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The Hardcore Therapist

Sarah

Who is the Hardcore Therapist?

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24 episodes
a few times a week
Avg 50 min
English

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Episodes 24

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Yesterday · 1 hr 22 min
The Hardcore Therapist 157- Jonah Matranga (Far, onelinedrawing,New End Original and Gratitude)
Send us Fan Mail A lot of people first discovered Jonah through Far, particularly records like Tin Cans With Strings to You and Water & Solutions, but Jonah's creative life has never really fit neatly into one band or one genre. Jonah went on to make deeply personal music as onelinedrawing, fronted New End Original and Gratitude, and has spent decades building a career around vulnerability, experimentation, and an incredibly DIY relationship with the people who connect with Their work. What has always stood out to me about Jonah’s music is how emotionally direct it is. There is very little hiding behind the performance. Whether the songs are loud or stripped down, there is this willingness to talk about loneliness, love, identity, fear, connection, and all the complicated stuff that comes with being a human being. Support the show
Wednesday · 23 min
The Hardcore Therapist 156.5- Intentional Isn’t Enough: Who Are You When You’re Triggered?
Send us Fan Mail What does it actually mean to be intentional in a relationship? In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I break down the difference between having good intentions and actually changing your behavior when you’re triggered, defensive, hurt, or overwhelmed. We’ll talk about Wise Mind, values, nervous-system reactions, people-pleasing, control, boundaries, and the gap between intention and impact. I’ll also share a simple framework—Intention. Action. Impact.—to help you turn insight into something your partner can actually experience. Because wanting to communicate better isn’t the same as knowing what to do in the moment. Relationship insight matters. But insight without behavior change can keep you stuck. Support the show
September 25 · 1 hr 8 min
The Hardcore Therapist 156- Jessica Tierney (INKED and XSisterhoodX)
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I sit down with Jessica Tierney to talk about growing up in Detroit, navigating autoimmune disease, and the tenacity it takes to keep moving forward when life and health do not go as planned. We also discuss her involvement with xSisterhoodx, her connection to the straight edge community, and her journey into entrepreneurship with Inked, her new tech company serving the property management industry. This conversation is about resilience, reinvention, community, and building something meaningful from the experiences that shape us. Support the show
September 23 · 27 min
The Hardcore Therapist 155.5- HOW TO SERVE YOUR PARTNER WITHOUT LOSING YOURSELF
Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to serve your partner without abandoning yourself in the process? In this episode, I talk about the difference between loving, supporting, and showing up for your partner—and overfunctioning, people-pleasing, or sacrificing your own needs to keep the relationship stable. We’ll look at how to give from a place of choice instead of fear, communicate your needs without guilt, and create a relationship where care goes both ways. Healthy partnership isn’t about losing yourself in service to someone else. It’s about choosing each other without disappearing. Support the show
September 18 · 1 hr 30 min
The Hardcore Therapist 155- Kevin Doss (Downcast)
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I talk with Kevin Doss, best known as the voice of the legendary hardcore band Downcast. Kevin shares about hardcore, purpose, intensity, community, and what it means to carry that same heart into a life of service as a firefighter and paramedic in Los Angeles. We talk about the emotional power of music, the connection between hardcore and helping others in crisis, and how trauma, resilience, responsibility, and compassion can all live in the same story. This conversation is about more than music. It is about what shapes us, what grounds us, and how a life built around intensity can also become a life rooted in care, survival, and service. Support the show
September 16 · 25 min
The Hardcore Therapist 154.5- Why Do We Confuse Intensity With Intimacy?
Send us Fan Mail Why do some relationships feel impossible to stop thinking about—even when they leave you anxious, confused, or constantly wondering where you stand? In this episode, we unpack the difference between intensity and intimacy and explore why uncertainty, chemistry, longing, and emotional highs and lows can feel so compelling. You’ll learn why being consumed by someone doesn’t necessarily mean you’re deeply connected, what real intimacy actually looks like, and how to tell whether a relationship is built on trust, consistency, and responsiveness—or on the thrill of the chase. If you’ve ever mistaken butterflies for compatibility or wondered why healthy relationships can sometimes feel “too quiet,” this episode will give you a new way to look at connection. Support the show
September 11 · 1 hr 23 min
The Hardcore Therapist 154- Matt Fisher (Contact)
Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by Matt Fisher, vocalist of Contact, a Richmond hardcore band whose music confronts empire, xenophobia, nationalism, consumerism, and the false gods that shape modern life. Contact’s sound is urgent and confrontational, but there is also a spiritual and introspective depth to what they do a belief that hardcore can still be a real-life community in an increasingly disconnected world. Matt is also a pastor, spiritual director, Enneagram coach, and co-host of the Stay Curious podcast. I’m excited to talk with him about hardcore, faith, anger, spiritual direction, emotional honesty, and what it means to stay human in a world that constantly pulls us away from ourselves and each other. Support the show
September 9 · 28 min
The Hardcore Therapist 153.5- When trauma and kink overlap, what are we actually looking at?
Send us Fan Mail Trigger Notice: This episode includes discussion of childhood sexual abuse, sexual trauma, kink, and trauma-related sexual responses. When trauma and kink overlap, what are we actually looking at? In this episode, I dig into the research, the nervous system, consent, repetition, agency, and the difference between trauma reenactment and consensual sexual exploration. This is not about pathologizing kink or reducing someone’s sexuality to what happened to them. It’s about asking better questions—with nuance, sensitivity, and room for complexity. Support the show
September 4 · 1 hr 18 min
The Hardcore Therapist 153- Daryl Taberski (Snapcase)
Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by Daryl Taberski, vocalist of the legendary Buffalo hardcore band Snapcase. Snapcase helped shape the sound and evolution of 90s hardcore with records like Progression Through Unlearning, Designs for Automotion, and End Transmission, bringing together intensity, precision, emotion, and a willingness to push beyond the expected boundaries of the genre. But Daryl’s work didn’t stop with music. He is also a clinical counselor and social worker with years of experience in the mental health field, which gives him a rare perspective on hardcore, emotional expression, identity, healing, and what it means to keep evolving as a person. Support the show
September 2 · 26 min
The Hardcore 152.5- Money, Power, and Trust in Relationships
Send us Fan Mail Money fights are rarely just about money. In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I explore how money can become connected to trust, safety, freedom, resentment, power, and control in relationships. I talk about financial intimacy, financial infidelity, differing money stories, rebuilding trust, and how couples can communicate without turning each other into the problem. Because the real question isn’t just how you manage money—it’s whether you’re building a life together. Support the show
August 28 · 1 hr 3 min
The Hardcore Therapist 152- Jame McElroy (Two Crow Collective)
Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by Jame McElroy, the owner and creator behind Two Crow Collective, a small-batch clothing company rooted in punk culture, storytelling, and advocacy. Two Crow started from Jame’s background in screen-printing, music, and DIY creativity, and has grown into a brand that raises awareness around chronic illness, mental health challenges, and disabilities. I’m excited to talk with Jame about punk, creativity, building something meaningful from the ground up, mental health, chronic illness awareness, and why clothing can become more than merch it can become connection, identity, and a way for people to feel understood. https://twocrowcollective.com/ Support the show
August 26 · 27 min
The Hardcore Therapist 151.5- Are you staying together for the kids or are you unintentionally teaching them that love means staying unhappy?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I take on the complicated question of what happens when a marriage has emotionally ended, but the family structure stays intact because everyone is afraid of what separation might do to the children. Inspired by a listener’s situation, the conversation explores emotionally disconnected “roommate” marriages, financial dependence, outside relationships, co-parenting, and the difference between protecting children and keeping them inside an unhealthy emotional environment. The research is more nuanced than “divorce is bad” or “unhappy parents should leave.” What matters greatly is the emotional climate children are living in: conflict, withdrawal, emotional availability, stability, boundaries, and whether they are being pulled into adult problems. Sarah also looks at the harder questions: Are both people actually trying to repair the marriage? Are finances a genuine obstacle or a reason to avoid making a decision? If there is another relationship, what is everyone really consenting to? And most importantly, what are your children learning about love by watching you? This episode isn’t about telling anyone to stay or leave. It’s about honesty, responsibility, and creating the healthiest family system realistically available. Support the show
August 21 · 1 hr
The Hardcore Therapist 151- Davis Driver (What It Meant, Reflect, XfortuneX, and Life Force)
Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by Davis Driver, a Portland-based vegan straight edge hardcore vocalist and Bassist known for his work with What It Meant, Reflect, XfortuneX, and Life Force. Davis has been part of projects that carry forward the raw, urgent spirit of straight edge hardcore music rooted in conviction, community, resistance, and the reminder that straight edge still matters. I’m excited to talk with him about Portland hardcore, vegan straight edge, scene connection, mental health, and what it means to keep these values alive now. Support the show
August 19 · 33 min
The Hardcore Therapist 150.5- Two Half-Assed Relationships or Never Feeling Like Enough?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I explore polyamory, throuples, jealousy, attachment, boundaries, and the question underneath it all: Am I enough and am I actually getting enough? This isn’t about judging non-monogamy. It’s about what helps relationships work: honest communication, clear agreements, self-awareness, emotional regulation, and making sure everyone’s needs matter. Support the show
August 14 · 1 hr
The Hardcore Therapist 150- Joseph Thomas (There Were Wires)
Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by Joseph Thomas of There Were Wires, a band that came out of Boston’s chaotic hardcore and post-hardcore world, making music that holds intensity, atmosphere, and a lot of emotional weight. There Were Wires are returning with Vessel, their first new full-length in more than two decades, out through Iodine Recordings on June 26th. The record reflects a band coming back after years of life experience grief, exhaustion, persistence, trust, and the kind of heaviness that feels different when you are no longer writing from the same place you were when you were younger. What stands out to me is that this doesn’t feel like a band trying to recreate the past. It feels like people returning to music with more perspective, more restraint, and more room for the songs to breathe. Vessel was written and recorded over time, in a home studio, without the same pressure or deadlines that often shape records earlier in a band’s life. I’m excited to talk with Joseph about joining There Were Wires for this chapter, returning to heavy music after decades of life, the emotional weight of Vessel, and how creativity can become a way to process grief, fear, and change. Support the show
August 12 · 30 min
The Hardcore Therapist 149.5- Are You Co-Parenting or Asking Your New Marriage to Carry Your Old Family Conflict?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Hardcore Therapist, I’m talking about co-parenting after divorce, especially when a new marriage, stepchildren, former partners, guilt, resentment, and unresolved family conflict all become part of the same system. I break down the difference between healthy co-parenting and overfunctioning, why children should never become messengers between households, how to protect your current marriage without abandoning your kids, and why boundaries need follow-through—not just repeated explanations. We also look at when parallel parenting may be healthier than trying to force cooperation in a high-conflict relationship. The question underneath all of it is simple: Are you building the family you have now, or still organizing your life around the conflict from the family you had before? Support the show
August 7 · 1 hr 3 min
The Hardcore Therapist 149- Scott Crawford (Salad Days, Creem, Something Better Change Documentaries)
Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by Scott Crawford, a multi-talented filmmaker, musician, writer, and documentarian who directed Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC. A D.C. native who started the fanzine Metrozine as a teenager, Scott brings an insider’s perspective to the DIY spirit, community, and cultural force of the D.C. punk and hardcore scene, including bands like Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Government Issue, Rites of Spring, and Fugazi. Scott also directed CREEM: America’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll Magazine, which explores the influential Detroit publication’s impact on music journalism, rock criticism, and outsider culture. His newest documentary, Something Better Change, follows D.O.A. frontman Joe Keithley as he takes the politics of punk from the stage into public office. I’m really excited to talk with Scott about hardcore, storytelling, subculture, memory, politics, DIY ethics, and why documenting these scenes matters — not just historically, but emotionally. Support the show
August 5 · 27 min
The Hardcore Therapist 148.5- Are You Ready for Love or Just Ready to Be Chosen Again?
Send us Fan Mail After divorce, readiness for love is not measured only by time it is measured by whether you can enter a relationship without performing, self-silencing, or falling in love with someone’s potential. I explore how to recognize genuine readiness, evaluate present behavior, communicate needs without emotional begging, and choose a partner who wants the person you are now. Support the show
July 31 · 1 hr 11 min
The Hardcore Therapist 148- Ryan Smith (Rain the Shining)
Send us Fan Mail Today I’m joined by Ryan Smith, the musician behind Rain the Shining. Rain the Shining is Ryan’s Baltimore-based music project, blending guitar-driven indie rock with roots in hardcore and punk. His music carries that tension between reflection and resistance — songs about time, memory, disappointment, injustice, and trying to make something honest out of what life gives you. His album In a Haze of Younger Days looks at what it means to meet your younger self and sit with who you’ve become, and his newer single “Take a Seat” leans into a more direct protest energy. I’m really excited to talk with Ryan about hardcore, songwriting, mental health, creativity, and what it means to keep making art as life changes. Support the show
July 29 · 18 min
The Hardcore Therapist 147.5- For Lou Koller: When a Band Becomes Part of Your Story.
Send us Fan Mail In this tribute episode, I reflect on the death of Lou Koller of Sick of It All and what it means when a band becomes woven into the story of your life. I share memories of seeing Sick of It All throughout several decades in Detroit and explore how music can hold our grief, identity, community, and connection to younger versions of ourselves. This episode is about legacy, the emotional impact artists can have on people they never personally meet, and the importance of telling people what they mean to us while we still have the opportunity. Support the show

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