Marionette Doll's

Send us Fan Mail Fireworks can represent celebration to one person and danger to another. Sarah and Crystal explain PTSD using the DSM-5-TR, explore how the brain reacts to trauma reminders, and discuss why fireworks may affect veterans, first responders, survivors of violence, people with sensory sensitivities, children, and animals. They also share ways individuals, families, neighbors, and pet...

Send us Fan Mail What if the brain begins showing warning signs before memory loss becomes obvious? Sarah and Crystal break down Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, mild cognitive impairment, EEG, and early screening in clear, everyday language. Sarah also shares her connection to the research as a student who has taken several classes with University of West Florida professor Dr. James Arruda and comp...

Send us Fan Mail Fatherhood is often reduced to stereotypes the grill master, the provider, the guy who falls asleep in the recliner halfway through a movie. But behind those stereotypes are real people navigating responsibility, identity, mental health, relationships, and the lasting impact they have on the lives of their children. In this Father's Day special, Sarah and Crystal explore the...

Send us Fan Mail Why do people get tattoos? For some, they're works of art. For others, they're reminders of the people they've loved, the battles they've survived, or the identities they've built along the way. In this episode of Psycho Babble, Sarah and Crystal explore the fascinating psychology behind tattoos and why humans have been marking their bodies for thousands o...

Send us Fan Mail Birthday's are supposed to be fun... right? So why do so many people feel anxious, awkward, overwhelmed, guilty, lonely, or emotionally exhausted when their birthday comes around? In this episode, Sarah and Crystal pull back the curtain on the psychology behind birthdays, gift-giving, social expectations, and the surprisingly complicated emotions tied to celebrations. From th...

Send us Fan Mail Sarah and Crystal discuss childhood behavioral disorders, emotional dysregulation, ODD, Conduct Disorder, trauma, school systems, parenting stress, and the barriers families face trying to access mental healthcare for children. This episode explores behavioral escalation, labeling, school discipline, trauma, evaluations, therapy access, and why early intervention matters before ch...

Send us Fan Mail Motherhood is often described as magical but rarely honest. In this Mother’s Day special, Sarah and Crystal talk about the realities people don’t prepare women for: pregnancy complications, labor trauma, postpartum depression, anxiety, rage, identity loss, feeding struggles, relationship changes, burnout, and the overwhelming pressure placed on mothers to survive all of it silentl...

Send us Fan Mail What if the voice in your head telling you “you don’t belong here”… isn’t telling you the truth? In this episode of The Marionette Dolls Podcast , we unpack imposter syndrome—what it actually feels like, where it comes from, and why it tends to show up the most in people who are capable but don’t feel like they are. We talk about the internal narrative of “they’re going to find me...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Sarah and Crystal break down what self-care actually looks like, why it’s so hard to maintain, and how burnout, guilt, and people-pleasing get in the way. They also dive into boundaries, why they’re uncomfortable, why people react to them, and why someone being upset doesn’t mean you’re wrong. Sometimes the issue isn’t your boundary… It’s that someone lost access...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Sarah and Crystal break down the psychology of grief, including the misunderstood “stages,” why emotions come in waves, and how loss can affect the mind, body, and relationships. They also explore how grief can show up differently within families and why tension can arise after loss. Sarah shares her experience losing her mother to lung cancer that metastasized to...

Send us Fan Mail One moment, you’re driving to work like any other morning. The next moment, your car is rolling down the highway, and everything changes. In this episode, Sarah shares the story of the accident that caused her traumatic brain injury and the long recovery that followed. From the immediate aftermath of the crash to months of rehabilitation, including physical therapy, occupational t...

Send us Fan Mail We lose an hour every spring and gain one in the fall, but our biology doesn’t change as quickly as the clock. In this episode, Sarah and Crystal explore how daylight saving time affects circadian rhythms, hormonal timing, mood regulation, and cognitive performance. They discuss why even a one-hour shift can disrupt sleep architecture, increase irritability and fatigue, and tempor...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Marionette Dolls , Sarah and Crystal take a deeper dive into why Mercury Retrograde feels so real — even if it isn’t physically affecting your phone, your plans, or your relationships. We explore how the brain searches for patterns when life feels chaotic, why uncertainty can feel unsafe, and how belief systems can shape perception, communication, and behavior w...

Send us Fan Mail ⚠️ Content / Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of childhood abuse, domestic violence, coercive control, racism, religious trauma, foster care involvement, and self-harm. Listener discretion is advised. Please take care of yourself while listening. This week on Marionette Dolls , we are honored to share a powerful listener story:  Pandora’s story. In this deeply per...

Send us Fan Mail ⚠️ Content Warning: This episode discusses intimate partner violence, coercive control, emotional abuse, and homicide. Please listen with care. If you need to pause or step away at any point, that is completely okay. In this deeply psychological and compassionate episode of The Marionette Dolls , Sarah and Crystal explore the dark side of love in “Bloody Valentine.” This conversat...

Send us Fan Mail ⚠️ Content & Trigger Warning This episode discusses domestic violence, intimate partner violence, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, coercive control, and trauma responses. No graphic details are used, but the topic itself may be heavy or activating. If at any point this feels overwhelming, it is completely okay to pause, step away, or skip this episode. Your well-being com...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we’re breaking down what autism really is, why it’s called a spectrum , and why it feels like “everyone is getting diagnosed now.” Spoiler alert: autism didn’t suddenly appear. Our understanding finally caught up. Rizz’em with the Tism is about blending humor, education, and respect. We talk about how autism has always existed, how diagnostic criteria have evolved...

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode, we explore the beauty, challenges, and strengths of raising and loving children on the autism spectrum. We discuss real emotions, real struggles, and real hope. This conversation is meant to validate families who feel overwhelmed, unseen, or unsure where to turn next. Whether you are a parent, caregiver, educator, or someone seeking to understand autism better,...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the very first episode of The Marionette Dolls . This is our introduction to who we are, why this podcast exists, and what we hope it becomes. In this episode, you’ll meet your hosts, Sarah and Crystal, and hear the stories that shaped this space. From lived experience with trauma, recovery, military service, and mental health to academic and professional goals in psych...