Notes from the Edge

Why is going no contact treated like the only way to heal from narcissistic abuse? The truth is, sometimes it’s simply unrealistic. When children, family relationships, finances, and shared responsibilities are involved, cutting someone off completely isn’t always possible. And healing shouldn’t come with another impossible set of rules.In this deeply personal Edge Note, Lisa Lacy shares her experiences with a clinically diagnosed narcissistic former husband, trauma bonding, betrayal, and complicated family dynamics involving her mother and daughter. She challenges traditional recovery advice and explores a different approach to boundaries: Your energy is a privilege, not an entitlement. You decide who gets access, how much, and for how long.In this episode, we explore:Why no contact isn’t always realistic in narcissistic abuse recovery.Trauma bonding and why leaving an abusive relationship is rarely simple.Navigating narcissistic family dynamics when children and generations are involved.Setting boundaries around your time, conversations, emotional availability, and energy.Reclaiming your autonomy without guilt, explanations, or abandoning yourself.Connect with Lisa Lacy:https://www.lisalacy.comJoin Inside the Edge: Exclusive weekly episodes, monthly private live experiences, member resources, and deeper human conversations.https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edgeWhat did you perform in order to survive?Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when other people decide what you’re capable of? After a spinal cord injury at 20, Ken Kunken returned to Cornell University in a wheelchair, only to find a campus without a single ramp or curb cut. The challenge wasn’t simply adapting to a different life. It was navigating a world that hadn’t made room for him.Ken went on to build a career spanning more than four decades as a trial attorney, become a husband and father of triplets, and write his memoir, I Dream of Things That Never Were. We talk about disability, accessibility, depression, independence, asking for help, and why opportunity and inclusion matter far more than anyone’s assumptions about another person’s abilities.In this episode:02:38 | Adjusting to life after a spinal cord injury and redefining independence05:50 | The importance of family, community, and meaningful support08:03 | Returning to an inaccessible Cornell campus and pursuing a legal career10:15 | Writing his memoir, navigating personal challenges, and building a family17:45 | Self-confidence, disability stereotypes, and the importance of opportunityConnect with Ken KunkenAuthor of I Dream of Things That Never Were: The Ken Kunken Storyhttps://kenkunken.comConnect with Lisa Lacy Inside the Edge:Join us for exclusive weekly episodes, private monthly live conversations, and resources that encourage self-discovery, connection, and personal growth.https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edgeWhat did you perform in order to survive?Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if your adoption was never legal? Patricia Knight Meyer was handed over as an infant along a Texas hospital curb without an agency, a judge, or legal adoption paperwork. At 12, she discovered she had no birth certificate. At 47, she finally received one that reflected her true identity.In this deeply personal conversation, Patricia joins Lisa Lacy to explore black-market adoption, adoption trauma, abandonment, people-pleasing, and the complicated emotions of reuniting with biological parents. She also shares the story behind her award-winning memoir, Wonderland: Memoir of a Black-Market Adoption, and why adoptee rights, identity, and family preservation deserve more honest conversations.In This Episode:02:43 – How adoption trauma, abandonment fears, and people-pleasing shaped Patricia’s childhood.06:04 – Discovering her missing birth certificate and questioning whether she had been stolen.09:19 – Reuniting with her biological parents and confronting the identity she thought she knew.15:05 – Preparing for adoption reunions, managing expectations, and establishing healthy boundaries.24:25 – Writing Wonderland, surviving devastating losses, and reclaiming her personal history.Connect with Patricia Knight Meyerhttps://www.myadoptedlife.comConnect with Lisa | INSIDE THE EDGEhttps://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edgeGo beyond the public podcast with exclusive weekly episodes, private monthly live conversations, and practical resources exploring identity, trauma, recovery, and personal growth.What did you perform in order to survive?Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve starts costing you your health, happiness, and sense of self? Dave Rossi built a multimillion-dollar business, had the homes, the money, and every outward sign of success. Behind it all, he was burned out, physically unwell, and deeply unhappy. What happens when everything you’ve worked for becomes the very thing destroying you?Lisa Lacy and Dave Rossi explore the hidden costs of traditional masculinity, the pressure to perform, and why strength doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your health or happiness. From the alpha male mindset to Dave’s Omega Man philosophy, this conversation challenges what we’ve been taught about success, vulnerability, identity, and conscious leadership.In This Episode:02:18 – When having everything still feels like failure: Dave’s personal breaking point06:29 – How ambition, discipline, and constant achievement become a recipe for burnout19:54 – Alpha vs. Omega: redefining masculinity, strength, and the masks men wear34:03 – Building the awareness muscle, breaking old patterns, and finding the power to choose differently44:24 – Performing to be loved, letting go of approval, and why vulnerability is real strengthConnect with Dave RossiWebsite: https://www.daverossiglobal.comExplore his books, Alphas Die Early and The Imperative Habit.Connect with Lisa Lacy Inside the Edge:https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edgeInside the Edge is a private membership featuring exclusive weekly solo episodes, monthly live virtual experiences, and practical resources for deeper conversations about identity, healing, personal growth, and the human experience.What did you perform in order to survive?Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if healing from trauma didn’t have to take years? What if the patterns keeping you stuck weren’t just in your thoughts, but in your body? Biochemist, immunologist, and author Dr. Judith Swack joins Lisa Lacy to challenge how we think about trauma, emotional healing, and the unconscious patterns driving our behavior.Dr. Judith introduces her Healing from the Body Level Up (HBLU) methodology, exploring energy psychology, the mind-body connection, and her approach to identifying and releasing emotional patterns. From betrayal and boundary violations to the relationship between trauma and physical health, this conversation asks whether healing could look very different from what we’ve been taught.In This Episode:03:30 – Why unconscious patterns keep us repeating the same behaviors and relationships.11:20 – Energy psychology, tapping, and Dr. Judith’s approach to emotional healing.19:50 – Loss trauma versus violence trauma and how both affect the nervous system.23:35 – Fight, flight, freeze, bullying, and the impact of violated boundaries.31:30 – Trauma, the immune system, chronic stress, and the mind-body connection.Connect with Dr. Judith SwackLearn more about her work, Healing from the Body Level Up (HBLU), and her book Clear Trauma Now.https://www.hblu.org/Connect with Lisa | Inside the EdgeJoin Inside the Edge for exclusive weekly episodes, private monthly live experiences, deeper conversations, and resources for self-discovery and personal growth.https://www.lisalacy.com/inside-the-edgeWhat did you perform in order to survive?Welcome to the Edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.