Notes from the Edge

Lisa Lacy
  • 4.9 (119)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

Notes From the Edge is where polished stories end and the truth begins. Hosted by writer, trauma educator, executive advisor, and author Lisa Lacy, this globally ranked podcast explores survival, identity, trauma, addiction, recovery, leadership, relationships, and reinvention through raw, deeply human conversations. No scripts. No small talk. Just the stories we were taught to hide, the roles we performed to survive, and the truths that set us free. What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the edge. www.lisalacy.com

  1. 5h ago

    Coercive Control & Trauma Bonding: Why You Can’t “Just Leave” Solo Episode with Lisa Lacy

    Why does someone stay in a relationship they know is hurting them? And why can leaving feel almost physically unbearable, even when you know you need to go? In this special solo episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy shares her own experience of spending 13 years in a marriage marked by addiction, betrayal, coercive control, gaslighting and trauma bonding. At the time, Lisa was also carrying diagnoses of borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, complex PTSD, chronic alcoholism and codependency while managing a congenital blood disease. Over time, the chaos became so disorienting that she stopped trusting her own perception and began gaslighting herself. She left repeatedly. And repeatedly went back. Because every time she tried to leave, it felt like she was dying. It ultimately took three years to complete the divorce and another three years before she was able to fully go no contact. This conversation explores what coercive control actually looks like when it happens slowly, how trauma bonds are reinforced through cycles of fear, pain, relief and reconciliation, why mental-health diagnoses can make someone even more vulnerable to doubting their own reality, and why asking survivors, “Why didn’t you just leave?” profoundly misunderstands what may be happening psychologically and physiologically. Lisa also talks about the long road back to self-trust, the difference between understanding someone and giving them permission to harm you, and the moment when you stop making decisions based on someone’s potential and finally start looking at their patterns. Because sometimes leaving is not one brave decision. Sometimes it is a process of choosing yourself over and over again until your nervous system finally learns that freedom is safe. Learn more about Lisa and Notes From the Edge at www.LisaLacy.com What did you perform in order to survive?  Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Coercive Control & Trauma Bonding: Why You Can’t “Just Leave” Solo Episode with Lisa Lacy

  2. 2d ago

    Integrative Psychiatry: Root-Cause Mental Health, Depression & Whole-Person Care with Dr. Naveen Thomas

    What if psychiatry looked beyond symptoms and asked a different question: What else could be happening here? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with Dr. Naveen Thomas, board-certified psychiatrist and founder of Clarity Integrative Psychiatry, for a wide-ranging conversation about what mental healthcare can look like when we stop treating the diagnosis as the whole person. Dr. Thomas shares why his approach to psychiatry evolved beyond the familiar cycle of symptoms, diagnosis, medication, adjustment, and another medication. Instead, he explores the biological, psychological, nutritional, physical, and environmental factors that may be contributing to how someone feels. The conversation examines how issues such as thyroid dysfunction, vitamin D deficiency and low B12 can sometimes complicate or resemble symptoms associated with depression, and why curiosity matters before labeling someone or a condition as “treatment resistant.” Lisa and Dr. Thomas also explore: • Integrative psychiatry and whole-person mental healthcare • Root-cause thinking in mental health treatment • Depression and treatment-resistant depression • Vitamin D, B12, thyroid health and brain function • The role of medication within a broader treatment approach • Patient autonomy and self-advocacy • Why the doctor-patient relationship should be a partnership • Trauma, choice and the importance of restoring agency • The limitations created by rushed healthcare systems • What happens when healthcare becomes a commodity rather than a human relationship • Why relieving suffering may only be the beginning of what mental healthcare can accomplish Dr. Thomas challenges the idea that the goal of psychiatry should simply be helping someone function well enough to tolerate life. What if the bar were higher? What if mental healthcare helped people move beyond suffering toward connection, meaning, contribution and a fuller experience of being human? Learn more about Dr. Naveen Thomas and Clarity Integrative Psychiatry: www.claritypsychiatry.com Learn more about Lisa Lacy and Notes From the Edge: www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Integrative Psychiatry: Root-Cause Mental Health, Depression & Whole-Person Care with Dr. Naveen Thomas

  3. 5d ago

    Designing a Life After Divorce: People-Pleasing, Reinvention & Creating a Home That Feels Like You with Jodi Koch

    What happens when you realize the life you worked so hard to hold together no longer feels like your own? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with Jodi Koch, CEO of Elizabeth Erin Designs and host of Designing in 5D, for a conversation that begins with interior design and quickly becomes something much bigger: divorce recovery, people-pleasing, perfectionism, childhood conditioning, hypervigilance, intuition, reinvention, and learning to trust yourself again. Jodi shares how growing up as the child who took care of everyone shaped her into an adult who carried everything for everybody. She talks candidly about the exhaustion of a long marriage in which she often felt emotionally alone, the difficult decision to finally leave, and the realization that she had spent years listening to everyone except herself. We explore the connection between childhood survival patterns and adult relationships, why people-pleasing can become a form of self-abandonment, and what happens when you finally stop pouring your energy into keeping everything and everyone else afloat. Jodi also takes us inside the experiences that helped change her direction, including creating her own personal retreat, exploring plant medicine and spirituality, traveling alone, navigating divorce, rebuilding her business after a devastating disruption, and asking herself a deceptively simple question: What does Jodi actually want now? That question became her North Star. And it turns out that the philosophy behind great interior design isn’t so different from creating a meaningful life. Before choosing what looks beautiful, you have to understand who is actually going to live there. You need clarity. Intention. Function. A direction that belongs to you. Jodi shares her Designing in 5D philosophy, her intuitive approach to interior design, the importance of creating homes around the actual human beings living inside them, and how she’s using AI as a tool without removing the creativity, expertise, storytelling, and human connection that make design personal. We also talk about decision fatigue, rebuilding after divorce, releasing perfectionism, trusting your intuition, creating safe spaces, finding your true North, and the extraordinary freedom that can come from finally saying: This is what I want. Connect with Jodi Koch & Elizabeth Erin Designs Website:https://elizabetherindesigns.com Designing in 5D on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6SH9NbnLfhCmEyZsJ0r0f8 Designing in 5D on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/designing-in-5d/id1778045559 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/elizabetherindesigns/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethErinDesigns/ TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@elizabetherindesigns YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@ElizabethErinDesigns5D Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/elizabetherindesigns/ LinkedIn | Jodi Koch:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodipeterman LinkedIn | Elizabeth Erin Designs:https://www.linkedin.com/company/elizabeth-erin-designs Linktree:https://linktr.ee/elizabetherindesigns Connect with Lisa Lacy https://lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive?Welcome to the Edge. Notes from the Edge with Lisa Lacy Human conversations about trauma, identity, recovery, reinvention, relationships, leadership, and the lives we build after survival.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Designing a Life After Divorce: People-Pleasing, Reinvention & Creating a Home That Feels Like You with Jodi Koch

  4. 6d ago

    Beyond the Mind: Consciousness, Trauma, Identity & the Search for Meaning with Dean Graves

    What if stress isn’t simply something to eliminate, but something trying to show us where healing needs to happen? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with mental health counselor, meditation teacher, spiritual guide, author, and podcast host Dean Graves for a wide-ranging conversation about consciousness, trauma healing, identity, mindfulness, addiction recovery, spiritual awakening, emotional healing, and the search for meaning. Dean explores the idea that much of what we call our “identity” is something we construct over a lifetime, shaped by experiences, thoughts, expectations, and our attempts to get more of what feels good while avoiding what hurts. But what happens when the identity that once helped us function begins to exhaust us? Together, Lisa and Dean explore the difference between outward success and inner fulfillment, why awakening often begins when the old way of living stops working, and what can happen when we turn our attention inward instead of constantly measuring ourselves through the reactions of others. They also dig into stress as a teacher, conscious choice, meditation, self-awareness, trauma recovery, the 12-step process, addiction and dual diagnosis, personal responsibility, happiness as a measure of healing, and the gradual process of letting go of the masks and performances that separate us from a more authentic sense of self. At the center of the conversation is one deceptively simple question: Who are you when you stop trying to convince the world who you are? Learn more about Dean Graves, his books, podcasts, and work at:https://ddeangraves.org Explore Lisa Lacy, Notes From the Edge, her writing, books, and work at:https://lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive?  Welcome to the Edge. Notes from the Edge with Lisa Lacy Human conversations about trauma, identity, recovery, reinvention, relationships, leadership, and the lives we build after survival.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Beyond the Mind: Consciousness, Trauma, Identity & the Search for Meaning with Dean Graves

  5. Aug 9

    Women Have It Harder: The Pay Gap, Sexual Violence, Self-Sacrifice, Menopause & the Cost of Being Female

    Women have it harder. There, I said it. And no, this is not a man-hating manifesto. I love men. In fact, parts of my romantic history would suggest I may have loved them a little too enthusiastically. This conversation is not about blaming men. It is about refusing to lie about what women experience in order to make anyone more comfortable. In this solo episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy explores the cumulative cost of moving through the world as a woman: the expectation of self-sacrifice in motherhood and family life, the invisible labor women carry, the gender pay gap, sexual violence, impossible beauty and behavior standards, and the conditioning that teaches women to prioritize everyone else’s needs before their own. Lisa also digs into the medical dismissal women experience, particularly during perimenopause and menopause, when profound physical, emotional and cognitive changes are still too often minimized, misunderstood or written off as anxiety. This is also a conversation about the ways women participate in their own conditioning. The pressure to be the good mother, the easy wife, the competent employee, the caretaker, the attractive woman, the strong woman and the woman who somehow needs absolutely nothing. Because sometimes the performance that earns women the most praise is the very performance that causes them to disappear. Men suffer too. Men carry their own painful expectations around strength, provision, emotion and masculinity. We do not have to deny that truth in order to acknowledge another one: Good men don’t need women to lie about women’s experiences in order to protect men’s feelings. And good women don’t need to demonize men in order to tell the truth about being female. Maybe the goal isn’t for women to become even stronger. Maybe it is finally asking why strength, sacrifice and resilience have been demanded of us for so long. lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge.               Notes from the Edge with Lisa Lacy Human conversations about trauma, identity, recovery, reinvention, relationships, leadership, and the lives we build after survival.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Women Have It Harder: The Pay Gap, Sexual Violence, Self-Sacrifice, Menopause & the Cost of Being Female

  6. Aug 8

    Teen Drug Use, Kratom & Addiction Prevention: What Parents Need to Know with Dave Kopeny

    The drug landscape facing teenagers is changing faster than many parents realize. In this second conversation with author, educator, private investigator, and ASAP Community founder Dave Kopeny, we go straight into what parents need to know about adolescent substance use, prevention, and the increasingly easy access young people have to potentially addictive substances. Dave discusses Kratom, products being sold in convenience stores and gas stations, changing marijuana potency, social media exposure, peer influence, family patterns, and why waiting until a child is already struggling with addiction may be waiting too long. But this conversation is not about frightening parents. It is about giving them something far more useful: agency. Dave believes parents remain one of the strongest protective influences in a child’s life. We talk about educating kids before experimentation begins, creating guardrails, monitoring without shame, having difficult conversations early, recognizing behavioral changes, and understanding the “why” underneath substance use rather than focusing only on stopping the behavior. We also explore something families often miss in recovery: you cannot send one person away to heal and return them to the exact same environment expecting everything to be different. Addiction affects the entire family system. Sustainable recovery may require parents, siblings, and caregivers to examine their own patterns, seek support, and heal alongside the person struggling. Dave also shares practical strategies from his book, Tip of the Spear: How to Educate, Supervise and Monitor Your Child in a World of Increasing Drug Abuse and Addiction, including how parents can recognize risk, communicate with schools, understand treatment options, establish boundaries, and become proactive before a crisis happens. Your child may tell you they do not want the guardrails. They still need to know someone has their back. Connect with Dave Kopeny and ASAP Community:https://asapcommunity.org Connect with Lisa Lacy and Notes From the Edge:https://www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive?  Welcome to the edge. Notes from the Edge with Lisa Lacy Human conversations about trauma, identity, recovery, reinvention, relationships, leadership, and the lives we build after survival.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Teen Drug Use, Kratom & Addiction Prevention: What Parents Need to Know with Dave Kopeny

  7. Aug 7

    Kitchen Design, Home & Reinvention: Building a Life You Love with Marvin W. Towler

    What if designing a kitchen and designing a life have more in common than we think? In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with kitchen designer and longtime construction professional Marvin Towler for a conversation that begins with kitchen remodeling, budgets, and beautiful spaces, then takes the kind of unexpected rabbit holes we love around here. Marvin shares why a dream isn’t enough when you’re renovating a home. You need a plan. From kitchen layouts and cabinetry to flooring, appliances, construction costs, and the unexpected expenses that can derail a remodel, Marvin explains how thoughtful kitchen design can protect your budget while still creating a space that feels deeply personal. But this conversation becomes about much more than kitchens. Marvin believes the kitchen is the heart of the home because it is one of the places where we say, “I love you.” That opens a deeply personal conversation about fathers, work ethic, mentorship, regret, family, and what happens when we realize there were things we never said while we still had the chance. Marvin talks about losing his father at eighteen, learning the construction trade, choosing practicality over art, surviving the economic cycles of architecture and construction, reinventing himself professionally, and discovering that luxury isn’t necessarily about how much money you spend. Sometimes luxury is simply creating something that feels unmistakably yours. Lisa and Marvin also explore parenthood and the difficult conversations we sometimes owe our children, including admitting where we got it wrong. And near the Edge, Marvin answers the question at the center of this show: What did you perform in order to survive? His answer opens a conversation about the masks we learn to wear, the roles we perform, and what it takes to begin letting ourselves be fully seen. This is a conversation about kitchen design and remodeling, but it’s also about building something much harder than a beautiful home: a life where we make room for what matters, tell people we love them while they’re still here, admit our mistakes, and allow ourselves to finally be seen. Marvin Towler: https://perfectkitchentv.com Lisa Lacy | Notes From the Edge: https://www.lisalacy.com What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the Edge.                   Notes from the Edge with Lisa Lacy Human conversations about trauma, identity, recovery, reinvention, relationships, leadership, and the lives we build after survival.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Kitchen Design, Home & Reinvention: Building a Life You Love with Marvin W. Towler

  8. Jul 30

    The Book Was Never Just the Book: Turning Your Story into Legacy with Missy Maxwell Worton

    What if the story that will not leave you alone is not merely asking to be written, but asking to become a message that changes lives?In this live episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with her publisher, award-winning author, publishing strategist, and Light Warrior Publishing founder Missy Maxwell Worton for an honest conversation about writing through fear, publishing with purpose, and turning lived experience into lasting impact. Missy has helped hundreds of purpose-driven authors move from an idea to a completed manuscript, publication, launch, platform growth, and bestseller status. Her own author journey began with the deeply personal book Don’t Mess With This Mama: Risking It All to Rescue Our Daughter, which became a number-one Amazon bestseller and received multiple literary honors. Missy also published Lisa’s Reclaiming Your Savage Sovereignty, which remained a number-one New Release in its category for two months. They are now preparing to release Lisa’s most personal work yet, Notes From a Certified Madwoman. Together, Lisa and Missy will explore: • How to know whether you have a book idea or a message you are responsible for sharing • Why talented writers remain trapped in perfectionism and fear • What authors misunderstand about publishing, visibility, and book launches • How to protect your authentic voice during editing • The difference between publishing a book and building a movement • How to tell painful stories without exploiting your own wounds • What makes a publisher believe in an author before the audience or numbers existThis conversation is for aspiring authors, speakers, entrepreneurs, and anyone carrying a story that refuses to remain silent. Where to Find Missy: https://www.missymaxwellworton.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/missy-maxwell-worton-898261371/ How to Find Lisa: https://www.lisalacy.com/ What did you perform in order to survive? And what might it do for your life to finally put that role, mask, or performance down? Welcome to the Edge. Notes from the Edge with Lisa Lacy Human conversations about trauma, identity, recovery, reinvention, relationships, leadership, and the lives we build after survival.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    The Book Was Never Just the Book: Turning Your Story into Legacy with Missy Maxwell Worton
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4.9
out of 5
119 Ratings

About

Notes From the Edge is where polished stories end and the truth begins. Hosted by writer, trauma educator, executive advisor, and author Lisa Lacy, this globally ranked podcast explores survival, identity, trauma, addiction, recovery, leadership, relationships, and reinvention through raw, deeply human conversations. No scripts. No small talk. Just the stories we were taught to hide, the roles we performed to survive, and the truths that set us free. What did you perform in order to survive? Welcome to the edge. www.lisalacy.com

Information

  • Creator
    Lisa Lacy
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Lisa Lacy
  • Show Website
    Notes from the Edge