The Hardcore Therapist

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest is Sabrina Worthington, a vocalist, musician, and the force behind Cellofame Records a DIY, women-owned underground label supporting punk music and independent artists. Through her work with The Applicators and Loud Graves, Sabrina has built a life around creating music, taking ownership of her work, and helping other artists find space within the punk community. Cel...

Send us Fan Mail What if the way you're responding to anxiety is actually keeping you stuck? In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist , I explore how anxiety drives overthinking, reassurance-seeking, avoidance, and the need for certainty. Drawing on research and evidence-based approaches like CBT, I break down why these patterns develop and what we can do to change them. We'll talk abou...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s guest is Jorge Rosado, the longtime vocalist of Merauder, one of the most influential bands to come out of New York’s metallic hardcore scene. Jorge’s voice helped define the sound and intensity of Master Killer , a record that continues to shape hardcore and metal decades after its release. His story goes far beyond one album. It includes growing up between Brooklyn and P...

Send us Fan Mail Do you really want closure—or do you want your ex to see that you won? In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist , I explore why we sometimes still need an ex to see us thriving, even when we have no desire to get back together. We’ll talk about attachment, rumination, social-media checking, the fantasy of the “perfect” run-in, and why wanting someone to regret losing you can keep...

Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by David Michael, the creator behind Every Icon and the founder of Bhairav Healing. Through Every Icon and his “Rebuilding My Record Collection” series, David explores music, creativity, memory, and the records that help shape who we become. His work with Bhairav Healing focuses on psychedelic integration, meditation, breathwork, and helping people make meaningful...

Send us Fan Mail When parents divorce, teenagers are often expected to understand, adjust, and move forward—but who actually helps them grieve? In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist , I explore what divorce can look like from a teenager’s perspective, including loyalty binds, parentification, interparental conflict, changing family roles, and the pressure to appear “fine.” I also break down wh...

Send us Fan Mail A lot of people first discovered Jonah through Far, particularly records like Tin Cans With Strings to You and Water & Solutions , but Jonah's creative life has never really fit neatly into one band or one genre. Jonah went on to make deeply personal music as onelinedrawing, fronted New End Original and Gratitude, and has spent decades building a career around vulnerabili...

Send us Fan Mail What does it actually mean to be intentional in a relationship? In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist , I break down the difference between having good intentions and actually changing your behavior when you’re triggered, defensive, hurt, or overwhelmed. We’ll talk about Wise Mind, values, nervous-system reactions, people-pleasing, control, boundaries, and the gap between inte...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I sit down with Jessica Tierney to talk about growing up in Detroit, navigating autoimmune disease, and the tenacity it takes to keep moving forward when life and health do not go as planned. We also discuss her involvement with xSisterhoodx, her connection to the straight edge community, and her journey into entrepreneurship with Inked, her new tech company servi...

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to serve your partner without abandoning yourself in the process? In this episode, I talk about the difference between loving, supporting, and showing up for your partner—and overfunctioning, people-pleasing, or sacrificing your own needs to keep the relationship stable. We’ll look at how to give from a place of choice instead of fear, communicate your needs with...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist , I talk with Kevin Doss, best known as the voice of the legendary hardcore band Downcast. Kevin shares about hardcore, purpose, intensity, community, and what it means to carry that same heart into a life of service as a firefighter and paramedic in Los Angeles. We talk about the emotional power of music, the connection between hardcore a...

Send us Fan Mail Why do some relationships feel impossible to stop thinking about—even when they leave you anxious, confused, or constantly wondering where you stand? In this episode, we unpack the difference between intensity and intimacy and explore why uncertainty, chemistry, longing, and emotional highs and lows can feel so compelling. You’ll learn why being consumed by someone doesn’t necessa...

Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by Matt Fisher, vocalist of Contact, a Richmond hardcore band whose music confronts empire, xenophobia, nationalism, consumerism, and the false gods that shape modern life. Contact’s sound is urgent and confrontational, but there is also a spiritual and introspective depth to what they do a belief that hardcore can still be a real-life community in an increasingly...

Send us Fan Mail Trigger Notice: This episode includes discussion of childhood sexual abuse, sexual trauma, kink, and trauma-related sexual responses. When trauma and kink overlap, what are we actually looking at? In this episode, I dig into the research, the nervous system, consent, repetition, agency, and the difference between trauma reenactment and consensual sexual exploration. This is not ab...

Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by Daryl Taberski, vocalist of the legendary Buffalo hardcore band Snapcase. Snapcase helped shape the sound and evolution of 90s hardcore with records like Progression Through Unlearning , Designs for Automotion , and End Transmission , bringing together intensity, precision, emotion, and a willingness to push beyond the expected boundaries of the genre. But Dary...

Send us Fan Mail Money fights are rarely just about money. In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist , I explore how money can become connected to trust, safety, freedom, resentment, power, and control in relationships. I talk about financial intimacy, financial infidelity, differing money stories, rebuilding trust, and how couples can communicate without turning each other into the problem. Becau...

Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by Jame McElroy, the owner and creator behind Two Crow Collective, a small-batch clothing company rooted in punk culture, storytelling, and advocacy. Two Crow started from Jame’s background in screen-printing, music, and DIY creativity, and has grown into a brand that raises awareness around chronic illness, mental health challenges, and disabilities. I’m excited...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I take on the complicated question of what happens when a marriage has emotionally ended, but the family structure stays intact because everyone is afraid of what separation might do to the children. Inspired by a listener’s situation, the conversation explores emotionally disconnected “roommate” marriages, financial dependence, outside r...

Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by Davis Driver, a Portland-based vegan straight edge hardcore vocalist and Bassist known for his work with  What It Meant, Reflect,  XfortuneX, and Life Force. Davis has been part of projects that carry forward the raw, urgent spirit of straight edge hardcore music rooted in conviction, community, resistance, and the reminder that straight edge still matters. I’m...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I explore polyamory, throuples, jealousy, attachment, boundaries, and the question underneath it all: Am I enough and am I actually getting enough? This isn’t about judging non-monogamy. It’s about what helps relationships work: honest communication, clear agreements, self-awareness, emotional regulation, and making sure everyone’s needs...

Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by Joseph Thomas of There Were Wires, a band that came out of Boston’s chaotic hardcore and post-hardcore world, making music that holds intensity, atmosphere, and a lot of emotional weight. There Were Wires are returning with Vessel , their first new full-length in more than two decades, out through Iodine Recordings on June 26th. The record reflects a band comin...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I’m talking about co-parenting after divorce, especially when a new marriage, stepchildren, former partners, guilt, resentment, and unresolved family conflict all become part of the same system. I break down the difference between healthy co-parenting and overfunctioning, why children should never become messengers between households, how...

Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by Scott Crawford , a multi-talented filmmaker, musician, writer, and documentarian who directed Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC . A D.C. native who started the fanzine Metrozine as a teenager, Scott brings an insider’s perspective to the DIY spirit, community, and cultural force of the D.C. punk and hardcore scene, including bands like Minor Threat...

Send us Fan Mail After divorce, readiness for love is not measured only by time it is measured by whether you can enter a relationship without performing, self-silencing, or falling in love with someone’s potential. I explore how to recognize genuine readiness, evaluate present behavior, communicate needs without emotional begging, and choose a partner who wants the person you are now. Support the...

Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by Ryan Smith, the musician behind Rain the Shining. Rain the Shining is Ryan’s Baltimore-based music project, blending guitar-driven indie rock with roots in hardcore and punk. His music carries that tension between reflection and resistance — songs about time, memory, disappointment, injustice, and trying to make something honest out of what life gives you. His...