Where chronic illness meets mental health advocacy.
Join Cara Nethery (HS activist, social media influencer, and lived-experience advocate) for raw, unfiltered conversations about life with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS).
As a host who navigates HS themselves, Cara bridges the gap between medical expertise and real-world resilience.
Each episode dives into:
đ„ Mental health struggles and triumphs
đ„ Unspoken realities of flares, stigma, and self-advocacy
đ„ Expert interviews with dermatologists, therapists, and HS warriors
đ„ Practical tips for emotional wellness and community connection
This isnât just a podcastâitâs a lifeline for the 4% living with HS.
Subscribe for stories that validate, resources that empower, and a space where isolation turns into solidarity.
Hosted by HSConnect | Follow @HSConnectOrg on socials
Itâs Not Your Fault: Rewriting the Stories HS Teaches Us to Believe
In one of the most impactful episodes of Healing Space yet, Cara speaks directly to the quiet fears and crushing self-blame so many people with HS carry alone. With honesty, clarity, and tenderness, she walks listeners through the harmful stories we absorb â that HS is caused by poor hygiene, weight, food choices, lack of discipline, or even moral failure â and systematically replaces them with truth and compassion. Cara breaks down why these beliefs feel so convincing, how society reinforces...
24 Feb 2026
HS & Secrecy â Why We Hide It, and How to Stop Punishing Ourselves
Living with hidradenitis suppurativa often means carrying more than physical pain â it means carrying it quietly. In this episode of Healing Space, we talk about the part of HS that rarely gets named: secrecy. Why so many of us hide our diagnosis. The difference between healthy privacy and punishing silence. Why your story can feel fragile â like an egg â after diagnosis. How to recognize who is actually safe to tell. And what gentle disclosure can look like in real li...
10 Feb 2026
You Were Just Diagnosed â Start Here
If youâve just heard the words hidradenitis suppurativa, this episode is for you. A new diagnosis can feel overwhelming, confusing, and frightening â sometimes all at once. In this Healing Space episode, we slow everything down and focus on what actually matters in the very beginning. We talk about: Why your emotions feel big and contradictoryWhat a diagnosis really means â and what it doesnâtWhat you donât need to figure out yetHow to take your first next step without urgency or panicHow to ...
27 Jan 2026
Special Episode with Brindley Brooks, MD Experts, & UCB
Special Episode with Brindley Brooks, MD Experts, & UCB In this special Healing Space episode, Healing Space Host, Cara Nethery, is joined by HS Connect Founder & CEO Brindley Brooks and leading experts. for a powerful conversation on the silent struggles of living with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) â and why mental health support is just as critical as physical treatment. Joined by Dr. Ginette Okoye, Professor and Chair of Dermatology at Howard University, along with Kajal Bhika fr...
13 Jan 2026
Capability vs. Capacity: Understanding Your Limits With Compassion
In this powerful episode of Healing Space, host Cara opens up a conversation many people living with chronic illness have never been given language for: the difference between capability and capacity. Drawing from real-life experiences shared across the HS community, Cara explains how chronic illness can shrink your daily capacity long before you ever sit down at your desk â and why this has nothing to do with laziness, weakness, or lack of motivation. Through relatable examples, gentle refra...
30 Dec 2025
New Year, Same You: Letting Go of Comparison and Moving Into 2026 With Compassion
In this gentle and grounding New Year episode, Cara invites listeners to rethink the pressure of âNew Year, New Youâ when youâre living with a chronic condition like HS. While social media fills our feeds with highlight reels, transformations, and âbest year yetâ posts, Cara reminds us that every year looks different for every person â 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 com...
16 Dec 2025
Grieving Your Diagnosis
Grief doesnât only come after lossâit 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 t...
2 Dec 2025
Season 2 | Episode 4: To the Long-Time HS Warriors
In this episode, host Cara speaks directly to those who have lived with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) for years â even decades. The ones who have weathered endless doctor visits, dismissive diagnoses, and a healthcare system that once didnât understand their pain. If youâve 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 â new treatme...
18 Nov 2025
Depression and HS: Tools for Healing the Mind and Body
In this heartfelt episode of Healing Space, host Cara opens up an honest, compassionate discussion about depression â 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 â 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 ex...
4 Nov 2025
Understanding Spoon Theory â Honoring Your Energy & Healing Pace
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 â getting dressed, cooking, answering messages â can use up precious âspoons,â a...
21 Oct 2025
Season 2, Episode 1: âAnxiety, Unmaskedâ
Weâre 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 â from daily spirals to silent battles â 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 âjust breathe.â âš Want to dig deeper? Download the free podcast companion worksheet to reflect, journal, and process alo...
19 Jun 2025
Season 1: Episode 8 - Mind Skin Medicine with Dr. Barr
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. đ HSConnect.org/healingspace: Free resources for HS warriors
12 Jun 2025
Season 1: Episode 7- Social Lives with HS ft. SocialCydd
Navigating friendships, dating, and social spaces with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) can feel isolatingâbut it doesnât have to. đ In this powerful episode, we sit down with SocialCydd (social media advocate and HS warrior) to unpack the real challengesâand triumphsâof building a vibrant social life while managing HS.
5 Jun 2025
Season 1: Episode 6 - Your Questions Answered
You asked, and weâre answering! In this special part two of the Healing Space Podcast episode, weâll discuss your burning questions about mental health, self-care, chronic illness resilience, and everything in between. From practical tips to heartfelt stories, this candid Q&A is packed with the wisdom, laughter, and support youâve come to love from our community. Get comfy and enjoy this episode with Cara and Dr. Katelyn.
29 May 2025
Season 1: Episode 5 - Your Questions Answered, Part 1
You asked, weâre answering! In this special Healing Space Podcast episode, weâre diving into your burning questions about mental health, self-care, chronic illness resilience, and everything in between. From practical tips to heartfelt stories, this candid Q&A is packed with the wisdom, laughter, and support youâve come to love from our community. Get comfy and enjoy this episode with Cara and Dr. Katelyn.
22 May 2025
Season 1: Episode 4 - HS and Body Image
Are you struggling with body image issues related to Hidradenitis Suppurativa? This episode is for you! đȘ Cara and Dr. Katelyn get real about the challenges and share actionable steps you can take to improve your relationship with your body. Learn how to: Challenge negative self-talkFocus on self-care and self-compassionCelebrate your body's strengths. Tune in and start your journey to body acceptance today!hsconnect.org/healingspace
15 May 2025
Season 1: Episode 3 - HS and Nutrition with Cristina Curp
Join Cara and Dr. Katelyn Baker on The Healing Space Podcast as they get deeply personal. This week, Dr. Katelyn opens up about her journey with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), sharing the emotional and physical challenges she's faced, and how it fuels her passion for mental health advocacy within the HS community. Discover the power of shared experience, the importance of validating your feelings, and practical tips for navigating the emotional complexities of living with HS. ...
1 May 2025
Season 1: Episode 1 - Breaking the Silence: Joey Torre on Therapy, Brotherhood, and Living Loudly with HS
Join hosts Cara (@cara_online), an HS advocate, and Dr. Katelyn (@thatfatdoctor), for the very first episode of Healing Spaceâa podcast dedicated to smashing stigmas and building community for those navigating hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). In this raw, heartfelt premiere, Joey Torre (@joeytorre718)âco-founder of the HS Brotherhood Support Groupâopens up about his journey with HS. Joey shares: đč Why âtalking to someoneâ isnât weakâitâs a radical act of survival for HS warriors. đč The un...
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