Family Secrets - podcast cover

Family Secrets

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Family Secrets. We all have them. And while the discovery of family secrets can initially be terrifying or traumatic, often these discoveries have the power to liberate, heal, and even uplift us. Join Dani Shapiro, bestselling author of the memoir Inheritance, and her guests as they explore astonishing family secrets and uncover the extraordinary lessons the truth can teach us.
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Episodes

Letter of Extenuating Circumstances

Emi is a brilliant child caught in the storms of the adults around her. As such, her own troubles begin to brew and her secrets compound. From foster care to homelessness to an Ivy League education and robust career, Emi’s trajectory is an extraordinary lesson in what is possible when resilience wins the day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 01, 202356 minSeason 8Ep. 5

How Are You Weird in the World?

Allison knows something is fundamentally different about her. She looks different and she feels different from the other girls in school. But when her parents refuse to acknowledge just how different she is, it becomes harder and harder for her to reckon with who she is, and who she wants to become. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 25, 202354 minSeason 8Ep. 4

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Forever punctuated by shame, secrecy, and danger, Isaac's search to know himself has always been a precarious journey. But as he walks the rocky road toward self-acceptance, he must reconcile his need to be both strong and vulnerable. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 18, 202343 minSeason 8Ep. 3

The Family Business

From a very young age, Sophia is taught to deflect when people ask questions. Her parents teach her this lesson, and they tell her to keep a low profile as an American living abroad. When she finds a letter she’s not supposed to read, she learns what her parents do for a living – and that changes everything. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 11, 202334 minSeason 8Ep. 2

Telenovela

Growing up among conflicting cultures and customs, Carmen feels a profound sense of otherness. When her mother reveals their family secret, Carmen’s conflicts deepen and the puzzle pieces of her identity scatter before eventually— they finally snap into place. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 04, 202352 minSeason 8Ep. 1

Family Secrets: Season 8 Trailer

Join us starting May 4th for 10 new stories of tenacity, resilience, and the profoundly necessary excavation of long-held family secrets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 27, 20233 min

Bonus: Dani's Family Secret

In this special bonus episode, the tables are turned as veteran journalist and podcast host Kimi Culp interviews Dani about her own family history and the secret at its core. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 20, 20231 hr 8 min

Bonus: The Secrets Hotline

Stories from our friends at The Secrets Hotline Podcast, hosted by Nick van der Kolk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 30, 202318 min

In Conversation with Dr. Gabor Maté

In this bonus episode, Dani speaks with renowned physician and author Dr. Gabor Maté about his new book,The Myth of Normal, and the ways in which we can begin to heal from our wounds and traumas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 16, 202325 min

Bonus: Dani's Listening, Episode 8

In this bonus series, “Dani’s Listening”, Dani connects with listeners by responding to those who’ve called in to share their family secrets. Mark your calendars for the launch of season 8 on May 4th. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 23, 20238 min

Bonus: Dani's Listening, Episode 7

In this bonus series, “Dani’s Listening”, Dani connects with listeners by responding to those who’ve called in to share their family secrets. Mark your calendars for the launch of season 8 on May 4th. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 19, 20237 min

Thanksgiving Message from Dani

Dani shares a message this Thanksgiving with the Family Secrets community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 24, 20223 min

Trastiendas

When Judy receives a thick envelope from her father—presumably including answers to long kept secrets about his identity and past—he instructs her to burn it before opening. Despite her plaguing curiosity, she follows her father’s wishes. But later in her life, she seeks answers. What was in that envelope? And who was her father, really ? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 03, 202245 minSeason 7Ep. 10

Prisoner of History

As Tad reckons with the choices he’s made in his relationships—most prominently, in his marriage—he must confront the choices made by his father, too. And his grandmother. In uncovering staggering truths, he finds his own struggles with intimacy are part of a long string of inherited secrecy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 27, 202242 minSeason 7Ep. 9

Palais de Triomphe

Fraidy is raised in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community where she is forced to follow many conventions including an arranged marriage in her teens. After enduring emotional and physical abuse, Fraidy is determined to figure out a way to save herself, her children, and many, many others. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 20, 20221 hrSeason 7Ep. 8

Going There

We all know—or think we know—the wonderful journalist, news anchor, and bestselling author, Katie Couric. But behind and beyond her camera-ready exterior is the interior world of a very real individual— a daughter, sister, wife, and mother navigating the complexities of a public life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 13, 202249 minSeason 7Ep. 7

The Depression Book

After Mark’s divorce, he cannot eat or sleep or function. Hesitant to pathologize these feelings, he finally acknowledges the clinical magnitude of his condition. But even after accepting that he’s suffering from depression, he keeps it under wraps; he runs a residential treatment center for homeless teens where he feels he must keep up appearances. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 06, 202242 minSeason 7Ep. 6

Somebody’s Daughter

Ashley’s father is imprisoned when she’s eight months old. She has no real context for him until she visits him for the first time, when she’s seven. They forge as best a relationship they can, writing letters, and talking on the phone. It’s not until she’s fourteen when she discovers why he’s in jail. What she learns is shattering and confirms to her that the world is not always a safe place. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Sep 29, 202249 minSeason 7Ep. 5

The Best Family Ever

From a harrowing, unstable childhood, Venus perseveres and creates an ideal life for herself—with an exuberant husband and a gaggle of amazing kids. But harrowing returns for her when she learns the dark truths—and lies—about her husband. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 22, 202250 minSeason 7Ep. 4

The Destroyed Palace

Growing up, Rich doesn’t know much about his family, save for the singular fact that his mother came to the US from Haiti when she was thirteen. But in 2010, when the worst recorded earthquake in the Western hemisphere’s history hits Haiti, Rich is met with a series of life-altering discoveries about his family’s past. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 15, 202243 minSeason 7Ep. 3

The World of Dogs

Chloe is an only child, but she’s not entirely alone. She has dogs. Meaningful, magical, ever-supportive dogs. With reserved parents and a habit of hiding her feelings, Chloe retreats deeply into her canine world, and the search to find herself, and free herself, takes years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 08, 202240 minSeason 7Ep. 2

The Baby on the Boat

Putsata was an infant when she and her family fled from war-torn Cambodia on an escape boat. When the captain saw that baby Putsata was ill, he suggested that her mother—Ma—throw her overboard. Ma couldn’t do this; she believed her baby would get better, and sure enough she did. Putsata grows up feeling indebted to Ma for saving her life. The weight of this debt gets heavier and heavier over time, causing Put to bury large and important parts of her true self. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

Sep 01, 202255 minSeason 7Ep. 1

Family Secrets: Season 7 Trailer

Welcome to the new season of Family Secrets, premiering September 1st. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 25, 20223 min

In Conversation with Professor Michael Slepian

In this bonus episode, Dani speaks with professor and author Michael Slepian about the psychology of secret keeping and his new book T he Secret Life of Secrets: How Our Inner Worlds Shape Well-Being, Relationships, and Who We Are. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 07, 202239 min

Bonus: In Conversation with Galit Atlas

In this bonus episode, Dani speaks with psychoanalyst and author Dr. Galit Atlas about her new book Emotional Inheritance and the role of secrecy in families— all families. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 23, 202241 min

Bonus: Stories You Want to Hear

Tell us what stories you'd like to hear at 1-888-SECRET-0. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 28, 20221 min

Bonus: Dani and Nora

Dani sits down with her friend and fellow podcaster Nora McInerney for a deep dive into her own family secrets. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 17, 20221 hr 1 min
Hosted on Omny Studio
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