Melissa Eppard Coaching

08/11/2026

So get this… In the year after Upstate Mary launched, a store owner said to me that if he wanted to, he could create an AI version of a cancer survivor/founder and then replicate and launch their own version of our signature formulas. He could have supported my brand and offered to partner with us as a retailer. Instead, he felt the need to highlight how easy it would be to reduce the arc of my story—my personal pain and transformative solutions, the healing reclamation of a very important part of my life. Was this a teachable moment or a casual threat of impersonation and personal gain? Or both? It was one of those moments that stuns you, that revisits your mind years later, as you imagine the things you wish you had said. Not that he did it, but can you imagine exploiting a cancer survivor like this?? There is a lot to unpack here in the wild west days of artificial intelligence.

Anyway, we keep dancing! Earlier this year we won a national award for our Hunter Melts. Curious and wanna know more? Seek and Ye shall find! 😉 Go like-follow-tell someone.

06/13/2026

06/13/2026

Community*Survivorship*Hope
❤️

06/09/2026

After a cancer diagnosis, there are wounds beneath the surface that most people can’t see. Even your closest friends and family might not fully grasp what you hold, especially if you’ve developed a good poker face. If you’ve found the standard reply of “I’m OK,” or “I’m fine,” easier because to go there would be a big undertaking, you’re not alone. For people diagnosed with cancer or who have had other major life and body changing illnesses and injuries, SO much can change. The body can seem unrecognizable to who you once were. Your focus, your plans, your finances, your relationships and opportunities may have been impacted. Your challenges and concerns might be so very different from same aged peers without these same issues. You may be flooded with uncertainty now. With all of that comes a deep well of emotions to process.

And how about your relationship with yourself? How have your feelings about your body and being in general changed? What thoughts and feelings stand in the way of having a kinder and more loving relationship with yourself?

Emotional healing is not a there and done. It is a practice. It’s a cultivation that takes place over time with commitment and knowing oneself. I look at it as a combination of expressing, nurturing and supporting yourself, and integrating your experiences as you go along. It takes patience, curiosity and willingness. Very importantly, it takes a knowing that you are worth it. It involves healthy boundaries and often redesigning with the people in our lives. I see it as a balance between processing the past and planting meaningful seeds for the future.

In my coaching work with cancer survivors, there are different ways that this need for emotional work expresses itself. Here are just a few. Do you ever find yourself falling into one of these traps?

Putting on a brave face for others and stuffing feelings -Being overly positive all the time, while minimizing the real shadowy emotions that are there under the surface.

Overcommitting -Notorious for saying yes to everyone and everything else, and putting themselves last. Saying “no” seems inconceivable.

Numbing -through drugs, alcohol, food, or overwork

Poor self image -Hates to look at themselves in the mirror, and only sees their faults and flaws. Never feels good enough, and is largely cut off from the goodness of life (love, connection, pleasure, etc.)

Constantly comparing -overly concerned with how they imagine other people see them, and what they imagine is being said about them. This is often paired with being overly judgmental of others.

Cancer steals enough, but it shouldn’t get to eat away at your relationship with yourself. Today you are here reading this, and today you have a choice as to what kind of relationship you want to have with your body and your emotions. Are you ready to do some courageous and worthwhile work?

06/02/2026

We are so OVER suffering in silence. Every year 2 million women in the US enter menopause — and many don’t get the care they need. Let’s change that. Read my latest post to learn why more conversations and better care matter, and how you can start speaking up for your health. Learn more about our next meet up on June 24th: https://wix.to/68otvxf *xualWellness

05/07/2026

Sometimes the most healing thing we can do is stop abandoning ourselves in hard moments.

The moment I slowed to be with the feeling, something shifted. 🤍

05/05/2026

Have you read The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver? It connects so many dots around perimenopause, hormones, and the changes women are actually experiencing.

Just a reminder, we still have a few spots open for S*x Talk Sessions with Dr. Amy Novatt on May 20th at Gigi's.

Real conversation. Real community. Real support. 💛

04/21/2026

Please join us for
✨ S*x Talk Sessions
📍 at Gigi’s in, Rhinebeck, NY
🗓 on WEDNESDAY, May 20 (yes, I caught my slip up in the video. Just checking you did too! 😆)
⏰ 6–7:30pm

These talks are designed for women who want to explore what pleasure, intimacy, and embodiment can look like during perimenopause. menopause and beyond. Together, we’ll dive into the anatomy of pleasure, unpack common intimacy challenges, and explore how obstacles — hormonal changes, illness, stress, body shifts, or life transitions — can become opportunities for deeper connection, communication, and healing.

Join us for real conversation, real community, and real support!

REGISTER: https://tinyurl.com/S*xTalk-Sessions

04/10/2026

It feels like we've been living with nervous systems that have been in survival mode for far too long. While we may not be directly in a war zone, we are collectively being assaulted with dire news, outrage and a steady supply of fear. When life becomes a constant stream of responsibilities, stress, and doom scrolling, the body forgets how to soften.

I'm here to remind you that prioritizing pleasure isn’t indulgent— it’s one of the ways we recalibrate the nervous system, rebuild resilience, and reconnect with ourselves.

If you're in or approaching perimenopause & menopause, or in the years beyond, please join us on May 20th for S*x Talk Sessions.

This workshop is designed for women who want to exploring what pleasure, intimacy, and embodiment can look like at this stage of life. Together, we’ll dive into the anatomy of pleasure, unpack common intimacy challenges, and explore how obstacles — hormonal changes, illness, stress, body shifts, or life transitions — can become opportunities for deeper connection, communication, and healing.

Join us at Gigi Trattoria in Rhinebeck, NY 6-7:30 PM. We'll meet in a private dining area in the back of the restaurant, and invite you to enjoy food and beverages off the menu. Please register by May 8th.

Amy Novatt, MD, is a board certified OB-GYN with over 30 years of clinical gynecological​ experience. Amy is now offering women in depth consulting for optimal health and hosting the podcast, GynoCurious, where she examines women’s​ health topics, speaking to both healers and those being healed.

I am a two time cancer survivor and survivorship coach. In my quest to help others "take their sexy back,” I co-founded sexual wellness brand Upstate Mary.
https://tinyurl.com/S*xTalk-Sessions

S*x Talk Sessions continues the exploration of intimacy, sexual health & the potent power of perimenopause & menopause.