In This Body

How We Carry and Transform Reproductive Experiences with Kristen Portney

• Ailey Jolie • Season 2 • Episode 33

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Join Ailey Jolie and Kristen Portney, a therapist and reproductive health specialist, on this episode of In This Body. Together, they explore the unconscious narratives surrounding reproductive health—how they are shaped by family systems, culture, and internalized beliefs, and how they manifest in the body. Kristen shares insights on navigating the complex emotions tied to pregnancy, abortion, and loss, shedding light on the somatic imprints of these experiences. They discuss the role of creativity, ritual, and storytelling in reclaiming agency over reproductive narratives, as well as the link between self-forgiveness, pleasure, and embodiment. This conversation offers a nuanced and compassionate perspective on reshaping one’s relationship with the body after reproductive experiences, inviting listeners into a space of self-inquiry and possibility. We hope you enjoy the episode.

In this episode:

  • 01:30 – Exploring reproductive narratives and trauma
  • 03:54 – Motherhood myths and societal pressures
  • 09:14 – The Madonna-Whore complex in motherhood
  • 15:17 – The role of self-compassion in healing
  • 24:30 – Rewriting reproductive stories
  • 28:40 – The importance of self-forgiveness
  • 34:12 – Reclaiming pleasure in the body
  • 42:47 – Reproductive patterns and healing
  • 46:39 – Therapeutic change beyond the session
  • 53:43 – Creativity after reproductive loss

You can read the show transcript here.

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