Survivor's Guide to True Crime

As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Kim and Kara finally get to talk with Kayla Hayes.  At just 25, Kayla Hayes is a passionate advocate, speaker, and author who embodies resilience. Having faced the challenges of childhood sexual abuse and teenage domestic violence, she made a powerful choice to transform her pain into purpose, embracing her scars as wings of strength. Kayla’s story has...

Kim and Kara are hot off their time together in Colorado for a project they can finally discuss… The Survivor's Guide to True Crime documentary! The impact of recent hurricanes, ongoing relief efforts, and organizations you can check out are discussed. Kara and her husband watched two true crime documentaries that have stuck with her, whether she likes it or not. The significance of Domestic Viole...

But wait, it gets worse! Kim and Kara have an infuriating conversation learning some unbelievable things from Dr. Nicole Bedera as she shares 8 years worth of her original, pioneering research. This explosive investigation reveals the profound failures of the Title IX system and identifies concrete, simple steps we can take to protect students. Get ready, listeners--you're going to want to ride at...

You asked, Kim and Kara answered. Or at least, they tried. Welcome to the first Q&A episode of season two.  Don't forget - there will be no new episode next week. Kara will be in Colorado with Kim, but you can keep up with their real-time shenanigans over on Patreon.  Links mentioned: Paris Hilton surrogate choice: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/paris-hilton-on-why-she-chose-surrogacy-for-he...

Pack your suitcase for a trauma trip! Kim and Kara chart new territory reflecting on alcohol consumption, Kim's Irish goodbyes at concerts, Kara's real-time unpacking of the challenges of parenting, and the compounded mental burdens that come with these responsibilities as survivors. They also discuss the concept of code-switching and its impact on identity. Kim asks listeners for a very specific...

Did we just become best friends? YEP! Fellow survivor advocate Marlee Liss joins Kim & Kara for a conversation that could have kept going infinitely. Marlee introduces listeners to restorative justice and shares her experience with this alternative form of survivor-centered closure.  Marlee Liss is a somatic educator, social worker, and sparkle-loving lesbian Jewish feminist. She made history...

Kara is on a break from social media and the impact it has on her mental health is profound. Delving into heavier topics, Kim sent Kara a Washington Post article on a Columbia, SC school resource officer who sexually abused students. Turns out, Kara worked with him.  They explore the complexities of knowing and liking someone who is later revealed to be an offender, and the importance of not makin...

SASSGO SASS Go is on a mission to love people and help protect them from violence and abuse. Through prevention, education, courses, self-defense, training, and case consulting, they have served over 24,000 people across 4 continents. SASS Go understands that everyone is born with purpose and dignity. Supporting survivors, their families, and the professionals who serve them is how they do their p...

The journey to becoming a girl's girl is not all pink and sparkles. So what exactly is a girl's girl, you may ask? Kim and Kara dive into this, together.  After the dumpster fire of a recording that was the original recording of Kim & Kara's conversation, they decided to scrap it and try again. Behold. Chapter 34, take 2. Thanks to SGTC listeners, the ladies were made aware of Snoop Dogg's sel...

Kim and Kara talk about ambiguous grief with Heather Straughter and the ways grief and trauma are so intimately cooccurring.  Heather Straughter (said like “daughter”), was a Special Education Inclusion teacher in Roxbury, Massachusetts for nearly 10 years before moving to Saratoga Springs, NY with her husband Brian and growing family. Her first child Ethan was born in 2005 and her second Jake was...

If covering as many topics in one episode as possible were an Olympic sport, Kim and Kara would be taking home the gold. This week, the ladies offer a broad range (not surprising) including the Olympics, updated title IX regulations, Eminem's new album, hyper fixation hobbies, and the concept of "trad wives".  Kim and Kara discuss their experiences watching the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, seein...

This week on the pod Kim and Kara talk to personal safety expert James Hamilton, about protection, intuition, and living with courage.  James Hamilton is a nationally recognized personal security expert and former FBI Supervisory Special Agent. For more than 30 years, he has been a protector, trainer, and advisor to the nation’s most at-risk individuals. He has real, practical, and unparalleled ex...

Kara and Kim discuss the concept of "masking" and how it relates to trauma and personal experiences. They share their own experiences of feeling the need to mask in certain situations and the impact it has on their mental and emotional well-being. They also come back to the topic of forgiveness and how it is not a condition of faith or healing, but rather a result of it. The lede gets buried, but...

In this episode, Kim and Kara talk to Cheyenne Wilson, the woman behind We Are the Evidence Instagram and author of the newly published " We Are the Evidence - A Handbook for Finding Your Way After Sexual Assault."  They discuss the importance of feeling seen and heard as a survivor and the need for accessible resources. Cheyenne shares her journey of writing and publishing her book, and the contr...

Get ready, things are about to get spicy. Kim & Kara are squarely perched upon their soapboxes discussing spicy topics like forgiveness, religion, toxic positivity, and purity culture. A national survey in which 63% of cases established paternity, 70% of children born to teen mothers were fathered by men over the age of 20. ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9099568/ ) Stuff Mom Never Told You:...

In this conversation, Kim and Kara interview Veronica Cisneros, a licensed marriage and family therapist and host of the Empowered and Unapologetic podcast . Veronica shares her story of growing up with a father addicted to heroin and alcohol, and how her adverse experience inspired her to become a therapist. They discuss the importance of challenging women outside of their comfort zones and empow...

What Tour? K&K are back discussing Eminem , their admiration for the Paris Hilton renaissance ,  the upcoming anniversary of Kara's kidnapping, and the support they've received from their captive audience. Diving straight into the deep pool of dark humor, Kara prepares to launch new merch following a series of unhinged texts from Kim, kicked off by this early 2000's Nike ad . Consent conversat...

Welcome back to season two of Survivor's Guide to True Crime! Catch up on the past few months with Kim & Kara and get a feel for the updated show format.  _________ Join Kim and Kara's "Captive Audience" by visiting    https://www.patreon.com/SGTC .     Like what we're doing here? Be sure to subscribe, rate, review. The more people this show can reach, the more it can help.  https://www.surviv...

Kim & Kara drop a bonus update episode to kick off 2024. Kara's almost done with growing her tiny human, Kim launched her online merch shop, and aligning our language to reflect our emotions is carrying us into our second year of SGTC. A special thank you to everyone who has been listening, interacting, sharing, and supporting us throughout our first year of this passion project we call Surviv...

It's our last episode of season 1! We will announce our season 2 date soon, but rest assured we will still be doing minisodes and having fun on Patreon during our break.  Kim and Kara catch up in the midst of travel and Kara shares what she's having! Much to Kim's chagrin, it is NOT a velociraptor.  Today's guest is forensic nurse Shaun Johnson. In an SGTC first, you all had the opportunity to sub...

This year, during the world’s largest podcasting conference, a group of survivors and independent producers will be taking the stage with a panel titled, “ True Crime Podcasts That Help Not Hurt: How to Produce True Crime Ethically.” Their goal is to start a conversation about changing the way we approach, produce, and commodify these dramatic stories.  Ahead of their live Podcast Movement panel,...

Kim talks with Kara in real-time to process and dissect her experience with her attacker's recent parole hearing. Kim also plays the recordings of her and Michael's testimonies to the parole board for the first time as Kara reacts.   "I am the best-case scenario, and it's still this hard for me. And that needs to change." Join Kim and Kara's "Captive Audience" by visiting    https://www.patreon.co...

This episode discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. Some listeners may find this disturbing. If you or someone you know is contemplating self-harm, please, contact your physician, go to your local ER, or call the suicide prevention hotline in your country. For the United States, the numbers are as follows: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255), or message the Crisis Tex...

Is it cake or is it trauma? Starting out our return from the almost-dead with some talk about Kim's obsessive personality, Taylor Swift, Kara's grumpy cat tendencies, and those magical, healing moments you experience in life. Our guest this week is Lauren Weingarten, the founder of MTMV (Me Too Many Voices Community). Lauren joins Kara and Kim to talk about her experience making community in the a...

Summer Forlenza LMFT joins Kim & Kara as an expert guest. Talking about trauma-informed mental health, Summer sheds light on popular therapeutic approaches used for survivors and their support persons.  Summer Forlenza helps people to heal from trauma and to support the survivors in their lives so that we can build a world with more compassion, connection, and joy.  She does this through her w...