The Story of Brave Body Wellness

Janelle, the founder of Brave Body Wellness has an indescribable aura of calm, care, and understanding. Walking into her Occupational Therapy Office, you immediately feel these vibes and want to let your guard down. Alex stopped by to chat with Janelle about the story of Brave Body, and we’re excited to share it with you!

Where It Started

In 2018, Janelle was navigating postpartum depression and personally felt something that she’d known for a while: the lack of real, comprehensive healthcare support for women. And she wanted to do something about it. So Janelle decided to do a career shift and enrolled in a holistic health program at Red Rocks Community College. In one of her business classes, Janelle came up with a concept of a women’s wellness space she originally called Wana Mama. When she moved to Michigan, the timing was right to be able to start her own practice and bring Wana Mama to life.

Over time, the concept grew and evolved into what Brave Body Wellness is today: a practice centered on holistic pelvic health and sex counseling for all. Most of her work is female-focused, but the specialized care Janelle provides is beneficial for everyone, regardless of sex, gender identity, or life stage.

What Makes It Different

When asked what she loves about her job, she smiled and whispered, “I love it so much.” She has not had a single regret about becoming an occupational therapist. "It's versatile and I've done so much with it," she says.

Brave Body is definitely different from a typical corporate PT or OT experience. “I give a lot of time and energy to the personalized care I provide. That matters a lot to me - that each client feels heard, supported, and like I’m available to them.” Janelle wants her clients to feel heard, supported, and genuinely cared for (both during and between sessions - she loves when clients email or text questions!). "I take personal responsibility that people can reach their goals," she says (and she means it).

Janelle is also a Certified Pelvic Health Sex Counselor. “I can help folks problem solve through challenges that are preventing satisfying participation in sexual activity due to sexual dysfunction, pain, healing from an injury or surgery, living with a chronic condition or navigating a new phase of life like menopause! My approach is a collaboration of problem solving, regulating the nervous system, tapping into various resources, tools and the environment, improving language and communication around sex and building a healthier relationship with yourself and your partner(s). My certification is through AASECT which is the gold standard for sex counselors.”

Starting Over, Getting It Right

The road to Brave Body Wellness was not a straight line. After running Wana Mama for a few years, Janelle took a year off. She came back as Wana Mama and tried 2 new spaces. At the second space, she realized she was ready for a bigger refresh because she got certified as a sex counselor and wanted a more inclusive name. So, she reached out to her book club for ideas, and one of the members suggested Brave Body. Immediately the clouds parted, the sun shone and the birds sang. That was her new name, no further deliberation needed.

Once she had a new name, Janelle decided to invest more intentionally in marketing than she ever had before. (And yes, we had the immense privilege to support during this phase!) After a new logo and a new website, Brave Body’s newest home was offered to her at the 788 Columbia Building. "The owner advocated for what I needed, was accommodating, and I really appreciate her for that," Janelle says. It all finally fell into place.

A Gatherer of People

Janelle does not separate her professional values from her personal ones. She talks about comprehensive, person-centered care in the same breath as justice, community, and connection. She is a natural collector of people and she loves bringing people together to gather in community. Her home is where family and friends overlap, where her circle and her husband's circle come together in the same space. "Peace and common ground is super important," she says, and that ethos shows up in her practice too.

Janelle also has hosted the annual Wild Woman Retreat for the past 4 years. Wild Woman is an all-inclusive long weekend of empowered wild feminine energy, connection, healing, movement, growth and good vibes. Women will get out of their heads, take up space, be loud, move, play, look in the mirror, take selfies, and find gratitude, self love and connection! (Next one coming in June 2027!)

What’s Next?

Janelle's vision for Brave Body Wellness is grounded and intentional. She wants to reach a steady rhythm of clients with space left over for the rest of her life. A bigger dream is to start to build a more collaborative space - and the first step is to start sharing her space with a like-minded practitioner whose approach complements her own. The goal is not to scale endlessly. It is to do this work really well, sustainably, and on her own terms.

A personal note from our team: Alex, our Owner/Creative Director, has been a client of Janelle's for years and will tell you firsthand that the work she does is genuinely life-changing. We do not say that lightly, and we could not be more proud to highlight her here. 

You can check out more about Janelle and Brave Body Wellness at bravebodywellness.com. Not that we’re biased, but we think it’s a pretty beautiful site 😉

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