Send us a text Wendy returns for reunion episode. Per listener request Matt shares some of his own personal trauma and how it impacted his relationships before and after his resolution. Below is the poem I wrote when I was 33. This is how raw the feelings were back then. Thankfully the pain has been healed. I am a bastard, thanks to you. I bet 33 years ago you never imagined, your polluted seed would create the man that stands here I N V I S I B L E Di...

Send us a text Starvation isn’t a metaphor—it’s policy made real. Erika and I sit down on Halloween. A holiday that is ironically about asking for snacks from strangers. We map how a government shutdown can remove the barely sustainable payment rails for SNAP, why many families get far less than a livable food budget, and how the benefits cliff punishes a $1 raise with thousands lost in childcare, healthcare, and food support. The math doesn’t lie, and neither do checkout lines ...

Send us a text We share Lila’s frontline account from Gaza and the mutual aid network she helps lead for children and orphans, weaving her poetry with hard facts about blockade, targeted healthcare, and the human cost of deliberate deprivation. We explain how to get funds and attention to people on the ground and how to build people power where you live. • bonus context for Lila’s interview and work • mutual aid logistics under bombardment and blackout • how funds reach Gaza thro...

Send us a text We unpack reactions to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the messy truths of trauma responses, and why some grief gets megaphones while other suffering stays invisible. Trauma reactions come in many forms. But what is it that makes such a tidal wave of reactions when the targets are high profile white men, but a resounding silence when it is from other groups. • setting intentions, limits, and non‑violence • why man‑made violence destabilizes more than disas...

Send us a text Amy returns to United States of PTSD to complete her powerful story of surviving clergy sexual abuse and the long, winding path to healing through religious deconstruction. Following her abuse at age 15, Amy faced institutional gaslighting from the Catholic Church. Officials questioned what she "did to seduce" the priest and sent her parents a deliberately vague letter with double negatives that absolved them of responsibility. When they finally agreed to pay for therapy, they...

Send us a text Every survivor has a story that deserves to be heard. In this powerful conversation, we're joined by Amy, a social work student and survivor of religious trauma who shares her journey through high-control Catholicism and the devastating abuse she experienced, at the hands of a trusted priest. Amy takes us through her childhood immersed in religious fear – developing religious OCD as she performed rituals, before bed, to ward off demons she was taught would possess her if she f...

Send us a text Please welcome guest speaker Julie Botom-Richny Chhay. Julie shares her family's experience during the Cambodian genocide, drawing parallels to current genocide in Gaza and how generational trauma continues to impact survivors and their descendants. • Cambodia's genocide under Pol Pot's regime killed nearly 2 million people between 1975-1979 • The Khmer Rouge specifically targeted educated people - teachers, doctors, artists, and even those who wore glasses • Julie's mot...

Send us a text Dog training experts Zak George and Bree join us to explore the dark side of animal training and how the weaponization of the human-animal bond perpetuates systems of oppression. We examine how our treatment of animals reflects deeper societal values about power, control, and our approach to both animal and human behavior. • Traditional dog training methods often rely on pain and fear, including shock collars, prong collars, and physically harmful techniques • The police dog s...

Send us a text John Demarjain shares his emotional journey of coming out as a gay Palestinian American, revealing the complex intersection of cultural identity, family values, and personal authenticity in Western and Middle Eastern contexts. • Western culture emphasizes (by design) individualism and independence, at the cost of community while Middle Eastern culture prioritizes family and religion • The concept of "pinkwashing" attempts to force the LGBTQ+ population to turn a blind eye to ...

Send us a text A foreshadowing of the national impending healthcare collapse as we see the beginnings of it in Rhode Island. As mental health workers face increasing dangers from understaffing, violence, and corporate retaliation against unionization efforts. Matt shares his terrifying classroom experience with possible gunfire, highlighting educators' vulnerability in America's gun violence epidemic, while Erika exposes the expanding network of privatized immigrant detention centers th...

Send us a text In this raw, unedited conversation, we process our emotional responses to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran while exploring how intergenerational trauma shapes our understanding of war. • Processing our emotional reactions to Israel's "preemptive strike" otherwise know as a declaration of war against Iran • Examining how media messaging manipulates public perception of conflict to vilify people in Gaza and justify colonialism • Discussing intergenerational tra...

Send us a text Matt and Erika explore how people in compassion-based professions navigate feelings of helplessness when confronted with systemic barriers and limitations beyond their control. • The challenges of working in compassion-based professions (healthcare, teaching, social work, veterinary medicine) within systems that often prioritize profit over people • America's dysfunctional relationship with grief and death as a "death-defying society" • The importance of radical acceptance – a...

Send us a text Immigration rights are under severe threat as communities across America face increasing persecution and detention without due process, with Kim DeLeon sharing her family's journey through the US immigration system and the fears they still face despite her husband's citizenship. We discuss how the immigration process is far more complex, expensive, and uncertain than most people realize, with many families spending thousands of dollars and years navigating bureaucratic hurdles....

Send us a text PS: Congress is trying to pass a bill that would prohibit the boycott of the genocidal state of Israel's products. Please contact your rep to tell them to vote against the bill and stop the madness. H.R.867 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): IGO Anti-Boycott Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress Field veterinarian Dr. Kathryn Cehrs shares her experience responding to avian influenza outbreaks and the devastating mental health toll of mass animal depopulations. Her ...

Send us a text Kate, a Ukrainian immigrant living in the US for 25 years, shares her journey navigating American systems while maintaining deep connections to her homeland during Russia's ongoing invasion. • Describes how Russian cultural dominance and systematic erasure of Ukrainian identity extends back centuries, not just since 2014 • Explains coming to America as a young widow seeking opportunities for her child • Details the challenges of navigating the American legal system as an immig...

Send us a text Pet grief cuts deeper than many realize. When my beloved cat Hermes passed away recently after 16 incredible years together, I found myself grappling with a profound sense of loss that inspired this raw, emotional episode. The story of Hermes begins in 2009, during a period of personal turmoil when this playful kitten literally ran into my life. Named after the fleet-footed Greek messenger god, Hermes was quick, mischievous, and utterly devoted. He established himself as the a...

Send us a text Matt and Mike explore cognitive dissonance in political values, examining how party loyalty often overrides moral consistency, particularly regarding responses to global genocides versus performative corporate boycotts. • Discussion of selective outrage: boycotting companies for one day while ignoring ongoing genocides • Examination of how political tribalism leads to moral inconsistencies • Analysis of capitalism's role in keeping citizens divided against their own interests ...

Send us a text The episode delves into the concepts of cognitive dissonance and selective outrage, exploring how they shape our political identities and conversations. The hosts discuss the implications of a polarized political landscape and emphasize the importance of understanding differing perspectives as a path to unity and constructive change. • Examining the impact of selective outrage • Understanding cognitive dissonance in political discourse • Critique of the two-party s...

Send us a text Chad Kennedy's journey from trauma to transformation sheds light on mental health challenges faced by first responders and veterans. Through his Sea to Sea for PTSD initiative, he shares insights into finding the right therapy, the importance of connection, and the power of community in navigating mental health struggles. • Chad shares his background and battle with PTSD • The necessity of trauma-informed therapy and finding a good match • Importance of connection ...

Send us a text The episode dives into the intersection of veterinary medicine, social justice, and global crises, focusing on the personal experiences of veterinary students facing harassment at the hands of faculty. The discussion emphasizes the necessity of One Health, the varied cultural perspectives on the human-animal bond, and the vital role of community and allyship in combating systemic injustice. • Personal experiences of harassment within higher ed. • Moral duplicity within a...