Season 1 Rewind: What the Experts Want Every Woman to Know About Advocating for Herself

04/30/25 • 13 min

Before Season 2 lands, we’re rewinding to some of the most powerful insights from Season 1—because some messages are worth hearing more than once.

In this special recap episode, Luan revisits three expert interviews that sparked aha moments and offered real tools for self-health advocacy. Whether you’re navigating a diagnosis or just want to speak up with more confidence, this episode will remind you: you don’t have to know it all—you just have to start asking.

Insights from:

Dr Liz O’Riordan – A breast surgeon-turned-patient advocate on why slowing down, asking questions, and getting a second opinion is a powerful act of self-advocacy.
Josie Thomson – Neuroscience-based leadership coach, on how to quiet your inner critic and let your wise inner guide lead the way.
Dr Susannah Graham – Breast surgeon, on why consent is more than a signature and how to make space for collaborative, informed decisions.

What You’ll Learn:

The difference between being ‘difficult’ and being engaged
How to reframe self-doubt and trust your inner advocate
Why informed consent starts with you
Tips for preparing for appointments and getting the answers you need

Free Resource

Want to start showing up with more clarity and confidence? Download Luan’s free guide: The Six Self-Advocacy Steps (SSAS).

Get yours at https://www.luanlawriewoods.com.au/self-advocacy-resources

Rewind episodes

Dr Liz O’Riordan – Dr Liz O’Riordan on Self-Advocacy and Spotting BS Cancer Info Online
Josie Thomson – You’ve Got You: Trust Your Wise Inner Advocate
Dr Susannah Graham – Biology and Biography: Shared Decision-Making in Your Healthcare

Subscribe & Share

New to Regarding Me? Hit follow and check out our back catalogue of empowering conversations. And if this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend—you never know who needs to hear it.

Connect with Luan:

Follow Luan on Instagram

Check out Luan's website

Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before Season 2 lands, we’re rewinding to some of the most powerful insights from Season 1—because some messages are worth hearing more than once.

Insights from:

Dr Liz O’Riordan – A breast surgeon-turned-patient advocate on why slowing down, asking questions, and getting a second opinion is a powerful act of self-advocacy.
Josie Thomson – Neuroscience-based leadership coach, on how to quiet your inner critic and let your wise inner guide lead the way.
Dr Susannah Graham – Breast surgeon, on why consent is more than a signature and how to make space for collaborative, informed decisions.

What You’ll Learn:

The difference between being ‘difficult’ and being engaged
How to reframe self-doubt and trust your inner advocate
Why informed consent starts with you
Tips for preparing for appointments and getting the answers you need

Free Resource

Want to start showing up with more clarity and confidence? Download Luan’s free guide: The Six Self-Advocacy Steps (SSAS).

Get yours at https://www.luanlawriewoods.com.au/self-advocacy-resources

Rewind episodes

Dr Liz O’Riordan – Dr Liz O’Riordan on Self-Advocacy and Spotting BS Cancer Info Online
Josie Thomson – You’ve Got You: Trust Your Wise Inner Advocate
Dr Susannah Graham – Biology and Biography: Shared Decision-Making in Your Healthcare

Subscribe & Share

New to Regarding Me? Hit follow and check out our back catalogue of empowering conversations. And if this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend—you never know who needs to hear it.

Connect with Luan:

Follow Luan on Instagram

Check out Luan's website

Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

You Have a PhD in You: Self-Advocacy, Ovarian Cancer & Integrative Care

Your personal history of disease is a PhD in you—and it deserves to be heard!

How do you find your voice when your body’s in shock and your world’s just turned upside down?

This is a powerful story of women’s health advocacy, integrative care, and navigating the real-world challenges of self-health advocacy during—and after—ovarian cancer treatment.

In this episode, Luan speaks with Gill Stannard, a naturopath and advocate who was diagnosed just hours after a GP visit—and found herself fast-tracked into surgery and chemotherapy before the shock had even worn off.

She shares what it took to reclaim her autonomy, advocate for herself, and find her place in a healthcare system that didn’t always make space for integrative care or informed 'pause'. From rushed chemotherapy decisions to unspoken menopause side effects, she opens up about what she learned, what she’d do differently—and what she wants others to know.

Whether you're mid-treatment, supporting a loved one, or reflecting on your own diagnosis, this conversation is full of real talk, practical wisdom, and the reminder that you know you—and that matters.

In this episode:

What Gill wishes she could tell her newly diagnosed self
Why it’s OK to pause and ask for more time before starting treatment
How to advocate for personalised care
The challenges of talking about menopause, intimacy and side effects in gynae cancer care
Practical ways to approach complementary therapies safely and responsibly
Why open dialogue with your medical team is key—and how to start it

If you are on active treatment for cancer, please check all supplements with your oncologist, oncology pharmacist and/or integrative medicine physician.

Listen to Luan's episode with Liz O'Riordan where they talk about how important it is to talk to your healhcare team about complementary therapies your considering.

For links to the resources in this show - visit the episode blog page.

Follow the podcast and share it with someone who needs to know: you can advocate for your health.

Rate & review—your feedback helps more women find this empowering content!

Follow & join the conversation on Instagram: @luanlawriewoods

Connect with Luan:

Follow Luan on Instagram

Get Luan's free SSASy guide to Self-Advocacy

Check out Luan's website

Disclaimer

CREDITS:

Host: Luan Lawrenson-Woods, Self-Health Advocate

Post-production: Paddy from Goosewing Sounds Ltd (UK)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Three Women Who Spoke Up and Changed Their Care

In this Regarding Me Rewind, we revisit three powerful stories that show what can happen when women speak up, trust their instincts, and refuse to stay silent - especially when faced with bias, dismissal, or healthcare systems that weren’t built with them in mind.

From challenging assumptions about metastatic breast cancer, to refusing to accept medical gaslighting, to navigating care that excluded or erased their needs - Kate, Sonya, and Rena show us that self-advocacy isn’t about being difficult. It’s about being heard.

Each of these women faced different health challenges. But what they share is a refusal to let their care be dictated by silence.

Kate Hardman made a deeply personal choice to have breast reconstruction despite living with metastatic breast cancer.
Sonya Lovell challenged dismissal and bias after feeling sidelined by her doctors.
Rena Patel realised she wasn’t represented in her care and found strength and support in her online community.

These are the kinds of stories we need to hear more of. Not just to raise awareness but to build a culture where care isn’t done to women, but shaped with them.

Whether you're navigating your own diagnosis or supporting someone who is, this episode is a reminder: You don’t have to be loud to be powerful. You just have to believe your voice matters.

What You’ll Learn:

How self-advocacy can be collaborative—not confrontational
How cultural bias and dismissal show up in healthcare
The role of community in building confidence to speak up
Why it’s okay to say, “This doesn’t work for me”
That sharing your story helps others find theirs

Free Resource

Want to start showing up with more clarity and confidence? Download Luan’s free guide: The Six Self-Advocacy Steps (SSAS).

Get yours at https://www.luanlawriewoods.com.au/self-advocacy-resources

Rewind episodes

Kate Hardman – Pausing Life-Saving Treatment to Regain Femininity-How Do You Decide?
Josie Thomson – Menopause, Gaslighting, and the Power of Self-Advocacy
Dr Susannah Graham – This Isn't Just Me: The Power of Community, Connection and Speaking Up

Subscribe & Share

New to Regarding Me? Hit follow and check out our back catalogue of empowering conversations. And if this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend—you never know who needs to hear it.

Connect with Luan:

Follow Luan on Instagram

Check out Luan's website

Disclaimer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.