Precarious

Aug 10 2023 15

Precarious Podcast artwork

Life. Playing by the rules, doing the right thing, working hard and striving to be a good person can give us a sense of control and security. At least that is what Leah believed until she was diagnosed with advanced ovarian and breast cancer when she was 46 years old. She quickly realized that life is truly precarious - filled with uncertainty and dependent on chance. Through hearing other's stories of their precarious moments, we realize that this is actually what connects us as human beings. There is beauty in the struggle.

Leah Barrett, MS, LCSW is a psychotherapist in private practice in Colorado where she lives with her husband and a few fur kids.

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Last Show

Aug 10 2023 26 mins

To Forgive is to Heal

Jul 28 2023 20 mins

Forgiveness, to forgive. Why is it so hard to do? Is it that we think we are condoning the person's behavior if we forgive the person? What do we gain by not forgiving? What do we lose by not forgiving?We lose a great deal when we hang on to resentments. Science shows it's bad for our health- physical and mental.In this episode of Precarious, I explore forgiveness: its definition a

Searching for Awe

Jul 17 2023 19 mins

What is Awe? When is the last time you experienced it? Even I questioned whether it is considered an emotion? It is an emotion that absolutely can improve our quality of life. Yet, it takes paying attention and being open to it.In this episode of Precarious, I reference Dacher Keltner's book, AWE. The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. He outlines 8

Five Regrets of the Dying

Jun 29 2023 24 mins

Susie Steiner, a writer for the Guardian, published an article about a nurse who documented the top regrets of the dying.She wrtites, "Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog called Inspiration and Chai, which gathered so much attent

I'm Inviting You Into the Conversation

Jun 15 2023 12 mins

It can be lonely in the podcast land. I'll admit that having a one-way conversation has its advantages. And, facing my mortality can be lonely at times. So, I've decided to invite you into the conversation. In this short episode, I pose a number of questions about life and death and living and dying. I realize this can be a difficult topic, so be gentle with yourself if you feel un

Becoming Real - a Lesson Taken from the Velveteen Rabbit

Apr 27 2023 20 mins

The chidren's book, The Velveteen Rabbit, was first published just over 100 years ago. The book is packed with life lessons or least encurages the reader to go inward and explore what it means to be REAL in this world that rewards us for being something we are not. I'm finding that illness and eventual death is a beautiful pathway to becoming real. In this episode of the podcast, I

There is Nothing Wrong with You. You are Not Your Illness. And Why Friendships Matter

Apr 06 2023 28 mins

I've struggled for a long time attaching my value to my health. This struggle has been amplified these past 9 + years since I was diagnosed with cancer. The emotion that comes up strongly is shame. Shame and guilt are cousins in the emotional world. Guilt means "I did something wrong" while Shame means "I am wrong". How many of us carry this message? I'd be curious to know. I unpac

Kindness Matters and Announcing the Precarious Project

Mar 23 2023 27 mins

I've been receiving a newly FDA-approved drug since December. My hope has been to give my body the chance to see if the disease responds to treatment in order to improve my quality of life. As it turns out, this treatment has been very difficut for me to tolerate. It's brought into question so much for me. Every day I wake up feeling grateful to be alive. Everyday I look for the be

It's My Honor to Walk this Precarious Path with You - My Interview with Monica Dewey

Feb 09 2023 48 mins

Every wonder what its like to work in cancer care? As a nurse? How it affects that individual? How it changes her/him? I do. You'd think I'd have those questions answered living with cancer for almost 10 years. Nope. All of my heath care providers show up professionally with appropriate boundaries. Sitting down with Monica, one of my oncology nurses, and having the opportunity to a

I Have Something To Tell You - My Precarious Life: B0NUS EPISODE

Jan 23 2023 28 mins

I have decided to come clean and let you in on how my path towards death has evolved. I admit, I was purposely not disclosing some information. And, in this episode I lay the foundation for my rationale - or at least I explore my rationale. I'm at a crossroads. And, yes, I return to the concept of suffering becasue it's one of my measuring sticks. I ask all of us to visit our relat