Carrie Corby LCSW

12/10/2025

As a social worker, I’m always grateful for the moments where my professional world and my personal passions align. This past July, they came together in the most meaningful way; with a little help from the Dave Matthews Band community.

After five months of planning, my friend Ryan Downey and I helped a fellow fan from the West Coast fulfill a dream: traveling to S**C to see DMB live. What began as a concert trip became a deeply person-centered experience rooted in accessibility, connection, and joy.

These are the moments that remind me why I do the work I do; creating pathways, centering people’s needs, and witnessing the power of community care in action.

To Cameron Cox, now a friend, thank you for trusting me to be part of your S**C journey and for continuing to build ADA accessibility resources in music spaces alongside us.

📖 Full story (5-minute read):
Saratoga Living Article Saratoga Living article:
https://saratogaliving.com/one-dave-matthews-band-fans-unforgettable-journey-to-spac-and-beyond/s

🎙️ Tomorrow, Dec 10, I’ll also be joining Cameron and Ryan on The Space Between Podcast to talk about this experience and the importance of accessible, person-centered travel in live music spaces.

You tube

https://youtu.be/fgxaHb9g8qY?si=SOO4bLzHVIBmOXQ_

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1QSBiyhHDYWMJPKxDuDrwW?si=IaQ9RPubQrOof4t03pxYnQ&ct=3541&t=3569

10/18/2025

Today is No Kings Day and Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

I see everyone who’s ever lived in a family or system where someone else’s power dictated how they had to live and where saying “this is not OK” felt impossible. The government we live under can mirror that: power concentrated at the top, manipulation to control perception, favoritism for some, and blame for others.

Just as leaving an abusive family takes courage, speaking up, protesting, and standing for your rights takes courage too. Everyone deserves safety, freedom, and a voice.

To public figures like Karoline Leavitt: I hope you engage with fact-based sources and consider the impact of fear, stigma, and misinformation. We dissent, and we advocate for truth and accountability.

07/18/2025

https://saratogaliving.com/one-dave-matthews-band-fans-unforgettable-journey-to-spac-and-beyond/

I’m sharing this to celebrate what becomes possible when the right people come together—and we did.

Throughout this process, nearly 90% of our emails and outreach messages asking for help went unanswered. That made every lead, every share of our goal, and every offer of support mean even more than words can express.

It brought me back to my days as a service coordinator—where advocating hard was often the only way anything got done. Whether it’s about health and safety, self-care, or social connection like this trip, it always takes persistence. But we did it.

Now, we get to celebrate together in Saratoga. As new friends. As people who share a love for DMB. And as part of paving the way so that others can experience the same joy and inclusion.

Thank you to everyone who supported us—by sharing, donating, encouraging. Because of you, we’re at S**C.

Cameron Cox and Ryan Downey
we did it.
Celebrate we will.

With a little help from the DMB family, Cameron Cox traveled independently for the first time—and now he hopes to pave the way for others to do the same.

03/01/2025

March is Social Workers Month

Social work is one of the fastest growing professions in the United States.  social workers go through years of education and training so they can help individuals, families, communities and our society reach their full potential. 

It’s person centered. Value driven. Code of ethics. Compassion. And action.

We NEED to continue to shine the light on compassion and action.

What will YOU do to show both?
we have a call of action to help address a variety of societal challenges, including the prospect there could be mass deportations of migrants and continued attacks on the people who are LGBTQIA2+, reproductive rights, and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. 

Let’s add the NYS Correction officer strike and a governor who said “we are still waiting to find out what the issue is” days after officers went to Albany to ask to speak to the governor about all the issues and she declined the meeting. Now we see compassion and action in the community.

Cuts to funding for individuals with disabilities - staff shortages and families told to deal with it.

Compassion and action for standing up for what is right.

Teaching kids that it’s ok to ask for help and If you are ignored that you have a right to advocate for yourself even if it’s unpopular.
Teaching them how. Mentoring them to learn. They are watching the world as they develop a sense of self, Embrace and model skills and critical thinking for our youth.
And last but not least - normalizing self care and not dehumanizing people - parents, caregivers, yourself!! having compassion for ourselves to effectively support those in need. 

I challenge everyone who posts about an issue or problem they see- to show compassion and action following it rather than judgement and an expectation others will fix it. It takes a village.
And I am grateful for mine.


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01/30/2025

Sociologist Jennifer Walter breaks down what is happening in this country right now and what to do about it:

"As a sociologist, I need to tell you: Your overwhelm is the goal.

1/ The flood of 200+ executive orders in Trump's first days exemplifies Naomi Klein's "shock doctrine" - using chaos and crisis to push through radical changes while people are too disoriented to effectively resist. This isn't just politics as usual - it's a strategic exploitation of cognitive limits.

2/ Media theorist McLuhan predicted this: When humans face information overload, they become passive and disengaged. The rapid-fire executive orders create a cognitive bottleneck, making it nearly impossible for citizens and media to thoroughly analyze any single policy.

3/ Agenda-setting theory explains the strategy: When multiple major policies compete for attention simultaneously, it fragments public discourse. Traditional media can't keep up with the pace, leading to superficial coverage.

The result? Weakened democratic oversight and reduced public engagement.
What now?

1/ Set boundaries: Pick 2-3 key issues you deeply care about and focus your attention there. You can't track everything - that's by design. Impact comes from sustained focus, not scattered awareness.

2/ Use aggregators & experts: Find trusted analysts who do the heavy lifting of synthesis. Look for those explaining patterns, not just events.

3/ Remember: Feeling overwhelmed is the point. When you recognize this, you regain some power. Take breaks. Process. This is a marathon.

4/ Practice going slow: Wait 48hrs before reacting to new policies. The urgent clouds the important. Initial reporting often misses context

5/ Build community: Share the cognitive load. Different people track different issues. Network intelligence beats individual overload.

Remember: They want you scattered. Your focus is resistance

11/17/2024

CORTACA JUG 24’ 24 17. Met Marc Hinsch 1972 Cortland Graduate and Cortland football quarterback in the stands reminiscing about his time at Cortland and love for . Role models come into our lives in different ways. Being able to be part of shaping and guiding others is a gift. Thank you Life is short. Meaningful memories are priceless. Life is made up of a series of moments, and by being mindful and present in each one, we can create a life that is rich in meaningful memories. “Memories are the diary we all carry with us.” – Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)

11/08/2024

“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren't always comfortable, but they're never weakness.”
― Brené Brown

11/07/2024

"Piglet?" said Pooh.
"Yes?" said Piglet.
"I'm scared," said Pooh.
For a moment, there was silence.
"Would you like to talk about it?" asked Piglet, when Pooh didn't appear to be saying anything further.
"I'm just so scared," blurted out Pooh.
"So anxious. Because I don't feel like things are getting any better. If anything, I feel like they might be getting worse. People are angry, because they're so scared, and they're turning on one another, and there seems to be no clear plan out of here, and I worry about my friends and the people I love, and I wish SO much that I could give them all a hug, and oh, Piglet! I am so scared, and I cannot tell you how much I wish it wasn't so."
Piglet was thoughtful, as he looked out at the blue of the skies, peeping between the branches of the trees in the Hundred Acre Wood, and listened to his friend.
"I'm here," he said, simply. "I hear you, Pooh. And I'm here."
For a moment, Pooh was perplexed.
"But... aren't you going to tell me not to be so silly? That I should stop getting myself into a state and pull myself together? That it's hard for everyone right now?"
"No," said Piglet, quite decisively. "No, I am very much not going to do any of those things."
“But - " said Pooh.
"I can't change the world right now," continued Piglet. "And I am not going to patronise you with platitudes about how everything will be okay, because I don't know that.
"What I can do, though, Pooh, is that I can make sure that you know that I am here. And that I will always be here, to listen; and to support you; and for you to know that you are heard.
"I can't make those Anxious Feelings go away, not really.
"But I can promise you that, all the time I have breath left in my body...you won't ever need to feel those Anxious Feelings alone."
And it was a strange thing, because even as Piglet said that, Pooh could feel some of those Anxious Feelings start to loosen their grip on him and could feel one or two of them start to slither away into the forest, cowed by his friend, who sat there stolidly next to him.
Pooh thought he had never been more grateful to have Piglet in his life.

10/13/2024

Playing football can have many mental health benefits, including:

Stress relief: The adrenaline released during a game can help reduce stress hormones and improve mood.

Improved concentration and decision making: Football requires constant thinking, which can help improve mental skills.

Better sleep: The physical exertion of playing football can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply.

Sense of purpose: Being part of a team can give you a sense of purpose and structure.

Social integration: Playing football can help you build social connections and make friends. (https://nflflag.com)
Thank you for making the day for Max one he will never forget. It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” - Vince Lombardi

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBC9wFeOJGH/?igsh=MTZqYWEzN3dvczFtNw==

08/28/2024

Sometimes you just need to slow down, remain calm and simply let life happen.
Take a big deep breath and focus on the simple important things. You are alive, you're breathing, you're enough as you are.
You can do this.
~ Unknown

Art | by Yuumei

08/10/2024

I was honored to be a part of this Roundtable. Thank you Kathy Jo Caruso for inviting me to have a seat at the table.

07/23/2024

❤️