Hello dear listener, welcome to today’s episode, in which I had the pleasure of speaking with someone I greatly admire and consider a mentor. Dr. John Stracks is an integrative physician who specializes in chronic health conditions that haven't been helped through conventional Western medicine. He’s particularly interested in helping people make the mind-body connection--the connection between what’s going on in their lives and what’s going on in their bodies--as a way to heal chronic pain. He l...
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr
Dear Listener, welcome back to the podcast after a three-month hiatus. I took a pause, because, being a mind-body practitioner, I gotta practice what I preach. Sometimes our energy is in a season of abundant productivity, where creativity is pouring out of us. And sometimes we find ourselves in a season where we’re needing rest and recovery, and that is where I’ve been at these last few months. I’m gonna return to the podcast gently, and so you may find that upcoming episodes trickle in at a slo...
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 21
Welcome to the 20th episode of From Chronic Pain to Passion. This is the last episode in season 1 and after this I’m going to take a 3 week hiatus, because rest is important! But don’t worry, I’ll be back in September with more interviews that I’m excited to share with you, including conversations with chronic pain experts Dr. John Stracks and Dr. Lilia Graue as well as many more. In today’s episode, I’m going to share with you a recording of a Facebook live in which I had the honor of chatting ...
Aug 11, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Thank you so much for joining me on this chronic pain to passion journey. One of the things I really like doing on this podcast is having conversations with people who don’t necessarily identify as someone who has experienced or worked with chronic pain, but they do have a story of transformation to tell that carries a lot of the same themes that show up in the chronic pain recovery journey. One of those themes is questioning our belief systems. If you grew up in a society that is influenced by ...
Aug 04, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 19
In today’s episode, I got to chat with someone whose work I’ve admired and been influenced by since my very first training in mind-body medicine. That person is chronic pain expert Christie Uipi, and I knew it would be a pleasure speaking with her, but our conversation surpassed even my expectations, it was such a delight. Christie is a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of chronic pain, anxiety, and depression and she’s the founder of a clinic called The Better Mind Center. Christie ...
Jul 28, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Thank you for joining me today to listen to this episode of From Chronic Pain to Passion. It’s hard to believe it’s already been 4 months since I first launched the podcast. And I wanna ask if you’d be up for helping me spread the word so that more listeners can find the podcast. So, I thought I would do a little fun giveaway. Last month I held a workshop called Soothe Your Symptoms and Unlock Your Creativity. If you would like a free recording of that workshop, I invite you to do any one of the...
Jul 21, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 17
Before we get into the episode, I wanted to let you know about an interview I did on the Optimize Yourself podcast, hosted by my friend Zack Arnold. He’s actually doing a three part series on chronic pain specifically related to how it affects creative professionals — so I highly recommend that you check it out! The series will consist of three experts talking about chronic pain from different perspectives. Zack interviewed a bodyworker and Somatic Movement Instructor (Julie Fahrbach) who explai...
Jul 14, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Before we start today’s episode, I wanna ask a quick favor! If you’ve been listening to the podcast and finding it helpful, would you be willing to hit pause for a moment and give the podcast a quick rating and review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening on? It would mean so much to me, because your ratings and reviews help other people who are struggling with chronic symptoms to find the podcast. So, thank you in advance for the rating and review! And now for today’s episode! I was del...
Jul 07, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Before we start today’s episode, I wanna ask a quick favor! If you’ve been listening to the podcast and finding it helpful, would you be willing to hit pause for a moment and give the podcast a quick rating and review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening on? It would mean so much to me, because your ratings and reviews help other people who are struggling with chronic symptoms to find the podcast. So, thank you in advance for the rating and review! And now, I’m excited to share today’s ...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 14
If are someone who’s creative or passionate about your career, have you ever had an experience where, right as you were about to make a big career move or achieve some symbol of success, you were hit by a wave of symptoms like chronic pain or fatigue or burnout? If so, you’re not alone — and today we’re gonna explore why that is and how to navigate this with my guest Zack Arnold. Zack is an award-winning Hollywood editor & producer whose credits include Cobra Kai, Empire, Burn Notice, and Gl...
Jun 23, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Before we start today’s episode, I'd like to tell you about the Chronic Pain to Passion Mentorship. This is a one-on-one coaching program where you’ll get my individualized support with chronic symptom recovery so that you can get back into your creative work or passion project. As someone who’s been through it myself, I have found that creative recovery and symptom recover actually go hand-in-hand. And I would love to support you with that. To learn more, you can visit my website at www.annahol...
Jun 16, 2023•50 min
Before we start today’s episode, I'd like to tell you about the Chronic Pain to Passion Mentorship. This is a one-on-one coaching program where you’ll get my individualized support with chronic symptom recovery so that you can get back into your creative work or passion project. As someone who’s been through it myself, I have found that creative recovery and symptom recover actually go hand-in-hand. And I would love to support you with that. To learn more, you can visit my website at www.annahol...
Jun 09, 2023•58 min
Before we start today’s episode, I wanna tell you about a FREE workshop that I’m hosting on Wednesday June 7 at 1pm Eastern Time! This workshop is all about how to soothe your symptoms and unlock your creativity! We’re going to be doing some expressive writing exercises together, I’m gonna host a live Q&A, and I think it’ll be a really fun opportunity to get to know each other, so I hope you’ll join me! To learn more, you can visit my website at www.annaholtzman.com/ creativity-workshop-home...
Jun 02, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Before we start today’s episode, I wanna tell you about a FREE workshop that I’m hosting on Wednesday June 7 at 1pm Eastern Time! This workshop is all about how to soothe your symptoms and unlock your creativity! We’re going to be doing some expressive writing exercises together, I’m gonna host a live Q&A, and I think it’ll be a really fun opportunity to get to know each other, so I hope you’ll join me! To learn more, you can visit my website at www.annaholtzman.com/creativity-workshop-home ...
May 26, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In this episode, I spoke with my dear friend and colleague Aoife. Aoife is a transformational health coach for highly sensitive women. She helps her clients recover from anxiety, depression, chronic pain and chronic illness. And it all started with her own recovery journey. Through mind-body education and techniques, Aoife recovered from a wide range of symptoms including IBS, fibromyalgia, food sensitivities, mood dis-regulation, bladder pain syndrome, skin conditions, re-occurring kidney and c...
May 19, 2023•52 min
How do you release physical and emotional tension from your body through writing? That’s what we’re gonna talk about today! For a text version of this episode, go to: https://medium.com/beingwell/whats-your-mind-body-relationship-status-b7f315267bbb To learn more about mind-body journaling, check out my online course Writing to Release Chronic Pain at www.annaholtzman/writingtorelease And say hi on Instagram at @anna_holtzman With warmth, Anna...
May 12, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 7
If you've been on the path of mind-body healing for a while, you’ve undoubtedly heard over and over again that it’s important to process and release your emotions. But the question is, how? That’s what we’re going to talk about in today’s episode. And just a content warning, I will be using bathroom humor. For a transcript, go here: https://medium.com/beingwell/the-4-stages-of-emotional-release-845a9fb5dbcb Also, I wanna tell you about a pilot program that I’m running called the Chronic Pain to ...
May 05, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 6
There’s a lot of debate in the mind-body healing community about whether or not to take painkillers for a chronic pain flare-up. But at the end of the day, it’s a choice that we each have to determine for ourselves. Today I’m going to share the approach that’s worked for me in my own recovery journey. And just a disclaimer, what I’m about to share is not meant to be taken as medical advice — it’s simply an honest account of my story and how developing self-trust has been key to my healing. For a...
Apr 28, 2023•16 min
Let’s talk about self-love and chronic pain . And I know the phrase self-love might feel uncomfortable to you, so please stay with me, because I promise you, this stuff is important. Do you know who gets inside your head more than anyone else? The answer is: YOU. Your relationship with yourself is the most impactful relationship that you will ever have — after all, the cumulative time that you spend with yourself outweighs any other relationship by a long shot. And think of the way that your oth...
Apr 21, 2023•9 min
Today I'm going to share 5 problems and solutions that were key to my recovery from chronic pain and to helping my clients recover. And since many of my clients are creative types like me, I'm gonna share some things that are specific to the creative person's recovery from chronic pain. Problem #1: Thinking that pain is only about your body. I used to think that pain meant there was something wrong with my body. I thought that the stress of working in TV had ruined my posture and eating habits a...
Apr 14, 2023•13 min
What is the mind-body connection and how does it relate to pain and other symptoms? We all know intuitively that emotional stress can be expressed in physical sensations and symptoms. Some common examples are: You have a big deadline at work and you get a stomach ache in reaction to the stress. Or you have a big fight with a loved one and you wind up getting a headache from the fight. Or you watch a scary movie and your shoulders get so tight from the fear that you have a stiff neck...
Apr 07, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Find me at: www.annaholtzman.com and IG @anna_holtzman Have you ever cried into your pillow out of desperation when yet another migraine snuck up on you and ruined your day? I have. If you have too, I can truly empathize. As a psychotherapist and coach who helps people heal from chronic pain, I draw on teachings from books and courses by experts in the field. But my greatest teacher by far has been my own journey of healing from chronic migraines. I hope that my story invites you to imagine what...
Mar 31, 2023•16 min
