Trauma Bond with Theresa Bateman

Gemini season may be dunzo, but we got a breath of fresh air (sign) coming through your speakers because Claire Luisa is in the house. In between bites of butter, this Trader Joe's bag lady breaks down the emotional toll of working at Disney World on 9/11, being a gay for guns, and the trench warfare of acting. Come for Claire's goofiness, and you'll fall in love with her expansive understanding o...

Gimme, gimme, gimme, an episode with Emily Draznik. In this jam packed dish session the star of our hearts chats with Theresa about all the niche drama of Los Angeles, holiday season birthday trauma, and going head to head with Katy Perry in a trivia contest about…Katy Perry. We were lucky enough to pull this beloved scene girl off the dance floor and into the studio just for y'all. Engage and enj...

Come one, come all to this entrancing episode featuring the impeccable DJ Mausner. Together, DJ and Theresa swim laps in the sea of movie studio cannibals, intersectionality of trans aliens, and how it feels to get a binder on the same day as your dads death certificate. Interested in tactics to thrive, not just survive? This one's for you.  D.J. Mausner is a standup, sketch, and improv comedian k...

Esteemed writer and former meme creator Amanda-Faye Jimenez is on the pod to unpack all things queer aging. The stories start coming and they don't stop coming. What's it like to raw dog reality without medication? Or think that a sad Carl's Jr tattoo is a good idea? Curious about context? Then tune in now! Amanda-Faye Jimenez is a writer and comedic performer born and raised in Los Angeles. She i...

With breath so bated, we lovingly present our episode with pod royalty himself, Steven Ray Morris! With his tender reflections, he guides Theresa through the end of the grindcore mindset, making plans as an adult, covid move ins, breakups, and the terror of our healthcare system. This one is for all those who are gentle hearted. Steven Ray Morris is a Los Angeles-based podcast producer (formerly O...

Heeey Trauma Bonders - tune in for a special announcement that our episode cadence will officially be switching to biweekly! We gotta keep up this good quality and not burn out but we'll be back to weekly as soon as we're able. Stay tuned! And tune in for next week's very special guest. Some might say they're...Podcast royalty :)  We also wanna hear from you! Email us at traumabondpodpod@gmail.com...

As far back as we can remember, we always wanted Kari Dramé on the pod. In this explorative episode Theresa and Kari sit at the intersection of glimmers and triggers—diving into Philadelphia, first lesbian heartbreaks, and imagination as a radical act. So sip on some mugwort tea (or original recipe 4loko) and keep your journal handy, because class is in session.   Kari Dramé is a shooting star who...

123 focus on this episode because producer Ali Giordani steps up to the mic. Together, Theresa and Ali commiserate on what it means to grieve best friends, the need for ugliness, and the joy of curating lives worth living. Ali Giordani is a film programmer and writer based in Los Angeles. Their passions include loud music, slow cinema, and gossiping. She co-produces Trauma Bond with Theresa Batema...

How whacky and wise can one guy be? On this episode, Pete Zias drops in to tell Theresa some of the wildest anecdotes in pod history. From driving around with a baby monitor to calling in bomb threats to school dances, Pete leaves no stone unturned in his divine quest for revenge.    Pete Zias is an alum of and regular performer at The Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles. He performed his solo show...

This one is for the ADHD girlies! This week, Theresa sits down with LA based actor, dancer, writer, producer and community organizer Leonora Pitts to talk responding to texts in your head, the art that shaped them, the beauty of their dance community, and the ADHD rabbit hole of wanting an answer to a simple question, but somehow landing on an anti glyphosate campaign as you creep on Ryan Cabrera'...

The boy is back in town! This week our inaugural guest Tolliver returns for some truly unhinged gossiping. Did you know RuPaul watched someone drown? What about a piping hot take on Sinners ? Or curious about what it's like to see sex on screen way too young and a little thing called being "bricked up in the living room"? This is the episode for you!   Tolliver is an LA based funk singer, journali...

Do all roads lead back to stand up? Or is there a path that will take us to a peaceful village with Totoro? This week comedian and known communist Brodie Reed ponders being the strongest personality at the party, how to process trauma artistically, and whether it's normal to never see your parents kiss. Brodie Reed is an LA based comedian, writer, actor, filmmaker and sword enthusiast. He wrote an...

This week, Theresa sits down with stand up comedian, improvisor, writer and actor Pallavi Gunalan to talk the world of stand up comedy, mental health, animal rescue, what it was like to grow up as one of very few brown girls in a sea of white mormons, and a very important message... #NotAllComedians. Tune in and laugh with us, it's real nonstop giggles on this one. Pallavi Gunalan is a stand-up co...

This week, Theresa sits down with LA based writer, performer, and psychotherapist Lena Morgana to discuss their pre-covid time in the LA Stand up comedy scene, how Covid has changed us, why it's ok to bully cis gay men, and the real way to measure life and time: by the amount of existential crises you've had since you last saw each other.  Lena Morgana is a writer, performer, and psychotherapist r...

Tune out all noise that doesn't come from your body, because we have the Arrowyn Ambrose in the house today. The lessons gleaned from our conversation with this purveyor of healing overflow throughout - from reclamation of self after trauma, creating practices with death, and whether it's worth it to buy off brand Heated Rivalry merch. An episode meant for all the animals looking for a home, we ho...

This week Theresa is joined by LA based comedian, writer and host of the V Single podcast, Alison Stevenson. They talk Heated Rivalry, the world of stand up comedy and what it's like to get an "aww" instead of a laugh, the toll the superstition of the evil eye took on Alison's mental health, and how the words fat and ugly are NOT synonyms.  Alison hosts the weekly LA comedy show Loose at Nico's Ba...

Follow comedian and writer Ashley Ray as she takes Theresa through a labyrinth of bisexual cliches, the ethics of canceling Italians, and when the stranger you find on tinder is just a bit too strange. While we omitted some gossip that was for our ears only, trust us - there's plenty left for you. Ashley Ray is a comedian and writer based in LA. You may have seen her stand up on Cracked or HBOmax,...

This week, Theresa is joined by nonbinary, queer, black performer & astrologer Camirin Farmer for a much needed talk on the current state of this country, the process of birthing a new world, reminders to slow down, reflections on the cycle of life, how we cannot separate ourselves from nature and a little thing called The Color Purple Breakfast.    Camirin Farmer is a nonbinary, queer, black perf...

This week join Theresa as she sits down with comedian, writer, stylist and interior designer Caitlin Ackerman. Together they take a journey through the highs and lows of their years in the stand up scene, sex, gender roles, and why people texting you feels like being hunted for sport.  Caitlin Ackerman is a West Coast Girlina, born and raised, a lifelong artist, actor and writer, now branching int...

In this week's episode, Theresa sits down with comedian Cara Connors to discuss their feeling on cybertrucks, why straight people should be arrested for the way they light a room, the art of telling dark jokes and some of the gorgeously inappropriate media their parents let them consume as children.  Cara Connors is a comedian, actor, and writer originally from Chicago. Her debut stand-up comedy s...

In the first episode of 2026, Theresa sits down with comedian, actor, dancer, and soup enthusiast Erin Lampart. They cover a LOT of ground here as they wade through the difficulties of experiencing so much death at such young ages, dating LA actors, the perfect way to enact revenge on men who have ghosted you, the beauty of the LA dance community, and how no one rallies quite like the comedy commu...

On this week's episode, Theresa sits down with multi-hyphenate actor, playwright, writer and clown Orin Calcagne. This discussion is a truly wild ride along a range of topics including the toxicity of Coporate Gays, how Orin almost ended it all over a rejection from NYU, cyber bullying, and whether or not ADHD is technically real.   Orin is a playwright and actor. His first play "A Finger Pointing...

In this episode writer Alex Torres divulges his indulgent strategies of handling the grief he's encountered. Theresa follows him through a maze of Berlin kink clubs, mismatched lovers, and literary praxis to uncover how he nurtures a life of joyful satire. Alex Torres (@alex.g.torres) is an LA-based writer. He co-hosts the podcast Gay, Interrupted with his gay bestie, Davis Benz.   Content Warning...

Join Theresa as she explores the rich tapestry of Brent Peter's life. From his experience as a teen in a doomsday cult to the sublime moment of accepting his gayness while half drunk on sacramental wine, this episode is for all those perpetually curious.

This week Theresa sits down with Rachel Lindemann, whose friendship was forged on the dance floor. Tune in as these divas discuss crying at Magic Castle, encountering a Stanley Tucci lookalike in a psych ward, how to have the most fun, dating comedians, and way more!