One chilly night in the city of Los Angeles, Kate Garza & Philo Hagen met up for dinner and a surprisingly heavy conversation. “I started childhood trauma therapy this week Kate,” Philo told his friend of several years, adding, “It was time.” Kate said, “Seriously? I started childhood trauma therapy this week too.” Philo had enrolled in what would prove to be a life changing men’s group at Peace Over Violence, while Kate had signed up for a women’s group in Long Beach.
The pair continued to meet every Wednesday at the Del Taco on Sunset Boulevard for what they liked to call “Tacos and Trauma” – sharing their experiences at their groups with one another, along with some pretty tasty Mexican fast food. Over time many of these late night conversations would prove so inspiring they started wishing they’d been recorded, not just for themselves, but so others in need could hear them. Thus The Trauma Show podcast was born.
While Kate and Philo are not therapists, they do believe in the impact that can come from one trauma survivor helping another. Their shared experience, pain and subsequent recovery may even touch some for whom other methods have failed just by being able to listen to a couple of other people who’ve been there too.
Today the duo are grateful for the recovery they’ve been able to experience, with a huge debt of thanks to their therapists – Joshua Beckett, Milena Lukic, and Janet Francis-Cisneros, The Trauma Show Podcast launched on November 12, 2020, and features the stunning artwork of renowned illustrator Wilson Swain. Podcast episodes typically include a special guest / fellow trauma survivor who joins the pair to share their experience and chat about a different focus topic weekly.
If you’re struggling with trauma you’re not alone. Listen in, preferably following in chronological order from episode one, and know that if it can get better for us, it can probably get better for you too. You can support The Trauma Show simply by listening, subscribing, rating and reviewing on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen in.