Moon Zappa Found Peaceful Mental Health After a Childhood of Chaos

Content Warning: this episode discusses self-harm, anxiety and grief. Author and artist Moon Zappa became famous at age 14, doing a guest vocal on the hit song “Valley Girl” by her dad, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician Frank Zappa. It’s a fun song, what isn’t so fun is that the song came about from Moon’s desperate attempt to get some kind of attention and approval from her dad in what she says was a chaotic household. In this wide ranging interview, Moon talks about a mother prone to fits of rage, a father gone nine months out of the year and checked out when he was there, and a childhood of self-harm and desperate people pleasing. She also explains how as an adult she got some good therapy, learned to identify the root causes of her suffering, and gain a deep understanding not just of the events of a traumatic upbringing but how to grow and even thrive. Her memoir, Earth to Moon, is highly recommended by host Dr. Michelle K. Murray, President and CEO of Nexus Family Healing.