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...
Our ADHD Episode Is a Day Late. Anyways...
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Yes, our ADHD episode is a day late. We really did think we had time. 😅
This week on Marionette Dolls, Sarah and Crystal pull back the curtain on ADHD and what it can look like in everyday life. You know when you’re sure getting ready will take 15 minutes, then somehow 45 have passed, and you’re still looking for your keys? Or when you’ve thought about doing a five-minute task all day and still can’t get started? We talk about why those moments can be funny, frustrating, and hard to explain...
Witch, Please! It's Just Psychology
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This week on Marionette Dolls, Sarah and Crystal are pulling back the curtain on Halloween! 👻
We're diving into Halloween's origins, creepy folklore, haunted turnips (yes, seriously), and the psychology behind our obsession with fear. From ancient Celtic traditions and spooky superstitions to haunted-house research and the myths surrounding poisoned Halloween candy, we're separating fact from fiction.
We'll also explore what happens in your brain when you're scared, why some people LOVE horror movies, and whether getting scared together actually brings us closer.
So grab your fav...
Glitch in the Matrix: Between Spirits and Psychosis
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Throughout history, people have reported hearing voices, seeing visions, and experiencing realities that others couldn't perceive. Were they prophets, mediums, or experiencing something psychology is still working to understand?
In this episode, we explore schizophrenia, ghost stories, spiritual experiences, simulation theory, and the fascinating ways humans interpret reality.
What if the real question isn't whether ghosts exist... but how much of reality we're actually able to see?
🎙️ Have a story that challenged your understanding of reality? Send it to [email protected] for...
Psycho Babble: When Belief Becomes a Weapon
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How does one person gain enough influence to reshape another person’s identity, beliefs, and behavior?
In this episode of Psycho Babble, Sarah and Crystal examine Charles Manson, the formation of the Manson Family, and the psychological manipulation that contributed to the murders committed by members of the group. They explore how cults create a sense of belonging, isolate followers, reward obedience, discourage independent thought, and gradually turn influence into control.
The conversation also examines coercive control, cognitive dissonance, group conformity, personality traits, drug use, and the role LSD ma...
Glitch in the Matrix: Creatures We Haven't Proven Yet
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What if the things people keep seeing… aren’t just stories?
In this episode, we explore cryptozoology—the study of animals not yet proven by science—and why people across different places continue to report the same kinds of creatures. From Bigfoot to Skinwalkers, we examine the psychology behind these experiences, how perception shapes belief, and why some “myths” in history have proven real.
So, the question isn’t just do these creatures exist…
It’s why we keep seeing them.
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Psycho Babble: Where Safety Failed
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In this episode of Psycho Babble, Sarah and Crystal explore the psychology and systemic failures surrounding Jeffrey Dahmer. Focusing on control, awareness, and missed warning signs, this episode examines how proximity does not guarantee safety—and how institutions, perceptions, and biases can shape whether intervention occurs.
This is not a story about a monster.
It’s a story about what happens when warning signs are seen but not acted on.
Trigger Warning:
This episode discusses violence, trauma, and sensitive topics involving harm to others. Listener disc...
Glitch in the Matrix: The Version of You That Didn’t Make It
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Have you ever survived something that should have killed you?
A car crash you narrowly avoided.
A fall that somehow ended differently than it should have.
A moment where time seemed to slow… and you walked away alive.
In this episode of Glitch in the Matrix, we explore the unsettling theory of quantum mortality, the idea that every time we face death, reality may split into parallel timelines, and our consciousness continues in the version where we survive.
But if that’s true… what happens to the...
Psycho Babble: Where Fiction Got Its Face
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In the premiere episode of Psycho Babble, Sarah and Crystal explore the psychology behind Ed Gein, the man who unknowingly shaped the face of modern horror. Rather than focusing on shock value, this episode examines how identity collapse, isolation, attachment trauma, and untreated mental illness can fracture a person’s sense of reality.
Through the lenses of nature vs. nurture, Freud’s Oedipus Complex (and why it’s controversial today), and modern DSM-5 frameworks, the hosts unpack how psychology understands Gein’s behavior differently now than it did in the 1950s. The conv...
Quirkology: The Strange Habits Files
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https://marionettedolls.buzzsprout.com
Episode 1 – Season One: Before We Had the Language
In this episode, we go back to where it all began. Season One of My Strange Addiction introduced the world to behaviors that were framed as shocking, bizarre, and dangerous. But watching it through today’s lens, we see something very different: people trying to cope, connect, regulate, and survive in a world that didn’t yet have the language for what they were experiencing.
Together, we break down each case using modern psycho...
Backpacks Full of Big Feelings
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Back-to-school season brings more than new backpacks and fresh supplies; it can also bring big feelings for kids and parents alike.
Sarah and Crystal talk about first-day nerves, attachment and separation, fitting in, bullying, academic pressure, neurodivergence, IEPs and 504 plans, and the financial and emotional stress parents carry while trying to help their kids adjust.
🎒 A rough first day does not mean a rough year, and needing support does not mean anyone is failing.
Helpful Resources:
Back-to-School Tips: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gra...
Main Character Energy Side Quest Capacity
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Sarah and Crystal are back with a life update and podcast reset after missing two episodes. Sarah shares about grief, a new narcolepsy diagnosis, medication changes, chronic pain, and learning to pace herself while starting an intensive grad school season.
They also pull back the curtain on podcasting as a passion project: the costs, the behind-the-scenes work, Buzzsprout, subscriptions, and why having a podcast does not automatically mean making money.
It’s honest, funny, a little messy, and very human. Because sometimes you have main-character energy… but your body, budg...
Hey little mama, let me whisper in your ear...
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This week, Sarah and Crystal descend into the strange, whisper-filled world of ASMR. Why do some people drift off to sleep listening to tapping, page turning, and soft voices, while others feel irrational rage, discomfort, or the overwhelming urge to throw their headphones into the nearest wall?
We explore the history of ASMR, what researchers think is happening in the brain, the connection to relaxation and sleep, and why certain sounds and visuals can trigger fear, disgust, sensory overload, or even phobias. From misophonia and medical fears to trypophobia, personal space...
Not Free From PTSD
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Fireworks can represent celebration to one person and danger to another. Sarah and Crystal explain PTSD using the DSM-5-TR, explore how the brain reacts to trauma reminders, and discuss why fireworks may affect veterans, first responders, survivors of violence, people with sensory sensitivities, children, and animals.
They also share ways individuals, families, neighbors, and pet owners can prepare for the holiday with greater awareness and compassion.
Content note: This episode discusses PTSD, combat, gun violence, domestic violence, trauma, substance use, and suicide-prevention resources.
This...
Part One: The Flash Before the Forgetting
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What if the brain begins showing warning signs before memory loss becomes obvious?
Sarah and Crystal break down Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, mild cognitive impairment, EEG, and early screening in clear, everyday language. Sarah also shares her connection to the research as a student who has taken several classes with University of West Florida professor Dr. James Arruda and completed coursework related to FVEP-P2.
Dr. Arruda’s research studies how quickly the brain responds to flashes of light and whether that response could become one useful clue for detecting earl...
Dude, Where's My Father Figure?
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Fatherhood is often reduced to stereotypes the grill master, the provider, the guy who falls asleep in the recliner halfway through a movie. But behind those stereotypes are real people navigating responsibility, identity, mental health, relationships, and the lasting impact they have on the lives of their children.
In this Father's Day special, Sarah and Crystal explore the psychology of fatherhood, from the fathers who stayed to the fathers who were absent, the men breaking generational cycles, and the challenges many fathers carry silently. We discuss paternal mental health, emotional expression...
No Regerts: We Need to Talk About Steve
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Why do people get tattoos?
For some, they're works of art. For others, they're reminders of the people they've loved, the battles they've survived, or the identities they've built along the way. In this episode of Psycho Babble, Sarah and Crystal explore the fascinating psychology behind tattoos and why humans have been marking their bodies for thousands of years.
From ancient tattoo traditions and cultural identity to memorial tattoos, trauma recovery, self-expression, belonging, and even tattoo regret, we examine what tattoos can reveal about human behavior and the stories...
It's My Party and I'll Panic If I Want To
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Birthday's are supposed to be fun... right?
So why do so many people feel anxious, awkward, overwhelmed, guilty, lonely, or emotionally exhausted when their birthday comes around?
In this episode, Sarah and Crystal pull back the curtain on the psychology behind birthdays, gift-giving, social expectations, and the surprisingly complicated emotions tied to celebrations. From the history of birthday traditions to the anxiety of opening gifts in front of a crowd, they explore why a day meant to celebrate us can sometimes feel like a social performance.
Whether...
The Bad Kids Club: Defiant Until Proven Guilty
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Sarah and Crystal discuss childhood behavioral disorders, emotional dysregulation, ODD, Conduct Disorder, trauma, school systems, parenting stress, and the barriers families face trying to access mental healthcare for children.
This episode explores behavioral escalation, labeling, school discipline, trauma, evaluations, therapy access, and why early intervention matters before children fall through the cracks.
Resources & More Information
988 LifelineNAMIChild Mind InstituteAACAP — ODD in ChildrenConduct Disorder InformationEducational discussion only. Not a substitute for professional care.
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Oh, You Wanna Talk About Mothers!
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Motherhood is often described as magical but rarely honest.
In this Mother’s Day special, Sarah and Crystal talk about the realities people don’t prepare women for: pregnancy complications, labor trauma, postpartum depression, anxiety, rage, identity loss, feeding struggles, relationship changes, burnout, and the overwhelming pressure placed on mothers to survive all of it silently.
This episode discusses maternal mental health, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding pressure, formula stigma, invisible labor, and the psychological realities of becoming a parent.
You are not failing because motherhood is hard.
If...
Accidentally Successful
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What if the voice in your head telling you “you don’t belong here”… isn’t telling you the truth?
In this episode of The Marionette Dolls Podcast, we unpack imposter syndrome—what it actually feels like, where it comes from, and why it tends to show up the most in people who are capable but don’t feel like they are.
We talk about the internal narrative of “they’re going to find me out,” how background and lived experience shape self-perception, and why success can feel uncomfortable or even undeserved—e...
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.
Helpful Resources
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...
