Vaginally Speaking

Year of the horse. Year of the Vagina

YEAR OF THE HORSE. RECLAIMING YOUR PELVIC FLOOR POWER 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/ [https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/] * Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy * Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy [https://www.instagram.com/onestrongwomantherapy]

Sex Therapy Isn’t What You Think with Jessica Kruckeberg, LMFT-S, CST

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/ [https://www.aasect.org/]   Connect with Jessica: Website: https://www.inher-wisdom.com/ [https://www.inher-wisdom.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inher__wisdom [https://www.instagram.com/inher__wisdom] Resources & Connect: * Discover Your Pleasure Type Quiz: https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/ [https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/] * Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy * Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy [https://www.instagram.com/onestrongwomantherapy]

Wired, Tired, and Not in the Mood? with Dr. Romie Mushtaq

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/ [https://www.instagram.com/drromie/] Website: https://drromie.com/ [https://drromie.com/] FREE Busy Brain Test: https://drromie.com/busy-brain-test/ [https://drromie.com/busy-brain-test/] Resources & Connect: * Discover Your Pleasure Type Quiz: https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/ [https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/] * Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy * Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy [https://www.instagram.com/onestrongwomantherapy]

Should I See a Pelvic Floor Therapist? The ‘ChatGPT Said What?!’ Mini Series

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/ [https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/] * Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy * Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy [https://www.instagram.com/onestrongwomantherapy]

Why Smut Might Be the Missing Link to Your Libido with Kelsie Hoss

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/ [https://kelsiehoss.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsiehoss/ [https://www.instagram.com/kelsiehoss/] Resources & Connect: * Discover Your Pleasure Type Quiz: https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/ [https://allisongermundson.com/discover-your-pleasure-type/] * Subscribe & Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onestrongwomantherapy * Follow Allison on Instagram: @onestrongwomantherapy [https://www.instagram.com/onestrongwomantherapy]