PODCAST · health
The Shadow Sessions
by Hiba Balfaqih
The Shadow Sessions is hosted by Hiba Balfaqih, an unconventional psychologist and trauma alchemist. We explore the stories that most people bury—particularly those tied to shame, trauma, and identity. Our goal is to shed light on the hidden corners of human experience, allowing listeners to hear stories that challenge societal norms and spark deep,introspective conversations.
Episodes
-
She Escaped ISIS. Then Lost Her Son.
How does someone go from escaping an abusive relationship to joining an extremist organization just six weeks later? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Tareena, the first British woman convicted of joining ISIS. After growing up around domestic violence and later...
-
"Our Lavender Marriage"
Martin is gay. Brandi is straight. They’re married, raising a daughter together, and neither of them is planning to leave. Their relationship has attracted plenty of opinions. Some believe their marriage must be fake. Others assume one of them is sacrificing, settling, or secretly unhappy. Martin...
-
"I am A Psychopath"
What if manipulation doesn’t feel like manipulation? What if it feels like you’ve finally met someone who understands you? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih sits down with Lewis Raymond Taylor, who has spoken publicly about being diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder,...
-
Why Your Mind Shuts Down To Survive
What happens psychologically when the people meant to protect you become the ones taking away your choices? In this episode of The Notebook, Hiba Balfaqih reflects on her conversation with Rubie, who was just 15 years old when her family took her to another country and forced her into a marriage...
-
Every 7 Seconds this Happens To A Girl
What happens when the people who love you believe that harming you is an act of protection? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Hoda, who was seven years old when her family celebrated what she believed was a special occasion. Instead, she was subjected to female...
-
"I Saw Who Killed My Mom at 3 Years Old"
What happens when the first truth you ever tell is the one no one believes? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Jade, who was just three years old when her mother was murdered. In the immediate aftermath, Jade told investigators what she had witnessed. But because of...
-
My Husband Raped Me
Leaving an abusive relationship is rarely as simple as walking away. Sometimes the forces keeping someone trapped aren't fear alone—they're love, loyalty, children, and the hope of protecting the family they never had. In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Kathleen,...
-
He Could Kill Her So Why Did She Stay?
Some conversations don't end when the cameras stop rolling—they deserve to be unpacked. In this episode of The Notebook, Hiba Balfaqih reflects on her conversation with Annesa and explores the psychological patterns that emerged throughout the interview. Drawing from her expertise in human…
more -
Phycologist Answers Your Questions
In this special Q&A episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih answers listener questions covering a wide range of topics. Rather than offering quick answers, Hiba approaches each question with curiosity, compassion, and psychological insight, helping listeners see their situations and the...
-
The Abuser Was Never A Stranger
We've spent generations teaching children to fear strangers. But the evidence tells a different story. In this special reflection episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih revisits the stories of Aziza, Seth, Jazmine, and Sonny—four survivors whose experiences expose one of the most dangerous...
-
The Most Shocking Moments - Part 2
Some moments stay with you long after the conversation ends. In this special episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih revisits some of the most powerful and unforgettable moments from the series so far—stories of survival, betrayal, identity, trauma, accountability, and transformation. Part...
-
The Most Shocking Moments
Some moments stay with you long after the conversation ends. In this special episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih revisits some of the most powerful and unforgettable moments from the series so far—stories of survival, betrayal, identity, trauma, accountability, and transformation. Part...
-
When Your Mother Is The Danger
Some conversations don't end when the cameras stop rolling—they deserve to be unpacked. In this episode of The Notebook, Hiba Balfaqih reflects on her conversation with Jazmine and explores the psychological patterns that emerged throughout the interview. Drawing from her expertise in human...
-
The Story Her Kidnapper Never Wanted Told
How do you respond when your life changes in a matter of seconds? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Allison Smith, whose ordinary trip to a convenience store became a fight for survival when an armed woman hijacked her car. In those terrifying moments, Allison...
-
What Epestein Did To Her Mind
Some conversations don't end when the cameras stop rolling—they deserve to be unpacked. In this episode of The Notebook, Hiba Balfaqih reflects on her conversation with Jena-Lisa Jones, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein, and explores the psychological patterns that emerged throughout the interview....
-
The Truth Behind Being A Sex Worker
What happens when the beliefs you're raised with become the source of your deepest wounds? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Veronica Monet, who was born into a religious cult where isolation, control, and abuse were justified through faith. After escaping…
more -
My Family Was America's Most Dangerous Cult
What happens when the person who teaches you right from wrong is later revealed to be responsible for unimaginable violence? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Anna, who was raised in a polygamous cult led by her father—a man who was later convicted of multiple...
-
I Killed My Abuser
What happens when the people meant to protect you never do? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with David, who spent years growing up in an environment shaped by fear, control, and abuse. When systems that are supposed to intervene fail, trauma does not simply…
more -
How A 16 Years Old Robbed A Bank
We love stories about bank robbers. The masks. The getaway cars. The thrill of the chase. Popular culture often turns them into anti‑heroes—rebels who live outside the rules. But what happens when the robbery isn’t really about the money? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih…
more -
America's Most Hated
We often imagine hate as something obvious—loud, ignorant, easy to recognize. But radicalization rarely begins that way. It begins with belonging. With anger that feels like purpose. With identity built around opposition. In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Arno, a...
-
The Untold Reality of Undercover Operations
We’re taught to see law enforcement as strength—authority, control, protection. But what does it cost to live in danger every day? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Jennifer, a former Virginia State Trooper who worked undercover in high‑risk environments before...
-
The Wheelchair Doesn't Stop Me
Violence doesn’t always end a life. Sometimes it changes it completely. In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Wesley, whose life split into before and after a single moment of violence left him paralyzed with a spinal cord injury. But this conversation goes beyond the...
-
The Judge Said It Was The Worst He'd Ever seen
We’re taught adoption is a second chance—a safer home, a new beginning. But what happens when the place meant to protect becomes the source of harm? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Christopher, who was adopted along with his siblings into a home trusted by the...
-
When The Monster was Family
Most people imagine abuse as something that happens in dark, distant places. But in reality, it often happens at home—by someone the child knows, someone the family trusts. In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Tracey, whose life changed the moment her daughter spoke…
more -
Sold At 4 For Drug Money by her Mother
We grow up with a core belief: a mother is safety, protection, and home. But what happens when that foundation breaks? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Jazmine, who survived profound abuse within her own home—where harm was not hidden, but normalized, and the…
more -
Sentenced to Life at Just 13 Years Old
What kind of system gives a child a life sentence? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Ian, who at just thirteen years old was tried as an adult for a non‑homicide offense and sentenced to life in prison. This conversation goes beyond one case. It examines the...
-
Human Trafficking Survivor Speaks Out
We often talk about war in terms of soldiers, politics, and strategy. But conflict creates another reality—one where systems collapse, laws disappear, and exploitation thrives in the chaos. In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Lurata, who was trafficked during…
more -
“I Was A Jihadi Spy”
What creates a terrorist? Not the headline, the attack, or the manifesto. Before violence, there is always a story. In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Mubin Sheikh, a former Islamist extremist who later became a counter‑terrorism expert working to prevent...
-
"I Jumped From A Burning Plane…"
We love stories about survival—the miracle, the comeback, the headline. But we rarely talk about what survival actually costs. In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Jamie, who survived a devastating plane crash that left 63% of his body burned and doctors giving him…
more -
What Started On Tinder Ended In Terror
We raise girls on fairy tales—Prince Charming, fast love, and the promise of forever. They’re taught to be chosen, to be patient, to make relationships work. But what we rarely talk about is how these stories can shape what women learn to tolerate. In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba...
-
Epstein’s Survivor: Jena-Lisa Jones Reveals All
Abuse doesn’t always hide in dark corners. Sometimes it lives in mansions, on private jets, and behind the reputations of powerful people. In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Jena‑Lisa Jones, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein who was drawn into a system of grooming and...
-
She Was 15: A Woman’s Reality of Forced Child Marriage
What if your family told you you were going on vacation… And instead, you were married off? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Rubie, who was just 15 years old when her family took her to another country and left her there as the wife of a man she had never chosen....
-
Joe DiMeo on Living After 80% Burns and the World’s First Face & Double Hand Transplant
We live in a world obsessed with appearance. We chase beauty, filters, and familiarity — often tying confidence to what we see in the mirror. But what happens when the mirror no longer shows the face you remember? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Joe DiMeo, who...
-
Boys Can Be Victims Too: The Silence Around Male Sexual Abuse
When we hear the word abuse, many people picture a girl. Culturally, harm is often associated with her fear and her silence. But what happens when the victim is a boy — and no one knows how to see it? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Seth, a veteran, speaker, and...
-
When Anger Explodes: The Hidden Psychology Behind Losing Control
We all carry anger. Some swallow it. Some hide it behind success, silence, or survival. But what happens when it erupts? When pain becomes pressure, and pressure becomes action? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Jonathan Mendez, whose life changed after a violent...
-
From Prison to MMA Legend: The Making of Frank Shamrock
We’re taught to fight for what we want—to toughen up and push through. But what happens when fighting is all you’ve ever known? When childhood teaches you that pain is love, violence is normal, and power equals survival? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Frank...
-
The Sin Of Being a Girl: Surviving Honor-Based Violence
What if your biggest sin is being born a girl? What happens when violence is justified as tradition and silence is enforced as honor? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Nina Aouilk, a survivor of honor‑based violence who grew up in a system where abuse was…
more -
After the Collapse: Bankruptcy, Identity Loss and Building Again
Not all shadows look like darkness. Some look like ambition. Some look like discipline, perseverance, and the pressure to hold everything together while quietly falling apart. In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Amber Duncan, who went from success as it’s culturally...
-
Hacker & Identity James Linton
We’re taught to imagine hackers as men in hoodies—isolated, brilliant, dangerous. But what if the real story isn’t about code or breaches at all? What if it’s about psychology? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with a man who infiltrated some of the most powerful…
more -
Mikey, The Death Doula
Not all shadows are dark. Some are quiet. Some are tender. Some ask us to slow down and sit with the one certainty we spend our lives trying to outrun. In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, host Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Mikey, a death doula who supports people at the end of life—helping them…
more -
A Childhood Without Safety: Growing Up Inside the Prison System
What happens when a child grows up without safety—and the system responds with punishment instead of protection? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, host Hiba Balfaqih sits down with Sonny Van Cleaveland, whose life was shaped by incarceration before it was shaped by care. By the age of…
more -
The Secret She Carried for Decades: Her Father Was the Father of Her Children
We teach kids to avoid strangers. To trust their gut. To believe home means safety. But what if home was the danger? In this first episode of The Shadow Sessions, host Hiba Balfaqih sits down with Aziza Kibibi — a survivor whose story of incest, betrayal, and survival shatters the illusion of...
-
We All Have Something We Are Hiding
The Shadow Sessions is a podcast for the stories we hide, the ones too painful, too early, or too private to ever make it to therapy. Hosted by psychologist and trauma alchemist Hiba Balfaqih, each episode sits with the truths people were never given permission to speak. From survivors of abuse…
more
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Shadow Sessions is hosted by Hiba Balfaqih, an unconventional psychologist and trauma alchemist. We explore the stories that most people bury—particularly those tied to shame, trauma, and identity. Our goal is to shed light on the hidden corners of human experience, allowing listeners to hear stories that challenge societal norms and spark deep,introspective conversations.
HOSTED BY
Hiba Balfaqih
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Shadow Sessions have?
The Shadow Sessions currently has 43 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Shadow Sessions about?
The Shadow Sessions is hosted by Hiba Balfaqih, an unconventional psychologist and trauma alchemist. We explore the stories that most people bury—particularly those tied to shame, trauma, and identity. Our goal is to shed light on the hidden corners of human experience, allowing listeners to hear...
How often does The Shadow Sessions release new episodes?
The Shadow Sessions has 43 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Shadow Sessions?
You can listen to The Shadow Sessions on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Shadow Sessions?
The Shadow Sessions is created and hosted by Hiba Balfaqih.
URL copied to clipboard!