Madness Cafe

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Have you ever wondered why you react in certain ways or why you have particular feelings or aches and pains? It turns out that a lot of it is based in childhood. It's our subconscious blueprint. Although there are a number of helpful techniques to uncover our blueprint, one very helpful tool is rapid transformational t...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Regardless of whether you are tuned in to popular "news", chances are pretty good that you've heard something about the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni saga. We dive in with our opinions about this debacle in this minisode. What are your thoughts about all of this? Mentioned in this episode: Eve: How the Fema...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! In this week’s episode we’re telling y’all about one of the ways that we are striking back at Project 2025 - we’re doing  a banned book series in 2025! For each month of the coming year we’ll discuss a book that has been banned. In hopes that y’all will join us in this reading journey, the list of all of the books in the se...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! We're trying something a bit different here at Madness Cafe - minisodes! These are a chance for us to pop in from time to time when we feel the urge to chat a little about a timely topic in the zeitgeist. Our very first minisode is about Black trad wives. We have opinions! (Shocker!)  What do you think about Black trad...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! What is ethical non-monogamy? Is it the same as polyamory? Are we talking about swinging? We're talking about all that and more with Lauren Hayes, a relationship coach specializing in supporting ethically non-monogamous (ENM) couples, including swingers and the ENM-curious. You might be surprised about what you learn i...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! How much do we really know about our parents, grandparents, and our family history? How do they fit into the backdrop of history as a whole? Susan Servais' mother Kathe Mueller Slonim gave her family the gift of her story in the book Escape From Dachau: A True Story of Survival, Courage, and A Daring Escape in the Face...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! In this week's episode, we discuss Varuni Sinha's memoir, Golden Handcuffs: An Immigrant's Pursuit of Happiness. Varuni, a New York-based writer and multimedia producer, describes her book as a story of love, strength, and resilience written with the intention of spreading peace and harmony. Golden Handcuffs...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Sexual abuse is objectively a difficult topic. Even more so when the predator is your father. Cindy Benezra knows this all too well; her predator was her father. In her memoir, Under the Orange Blossoms, Cindy shares her story, along with how she healed, in the hopes of helping others.  Behind the accomplished author, speak...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Magic mushrooms, plant medicine, psilocybin - what came to mind when you read those words? If you grew up in the 80s, "just say no" probably popped up. But are all drugs bad? Can their powers be used for good? Sometimes, yes. Specifically, psilocybin. We talk about this (and so much more!) with guest Leslie Draffi...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! After a few days of processing the results of the election, we talk through our feelings about what happened, what's to come, our fears and hopes, and our plans going forward. The conversation doesn't stop here, and it doesn't stop with us; after you listen, please share your thoughts and feelings. Community...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! We read and discussed Stacey Abrams' Our Time Is Now before the results of the 2024 election were announced. We were excited and hopeful and wanted to share Stacey's message, information and talented wordsmithing with everyone. We're in a very different emotional space right now, but we still want everyone to...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Return guest Christina Reynolds, Senior Vice President of Communications and Content at EMILYs List, is back to talk about the book that she co-wrote with the President of EMILYs List Stephanie Schriock - Run to Win: Lessons in Leadership for Women Changing the World. Timely topic, no? But trust that the lessons in the book...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! So many people walk through life wearing a mask, disconnected from themselves. How can we drop the mask and reconnect? According to this week's guest, Gao Motsemme, we have to get to the core of the issue and connect to source. That's how we get to the sexual and creative energy that the patriarchy is so afraid of...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Words matter. Words have power. Art is powerful. We explore just how powerful words, art, and poetry can be with guests Tara Bracco and Karla Jackson-Brewer. Tune in to hear some of that power as Karla reads a portion of one of her poems included in the book, Poetic People Power. For 20 years, the New York City-based spoken...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Sensitive, empathic, overwhelmed? Can you relate? Do you know someone who can? How can you protect yourself? How can you manage overwhelm in this time of chaos? This week's guest, Abby Humphrey, talks to Raquel and Jennifer about what can help. Abby Humphrey has been practicing acupuncture in Ann Arbor since 1999. In 2...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! One common belief is that our colleges and universities are safe spaces and, if we are subjected to sexual violence, our schools will protect us. Unfortunately, that is not true for so many people. In fact, victims are often retraumatized by the very people in authority who are supposed to help them. Why? What is happening?...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Is motherhood the default? Are people without children monsters? Is it ok to be childfree and happy? Raquel and Jennifer talk about all of this and more with this week's guest Therese Schechter. Therese Shechter is an award-winning filmmaker and the founder of the production company Trixie Films . Over the past 20 year...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Project 2025 - it's all over the news and everyone's talking about it. Or they should be. What is it? Why should we care? To be fair, it's to be expected that a candidate for president will have a plan (not just a concept of a plan...) for how they will govern. But Project 2025 is more than that, it is The He...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Are boys destined to become incels, misogynists, and emotionally stunted? When it does happen is patriarchy to blame? Can parents do something to prevent toxic masculinity from ruining their sweet little angels? Can grown men reparent themselves to get back to who they were before society took control? In the wake of #MeToo...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! What do most of us really know about car insurance? Why is it necessary, besides that it might be legally required? What choices are best for me, for my family, for my new driver? We get into all of this (and more) with guest Caroline Monsewicz. If you have a question for Caroline, scroll down for her contact information. (...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! We are beyond excited about Vice President Kamala Harris as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee! We share all of our feelings, hopes and dreams about the future of our country with Kamala Harris as our next president. Join the discussion and share your thoughts with us. Mentioned in this episode: YouTube: (1) Kamala Ha...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! We are all in relationship - with ourselves, family, friends, society. With that comes great joy and, sometimes, pain. How can we handle that pain in a way that doesn't add to the pain? How can we handle that pain so that we can show up for our loved ones in a way that is helpful rather than harmful? We delve into all...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! What happens when a racist goes to jail? In George Sedberry, Jr.'s case, he becomes vulnerable enough to listen and learn, and his life opens up. Then his mission to visit all 100+ HBCUs and tell the little-known history of Black Americans begins. After all, Black history is American history. Where to find The White Ge...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! The conversation around Christian patriarchy continues in this week's episode as Raquel and Jennifer discuss Tia Levings memoir A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy. Learn more about the movement that threatens to destroy our democracy and how Tia Levings escaped it and is now a shining example of h...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! In this week's episode, Raquel and Jennifer talk to guest A'magine Goddard about the intersection of medical training and consent.  A’magine Goddard has been teaching and speaking about feminism and sexuality for over two decades. As a queer sexuality educator, she wanted to impact people who were entering the fie...