How do you rebuild your life after devastating loss? At age 12, Casey Mulligan Walsh lost both parents within months of each other. Relocated from suburban New Jersey to upstate New York, she spent years dreaming of creating the perfect family life she'd been denied. In this powerful episode, Casey shares how her search for belonging led her through marriage, divorce, and the tragic loss of her 20-year-old son Eric. Her memoir The Full Catastrophe chronicles this journey from being the ultimate people-pleaser to finding true strength and authenticity. Whether you're dealing with grief, struggling to belong, or trying to break free from people-pleasing patterns, Casey's insights about resilience, fear, and developing healthy boundaries will transform how you think about loss and liberation.

Key Takeaways:

1. Ask yourself: "Am I acting from love or fear?" This simple question can transform how you view difficult behaviors - both your own and others'
2. There's a huge difference between fitting in and truly belonging. Are you changing yourself to please others, or standing strong in who you are?
3. Develop healthy boundaries by identifying areas where you need more "f*ck you" energy - especially if you tend to be the "good" one who always accommodates
4. Practice staying connected to lost loved ones without letting "what ifs" become your emotional foundation
5. Remember that growth rarely comes in lightbulb moments - trust that you'll recognize the patterns when looking back

Want to dive deeper? Get Casey's memoir The Full Catastrophe and scan the QR code for her curated Spotify playlist that accompanies the book.

Learn more about Casey:

website
Substack
Facebook 

Instagram

Bluesky
LinkedIn 

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Order Jessica's memoir, Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes

Music credit: Limitless by Bells