Cracking Open with Molly Carroll

Molly Carroll, MA, LPC
  • 4.9 (64)
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What happens when life brings you to your knees and forces you to discover who you truly are? Cracking Open is the podcast for anyone who has faced a defining moment of crisis, grief, trauma, or rock bottom and found themselves transformed by it. Hosted by Molly Carroll, licensed therapist, TED speaker, published author, and coach, each episode dives deep into the raw, real stories of actors, athletes, thought leaders, healers, and everyday warriors. Whether it was the loss of a loved one, addiction, childhood trauma, incarceration, or an unexpected life collapse, these "cracking open" moments shape everything: how we parent, love, work, lead, and connect. What you'll discover: How trauma and crisis can become the greatest catalysts for growthTools and insights from mental health, healing, and personal transformationHonest conversations that normalize struggle and celebrate resilienceIf you're navigating grief, trauma recovery, personal growth, or a major life transition, or you simply want to feel less alone in your human experience, this podcast is for you. Subscribe and join the conversation.

  1. The Leader Within: Shadow Work, Core Values & the Power of Human Connection with Thomas Droge | Ep. 104

    5D AGO

    The Leader Within: Shadow Work, Core Values & the Power of Human Connection with Thomas Droge | Ep. 104

    What does it mean to truly lead not just in a boardroom, but in your relationships, your family, and your own inner life? In this deeply moving episode, therapist and host Molly Carroll sits down with Thomas Droge, executive coach, Chief Mindfulness Officer, mindfulness speaker, and author of The Leader Within, to explore the practices that create real, lasting transformation. Thomas brings over three decades of integrated medicine, qigong, meditation, and contemplative work into a raw, honest conversation about shadow work, living your core values, the healing power of human connection, and what happens when life cracks you open without warning. You'll hear Thomas share the moment his wife came out of surgery paralyzed — and what that crisis revealed about love, presence, and showing up. This episode is for anyone feeling stuck, disconnected, or searching for deeper meaning in a noisy world. Topics covered: Shadow work and embracing your "evil twin"How to identify and live by your core values (the precepts practice)Leadership as a human skill — for parents, teachers, and everyday peopleThe psychology of not wanting to be a burdenAncient wisdom for modern mental healthMindfulness in the workplace and startup cultureFinding your path when the template doesn't fit🎧 Tune in now to listen. xo Molly 🌱 Please consider supporting the Cracking Open podcast on Patreon. Resources and Links Thomas Droge:  Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook The Leader Within — available now wherever books are sold. Molly Carroll: Website | Instagram | Facebook Now accepting new therapy clients! Schedule Here

    53 min
  2. Molly Magic: The Power in Life's No's and Not Yet's

    APR 30

    Molly Magic: The Power in Life's No's and Not Yet's

    You got a NO this week. Maybe more than one. Someone said no to you. Or your kid came home with that look on their face. Or you've been trying and trying, and the door just won't open. Here's what the research tells us: your brain processes social rejection in the same region as physical pain. Neuroscientist Naomi Eisenberger found that the anterior cingulate cortex — the part that lights up when you're physically hurt — lights up identically when you're rejected. You are not being dramatic. You are being human. And your brain doesn't distinguish between a big no and a small one. The strawberries being out of stock. The email that never came back. Your nervous system treats them all the same way. The small nos stack. By noon, your threat response has been firing all morning — and your fear brain starts whispering: maybe you're not enough. Maybe you should stop trying. That is not wisdom. That is fear doing its job. A no is information about that moment. It is not a verdict on your worth. When it happens to someone you love. When your child doesn't make the team, isn't invited to the party, comes home with that look — it hits differently. Research shows that when someone we love is rejected, our brains register it as if it happened to us. Add the helplessness of not being able to take it from them, and it's a lot to carry. So: feel your own pain first. Then sit with them. Listen. Show them what it looks like to get back up. How you handle your nos is teaching everyone around you how to handle theirs. Four tools for the no you're holding: 1. Name which no it is. A not yet has a crack in it — soft language, an open door, worth showing up for again. A real no feels different in your body: clear, final, repeated. Releasing a real no isn't defeat. It's clarity. It frees up every ounce of energy you've been spending on a closed door. 2. Write it out. Unprocessed nos become stories — nothing works out for me, I always get passed over. Those aren't facts. They're feelings. Write it out and watch it lose its grip. Naming an emotion reduces its intensity and moves you from fear brain back into thinking brain. 3. Burn it. Write it down, read it one last time, say out loud: "This does not define me" — and burn it. Watch it turn to ash. Can't burn it? Tear it up. Delete it. The point is the conscious choice to let it go. 4. Ask what it's making room for. What could this no be redirecting you toward? What are your yeses now? And if all you can write is I don't know yet, but I trust something is coming — that is enough. That is the whole practice. Every no you have ever survived is proof that you are still here. Something good is ahead of you. I really believe that. Now go find your magic. 🤍 — Molly 🌱 Please consider supporting the Cracking Open podcast on Patreon. RESOURCES & LINKS: Molly Carroll: Website | Instagram | Facebook Now accepting new therapy clients! Learn more or schedule a session here.

    23 min
  3. Shaka Senghor: How to Escape Life's Hidden Prisons and Be Free

    APR 16

    Shaka Senghor: How to Escape Life's Hidden Prisons and Be Free

    Whenever someone asks me for a word that describes how I want to live, my answer is always the same. Freedom. Not just personal freedom, but freedom in my mind, my body, and my spirit. Maybe that comes from being raised Catholic, or maybe it’s simply my wild spirit that has never wanted to be contained. So when I read Shaka Senghor's How to Be Free: A Proven Guide to Escaping Life’s Hidden Prisons, I knew I needed to have him back on the podcast. Because this message isn’t just for people who have been behind bars. You don’t need a prison cell to feel imprisoned. It’s for anyone lying awake replaying something they wish they could let go of. Anyone who can’t move past a loss. Anyone whose carefully built walls are keeping even joy out. Shaka Senghor is known for his remarkable journey from solitary confinement to the C-suite. He is a New York Times bestselling author, a resilience teacher, and one of the most powerful voices we have on transformation, healing, and justice. In his latest book, he names the hidden prisons that keep us stuck. They are not made of concrete and steel, but of grief, anger, shame, and fear. And here is the truth that changes everything. These prisons have doors. In This Episode, We Explore Grief Shaka begins his book with grief for a reason. We talk about loss in a deeply human way, including the death of his beloved dog and his brother. In one of the most moving moments of our conversation, he shares how he refused to let his dog’s passing go unacknowledged, even taking legal action against the care center responsible. This is grief met with both love and accountability. Anger What does it mean to be the master of your emotions rather than a prisoner of them? He reframes anger as something that, when understood, can become a source of power and agency rather than destruction. Shame In one of the most courageous moments of the conversation, Shaka speaks openly about sexual abuse as a man and the silence that surrounds it. At a time when so many men carry this in isolation, his willingness to name it matters deeply. Hope and Joy There is light here, too. This conversation is not just about surviving. It is about learning how to live. He reminds us that joy is not something we earn after suffering. It is available to us now. Shaka spent nineteen years in the Michigan prison system, including seven years in solitary confinement. Since his release, he has become a leading voice on resilience, healing, and personal transformation. His work has been featured on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, and How to Be Free is a roadmap for anyone who has ever felt stuck. Which, if we’re honest, is all of us. Hidden prisons are real. They are built from our pain, our past, and the stories we carry about who we are. But as he reminds us through both his life and his work, the door is always there. You just have to be willing to walk through it. 🎧 Tune in now to listen. With love, Molly 🌱 Please consider supporting the Cracking Open podcast on Patreon. RESOURCES & LINKS: Shaka Senghor Website | Instagram How to Be Free — available wherever books are sold Molly Carroll: Website | Instagram | Facebook Now accepting new therapy clients! Learn more or schedule a session here.

    57 min
  4. Welcome to Episode 1 of Molly's Magic: Reset Your Nervous System in Minutes

    APR 2

    Welcome to Episode 1 of Molly's Magic: Reset Your Nervous System in Minutes

    Welcome to Molly's Magic. I’m Molly. A mom, a therapist, an author, a podcast host, and a TED speaker. The alchemy of these roles has brought me here. Molly's Magic is simple. Short, meaningful, and doable steps to help you move closer to your goals. Who is Molly's Magic for? This is for the part of you that knows you are capable of more but cannot quite name what is getting in the way. The part of you that feels stuck. That senses something bigger is waiting. That is ready, even just a little bit, to explore what that could look like. The Story Behind Molly's Magic I was not always the smartest, the most athletic, or the most beautiful person in the room. But I have always had something else. A deep, steady belief that things can happen for me in life. And a lot of the time, they do. From meeting the Dalai Lama, to walking into a fully booked restaurant and somehow getting a table, to getting into a Taylor Swift Eras Tour show on the floor with no ticket. Over time, my kids started calling it Molly Magic. What I Know to Be True After 25 years as a therapist, and from living my own messy, beautiful, complicated life, this is what I know. You have the magic too. And I also know what gets in the way. An unregulated nervous system. A mind stuck in fight or flight. The voice that tells you that you are not enough, or that there is not enough. The pressure to be perfect. Old stories that feel like truth. Blame. Staying stuck in the past. These things do not just keep you unhappy. They block your magic. What Molly's Magic Is Molly's Magic is about finding your magic. Living your magic. And gently moving the things out of the way that are keeping you from it. You are not going to feel magical every day. There will be hard days. Hard seasons. Moments when nothing feels possible. You are okay when you are not okay. And that is part of this, too. This is about possibility and acceptance in the same breath. Daily ritual and real therapeutic tools. Self-love. Real, imperfect, practiced self-love. Because when you learn to truly love yourself, you create more space for connection, for joy, and for magic in your life. Every month, I will share one tool. One shift. One piece of wisdom. Something I have learned over 25 years in the therapy room and, often, the hard way in my own life. Short. Simple. Actionable.  Something you can begin before you even finish your coffee. So welcome to Molly Magic. And welcome home to you. If this landed for you, share it with someone who might need it. If you want more, subscribe to Cracking Open so you never miss an episode, and come find me so we can keep the conversation going. You do not have to do any of this alone. 🎧 Tune in now to listen. With love, Molly 🌱 Please consider supporting the podcast on Patreon. RESOURCES & LINKS: Molly Carroll: Website | Instagram | Facebook Now accepting new therapy clients! Learn more or schedule a session here.

    19 min
  5. 100th Episode Part 2: Coming Home to the People Who Know Me Best

    MAR 19

    100th Episode Part 2: Coming Home to the People Who Know Me Best

    Welcome back to Part 2 of our 100th episode. If you have not listened to Part 1 yet, pause here and go back. Truly. Tommy, Lisa, René, Leo, and Cora brought everything. And your responses told me just how deeply it landed. You shared that Tommy reminded you that everything you need is already inside of you. That Lisa’s story made you want to start something new at 60. That René’s story changed the way you see single moms and families of three. That after listening to Cora, you wanted to sign up for her workshop on overcoming toxic friendships. Honestly, same. And that Leo left you feeling more hopeful about your own life. I could not have asked for more than that. And now, we continue. Because there are more stories to tell. More moments to sit with. More truth to witness. In this second half, you will hear from some of the people who have held me together for decades. Charlotte Hardwick, my most trusted confidante, reflects on what 100 episodes of this podcast have taught her. Noelle Teuber, who has been running beside me, both literally and figuratively, for 15 years, shares about loss and what it means to find love again on the other side. My husband, Adam Carroll, opens up about navigating life’s biggest transitions and what it truly means to believe in yourself when the path is not clear. Bowen Teuber speaks honestly about the loneliness and challenge of transitioning to college and how he found himself in the middle of it. And then there is me. Because if I am going to ask the people I love most to crack open on this microphone, it only feels right that I do the same. I share what it meant to show up for René after she lost Jason and how, in that moment, our group of friends became something more than friendship. We became family. These are not famous voices or household names. They are the people who show up. The people who stay. The people who love. And somewhere in these conversations, my hope is that you hear yourself. That you feel a little less alone. And that you are reminded: Cracking open, that beautiful, messy, courageous act of being human, belongs to all of us. 🎧 Tune in now to listen. With love, Molly 🌱 Please consider supporting the Cracking Open podcast on Patreon. RESOURCES & LINKS: Molly Carroll: Website | Instagram | Facebook Now accepting new therapy clients! Learn more or schedule a session here.

    1h 6m
  6. 100th Episode: Coming Home to the People Who Know Me Best

    MAR 5

    100th Episode: Coming Home to the People Who Know Me Best

    In this special two-part 100th episode, you’ll hear something a little different—the everyday, deeply human stories of the people closest to me. From navigating the loss of a husband to the tender uncertainty of leaving home for college. From launching a business to discovering a passion for a sport you never imagined trying at 50. From the journey of growing from boy to man, to finding resilience after heartbreak, to the quiet but powerful work of building strong friendships. These are not famous voices or household names—and that is exactly the point. Because cracking open doesn’t belong to the extraordinary few. It belongs to all of us. My hope is that somewhere in these conversations, you hear yourself. You hear your own story. And maybe, just maybe, you feel a little less alone in yours. But to understand why this episode means so much to me, you have to know a little about the journey that brought us here. One Hundred Episodes One hundred episodes. I still have to pinch myself writing those words. When I started this podcast, I had one question I couldn’t stop thinking about: What is your cracking open moment—and how did it change you forever? I had no idea that question would lead me to 99 of the most extraordinary people I’ve ever had the privilege of sitting with. From Jodie Patterson and David Nichtern, who said yes when I had absolutely no idea what I was doing… to Fr. Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries, Mary Pipher, Shaka Senghor, Elizabeth Lesser, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Dr. Dan Siegel, Terry Real, Dr. Lisa Miller, Tami Simon, Dr. Ellen Langer, Cory Richards, Suneel Gupta, and so many more whose wisdom has changed me forever. Guests who overcame heroin addiction, grief, incarceration, and unimaginable loss. Guests who returned a second time because one conversation wasn’t enough. Guests who became dear friends. Every one of those 99 guests trusted me with their cracking open stories—with their vulnerability, wisdom, and kindness—and they will forever be woven into the fabric of this podcast. And for that, I am deeply grateful. Because here’s the truth: I’m not Joe Rogan. I’m not Mel Robbins. I’m not a celebrity who decided to start a podcast. So every single time someone said yes to me—trusted me with their time and their story—I jumped up in pure joy. Coming Home For episode 100, I wanted to do something that felt true to why I started this podcast in the first place. So I turned to the people who know me best—and asked them the same question I’ve asked every guest: What was your cracking open moment? You’ll hear from my husband of 22 years, Adam Carroll, my son Tommy Carroll,  my daughter Cora Carroll, and my brother Leo Rowen. You’ll also hear from the friends who have held me together for decades. Charlotte Hardwick, René Mitchell, Lisa Bermudez, Noelle Teuber, and Bowen Teuber. My Team And none of this would exist without my team. Natalie, Kevin, and Chloe: this is yours too. Ninety-nine episodes of strangers who became teachers, teachers who became friends, and stories that cracked me wide open in ways I never expected. And now episode 100—coming home to the people who have been cracking me open my entire life without even knowing it. It feels exactly right. If this episode moves you, please share it with someone you love. And if you haven’t yet, subscribe so you never miss a Cracking Open moment. We’re just getting started. 🎧 Tune in now to listen. With love, Molly

    1h 3m
  7. Serena & Lily Co-Founder Serena Dugan on Creativity, Courage, and What Matters Most

    FEB 12

    Serena & Lily Co-Founder Serena Dugan on Creativity, Courage, and What Matters Most

    As we approach our 100th episode, I’ve been revisiting a few conversations that have stayed with me long after the microphones were turned off. Bill Valentine’s episode was re-released because of the way he shared heart-centered, real-life wisdom while facing the end of his life. And today, I’m re-releasing my conversation with Serena Dugan for a different—but equally powerful—reason. Over the years, people have stopped me on the streets of my hometown of Bend to tell me that Serena’s words gave them the courage to finally write the book that had been living inside them… or to leave a corporate job and start a small design company to help people feel more alive in their homes. These two episodes remind us that our "cracking open" moments come in many forms. Sometimes they arrive through confronting mortality, and sometimes they arrive through choosing to trust our creativity and make brave, life-altering changes. Serena is a beacon of authenticity and creative courage. She is an artist and textile designer based in Sausalito, California. With a background in both psychology and fine art, Serena has spent over 20 years shaping her voice as a painter, product designer, and the Chief Creative Officer of Serena & Lily, the home and lifestyle brand she founded in 2004. In 2020, she launched Serena Dugan Studio, her namesake collection of fabrics and wallpapers. Her art-driven textiles draw inspiration from around the world—from the breezy jet-set spirit of Capri in the ’50s, to South American basket-weaving traditions, to the colorful mid-century architecture of Mexico City. Most recently, Serena collaborated with Erik Lindstrom on a line of rugs inspired by her artwork. In our conversation, we explore what it really means to trust your creative instincts, make decisions from your inner knowing, release ego, and find your way forward through grief and loss. This episode is both grounded and expansive—a reminder that creativity lives within all of us when we remain open to change and willing to listen to ourselves. Serena also speaks honestly about the value of making mistakes, starting over, and remembering that our achievements do not define who we are. As she so beautifully shares: “At the end of my days, I’m not going to look back on Serena and Lily and think that is my greatest success. I’m not going to look back on my textile collection and say that is what I’m most proud of. At the end of the day, it’s the people I’m surrounded by that give life meaning. The rest of this is just our path to love.” This conversation is a gentle but powerful reminder that our creative work, our businesses, and our accomplishments are simply vehicles. The true masterpiece is how we love and connect with others along the way. If you’ve been waiting for permission to start that project, make that change, or trust the creative voice that’s been quietly calling you forward—let this episode be your catalyst. 🎧 Tune in now to listen. With love, Molly 🌱 Please consider supporting the Cracking Open podcast on Patreon. RESOURCES & LINKS: Serena Dugan: Website | Instagram Molly Carroll: Website | Instagram | Facebook Now accepting new therapy clients! Learn more or schedule a session here.

    54 min
  8. Learn How Terminal Cancer Taught Successful Wealth Manager Bill Valentine the True Meaning of Life

    JAN 29

    Learn How Terminal Cancer Taught Successful Wealth Manager Bill Valentine the True Meaning of Life

    In times of uncertainty, we need reminders of what truly matters. Today’s episode is a profound lesson in hope, love, and perspective—one that gently calls us back to presence, connection, and grace. This is a re-release of my conversation with Bill Valentine, who passed away peacefully at home on October 21, 2022. I felt deeply called to bring this episode forward again. It’s exactly what we need right now. This conversation isn’t about fear or loss—it’s about living without regret, being fully present because life is fleeting, and holding hope for the future. Many people say the most precious gift we can give is our time. Bill understood this in a way few ever do. When we recorded this episode, he was living with stage four terminal pancreatic cancer, and he chose to spend some of his remaining time with us. Bill was the only guest I’ve ever interviewed without doing extensive research beforehand. I wanted to meet him heart to heart. As it turns out, that choice mirrored one of his greatest realizations: who we truly are has nothing to do with what we’ve accomplished. Bill was a husband and a father of four boys. His focus had narrowed to what mattered most—love, relationships, and presence. In this conversation, Bill shares what his days looked like, what cancer was teaching him, and the lessons he wanted his sons to carry forward. He speaks openly about participating in his own living funeral—receiving love, hearing how he mattered, and discovering that he was, and always had been, enough. He also shares how psilocybin treatment helped him come to terms with his diagnosis and arrive at a simple, powerful truth: the meaning of life is to give and receive love. This is the legacy he left behind. “It shouldn’t take a terminal disease for you to wake up to your obligation to live a full life—and at the center of that are other people.” — Bill Valentine Bill was one of the greatest teachers to ever join Cracking Open. His wisdom, humility, and open heart continue to ripple outward. Rest in peace, Bill. Thank you for everything you taught us. 🎧 Tune in now to listen. Love, Molly 🌱 Please consider supporting the Cracking Open podcast on Patreon. RESOURCES & LINKS: Molly Carroll: Website | Instagram | Facebook Now accepting new therapy clients! If you’re feeling stuck, navigating change, or craving more purpose and peace, I’d love to support you. Learn more or schedule a session here.

    58 min
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4.9
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About

What happens when life brings you to your knees and forces you to discover who you truly are? Cracking Open is the podcast for anyone who has faced a defining moment of crisis, grief, trauma, or rock bottom and found themselves transformed by it. Hosted by Molly Carroll, licensed therapist, TED speaker, published author, and coach, each episode dives deep into the raw, real stories of actors, athletes, thought leaders, healers, and everyday warriors. Whether it was the loss of a loved one, addiction, childhood trauma, incarceration, or an unexpected life collapse, these "cracking open" moments shape everything: how we parent, love, work, lead, and connect. What you'll discover: How trauma and crisis can become the greatest catalysts for growthTools and insights from mental health, healing, and personal transformationHonest conversations that normalize struggle and celebrate resilienceIf you're navigating grief, trauma recovery, personal growth, or a major life transition, or you simply want to feel less alone in your human experience, this podcast is for you. Subscribe and join the conversation.

Information

  • Creator
    Molly Carroll, MA, LPC
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    105
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Cracking Open with Molly Carroll
  • Show Website
    Cracking Open with Molly Carroll

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