In this episode, we reflect on our journey through the first series. We explore our intentions, personal growth as individuals and how the podcast has grown alongside us and we touch on the amazing guests that have participated. We revisit emotional moments, feedback from listeners and the global reach of our episodes. We also look ahead to future guests and the importance of community in our mission. A candid and forthright exploration of our aspirations moving forward.

On September 11, 2001, the world stood still — but for first responders like JP McMichael, there was no pause. In this powerful episode of Too Light Too Dark, JP shares his firsthand account of rushing toward the Pentagon during the 9/11 attacks.

From the chaos of that day to the long-lasting emotional and physical toll, JP opens up about resilience, trauma, and the unseen weight carried by those who ran toward danger when everyone else fled. This conversation honors the courage, sacrifice, and humanity that emerged from one of the most pivotal events of the 21st century.

Listen now for a deeply personal perspective that bridges history, healing, and hope.

💌 Connect with JP and his work for veteran communities: Catalyst of Change Associates

🔗 Follow Too Light Too Dark:

📸 Instagram: @toolighttoodark

🐦 Twitter/X: @toolighttoodark

💼 LinkedIn: TooLight Too Dark

▶️ YouTube: toolighttoodark

🎵 Music by @ali_jaguareyes

What does it mean to be a man today?

To hold power and feel powerless?

To crave control but fear vulnerability?

In Episode 8, we dive deep into masculinity, identity, and the messy truth of being human with our guest, Ben Neal — thought leader, educator, and organisational consultant trained at the legendary Tavistock & Portman.

Together, we explore:

Freud, Bion & the unconscious — why our hidden fears shape our relationships

Masculinity & vulnerability — why men struggle to open up, and what happens when they do

Parenting in the influencer age — are we raising our kids, or are algorithms doing it for us?

What The Wire & Breaking Bad reveal about power, morality, and survival

How our community’s listener questions cracked open the deepest parts of this conversation

Some of the questions YOU asked:

💬 “Why are so many men terrified of showing weakness?”

💬 “Are influencers shaping our kids’ identities more than we are?”

💬 “How do we break cycles of toxic masculinity without losing strength?”

This episode isn’t just theory — it’s raw, real, and deeply personal.

Masculinity is changing. Vulnerability is rising. The question is — are we ready to face what that really means?

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Naomi Watt, a registered nurse on the frontlines of Vancouver’s toxic drug crisis. With deep compassion and unflinching honesty, Naomi shares what it means to practice harm reduction in a community where the unregulated drug supply has claimed far too many lives.

From safe consumption sites to overdose response, she offers a raw look into the challenges—and the small victories—of nursing in a public health emergency. More than a healthcare provider, Naomi is an advocate, a witness, and a voice for dignity in the face of stigma.

Join us for an eye-opening conversation that moves beyond headlines and statistics, grounding us in the lived reality of the crisis—and the humanity at its center.

If you want to be a leader you’d do well to learn from Naomi’s candour. Left us with wet eyes doing

Sending love 😇

Ep. 6 — The Homeless Guide with Fynn Baring

What if losing everything gave you the blueprint to truly live?

In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Fynn Baring takes us inside the hidden world of homelessness — the unspoken rules, the survival hacks, and the unexpected humanity that thrives on the edges of society. From finding safety to navigating dignity, Fynn shares the hard-earned wisdom most of us never see and walks us through his initiative now live in Oxford, Cambridge, Luton and Leeds.

This conversation also touches what it is to survive without a home — it’s a powerful reminder of what we all carry within us when the world strips everything else away.

You can reach out to support The Homeless Guide to get involved with the content and distribution or Item Outreach via [email protected]

You can find the homeless guide per region here

Oxford

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1u_obNl_v68H7bCa04JvqBjsp6259ZCG_iokxjF-S4rI/mobilebasic

Cambridge

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1gOW9xtAN6SW-h_sdRbTsxJ72auVBV2jxY-xD5AzMJ0o/mobilebasic

Leeds

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1zlf6S-Z-DhfWXpodQJ1NzOKiPn1Dy39Tx0jCNTsWRlc/mobilebasic

Luton

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1xIv9M1m4gIa3XugxWnc0OJjZnMhSWfCR1OHinPcPFUk/mobilebasic

Music by @ali_jaguareyes on IG

Our socials

@toolighttoodark on IG, X and Tik Tok

Email - [email protected]

Rhett and Leon chop it up about our half way point in the first 10 episode run. We touch upon recent achievements, feedback from you, the listener, upcoming guests and some casual reflections on where we sit, where we've been and most importantly where we're going.

This will keep you guys fed, whilst we're in the lab with new episodes.

We’ve hit Episode 5 - halfway through our first ten episode season and for this one, we’ve got an amazing discussion to share. In this candid and deeply human conversation, former pornography addict and recovery coach Joshua Shea joins Too Light Too Dark to break the silence around a topic often hidden in shame. Together, we explore the roots of pornography addiction, the mental and emotional toll it takes, and the path toward healing and self-compassion. Joshua shares his personal journey from addiction to advocacy, offering hope and practical insights for anyone seeking recovery — or trying to understand it in a loved one.

If you’ve ever wondered how to talk about this taboo subject with honesty and empathy, this episode is your invitation to unmask the truth.

Intro music @ali_jaguareyes on Instagram

Shouts out to my homeslice holding it down on the music

Namaste 🙏

Episode 4: “Codependency : I Am Enough”— with Dr. Angela Downey”

Is it codependency… or just being a human with Wi-Fi and abandonment issues?

This week on Too Light Too Dark, we’re diving headfirst (with healthy boundaries, of course) into the murky waters of codependency with the brilliant Dr. Angela Downey, author of Codependency: Enough As I Am. Angela brings decades of clinical wisdom, spiritual insight, and the kind of radical compassion that makes you feel like maybe—just maybe—you don’t need to fix yourself before brunch.

Together, we ask the big questions:

Why is it so hard to stop managing other people’s emotions?

Can you be “enough” without being everything to everyone?

What would Jung say about your group chat behavior?

We unpack how codependency can be a survival strategy born in childhood, reinforced by culture, and often mistaken for love. But don’t worry, it’s not all shadow work and existential spirals. There’s plenty of humor, warmth, and real talk as we explore how to shift from over-functioning fixer to whole human in recovery.

Whether you’re fresh into your healing era or a seasoned boundary ninja, this episode reminds you that recovery isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being real.

A big shout out to Dr Downey for her time 💚

Intro music @ali_jaguareyes on IG - our trigger man in Edinburgh

You can catch all related content mentioned in the podcast below

Enough As I Am (Codependency Workbook) - Available on Amazon

Enough As I Grow (365 day guided journal)

Facebook The Codependent Doctor https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575425574243

Instagram @DrAngelaDowney

https://www.instagram.com/drangeladowney/

Threads @DrAngela Downey

https://www.threads.com/@drangeladowney

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@codependentdoctor

In our third episode Dr Brett Grellier joins to explore mental health and addiction recovery from a personal and professional lens. We look at individual recovery and the systemic foundations that are there to protect us and how sometimes they fail and how people can slip through the cracks due to these failures.

We also touch upon hope on the face of adversity, wrestling with one’s own shadow and how integrative practice can lead to long term healing in the right context.

This one is for the thinkers, the creatives and our army of fellow health and social care practitioners on the front lines of support day on day.

Peace, love and light 💚

In this episode of Too Light Too Dark, we sit down with Matt Southwell — global harm reduction leader, peer advocate, and unapologetic truth-teller.

With over three decades of experience, Matt has been at the forefront of drug user activism, from founding one of the UK’s first community-led services to shaping international policy with the UN.

We talk about:

 Coming out publicly as a drug user — and the fallout

 The power of peer-led harm reduction

 Why overdose prevention centers aren’t optional

 What it means to lead from lived experience

Whilst also exploring the socio-political climates that fuel drug policies and the effect on the end user lving with and engaging with systems of power and control.

This is a conversation about courage, community, and refusing to be silenced.

Listen in — and get closer to the ground truth.

Peace, love and light x