Trust Your Innersense™ with Joanne Starkman
Trust Your Innersense ™ with Joanne Starkman invites you to slow down, reconnect, and come home to yourself. Rooted in self-love and everyday rituals, this podcast explores what it means to live with intention—starting with the relationship we have with our bodies, our breath, even our hair. Joanne, a holistic beauty founder and gentle guide, shares real conversations and mindful practices to nourish your inner and outer world.
Each episode feels like a cozy cup of tea with a wise friend—full of heart, honesty, and tools you can actually use. From soulful storytelling to simple shifts in daily habits, you'll find inspiration to soften, listen inward, and move through the world a little more rooted and real. Trust Your Innersense is a quiet nudge toward the truest version of you.
Trust Your Innersense™ with Joanne Starkman
64 - Understanding Williams Syndrome: Beauty, Humanity & Connection
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Holding Space For The Williams Syndrome Journey
In honor of Williams Syndrome Awareness Month, Joanne sits down with Jessica Connor, Dr. Jocelyn Krebs and Dr. Kristin Kouvel for a conversation rooted in compassion, advocacy, and the deeply human experience of raising and supporting individuals with Williams syndrome. Together, they explore the many layers of the diagnosis, from medical complexity and anxiety to the beauty, individuality and emotional depth that lives inside this extraordinary community. This episode gently reminds us that no two journeys ever unfold the same way and that true understanding begins when we move beyond labels and really see the person standing in front of us.
The Quiet Knowing Mothers Carry
Jessica and Dr. Jocelyn Krebs both reflect on the early moments of motherhood when something inside quietly whispered that their children needed deeper answers. Dr. Jocelyn Krebs shares the surreal experience of being both a genetic researcher studying Williams syndrome and later becoming the mother of a son with the condition herself. Jessica opens up about the long road toward her daughter Ava’s diagnosis and the emotional weight of hearing the words “Williams syndrome” for the very first time. Their stories speak so beautifully to the intuition mothers carry and how inner sense continues to guide even when the path feels uncertain.
Finding Hope Through Connection And Care
The conversation also moves into Ava’s recent scoliosis journey and the specialized care that surrounded her spinal fusion surgery. Dr. Kristin Kouvel compassionately explains the connective tissue differences tied to Williams syndrome and why scoliosis can become part of the picture for some families. What unfolds throughout this discussion is something deeper than medicine alone. It’s the power of collaboration, advocacy, research and human connection working together in service of a child’s wellbeing. This episode is ultimately a reminder that healing is never just clinical; it’s emotional, communal and rooted in the people willing to walk beside us through it all.
Follow Armellino Center of Excellence for Williams Syndrome on Instagram
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Learn more about Dr. Jason Anari | Ava’s Spinal Surgeon
Make A Gift to the Armellino Center of Excellence for Williams Syndrome
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Williams Syndrome Awareness Month
02:14 Understanding Williams Syndrome
10:35 Personal Journeys and Advocacy
18:32 Common Misconceptions about Williams Syndrome
26:26 Supporting Families and Individual Needs
26:53 Understanding the Spectrum of Williams Syndrome
27:55 Navigating Unexpected Medical Complexities
32:47 The Role of ACE and CHOP in Care
35:50 Scoliosis in Williams Syndrome: Key Insights
39:46 Ava's Surgery Journey and Recovery
44:53 Final Thoughts and Lifelong Care for Williams Syndrome
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