Rooted and Rising

Sometimes your nervous system notices that something has changed—and it’s absolutely right. But does that mean the story your brain immediately creates about  why  it changed is right, too? In this episode of  Rooted & Rising , Dr. Carmela Maxell explores what happens when old wounds, past relationships, workplace experiences, abandonment, or betrayal begin filling in the blanks before we actu...

What happens when being the reliable one becomes part of your identity? You’re the fixer. The problem-solver. The one everyone calls. The person who anticipates what needs to be done and says, “I got it,” before anyone else has a chance. But being needed isn’t always the same as being valued. In this Sunday Seeds of Thought episode of  Rooted & Rising , Dr. Carmela Maxell explores the uncomfor...

Have you ever had one of those weeks where life seems to look at everything already on your plate and say,  “You know what? She has room for more.” The meetings multiply. The emails won’t stop. The kids suddenly remember something they needed yesterday. The Keurig betrays you. Your calendar looks like Tetris. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, you’re expected to remain productive, emotional...

It’s Sunday. The week hasn’t even started yet. So why have you already rehearsed Monday’s conversation, worried about Tuesday’s meeting, predicted Wednesday’s disappointment, and somehow arrived at Friday emotionally exhausted? In this Sunday Seeds of Thought, Dr. Carmela Maxell explores the difference between  preparation and pre-suffering —and why we sometimes try to solve problems before we eve...

At some point, you look around for the responsible adult in the room and realize— Oh shit. It’s you. In this episode of  Rooted & Rising , Dr. Carmela Maxell takes on one of adulthood’s biggest scams: the idea that everyone else somehow has life figured out. From careers, parenting, relationships, bills, insurance, and invisible mental load to the moments when even highly capable people quietl...

You Don’t Have to Earn Your Bed. What if rest wasn’t something you had to earn? We tell ourselves we’ll slow down after the work is finished, the emails are answered, the house is clean, everyone else is taken care of, and the never-ending list is finally complete. But what happens when “everything” is never actually done? In this Sunday Seed, Dr. Carmela Maxell explores the quiet pressure to trea...

What happens when something that looks like love slowly becomes control, fear, isolation, or harm? In this deeply personal episode of  Rooted & Rising with Dr. Carmela Maxell , Dr. Carmela Maxell sits down with author, entrepreneur, advocate, and domestic violence survivor Rita J. Cartwright for an honest conversation about the warning signs of unhealthy relationships, the many forms abuse can...

Sunday night has a way of turning into a full mental rehearsal for the week ahead. The calendar. The meetings. The school drop-offs. The appointments. The errands. The lunches. The things you promised you would remember. The things you already know you are probably going to forget. And somewhere in the middle of preparing for everyone and everything else, it becomes very easy to forget yourself. I...

There was a time when tomorrow felt distant. Like there would always be enough time to figure things out later. Lately, though, the future can feel uncomfortably close. In this Midnight Reflection of  Rooted & Rising , Dr. Carmela Maxell explores the quiet fear that comes from living with constant uncertainty: rising costs, job instability, the safety of our children, rapidly changing technolo...

Aging With Dignity: Mental Health, Autonomy & the People Our Systems Overlook Airing September 1, 2026 What does it really mean to care for people as they age—not simply keeping them safe, but protecting their dignity, autonomy, identity, and right to continue directing their own lives? In this episode of  Rooted & Rising , Dr. Carmela Maxell sits down with  Alison Laird Craig, Program Man...

What happens when something changes your life—but Tuesday is still Tuesday? The emails keep coming. The bills are still due. People still need things from you. And somehow, while part of you is trying to understand what just happened, the rest of the world keeps moving. In this deeply personal Sunday Seed, Dr. Carmela Maxell reflects on navigating pain while life refuses to pause—and the complicat...

What if changing the systems around us requires us to first examine the systems  within us? In this powerful episode of  Rooted & Rising ,  Dr. Carmela Maxell  sits down with educator, scholar, therapist, veteran, and advocate  Dr. Jeremy Hollander  for an unfiltered conversation about systemic inequality, privilege, oppression, accountability—and the uncomfortable work of looking inward. Beca...

Sunday Sleep Is NOT Your Rest We put a lot of pressure on the weekend to save us from the week. We’ll catch up on sleep, finally slow down, take care of ourselves—and somehow emerge Monday completely restored. But what happens when the weekend isn’t actually rest? It’s recovery. In this Sunday Seed, Dr. Carmela Maxell explores the difference between resting and recovering from a life that repeated...

What if the reason people keep pulling away isn’t because they’re intimidated, jealous, or incapable of handling the “real” you? What if—stay with me—you’re sometimes just…  not that likeable?  😂 In this episode of  Rooted & Rising , Dr. Carmela Maxell takes on the uncomfortable difference between  authenticity and a complete lack of self-awareness . Because being unapologetically yourself do...

Nothing extraordinary happened today. There was no major milestone. No big announcement. No life-changing moment. There was lavender growing in the front yard. A busy bee. Tiny hands helping cut flowers. Laughter. A vase by the window. And somehow, that was enough. In this Sunday Seed of Thought, Dr. Carmela Maxell reflects on how easily we can rush through the ordinary parts of our lives while wa...

Content/Trigger Warning:  This episode includes candid discussions of addiction, homelessness, incarceration, street violence, murder, sexual violence, exploitation, and other traumatic experiences. Please listen with care and take whatever space you need while listening. What happens when surviving becomes a way of life—and then one day, you have to learn how to  live  again? In this powerful epi...

What if the life you keep trying to earn is already yours? In this Sunday Seeds of Thought, Dr. Carmela Maxell explores the exhausting habit of constantly proving our worth—through productivity, perfectionism, achievement, relationships, and the need to feel deserving of the spaces we’ve already earned. There’s a difference between growing because you’re curious about who you can become and perfor...

The Body Remembers: The Physical & Physiological Effects of Trauma — Especially for Women of Color What happens when you’ve been “strong” for so long that your body finally says,  enough ? In this powerful episode of  Rooted & Rising , Dr. Carmela Maxell sits down with author, speaker, and wellness advocate  Dee Mosley  for an honest conversation about the ways trauma can live far beyond o...

What if the most productive thing you do this week... is protect your peace first? In this week's  Sunday Seeds of Thought , Dr. Carmela Maxell explores the quiet ways we lose ourselves before the workday even begins. From checking emails before getting out of bed to measuring our worth by how busy we are, we've normalized living in a constant state of reaction. But what if peace isn't something y...

We tell ourselves we'll deal with it later. After this project. After the kids are older. After work slows down. After the next crisis passes. But our mental health keeps a ledger—and eventually, every ignored emotion, every sleepless night, every boundary we failed to set, and every wound we refused to acknowledge demands payment. In this episode of  Rooted & Rising with Dr. Carmela Maxell ,...

We've all met one. The person who has absolutely no idea what they're talking about...but somehow has  the most to say about it.  😂 But before we start pointing fingers, there's an uncomfortable truth: Sometimes Karen is us. In this episode of  Sunday's Seeds of Thoughts , Dr. Carmela Maxell takes a witty—but psychologically grounded—look at what happens when confidence outruns competence. From w...

"Your tests are normal." For millions of people, those four words don't bring relief—they mark the beginning of years spent questioning their own body, memory, and sanity. In this deeply personal special episode of  Rooted & Rising , Dr. Carmela Maxell shares her own eight-year journey to a diagnosis of adenomyosis after years of debilitating pain, medical dismissal, and being told to "wait."...

The Cost of Compromise: Moral Injury and the Hidden Wounds of People of Color What happens when survival requires you to silence parts of yourself? In this powerful episode of  Rooted & Rising , Dr. Carmela Maxell sits down with  Dr. Kevin Scott Sr. —educator, veteran, trauma specialist, and nationally recognized speaker—to explore the invisible wounds that often go unnamed. Together, they unp...

The Post-It Note Effect: Why Planning Isn't Progress How many sticky notes are sitting on your desk right now? If you're anything like Dr. Carmela Maxell, you've probably filled planners, color-coded calendars, downloaded productivity apps, and written countless to-do lists—all in the name of staying organized. But what if the very systems we create to help us move forward are sometimes keeping us...

Why are unanswered endings often harder to heal from than painful ones? In this Midnight Reflection, Dr. Carmela Maxell explores the psychology of ghosting, unanswered goodbyes, and the invisible wounds left behind when someone disappears without explanation. Whether you've experienced the end of a relationship, friendship, job opportunity, or connection that simply faded into silence, this episod...