Marionette Doll's
The Marionette Doll represents the delicate balance between control and surrender. This symbol mirrors the experience of those shaped by trauma and the process of reclaiming agency over one’s life.In childhood, the marionette can embody the feeling of being pulled by invisible strings of emotions, expectations, or circumstances beyond our control. Each string reflects an external influence: family, society, fear, or survival instincts that guided us before we could guide ourselves. The wooden frame, fragile yet enduring, symbolizes the resilience we carry even when we feel manipulated or voiceless.Yet, there is a beauty within the marionette, too. Wh...
I Just Don't Need To!
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In this episode, Sarah and Crystal break down what self-care actually looks like, why it’s so hard to maintain, and how burnout, guilt, and people-pleasing get in the way. They also dive into boundaries, why they’re uncomfortable, why people react to them, and why someone being upset doesn’t mean you’re wrong.
Sometimes the issue isn’t your boundary… It’s that someone lost access to you.
Helpful Resources
National Alliance on Mental IllnessMental health education, support groups, and a free helpline (call 800-950-6...
I Would Like to Speak to the Manager of Grief
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In this episode, Sarah and Crystal break down the psychology of grief, including the misunderstood “stages,” why emotions come in waves, and how loss can affect the mind, body, and relationships. They also explore how grief can show up differently within families and why tension can arise after loss.
Sarah shares her experience losing her mother to lung cancer that metastasized to the brain, and reflects on how grief changes over time. The episode closes with a personal letter to heaven.
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GriefShareCrisis Text Line – Text HOME<...Well That Hit Different
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One moment, you’re driving to work like any other morning. The next moment, your car is rolling down the highway, and everything changes.
In this episode, Sarah shares the story of the accident that caused her traumatic brain injury and the long recovery that followed. From the immediate aftermath of the crash to months of rehabilitation, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, neurofeedback, vision therapy, and more, this episode explores what traumatic brain injury really looks like beyond the moment of impact.
Sarah and Crystal also break do...
Spring Forward... Fall Apart
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We lose an hour every spring and gain one in the fall, but our biology doesn’t change as quickly as the clock. In this episode, Sarah and Crystal explore how daylight saving time affects circadian rhythms, hormonal timing, mood regulation, and cognitive performance. They discuss why even a one-hour shift can disrupt sleep architecture, increase irritability and fatigue, and temporarily affect decision-making and emotional regulation.
The conversation also touches on sleep disorders discussed in the DSM-5-TR, including insomnia, sleep apnea, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, hypersomnolence, and narcolepsy, while clarifying ho...
Cosmos in the Microwave… Again
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In this episode of Marionette Dolls, Sarah and Crystal take a deeper dive into why Mercury Retrograde feels so real — even if it isn’t physically affecting your phone, your plans, or your relationships.
We explore how the brain searches for patterns when life feels chaotic, why uncertainty can feel unsafe, and how belief systems can shape perception, communication, and behavior without us realizing it.
Sometimes the cosmos isn’t actually in the microwave…
But we might still feel overheated, overwhelmed, or out of sync.
Join us as we...
Pandora's Box: Breaking the Cycle
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⚠️ Content / Trigger Warning:
This episode contains discussion of childhood abuse, domestic violence, coercive control, racism, religious trauma, foster care involvement, and self-harm. Listener discretion is advised. Please take care of yourself while listening.
This week on Marionette Dolls, we are honored to share a powerful listener story: Pandora’s story.
In this deeply personal episode, we read Pandora’s experience in full before unpacking the psychological and neurological impact of growing up in an environment shaped by coercive control, religious manipulation, isolation, and abuse. We explore what happ...
Bloody Valentine
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⚠️ Content Warning:
This episode discusses intimate partner violence, coercive control, emotional abuse, and homicide. Please listen with care. If you need to pause or step away at any point, that is completely okay.
In this deeply psychological and compassionate episode of The Marionette Dolls, Sarah and Crystal explore the dark side of love in “Bloody Valentine.” This conversation examines how romance can slowly shift into control, how attachment can become possession, and how rejection can escalate into dangerous behavior.
Using real true-crime cases including Paul B...
Cupid has me in a chokehold
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⚠️ Content & Trigger Warning
This episode discusses domestic violence, intimate partner violence, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, coercive control, and trauma responses. No graphic details are used, but the topic itself may be heavy or activating. If at any point this feels overwhelming, it is completely okay to pause, step away, or skip this episode. Your well-being comes first.
In “Cupid Has Me in a Chokehold,” Sarah and Crystal take a deep, compassionate, and research-informed look at why domestic violence is so complex — and why leaving is often the...
Rizz'em with the Tism
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In this episode, we’re breaking down what autism really is, why it’s called a spectrum, and why it feels like “everyone is getting diagnosed now.” Spoiler alert: autism didn’t suddenly appear. Our understanding finally caught up.
Rizz’em with the Tism is about blending humor, education, and respect. We talk about how autism has always existed, how diagnostic criteria have evolved, and why awareness, better screening, and reduced stigma are changing the numbers. We explore the strengths that come with neurodivergence—deep focus, creativity, honesty, loyalty, and originality—while also honor...
In Awe of your Tism
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In today’s episode, we explore the beauty, challenges, and strengths of raising and loving children on the autism spectrum. We discuss real emotions, real struggles, and real hope. This conversation is meant to validate families who feel overwhelmed, unseen, or unsure where to turn next.
Whether you are a parent, caregiver, educator, or someone seeking to understand autism better, this episode serves as a reminder that community, education, and support change everything.
We cover:
What autism really looks like in everyday lifeBreaking stigma and misconceptionsEmotional burnout in ca...Therapy wasn't good enough...so here we are!
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Welcome to the very first episode of The Marionette Dolls. This is our introduction to who we are, why this podcast exists, and what we hope it becomes.
In this episode, you’ll meet your hosts, Sarah and Crystal, and hear the stories that shaped this space. From lived experience with trauma, recovery, military service, and mental health to academic and professional goals in psychology, this podcast was built on the belief that education is power. Not power over others, but power over our own understanding.
The Marionette Dolls is...
