Unpacked; When life happens

Lisa Bondarenko
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  • Mental Health
  • Updated Biweekly

Hosted by Lisa Bondarenko, Unpacked is a therapy-informed podcast exploring the human experience through raw, meaningful and deeply honest conversations. Through a mix of solo episodes and conversations with experts and everyday people, Lisa unpacks the beautiful, the brutal, and everything in between. Stories behind the survival. Conversations beneath the coping. Moments that shape who we become. Blending professional insight, lived experience, and vulnerability, Unpacked creates a space where people feel seen and understood because when life happens, we often need somewhere safe to land.

  1. May 16

    Cassie Day: Caring — What It Takes, What It Gives

    Cassie Day - Caring — What It Takes, What It GivesThere are some people who don’t just survive hardseasons — they build something meaningful from them. In this episode, we sit down with Cassie Day — mum, advocate, and original founder of The Carers Place. After years walking the corridors of hospitals, specialists and endless appointments fighting for her son’s health, Cassie knows the reality of parenting through uncertainty, exhaustion and resilience. As a single mumnavigating some of life’s toughest moments, she turned lived experience into purpose — creating a safe place for families caring for children with disabilities. This is a conversation about strength, burnout, advocacy, motherhood, isolation, and whathappens when someone decides no family should feel alone. A powerful and deeply human conversation. Please subscribe, leave a review, and help us bring more real conversations like this to light.

    53 min

  2. Apr 25

    Samuel Powell-Pepper: Beyond the Guernsey: Unfiltered

    Samuel Powell - Pepper - Beyond the Guernsey: Unfiltered Known across the AFL for his strength, athleticism and fierce presence on the field, Samuel Powell-Pepper has earned respect through both talent and character. But this conversation goes far beyond football. It’s about the man behind the athlete — the father, the husband, and the human navigating life, identity and purpose beyond the game. Together, we unpack what the past two years of injury have meant mentally and emotionally, how he has stayed grounded through setbacks, and the dreams he still holds for the future. Sam also opens up about love, childhood, resilience, and the people who shaped the man he is today. Whether you follow AFL or not, this is a conversation about perseverance, growth and the reality that success never protects anyone from life’s challenges.

    29 min

  3. Mar 24

    Michelle Mc Cranor - Her name is Celeste

    Every day in Australia, six families leave hospital without their baby. For Michelle, that day was August 9, 2001. After a long labour, her daughter Celeste was born perfect, but not alive—turning motherhood into grief in an instant. With around 2,000 stillbirths each year, many preventable, this episode explores the conversations we avoid and the awareness that could save lives. Driven to create change, Michelle ran nearly 1,000km from Seacliff to Warrnambool in 2024, raising over $100,000 for Stillbirth Foundation Australia and giving voice to families who often go unheard. This is a powerful story of one woman’s grief, courage, and determination to create change.

    45 min

  4. Mar 3

    Derrick McManus: 30 Seconds from Death

    Derrick McManus When South Australia’s largest STAR Force siege erupted into chaos, Derrick McManus found himself in the line of fire — and at the centre of a moment that should have ended his life. Shot 14 times with a high-powered rifle, Derrick remained conscious, bleeding and fighting to stay alive for three agonising hours before rescue. He was 30 seconds from death. Most would never return to operational duty. Yet just two years later, Derrick stepped back into the world of elite policing — resuming sniper and counter-terrorism responsibilities. No PTSD.No depression.No ongoing therapy. In this gripping conversation, we explore survival, resilience, mindset, and what it truly takes to come back from the brink — not just alive, but unbroken.

    1h 7m

  5. Feb 11

    Jacqueline DeGiovanni: When life and death meet in the corridor...

    Jacqueline’s Story – Love, Loss, and Life’s Turning PointsOn the day Jacqueline (Jacq) welcomed her second child into the world, her first daughter, Aimee, was a patient in the same hospital merely two floors down critically ill. Tragically she passed away hours post her sisters delivery. This story of heartbreak and hope captures the depths of grief, the power of enduring love, and the courage to keep showing up when life feels unthinkable. Jacq’s journey is a testament to human resilience, faith, and the search for meaning amidst profound loss.

    50 min
  6. Christie Wilson – Navigating Neurodivergence

    Jan 21

    Christie Wilson – Navigating Neurodivergence

    Christie Wilson – Navigating Neurodivergence As a qualified educator/leader with the school system and mum to two boys with ADHD, Christie knows first hand the emotional toll and beauty of raising neurodivergent children. In this candid episode, she shares her journey through the school system, the strain it can place on families and marriages, and the small wins that matter most. A must-listen for parents, educators, and anyone trying to understand life beyond the neurotypical lens. Real talk, real challenges, and real love for every stepof the journey. Subscribe to this Podcast to get alerts on the next episode landing. For more information www.lisabondarenko.com.au

    54 min

  7. 12/02/2025

    Wala Truscott: Sex, Love and the cheeky wink...

    Wala Truscott is a sex and intimacy coach who gets straight to the heart of what’s missing in so many relationships: true connection. This episode dives into how couples can rediscover one another, improve emotional and physical intimacy, and strip things back to the basics of what it means to reallysee and feel each other again. Honest, bold, and essential listening for couples cravingdeeper connection. If this story inspired you don’t forget to like, follow, and subscribe to the 360 Woman Podcast.  To find the 360 Woman app jump over to www.lisabondarenko.com.au

    51 min

  8. 11/17/2025

    Sam Healy: The Science of Stillness & Meditation

    What happens when a teacher brings meditation into the classroom — not as an experiment, but as a daily practice? Educator and speaker Sam Healy has seen firsthand how stillness, breath, and neuroscience can transform young minds and reshape the way we learn. In this episode, we explore how meditation moved from the yoga mat to the school desk, what happens in the brain when we pause, and why this practice isn’t just for the spiritual or the serene — it’s for the everyday human trying to navigate life with more calm, focus, and connection. A conversation that reminds us: you don’t need a guru to change your mind — just a moment of stillness.

    50 min
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About

Hosted by Lisa Bondarenko, Unpacked is a therapy-informed podcast exploring the human experience through raw, meaningful and deeply honest conversations. Through a mix of solo episodes and conversations with experts and everyday people, Lisa unpacks the beautiful, the brutal, and everything in between. Stories behind the survival. Conversations beneath the coping. Moments that shape who we become. Blending professional insight, lived experience, and vulnerability, Unpacked creates a space where people feel seen and understood because when life happens, we often need somewhere safe to land.

Information

  • Creator
    Lisa Bondarenko
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Lisa Bondarenko
  • Show Website
    Unpacked; When life happens