Open up & Talk

Manifestation, Mindset & Becoming a Conscious Creator with Andy Hoffer What if manifestation wasn't about wishing for a different life, but about intentionally creating one through small, meaningful steps? In this episode of Open Up and Talk , Nichole is joined by manifestation coach Andy Hoffer to explore what it really means to become a conscious creator of your life. Together, they unpa...

Where Did the Affection Go? Physical Intimacy and Connection In this episode of the Parallel Relationship Series , Nichole explores the quiet shifts that can happen in physical intimacy and affection within long-term relationships. As life becomes busier and emotional distance grows, many couples begin noticing changes in closeness, touch, and connection, often without fully understanding how or w...

Grief doesn’t only change how we feel, it can change how we experience the spaces around us and how we see ourselves within them. In this episode of Open Up and Talk , Nichole sits down with intuitive designer, transformational coach, and author Annette Farha to explore the connection between grief, identity, and the environments we live in. Together, they talk about how our physical spaces can ei...

From Partners to Roommates, Understanding Roommate Syndrome In this episode of the Parallel Relationship Series , Nichole explores a quiet but common experience in long-term relationships, roommate syndrome. It’s that feeling of sharing a home, responsibilities, and routines with your partner, but emotionally feeling more like roommates than romantic partners. When life gets busy with work, parent...

In this episode of the Parallel Relationship Series , Nichole explores what happens when communication in a relationship slowly shifts, not into conflict, but into silence. Many couples don’t stop talking altogether. Instead, conversations become shorter, more surface-level, and focused on managing life rather than sharing it. Over time, this can create emotional distance that’s hard to explain, e...

Regulation in Parenting: Supporting Ourselves and Our Children Through Somatic Practices Parenting can feel overwhelming, especially when emotions are high, not just for our children, but for us too. In this episode of Open Up and Talk , Nichole sits down with Renee English to explore the importance of regulation in parenting and how our own nervous system plays a key role in how we respond to our...

In this first episode of the Parallel Relationship Series , Nichole explores the quiet experience many couples find themselves in, living side by side, but no longer feeling deeply connected. She introduces the concept of parallel relationships (sometimes called a “silent divorce”), and how emotional distance can slowly develop over time through the busyness of life and differing communication sty...

Menopause and perimenopause are natural stages of life, yet so many women find themselves navigating them feeling confused, dismissed, or unsupported. In this episode of Open Up and Talk , Nichole sits down with a Kelly Hill CPA from Profit & Lattes to have an open and honest conversation about the physical and emotional symptoms that can come with hormonal changes and why so many women feel l...

How Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Show Up in the Body Mental health struggles don’t only live in our thoughts, they often show up in our bodies first. In this episode of Open Up and Talk , Nichole explores the physical ways stress, anxiety, and depression can affect the body. From fatigue and muscle tension to sleep disruption and emotional exhaustion, she explains why these symptoms happen and...

From the outside, you may look like you’re managing everything. But internally, you feel tired, overwhelmed, or quietly disconnected. In this episode of Open Up and Talk , Nichole explores why emotional change can feel so destabilizing, even when life “looks fine.” She unpacks how we are wired for stability, why transitions tax the nervous system, and how grief exists far beyond death. From relati...

When your child is struggling with their mental health, it can leave you feeling worried, helpless, and unsure of what to do next. In this episode of Open Up and Talk , Nichole sits down with Lemons into Lemonade Counselling founder Tina to have an honest and supportive conversation about how parents can show up for their children while also caring for themselves. Together, they explore common cha...

When a relationship ends, the grief that follows is often misunderstood, by others and by ourselves. Relationship loss isn’t just about losing a partner; it’s about losing a shared identity, a future you imagined, and a version of yourself that existed within that relationship. In this episode, Nichole explores why relationship loss hurts so deeply, what research tells us about attachment and grie...

Talking about funeral planning can feel uncomfortable, even scary, which is why so many people avoid it. But pre-planning isn’t about focusing on death. It’s about care, clarity, and easing the burden on the people we love. In this episode, Nichole explores why pre-planning a funeral can be one of the kindest, most loving gifts you can leave behind. She talks about what happens when families are f...

Online dating often begins with hope, the possibility of connection, companionship, and being seen. But over time, the swiping, silence, and repeated rejection can quietly start to affect how we see ourselves. In this episode, Nichole explores how online dating can impact self-worth, why ghosting and comparison hit so deeply, and how dating apps turn connection into performance. She weaves togethe...

The holidays bring lights, music, gatherings, and traditions, but when you’re grieving, this season can feel heavier instead of joyful. In this episode, Nichole explores why grief intensifies during the holidays, what the research says about memory, emotion, and social pressure, and the challenges that so many people experience but rarely talk about. She also shares gentle, meaningful ways to hono...

I lost my dad in December, and this episode is me trying to make sense of what that loss has meant in the months that followed. Grief doesn’t follow rules. It doesn’t care about timelines, expectations, or the polite ways we try to hold ourselves together. It shows up in the middle of ordinary days, in small moments, and in the quiet spaces where we finally stop pretending we’re okay. In this conv...

Welcome to Open Up and Talk , a podcast about the real, raw, and healing conversations we often avoid. Hosted by grief and well-being coach Nichole Folino , each episode invites honesty into the messy middle of life, from grief and identity loss, to parenting, relationships, and rediscovering yourself. Nichole blends compassion, humor, and lived experience to remind you that uncomfortable doesn’t...

In this first episode, I share why I created Open Up and Talk, a space for honest conversations about the beautifully messy parts of life. This podcast exists because pretending we're fine isn't working anymore. If you’ve ever felt like you had to be strong when you were breaking, or hold it all together when life got heavy, this one’s for you.