The Ultimate You

06/08/2026

Maybe that patient in pain didn't tense up mid-appointment because of what you said.

But how you communicated it.

Their nervous system is already on high alert ⚠️

So, a look that felt dismissive, or a tone or pace that made them feel like just a body part, amplifies the alarm.

Slowing your pace - in your words, your tone, your delivery - can help calm that alarm. And be aware of your facial expressions and body language too! It can be the difference between a patient who leaves feeling heard and one whose brain picks up threat signals 🛑

🗣️Effective communication is part of the treatment.

04/08/2026

⚠️ “This is your life from now,” was devastating to hear from a clinician, partway through my decade with debilitating vulvodynia.

I share how that healthcare interaction amplified pain levels. I also share the rest of my story - from delayed diagnosis and years of searching for answers, to the unexpected turning point that marked the beginning of my recovery journey - in a guest blog.

Comment BLOG or follow the link in my bio to read Part 1 📖

30/07/2026

Your words, your voice, and your body language all matter in a clinical interaction.

Be aware of their impact - so you can avoid inadvertently reinforcing threat and instead support safety, trust, and self-efficacy.

Listen to how nocebo impacted Sheren’s journey with vulvodynia here: gopod.io/p/R1IHMl

28/07/2026

Almost fell off my chair when I opened Amazon Music to see the featured podcast and my face staring back at me 😅

In episode 38 of The World’s Tightest Community podcast, I share my personal journey through vulvodynia, the key roles self-hypnosis and cognitive hypnotherapy played in my recovery, pepperings of pain science and more.

You can catch the “Self-Hypnosis for Vulvodynia” episode here: gopod.io/p/R1IHMl

27/07/2026

👇🏾

70% of people living with chronic pain are women.

Yet 80% of pain research has been conducted on men and male mice. 🐁🐁🐁❌❌❌

What this means is that we need to:
🙋🏻‍♀️ be our own advocates 📣📣📣
🙋🏻‍♀️ learn AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE about pain science so that we're educated and empowered 🧠
🙋🏻‍♀️ identify providers who *actually* understand pain & gather evidence-based resources (if you're looking, there are a zillion at zoffness.com ➡️ resources)
🙋🏻‍♀️ be EFFING STRONG to weather the medical gaslighting 🙄🤢🤮
🙋🏻‍♀️ get clear that pain is never, not EVER, "all in your head."

Thank you for coming to my TED talk

Cc Ologies Jen Hamilton Alexandra Cain T.E.D. Health Shoshana Ungerleider, MD mindbodygreen Alie Ward 🫶🏼

💫

23/07/2026

Patients don't just listen to what you say - they also notice your facial expressions, voice tone, pacing, volume, and body language.

Show them you're listening. Tune in to how you deliver your advice, not just what's in it.

🗣️Effective communication is a clinical skill.

21/07/2026

📦🦵🏾🦵🏾4 weeks on from tripping over a packing box and landing thwack on my knees, and still being ouchy, I got them checked out yesterday.

Huge respect to the healthcare workers at Newton Abbot Urgent Treatment Centre who continued to show up with care and compassion yesterday even as they were so overwhelmed with patients that they had to stop accepting any more walk-ins a while after I arrived.

Vive la NHS!

14/07/2026

What brings you joy, and where do you feel it in your body?

At the weekend I saw Einaudi and his band, who were mesmerising and thrilling in equal measure.

The embodied cognition of that joy was a dancing, floating feeling through my nervous system, while simultaneously feeling an expansive peace in my chest.

What does joy feel like in your body?

💡And for your patients, what might even the smallest moments of pleasant sensation feel like?

🔎Explore this with them. Help them begin to notice and tune into sensations of safety, ease and pleasure, even alongside pain.

09/07/2026

When I know I have a goal or challenges to get through with sustained action, I sprinkle in small rewards ahead of time.

Bruised and exhausted from the house move, so ahead of Einaudi concert tomorrow with my sister 🎹, I've had some quality Me-time. A pedicure, hair colour freshen-up and a delicious Blue Lagoon smoothie.

Now from the sea to London I go!🧳

07/07/2026

Holding these myths - even subconsciously - can show up in how you listen, communicate, and care for your patients 💙