Women's Wellness

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable forms of cancer — yet thousands of women are still diagnosed each year. Barriers like access to care, transportation challenges, cultural or religious beliefs, personal discomfort, and even stigma around HPV continue to prevent many from getting screened.

Now, there’s a new option designed to change that.

Sonora Quest Laboratories has expanded its cervical cancer screening services by offering an FDA-approved HPV self-collection test through My Lab ReQuest™. The new screening option is available at all Sonora Quest Patient Service Centers across Arizona, giving individuals a safe, private alternative to a traditional pelvic exam.

I call myself a “plant medicine woman” because I have worked with the healing power of plants for most of my adult life as a gardener, student, teacher, and practitioner.  Now that I’ve reached the quarter-century mark, I can honestly say that although I had found my life’s purpose years ago, there was another path to explore.  As many of us discover, just when you think you’ve reached a saturation point, there’s always more to learn.

For decades, hypnosis and hypnotherapy have been misunderstood. Stage shows featuring people being “put under” for entertainment have given hypnosis a reputation for being silly, unsafe, or even manipulative. But the truth is very different. Hypnosis and hypnotherapy are powerful, evidence-based healing modalities that help us access the subconscious beliefs and patterns that quietly run our lives. Once those patterns are made conscious, they can be changed — often leading to profound healing in the mind, the nervous system, and day-to-day life.

When you walk into Thrive Family Chiropractic, you immediately feel something different. It’s calm yet vibrant: a space where healing feels personal, not clinical. Founded by Dr. Anita Scheer and Dr. Julie Weston, Thrive’s mission is clear: to bring neurologically based chiropractic care to families in Prescott, supporting everything from perinatal prenatal wellness to neurodevelopmental needs through all phases of life.

Have you ever wondered how you’d react if someone tried to harm you? Most of us would rather not think about it—and if we did, we might assume we’d scream or run. The truth is, fear can freeze us, and physical strength alone often isn’t enough.

That reality hit home when I joined a two-hour workshop with Scott Shephard, founder of Fundamental Martial Arts (FMA) in Prescott, Arizona. I expected a short lesson in basic self-defense. Instead, it became a powerful wake-up call and, ultimately, a practice that reshaped how I move through the world.

In the quiet heart of Prescott Valley, tucked just off Yavapai Road, there’s a place that doesn’t feel like a clinic at all. It feels like coming home. That place is PV MediSpa & Weight Loss, where medical expertise meets deeply personal care—and where...

Dr. Kelsie Stevens finds her greatest joy in giving patients clear, comfortable vision. Using the latest technology to assist Premier Eye Center patients with vision challenges, Dr. Stevens works with all levels of patients. 

During a recent interview, she said, “I specialize in scleral lenses—contact lenses designed for patients who cannot wear normal soft contact lenses.” These lenses, which do not sit fully on the eye, are shaped like a bowl, which vaults over the cornea.  She added, “These lenses can give patients great vision when glasses and standard contact lenses can’t.”   

Premier Eye Center Office Manager and Co-Owner Tracy Sullivan said, “Dr. Stevens really cares about her patients and about providing the best care for them. She is a joy to work with because of her great personality, high energy, awesome laugh, and her commitment to our patients and the community. She truly has made a positive impact as she strives for excellence in this profession.” 

In December 2023, Tim McGhee finally listened to his wife. The changes he made as a result transformed his life. Now, he’s using what he learned to transform the health and lives of others through Legendary Total Wellness & Longevity Spa in Prescott Valley. 

After serving for 12 years in the U.S. Airforce, plus five years in the reserves, Tim worked as a Registered Nurse at the Veterans Administration. He earned several advanced degrees and became a Nurse Practitioner, working in the VA’s emergency department and eventually opening his own primary care practice. 

By October 2022, he weighed 297 pounds and relied on oxygen more than half the time thanks to COVID-related bi-lateral pneumonia eight months before. He also had several diseases related to his time in the military. 

“I realized if I didn’t do something myself, change my lifestyle,” he said, “I’d end up dying before I retired.”   

One of the definitions for recreation is “refreshment of strength and spirits.” Through the outdoor adventure of watersports for adapted athletes and their families, that’s exactly what Arizona Adaptive Water Sports (AAWS) provides for people with disabilities—and their families. 

Jo Crawford, AAWS Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, said during a recent interview that through the organization, she strives to empower athletes; not just to try watersports, but to conquer fear and take charge of their own health and lives. 

“To watch these kids starting outdoor adventure and having them do this stuff that takes a lot of courage,” she said. “What happens to them later on in life is that they say, ‘Don’t tell me I can’t do something.’”  

She wants people to know that “fear is a liar.”  

When educator and therapist Jen Beyst co-founded the Cognitive Function Development Institute, she was responding to both personal and professional callings. As a mother of three neurodivergent children and the granddaughter of a man who lost himself to Alzheimer’s Disease, Jen searched for answers where traditional methods fell short. This mission led her to neuroscience and the creation of Cognitive Function Development Therapy (CFDT).

“CFDT is like physical therapy for the brain,” Jen explained. “We identify weak functions through objective assessments and target them with engaging, structured activities. It’s like fine-tuning an orchestra; every part of the brain needs to play in sync for optimal performance.”

Every Saturday in cities and towns around the world, people gather to run, thanks to thousands of organized parkruns—free, 2k and 5k community events in open spaces. Now, there’s an official parkrun in Prescott at 7:30 a.m. every Saturday: the Jan Alfano Trail parkrun. It’s an out-and-back course along the south side of Willow Lake. The trailhead (where the run starts and finishes) is just behind the Beneful Dog Park.

Summer is here and Vitalant is already feeling the heat; traditionally donors are in short supply during the summer months because of vacations and other activities. But it is important to remember that patients in 62 Arizona hospitals are depending upon 600 blood donors every day – even during the summer.

“The demand for blood is constant,” said Anna Oliver, Senior Director of Donor Recruitment for Vitalant.