For the last chapter of this season we meet Veronika. She shares with Shan what it was like to come out to her extremely religious parents; how they tried to use the church to change her and how she set lines in the sand to protect herself. Listen to Veronika talk about how her families attitude towards her sexuality played a big part in ending her…

For this week's episode, I spend time with Thien who shares with me what it was like when his father was jailed for 5 years for corruption in a communist country. We then explore his experiences of racism, isolation, and mental health when he came to Australia. Through all this, he has managed to find his groove, build his career, find a community,…

When we see an Australian service member, many of us will say “Thank you for your service”. We dedicate an entire day of our calendar to this exact sentiment. What does that service actually look like? Brian sits down with Shan and shares what it's like to be a teenage boy who is given a uniform, a group of mates, and a gun. He shares what it's lik…

What would you do if you didn’t know your own language? This week we meet Aunty Deb, a proud Gumbaynggirr woman who shares with Shan how the traumas inflicted on those that went before her impact on her childhood, her parents, and her relationships. Aunty Deb shares how, through her strength and defiance, has built her own connection to country and…

What is it like when the ones you trust are not trustworthy? What happens when a family keeps a secret for generations? This week we meet with award winning author Denise who graciously shares her story of childhood sexual abuse and history of multigenerational incest. Her candour and stoicism are apparent through this heart wrenching interview. To…

Billie felt the moment she could finally breathe would be the moment she finally left her abusive partner. Little did she know the worst was yet to come. Shan and Billie explore how the system of family law is used by abusers as a resource and a tool to keep hurting. We’ve seen it time and time again and every time we beg for something to change. B…

What is it like to be on the edge? This week Alex is back for the second half of his story. Alex shares what the moments before suicide feel like. He shares the moment he knew he could murder someone and how that knowledge changed who he is. To find Alex’s poetry and podcast head to www.thenomidicpodcast.com thetraumatales@gmail.com Facebook:@traum…

A few months ago, Alex approached Shan to go on his podcast and talk about mental health. She did, and boy did they talk. What started as a simple interview turned into a real connection. After going onto Alex’s podcast, they got to chatting and bonded over some deep chats about mental health and trauma. Today the tables are turned; Alex has come o…

Lily didn’t see it coming. It couldn’t possibly happen again, could it? For the second time, on the same road; in the same spot, she was the victim of a motor vehicle accident. The first one didn’t break her. The second time she wouldn’t be so lucky. Lily shares what it's like to be hit by a car, twice. She tells Shan how she rebuild her body from …

Meet Paula. Paula was born with a physical deformity on her face. In Australia in the 80s and 90s that meant she was bullied mercilessly throughout her childhood. To the point of being suicidal. Join Shan as she and Paula talk about the impacts of bullying and how Paula has turned her pain into her power. Paula now refers to herself as an accidenta…

Welcome back for the final part of Frankie's story. Join Shan as she steps through Frankie's last days in the unit, her planning to leave and re-join society and her family. How will she go? thetraumatales@gmail.com Facebook:@traumatalespodcast Instagram: @traumatalespodcast Lifeline: 13 11 14 1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732 Men's Helpline: 1300 789 987…

Welcome to part two of Frankie's three-part story about her experiences as a psychiatric patient. Meet more of the characters, see more of her journey and start to see some hope through the darkness that is mental illness. thetraumatales@gmail.com Facebook:@traumatalespodcast Instagram: @traumatalespodcast Lifeline: 13 11 14 1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 …

Welcome to the summer season of The Trauma Tales. In our last episode, we met Frankie who spoke about being admitted to a psychiatric facility. As a special treat for our listeners, Frankie has honoured us with her story about her time in the facility and allows us into her inner world. Welcome to this three part summer season. thetraumatales@gmail…

In our final episode of the season, we meet Frankie. Frankie talks to Shan about working in out-of-home care for nearly half her life. Frankie shares some cracking tales from her time here, but then things turn dark when the industry she loves spits her out under a cloud of allegations. Then she is ignored and abused by a system designed to protect…

Join Shan as she talks to her high school friend Benji. After losing touch for almost 20 years, they reconnected last year and found the connection that had back when they were teenagers. Join them as they share whats happened for Benji, why he disconnected when they were about 17, the impacts on his life, and how he is doing now. Prepare yourself …

In this episode, we meet Brooke. Brooke talks about the unspoken costs of military life. Brooke explored the highs and lows of being married to a serving military member. Shan and Brooke then look at how her ex-husband's behaviour manifested into becoming an abuser and how she tried to save him while almost destroying herself. Brooke talks about th…

In this episode, we get to see another side of trauma. In our last episode, we met Jack who told us about the day he died. He told us about what happened to him from his lens, now we can get a look at the same incident from a different lens. Meet Jill, Jack's sister. She shares how she experienced what happened to Jack and talks about what happened…

In this episode of the Trauma Tales Shan speaks to Jack about the day he was killed. Jack shares the pure serendipity of him being brought back to life by a completely random coincidence and the blackness of being in a coma. Jack discusses his coming back from his death and his recovery including learning how to do things we take for granted...like…

In this episode of the Trauma, Tales Shan chats with Molly about when she woke to strangers in her home in the middle of the night. Molly shares how she reacted, what she did, how it impacted her, what she did and how she reached out to Shan for help. Molly shares how she has struggled over the years since it happened and how she used her body to t…

In this episode of the Trauma Tales, we speak with Chloe about her father passing away when she was just 14 years old age. Chloe talks to Shan about coming off the basketball court during a game to be told by her mum that her father had just died and then the mad rush to get back to her sister before anyone else tells her first. Chloe shares how th…

In the final part of Danielle's story, we talk about her sons and how the impact of the violence changed their lives forever. Danielle digs deep and shares with Shan the hardest days of her life when her seven-year-old son attempts suicide and is hospitalized and eventually enters the care of the state to give him a chance to be free. Danielle shar…

In Part 2 of Danielle's story, she talks to Shan about what happened when her sons were born. She details what this man; her husband and the father of her children did to them all. How he would relentlessly control and mercilessly torture them all. Danielle talks about the forced neglect of her sons and the slavery she suffered at his hands. Then s…

Welcome back to season 2 of the Trauma Tales. In this season we are going to launch straight into Danielle's story. This one is a bit different and one episode wouldn't do this story justice. Danielle shares with Shan over three episodes how she grew up in trauma, how it manifested into using extreme derealisation to survive. Then in her efforts to…

In this chapter, Shan and Max discuss the delicate, shattering reality of childhood sexual abuse. So often we think of sexual abuse as single, violating action. However, what many of us fail to understand is that for the child involved, the impacts of sexual abuse extend beyond mere physicality. It impacts the brain, the sense of self and - as Max …

Trauma has the potential to impact the entire course of a person's life, and when this trauma is sustained and reoccurring, it can be all too easy to fall from one damaging situation to another. In this week's chapter, Shan sits down with Jo to explore how victims of childhood trauma will often find themselves trapped within the vicious cycle of mo…

In this chapter of The Trauma Tales, Shan and Sarah discuss the reality of vicarious trauma for those who work within the mental health and community services sectors. When you dedicate your time, resources and emotional energy to caring for others, it can be all too easy to leave your own wellbeing by the wayside. Together, Shan and Sarah approach…

We've all heard the saying 'you are your own worse enemy'. In this week's episode, Shan sits down with The Trauma Tales' producer Gracie, and together, they explore the concept of 'self-inflicted trauma'. At what point do self-expectations become dangerous? And when they do, how can we protect ourselves from our own distorted perspective? If you or…

Sometimes, trauma doesn't stem from a single, life-altering event. It's often the result of continual emotion, mental or physical pain. In this week's episode, Rachel shares with Shan how her emetophobia and OCD have shadowed her since childhood, how these issues impact her quality of life, and how they have shaped the person she is today. However,…

In this week's episode, Shan sits down with Margaret to discuss a form of trauma that is not always recognised as such: culture shock. Margaret shares with Shan how the multigenerational trauma that plagued her birth family in Chile led to her being abandoned, adopted and flown across to globe, all before her tenth birthday. If you or someone you k…

NOTE: This episode contains explicit discussion of suicide. After a two-week break, The Trauma Tales continue. In this chapter, Shan shares an intensely raw conversation with Kayla about suppressed emotions and the long-term detriment of sweeping trauma beneath the proverbial rug. With brutal honesty and a hilariously dark sense of humour, Kayla in…

In this week's episode, Shan and Elizabeth discuss the complex issue that is vicarious trauma. Elizabeth explains how her internalisation of her friends' struggles led to the crumbling of her own mental health, before sharing how she has since learned to care for others whilst still caring for herself. If you or someone you know is struggling with …

This week, Shan sits down with John, a mental health worker who shares how a terrible betrayal shattered his childhood. This betrayal brought him to the brink; however, it also taught him that there is power in taking ownership of the past and using that ownership to shape a better future. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health…

Welcome to The Trauma Tales. In our first episode, psychologist and host Shanna White delves into the word 'trauma': what it means, what it looks like, and how it has shaped her own life - both professional, and personal. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, we'd like to suggest the following support services: Lifelin…