The Shadow Sessions
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
October 8, 2026 • 67 mins
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, as well as his experiences with severe childhood trauma, addiction, and the life he built afterward.
Lewis takes Hiba insi...
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October 1, 2026 • 10 mins
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 she had never chosen.
Hiba discusses the moments from Rubie’s story that stood out to her and offers her insights into the psychol...
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September 24, 2026 • 78 mins
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 genital mutilation (FGM)—a practice that would leave lifelong physical and psychological consequences.
This conversation goes be...
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September 20, 2026 • 74 mins
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 her age, her account was dismissed, leaving her to grow up carrying a truth that others refused to accept.
This conversation explo...
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September 12, 2026 • 56 mins
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, whose former husband was convicted in 2024 of rape and coercive control. After years of abuse, Kathleen waived her legal right t...
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September 3, 2026 • 11 mins
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 behavior and trauma, Hiba examines the psychology of love bombing, coercive control, and why intense relationships can so easily be...
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August 27, 2026 • 12 mins
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 patterns that shape their lives in a new light.
Whether you're looking for perspective, reassurance, or simply curious to hear the...
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August 20, 2026 • 17 mins
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 misconceptions about child sexual abuse: that the greatest threat comes from strangers.
Instead, these conversations reveal ...
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August 13, 2026 • 28 mins
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 two brings together voices that challenged the way we understand abuse, violence, incarceration, extremism, addiction, and th...
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August 5, 2026 • 21 mins
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 One brings together voices that challenged the way we understand abuse, violence, incarceration, extremism, addiction, and th...
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July 30, 2026 • 14 mins
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 behavior and trauma, Hiba examines the lasting effects of attachment trauma, the psychological impact of being harmed by the very perso...
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July 23, 2026 • 64 mins
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 experienced what so many trauma survivors describe: first freezing, then fawning, and ultimately finding the strength to fight back.
But sur...
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July 15, 2026 • 18 mins
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.
Drawing from her expertise in human behavior and trauma, Hiba examines how grooming operates, why powerful individuals are often pr...
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July 8, 2026 • 54 mins
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, addiction became a way to cope with the trauma she carried until she eventually found recovery.
But recovery didn't lead to the life others exp...
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July 1, 2026 • 57 mins
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 murders. As a child, she didn't see a cult. She saw family. The disappearances, the fear, and the secrecy were simply part of everyday ...
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June 24, 2026 • 61 mins
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 disappear—it adapts, accumulates, and leaves lasting psychological consequences.
This conversation is not about violence. It is about what c...
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June 17, 2026 • 55 mins
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 speaks with Alex, a former bank robber whose actions were driven by something deeper than financial gain. Beneath the crime was ...
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June 10, 2026 • 62 mins
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 former white nationalist skinhead who once lived at the center of extremist culture. He was the lead singer of a neo‑Nazi metal band...
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June 4, 2026 • 56 mins
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 joining the ATF. After 9/11, she was assigned to assist in the Pentagon investigation—working in conditions that would lat...
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May 27, 2026 • 52 mins
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 physical impact. It explores the psychological aftermath—depression, identity loss, and what it means to live in a body that...
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