In this special issue highlighting women, it is so important to highlight female health, specifically, five standout providers in Fayetteville. Their services span mental health, gynecology, physical therapy, and whole‑body wellness, giving women across Northwest Arkansas access to diverse, meaningful support.
What is Aligned Living?
Aligned Living is a counseling practice built on a whole‑person approach to mental health. Instead of focusing only on symptoms, the team looks at sleep, movement, connection, and lifestyle patterns that shape emotional well‑being. They offer counseling and coaching for individuals, couples, and families navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, and major life transitions. Their goal is to help clients understand the root of their struggles, break unhealthy cycles, and build lives that reflect who they truly are.
Owner Emily Starr said, “At some point, people realize it’s not just one thing that’s off—it’s multiple pieces that aren’t aligned. When we start connecting those pieces, they can break the cycles that brought them in and begin making more intentional decisions that reflect who they truly want to be.”
Why is the work of Aligned Living important?
Their impact extends beyond the therapy room. As clients grow, the ripple effect touches their relationships, families, and daily lives. The team understands that healing doesn’t always happen in a chair, which is why they offer outdoor therapy on local trails and animal‑assisted sessions with a certified therapy dog.
How can women take their mental health more seriously?
Women often carry enormous responsibility with little time reserved for themselves, which is why Emily encourages women to treat self‑care like any other commitment. Putting it on the calendar and protecting that time is one of the most important steps toward sustainable mental health.
What is Eras Women's Health?
Eras Women's Health is a women’s health practice dedicated to caring for women at every stage of life. From early womanhood through menopause, the clinic focuses on educating patients about their bodies and tailoring care to each individual’s needs. They blend primary care and gynecology with services like nutritional guidance, hormone therapy, and wellness resources. CEO and practice manager Natalie Shew says, “Our number one goal is that we give space for women to be heard here, because they deserve to be.”
Why is a clinic like this necessary for women?
Women’s health differs fundamentally from men’s, and because of that, it requires its own approach. Women’s bodies are complex and historically understudied, with most clinical trials not including women until the 1990s, leaving major gaps in evidence and treatment.
Eras Clinic believes women deserve to be heard, supported, and surrounded by a community that understands the full spectrum of their health needs. Women-focused, women-led care isn’t optional; it is essential.
How can women be intentional about taking care of their health?
Eras Clinic advises on helpful steps for women to thoughtfully care for their health through every era.
- Find a provider that you trust wholly.
- Try to stay consistent with your routine checkups. Those visits are the simplest ways to protect your long‑term health.
- Focus on the pillars of lifestyle health: stress management, sleep, nutrition, and movement. Prioritize 7-8 hours of sleep. Move your body for at least 30 minutes per day—walk, stretch, lift weights, play pickleball, do squats at your desk, whatever is enjoyable to you. Focusing on whole foods, fruits and vegetables, fiber, and protein goes a long way.
What is Body Balance NWA?
Body Balance NWA, founded by Lindsey Sabatini, helps patients achieve wellness from the inside out. The clinic offers functional medicine, weight‑loss support, hormone therapy, and a range of aesthetic treatments. Their mission is to address underlying concerns so they can experience lasting, meaningful health rather than temporary fixes.
Any advice for women taking care of their health?
“Everything in moderation,” Lindsey said, explaining the reality of imposing extreme limitations and rules on your lifestyle. Many viral diets and fads often leave women malnourished, slowing down their bodies' metabolism, which makes weight loss slower. The human body is smart, Lindsey explains. If the body isn’t getting what it needs, it will protect itself by holding onto resources. That’s why sustainable habits matter more than quick fixes.
Why is it important for women to understand their health?
Every woman deserves to be heard, and for many women, that hasn’t been the case, dealing with changes like menopause or hormone imbalance. Understanding their health empowers women, especially during these changes that can cause mood shifts, anxiety, sleep issues, and emotional ups and downs. Many women blame themselves or make big decisions during these confusing seasons. Body Balance helps women understand what’s happening biologically and find ways to ease symptoms.
“No one should lose decades of their life to untreated hormonal changes,” Lindsey said.
What is Hive Physical Therapy?
Hive Physical Therapy is a one‑on‑one longevity and performance center built on a simple idea: every person deserves a full hour with their physical therapist, every time. Founder Emily Waldorf, PT, created Hive to offer individualized care without rushed appointments or rotating providers. They work with everyone from high‑school athletes to adults in their 90s, offering physical therapy, performance training, post‑surgical rehab, perimenopause fitness programming, ACL support, and strength coaching.
"Whether you’re a 16-year-old coming back from a knee surgery or a 75-year-old who wants to keep hiking, I want to build a body that is resilient, confident, and capable for the long haul," Waldorf said.
Why is maintaining overall physical wellness especially important for women?
Women’s bodies go through extraordinary changes across a lifetime, and the healthcare system has historically been really slow to address them, Emily explained. Hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause can significantly affect joint health, muscle mass, bone density, and even how we recover from exercise. Physical therapy gives women a proactive tool to understand what’s happening in their bodies and stay ahead of pain, weakness, and injury rather than waiting until something breaks down.
What advice do you have for women?
“Start before something hurts,” Waldorf said.
Many women push through discomfort until pain forces them to stop, losing valuable ground. Strength training is essential as women age, and mobility work matters. Most importantly, women deserve providers who listen and treat the whole body—not just a symptom. Feeling stiff, tired, or limited doesn’t have to be accepted as “just getting older.”
What is Day by Day?
Day by Day is a center for mental wellness that integrates therapy with movement, massage, nutrition, and other supportive practices. They offer individual and group therapy, massage, nutrition counseling, and movement classes, creating customized plans for each person.
What is it like to treat women’s mental health?
Treating women’s mental health is complex, especially with the conflicting messages women receive about who they should be. Dr. Rofkahr explains that their work focuses on helping women understand who they are, what they want, and how to trust themselves again. Women make up half of the population, and their contributions span every part of society—leading, creating, working, innovating, and shaping future generations in many ways. Despite this, women have been left out of medicine for far too long. Prioritizing women’s health is not only essential but necessary to build a healthcare system that reflects and supports the full range of roles women hold.
What can women do to take their mental health more seriously?
To care for their mental health, Dr. R encourages women to stay connected: “Find a person you can talk to, who you trust.” She also emphasizes slowing down, checking in with yourself, and making space to process emotions.
Caring for emotional health also means caring for the body. Sleep, good nutrition, and movement support a healthier mindset, and joy matters just as much.
“Do something fun,” Crystal said, “It’s important to laugh, to dance, to be joyful.”
Aligned Living
“Supporting women’s mental health is about supporting the people who are holding so much together,” Emily Starr said.
Day by Day
“We meet people, and we figure out what is best for them,” Dr. Rofkahr said. “We want to be that space where people, all people, feel safe and comfortable.”
Era's Clinic
CEO Natalie Shew said, “Our number one goal is to give space for women to be heard, because they deserve to be.”
Hive
"The name 'Hive' reflects our philosophy. A hive is strong, purposeful, and built to last. That’s exactly what I want for everyone I work with." Emily Waldorf said.