IC You

In this episode of IC You, I sit down with Faith Ashenden to talk about mind body healing, neuroplasticity, and how our response to symptoms can shape the healing process. Faith shares her story of living with chronic illness for a decade before discovering subconscious and nervous system work that helped her recover.We discuss her recent UTI experience and why it felt like a non event, which leads into a deeper conversation about fear, identity, and the meaning we attach to flares. Faith explains how thoughts influence neurochemicals in the body, why chronic stress keeps the nervous system stuck in survival mode, and why healing often requires stepping away from the “chronically ill” identity.We also share simple, realistic ways to support your nervous system day to day, from setting phone boundaries to focusing on presence rather than perfect routines. If you want to connect with Faith or explore her work, her links are in the episode description.WORK WITH FAITH:Faith's websiteFollow Faith on InstagramWORK WITH CALLIE:Watch my FREE master classJoin Road To Remission Join Road To Remission Self-Study (men welcome)Book a 1:1 call with me (limited time offer)CALLIE'S SOCIALS:Follow me on InstagramFollow me on TiktokFollow my Youtube channel

In this episode, I’m joined by pelvic floor occupational therapist Paige Genova to talk about something that comes up constantly in the interstitial cystitis and overactive bladder space: why symptoms often continue even after the body has healed.We break down how the nervous system and pelvic floor work together, how neuroplastic symptoms can develop after things like a UTI or stressful life events, and why focusing only on muscles or biomechanics can keep people feeling stuck. Paige shares how her Pelvicology framework blends brain and body work to help people move toward lasting relief.We cover:The difference between pelvic floor PT and pelvic floor OTHow fear and hypervigilance can amplify bladder sensationsWhy bladder diaries, trigger tracking, and over monitoring can sometimes backfireHow to understand the role of neuroplasticity in IC, bladder pain, and OABWhat it looks like to treat both tissue factors and the nervous system togetherIf you’ve ever wondered why your symptoms linger, started “out of nowhere,” or have not improved with traditional pelvic floor therapy alone, this episode will help you see your symptoms through a new lens.Connect with Paige:Paige's websiteFollow Paige on Instagram Work with Callie:Watch my FREE master classJoin Road To Remission Join R2R Self-Study (men are welcome)Connect with Callie:Follow me on IGFollow me on TiktokLet's be Facebook friendsFollow my Youtube channel

In this episode, I’m joined by therapist Vanessa Blackstone to talk about something I see all the time in the interstitial cystitis and overactive bladder space: the belief that our bodies are too fragile to handle life.We break down how this mindset shows up through food fear, exercise avoidance, social isolation, and hypervigilance. Vanessa explains how this protective response forms, why it makes so much sense, and what to do when it’s no longer helping.We cover:How the nervous system gets stuck in fear loopsThe connection between trauma and bladder symptomsWhat you’re actually telling your body when you avoid certain triggersHow to build safety and flexibility without pushing too hardVanessa’s 4-step process to work through fear and feel more freeWe also share personal stories (including one about poop on a plane) to show that healing can include humor too.If you’ve been feeling limited, scared to live outside your routine, or unsure how to start challenging your symptoms, this one’s for you.

If you’re dealing with interstitial cystitis, overactive bladder, pelvic floor dysfunction, pudendal neuralgia, or just stuck in the chronic symptom spiral, this episode ft Dr. Howard Schubiner is a must-listen.We dig deep into how your brain and nervous system play a huge role in symptoms like urgency, frequency, pain, burning, fatigue, dizziness... you name it. And no, that doesn’t mean it’s “in your head.” It means your brain and body are in constant conversation, and when your nervous system’s on high alert, your symptoms follow.Here’s what we get into:What neuroplastic pain actually is and why it mattersWhy the traditional way interstitial cystitis is diagnosed and treated is flawedWhat the research says (including the Boulder back pain study)Why having Hunner’s lesions or “angry bladder” findings doesn’t rule out neuroplastic symptomsHow to use the FIT criteria to evaluate your own symptomsEmotional patterns like perfectionism, people pleasing, and needing to fix it ASAPWhat Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) and Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) actually look like in practiceConnect with Howard:His websiteRead his book (new version coming out in May)Follow him on InstagramListen to his podcast: The Science Behind The SymptomsWork with Callie:Join Road To RemissionJoin R2R Self Study Watch my FREE master classFollow Callie on socials:InstagramTiktokFacebookYoutube

In this episode of IC You, I sit down with pelvic floor physical therapist and YouTube creator Dr. Brianne Grogan to talk about self love when your body feels like it has turned against you. We explore what it is like to live with bladder pain, urgency, frequency, pelvic floor symptoms, or prolapse and how easy it is to start seeing yourself as broken or defined by a diagnosis.We also dig into nervous system protection, perfectionism, comparison on social media, and why healing is rarely a straight line. Dr. Bri shares simple somatic tools, mirror work, and grounding practices so you can feel safer in your body and move through flares with more curiosity and compassion instead of blame.What You’ll Learn:• How feelings of body betrayal show up with IC, OAB, pelvic pain, prolapse, and other bladder symptoms• Why attaching your identity to a diagnosis can keep you stuck and how to gently step out of that role• The link between nervous system protection, perfectionism, and symptom flare ups• Practical self image and self love tools including movement, breath, sound, mirror work, and bone based grounding• How to view setbacks and flares as information rather than failure so you can stay compassionate and keep goingConnect with Dr. Bri:YoutubeInstagramWebsiteWork with Callie:Join Road To Remission Enroll in Road To Remission Self-StudyConnect with Callie: InstagramTiktokYoutube