E7 | No Scripts, No Armor: Sharing My Personal Journey With My Therapist, Lesley Lasker

What does it really take to rise after life knocks you down? Not once, but twice? I’ve spent the last few months inviting remarkable women to sit on this couch with me, to be raw, vulnerable, and honest about the challenges that shaped them.  And I knew—if I’m asking my guests to go there, then I have to go there too.  In this deeply personal episode, I'm flipping the script and sitting down with someone who has walked beside me through my darkest moments: my therapist of 10 years, Lesley Lasker.   Lesley Lasker is a licensed marriage and family therapist and parent education specialist who has been an anchor in my life, guiding me through breast cancer, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and the unraveling and rebuilding that came with both. Today, she interviews me about the hardest chapters of my life, the moments I haven't shared publicly, and the lessons that shaped who I am as a mother, wife, and woman.   This conversation is raw, vulnerable, and honest. We talk about the fear of telling a three-year-old about cancer, the devastation of not being able to hold my seven-month-old son, the shame of needing a wheelchair, and all of the lessons along the way- including the moment I realized the universe was forcing me to stop, breathe, and just be.   In this episode, I share: How I discovered my breast cancer while nursing my newborn in the hospital The moment I knew something was wrong and called Lesley Lasker to help me tell my daughter Going through double mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation with a six-month-old and a three-year-old The power of gratitude during treatment: "It could be worse. Be grateful." My second diagnosis: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare autoimmune disorder that left me paralyzed Losing 20% of my movement every day and planning for life in a wheelchair The fear, the waiting, the misdiagnosis, and the moment I learned it had become chronic (CIDP) How my community showed up: cousins taking my kids to camp, friends taking notes at the hospital, rabbis praying with me The shame and grief of losing my identity as an active, strong woman The life-changing lessons the universe taught me through both diagnoses Why I believe things happen FOR us, not TO us How these experiences led me to launch Journey with Rita and this podcast   The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment or therapy. If you are struggling with your mental health or are in crisis, please reach out to a professional for support. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support 24/7. Help is available, and you don’t have to go through it alone.   ✨Follow me on Instagram @JourneyWitRitaOrg  ✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast   The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice   References: Connect with Lesley Lasker, LMFT at Lasker & Associates: https://laskerandassociates.com/lesley-lasker-lmft/ 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg and @ritanaffasdesign Visit www.journeywithrita.org for more episodes and resources