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Shame Spiral

Shame Spiral

Ely Kreimendahl

A comedy podcast about shame- because no one roasts you harder than yourself! Each week, psychotherapist-turned-comedian Ely Kreimendahl exploits her therapy skills to talk all-things-shame with a new special guest. Every guest shares a core story of something that once made them spiral HARD, answers both silly and emotionally complicated questions, and even if these conversations are ACCIDENTALLY therapeutic, it's not therapy.... Ely goes ALL IN on sharing her shame, too. Does coming together to laugh at our shame and the often inherently comic absurdity of being human make it all easier to tolerate?! Listen in and see what you think. We'll laugh, we'll cry.... we'll SPIRAL.
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Top 10 Shame Spiral Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Shame Spiral episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Shame Spiral for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Shame Spiral episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

This week I spiraled out with novelist, essayist, and gorgeous person Leslie Jamison (Make It Scream, Make It Burn; The Empathy Exams.) We talked the terror of harming others, the complicated notion of art as therapeutic, and shame personified as a highly critical -and generously tattooed- male graduate student.
Plus, Leslie shares a brutal adolescent shame story about seeing her worst fears about herself embodied and then MEMORIALIZED in her high school yearbook.
Follow Leslie on Twitter @lsjamison and check her website lesliejamison.com, where you can learn more about the many incredible books she's written, and decide which you want to read FIRST (if you haven't devoured them all already, like I have.)
You can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok @elykreimendahl, and the pod on Twitter and Instagram @podshamespiral, where I'm regularly posting fun video clips of especially juicy or hilarious moments from the episodes.

Audio Engineer/Editor: Sarah Gabrielli (check out her amazing podcast about the last lesbian bars in America @cruisingpod on Instagram and TikTok and listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cruising-a-lesbian-bar-road-trip/id1585850925

Original Music: Shadwick Wilde, Instagram and Twitter: @shadwickwilde

Cover Art: Cassidy Kulhanek, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: @heavenlygrandpa

New episodes every Tuesday! Don't forget to subscribe, review and please leave those five shining stars!

twitter.com/podshamespiralinstagram.com/podshamespiral
instagram.com/elykreimendahl
tiktok.com/@elykreimendahl
twitter.com/elykreimendahl

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This week I spiraled out with wonderfully deep, refreshingly honest and truly hilarious writer, actor, comedian, musician AND podcaster Lane Moore! (Tinder Live, You Will Find Your People) We talked shame and relational trauma, the damage done by unrealistic and grossly prescriptive self-help books, dealing with the incessant self-critical DJ playing the worst songs over and over in your head, making art from pain, the struggle to believe there's nothing wrong with you, the difficulty of giving yourself the grace & compassion you freely give others, and SO MUCH MORE.
Check out Lane's incredible podcast I Thought It Was Just Me, available exclusively on Patreon ( https://www.patreon.com/lanemoore) and buy her freaking amazing and relatable books: How To Be Alone and You Will Find Your People: How To Make Meaningful Friendships As An Adult.
You can follow Lane on Twitter, IG and TikTok @hellolanemoore and find all things Lane at lanemoore.org.
And you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @elykreimendahl, and the pod on Twitter and Instagram @podshamespiral, where I'm regularly posting fun video clips of especially juicy or hilarious moments from the episodes. AND if you wanna hear me go off on shame LIVE with a bunch of queer comics, come to my monthly queer comedy show Gay Shame (@gayshamecomedy) at Littlefield in Brooklyn, co-hosted with amazing fellow Brooklyn comic Sheria Mattis of @semi_woke_pod! Next up is 9/12 and it's gonna be SO FUN. What can I say guys, shame is my brand.
Audio Engineer/Editor: Sarah Gabrielli @cruisingpod
Original Music: Shadwick Wilde, Instagram and Twitter: @shadwickwilde
Cover Art: Cassidy Kulhanek, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: @heavenlygrandpa
New episodes every Tuesday! Don't forget to subscribe, review and please leave those five shining stars!

twitter.com/podshamespiralinstagram.com/podshamespiral
instagram.com/elykreimendahl
tiktok.com/@elykreimendahl
twitter.com/elykreimendahl

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This week I spiraled out with writer, poet and lovely person LaToya Jordan! We dug deep into her recently published novella, To The Woman In The Pink Hat, and some of the issues it explores: medical racism, infertility, white feminism, the Women's March, and uterine transplants (?!?,) and also spiraled about twenty-something alcohol-induced regrets, the struggle to "make the first move" in attempting friendship with adults and fellow parents, and how sometimes the right amount of shame just affirms you're not a sociopath.
Plus, LaToya shared a vulnerable , poignant and retrospectively hilarious shame story about being "outed" as a lesbian on her high school track team (in a horrible, homophobic way, and DESPITE not actually being a lesbian!!!)
Follow LaToya on IG @latoyajordanwriter and Twitter @latoyadjordan, and buy her novella!!!!!!! It is such a good read and despite the heavy topics, manages to be truly IMPOSSIBLE to put down. https://www.aqueductpress.com/books/978-1-61976-236-7.php
And you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @elykreimendahl, and the pod on Twitter and Instagram @podshamespiral, where I'm regularly posting fun video clips of especially juicy or hilarious moments from the episodes. AND if you want to hear me spiral LIVE, the next Gay Shame comedy show is next week! 10/30 at 7:30pm at Union Hall in Brooklyn, and in honor of Halloween it is HOCUS POCUS-THEMED, WITCH!!!! tickets available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gay-shame-tickets-722973672717
Thank you so much for listening! Please review, subscribe, and leave those five shining stars.
Audio Engineer: Sarah Gabrielli @therealsarahgabrielli @cruisingpod
Original Music: Shadwick Wilde, Instagram and Twitter: @shadwickwilde
Cover Art: Cassidy Kulhanek, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: @heavenlygrandpa

twitter.com/podshamespiralinstagram.com/podshamespiral
instagram.com/elykreimendahl
tiktok.com/@elykreimendahl
twitter.com/elykreimendahl

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This week I spiraled out with brilliant poet, writer, editor and teacher Maggie Smith! (Good Bones, You Could Make This Place Beautiful.) We covered SO much juicy ground in this episode, diving deep into Midwestern humility and shame around success, what you owe or don't owe people as an artist, being an introverted kid with an extroverted mom, imposter syndrome, apologizing for your accomplishments, the idea of a "failed marriage," feeling shame about feeling shame, parenting fears, and so much more.
Plus, Maggie tells a shame story around her experience of her poem "Good Bones" going incredibly viral in 2016, launching her into literary stardom and creating a "perfect storm of terrible wonderful" in her life.
Follow Maggie on Twitter and Instagram @maggiesmithpoet, check out her website maggiesmithpoet.com, and buy her recently released memoir You Could Make This Place Beautiful. It's on The New York Times Bestseller list, and for what it's worth, I read it and can personally tell you it is A GORGEOUS ,SHATTERING, DEEPLY REAL MASTERPIECE that will make you feel better about life. Get after it.
You can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @elykreimendahl, and the pod on Twitter and Instagram @podshamespiral, where I'm regularly posting fun video clips of especially juicy or hilarious moments from the episodes.
And we now have a Patreon! Please check it out, and if you've been enjoying the pod, PATRONIZE US! https://www.patreon.com/ShameSpiralPod

Audio Engineer/Editor: Sarah Gabrielli (check out her amazing podcast about the last lesbian bars in America @cruisingpod on Instagram and TikTok and listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cruising-a-lesbian-bar-road-trip/id1585850925

Original Music: Shadwick Wilde, Instagram and Twitter: @shadwickwilde

Cover Art: Cassidy Kulhanek, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: @heavenlygrandpa

New episodes every Tuesday! Don't forget to subscribe, review and please leave those five shining stars!

twitter.com/podshamespiralinstagram.com/podshamespiral
instagram.com/elykreimendahl
tiktok.com/@elykreimendahl
twitter.com/elykreimendahl

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This week I spiraled out with academic, author & podcaster Hannah McGregor (Witch, Please; A Sentimental Education.) We talked sticky jam-handed shame monsters, confessed insecurities/projections about each other, unpacked humiliating teenaged moments and our queer femme identities, and SO MUCH MORE.
Plus, Hannah tells a super juicy and HORRIBLE shame story about a toxic dynamic with her academic mentor when she was a graduate student, and how that shame-filled relationship impacts how she shows up as a professor for her students to this day.
Follow Hannah on Instagram @ hkpmcgregor, and her podcast Witch, Please on Instagram & Twitter @ohwitchplease. Also: buy her recently released book A Sentimental Education! It is funny, brilliant, and real, just like Hannah. https://www.wlupress.wlu.ca/Books/A/A-Sentimental-Education
You can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @elykreimendahl, and the pod on Twitter and Instagram @podshamespiral, where I'm regularly posting fun video clips of especially juicy or hilarious moments from the episodes.

Audio Engineer/Editor: Sarah Gabrielli (check out her amazing podcast about the last lesbian bars in America @cruisingpod on Instagram and TikTok and listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cruising-a-lesbian-bar-road-trip/id1585850925

Original Music: Shadwick Wilde, Instagram and Twitter: @shadwickwilde

Cover Art: Cassidy Kulhanek, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: @heavenlygrandpa

New episodes every Tuesday! Don't forget to subscribe, review and please leave those five shining stars!

twitter.com/podshamespiralinstagram.com/podshamespiral
instagram.com/elykreimendahl
tiktok.com/@elykreimendahl
twitter.com/elykreimendahl

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This week I spiraled out with the ridiculously funny, insightful AND delightful comedian Dylan Adler! We talked being baby queers, the horrors of your Mom witnessing your super vulnerable ( and sometimes Freudian) jokes, and turning trauma and shame into comedy.
Plus, Dylan shares a story of having a (in my biased and outraged opinion, as a licensed psychotherapist) HORRIFYINGLY BAD therapist who sent him down a shame spiral which is pretty much the exact opposite of what that therapist needed to be doing, okay!? CW: this episode includes discussion of having experienced sexual assault, and the aftermath & recovery, but no specifics or details of the SA are shared. However, MUCH is shared about processing that harm via Dylan's incredible writing, singing and performing, which you should check out for yourself:
Dylan's performing on 11/7 at Littlefield in Brooklyn, and the audio album of his show with co-creator, comic Kelly Bachmann, "Rape Victims are Horny, Too" is out now! Like everywhere! GET AFTER IT!
Follow Dylan on Twitter @dylanadler6, instagram @dylanadler_, and TikTok @dylanadler7. And you can follow me & the pod @elykreimendahl and @podshamespiral on Twitter and Instagram, and @elykreimendahl on Tiktok (although I'm a newborn little baby on TikTok, so please be gentle.) I'm regularly posting fun video clips of especially juicy or hilarious moments from the episodes so come check it out!

Audio Engineer/Editor: Sarah Gabrielli (check out her amazing podcast about the last lesbian bars in America @cruisingpod on Instagram and tiktok and listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cruising-a-lesbian-bar-road-trip/id1585850925

Original Music: Shadwick Wilde, Instagram and Twitter: @shadwickwilde

Cover Art: Cassidy Kulhanek, Instagram and Twitter: @heavenlygrandpa

New episodes every Tuesday! Don't forget to subscribe, review and leave those five shining stars!

twitter.com/podshamespiralinstagram.com/podshamespiral
instagram.com/elykreimendahl
tiktok.com/@elykreimendahl
twitter.com/elykreimendahl

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Shame Spiral - "I Can't Make An Old Lady Cry" w/ Niles Abston
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02/21/23 • 58 min

This week I spiraled out with stand up comic, television writer and director Niles Abston (Dave, Household Name .) We talked being a people pleaser in life and the furthest thing from it in comedy, shame embodied as a chilled out orangutan, the most humiliating thing that could happen on a second date, and SO MUCH MORE. Plus, Niles shares a story about dropping out of college to move to LA and ending up living in his car for a year- his shame insisting that throughout the whole experience he not tell a soul what he was going through.
Niles has a new stand up special out on youtube NOW and it is ICONIC- watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3JOUtnGqzs
And if you'd like to see Niles live, you're in luck because he is currently on tour! Follow him on Instagram @thenilesabstonshow and Twitter @Niles100 to stay up to date on where you can find him.
You can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @elykreimendahl, and the pod on Twitter and Instagram @podshamespiral, where I'm regularly posting video clips of especially juicy or hilarious moments from the episodes.
Audio Engineer/Editor: Sarah Gabrielli (check out her amazing podcast about the last lesbian bars in America @cruisingpod on Instagram and TikTok and listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cruising-a-lesbian-bar-road-trip/id1585850925
Original Music: Shadwick Wilde, Instagram and Twitter: @shadwickwilde
Cover Art: Cassidy Kulhanek, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: @heavenlygrandpa
New episodes every Tuesday! Don't forget to subscribe, review and please leave those five shining stars!

twitter.com/podshamespiralinstagram.com/podshamespiral
instagram.com/elykreimendahl
tiktok.com/@elykreimendahl
twitter.com/elykreimendahl

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Shame Spiral - "I Would Live, B*tch" w/ Nori Reed
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08/01/23 • 62 min

This week I spiraled out with comedian, writer & actress Nori Reed! (Netflix is a Joke, HBO Max, Comedy Central) Nori's stand up is iconic, hilarious and brilliant, and she was featured in New York Magazine as one of Vulture's "Comedians You Should Know And Will Know In 2021." She also recently wrote for seasons five & six of Disney's Raven's Home, creating Disney's first ever live-action trans character, which led to a GLAAD award nomination! Nori and I talked class and financial shame, weirdly going to the same uber-niche Northern California hippy therapy school (!!!!) in the hopes of having a transformational experience, shame as a pesky fly you need to accept rather than keep trying to kill, the lifeline of meeting fellow queer/trans kids when you are a queer/trans kid, our mutual adoration of Orna from Couple's Therapy, and SO MUCH MORE!
You can and SHOULD follow Nori on Instagram @norireed and Twitter @therealnorireed, and go see her perform live! If you're in the Seattle area, she has a show coming up on 8/13 and tickets are available on her IG! GET AFTER IT!
And you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @elykreimendahl, and the pod on Twitter and Instagram @podshamespiral, where I'm regularly posting fun video clips of especially juicy or hilarious moments from the episodes.
Audio Engineer/Editor: Sarah Gabrielli @cruisingpod
Original Music: Shadwick Wilde, Instagram and Twitter: @shadwickwilde
Cover Art: Cassidy Kulhanek, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: @heavenlygrandpa
New episodes every Tuesday! Don't forget to subscribe, review and please leave those five shining stars!

twitter.com/podshamespiralinstagram.com/podshamespiral
instagram.com/elykreimendahl
tiktok.com/@elykreimendahl
twitter.com/elykreimendahl

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This week I spiraled out with comedian, writer, and total mensch Josh Gondelman! (Desus & Mero, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, People Pleaser.) We talked the god-awful experience of having a human body, the desire to control others' perceptions, the psychology of Elon Musk, and so much more.
Plus, Josh shares a shame story about his body absolutely betraying him, minutes before his in-laws would arrive to bear witness to the literal mess it made.
Follow Josh on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok @joshgondelman, and check his website www.joshgondelman.com for upcoming national tour dates, or if you're in NYC, to buy tickets for his show 12/12 at Union Hall!
You can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @elykreimendahl, and the pod on Twitter and Instagram @podshamespiral, where I'm regularly posting fun video clips of especially juicy or hilarious moments from the episodes.

Audio Engineer/Editor: Sarah Gabrielli (check out her amazing podcast about the last lesbian bars in America @cruisingpod on Instagram and TikTok and listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cruising-a-lesbian-bar-road-trip/id1585850925

Original Music: Shadwick Wilde, Instagram and Twitter: @shadwickwilde

Cover Art: Cassidy Kulhanek, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: @heavenlygrandpa

New episodes every Tuesday! Don't forget to subscribe, review and please leave those five shining stars!

twitter.com/podshamespiralinstagram.com/podshamespiral
instagram.com/elykreimendahl
tiktok.com/@elykreimendahl
twitter.com/elykreimendahl

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This week I spiraled out with psychotherapist, OCD specialist, writer & content creator Alegra Kastens! We talked OCD origin stories and the thoughts that broke our brains, the obsessive struggle to discern if you don't like someone because you're not into them or because there's something wrong with you, fear of being cancelled and social media trolls, the idea of "harm," and what it really means to harm someone, obsessing about finding a partner and worrying about your eggs dying, the dangerous proliferation of unlicensed TikTok mental health "coaches" and the messages they disseminate, the intersection of trauma, shame and OCD, how being a therapist can actually make things MORE difficult for you in dating, love and life, and SO MUCH MORE!
Plus, Alegra shares a relatable and vulnerable shame story about being in a dark place in her life and ending up hospitalized for one night- and the shameful aftermath that ensued. And I shared with Alegra a little *casual witchcraft* that I employed when I was looking for love....I promised her the full spell and haven't recovered it yet, but when I find it, trust I will share it with all of you potential witches out there!
Alegra is an incredible, radical force of change on social media, sharing openly and often hilariously about her own experience with OCD and doing the good work of shattering the debilitating stigma that comes with mental health struggles. Follow her NOW if you don't already on IG & TikTok @alegrakastens! And stay tuned for news about the upcoming BOOK she's writing!
As always, you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @elykreimendahl, and the pod on Twitter and Instagram @podshamespiral, where I'm regularly posting fun video clips of especially juicy or hilarious moments from the episodes.
*** special note! After over a year of weekly episodes, this is the FINAL EPISODE OF THE EXTREMELY BULKY SEASON 1! I'm taking a few weeks between seasons to record new eps and recalibrate, and will be back to launch Season 2 shortly. Thank you so much for listening this year- your support for the pod means everything to me, truly! Stay tuned for news of official Season 2 drop date, and in the meantime catch up on old episodes, and please review, subscribe, and leave those five shining stars.
Audio Engineer: Sarah Gabrielli, IG @cruisingpod
Editor: Theresa Gaffney, IG @theresagaff
Original Music: Shadwick Wilde, Instagram and Twitter: @shadwickwilde
Cover Art: Cassidy Kulhanek, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok: @heavenlygrandpa

twitter.com/podshamespiralinstagram.com/podshamespiral
instagram.com/elykreimendahl
tiktok.com/@elykreimendahl
twitter.com/elykreimendahl

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FAQ

How many episodes does Shame Spiral have?

Shame Spiral currently has 63 episodes available.

What topics does Shame Spiral cover?

The podcast is about Health & Fitness, Comedian, Mental Health, Funny, Comedy, Podcasts, Comedy Interviews and Interviews.

What is the most popular episode on Shame Spiral?

The episode title '"Women Can Be Stupid, Too" w/ Kuhoo Verma' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Shame Spiral?

The average episode length on Shame Spiral is 71 minutes.

How often are episodes of Shame Spiral released?

Episodes of Shame Spiral are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Shame Spiral?

The first episode of Shame Spiral was released on Aug 13, 2022.

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