『Cracking Open with Molly Carroll』のカバーアート

Cracking Open with Molly Carroll

Cracking Open with Molly Carroll

著者： Molly Carroll MA LPC
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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 growth
  • Tools and insights from mental health, healing, and personal transformation
  • Honest conversations that normalize struggle and celebrate resilience

If 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.

© 2026 Cracking Open with Molly Carroll 個人的成功 心理学 心理学・心の健康 自己啓発 衛生・健康的な生活
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  • The Gift of Letting Go: Motherhood, Identity, and the Empty Nest with Claudia Hinz

    The Gift of Letting Go: Motherhood, Identity, and the Empty Nest with Claudia Hinz
    2026/10/15

    I'm recording this intro from a very quiet house. I just dropped off my daughter, my last kiddo, at college. On the drive home, it hit me: I feel most at ease and most alive as a mom in the everyday moments. Running errands. Cheering at games. Hearing the car pull in at night. Being a mom has certainly come with plenty of worry and sleepless nights, but I feel most grounded when I'm with my kids and my husband.

    As much as I miss them, I'm so grateful my kids are out living their lives, and I'm stepping into a new season of my own. Part of that is accepting that I can't hold on to them forever, or protect them from everything.

    That's exactly why this week's conversation hit so close to home. I sat down with my friend and fellow Bend local, Claudia Hinz, to talk about her novel Safekeeping, the story of a Dallas mom fighting to keep her son out of a reinstated military draft, and learning the hard way that we can't keep the people we love safe. Sometimes the greatest gift is letting go.

    In this episode

    • How the seeds of Claudia's new book Safekeeping were planted when Claudia was a little girl, overhearing her psychologist father host Vietnam veterans and POW/MIA families in their living room
    • Stepping away from her broadcast journalism career to raise three kids, and the honest resentment that can come with that kind of sacrifice
    • What it means to mother an adult child, and the hard truth that we can’t keep our children safe, no matter how much we love them or what resources we have
    • Why so many veterans told Claudia that no one had ever asked about their experiences
    • The surprising connection between Tenley and Privately, a young combat veteran, and why it’s really about being seen
    • Five novels, a decade of rejections, and how to keep coming back to the page when you feel black and blue

    About Claudia

    Claudia Hinz lives in Bend, Oregon. She graduated from Harvard and received her MA in English from Southern Methodist University. She worked as a television reporter for network affiliates in Northern California, Seattle, and Dallas. Her work has been published in The Christian Science Monitor, Women Writers, Women’s Books, Story Magazine, The Boston Globe, 1859 Oregon’s Magazine, Bend Lifestyle Magazine, and BLUNTmoms.

    When Claudia said love is being seen and held for who you are in a particular moment, I felt it in my bones. This moment, for me, is learning who I am beyond the driveway and the sidelines. I’m so grateful you’re here with me for it, because one thing I’ve learned as a mom and a human is that I can’t do life alone!

    xo,
    Molly

    P.S. Look whose podcast was featured in Maria Shriver’s newsletter, The Sunday Paper... mine! 🙌

    Connect with Claudia

    • Get the book: Safekeeping
    • Website and upcoming events: claudiahinz.net
    • Instagram: @claudiahinzauthor
    • Book clubs: Claudia would love to join your discussion, virtually if you’re outside Central Oregon.

    Work with Molly

    • New website: molly-carroll.com
    • Therapy and coaching: I’m accepting new clients and specialize in breaking stuck patterns, coping with anxiety and depression, navigating life transitions, and creating more joy and balance. Schedule a session
    • Speaking: Bring me to your company or conference to speak on connection and personal and professional success. Learn more at molly-carroll.com.

    Support the podcast

    After three years and over 100 episodes, this podcast is still self-funded. Even $5 a month helps cover hosting, editing, and prep. Join on Patreon

    Stay connected
    Instagram | Facebook
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    50 分
  • Kat Courtney: Ayahuasca, Ibogaine, and Learning to Be Human

    Kat Courtney: Ayahuasca, Ibogaine, and Learning to Be Human
    2026/09/24
    I've interviewed over 100 people on this podcast, and this conversation hit me in a way none of the others have. It made me reflect deeply on my life and what is still holding me back. And if you've ever been curious about plant medicine, or want to learn anything about it, this is the episode to listen to.Part of what hit me may be timing. I'm taking my daughter, my last kid, to college the day before you hear this episode. One day I'm scared and in tears, and the next I feel a little free, hearing a voice say, "It's your time, Molly, to get back more of you, your marriage, your career." It's a hodgepodge of emotions, and Kat's reassuring, loving, and wise voice gave me real comfort in this time of transition.And oh my gosh, did this episode ever quench my thirst for answers about plant medicine!Content note: This episode includes a firsthand account of a suicide attempt, plus discussion of addiction, trauma, and death. Please listen with care.Kat is not only extensively trained in plant medicine, but she's also remarkably knowledgeable about its effects, its healing potential, and the laws surrounding it. She speaks to it medically, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, with a reported 1,000+ ayahuasca ceremonies behind her. But I'd encourage anyone to listen, even if you're not interested in plant medicine, because she also talks about how to function in this world as a human. You'll hear morning and evening rituals, daily practices, and tips and tools to feel more balanced, joyful, and alive.About KatKat Courtney is a pioneer in the modern plant medicine space and a traditionally trained Ayahuasquera and Huachumera with over two decades of professional psychedelic experience. She apprenticed for 10+ years in the Shipibo-Conibo and Quechua-Lamista traditions, and she's the author of Plant Medicine Mystery School Vol 1. She leads Master Plant Diets in person and remotely, offers shamanic coaching, and is a certified death doula. In this conversation, she shares the moment her life cracked open in her early 20s, how ayahuasca became the missing piece in her healing, and why she believes the hardest moments of our lives hold the greatest gifts.In this episode:Surviving a suicide attempt and choosing to go on “a mission to heal”Why your pain is valid, even when it doesn’t match your life storySSRIs as a life raft vs. plant medicines as a way to “close trauma loops”Ibogaine for addiction and trauma workThe four Cs of shadow work: crisis, clinical, cultural, and chemicalKat’s Colorado arrest and the future of plant medicine legalityPractices for everyoneMorning: Take an hour before email and screens to check in with yourself and set an intention.Evening: Name your best win of the day and let your body release the rest.Ongoing: Catch the inner critic, work with your dreams, and ask, "Does this bring me joy and comfort?"Kat's four questions for any facilitatorWho trained you, and for how long?What's the hardest thing you've been through, as a participant and a facilitator?How do you handle it when someone says they don't feel safe in your space?What's your protocol if someone has a psychotic break or a very hard experience?Taking my last kid to college is cracking open an old identity for me as a mom, and it's making me look at my life through a different lens. Listening to Kat reminded me that there are so many ways to do that deeper work: plant medicine, daily rituals, therapy, time in nature. What stuck with me most is that I can't just wait for life to do it for me. I need to step in and do the reflection myself, so that my life is rich and full with or without my kids in the house. I hope this conversation leaves you feeling the same way, whatever transition you're in and whichever path feels right for you.xoMollyPromo Information:Work with KatPlant Medicine Mystery School Vol. 1 (book): plantmedicinepeople.comPlant Medicine People retreats and programs: plantmedicinepeople.comWebsite + SocialWebsite: plantmedicinepeople.comIbogaine clinic: basseibogaine.comInstagram: @theafterlifecoachInstagram: @plantmedicinepeopleYouTube: Kat CourtneyThis episode reflects the guest's personal experiences and opinions and is not medical advice. Plant medicines can interact dangerously with medications, including SSRIs, and many are illegal in the U.S. If you're struggling, please reach out to a mental health professional or a crisis line such as 988 in the U.S.
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    58 分
  • How Death Doulas Help Us Live Lighter with Karen Callahan & Jen Tadjedin

    How Death Doulas Help Us Live Lighter with Karen Callahan & Jen Tadjedin
    2026/09/03
    Quick heads up: we are talking about grief, death, and all that we can learn from this deep topic today. I know, I know, stay with me. Because we spend so much energy avoiding the one thing that's guaranteed to happen to all of us: death. But I am learning death doesn’t have to be so heavy. It can actually bring so much more light into our lives: perspective, gratitude, appreciation. Those of you who know me or have listened to this show know that I lost both of my parents when I was in my 40s, and I’ve lost friends along the way too. Now, with my own kids heading off to college, I’ve been feeling so many emotions, grief being one of them. So when Karen and Jen reached out to come on the podcast, it was a resounding yes.Karen Callahan and Jen Tadjedin are death doulas who left careers in tech and advertising to help people navigate dying, grief, and end-of-life planning work they both came to after losing people close to them. On this episode, we talk about what a death doula actually does, why we’re so afraid of this conversation, the paperwork nobody wants to fill out but everyone’s grateful for later, and the woo-woo stuff too: mediums, dreams, and the ways our people keep showing up after they’re gone.In this episodeWhat a death doula actually does: part medical advocate, part care manager, part emotional support, far bigger than just being there at the very endTheir origin stories: Karen after losing both parents within two years; Jen after a hospice training changed everythingThe Peace of Mind workshop: five components, and why the conversations matter more than the paperworkWhy we’re so afraid of death and the couple whose workshop became the tipping point to move to San Diego finallyGrief has no timeline: Karen on the “foggy” first year, and why compassion beats any scheduleThe medium, the dream, and what comes after personal stories that reshaped what they believe happens nextHealing relationships after death ritual, unfinished business, and why some healing only comes after someone’s goneEven though death still scares me, I love finding the time and space to actually talk about it. Every time I do, I walk away feeling more peaceful, more light, and more grateful for the life I get to live right now. I hope this conversation gives you a little bit of that too.Resources & linksKaren Callahan & Jen Tadjedin’s website Peace of Mind WorkshopPeace of Mind WorkbookBook mentioned: Advice for Future Corpses by Sallie TisdaleWork with Molly: https://calendly.com/mollycarroll/coachingIf you’re ready to do the meaningful work of truly knowing and accepting yourself, I’m currently accepting new therapy clients. I specialize in helping people:Break stuck patterns in relationships or life decisionsDevelop coping strategies for anxiety and depressionNavigate life transitions with clarity and purposeCreate more joy, balance, and healthy habitsA note from Molly: For three years, I’ve poured my heart into this podcast, creating over 100 episodes. I’ve funded everything myself to focus on meaningful conversations, but to keep bringing you the quality content you deserve, I need your help.Even $5 a month, less than a coffee, helps cover hosting, editing, and prep time. If this podcast has supported you, would you consider joining? Support hereStay Connected with Molly: Follow on Instagram Follow on FacebookIf this episode brought something up for you, I’d love to hear about it — leave a comment or send me a message. And if you know someone who needs this conversation, share it with them.
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    1 時間 1 分
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