Notes from the Edge

Latest Episodes:

The Money Monster Within: Managing Yourself Before You Manage Your Money Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

Most financial advice focuses on budgets, investments, and strategies.But what if the biggest obstacle to financial freedom isn’t your bank account?What if it’s the unconscious story you’re living?Join me for Part II of my conversation with financial advisor, former Benedictine monk, TEDx speaker, and bestselling author Douglas Lynam as we take a deeper look into the psychology of money through the lens of the Enneagram.This time, we’re making it personal.Doug will use my own relationship with money as a live case study to demonstrate how our unconscious patterns, what he calls our “Money Monsters”, shape everything from spending and saving to self-worth, generosity, success, and fear.Together, we’ll explore:
• Why traditional financial advice often falls short
• How the Enneagram reveals hidden financial patterns
• The connection between trauma, identity, and money
• Why intelligent people continue making the same financial decisions
• What lasting financial transformation actually looks likeIf you’ve ever wondered why knowing what to do isn’t always enough to change what you do, this conversation is for you.Bring your questions and join us live for another honest, human conversation.Notes From the Edge™
Where high performers stop performing and start having the conversations they should have had all along.www.lisalacy.com
How to work with Doug:Doug Lynam Douglas Lynam | LinkedIn
Notes from the Edge with Lisa LacyHuman 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.

When Everyone’s Brain Works Differently: Living with autism, ADHD, trauma, and mental illness under one roof… and learning that understandin Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

What happens when everyone in the house experiences the world through a different nervous system?In this deeply personal episode of Midnight Menopausal Meanderings, Lisa Lacy explores the reality of loving people with neurodivergence, trauma histories, and mental health challenges while navigating your own. Sharing stories from her own family, Lisa discusses her daughter’s late autism diagnosis, her husband’s ADHD and neurodivergence, and her own journey through diagnoses including bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, complex PTSD, and addiction recovery.This isn’t an episode about fixing people.It’s about learning to understand them.Together, we’ll explore why conflict often begins with misunderstood nervous systems rather than bad intentions, how menopause adds another layer of complexity to emotional regulation, and why one simple question has transformed the way Lisa’s family communicates:“How’s your brain today?”You’ll also walk away with five practical ways to better support the people you love without losing yourself in the process.If you’ve ever felt like everyone in your family speaks a different emotional language, this conversation is for you.Because healing doesn’t always happen when we become more alike.Sometimes it begins when we learn to understand each other’s differences.In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Why different brains experience the same event differently
• The hidden role of trauma, ADHD, autism, and menopause in everyday conflict
• How curiosity can replace defensiveness in difficult conversations
• Five practical ways to support loved ones with different nervous systems
• Why repair matters more than perfection in healthy relationshipsPut the coffee on, settle into the quiet, and join us for another late-night conversation where curiosity meets compassion and healing begins one honest conversation at a time.Midnight Menopausal Meanderings is part of the Notes From the Edge podcast network, hosted by Lisa Lacy, writer, trauma educator, and executive advisor. Every episode explores the conversations that keep us awake at night—and the insights that help us greet the morning with a little more understanding. Notes from the Edge with Lisa LacyHuman 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 Mental Health Crisis Nobody Warned Women About | Menopause, Depression & the Hidden Risk of Suicide Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

What if the greatest mental health crisis facing midlife women isn’t happening because they’re “losing their minds”…What if it’s happening because we’ve stopped listening?In this solo episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy explores the overlooked intersection of menopause, depression, neuroscience, and women’s mental health. Drawing from current research and her own lived experience of surgical menopause, Lisa examines why so many women in their 40s and 50s suddenly struggle with anxiety, depression, memory changes, identity loss, and, for some, suicidal thoughts.This isn’t a conversation about hot flashes.It’s a conversation about biology, hormones, the brain, and what happens when women are told to “just push through” one of the biggest neurological and hormonal transitions of their lives.In this episode, we discuss:• Why menopause is far more than a reproductive transition
• The connection between hormonal changes, depression, and suicidal ideation
• What current research says about mental health during perimenopause and menopause
• Why so many women are dismissed, misdiagnosed, or told it’s “just stress”
• The importance of understanding the nervous system during midlife
• How language, education, and compassion can change outcomesWhether you’re navigating menopause yourself, love someone who is, or work with women in healthcare or mental health, this episode offers an evidence-informed perspective on a conversation that is long overdue.If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide or is in emotional crisis, please reach out to a trusted person or contact your local emergency services or crisis resources immediately. Help is available, and you do not have to go through it alone.If this conversation resonates with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.Welcome to the Edge. Where we stop performing, start asking better questions, and have the conversations we should have been having all along.
www.lisalacy.com
Notes from the Edge with Lisa LacyHuman 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 Patterns We Repeat: What Our Relationships Reveal About Ourselves Jul 05, 2026

Show notes

Why do so many of us find ourselves living the same story with different people?Why do painful relationship patterns continue long after we’ve left the original wounds behind?Join me for a powerful live conversation with healer, teacher, and author Ben Oofana, whose work bridges decades of study in Native American healing traditions, Taoist internal arts, meditation, and emotional transformation.Together, we’ll explore:• Why we unconsciously repeat familiar relationship patterns
• How childhood adaptations become adult identities
• Why awareness alone often isn’t enough to create lasting change
• The connection between trauma, attachment, and emotional healing
• What ancient healing traditions can teach us about becoming whole
• How to stop performing survival and begin living from your authentic selfAt Notes From the Edge, we ask one question that changes everything:What did you perform in order to survive?If you’ve ever wondered why you keep repeating the same emotional cycles, this conversation is for you.Welcome to the Edge.www.lisalacy.comHow to Find Ben's Work:Main Website
benoofana.comTeach Me to Meditate
teachmetomeditate.comHeartache Hotline
heartachehotline.comBreakup First Aid
breakupfirstaid.comHeal My Heartache
healmyheartache.comYouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@benoofanaInstagram
https://www.instagram.com/benoofana/
Notes from the Edge with Lisa LacyHuman 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.

Why Some Mental Health Diagnoses Become Identities and Some Become Prisons. Jul 04, 2026

Show notes

What if the diagnosis isn’t the whole story?In this live episode of Notes From the Edge, we’ll explore one of the most important conversations happening in psychology today.Why has ADHD become increasingly accepted in boardrooms, businesses, and everyday conversations while diagnoses like Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Complex PTSD continue to carry so much stigma?Together we’ll explore: The surprising overlap in symptoms and neuroscience Why trauma can sometimes resemble ADHD—and why ADHD can increase vulnerability to trauma The science of emotional regulation, executive functioning, and nervous system adaptation How diagnoses can provide understanding without becoming our identity Why some labels invite compassion while others still trigger judgment What healing looks like when we move beyond labels and begin asking a different question:“What happened to me… and what did I become in order to survive?”This isn’t about dismissing diagnoses.It’s about understanding the human being behind them.Whether you’re a clinician, executive, entrepreneur, therapist, coach, someone living with a diagnosis, or simply curious about the intersection of psychology, trauma, neuroscience, and identity, this conversation is for you. Hosted by Lisa Lacy
Writer • Trauma Educator • Executive Intuitive Advisor • Host of Notes From the EdgeThese are the conversations we should have been having all along.Welcome to the Edge.www.lisalacy.com Notes from the Edge with Lisa LacyHuman 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.

When Stories Heal What Therapy Can’t with Justin Anderson Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

How Fiction Gives Voice to Invisible Wounds.What if the story that changes your life isn’t found in a psychology textbook… but in a fantasy novel?This week on Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with author and world-builder Justin Anderson to explore how fiction can become a bridge to healing for people who struggle to put their pain into words.Justin never intended to build a mythology around grief, trauma, and resilience. What began as an attempt to write a fantasy novel became an entire universe where invisible wounds become visible, pain becomes power, and storytelling becomes a form of emotional processing.Together, Lisa and Justin explore why some people connect more deeply with stories than self-help, how labels can become cages, the psychology of externalizing trauma, and why imagination sometimes opens doors that logic cannot.Whether you’re a reader, writer, therapist, first responder, caregiver, or someone carrying an invisible weight, this conversation asks a powerful question:Can fiction become the language our nervous systems have been waiting to hear?Join us for a thoughtful conversation about trauma, identity, healing, and the stories that quietly reshape our lives.
Welcome to the Edge.www.lisalacy.com
How to find Justin's Work:World of Shadow Sword - VaelorinVerse — Forged by Grit & Grace
Notes from the Edge with Lisa LacyHuman 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.

What the Horse Saw Before I Did with Maria Alessandri Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

How Our Relationships Reveal the Parts of Ourselves We’ve Never Examined.More than twenty years ago, Maria adopted a rescue horse believing she was there to train him. Instead, the horse transformed the way she understood communication, leadership, parenting, boundaries, and human relationships.This conversation isn’t about horses. It’s about the hidden ways we communicate, the blind spots we all carry, and why genuine leadership begins with self-awareness rather than control.Together we’ll explore:• Why our relationships often reveal the parts of ourselves we cannot see.• What horses can teach us about communication and trust.• Leadership without fear, force, or dominance.• Parenting through connection instead of control.• Setting boundaries that strengthen relationships rather than damage them.• How becoming more intentional can change every relationship in your life. If you’ve ever wondered why the same patterns keep showing up in your work, family, or relationships, this conversation may change the way you see yourself.Real stories. Raw truth. Real change.Welcome to the Edge.www.lisalacy.comHow to Work with Maria:https://www.horseandpeopleproject.comMaria Alessandri | LinkedIn
Notes from the Edge with Lisa LacyHuman 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 Wealth We Can’t Spend Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

From Marine to Monk to Money Manager: What Money Is Really Trying to Teach Us.Money is one of the most emotionally charged languages we speak, yet few of us were ever taught how to understand it.In this episode of Notes From the Edge, Lisa Lacy sits down with Douglas Lynam, whose extraordinary journey spans Marine Corps Officer Candidate School, twenty years as a Benedictine monk, and a career as a financial advisor and bestselling author. Together, they explore the deeper psychology behind money, scarcity, self-worth, attachment, and the stories we inherit long before we ever earn our first paycheck.This isn’t a conversation about budgeting or investment strategies.It’s about why intelligent, capable people often struggle to receive, why childhood experiences shape our relationship with wealth, and how money can become a mirror reflecting our fears, identity, and sense of enough.If you’ve ever wondered why financial success doesn’t always bring peace, or why some patterns seem impossible to break, this conversation invites you to look beneath the numbers and into the human story they reveal.Because sometimes money isn’t the problem.It’s simply the language.Welcome to the Edge. How to Work with Doug:Doug Lynam Douglas Lynam | LinkedIn Notes from the Edge with Lisa LacyHuman 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.

A New Kind of Depression in Menopause: When Your Hormones Change, Your Brain Changes Too Jul 01, 2026

Show notes

What if the sadness you’re carrying isn’t simply emotional?What if your brain is trying to adapt to one of the biggest neurological transitions of your life?Millions of women enter perimenopause and menopause believing they’re losing themselves. Motivation disappears. Anxiety gets louder. Depression returns after years of stability. Relationships suffer. Careers become harder. Many begin wondering if they’re simply becoming “too emotional.”But science tells a different story.In this episode, Lisa Lacy explores the biology behind menopause, why estrogen matters far beyond reproduction, what happens inside the brain during this transition, and why women with previous trauma, depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, or addiction often experience menopause differently.This isn’t about weakness.It’s about neuroscience.Welcome to the Edge.www.lisalacy.com
Notes from the Edge with Lisa LacyHuman 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.

Who Are You When the Identity That Defined You No Longer Exists? Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

What happens when the identity you’ve built your entire life around suddenly disappears?After multiple combat deployments as an Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, Benjamin J. Lee came home carrying invisible wounds that led to addiction, depression, and one life-altering question:Who am I without the uniform?In this powerful episode of Notes From the Edge, host Lisa Lacy sits down with Benjamin for an honest conversation about identity, trauma, recovery, and what it truly means to reinvent yourself after life falls apart.Together, they explore:

Why so many people struggle with identity instead of motivation
The masks we wear to survive trauma and adversity
Life after military service and addiction
Shadow work without the jargon
Reinvention after divorce, career loss, illness, or major life transitions
How to reconnect with the person beneath the roles you’ve been playing

This episode isn’t just for veterans.It’s for anyone who has ever wondered:Who am I when the life I built no longer exists?If you’ve ever felt lost, stuck, or disconnected from yourself, this conversation offers hope, perspective, and practical wisdom for finding your way back. Guest: Benjamin J. Lee
Combat Veteran | Recovery Advocate | Author | Identity Coach | Speakerwww.theinitiationsource.com Hosted by: Lisa Lacy
Writer | Trauma Educator | Executive Advisorwww.lisalacy.comIf this conversation resonated with you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.Subscribe for more conversations on trauma, psychology, identity, recovery, resilience, and reinvention.#NotesFromTheEdge #Identity #TraumaRecovery #MentalHealth #Veterans #PersonalGrowth #Recovery #Psychology #Healing #Purpose
Notes from the Edge with Lisa LacyHuman 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.

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