs are coming entirely out of pocket. Every bit of support makes a meaning.

Support the show