Carrie's Always Talking

In this episode of Carrie's Always Talking, Carrie speaks with Jennifer Chase, who shares her personal journey through addiction, recovery, and the impact on her family. She discusses the generational cycles of addiction, the role of shame, and the importance of understanding addiction as a disease rather than a choice. Jennifer emphasizes the need for boundaries, coping mechanisms, and the significance of community support in...

In this episode of Carrie's Always Talking, Carrie speaks with Laura Bratton, who shares her profound journey of losing her sight due to a rare retinal disease. She discusses the emotional turmoil of denial and acceptance, the vital support from her family, and the importance of self-compassion and gratitude in navigating life's challenges. Laura emphasizes the significance of acknowledging grief while moving forward and ...

In this episode of Carrie's Always Talking, Carrie speaks with transformational coach Anna Quigley about the power of intuition and its role in guiding individuals through life transitions, particularly in midlife. They share personal stories of how intuition has influenced their decisions, discuss the science behind intuitive thinking, and explore practical steps to recognize and trust one's intuition. The conversation e...

In this episode of Carrie's Always Talking, Carrie speaks with Zulma Williams, a breast cancer survivor and therapist, about her journey from accounting to therapy. They discuss the importance of storytelling, the challenges of overcoming trauma, and the significance of finding the right therapist-client fit. Zulma shares her unique approach as the 'swearing therapist' and emphasizes the need for authenticity in ther...

In this episode of Carrie's Always Talking Carrie and Courtney Alesandro explore the concept of reflecting on their younger selves and the messages they would share with them. They share insights, advice, and humorous anecdotes about what it was like to grow up in the 80's and 90's. It's a light-hearted episode that invites you to think about what you might tell your younger self as well. 

If you have a story you...

This episode of Carrie's Always Talking is all about Covid. Carrie and her guest, Christina Virgil talk about what it's like to still be Covid conscious in 2025. Christina shared what sparked her interest in learning more about Covid as well as her desire to help others learn more about the virus and understand the severity. The benefits of continuing or resuming mitigation, even if the process is not perfect are discusse...

In episode 3 season 2 of Carrie's Always talking, Carrie and Tina Lauro Pollock reconnect after years apart, discussing Tina's journey in the gaming industry. Tina shares her experiences of starting her own game studio, Brain and Nerd, in Northern Ireland, the challenges faced in game development, and the importance of storytelling in games. They delve into the dynamics of being a woman in a predominantly male industry, t...

In season 2 episode 2 of Carrie's Always Talking the subject of the mental health system is up on deck. Carrie is joined by her guest, Sarah Wojdylak, who shares her perspective as someone who's participated both sides of the system. She shares some of the challenges she's experienced as both a client and as a provider in her most recent job at a non profit. They discuss the importance of self-advocacy, the impact of...

In Episode 1 Season 2 of Carrie's Always Talking, Carrie welcomes everyone back after a longer than expected break from the show. She expresses gratitude for her listeners and invites those enjoying the show to review and rate the podcast. During the intro, Carrie discusses the subject of change. She asks listeners to think about individuals in their lives who have talked a lot about changes they have made as people, but could...

It's episode 12 of Carrie's Always Talking! At the top of the episode, Carrie discusses the choice to make this 12th episode the last of the season. She thanks her listeners for following along for the last couple of months and encourages anyone who wants to come on the podcast for season 2 to reach out. 

In this episode, Carrie chats with Brianna Beasley, who graciously shares her experience with Long Covid. Bri...

In episode 11 of Carrie's Always Talking, Courtney Alesandro joins Carrie to discuss the complexities of being child-free by choice, exploring societal norms, personal choices, and the emotional landscape surrounding motherhood. They delve into the value of women beyond their roles as mothers, the impact of patriarchy on women's decisions, and the importance of empathy and understanding in conversations about reproductive...

It's Episode 10 of Carrie's Always Talking! Can you believe we're in the double digits? This week, Carrie chats with her Aunt, Melissa Watters (Missy) about the sudden death of her husband, Darrin, 14 years ago. Melissa discusses the details of that life changing day and her journey to provide for her daughters while managing her immense grief. Her story is one of learning how to pivot after loss and finding a way to...

It's episode 9 of Carrie's Always Talking! In this episode, Carrie chats with her friend and past improv teammate, Paul Fields, who graciously shares his experience with depression and his journey towards recovery. They discuss the importance of speaking up and seeking help, as well as the challenges of dealing with mental health issues. Paul emphasizes the need to find one's baseline and maintain it, while also reco...

In episode 8 of Carrie's Always Talking, Carrie's on her own this week. She introduces the podcast and encourages listeners to reach out if they would like to share their stories in a future episode. 

She reflects on last week's episode and the theme of moving to a new place. Carrie shares a little bit about her journey of moving to Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2008-2009 while her husband completed his Maste...

In Episode 7 of Carrie's Always Talking, Carrie chats with her friend, Lori Bedell, a professor at Pennsylvania State University, about her life changing move from State College to Maine. Lori shares that Maine is a place she's wanted to live for the last 32 years and what it's been like to realize this dream. She discusses how empowering the experience of living there alone for a year was for her and how she feels t...

In episode 6 of Carrie's Always Talking, Carrie has Courtney Alesandro join again to follow up on their episode from last week. The idea that dying is a moral failure and the cancer battle analogy are discussed in this mini episode. Courtney is a breast cancer survivor as well, and she shares some of her insights around how the idea of losing a battle to an illness is a way for us to separate ourselves from the painful realiza...

In Episode 5, Carrie and Courtney discuss the importance of taking risks and following your instincts. They share personal stories of times when they followed their intuition and made decisions that led to fulfilling experiences. They emphasize that there are no rules in life and that it's okay to say no to things that aren't for you. They encourage listeners to embrace new experiences, even if they don't go as plann...

In this mini episode, Carrie reflects on her previous episode where she shared her mother's story and the emotional impact it had on her. She discusses the importance of allowing space for all emotions, including grief and anger. Carrie also explores the motivation behind her podcast, which is to build empathy and connection by sharing stories. She shares an example of how hearing someone's personal story can change perce...

In the first part of Episode 3, Carrie describes a dream involving a skywriter with a less than uplifting message. She uses this dream to describe a little of what it was like to be raised by a mother who wanted to make sure Carrie was prepared for the challenges of real life. 

In part 2, the tone is more serious as Carrie shares the complex struggles her mother endured throughout her life, but especially during the last f...