Meet Ashley Fox, LPN, Certified Sex Therapy Practitioner, and learn how her family’s legacy shaped her judgment-free approach to sexual wellness.
A Legacy of Sexual Wellness: Why You Can Talk to Me About Sex Read More »
A nurse practitioner’s reflection on trauma, meaning-making, and healing inside systems that don’t understand us. Courtney Holmes, DNP, APRN, “The Alchemista” Some wounds don’t belong to a single moment in time. They follow us through the chapters of our lives, linking the child we once were with the person we are still becoming. This is
Healing Out Loud: When the World Gets It Wrong Read More »
Today would have been my mother’s 74th birthday. She passed away far too young at 68. My mother was a nurse, and in many ways she is the reason why I became one too. I grew up inside the world of healthcare. Both of my parents worked at Yale New Haven Hospital, my mother as a nurse and
The Nurse Who Raised Me — and Why I Fight for Women’s Health Today Read More »
Dementia Prevention in Women: A Menopause and Brain Health Perspective from Connecticut Dr. Courtney Holmes, APRN, Founder of Milford Med Spa & Wellness I am angry. I am angry at the continuing education on dementia that I pursued in good faith, at the geriatric specialist certification that I earned, the conferences I attended, the journals I
I Was Trained to Treat Dementia. No One Ever Taught Me to Prevent It in Women. Read More »
Why Understanding Beauty Matters for Medical Aesthetics In the 1990s, before I became a nurse practitioner, I studied Aesthetics, the philosophy of beauty and art, to explore questions like: What is beauty? Is beauty subjective or objective? Why does it matter? One idea that stayed with me all of these years is Diotima’s ladder of love , described by a woman
Diotima’s Ladder of Love & the Alchemy of Beauty | Milford Med Spa Read More »
Back: Mr. Med Spa, Alison, Dawn, Kelly, Elizabeth, Bob. Front: Nicole, Michele, Diana, Logan, Ashley, Courtney, Dana As 2025 comes to a close, I find myself less interested in tallying accomplishments and more drawn to honoring what this year asked of us, and what we became in the process. This was not just a year of
2025 at Milford Med Spa: A Year of Becoming Read More »
A personal reflection on starting estradiol hormone therapy and restoring emotional resonance, connection, and vitality during perimenopause and menopause. When Estradiol Woke Me Back Up: Restoring Emotional Resonance Through Hormone Therapy A reflection from The Alchemista There’s a moment I didn’t expect when I started the estradiol patch. Not fireworks.Not instant bliss.But a quiet re-inhabiting
Estradiol Hormone Therapy & Emotional Resonance | The Alchemista Read More »
By Dr. Courtney Holmes, APRN, The Alchemista The Fear: “Will Hormones Give Me a Clot?” If you’ve ever been told you have Factor V Leiden or a “clotting gene,” you’ve probably heard that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is off-limits. The truth? That’s not entirely accurate anymore. Modern research shows that the route of estrogen administration
✦ The Hormone Trinity ✦ Learn how estrogen, progesterone & testosterone shape women’s health. Discover benefits for brain, bone, mood, libido & breast cancer risk reduction. Milford Med Spa & Wellness explains the importance of balanced hormones for perimenopause & menopause. Understanding Estrogen, Progesterone & Testosterone in Women When we talk about hormones, most people
Behind the name The Alchemista stands Dr. Courtney Holmes, APRN, a visionary nurse practitioner, entrepreneur, and creative force who has transformed the way beauty, wellness, and medicine intersect. With a foundation shaped at Smith College, Johns Hopkins University, and Quinnipiac University, Courtney blends scientific expertise with an artistic, almost mystical approach to care. At Milford
Who is The Alchemista? | Dr. Courtney Holmes at Milford Med Spa Read More »
