Velvet's Edge with Kelly Henderson

Ketamine Therapy: Curious, Skeptical, or Somewhere in Between? (The Edge)

Ketamine therapy is everywhere right now — and opinions about it are strong. Some people see it as a breakthrough in mental health. Others feel uneasy about what it means to bring a drug like ketamine into a therapeutic setting. In this Friday episode, Kelly and Chip have an honest, open conversation about where they actually land. Kelly asks Chip whether he’d ever consider ketamine therapy himself, and he shares insights from friends who have tried it — what seemed helpful, what raised questions, and what surprised him. Together, they unpack why ketamine tends to be judged differently than antidepressants or other psychiatric medications. They talk about the cultural line we draw between “acceptable” mental health treatments and those that feel more controversial, and what that says about how we think about healing, control, and stigma. Watch us on YouTube! (By clicking this [https://m.youtube.com/velvetsedge]) Email us: theedge@velvetsedge.com [theedge@velvetsedge.com] TikTok: @velvetsedge [https://www.tiktok.com/@velvetsedge] Follow the podcast on Instagram: @VelvetsEdgePodcast [https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedgepodcast/] HOSTS: Kelly Henderson // @velvetsedge [https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/] // velvetsedge.com Chip Dorsch // @chipdorsch [https://www.instagram.com/chipdorsch/] Follow Velvet's Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/ [https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Ketamine, Neuroplasticity, and Why Real Healing Isn’t a Quick Fix (The Velvet)

Ketamine has quickly become one of the most talked-about — and misunderstood — tools in mental health. Some see it as a miracle cure. Others are skeptical or uneasy about the hype. But what if the real story isn’t about a breakthrough drug at all — and instead about how the brain actually heals? In this episode, Kelly sits down with Sharon Niv, cognitive psychologist and co-founder of Joyous PBC, to unpack what’s really happening beneath the headlines. Sharon shares how psycholytic, daily low-dose ketamine works differently than the high-dose, clinic-based experiences most people hear about — and why a gentler, habit-focused approach may lead to more sustainable change. Together, they explore why so many of us are anxious, burned out, and searching for relief right now; how neuroplasticity allows the brain to genuinely rewrite old emotional patterns; and why symptom relief alone often isn’t enough. Sharon explains what people tend to uncover when the nervous system softens — from long-held shame and grief to survival strategies we didn’t even realize were running the show. This conversation goes beyond medication to talk about integration, daily practices, safety, skepticism, and accessibility — and what healing actually requires from us as participants, not just patients. If you’ve ever wondered whether treatments like ketamine are a shortcut… or an invitation into deeper self-understanding, this episode offers a grounded, thoughtful perspective.   Learn more about Sharon and her work: • Joyous: https://www.joyous.team [https://www.joyous.team/] • Joyous for Therapists: https://www.joyous.team/therapists [https://www.joyous.team/therapists]   Watch The Velvet's Edge on YouTube! [https://m.youtube.com/velvetsedge] Email us: theedge@velvetsedge.com [theedge@velvetsedge.com] TikTok: @velvetsedge [https://www.tiktok.com/@velvetsedge] Follow the podcast on Instagram: @VelvetsEdgePodcast [https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedgepodcast/] HOST: Kelly Henderson // @velvetsedge [https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/] // velvetsedge.com Follow Velvet's Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/ [https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Less Reaction, More Intention (The Edge)

These days, it feels like everything—especially politics—is designed to divide us. The outrage, the blame game, the constant fighting…it’s like throwing salt on a wound, making things worse instead of better. After Kelly's conversation with author, psychologist and executive coach, Dr. Harry Cohen, this week, Kelly and Chip ask: What if we approached things differently? If we’re all looking at the world through different lenses, how do we hold space for those differences without working against each other—and against ourselves? They explore how negativity and conflict are being used to manipulate us, why kindness and unity are often dismissed as weak or boring, and the small but powerful shifts we can make to actually create change. Book: Be the Sun, Not the Salt [https://bethesunnotthesalt.com/book/]  Email us: theedge@velvetsedge.com [theedge@velvetsedge.com] HOSTS: Kelly Henderson // @velvetsedge [https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/] // velvetsedge.com Chip Dorsch // @chipdorsch [https://www.instagram.com/chipdorsch/] Follow Velvet's Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/ [https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Connection Is Survival: Why We’re So Divided, Lonely, and On Edge (The Velvet)

Between political tension, social media, and constant bad news, it can feel like everyone is either fighting, shutting down, or both. But according to couples therapist and author Carolyn Sharp, there’s something deeper happening in the brain. In this episode, Carolyn returns to talk about her new book Fire It Up: Four Secrets to Reigniting Intimacy and Joy in Your Relationships and her TEDx talk Connection = Survival. She breaks down the two powerful forces driving human behavior — survival and connection — and why so many of us are stuck in survival mode right now, reacting to disagreement as if our safety is being threatened. Kelly and Carolyn unpack the loneliness epidemic, how social media creates the illusion of connection while leaving us more isolated, and why curiosity is one of the most radical tools we have in a divided world. If everything feels heavier lately — from relationships to online discourse to the state of the world — this conversation explains why… and what we can actually do about it. Book: Fire It Up [https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Up-Reigniting-Intimacy-Relationship/dp/1959411799]  Find Carolyn on Instagram: @secureconnectionscoaching [https://www.instagram.com/secureconnectionscoaching] Check out her website: CarolynSharp.com [https://www.carolynsharp.com]   Watch The Velvet's Edge on YouTube! [https://m.youtube.com/velvetsedge] Email us: theedge@velvetsedge.com [theedge@velvetsedge.com] TikTok: @velvetsedge [https://www.tiktok.com/@velvetsedge] Follow the podcast on Instagram: @VelvetsEdgePodcast [https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedgepodcast/] HOST: Kelly Henderson // @velvetsedge [https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/] // velvetsedge.com Follow Velvet's Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/ [https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Life Updates, Real Talk & Words for 2026 (The Edge)

Kelly and Chip jump back in with a Friday catch-up, sharing what unfolded over the holidays, a health update from Chip about his mom, and a little life banter along the way. They reflect on the words that defined 2025 and talk through the words they’re bringing into 2026. Watch us on YouTube! (By clicking this [https://m.youtube.com/velvetsedge]) Email us: theedge@velvetsedge.com [theedge@velvetsedge.com] TikTok: @velvetsedge [https://www.tiktok.com/@velvetsedge] Follow the podcast on Instagram: @VelvetsEdgePodcast [https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedgepodcast/] HOSTS: Kelly Henderson // @velvetsedge [https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/] // velvetsedge.com Chip Dorsch // @chipdorsch [https://www.instagram.com/chipdorsch/] Follow Velvet's Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/ [https://www.instagram.com/velvetsedge/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.