Unlonely with Dr. Jody Carrington

If you’re walking through a hard season, or love someone who is, this one will stay with you.Dr. Jody Carrington sits down with Chance Toder for an unforgettable conversation about resilience after childhood stroke, medical trauma, and rebuilding a life that looked nothing like the one he expected. Born at 1 pound 15 ounces, Chance survived multiple heart surgeries, went into a coma after a stroke at 11, and had to relearn how to talk, walk, and breathe on his own.But this isn’t just a survival story. It’s a conversation about what happens next: the long rehab, the grief of watching other people move on, the fight for accessibility, the courage to keep asking for a chance, and the kind of family love that holds you together when everything changes.You’ll also hear about Chance’s wheelchair hockey journey, his lawn care business Leave It to Chance, his dream of public speaking, and the mindset that keeps him aiming for anything and everything.In this episode:- Chance’s resilience story after stroke and heart surgery- What recovery really looked like after coma and rehab- The emotional toll of disability, dependence, and delayed independence- Why accessibility matters in everyday life- How sport, work, and speaking gave Chance new purpose- The message he wants every listener to remember: just give people a chanceThis one is raw, practical, funny in places, and deeply human.---Links & Resources:• Dr. Jody Carrington: https://www.drjodycarrington.com/• Unlonely with Dr. Jody Carrington: https://www.drjodycarrington.com/podcast• Dr. Jody Carrington on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjodycarrington/• Dr. Jody Carrington Linktree: https://linktr.ee/drjodycarrington• North American VOLT Hockey Tournament / VOLT Hockey Canada: https://varietyontario.ca/event/north-american-volt-hockey-tournament/• Art for the Heart (Variety Manitoba / historical event reference): https://mayberryfineart.com/blog/96/art-for-the-heart-gallery-media-release-1

If you’re a parent, partner, helper, or human who feels like you’re holding it all together by a thread, this conversation is for you.Dr. Jody Carrington sits down with Dr. Brooke Weinstein - occupational therapist, nervous system educator, and expert in sensory and emotional regulation - to talk about why so many parents are emotionally dysregulated right now, and what it actually takes to come back to yourself.They unpack the impact of social media, pressure, burnout, and self-neglect on parent mental health, why understanding your own brain and body has to come before trying to “fix” your child, and how nervous system regulation changes the way we show up in our relationships.This is a deeply honest conversation about emotional regulation for parents, single motherhood, partnership, grief, and the slow, brave work of choosing yourself without abandoning the people you love.You’ll hear:- Why modern life keeps parents in a dysregulated state- What occupational therapy sees that many mental health conversations miss- Why self-regulation is the foundation of supporting your kids- How to stop taking a partner’s needs personally- Why caring for yourself is not selfish—it’s necessary- What small, sustainable regulation work actually looks like- Why doing your own work often helps the whole family riseIf you’ve ever wondered why you’re so exhausted, reactive, or checked out, and why quick fixes never seem to stick, start here.---Links & Resources:• Dr. Jody Carrington: https://www.drjodycarrington.com/• Unlonely with Dr. Jody Carrington: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unlonely-with-dr-jody-carrington/id1708644669• Dr. Brooke Weinstein: https://drbrookeweinstein.com/• Dr. Brooke Weinstein on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brookeweinst/• Carrington Practice: https://carringtonpractice.com/• Dr. Jody Carrington Courses: https://drjodycarrington.teachable.com/

Loneliness isn’t just uncomfortable - it’s costly. And the scariest part? Most of us are living it without calling it what it is.Dr. Jody talks with Ken Stern (*Healthy to 100*, *Century Lives*) about the loneliness epidemic and the link between social isolation and mortality risk - plus the practical shift that changes everything: building your social life with the same intention you’d bring to nutrition or exercise.They get into what “lonely” actually looks like in real life, why we’re spending less time with friends than we did a generation ago, and how proximity, community design, and technology have quietly pulled us apart.This is a call back to connection - with a plan, not just a wish.Links & Resources:ABOUT CENTURY LIVES The Longevity Project: https://www.longevity-project.com/centurylivesHealthy to 100: Secrets from Countries Where Retirees Age Best: https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/happy-retirement/healthy-to-100-secrets-from-countries-where-retirees-age-bestSocial Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review (PLoS Medicine, 2010): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2910600/Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon Generals Advisory (May 3, 2023): https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

If you’re exhausted by the tension - at work, online, even with people you love - this episode is for you.Dr. Jody and Rachel DeAlto talk about what’s driving the empathy dip (and the “why is everyone so mean lately?” vibe), how social media trains us out of critical thinking, and why more options in dating/work/friendship can actually make us choose worse.This is a real-talk episode about rebuilding emotional intelligence, finding your way back to the kind of connection that actually regulates your nervous system, and learning when to dig in and do the work - versus when it’s time to go.Links & Resources:Unlonely with Dr. Jody Carrington (podcast page): https://www.drjodycarrington.com/podcastDr. Jody Carrington (official website): https://www.drjodycarrington.com/Rachel DeAlto (official website): https://www.racheldealto.com/

If you’ve built your whole life around being capable, dependable, and “fine”… what happens when your body says otherwise?Dr. Jody talks with Malaysia Harrell about the hidden cost of being the helper—how childhood trauma can fuel achievement, how high-stakes service roles stack layer upon layer of vicarious trauma, and why so many women stay in fight-or-flight until something finally forces a reckoning.This episode connects the dots between:Overfunctioning and emotional shutdownRepeating patterns in work and relationshipsTrauma that’s neatly “packed away”… until it isn’tThat unsettling moment of success without satisfactionContent notes: childhood abuse, death row/corrections, murder of a family member, severe illness/sepsis, near-death experience.---Links & Resources:• Malaysia Harrell | Sepsis Alliance: https://www.sepsis.org/faces/malaysia-harrell/• 413: Rising from the Ashes with Malaysia Harrell - The PBT Institute: https://thepbtinstitute.com/risingfromashes-malaysiaharrell/• HOME | Malaysia Harrell: https://www.malaysiaharrell.com/

Is ADHD really a "superpower"? Or is that just a toxic label that sets high-performers up for a massive crash?In this episode, Dr. Jody sits down with executive coach Cathy Rashidian (aka The Candid Empath) to dismantle the popular "superpower" narrative. They unpack the visceral reality of leading with a "fast brain"—from the dopamine-fueled highs of hyper-focus to the crushing "hangover" that inevitably follows.They also tackle the "Accidental Leader" trap: why so many of us are promoted eight years before we’re actually trained, why we become "self-appointed fire marshals" just to get our dopamine hits, and why "resilience" has become a dirty word for leaders who are tired of bouncing back.In this conversationThe "Superpower" Trap: Why Cathy views her brain as a "messy roommate" rather than a superhero—and why that distinction matters.The Hyper-Focus Hangover: The biological cost of flow states and why you need a "body budget."The 8-Year Gap: The "peer-to-boss" transition and why you’re likely DIY-ing your leadership style.Marination vs. Procrastination: Why doing nothing is actually when the real work happens.Toxic Resilience: Why we need to stop proving we can handle it all and start setting boundaries that fuel us.If you’ve ever felt like your "genius" comes with a heavy price tag, or if you are tired of being the most resilient person in the room, this conversation is the permission slip you didn’t know you needed.🔗 Links & Resources:Cathy Rashidian, ACCG, PCAC, PCC - ADD Coach Academy (Coach Directory): https://addca.com/adhd-coach-directory/coach/cathy_rashidian/From Peer to Boss: How New Managers Overcome the Challenges: https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/insights/management-tips/from-peer-to-boss-how-new-managers-overcome-the-challengesHow to Prevent Burnout in Leaders | DDI: https://www.ddi.com/blog/prevent-burnoutLeadership Fatigue: Burned Out Leaders Are Quiet Quitting At Work Too: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianehamilton/2025/02/03/leadership-fatigue-burned-out-leaders-are-quiet-quitting-at-work-too/ADHD Coaching for Professionals | Ready Set Choose: https://www.readysetchoose.com/Cathy Rashidian - PAAC: https://paaccoaches.org/cathy-rashidian/

If you’ve done everything “right” and still feel anxious, disconnected, and like you’re somehow failing…this one is for you.Dr. Jody and Grace Emmons unpack good girl conditioning burnout: how patriarchy, perfectionism, and people-pleasing can make high-achieving women look fine on the outside while quietly falling apart on the inside. Grace shares her own rock-bottom (including why she felt stuck in a toxic relationship) and the surprising moment that reignited her sense of aliveness.They also get practical about what it means to “wake up” again: intuitive vision, how intuition actually shows up (it’s not one-size-fits-all), and why reconnection to yourself might be the most important antidote to the disconnection we’re living in.In this episode:Why “doing it all” became the new impossible standardThe hidden cost of people-pleasing + perfectionismHow to tell intuition from anxious mental chatterFive ways intuition can communicate (and how to find yours)Spiritual connection without the pressure of organized religionWhy technology can deepen loneliness—and what to do instead---Links & Resources:• About | Forward with Grace: https://forwardwgrace.com/about• Forward with Grace | A Spiritual Consultancy: https://forwardwgrace.com/• Why Good Girl Conditioning Keeps Women Stuck | Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/self-made/202506/why-good-girl-conditioning-keeps-women-stuck• Podcasts | Forward with Grace: https://forwardwgrace.com/podcasts• Unlonely with Dr. Jody Carrington (show page) | Acast: https://shows.acast.com/everyone-comes-from-somewhereFollow Grace Here:@forwardwgrace@topangacanyonoasis

Real talk, parents: if you’ve got a kid with access to a screen, odds are they’ve seen something they weren’t ready for. And guess what? That uncomfortable convo you’re avoiding? It’s exactly the one you need to have.In this no-BS episode, Dr. Robyn Silverman joins Dr. Jody to crack open the truth about modern parenting:Why “kids these days” aren’t broken — the world is just louder.Why YOU need to say words like “porn,” “vagina,” and even (gasp) “clitoris.”Why it’s never too late to start the conversation — even if you fumbled it the first time.And how “parenting out loud” changes everything.This one might make you laugh, squirm, and cry a little… but it will absolutely make you feel less alone.Follow Dr. Silverman here:https://www.instagram.com/drrobynsilverman/https://www.facebook.com/DrRobynSilvermanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@bigtalkswithkidshttps://www.youtube.com/drrobynsilverman

“So... do you have kids?” That one question—THAT ONE—can derail a whole damn conversation. Because if the answer is no? Suddenly, you’re forced to explain your whole existence. This week on Unlonely, I dive into it with the brilliant, badass, and beautifully bold Emily Paulsen who is child-free by choice, and not here to play by anyone else’s rules. We unpack the stigma, the double standards, the asinine questions (Hi, Uber drivers 🙃), and the truth about why choosing not to have kids is just as valid, beautiful, and bold as choosing to have them. Whether you're a mama, an auntie, child-free, child-less, questioning, exhausted, or just trying to make sense of how to be a woman in this damn world—this episode is a deep breath of truth. And spoiler alert: You get to choose. Full stop. No explanation required.Follow Emily Here:https://www.instagram.com/curiouslifeofachildfreewoman/