You Are Here

In this episode, Rachel and Dr. Heather Jeffcoat, a pelvic health physical therapist and author of Sex Without Pain, have an honest conversation about the pelvic floor, painful sex, incontinence, endometriosis, and the symptoms so many women are told to simply live with.

We unpacked what the pelvic floor actually does, why pelvic health matters beyond pregnancy and postpartum, and how stigma and gaps in education can keep people from getting support. Dr. Heather explains why Kegels aren't the answer to every pelvic floor issue, how tight muscles can still be weak, and why learning to relax and coordinate those muscles matters just as much as strengthening them.

We also explored the connection between stress and pelvic tension, what a pelvic health assessment can look like, and how to advocate for yourself when your symptoms are dismissed. From talking more openly with your partner to rethinking everyday bathroom habits, Dr. Heather shares practical ways to better understand your body and take the first step toward care.

What We Cover

Resources Mentioned

To connect with the guest: Dr. Heather Jeffcoat

To connect with Rachel Rhee, the host of You Are Here:

⟡ Subscribe to the You Are Here newsletter: https://www.rachelrhee.com/
⟡ Follow Rachel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelrhee/
⟡ Follow Rachel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rachelrhee
⟡ Follow Rachel on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachel.rhee
⟡ Shop my favorites: https://shopmy.us/shop/rachelrhee

About You Are Here

You Are Here is a personal development podcast hosted by Rachel Rhee that features in-depth conversations with people navigating meaningful career pivots, life transitions, health challenges, personal growth, and more.

Each week blends personal storytelling with expert insight, offering actionable guidance from specialists on managing change, defining core values, healing from health struggles, and designing purposeful lives.

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

💌 Connect with You Are Here

⟡ Follow You Are Here on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youareherecommunity/
⟡ Follow You Are Here on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youareherecommunity
⟡ Follow You Are Here on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-are-here/id1704790802
⟡ Follow You Are Here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67hOdm0GcduYWtPuE1KieE
⟡ Follow You Are Here on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@youareherecommunity

Disclaimer

This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalized care.

In this episode, Rachel sits down with Dr. Sasha Hakman, a double board-certified OB-GYN and reproductive endocrinologist, for an evidence-based conversation about fertility, egg quality, egg freezing, IVF, endometriosis, and PCOS.

Together, they unpack why fertility challenges are rising, how age affects both female and male fertility, and why getting the right diagnosis matters. Dr. Sasha explains the commonly missed signs of endometriosis and PCOS, which labs and supplements may be useful, and how insulin resistance, thyroid health, nutrition, exercise, environmental exposures, and stress can influence reproductive health.

They also explore what fertility really looks like after 35, how to think about egg freezing without fear or pressure, and which popular wellness practices are worth your time. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Sasha shares practical ways to feel more informed, ask better questions, and take an active role in your fertility journey.

What We Cover:

Resources Mentioned

To connect with the guest:

Dr. Sasha Hakman

To connect with Rachel Rhee, the host of You Are Here:

⟡ Subscribe to the You Are Here newsletter: https://www.rachelrhee.com/
⟡ Follow Rachel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelrhee/
⟡ Follow Rachel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rachelrhee
⟡ Follow Rachel on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachel.rhee
⟡ Shop my favorites: https://shopmy.us/shop/rachelrhee

About You Are Here

You Are Here is a personal development podcast hosted by Rachel Rhee that features in-depth conversations with people navigating meaningful career pivots, life transitions, health challenges, personal growth, and more.

Each week blends personal storytelling with expert insight, offering actionable guidance from specialists on managing change, defining core values, healing from health struggles, and designing purposeful lives.

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

💌 Connect with You Are Here

⟡ Follow You Are Here on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youareherecommunity/
⟡ Follow You Are Here on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youareherecommunity
⟡ Follow You Are Here on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-are-here/id1704790802
⟡ Follow You Are Here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67hOdm0GcduYWtPuE1KieE
⟡ Follow You Are Here on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@youareherecommunity

Disclaimer

This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalized care.

Dr. Jaclyn Tolentino joins You Are Here for a conversation about functional medicine, life after breast cancer, rebuilding trust in your body, fertility, motherhood, and what it really means to heal after everything changes.

Together, Rachel and Dr. Jaclyn Tolentino explore the emotional reality of receiving a cancer diagnosis, the questions that can come up after treatment ends, and why healing is not just about “getting back to normal.” Dr. Jaclyn Tolentino shares how her own experience as both a physician and patient changed the way she practices medicine, why the root-cause approach matters, and how stress, gut health, hormones, environmental toxins, and everyday lifestyle inputs can shape the body’s internal terrain.

This episode is for anyone navigating a health challenge, rebuilding trust with their body, thinking about fertility after illness, or learning how to advocate for themselves in a medical system that can often feel rushed or overwhelming.

💬 What’s Covered in This Episode

- Dr. Jaclyn Tolentino’s breast cancer diagnosis and the emotional impact of hearing it in their early 30s
- How to navigate diagnosis: slow down, ask questions, and seek second/third opinions
- How functional medicine differs by focusing on root causes (not just symptoms)
- The “terrain” approach: how stress, sleep, nutrition, hormones, gut health, and environmental exposures shape health
- Healing after treatment: rebuilding trust in the body through advocacy and supportive practices (journaling, breathwork, acupuncture, community)

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Intro
01:33 Jaclyn’s story + finding functional medicine
05:30 What to do after a cancer diagnosis
09:12 Why Jaclyn changed the way she practiced medicine
13:22 What functional medicine actually means
16:00 The body’s “terrain” and root causes of disease
23:33 Small changes, toxic products, and environmental exposures
26:08 Gut health, testing, and nutrient deficiencies
29:38 Stress, hormones, and creating safety in the body
35:52 Motherhood after cancer
39:05 IVF, resilience, and letting go of the perfect timeline
42:10 Creating space for a new story
45:15 Journaling, inspiration, and moving through fear
50:25 Health advocacy and listening to your body
53:21 Connect with Dr. Jaclyn Tolentino

🔗 References & Resources Mentioned

- Dr. Nesha Winters' The Metabolic Approach to Cancer: https://amzn.to/4iBcxca
- Jolene Brighten's Beyond the Pill: https://amzn.to/4hl4Kx4
- Environmental Working Group (EWG): https://www.ewg.org/

💌 Connect with Dr. Jaclyn Tolentino:

⟡ Follow Dr. Jaclyn Tolentino on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjaclyntolentino/
⟡ Visit her website: https://drjaclyntolentino.com/

💌 Connect with Rachel

⟡ Subscribe to the You Are Here newsletter: https://www.rachelrhee.com/
⟡ Follow Rachel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelrhee/
⟡ Follow Rachel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rachelrhee
⟡ Follow Rachel on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachel.rhee
⟡ Shop my favorites: https://shopmy.us/shop/rachelrhee

---

💌 Connect with You Are Here

⟡ Follow You Are Here on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youareherecommunity/
⟡ Follow You Are Here on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youareherecommunity
⟡ Follow You Are Here on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-are-here/id1704790802
⟡ Follow You Are Here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67hOdm0GcduYWtPuE1KieE
⟡ Follow You Are Here on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@youareherecommunity

Lisa Dreher, MS, RDN, LDN, joins You Are Here for a conversation about functional nutrition, gut health, hormone health, fertility, PCOS, endometriosis, and the root-cause approach to your health.

Together, Rachel and Lisa explore how food, stress, blood sugar, inflammation, environmental toxins, and the gut microbiome can shape the way the body feels and functions. This episode is for anyone who has been trying to understand their symptoms more deeply, navigate women’s health concerns, or make nutrition feel more supportive and less overwhelming.

💬 What’s Covered in This Episode

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:18 Lisa’s story + functional nutrition

07:20 What functional medicine does differently

12:55 Gut health, stress, and inflammation

23:25 Fertility and nutrient gaps

34:10 PCOS, endometriosis, and hormones

41:10 Environmental toxins and hormone health

50:20 Blood sugar, fasting, and coffee

1:00:15 Gluten-free diets and nutrition myths

1:05:45 Creatine, raw milk, and colostrum

1:11:30 Simple ways to support your health

🔗 References & Resources Mentioned

💌 Connect with Rachel

⟡ Subscribe to the You Are Here newsletter: https://www.rachelrhee.com/

⟡ Follow Rachel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelrhee/

⟡ Follow Rachel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rachelrhee

⟡ Follow Rachel on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachel.rhee

⟡ Shop my favorites: https://shopmy.us/shop/rachelrhee

💌 Connect with You Are Here

⟡ Follow You Are Here on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youareherecommunity/

⟡ Follow You Are Here on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youareherecommunity

⟡ Follow You Are Here on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-are-here/id1704790802

⟡ Follow You Are Here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67hOdm0GcduYWtPuE1KieE

⟡ Follow You Are Here on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@youareherecommunity

Rachel Rhee returns to You Are Here with a deeply personal solo episode sharing her diagnosis with endometrial cancer and the health journey that has unfolded alongside her path toward solo motherhood by choice.

In this episode, Rachel opens up about navigating uncertainty, pausing her fertility plans, and learning to care for her body in a new way through both traditional oncology and functional medicine. She shares what she has learned about symptoms, self-advocacy, emotional healing, and the importance of raising more awareness around uterine, ovarian, and other cancers affecting women.

In this conversation, we explore:

This episode is for anyone navigating a diagnosis, fertility uncertainty, a season of waiting, or a moment when life asks you to slow down and listen to your body. It’s honest, vulnerable, and a reminder that healing can happen on many levels.

To connect with Rachel Rhee, the host of You Are Here:

⟡ Subscribe to the You Are Here newsletter: https://www.rachelrhee.com/

⟡ Follow Rachel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelrhee/

⟡ Follow Rachel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rachelrhee

⟡ Follow Rachel on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachel.rhee

⟡ Shop my favorites: https://shopmy.us/shop/rachelrhee

About You Are Here: You Are Here is a wellness and personal growth podcast hosted by Rachel Rhee. Episodes feature in-depth conversations with people navigating meaningful career pivots, life transitions, health challenges, personal growth, and more.

Each week blends personal storytelling with expert insight, offering actionable guidance from specialists on managing change, defining core values, healing from health struggles, and designing purposeful lives.

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

⟡ Follow You Are Here on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youareherecommunity/

⟡ Follow You Are Here on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youareherecommunity

⟡ Follow You Are Here on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-are-here/id1704790802

⟡ Follow You Are Here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67hOdm0GcduYWtPuE1KieE

⟡ Follow You Are Here on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@youareherecommunity

Ronit and Vida are the co-founders of WeNatal, a company revolutionizing how we think about fertility. These two best friends met nearly 20 years ago climbing the corporate ladder at Nike, but it wasn't until they both experienced devastating miscarriages within a week of each other that they discovered their true mission.

When their doctors told them "it's common, there's nothing you can do," they refused to accept that answer. What they uncovered changed everything: men contribute to 50% of pregnancy health and pregnancy loss, and sperm quality can be dramatically improved through targeted nutrition.

In this conversation, we explore:

The hidden truth about male fertility - Why prenatals for men didn't exist and how sperm quality directly impacts miscarriage rates

What "trimester zero" really means - The critical 3-month window before conception that most couples ignore

Why "geriatric pregnancy" language is harmful - How medical narratives rob women of agency and what to do instead

Practical detox strategies - Simple household changes that reduce toxic load and support fertility for both partners

The role of stress in conception - Why you can check every box nutritionally but still struggle if your nervous system is dysregulated

This conversation is for anyone navigating a fertility journey or wanting to optimize their health for future conception. It's honest, vulnerable, and packed with actionable guidance you can implement today.

Connect with Ronit and Vida at:

Website: WeNatal.com

Instagram: @wenatal

Download the WeNatal conception guide

Dr. Felice Chan bridges neuroscience and Traditional Chinese Medicine — and in this conversation, she reveals why so many of us are stuck in a fight or flight mode, struggling with gut issues, insomnia, and anxiety.

We talk about:

Dr. Felice Chan is a board-certified Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and acupuncturist based in Los Angeles. She studied neuroscience and worked in clinical research before shifting to Eastern medicine, and now helps patients address root causes rather than just masking symptoms.

Connect with Dr. Felice:

Instagram @drfelicechan

What happens when you've checked every box—the PhD from Yale, the six-figure job, the marriage—and still feel like you're living someone else's life?

This week, I sit down with Jasmine Escalera, the self-proclaimed "Queen of Reinvention," who walked away from a prestigious career in science to help women rewrite their stories with themselves at the center. Despite achieving everything she was told would make her happy, something felt profoundly wrong.

Jasmine shares how she broke free from the weight of expectations—one domino at a time. We explore the emotional cost of choosing yourself when it disappoints the people you love and why "midlife crisis" should be reframed as "midlife awakening,"

This episode is for anyone standing at a crossroads, wondering if there's more to life than the path you've been told to follow.

About Jasmine Escalera

Jasmine Escalara is a reinvention coach who teaches women the art of rewriting their stories with themselves at the center. After earning her PhD from Yale and achieving all the traditional markers of success, she chose to leave it all behind to help other women navigate life transitions, tap into their internal desires, and practically go after what they want.

She is the founder of The Courage Crew, a monthly membership community where women support each other through reinvention, healing, and choosing themselves—without having to do it alone.

Connect with Jasmine:

About You Are Here

You Are Here is a personal development podcast hosted by Rachel Rhee that features in-depth conversations with individuals who've taken the road less traveled—people navigating meaningful career pivots, life transitions, health challenges, personal growth, and more.

Each week blends personal storytelling with expert insight, offering actionable guidance from specialists on managing change, defining core values, healing from health struggles, and designing purposeful lives.

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

What if the narrative about aging — the one we've absorbed since childhood — is fundamentally wrong?

Mimi Ison calls herself a "pro-aging midlife enthusiast," and she means it. She's shuffling, lifting weights, and proving that aging doesn't have to mean shrinking your life.

This conversation goes beyond fitness tips. We explore how ageism gets baked into us as young as age three, why using age as a default excuse keeps us stuck, and how shifting your mindset can literally change what your body is capable of.

Mimi shares her journey from expecting the worst at 50 to discovering strength training, learning to shuffle, and building a community of people ready to challenge what midlife "should" look like. She's not here for toxic positivity — she's a realist about the hard parts — but she's also proof that there are peaks and valleys at every age, and that growth doesn't stop at 30, 40, 50, or beyond.

In this episode:

Mimi Ison is a pro-aging advocate, fitness enthusiast, and the voice behind @heymiddleage. In her 60s, she's challenging stereotypes about what midlife looks like through strength training, dancing, and honest conversations about aging. She's on a mission to help people on the cusp of change take that first step toward a stronger, more intentional life.

Connect with Mimi:

Content Warning: This episode contains detailed and sensitive discussion of pregnancy loss, miscarriage, and medical trauma. Please take care of yourself while listening.

In this deeply moving conversation, I sit down with Dr. Jessica Zucker, a Los Angeles-based psychologist specializing in women's reproductive and maternal mental health, to talk about one of the most silenced experiences in women's lives: miscarriage.

Jessica is the creator of the viral #IHadAMiscarriage campaign and author of two groundbreaking books: I Had A Miscarriage: A Memoir, a Movement and Normalize It: Upending the Silence, Stigma, and Shame That Shape Women's Lives. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vogue, and Harvard Business Review, and she's been featured on NPR, CNN, The Today Show, and Good Morning America.

This conversation is raw, honest, and necessary. Jessica shares the deeply personal story of her own miscarriage at 16 weeks—a traumatic experience that happened while she was home alone and led her to create a movement that has helped millions of women feel less isolated in their grief. We explore why women's reproductive experiences remain so stigmatized, what it means to truly meet people where they are in their most vulnerable moments, and how speaking our truth—even when it's uncomfortable—can create profound healing and connection.

What We Discuss

You are not alone—but more importantly, find the spaces and people that help you feel like you're not alone. Whether that's therapy, support groups, online communities, or simply writing it down for yourself, healing comes when we move experiences through us rather than keeping them locked inside.

About Jessica Zucker

Jessica Zucker, Ph.D., is a Los Angeles-based psychologist specializing in reproductive health and the author of the award-winning books Normalize It: Upending the Silence, Stigma, and Shame That Shape Women's Lives and I Had A Miscarriage: A Memoir, a Movement. She is the creator of the viral #IHadAMiscarriage campaign. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, Vogue, and Harvard Business Review, among others. She's been featured on NPR, CNN, The Today Show, and Good Morning America. Jessica earned advanced degrees from New York University and Harvard University.

More about Jessica:

Instagram: @ihadamiscarriageI Had a Miscarriage bookNormalize It book

This episode is for anyone who has experienced pregnancy loss, loves someone who has, or wants to better understand how to hold space for grief that often goes unspoken. As always, we meet you exactly where you are.