In Episode 7, Lara sits down with her therapist, Kelly Quarles, for a real-life look at what healing can actually feel like—messy, layered, hopeful, and very human. Kelly shares her path from journalism to trauma therapy, why she believes trauma isn’t only “big T” events, and how therapy can help when your world flips upside down.

Together, they revisit Lara’s early days in therapy after a major life upheaval—grieving the loss of the life she thought she had, the friendships that fell apart, and a future dream (including the possibility of another baby) that suddenly felt out of reach. Kelly names what Lara was carrying: complex grief, stacked in layers, and validates that “being strong” doesn’t mean rushing past sadness.

They also get practical about mental health support: Lara opens up about antidepressants, a tough attempt to taper off, and how medication can be a powerful tool to “turn the volume down” enough to do the deeper work.

The conversation closes on growth—Lara’s breakthroughs, new parts of her personality emerging, and even the “fun” healing goals (a tattoo, touching a snake, and skydiving… two out of three so far). They also touch on parenting, why men need therapy, and why therapy can be useful even when you’re not in crisis—and healing isn’t a straight line.

Book your appointment in Mt. Pleasant or Charleston, SC, with Kelly's team at, https://guidedhealingclinicaltherapy.com/.

Lara’s first guest is here—her personal trainer, Lauren Michi—and this episode is equal parts funny, real, and motivating. They talk about what training looks like in midlife, how the right trainer becomes a trusted person (aka “gym therapy”), and why strength training matters more than ever.

Lara shares her 2025 injury story: a fall that shattered and dislocated her left elbow, surgery, months of recovery, and the moment she decided to stop settling for “functional” and start rebuilding real strength. Lauren breaks down how injuries create imbalance, how to train safely around limitations, and why the scale isn’t the best measure of progress—especially for women navigating perimenopause.

They also touch on fitness and diet trends (weighted vests, no-carb confusion, protein obsession, GLP-1s and protecting muscle mass), and wrap with a Charleston spotlight on Forge: a clean, contract-free, 24/7 private gym with capped membership and a welcoming setup for strength and functional training.

Check out more info that Lauren recommends on weighted vests:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/what-are-the-benefits-of-walking-with-a-weighted-vest

https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/should-you-walk-with-weighted-vest

In Episode 5 of Midlife Mess, Lara digs into why astrology resonates so deeply in midlife—especially when identity, emotions, and life roles start shifting. Prompted by social media chatter about 2025 being the Year of the Snake and 2026 being the Year of the Horse, she explores how the Chinese zodiac connects (and differs) from Western astrology, and why both can be useful tools for meaning-making during seasons of change.

Lara breaks down the basics of a birth chart—how your sun, moon, and rising signs work together—and offers a memorable “house” metaphor: your rising sign is the curb appeal, your sun sign is how the house functions, and your moon sign is what it feels like inside at night. She explains how midlife often brings a collision between these layers: how you’ve been functioning, who you said you were, and what you actually need now. Using her own chart (Aries rising, Cancer sun, Scorpio moon), she shares how this framework helped her understand boundaries, emotional truth, and the shift from surviving quietly to living honestly.

The episode closes by tying the “snake-to-horse” transition into a broader message: 2025 as internal shedding and emotional excavation, and 2026 as outward movement and decisive action—a powerful invitation to align your life with what’s real and nourishing now.