In this special episode, Jamie is joined by her husband Ryan to explore the tangled roots of childhood fear and the unexpected catharsis found in horror. With the podcast’s upgraded (but still evolving) format, they unpack Ryan’s personal journey of confronting early anxieties by watching A Nightmare on Elm Street as a child. By deliberately exposing himself to a source of terror, Ryan found not only empowerment—but a lifelong passion for horror films. Together, they reflect on how fear, when faced head-on, can be transformed into fascination and even joy.

In this episode, I discuss Eden lake. Trigger warnings: violence, child death, and mention of suicide. I weave in concepts from Internal Family Systems, Psychodynamic Theory, Generational Trauma with some mentions of existential, developmental, and behavioral themes. I want to acknowledge that this feels like an overly lengthy and “quiet” episode, so for the next one I’m going to work on getting the voice louder and focusing in even more on important themes. But for those who know me know I struggle to make a long story short, so feel free to leave your feedback!!!!

Photo Credit to Laura Velazquez 2006

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