Welcome to This Unexpected Life, a podcast designed to equip and encourage parents and caregivers of children with disabilities so they can embrace their journey with hope, faith, and resilience. With over twenty years of parenting experience, Carrie M Holt is a story-telling companion for caregiving mothers, exploring the hope and healing found in Jesus Christ—one story at a time.
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Carrie Holt Podcasts
Hear stories about the alien moons orbiting our Sun, of cold stars, and the future of space exploration. Every week, scientist Dr. Carrie Nugent chats about an amazing part of our universe with an expert guest. Spacepod is the podcast that gives you an inside look into space exploration. Learn more: http://listentospacepod.com
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Take Heart is a podcast for special needs moms by special needs moms. It is a place for special needs moms to find authentic connection, fervent hope, and inspiring stories. Contact us! Amy J. Brown: [email protected] Carrie M. Holt: [email protected] Sara Clime: [email protected]
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Lead the Generation is all about helping students become better leaders. Leadership is influence. Students have influence. Students can be great leaders in their school, church, home and job. Join us throughout the school year for multiple short episodes a week to talk leadership.
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A program in which Robert learns from a variety of creative and professional guests.
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Ever wondered why Frasier Crane is such a snob? How Tyrion Lannister’s bawdy humour saves him in Game of Thrones? What makes Schitts Creek’s Moira Rose a narcissist? ‘Shrink the Box’ is where actor comedian Ben Bailey Smith and psychotherapist Nemone Metaxas put their favourite fictional characters such Tommy from Peaky Blinders and Sydney from The Bear on the couch - to analyse why their behaviour causes them so much drama. Nemone and Ben explore why these characters make certain decisions, ...
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Overcoming Adversity: A Journey of Resilience with Dr. Nicole Wilke
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27:26In this episode, host Carrie M. Holt engages with Dr. Nicole Wilke, a researcher and therapist, discussing the challenges and triumphs of parenting children with special needs. They explore the importance of resilience, the impact of early adversity, and the role of attachment in healing. Dr. Wilke shares her personal experiences and insights, emph…
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In this episode of This Unexpected Life, host Carrie M Holt engages in a heartfelt conversation with Kara Ryska, a dedicated advocate for families navigating the challenges of raising children with disabilities. Kara shares her personal journey as a mother of four, including her experiences with her son's brain tumors and the complexities of parent…
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Finding Hope In The Unexpected Grief With Paula Romang
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34:09In this episode, Carrie M Holt interviews Paula Romang, who shares her journey of motherhood, particularly the challenges and joys of infertility, premature twins, and a son with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. Paula discusses her initial expectations, the reality of caregiving, and the profound grief that accompanies the realization of having a special n…
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Bringing Hope, Humor, and Healing to this Unexpected Journey With Amber Pierson & Chelsea Kuhn
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46:29In this episode, Carrie M Holt interviewed Chelsea Kuhn and Amber Pierson from Making Lemon Cake, who share their journeys as medical mothers. They discuss the challenges and triumphs of parenting children with medical complexities, emphasizing the importance of community, finding joy in small victories, and the role of surrender in their experienc…
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Creating Family Memories Through Travel With Kristin Faith Evans
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32:49In this episode, Carrie Holt interviews Kristin Faith Evans, who shares her journey as a mother of a child with disabilities. Kristin discusses the challenges and joys of parenting, the importance of family travel, and practical tips for families with medically fragile children. She emphasizes the need for a positive mindset, baby steps in travel, …
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Courageous Travel With Medically Fragile Kids With Erika Weise
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27:37In this episode, Carrie Holt interviews Erika Weise about the challenges and joys of traveling with a child with special needs. They discuss the importance of family travel, the planning involved, and the memories created through these experiences. Erika shares her family's journey, the obstacles they face, and the courage it takes to make travel h…
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When You Want To Do Big Things For God and The Unexpected Happens With Miranda Bailey
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31:23Today, we hear from Miranda Bailey, a mother of four whose plans for their family didn’t turn out the way she expected when the country closed to adopting the girl they wanted to bring home, and then their fourth son was born with Holoprosencephaly. Listen as she shares her story of navigating grief, expectations, how jealousy leads to isolation, s…
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Encouragement For Sharing Your Story in the Unexpected With Mackenzie Walters
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27:50In part two of this interview with Mackenzie Walters, she shares the different types of faith stories, some guardrails for sharing, and how to decide what and when to share with others. She also offers some practical advice on knowing when you’re not ready to tell your story and how our stories are often a guide for others. Episode 11: May 20, 2025…
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The Importance of Sharing Faith Stories With Mackenzie Walters
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31:04Mackenzie Walters is the author of the book "Faith Storytellers." In this episode, she shares the importance of sharing our faith stories, the vulnerability it requires, and also the power of connection that comes from sharing. Most importantly, she describes how we can find God in the tiny details of our life stories and His presence in the unexpe…
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When You Face The Worst Case Scenario In The Unexpected with Becky Davidson
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37:48Join Carrie today as she interviews Becky Davidson, from Rising Above Ministries, who shares her “modern-day” Job-like story of being a mother to a child with disability, substantial loss, wrestling with God, the key element of lament, and the importance of community and soul care. May 6, 2025 Episode 9 Resources: By The Brook - Register now Rising…
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Experiencing Denial in The Unexpected Grief
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19:34Denial is our body’s way of protecting us from the reality of our situations, but sometimes we get stuck there. In this episode, Carrie discusses this stage of grief: some reasons we get stuck, the risks of being stuck in denial, and some practices for moving beyond it. April 22, 2025 Resources: Jason Gray: Remind Me You’re Here By The Brook Regist…
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When We Need to Embrace Rest In the Unexpected Journey of Parenting Children With Disabilities
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21:34April 15, 2025 In part two of this interview with Amy J. Brown, Amy shares how we can find hope in the chaos of caregiving, the power of not overthinking or overplanning, and the importance of slowing down. Through her mentoring and spiritual direction training, she gives practical advice for flourishing in the difficult position of being a caregiv…
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When the Unexpected Means Parenting Kids With Trauma With Amy J. Brown
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25:12April 8, 2025 Parenting children with behavioral issues and trauma can be a difficult position with the added shame and judgment we bring not only on ourselves but also from other people. In this interview, Amy J. Brown shares how she has reframed the narrative around her parenting, some strategies she uses to rest, and how she has found hope in th…
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When The Unexpected Involves Infertility and Adoption With Jen Headlee
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36:50In this episode, Carrie interviews Jen Headlee, whose journey involved infertility, adoption, navigating the NICU, and her son’s many other health challenges. She discusses bargaining with God, guilt over grief, and embracing the reality of her situation. Listen in to Jen’s unexpected life story. If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review! Get …
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Grief and the grieving cycle is an ongoing part of our journey as special needs parents. Passionately sharing about how we need to expect grief to be a part of this unexpected journey, Carrie explains four types of grief we encounter as disability parents and gives important things to remember, as well as remembering how in every painful experience…
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The Caregiver Support System with Sara Clime
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32:02Today my guest Sara Clime shares how her Caregiver Support System was born out of her son’s diagnosis and her own unique giftings to allow mothers to have time for what really matters. Resources: Sara Clime If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review! Get my new resource: 5 Practices For Processing Grief Click here if you want to be a guest on t…
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Why Story Matters In This Unexpected Life
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17:02Story draws us in; it packs a powerful punch, can give us courage, and speaks to us in ways that other things do not. In this pilot episode of This Unexpected Life podcast, listen in as Carrie shares the importance of story, her goals for this podcast, and how you can be encouraged in this unexpected journey of raising a child with disabilities, me…
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When The Unexpected Leads to a Terminal Diagnosis With Sara Clime
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33:46Today on the podcast, my friend and author Sara Clime, from the Take Heart Special Moms Podcast, gets raw and vulnerable while discussing when the unexpected in her life led to her son’s terminal diagnosis, but also a deeper gut-level-honest relationship with God. Resources: Sara Clime Scripture Mentioned: John 2:22 If you enjoyed the show, leave a…
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226: The intersection of computer science and astronomy with Dr. Kubica
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21:57Dr. Jeremy Kubica talks about his work on the LINCC Frameworks project, and how he brings together astronomers and computer scientists to create software tools. He shares advice for students and talks about his books, which explain computing concepts in fun and accessible ways.By Carrie Nugent
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Welcome to This Unexpected Life, a podcast for parents navigating the challenges of raising a child with disabilities or special needs. Here, we share stories of hope, resilience, and messy faith to help you embrace your journey, work through grief, and thrive in your role. Whether you're just starting out or looking for encouragement to keep going…
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Looking for love or navigating the modern dating world? We've got just the thing! How to Date is your ultimate guide to the highs, lows, and everything in between of modern romance. Hosted by broadcaster and author Elizabeth Day and relationship expert Mel Schilling, this podcast masterclass dives deep into the complexities of finding connection in…
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225: A newly discovered Martian volcano with Dr. Lee
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41:02Dr. Pascal Lee tells the story of how he and his collaborators found a new volcano on Mars. He tells us about the "convergence of lines of evidence" that led to this discovery. He also explains why this site may be a good place to look for life.By Carrie Nugent
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Is it Really the Most Wonderful Time of the Year? Managing Expectations for the Holidays
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33:11Episode 175: Decmeber 5, 2024 In all the talk of Christmas being wonderful, there's also a huge sense of dread for mothers to get it all done. There are so many expectations of us during this time of the year. Carrie, Amy, and Sara discuss what lessons we have learned over the years. There are some rhythms and things we cut out in December to be mo…
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Becoming Brave Together with Jessica Patay
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33:11Sara met with the author and founder of We Are Brave Together, Jessica Patay, to discuss the beautiful things that come from being in a community of women caregivers. Jessica's community provides mentoring, meaningful conversations, and an authenticity that very few outside the caregiving community can replicate. She launched the nonprofit to suppo…
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Loneliness and Isolation as a Special Needs Mom
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40:50Amy, Sara, and Carrie explore the pervasive feelings of loneliness and isolation that special needs parents experience. They discuss how their past focus on efficiency led to prioritizing tasks over relationships. Now, years into their special needs parenting lives, they need intentional connection. They discuss their strategies for pushing past is…
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Astrophysicist Tina Ibsen tells us about the northern lights. She talks about her research and gives tips on how to observe the lights. She tells us how Denmark is a space nation and shares her thoughts about the future of space exploration. We also talk about RumSnak, the space podcast she co-hosts with Anders Høeg Nissen.…
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An Un-Disabled Mindset: Sandy’s Perspective Shift As a Special Needs Caregiver
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39:24Carrie M. Holt sat down with Sandy Ramsey-Trayvick, author of the new book, "When Dreams Are Disrupted," to talk about Sandy’s mindset journey as she was forced to step into the role of caregiver for her child. When a childhood illness changed the life of her son, it left her feeling helpless. In this episode, she shares what God revealed concernin…
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223: Preparing for something we haven't seen yet with Dr. Holt
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23:27Dr. Carrie Holt talks about how she's getting ready for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. She explains how astronomers are using simulated and real data to prepare in advance of this new data.By Carrie Nugent
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Carrie chats with Anders and Tina on the beautifully produced Danish space podcast, RumSnak. The show starts with space news in Danish before the mostly English interview, which starts 24 minutes in. Find RumSnak on your favorite podcatcher, or online at www.rumsnak.dk.By Tina Ibsen, Anders Høeg Nissen
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Practical Tips for Thriving in Prolonged Caregiving
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43:33Long-term caregiving requires a mindset shift for our emotional life and our relationship with God and others. Carrie, Amy, and Sara discuss practical tips for surviving and thriving long term. They discuss spiritual practices, practical habits to avoid burnout, and mindfulness to address the stressors and difficulties that come with caregiving. Yo…
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Show up and Bring Coffee! How to Support Your Friends With Disabled Children with Megan Amrich
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43:36In this episode, Amy Brown interviews Megan Amrich, author of the book 'Show Up and Bring Coffee: How to Support Your Friends with Disabled Children.' They discuss practical ways to support parents of children with disabilities, including being knowledgeable but not a know-it-all, being an extra set of hands, and making events and celebrations acce…
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Do you have a critical inner voice? Plus forgotten actors enjoying a renaissance and your questions answered - SHRINK THE INBOX
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51:18For the last episode of this season, team STB gets real with those pesky inner monologues (as promised in the Carrie: Sex and the City episode). Plus, what's the connection between 80s comedy-thriller Lovejoy and The Matrix? We explore actors who have come back from obscurity with aplomb. We want to hear about any theories we might have missed, wha…
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CARRIE BRADSHAW – How to fight the patriarchy and stop obsessing over relationships – SHRINK THE BOX
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51:57In our final character episode of this season, we put Carrie from Sex and the City on the couch. Nemone looks at why Sex and the City hasn’t aged well, and Ben talks about diversity in the privileged, white world of the show. We get into Carrie’s shopping habit, low self-esteem, and why everyone in the show is SO obsessed with relationships, even t…
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Finding Joy: Practical Strategies for Special Needs Parents
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50:12In this episode, we sit down together to discuss joy and how we can capitalize on the moments that we have. We talk about adjusting our expectations, addressing past trauma, and embracing the fleeting nature of life to cultivate joy in the present moment. We discuss the struggle of feeling constantly on guard and the tendency to brace oneself for n…
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JACKSON LAMB in SLOW HORSES: Do spies make the best therapists? – SHRINK THE BOX
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49:55Ben and Nemone put Jackson Lamb from Slow Horses on the couch. Gary Oldman’s version of Mick Herron’s character has become household name, and you can see why. A man with many layers, a million secrets, and a lightning rod for other’s emotions – perhaps he is the perfect Freudian analyst. Nemone gives us a crash course in transference and counter-t…
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CAPTAIN HOLT of BROOKLYN 99: Neurodiverse, gay and battling racism – SHRINK THE BOX
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47:52Ben and Nemone put Raymond Holt on the couch. We look at how this trailblazing policeman (the first black, gay police captain in the force) stands out from the rest of the precinct. We learn how family dynamics inform behaviour and what it takes to be a great leader. Nemone looks at a diagnosis of ASD or Asperger’s Syndrome for the captain, and Ben…
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SCHITT’S CREEK and Moira Rose: this is narcissism – SHRINK THE BOX
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50:09Ben and Nemone put Moira Rose on the couch and take a deep dive into her narcissistic tendencies, and what effect that has on the rest of the Schitts. Nemone explains how narcissism is not as easy to spot as its widespread use would have you believe. We also discuss the collection of wigs that Moira keeps in her closet and why they are transitional…
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Explaining addicts' behaviour, ‘trapped’ dramas (Handmaid’s Tale) and your questions - SHRINK THE INBOX
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50:37
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50:37If characters in ‘trapped’ dramas escape, is that the end of the show? Ben and Nemone explore The Handmaid’s Tale and Severance as examples. Plus, Ben reacts to a listener’s ‘constructive’ feedback and Nemone explores Polyvagal Theory to explain why we might react in the way we do from childhood trauma. We want to hear about any theories we might h…
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THE WIRE’S Bubbles: How do you help an addict? – SHRINK THE BOX
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52:05Ben and Nemone discuss The Wire’s ‘Bubbles’ aka Reginald Collins. An informant and heroin user, a man with a fragile support network who finds himself stranded while trying to forge closer bonds with those around him. Nemone tells Ben how unconditional love is the hardest thing to give an addict, and the key to helping them start their journey to s…
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222: Measuring the emptiness of space with Dr. Becker
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21:59Dr Tracy Becker tells us about solar system science using ultraviolet light. She explains how the color of a planet's northern lights depends on the planet's atmosphere. She also describes how scientists repurposed the New Horizons spacecraft to measure how empty space is.By Carrie Nugent
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PEAKY BLINDERS’ Polly Shelby: the silent observer in all of us – SHRINK THE BOX
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49:26Ben and Nemone discuss Helen McCrory’s iconic Poly Shelby from Peaky Blinders. She’s a devout Catholic, but up to her neck in the murky world of bootlegging and murder. Nemone gets into the thorny question of how she might match those up, and reveals how each of us has a ‘silent observer’ inside. We also dive into the history of women’s rights in 1…
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ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK’S “Taystee”: Adoption, Child States and Attachment Theory – SHRINK THE BOX
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49:23Ben and Nemone discuss Tasha Jefferson, aka Taystee, from Orange is the New Black. We get fascinating insights into child states and how difficult they are to escape; attachment theory and why prison can be a better alternative to living in the outside world. Expect to laugh and cry while reliving one of the early bingeable series on Netflix. And i…
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REESE WITHERSPOON and JENNIFER ANISTON’s Alex and Bradley tackle sexism and false selves on The Morning Show - SHRINK THE BOX
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48:15Ben and Nemone put Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s The Morning Show characters, Alex and Bradley, on the couch. We ask how a person creates a false self at work, what makes Bradley break the mould and find out how Alex could ever have respect for her male boss in the middle of a #MeToo scandal. Stay tuned for more on false selves in our up…
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Addiction in “Euphoria”, Analysis vs. Therapy and Sir Salman Rushdie! - SHRINK THE INBOX
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44:07Ben and Nemone answer your questions and explore your suggestions. They talk about whether they have any friends who are spies and explore some brilliant female led comedies you've either missed or forgotten. We want to hear about any theories we might have missed, what you’ve thought of the show so far and your character suggestions. Please drop t…
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