Nancy Deyo spent years leading in the high-stakes world of Silicon Valley then a climb up Kilimanjaro left her with a spinal injury that changed the course of her life. In this episode of Too Light Too Dark, Nancy walks us through the full arc: the identity of a CEO built on control and performance, the injury that took that control away, the opioid addiction that followed in its wake, and the long, unglamorous work of finding a new normal on the other side.

This is a conversation about what happens when the body forces a reckoning the mind isn't ready for and how identity, purpose, and recovery get rebuilt from the ground up, piece by piece.

If you've ever had to become someone new after everything familiar was taken from you, this one's for you.

• opioid addiction recovery
• spinal injury recovery story
• Kilimanjaro accident
• ex-CEO addiction story
• chronic pain and opioids
• identity after injury
• Silicon Valley burnout
• women in recovery
• rebuilding after trauma
• addiction recovery podcast
• chronic pain management
• reinvention after crisis

Website: https://nancydeyo.com

Substack LIFE INSIDE PAIN: https://nancydeyo.substack.com

The conversation delves into the barriers to change for individuals with alcohol problems, highlighting the physiological, psychological, and systemic challenges they face. It explores the impact of physiological barriers such as cognitive impairment and liver disease, emphasizing the importance of harm reduction and positive risk management in supporting individuals through their recovery journey.

The conversation delves into the complexities of alcohol dependency, exploring positive risk-taking, male vulnerability, the role of alcohol as a coping mechanism, gender and age dynamics in alcohol dependency, the impact of alcohol dependency, self-care and motivation, housing and recovery models, and the potential for change and recovery.

Takeaways

• Engagement is a form of harm reduction
• Physical health insights can be motivational
• Positive risk management is important for practitioners Positive risk-taking
• Male vulnerability
• Alcohol as a coping mechanism
• Gender and age in alcohol dependency
• Impact of alcohol dependency
• Self-care and motivation
• Housing and recovery
• Change and recovery

Chapters

• 00:00 Understanding the Barriers to Change
• 03:06 The Impact of Physiological Barriers
• 22:12 Harm Reduction and Positive Risk Management
• 34:26 Positive Risk-Taking and Language
• 36:13 Male Vulnerability and Alcohol Use
• 38:09 Gender and Age in Alcohol Dependency
• 41:04 Self-Care and Motivation
• 46:15 Housing and Recovery Models
• 53:38 Change and Recovery

What happens when the parts of yourself you once saw as weaknesses become the source of your purpose?

In Episode 38 of Too Light Too Dark, I sit down with Lawrence C Harris —youth mental health advocate, keynote speaker, author and youth empowerment voice for a deeply personal conversation about autism, C-PTSD, childhood trauma, identity, self-worth and finding your voice.

Lawrence doesn't simply talk about what happened to him. He talks about what he has done with it.

Living with autism and drawing from his own experience of childhood trauma and C-PTSD, Lawrence has turned lived experience into a mission to help young people challenge limiting beliefs, build resilience and take ownership of their futures.

We explore:

🧠 Living with autism and seeing the world differently
🩸 Childhood trauma and the lasting impact of C-PTSD
🪞 The struggle between “too much” and “not enough”
🔥 Turning pain into purpose
🗣️ Finding your voice after feeling unheard
❤️ Self-worth, self-love and identity
👥 Why young people need connection rather than judgement
🌱 What happens when we stop allowing our past to define our future
⚫⚪ And the question at the heart of Too Light Too Dark: Can we integrate the parts of ourselves we've spent years trying to hide?

This isn't a conversation about being defined by trauma.

It's about what becomes possible when we start telling a different story about ourselves.

Lawrence C Harris
Youth Mental Health Advocate | Keynote Speaker | Author | Youth Empowerment Speaker

🌐 Lawrence: www.lawrencecharris.com
📱 Socials: @LawrenceCEmpowers

🎙️ Too Light Too Dark
Recovery, identity, trauma, meaning and the messy business of becoming whole.

If this conversation speaks to you, subscribe, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave a review.

#TooLightTooDark #LawrenceCHarris #MentalHealth #Autism #CPTSD #TraumaRecovery #YouthMentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #Resilience #SelfWorth #YouthEmpowerment #TraumaHealing #Identity #Purpose #Neurodiversity

What if the mental health crisis isn't simply about individuals—but about the communities we've lost?

In Episode 37 of Too Light Too Dark, Leon Eckford sits down with Dr Carl Nassar therapist, author of The Village Solution, and Psychology Today columnist, to explore one of the most compelling ideas in modern psychology: that healing doesn't happen in isolation; it happens in connection.

Together they unpack:

• Why loneliness has become one of the defining challenges of our time
• The hidden impact of consumer culture on our relationships
• Trauma, attachment and the need for belonging
• What we've lost by moving away from village life
• How genuine community can become a powerful form of healing
• Why purpose isn't something we find alone

Drawing on psychology, anthropology and years of therapeutic practice, Dr Nassar argues that many of the struggles we experience today are not simply personal, they're cultural. This conversation explores what it means to rediscover connection in a world increasingly built around individualism.

Whether you're interested in psychology, trauma recovery, mental health, addiction, philosophy or simply understanding what makes us human, this episode offers a thought-provoking perspective on why we all need each other more than we realise.

About Dr Carl Nassar

Dr Carl Nassar is a psychotherapist, researcher and author of The Village Solution. He writes the Born for a Better World column for Psychology Today, where he explores belonging, loneliness, trauma and the impact of modern culture on wellbeing. His work bridges psychology and anthropology to understand how communities can foster healing and resilience. (carlnassar.com)

Learn more about Dr Carl Nassar:
📖 Website: CarlNassar.com
📰 Psychology Today – Born for a Better World: Psychology Today column

Listen to more Too Light Too Dark:
🌐 Website: https://toolighttoodark.com
🎧 Subscribe for new episodes every week exploring psychology, recovery, addiction, trauma, leadership and the stories that shape us.

If this conversation resonated with you, please like, subscribe and share it with someone who might benefit.

Questions or feedback?
📩 contact@toolighttoodark.com

Stay gold. Stay curious. Stay connected.

Namaste x

Why do we spend so much of our lives at work, yet so rarely stop to ask how work shapes our identity?

In Episode 36 of Too Light Too Dark, Leon Eckford is joined once again by Simon Bennett, organisational coach and founder of Challenge Yourself, Kindly, for a thought-provoking exploration of workplace culture, leadership, identity, belonging and organisational psychology.

Together, they examine why culture is far more than policies or values written on a wall. Organisational culture is created through relationships, trust, healthy conflict and the everyday behaviours that either encourage people to flourish or slowly disengage.

Drawing on psychology, coaching and lived experience, Leon and Simon explore how identity at work, psychological safety, positive dissent, healthy leadership, emotional intelligence and belonging influence both individual wellbeing and organisational performance. They discuss why leaders must move beyond command-and-control thinking, embrace curiosity over certainty and create environments where difficult conversations become opportunities for growth rather than sources of fear.

This conversation sits firmly within the Identity & Transformation pillar of Too Light Too Dark, exploring how our relationship with work shapes our sense of self, purpose and meaning, and how healthier organisations begin with more self-aware leaders.

Whether you're a leader, manager, HR professional, coach or someone navigating your own career, this episode offers practical insights into creating healthier workplaces while challenging how we think about success, identity and human connection.

• Workplace culture
• Leadership development
• Identity at work
• Organisational psychology
• Psychological safety
• Positive dissent
• Emotional intelligence
• Belonging and inclusion
• Healthy workplace culture
• Organisational coaching
• Team dynamics
• High-performing teams
• Leadership mindset
• Self-awareness
• Organisational change
• Employee wellbeing
• Trust and accountability
• Systems thinking
• Reflective leadership

🌐 Too Light Too Dark
https://www.toolighttoodark.com

Learn more about the podcast, browse every episode and subscribe to the newsletter for updates and exclusive content.

🤝 Challenge Yourself, Kindly – Simon Bennett

Discover Simon's coaching, leadership development and organisational consultancy through Challenge Yourself, Kindly, supporting individuals and organisations to build healthier workplace cultures through reflection, compassion and courageous conversations.

https://challengeyourselfkindly.com

📧 Feedback & enquiries

contact@toolighttoodark.com

If this conversation resonated with you, we'd love to hear your thoughts. Subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with someone passionate about leadership, psychology or creating better workplaces.

Stay gold, stay curious and stay connected.

What happens when someone living with mental illness, trauma, and suicidal ideation discovers that laughter can become a powerful tool for healing?

In Episode 35 of Too Light Too Dark, we sit down with Dave Mowry, author of OMG That's Me, to explore his remarkable journey through mental health challenges, trauma recovery, depression, and finding hope in life's darkest moments.

Dave speaks openly about living with an enduring mental health condition, learning to integrate it into everyday life rather than allowing it to define him, and how his experiences have shaped his purpose. Today, he gives back by working in peer-supported, recovery-focused mental health settings, helping others navigate their own journeys with compassion, lived experience, and understanding.

Together, we discuss:

• Mental health and recovery
• Suicidal ideation and finding hope
• Trauma and resilience
• Depression and emotional wellbeing
• The healing power of humour and laughter
• Living with a long-term mental health condition
• Peer support and recovery-focused care
• Why sharing lived experience matters
• Turning pain into purpose

Whether you're living with a mental health condition yourself, supporting someone who is, or simply interested in authentic conversations around mental health awareness, recovery, and resilience, this episode offers honesty, hope, and practical insight.

📖 Dave's book – OMG That's Me explores his personal story in greater depth and offers an inspiring account of resilience, recovery, and self-discovery.

If this conversation resonates with you:
👍 Like the video
💬 Share your thoughts in the comments
🔔 Subscribe to Too Light Too Dark for more honest conversations about mental health, trauma, recovery, resilience, and hope.

#MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #SuicidalIdeation #SuicidePrevention #Depression #Trauma #TraumaRecovery #Recovery #Resilience #Hope #Laughter #Comedy #Healing #PeerSupport #LivedExperience #MentalIllness #Wellbeing #Podcast #TooLightTooDark #DaveMowry

🎙️ Too Light Too Dark celebrates its 1-year anniversary with guest Rhett Nicholl in a deep, reflective conversation on healing, purpose, and identity.

🧭 Pillar: Identity & Transformation
This episode is part of our Five Pillars framework - exploring personal change, rebuilding identity, and what it means to transform through lived experience.

In this anniversary episode, we reflect on a year of Too Light Too Dark and explore the inner process of growth, resilience, and becoming someone new through life’s challenges.

Rhett Nicholl shares grounded insight on emotional healing, self-understanding, and finding direction when life feels uncertain or fragmented.

• Healing and emotional transformation
• Purpose and identity
• Personal change and resilience
• Reflections on 1 year of Too Light Too Dark
• Living authentically through life transitions

This episode belongs to:

Identity & Transformation

Life after addiction • Reinvention • Personal change • Recovery • Becoming someone new

Explore the full series through our Five Pillars system - designed to help you find episodes that match where you are in your life.

🌐 Official Website:
https://www.toolighttoodark.com

🎧 Listen to previous episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL-wGWNul8iEfBvXmdlrB3g

📸 Instagram:
@toolighttoodark

Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@toolighttoodark

Subscribe to the newsletter - contact@toolighttoodark.com

healing podcast, identity podcast, personal growth, transformation stories, emotional healing, purpose and meaning, self development podcast, mental health conversations, resilience stories, deep conversations podcast, shadow work, life transition, authentic living

In Episode 34 of Too Light Too Dark, I sit down with Dr. Sarah Michaud for a powerful conversation about co-dependency, addiction, recovery, and the impact these patterns have on our relationships.

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in addiction and codependency recovery, Dr. Sarah shares both professional insights and personal lessons from her own journey. We explore why co-dependent behaviours develop, how they can keep us trapped in unhealthy relationships, the connection between addiction and emotional dependency, and what genuine recovery looks like. Together, we discuss boundaries, self-awareness, responsibility, healing, and the path toward healthier, more authentic connections.

Whether you're navigating recovery yourself, supporting a loved one, or simply trying to understand relationship dynamics more deeply, this episode offers practical wisdom and hope for lasting change.

Dr. Sarah Michaud is a clinical psychologist, author, and recovery advocate who has worked in the field of addiction and codependency for over three decades. She is the author of Co-Crazy: One Psychologist's Recovery from Codependency and Addiction and co-hosts the Leaving CrazyTown podcast and YouTube channel, where she explores recovery, relationships, emotional health, and personal growth.

Learn more about Dr. Sarah Michaud:

🌐 Website: Dr Sarah Michaud Official Website

🎥 YouTube: Leaving CrazyTown YouTube Channel

📖 Book: Co-Crazy: One Psychologist's Recovery from Codependency and Addiction

🎙️ Too Light Too Dark explores the stories, struggles, and breakthroughs that shape our lives. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, rate, and share the episode with someone who might benefit from it.