Vaginally Speaking

The Year of the Horse is here. A symbol of strength, stamina, independence, and forward movement.

So what does that have to do with your pelvic floor?

Everything.

If you are leaking when you sneeze, skipping workouts, clenching all day, avoiding intimacy, or peeing “just in case,” you are not running free. You are compensating for dysfunction. And this is the year we stop doing that.

Your pelvic floor is your foundation. It stabilizes your organs, controls bladder and bowel function, and plays a major role in sexual health. When it cannot coordinate strength and relaxation, symptoms show up. Leaking. Pain. Constipation. Low libido. Difficulty with orgasm. Even prolapse.

This episode explores:

• The undertrained horse vs the over reined horse
• Why tension is not the same thing as strength
• How mindset impacts your pelvic floor
• Why we must train for both power and release

Leaking is common. It is not normal.

 Clenching all day is not strength.

 You deserve to run, jump, lift, and laugh without crossing your legs.

This is the year we stop whispering about pelvic floor dysfunction.

 This is the year we train it.

Share this episode with a friend who is ready to stop settling and start reclaiming her power.

Love and lube,

 Allison

Resources & Connect:

• Discover Your Pleasure Type Quiz: https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/
• Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy
• Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy

Sometimes the missing piece in pelvic pain, painful sex, or ongoing intimacy struggles is not another medical test or physical intervention, but a space where sex can finally be talked about safely, openly, and without shame.

In this episode, Allison sits down with Jessica Kruckeberg, a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified sex therapist, to demystify what sex therapy actually is and who it is truly for. Together, they unpack why so many people struggle in silence with pain, numbness, low desire, or fear around intimacy and how those experiences often live at the intersection of the body, the nervous system, and emotional safety.

Jessica explains how sex therapy differs from traditional talk therapy, what happens in a first session, and why certified training matters in a field that is often misunderstood. They explore how chronic pelvic pain, endometriosis, PCOS, and painful sex can quietly shape a person’s relationship with their body and their partner, even when trauma is not immediately recognized as such.

This conversation also sheds light on the role partners can play in the healing process, why education gaps create so much misunderstanding in relationships, and how nervous system safety is essential for pleasure, connection, and desire. With honesty and clarity, Jessica reminds listeners that their bodies are not broken and that curiosity is often the first sign it is time for support.

This episode is a grounding invitation to trust your instincts, ask better questions, and seek care that honors the full picture of sexual health.

Tune in to hear:

• What sex therapy really is and how it differs from traditional therapy
• Why pelvic pain and painful sex often affect desire, intimacy, and emotional safety
• What to expect in a first sex therapy session and why safety comes first
• When partners should be involved and how shared understanding supports healing
• How to find a qualified, certified sex therapist and trust your gut in the process

Resources:

https://www.aasect.org/

Connect with Jessica:

Website: https://www.inher-wisdom.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inher__wisdom

Resources & Connect:

• Discover Your Pleasure Type Quiz: https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/
• Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy
• Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy

What if the reason you feel disconnected from desire, exhausted in your body, and wired in your brain is not a hormone problem or a willpower problem, but a nervous system problem?

In this episode, Allison sits down with Dr. Romie Mushtaq, board-certified neurologist and bestselling author, to explore how a busy brain, chronic stress, and burnout directly impact hormones, libido, and pelvic health.

They unpack why anxiety, racing thoughts, and poor sleep are often the first signs that your nervous system is overloaded, and how those signals quietly show up as pelvic pain, bladder issues, low libido, and painful sex. Dr. Romie explains how stress-driven inflammation disrupts the brain’s control center and hormone balance, keeping the body stuck in survival mode where pleasure and arousal cannot thrive.

Dr. Romie also shares her personal journey through burnout and healing, offering clarity around why your body is not broken and why desire does not disappear without reason. This conversation blends neuroscience, pelvic health, and lived experience in a way that helps women understand what their bodies have been trying to say all along.

This episode is a reminder that healing libido and pelvic symptoms starts with calming the nervous system, not fixing yourself.

Tune in to hear:

• What a “busy brain” is and why anxiety, insomnia, and focus issues are early warning signs
• How chronic stress and inflammation disrupt hormones and pelvic floor function
• Why pelvic pain and low libido often begin before full burnout is recognized
• The connection between nervous system regulation, sleep, and desire
• How intimacy, foreplay, and nervous system safety support arousal and pleasure

Connect with Dr. Romie Mushtaq:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drromie/

Website: https://drromie.com/

FREE Busy Brain Test: https://drromie.com/busy-brain-test/

Resources & Connect:

• Discover Your Pleasure Type Quiz: https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/
• Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy
• Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy

Ever wondered how long you’re supposed to “wait it out” before asking for real help with pelvic floor symptoms?

In the fifth and final episode of The “ChatGPT Said What?!” Mini Series, Allison tackles the ultimate follow-up question women ask after Googling leaks, tightness, prolapse, and pressure: When should I actually see a pelvic floor therapist?

So, Allison asks ChatGPT, and while the answer isn’t wrong, it’s incomplete. The algorithm sticks to the usual checklist: postpartum recovery, leaking, bowel issues, or a doctor’s referral. Helpful? Sure. But it completely misses the bigger picture of what pelvic floor therapy is actually for and who it’s really meant to support.

Allison breaks down the real-life signs she sees every day in the clinic, from subtle symptoms we’re taught to ignore to preventive care we were never told existed. She explains why pelvic floor therapy isn’t just for “after something goes wrong,” why leaking at any level isn’t normal, and how pain, pressure, constipation, and even fear around movement are all valid reasons to get support.

This episode reframes pelvic floor therapy as what it truly is: healthcare. Not a last resort, not a sign of failure, and definitely not something you need to feel embarrassed about. You’ll walk away understanding that your pelvic floor is adaptable, resilient, and worthy of care before things feel urgent.

You’ll learn:

• When it’s actually time to see a pelvic floor therapist
• Why pelvic floor therapy isn’t just for postpartum or severe symptoms
• Common signs like leaking, pressure, pain, and incomplete emptying that shouldn’t be ignored
• How pelvic floor therapy works as preventive care not just treatment
• Why Kegels aren’t the answer for everyone
• How education, movement, and breathing can protect your pelvic floor long-term
• Why getting help doesn’t mean something is “wrong” with you

Resources & Connect:

• Discover Your Pleasure Type Quiz: https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/
• Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy
• Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy

Ever wished you could quiet your mind long enough to actually feel turned on, without fixing yourself, forcing desire, or pretending your body is something it’s not?

In this episode, Allison sits down with bestselling romance author Kelsie Hoss for a playful, deeply validating conversation about desire, body image, libido, and the surprising role smut can play in reconnecting with your body. From purity culture and shame to postpartum numbness and mental overload, Kelsie shares how romance novels, especially body-positive, inclusive ones, can offer a low-pressure way back to arousal, imagination, and pleasure.

Together, they unpack why so many women struggle to “get in the mood,” how responsibility and survival mode disconnect us from desire, and why reading spicy fiction can feel safer (and more effective) than visual stimulation for many women. This conversation blends humor, honesty, and pelvic-floor-meets-real-life insight, while reminding listeners that arousal isn’t something you earn, it’s something you’re allowed to experience.

You’ll hear a refreshing take on how imagination fuels libido, why discomfort around smut often points to deeper conditioning, and how seeing real, imperfect bodies being desired can literally shift how you feel in your own skin. This episode is equal parts permission slip, laugh-out-loud girlfriend chat, and gentle invitation to explore pleasure on your terms.

Tune in to hear:

• Why so many women struggle to feel aroused once life gets overwhelming
• How romance novels can help bypass mental overload and reconnect you to your body
• The impact of purity culture and shame on desire and imagination
• Why body-positive smut can feel safer than porn for many women
• How reading spicy fiction can normalize pleasure without pressure
• What discomfort around smut often reveals about conditioning and belief systems
• Why seeing curvy, imperfect women being deeply desired matters
• How desire doesn’t require fixing your libido — just space to feel

Connect with Kelsie:

Website: https://kelsiehoss.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsiehoss/

Resources & Connect:

• Discover Your Pleasure Type Quiz: https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/
• Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy
• Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy

Ever felt something different down there and immediately spiraled into a Google search that made your heart drop into your stomach?

In part four of our “ChatGPT Said What?!” mini-series, Allison tackles one of the most panic-inducing pelvic floor questions of all time: “Why do I feel a bulge in my vagina?”

This time, Allison asks ChatGPT what that sensation means and (unsurprisingly) the answer jumps straight to worst-case scenarios: pelvic organ prolapse, organs “falling out,” surgery, and age-based fear tactics that leave women feeling broken and terrified. But here’s the truth: that dramatic explanation misses nuance, context, and your body’s incredible capacity to adapt and heal.

Allison breaks down what prolapse actually is (hint: shifting, not falling), why heaviness and pressure don’t automatically mean something is “wrong,” and how tight or uncoordinated pelvic floor muscles can mimic prolapse symptoms entirely. You’ll learn why many prolapses are mild, manageable, and often improve with the right support and why surgery is rarely the first step.

You’ll learn:

• What pelvic organ prolapse actually is (and what it’s not)
• Why “feeling a bulge” doesn’t automatically mean prolapse
• Common symptoms like heaviness, pressure, and fullness and what causes them
• How tight or uncoordinated muscles can mimic prolapse sensations
• Why surgery is usually not the first or only option
• How pelvic floor therapy helps rebuild real support and confidence
• Why prolapse does not mean you’re fragile or broken

Resources & Connect:

• Discover Your Pleasure Type Quiz: https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/
• Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy
• Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy

Ever looked at your full life, the business, the babies, the ambition, the exhaustion, and wondered where you went in the middle of it all?

In this episode, Allison sits down with entrepreneur, agency owner, and mom of three Madison Hollimon for an honest, unfiltered conversation about ambition, motherhood, pleasure, and the seasons of womanhood no one prepares you for. From building a high-growth business at a young age to navigating pregnancy loss, postpartum identity shifts, and religious shame around sex, Madison shares what it really looks like to reconnect with your body after years of survival mode.

Together, they unpack how motherhood and entrepreneurship can coexist without sacrificing joy, why pleasure is not indulgent but essential, and how reclaiming your sexuality can actually change the way you lead, earn, and live. This conversation moves far beyond the bedroom, touching on hormones, confidence, guilt, nervous system overload, and the invisible labor high-achieving women carry every single day.

You’ll hear the truths most women are afraid to say out loud: how postpartum numbness affects desire, why many driven women feel disconnected from their bodies, how purity culture creates long-lasting shame, and what it really takes to come back home to yourself after years of pouring into everyone else.

Whether you’re a mother, business owner, or simply a woman trying to feel like you again, this episode is a permission slip to prioritize pleasure, build support systems that protect your energy, and remember that you deserve to feel turned on to life, to your body, and to your purpose.

Tune in to hear:

• Madison’s journey building a successful agency while becoming a mom at 20
• The emotional toll of miscarriage, postpartum pressure, and returning to work too soon
• Why many high-achieving women feel numb in their bodies after motherhood
• How hormones, breastfeeding, and identity shifts impact desire and confidence
• The long-term effects of religious and cultural shame around sex
• Why pleasure (yes, orgasms) can actually improve leadership and business performance
• How redefining “self-care” goes beyond bubble baths and into real support systems
• The importance of investing in help — at home and in business — to protect your energy
• What it means to be unapologetically yourself in this season of womanhood

Connect with Madison:

https://madmarketinghouse.com/

https://www.instagram.com/madmarketinghouse

Resources & Connect:

• Discover Your Pleasure Type Quiz: https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/
• Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy
• Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy

Ever been told to “just do more Kegels” and wondered why nothing actually changed, or why things got worse?

In part three of our “ChatGPT Said What?!” mini-series, Allison tackles one of the most over-prescribed, misunderstood, and over-hyped pelvic floor recommendations of all time: Kegels.

This time, Allison asks ChatGPT how to strengthen the pelvic floor and stop bladder leaks and (no surprise here) the answer is exactly what women have been hearing for decades. But here’s the problem: Kegels alone don’t tell the whole story, and for many people, they can actually increase leaking, pain, and pressure.

Allison breaks down what a Kegel really is, why clenching all day isn’t strength, and how your pelvic floor actually functions as part of a larger system involving your breath, core, hips, and movement. You’ll learn why coordination and relaxation matter just as much as contraction and when “doing more” is the last thing your body needs.

This episode is a must-listen if you’ve been squeezing at stoplights, following generic advice online, or feeling frustrated that your symptoms aren’t improving. Because strength without coordination is just tension and you deserve better than that.

You’ll learn:

• Why Kegels are often incomplete (and sometimes harmful)
• How your pelvic floor works with your breath, core, and movement
• The role of relaxation in real pelvic floor strength
• Why over-tightening can lead to pain, pressure, and more leaking
• When it’s time to stop Googling and get personalized pelvic floor support

Resources & Connect:

• Discover Your Pleasure Type Quiz: https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/
• Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy
• Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy

Ever found yourself navigating womanhood thinking, “I should already know how this works”… even though no one actually taught you any of it?

In this episode, Allison sits down with fertility expert, agency founder, and six-time egg donor + three-time surrogate Eloise Drane for a powerful, deeply human conversation about modern family building: the beauty, the complexity, and the emotional realities no one prepares you for.

Eloise shares her remarkable journey from kidney donor to becoming the first Black-owned surrogacy and egg donation agency owner in the U.S., and how her lived experience continues to shape the way she supports families today. Together, they unpack what third-party reproduction really looks like, why emotional readiness matters just as much as medical readiness, and the mindset shifts women need before stepping into egg donation, surrogacy, or assisted fertility.

You’ll hear the conversations most people avoid: the identity layers of donating or receiving genetic material, how to talk openly with children about their origin stories, why mental health and nervous system regulation matter for fertility, and how to choose the right clinic or agency without losing your peace in the process.

Whether you’re exploring family-building options, supporting someone who is, or simply want a more honest understanding of fertility in today’s world, this episode is a grounding, compassionate invitation to step out of shame and into empowerment.

Tune in to hear:

• Eloise’s powerful path from kidney donor to six-time egg donor and three-time surrogate
• Why egg donation requires a deeper “why” beyond financial incentives
• The emotional and identity considerations donors and recipients must navigate
• How secrecy around donor conception harms families and how transparency heals
• What most people misunderstand about surrogacy and why it should never be the first step
• The holistic factors affecting fertility: hormones, stress, nervous system state, weight, cannabis use, and more
• Why choosing the right clinic or agency matters more than choosing the closest one
• How burnout, people-pleasing, and boundary issues impact fertility journeys
• The mindset work Eloise had to do to protect her peace after decades of carrying others’ stories
• Why mental preparation is just as essential as medical preparation for anyone entering fertility treatment

Connect with Eloise Drane:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eloisedrane/

Website: https://familyinceptions.com/ or https://fertility360.com/

Fertility Cafe Podcast: https://thefertilitycafe.com/

Resources & Connect:

• Discover Your Pleasure Type Quiz: https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/
• Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy
• Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy

Ever wondered why your symptoms feel confusing, like you leak and sex hurts… or you feel “tight,” but everyone keeps telling you to “strengthen your pelvic floor”?

Allison tackles one of the most misunderstood questions in pelvic health:

“How do I know if my pelvic floor is weak or too tight?”

She kicks things off by asking ChatGPT for an answer (because the internet loves a one-size-fits-all solution)… and then breaks down why those tidy categories don’t actually reflect how real bodies work. Hint: weak and tight often show up together, symptoms overlap, and your pelvic floor is an entire team of muscles that depend on coordination, breath, and relaxation, not just “more strength.”

From painful insertion to difficulty relaxing, to leakage, heaviness, constipation, breath-holding, and tension patterns… Allison explains why the signs of dysfunction don’t always point in one direction, and why trying to diagnose yourself based on a Kegel test is a fast track to more confusion, not clarity.

This episode helps you understand what your symptoms really mean, when to seek support, and why personalized care matters more than Pinterest diagrams or Reels routines.

You’ll learn:

• Why “weak vs. tight” is usually a false divide, and how both can exist at the same time
• The overlapping symptoms ChatGPT gets wrong (like leakage appearing in both weak and tight patterns)
• Why pain with insertion is a major sign of tightness, but its absence doesn’t rule it out
• How breath coordination and relaxation shape your pelvic floor more than raw strength
• Why Kegels aren’t a diagnostic tool and can worsen symptoms without guidance
• The simple self-check questions Allison uses to spot dysfunction (no shame, no guessing)

Resources & Connect:

• Discover Your Pleasure Type Quiz: https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/
• Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy
• Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy