The Middle Space

Who are you when the thing that has always defined you is no longer enough?

For Janelle, basketball was more than a sport. It was an outlet, a source of identity, and a place to find stability while life outside the court felt anything but certain. But beneath the accomplishments, she was navigating family challenges and emotions she didn't yet have the language or tools to process.

We talk about the pressure to perform, the stories we keep within our families, the difference between looking strong and actually feeling okay, and how early experiences shape the way we learn to show up in the world.

Because sometimes the hardest things we carry are the things no one knows we're holding.

“All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes a thing not a poison.” — ParacelsusWhat happens when the things we do to improve our health start working against us? In this first solo episode, I explore the fine line between discipline and obsession, wellness and control, and the pursuit of health and the experience of actually living. Because sometimes, even good things can become too much.e

What if healing begins before the treatment ever starts?In this episode, I sit down with Heather, a medical massage therapist whose journey from opera singer to cancer survivor to healer has shaped the way she understands the human body, pain, and connection.We explore the healing power of human touch, what it means to live in a body that has changed, and why pain is never just physical. From navigating her own experience with cancer and chronic pain to working with critically ill children and their families, Heather shares how safety, presence, and feeling truly seen can change the experience of being cared for.Together, we explore the questions that often get lost in conversations about health: What does it mean to care for someone in pain? How do we honor another person's experience without assuming we understand it? And what becomes possible when we treat the whole person, not just the problem?Because sometimes, healing begins with something simple: being heard, being seen, and knowing you don't have to face it alone.

Are we making ourselves sick trying to be healthy?

In this episode, Dr. Stacy sits down with Lesley Brighton to explore the messy reality of health and healing. From the impact of chronic stress and the pressure to optimize everything to the power of small changes, human connection, and finding hope when nothing seems to work.

Together, we challenge the idea that better health always means doing more and explore what happens when we start meeting ourselves where we are.

Because sometimes, healing begins with doing less, not more.