Unpacked; When life happens

Unpacked; When life happens

Hosted by Lisa Bondarenko, Unpacked is a therapy-informed podcast exploring the human experience through raw, meaningful and deeply honest conversations. Through a mix of solo episodes and conversations with experts and everyday people, Lisa unpacks the beautiful, the brutal, and everything in between. Stories behind the survival. Conversations beneath the coping. Moments that shape who we become. Blending professional insight, lived experience, and vulnerability, Unpacked creates a space where people feel seen and understood because when life happens, we often need somewhere safe to land.

Episodes

August 26, 2026 • 54 mins

Tammy Barton: What is hard? And who gets to decide?

In this episode of Unpacked – When Life Happens, I sit down with Tammy Barton from My Budget for a conversation that goes far beyond budgeting and bank accounts.

We talk about our relationship with money, financial stress, and the impact that growing up has on the way we see security, success and what we believe we can handle.

Tammy also shares her experience of growing up alon...

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Grier Neilson: Unpacked - Out of frame after 50In this episode, I sit down with Grier, the founder of FLOCK50, a movement dedicated to photographing women over 50 after discovering a confronting truth: women in this stage of life are among the most unphotographed people in the world.

What began as a photography project quickly became something much bigger — a powerful reminder that visibility matters, and that ...

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In this honest and refreshingly non-judgmental conversation, I sit down with Emily from Wait Mate to unpack one of the biggest parenting challenges of our time: kids, screens and addiction.

This isn't a political debate or a conversation about blame. It's a real discussion for parents who are in the trenches, trying to navigate technology in a world where screens are everywhere.

Together, we explore what screen addiction can look lik...

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Cassie Day - Caring — What It Takes, What It GivesThere are some people who don’t just survive hardseasons — they build something meaningful from them.

In this episode, we sit down with Cassie Day — mum, advocate, and original founder of The Carers Place.

After years walking the corridors of hospitals, specialists and endless appointments fighting for her son’s health, Cassie knows the reality of parenti...

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Samuel Powell - Pepper - Beyond the Guernsey: Unfiltered

Known across the AFL for his strength, athleticism and fierce presence on the field, Samuel Powell-Pepper has earned respect through both talent and character. But this conversation goes far beyond football. It’s about the man behind the athlete — the father, the husband, and the human navigating life, identity and purpose beyond the game.

Together, we unpack what t...

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Every day in Australia, six families leave hospital without their baby.

For Michelle, that day was August 9, 2001. After a long labour, her daughter Celeste was born perfect, but not alive—turning motherhood into grief in an instant. With around 2,000 stillbirths each year, many preventable, this episode explores the conversations we avoid and the awareness that could save lives.

Driven to create change, Michelle ran nearly 1,0...

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Derrick McManus

When South Australia’s largest STAR Force siege erupted into chaos, Derrick McManus found himself in the line of fire — and at the centre of a moment that should have ended his life.

Shot 14 times with a high-powered rifle, Derrick remained conscious, bleeding and fighting to stay alive for three agonising hours before rescue.

He was 30 seconds from death.

Most would never return to operational duty.

Yet just...

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Jacqueline’s Story – Love, Loss, and Life’s Turning PointsOn the day Jacqueline (Jacq) welcomed her second child into the world, her first daughter, Aimee, was a patient in the same hospital merely two floors down critically ill. Tragically she passed away hours post her sisters delivery.

This story of heartbreak and hope captures the depths of grief, the power of enduring love, and the courage to keep showing up ...

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Christie Wilson – Navigating Neurodivergence

As a qualified educator/leader with the school system and mum to two boys with ADHD, Christie knows first hand the emotional toll and beauty of raising neurodivergent children. In this candid episode, she shares her journey through the school system, the strain it can place on families and marriages, and the small wins that matter most. A must-listen for parents, educators, and any...

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Wala Truscott is a sex and intimacy coach who gets straight to the heart of what’s missing in so many relationships: true connection.

This episode dives into how couples can rediscover one another, improve emotional and physical intimacy, and strip things back to the basics of what it means to reallysee and feel each other again.

Honest, bold, and essential listening for couples cravingdeeper connection.

If this story inspired ...

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What happens when a teacher brings meditation into the classroom — not as an experiment, but as a daily practice?

Educator and speaker Sam Healy has seen firsthand how stillness, breath, and neuroscience can transform young minds and reshape the way we learn.

In this episode, we explore how meditation moved from the yoga mat to the school desk, what happens in the brain when we pause, and why this practice isn’t just for...

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Jacqui, a passionate naturopath, takes us deep intothe often-misunderstood worlds of perimenopause and menopause — breaking down symptoms, solutions, and how to thrive through the hormonal trenches.

From teen years to midlife and ageing, Jacqui brings clarity and empowerment to what every woman deserves to understand about her health and body from the inside out.

Don’t miss this essential conversation on hormones,health, ...

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October 21, 2025 • 61 mins

Jenni Eyles – Behind the curtain of cancer

When Jenni was diagnosed with breast cancer, she faced the full spectrum of fear, strength, vulnerability, and truth. As a woman, wife, and mother, she shares what it really means to endure treatment—the unexpected highs, the devastating lows, and what people in the trenches actually need from their community.

In Australia, around 21,000 people are diagnosed with breast canc...

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October 7, 2025 • 53 mins

After experiencing infidelity and the end of her marriage, single mum Nicole had every reason to break — but instead, she built something stronger. In this episode, she shares her personal path from heartbreak to healing, the patterns she broke, and the traditions she created to raise four children in a home filled with strength, love, and honesty.

When a marriage breaks down, it’s not just the relationship that ends &md...

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After experiencing the slow loss of her parents through dementia, Annie found herself navigating the complexities of aged care and anticipatory grief. It was this deeply personal journey that led her to become a grief doula — supporting others through loss, change, and emotional healing.

Trained in laughter therapy and mindfulness, Annie brings a gentle, grounded approach to grief work. Her story is one of transformation, com...

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September 9, 2025 • 47 mins

Grief and trauma aren’t just about death. They show up in everyday life—through breakups, burnout, family breakdowns, health struggles, job loss, or even the quiet heartbreaks we don’t talk about.

In this week’s 360 Woman podcast a real, honest conversation with expert Noni Potter who shares about the moments that shake us, change us, and sometimes break us.

It’s a space where we explore what i...

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Hannah has walked the painful road of an eatingdisorder — and come out the other side remarkably and extraordinarily. Now a counsellor and educator, she’s dedicated to helping others navigate recovery and redefine their relationship with food, body, and self-worth.

In this powerful episode, she opens up about the sobering statistics, the impact of social media on body image, and what parents can do to foster a healthy m...

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At just three months postpartum with a gorgeous baby girl, Kellie was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer — a life-altering moment that came when she should’ve been soaking in new motherhood.

Through unimaginable pain, she’s learned not just to survive, but to thrive — becoming a voice of hope, strength, and fierce vulnerability. In this powerful episode, Kellie shares her journey of turning personal crisis ...

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