Shows
WBYPodSeason 2 Episode 11: Mindy"I was literally living the same life, as my mom did with my dad, that I always said I would never do." ~Mindy
Mindy is someone that I have known for over 20 years (which is crazy). In her story, you will learn about what's it's like to be the child of an addict. You often fall into roles unknowingly and find yourself a child of neglect. Sometimes when your parent has an addiction problem, out of the sheer cycle of addiction, you end up being in a relationship and even marriage with what you are comfortable with, ano...2021-04-271h 22WBYPodSeason 2, Episode 10: Grace El"When I woke up I knew something happened because you feel it in your body." ~Grace El
Grace contacted me via social media to share her story. This brave human got on zoom with me and told me her story!
Like Sara, my last guest, She also is a twin! Her biological father abandoned them when they were young. She went through an unheard-of amount of betrayal by people that continuously told her they were her friend. Because she is such an adaptable human being, she found herself bouncing from city to city after...2021-03-231h 37WBYPodSeason 2, Episode 9: Sara"The human soul doesn't want to be fixed or shaped; we want to be witnessed!" ~SaraSara is someone who emailed me her story after my first podcast release. I could tell she was eager to share. I could tell that she needed to share. We recorded this year, and her story is heartbreaking. It's longer than our usual recordings, but her life story is amazing. Sara has overcome molestation, multiple assaults (one of which was recent), houselessness (even as a teen), multiple near-death experiences, addictions, and was even jailed as a minor. At one point in her teens, she found...2021-02-041h 36WBYPodSeason 2, Episode 8: Jenna"It's like that conversation about ACAB. People ask, 'What is going to happen when you get assaulted?' I am like, 'Nobody because they never helped anyway.'" -Jenna Jenna shares her life with us. After watching her mother fall into addiction problems, she found herself in a caretaker role for her entire family. After running to her dad's house at 16 years old, she finds herself dealing with her step-mom, who also battled an addiction problem. She had to make challenging adult decisions at a very young age to keep her head afloat. She found herself having...2021-01-071h 05WBYPodSeason 2, Episode 7: Andy"It's not a matter of positive thinking. It's about healing my body. It's about getting my control back." - AndyAndy talks about his childhood and the turmoil a divorce brings on a child, what religion can do to the perceptions of our foundation, and how easy it is to be taken advantage of in the music industry. You will hear how even as an adult, white, heterosexual, cis-gender male, assault can still happen in a seemingly safe place, and how that trauma can lead to a substance abuse problem. Andy is brave, relentless, and extremely kind. He is working...2020-12-081h 08WBYPodSeason 2, Episode 6: Mandy"I am not holding any piece of this horrible secret anymore." ~Mandy Remember Mandy from Season 1? She shared the newly discovered childhood trauma that she had just found out about in Spring 2019. She told us how she discovered it, how it has affected her thus far, and what she was doing to heal. If you haven't listened to it, you should totally do that now. This is a follow-up. We often never get to hear someone's pathway to healing. Sometimes we don't shake the trees because we don't know what will come with it. We don't...2020-11-021h 07WBYPodSeason 2, Episode 5: Julia"There are certain signs, and predators can see them." - JuliaRecorded over the summer, Julia shares her unique story of being born into a cult, and how that manifested into complex trauma. She bravely shares all the repression she felt, what it felt like to be gaslit by her own family, and how that led her down the road to an addiction and eating disorders. You'll get to hear her talk about her recovery, which is so absolutely beautiful. You'll get to hear about her journey setting healthy boundaries with her family, and speaking her truth. What's so...2020-10-0100 minWBYPodSeason 2, Episode 4: Joanne"People were so desperate to figure out what to do for these children because nobody was talking about it." ~Joanne This episode is totally different from what we have done in the past. I interviewed Joanne who has spent her entire life (now in her 80's) being a believer!Joanne spent her entire life studying psychology and helping so many people that have been traumatized and she made a difference in so many people's lives and you get to hear it.In this episode, you will hear what that was like to be such a renegade way before he...2020-09-0300 minWBYPodSeason 2, Episode 3: LizA lot of it for me, I think, was me trying to disappear. If I made myself smaller, maybe people wouldn't touch me or comment on my body." - LizLiz shares her traumatic childhood experiences that led her down the path of a severe eating disorder. She unravels how it happened, what led her to it, and how she is one of the lucky ones that had support and guidance. She explains in great detail how an eating disorder is a lifelong journey, something that needs to be managed every day. She shares another diagnosis that she...2020-08-0400 minWBYPodSeason 2, Episode 2: Damon"I saw a lot of those beatings in my neighborhood with police officers that would come and terrorize the black neighborhood. The first time I saw it I had to be around 7 years old."-DamonDamon shares his experience as a 69-year-old black man. What it was like to have learning differences as a child with minimal resources, and what it was like to be black growing up. He explains what he has overcome after being bullied by children and a systemically racist society. What it was like witnessing police brutality at a very young age. He c...2020-06-3000 minWBYPodSeason 2, Episode 1: Crystal“I felt the darkness of the oppression and the racism that was still lingering on campus.” ~CrystalConsidering the most recent events, we thought we would take this opportunity to give space to a person of color to share their story. Recorded back in February of 2020, Crystal Davis shares her story about being falsely accused of major crimes that she did not do. She shares how this affected her family, her name, and her entire life. She explains how she was treated upon arrest, how she was set up by white privileged men, and how long s...2020-06-0400 minWBYPodEpisode 8: Mandy"I had to go to the middle of nowhere to uncover this truth." - MandyMandy shares her newly discovered childhood trauma that she just found out about last spring. She tells us how she discovered it, how it has affected her thus far, and what she is doing to heal. She unravels how she started recalling memories she had buried, how the narrative she had told herself was completely untrue, and what she is doing now to heal. Mandy also explains what it was like TO BE BELIEVED. She has found her way to re...2020-04-2100 minWBYPodEpisode 7: Meredith (Version 2)"I believe that we are as sick as our secrets." - Meredith Meredith shares her newly discovered trauma at the hands of her father who recently passed away, and how she uncovered her mother's lies on her father's death bed. She talks about how trust issues manifested as she lived in a house of violence growing up. How she didn't feel safe as a child due to an abusive stepdad. She unravels how she started to remember memories she had buried, and how she had so many mentors and women around her encouraging her to seek therapy to f...2020-04-1500 minWBYPodEpisode 6: Anna"Hurt people hurt people." - AnnaAnna shares her brave story about what it was like to be in the house when her brother attempted suicide as a teen, losing her mother at an early age, and experiencing neglect from her father. She explains how she spent so much of her life "under the radar," and shares what that feeling manifested. Anna's powerful story and her ability to be vulnerable is empowering to listen to. Anna is a reminder to us all that there is self-love and joy on the other side of complex-ptsd, OCD, and eating disor...2020-04-0700 minWBYPodEpisode 5: DanWhen you are a kid, you just think whatever happens to you is what happens to everybody so none of my life seemed abnormal." - Comedian Dan WeberComedian Dan Weber tells us his very hard to hear story. He bravely shares his experience surviving childhood sexual abuse, what it was like to be bullied by teachers at school, and living in a family without healthy boundaries. Dan describes how he attempted to tell someone about his abuse, and the coping strategies he developed as a result. Even on the other side of his trauma, it continues to imp...2020-03-3100 minWBYPodEpisode 4: Leigh"What you seek is seeking you." - LeighLeigh courageously shares her experience growing up with a mother that exposed her to psychological/emotional abuse. She shares what it was like to come to terms with her mother at a later age, and what it's like for someone to have to change their narrative. Leigh shares her journey, and reminds us all how much the body takes on when emotional abuse happens. Leigh is thoughtful, caring, magical, and resilient. She is an advocate of mindful work, and always chooses love over everything. Please write us a...2020-03-2400 minWBYPodEpisode 3: AJ"It's just another way to be rendered invisible." - AJAJ courageously shares their experience growing up in the midwest under cramped living conditions, and exposes their childhood trauma of neglect, abuse, assault, molestation, harassment, and abandonment. AJ is a brave, caring, hilarious gem of a human being who has an undeniable spark for life in the face of adversity. We are now on Stitcher, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Please write reviews on Apple Podcasts and rate us! YOUR NAME WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED IN A DRAWING FOR A FREE WBY T-SHIRT! Ends March 28th! 2020-03-1700 minWBYPodEpisode 2: SophiaYesterday has never ended." - Sophia ShalmiyevFeminist Author Sophia Shalmiyev shares her story of being an immigrant from the Soviet Union in the 1980's. She describes what it was like to come to America, experience assaults, deal with misogyny in her 40's, and being a mother when she did not know her own. You will find yourself wanting to know more about her life's journey, which you can by reading her beautiful poetic memoir, Mother Winter. We are now on Stitcher, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Thank you for listening!Where to...2020-03-1000 min
WBYPodEpisode 1: Rachel"I have a passion for helping women love themselves." - Rachel StephensFrom YOUR STORY, HER LENS to HER STORY, YOUR LENS. Photographer Rachel Stephens shares her experience and intimate details of being a survivor of domestic violence. She explains where she came from, how she got there, and how she used her pain to create something that has a purpose. Strong, brave, and fierce. Hear her story. We are now on Stitcher and Spotify, iTunes will be soon. Thank you for listening!Where to find Rachel:https://rachelstephensphotography.com/https://www.instagram.com/rachelstephensphotography/C...2020-03-0300 minWBYPodEpisode 0: IntroductionWelcome to the We Believe You Pod!We have recorded Episode 0 to provide some background information on the reasons why we are launching this podcast, to explain "radical hospitality," and to preview what to expect in our first season. Episode 1 will be released this Tuesday March 3rd, 2020, and new episodes are scheduled to air every Tuesday after that. Each episode will feature a human sharing their stories and unique perspective about their trauma, what they learned, how it's affected them, how they've healed, and the wisdom and courage they've demonstrated.We will use hashtags a...2020-02-2900 min