In this gentle and grounding New Year episode, Cara invites listeners to rethink the pressure of “New Year, New You” when you’re living with a chronic condition like HS. While social media fills our feeds with highlight reels, transformations, and “best year yet” posts, Cara reminds us that every year looks different for every person — and that comparison is a natural, human response, not a failure.

Drawing from real experiences shared across the HS community, she explores what to do when comparison hits, not how to pretend it doesn’t. With warmth and honesty, Cara walks through practical steps for naming your feelings without judgment, anchoring your goals in your own reality, recognizing the strength in your quiet wins, and understanding what your jealousy might actually be trying to tell you.

She also reframes healing through the lens of seasons — reminding listeners that droughts, storms, and harvests each have their place, and no one’s timeline looks the same. This episode is a compassionate companion for anyone stepping into 2026 with fear, hope, exhaustion, or all three at once.

If you need a soft place to land this season, this episode is for you.
Explore more tools, episodes, and support at hsconnect.org/healingspace.

This podcast was made possible by UCB.

Grief doesn’t only come after loss—it can begin the moment you receive a diagnosis that changes the future you imagined for yourself.

In this deeply compassionate episode of Healing Space, host Cara explores what it means to grieve after a chronic illness diagnosis. From dismantling the myth that grief only applies to death, to walking through the emotional stages many experience after life-altering health news, Cara creates space for listeners to feel seen, validated, and understood.

Using the well-known framework of the five stages of grief, Cara gently explains how denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance may show up—not as a checklist, but as a fluid, personal experience. Through a powerful real-life scenario and her own story, she illustrates how grief can look like mourning the body you once had, the career or dreams you envisioned, or the version of life you expected.

This episode also covers:

• Different forms of grief, including anticipatory and delayed grief
• The emotional and physical symptoms that often accompany grief
• Why timelines don’t define strength or resilience
• Practical, compassionate coping tools for moving through grief with care

Above all, this episode is a reminder that grief is not failure—it’s change. And even in the midst of loss, it’s possible to find meaning, support, and a life that is still full and beautiful.

A companion worksheet is available to help listeners process and reflect alongside the episode. Find it and other resources at hsconnect.org/healingspace.

This podcast was made possible by UCB.

In this episode, host Cara speaks directly to those who have lived with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) for years — even decades. The ones who have weathered endless doctor visits, dismissive diagnoses, and a healthcare system that once didn’t understand their pain.

If you’ve ever felt forgotten, hopeless, or too tired to try again, this episode is for you. Kara honors the strength, endurance, and resilience of long-time HS warriors and reminds listeners that the world has changed — new treatments, new research, and a new generation of providers are here because of you.

Tune in for encouragement, validation, and practical tools to help you re-engage with care on your own terms, including:

• How to approach healthcare again after years of frustration
• Tools and documentation that can empower your next appointment
• New HS resources that didn’t exist before — from dermatologist finders to flare care kits
• Gentle reminders that hope isn’t naïve — it’s earned

You survived the hardest years. You made the road smoother for everyone who came after. Now, you deserve access to the care and compassion you helped create.

✨ Listen now, and explore resources, support, and community at hsconnect.org or hsconnect.org/healingspace

This podcast was made possible by UCB.

In this heartfelt episode of Healing Space, host Cara opens up an honest, compassionate discussion about depression — what it really is, how it affects those living with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), and most importantly, how to begin finding light again even on the hardest days

Cara explains how depression goes far beyond sadness — it touches how you think, act, and feel. With HS, that emotional weight can grow heavier, as flares, pain, and isolation all feed into one another

She explores the connection between inflammation and mental health, sharing research showing that HS patients are nearly twice as likely to experience depression compared to the general population.

But this episode isn’t just about awareness — it’s about action. Cara gently walks listeners through four practical tools for managing low moods and breaking the “domino effect” of pain, loneliness, and self-criticism:

• 🌿 Behavioral Activation: small, intentional activities that lift your mood — even when you can’t do everything you planned.
• 💭 Thought Reframing: catching and challenging harsh self-talk (“I’m ugly because of my scars”) with self-compassion (“These scars show I’m strong”).
• 🎶 Mood-Boosting Playlist: using music to shift your energy and emotions — from High Hopes to Shake It Off.
• 🤝 Connection and Support: reaching out to friends, family, or online support groups — especially those who genuinely understand living with HS

Cara reminds listeners that depression doesn’t mean weakness — it’s a signal your mind and body need care. Through awareness, connection, and small daily steps, healing becomes possible.

✨ “You are not alone in this. Your scars tell a story of resilience, not defeat.”

For more mental health resources visit hsconnect.org/healingspace

Thank you to UCB for making the Healing Space possible.

This podcast was made possible by UCB.

In this episode of Healing Space with Cara, we explore one of the most powerful and compassionate frameworks in chronic illness and mental-health life: Spoon Theory.

Originally created by Christine Miserandino, Spoon Theory is a way to describe the limited energy many people living with chronic illness, disability, pain, or mental-health challenges experience each day. It helps us understand why even simple tasks — getting dressed, cooking, answering messages — can use up precious “spoons,” and why pacing, boundaries, rest, and self-compassion aren’t just helpful — they’re essential.

For more resources check out hsconnect.org/healingspace

This podcast was made possible by UCB.

We’re back! Host Cara kicks off Season 2 with an honest and vulnerable conversation featuring special guest Imani (@mottsworld_).

Together, they open up about living with anxiety — from daily spirals to silent battles — and how it shows up in their bodies, relationships, and healing journeys. This episode is raw, relatable, and full of real coping tools that go beyond “just breathe.”

✨ Want to dig deeper? Download the free podcast companion worksheet to reflect, journal, and process alongside the episode: hsconnect.org/healingspace

Whether you’re struggling quietly or learning to give your anxiety a voice — pull up a chair. You’re not alone here.

This podcast was made possible by UCB.

On this week's episode, Dr. Barr, a dual-board certified dermatologist and pioneer in somatic psycho-dermatology, joins Dr. Kaitlyn and Cara to talk about what she does and how it helps HS patients.

🔗 HSConnect.org/healingspace: Free resources for HS warriors

This podcast was made possible by UCB.

Navigating friendships, dating, and social spaces with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) can feel isolating—but it doesn’t have to. 🌟

In this powerful episode, we sit down with SocialCydd (social media advocate and HS warrior) to unpack the real challenges—and triumphs—of building a vibrant social life while managing HS.

This podcast was made possible by UCB.