Well Considered

Ep 22 | This Episode Will Challenge You: Pro- and Anti-Vaxxers Alike

Are you pro-vax? Anti-vax? Somewhere in between? No matter where you land, this episode will challenge you.
In part one of this powerful two-part series, we take an unflinching look at the extremes on both sides of the vaccine debate. Drawing on years of research including product inserts, scientific literature, medical ethics, and firsthand conversations with experts and affected families, we break down what each side gets right… and where both fall dangerously short.
You’ll learn:
Why oversimplified “safe and effective” messaging is losing public trust
The truth about financial conflicts of interest among science influencers
How anti-vax purity culture and conspiracy overreach hurt the cause
The danger of all-or-nothing thinking, from either direction
The weaponization of personal stories on both sides
How to make space for nuance in polarizing times
This episode isn’t about picking a side. It’s about moving beyond tribalism to something more honest, more grounded, and more reflective of what people actually feel.
If you’re tired of the binary, ready to think critically, and open to reclaiming conversation from extremes, this one’s for you. Stay tuned for part two, where we introduce the solution to this problem!
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Ep 21 | A Joyful Start to Motherhood: Confidence and Clarity for First-Time Moms with Laila from Learning To Mom™

Are you a first-time mom craving more confidence and clarity as you step into motherhood? You’re not alone. In this uplifting episode, we sit down with Laila from Learning To Mom™, a Gen Z mother who's reshaping the early motherhood experience with joy, preparation, and informed perspective.
Together, we explore how new moms can avoid the fear-based overwhelm so common on social media, and instead make empowered, informed choices from day one. Whether you're navigating birth plans, postpartum realities, or newborn health decisions, this episode will leave you feeling more grounded, hopeful, and ready to trust yourself.
In this episode, we cover:
Why so much content around motherhood feels fear-based (and how to shift out of it)
How Gen Z moms are approaching birth and postpartum differently
What veteran moms often don’t realize about how they’re passing on their stories
Why informed consent matters for new moms... and how to get started today
A free resource to help you confidently navigate healthcare decisions
This conversation is a must-listen for moms of all ages who want to uplift, support, and empower each other without the panic.
Follow Laila at Learning to Mom™
Take our free training course today
Find a Pro-Informed Consent Provider
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Ep 20 | Informed Consent is CLEAR™

Looking for a way to feel more confident before your next medical decision or doctor’s appointment? In this episode, we walk through the foundational framework of Informed Consent is CLEAR™. It’s a simple, but powerful tool to help you recognize whether informed consent is truly happening in your healthcare encounters.
Developed after years of listening to parents, patients, and providers, the Informed Consent is CLEAR™ method helps you:
Understand the condition being diagnosed (not just accept it)
See the full treatment plan, not just the first step
Learn the known effects before saying yes
Hear your real options... not just what’s convenient or covered
Ask questions without fear of being dismissed
Whether you're navigating childhood vaccine decisions, evaluating a new medication, or feeling uneasy in the exam room, this episode equips you to show up with clarity, calm, and confidence. You’ll also learn how product inserts (often ignored or hidden) can reveal crucial information to help bridge the gap between what’s marketed and what’s medically documented.
Because true informed consent isn’t about being difficult. It’s about being CLEAR.
Listen straight through or pause after each section for guided reflection prompts to help you apply this tool to your own experiences.
Click "play" on these episodes next:
“How to Ask the Right Questions—and Talk with Your Healthcare Provider with Confidence”
“Understanding Risk vs. Benefit in Medicine”
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Ep 19 | Rehearsing Courage: How to Prepare for Medical Appointments, Conversations, and Advocacy

Looking for a way to feel more confident before your next doctor’s appointment or medical decision? In this episode of Well Considered, we explore how guided visualization can help you stay grounded, clear, and calm in high-pressure healthcare situations.
Inspired by last week’s conversation with Dr. Beth Westie, this episode walks you through three immersive visualizations designed to help you:
Prepare for medical appointments with confidence
Navigate difficult conversations with family or friends about medical choices
Share your informed consent story online or in your community
Visualization isn’t just for athletes. It’s a powerful, science-backed technique for creating new neural pathways, regulating your nervous system, and advocating for yourself when it matters most.
Whether you’re facing a vaccine decision, birth plan, or chronic care choice, these visualizations help you practice showing up fully informed and emotionally steady.
Listen straight through or jump to the one that resonates most by tapping a chapter markers.
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Ep 18 | Cortisol and the Crisis of Constant Stress: A Path to Nervous System Regulation with Dr. Beth Westie

What if your exhaustion or overwhelm isn’t just “mom life”, but a biological alarm your body’s been ringing for years?
In this powerful and grounding episode, Dr. Beth Westie joins us to talk about a silent epidemic affecting millions of women (especially moms): chronic stress and cortisol dysregulation.
Dr. Beth shares her unique perspective as a functional medicine practitioner and hormone specialist who’s helped thousands of women understand the root cause of their fatigue, weight struggles, anxiety, and sleep issues... all symptoms too often brushed off as “just being a mom” or “it's just your period”.
Together, we dive deep into:
What cortisol really does to your body when stress is constant
Why traditional lab work often misses hormone imbalance
How the nervous system responds to medical gaslighting
The role of adrenal health in mood, energy, and metabolism
Signs your body is stuck in survival mode (and how to shift out)
The first steps to regulating your nervous system and reclaiming calm
If you’ve been dismissed by providers, told your symptoms are “normal,” or feel like you’ve tried everything and still don’t feel like yourself, this episode offers both validation and a new path forward. You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of what your body is trying to tell you, and why it’s not all in your head.
Resources:
Dry Brush Kit
DUTCH Test
Free Training Course
Learn more from Dr. Beth
Follow on Instagram & X: @JustTheInserts
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Ep 17 | The Injury No One Warned You About: What to Do With Guilt, Grief, and Growth with Dr. Abigail Powell

What happens when the system you trusted harms you (or the people you love most) and you're left questioning what it means to be a “good mom,” a “good wife,” or a “good patient”?
Dr. Abigail Powell, a licensed clinical psychologist in Texas and a listed provider in the Pro-Informed Consent Provider Directory, shares her family's story of medical coercion, injury, and identity upheaval in this gripping, grace-filled episode. From her husband’s mandated military COVID-19 vaccine and subsequent diagnosis of IgA nephropathy, to her own journey of maternal regret and clinical transformation, this conversation peels back the emotional layers of what it means to rebuild after regret.
We talk about:
How coercive “good mom” messages shaped her early medical decisions
The moment her husband was denied life insurance after vaccination
The long road to forgiveness (and the role of research along the way)
The difference between fear-based decisions and informed ones
Why she founded Village Psychology to support other moms like her
If you’ve ever carried silent guilt after a medical decision you regret, this episode will help you feel seen and remind you that healing is possible.
Resources:
Are you a Texas Resident? Book your 15 minute free consult at Grapevine Psychology or contact Dr. Powell for more support.
Read the first chapter of our book, “Well Considered: A Handbook for Making Informed Medical Decisions” today!
Follow on Instagram & X: @JustTheInserts
Subscribe & Leave a Review (It helps more people find this information!) If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and let’s empower more families to make informed choices.

Ep 16 | Inside the System: Medical Professionals Who Support Informed Choice with Rita Rogers

What does it look like when a nurse chooses to honor patient autonomy even when the system makes it difficult?
In this honest and deeply thoughtful conversation, we’re joined by Rita Rogers, a former Cardiovascular ICU nurse who spent 15 years working at a Level 1 trauma center. Rita shares her personal journey from pursuing emergency medicine out of a desire to help others, to navigating the challenges that came when her commitment to informed consent didn’t align with institutional policies.
Together, we explore:
How protocols and policies sometimes limit personalized care
Why informed consent matters for every medical decision, not just vaccines
What happened when Rita asked questions about COVID-era hospital policies
How reimbursement systems impact provider decision-making
Why supporting ethical, curious providers matters more than ever
Rita also opens up about her decision to decline the COVID vaccine during pregnancy, the difficult consequences she faced, and the hope she still holds for a more respectful, patient-centered future in healthcare.
Whether you’re a patient looking for a provider you can trust, or a healthcare professional trying to honor your values in a complex system, this episode is here to remind you: change doesn’t only come from the outside. It’s already happening from within.
Learn more from Rita Rogers
Resources:
Free Training Course
NVIC State Law Mandate and Exemptions
Crowd Health Podcast Episode
Pro-Informed Consent Provider Directory
Follow on Instagram & X: @JustTheInserts
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Ep 15 | The Invisible Nudge: How Consent Gets Engineered in the Exam Room

Have you ever walked out of a medical appointment wondering, “What just happened?” In this powerful solo episode, we explore the subtle psychological tactics, often invisible and unintentional, that shape medical decisions in the exam room. From time pressure and authority bias to fear appeals and social shaming, Alexandra unpacks how informed consent often gets engineered rather than earned.
This episode dives into:
The original purpose of informed consent (and how it’s been lost)
How behavioral psychology shapes patient compliance
Real stories from mothers and patients who’ve been nudged into decisions
Emotional reasons we say “yes” when we mean “maybe”
Practical tools to pause, reflect, and reclaim your voice
A vision for healthcare rooted in transparency, patience, and true autonomy
Whether you're a parent, patient, provider, or someone who's ever felt rushed or dismissed in a medical setting, this episode is your roadmap back to clarity and consent.
Resources:
Well Considered Book: Read the First Chapter Here
Download The Vaccine Perspective Spectrum Here
Search Pro-Informed Consent Provider Directory
Follow on Instagram & X: @JustTheInserts
Subscribe & Leave a Review (It helps more people find this information!) If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and let’s empower more families to make informed choices!

Ep 14 | Parents Are Walking Away from Traditional Pediatric Care — and What It’ll Take to Rebuild Trust with Dr. Joel Gator

Why are so many parents leaving conventional pediatric care behind and what would it take to restore their trust?
In this candid and deeply honest episode, integrative pediatrician Dr. Joel Gator joins us to explore the rising mistrust between parents and providers. Together, they unpack the root causes: from industry constraints and pharmaceutical pressure to the medical community's resistance to open dialogue. Drawing from his bestselling book “Between a Shot and a Hard Place”, Dr. Gator shares how censorship, institutional blind spots, and one-size-fits-all care are driving families toward alternative models and why he believes the future of medicine must center on humility, transparency, and truly informed consent.
Whether you’re a parent who’s felt dismissed or a provider seeking to understand this cultural shift, this episode offers both insight and hope.
Topics include:
The growing exodus from traditional pediatric care
Why many providers are afraid to question vaccine safety and what Dr. Gator found when he did
How the definition of “safe and effective” has lost meaning for many parents
What it really means to be a board-certified pediatrician and why it’s not as rigid as people think
The urgent need for new research, honest dialogue, and post-marketing surveillance
Tune in if you’re navigating pediatric decisions, questioning the system, or simply craving a more respectful path forward in healthcare.
Follow Dr. Joel Gator and grab his book, “Between a Shot and a Hard Place”
Want to go deeper? Check out the free training course or find a provider who cares at JustTheInserts.com
Follow on Instagram & X: @JustTheInserts
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Ep 13 | Finally Heard: Processing the COVID Aftermath with a Clinical Psychologist

If you questioned the COVID-19 response, not to be rebellious, but because you genuinely cared, you’re not alone.
Maybe you were one of the many who stayed up late researching, who cited credible sources, only to be called misinformed. Maybe you said “this doesn’t feel right” long before the headlines began to shift. Maybe your intuition was loud, and the cost of listening to it was high.
In this deeply personal conversation, Alexandra invites clinical psychologist Dr. Roger McFillin into what she calls an “open therapy session.” Together, they unpack the emotional aftermath of COVID: the grief, the anger, the validation, and the quiet moments of, “I was trying to share this information years ago.”
If you felt silenced for asking questions, lost trust in institutions, or were pushed to the margins for seeking informed consent, this episode will feel like exhale.
You’ll hear:
What it’s like to watch long-dismissed concerns finally be validated
How fear, intuition, and motherhood collided during the pandemic
The emotional toll of your instincts being right, and still not feeling heard
How to move forward when there’s no apology, no closure, and no clear end
This isn’t about blame, shame, or judgement. It’s about being brave enough to process what happened, and clear enough to understand how to be prepared if it ever happens again.
Listen, follow, and contact Dr. Roger McFillin.
Free Motherhood Guide
Covid-19 Vaccine Information
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers Book
The Conscious Clinician Collective
Follow on Instagram & X: @JustTheInserts
Subscribe & Leave a Review (It helps more people find this information!) If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend and let’s empower more families to make informed choices!