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Safe Space Radio

The show about subjects we'd struggle with less if we could talk about them more.

  • Mental Health
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    • Medical Trauma
    • Parenting Kids on the Spectrum
    • PTSD Among Women Veterans
    • Refugee Women
    • Substance Abuse in Families
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    • Transgender Issues
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    • Child Abuse
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  • Family
    • Bad Mother Anxiety
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    • Female Sexual Difficulties
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community

Somali Women in Maine with Fatuma Hussein

November 9, 2015 by ssradmin

Safe Space Radio talks with Fatuma Hussein of United Somali Women of Maine. She describes the challenges of resettlement for refugees fleeing war in their native countries, which she experienced herself as a teenager. She addresses the presumption that refugees have a negative impact on the state’s economy and culture, and explains her vision for …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Social Justice Tagged With: asylum seekers, community, Immigration & Refugees, Refugees, refugees and asylum seekers, resettlement

Non-Native Allies

October 19, 2015 by ssradmin

This episode highlights the Maine-Wabanaki Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Safe Space Radio speaks with non-native allies who are working on how to best respond to the needs that the TRC brought to light, and why these issues matter to them personally.

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Filed Under: Conflict, Social Justice Tagged With: ally, apologies, community, maine, native, Restorative Justice, Trauma, Truth and Reconciliation, Wabanaki

Wabanaki History in Maine with Maria Girouard and Esther Anne

January 26, 2015 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features Maria Girouard and Esther Anne of Maine Wabanaki REACH. They discuss the history of federal and state policies toward Native Americans here in Maine. We focus on the many attempts throughout the years to erase Wabanaki people and their culture, including the practice of removing native children from …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Social Justice Tagged With: Adoption, childhood trauma, community, Forced adoption, identity, indigenous, maine, native, organization, Truth and Reconciliation, Wabanaki

Race and Place (Part 2) with Natasha Wilson

November 10, 2014 by ssradmin

Anthropologist and social work student Natasha Wilson talks about being a black woman in mostly-white schools and workplaces. She remembers feeling shunned and avoided, which made it harder to deal with other adversity in her life. She also talks about how these experiences have inspired her research on Post-Traumatic Growth.

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Filed Under: Conflict, Social Justice Tagged With: anthropology, black women, blackness, community, feminism, Loneliness, psychology, race, racial justice, Racism, White Privilege, Whiteness

Race and Place (Part 1) with Natasha Wilson

November 5, 2014 by ssradmin

Natasha Wilson moved to Maine in 2012 following the tragic death of two of her brothers. She talks about how her experience of racism has been shaped by the different places she’s lived, and how she was unprepared for the alienation and hostility she has experienced in overwhelmingly white states like Iowa and Maine. We also discuss the …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Social Justice Tagged With: black women, blackness, community, death and dying, Loneliness, race, racial justice, Racism, White Privilege, Whiteness

Prisoners Providing Hospice Care (Part 2) with Bobby Payzant

January 13, 2014 by ssradmin

Bobby Payzant is a hospice volunteer and inmate at the Maine State Prison. In this interview, Bobby talks more about the deep remorse he feels for the man he assaulted, and how he has had to face himself during the many years he has spent in prison.  He describes the decision he made to stop …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Mental Health, Social Justice Tagged With: community, conflict mediation, conversation, criminal justice system, death and dying, healing, Hospice, Incarceration, Maine State Prison, Prison, Restorative Justice

Prisoners Providing Hospice Care (Part 1) with Kandyce Powell and Bobby Payzant

January 6, 2014 by ssradmin

This episode features two conversations with people involved in the hospice program within the state prison in Warren, Maine. First we speak with the program’s founder, Kandyce Powell, executive director of the Maine Hospice Council, who talks about the genesis of the prison’s hospice program, her motivation for starting it, and the difference it has …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Mental Health, Social Justice Tagged With: community, Criminal Justice, death and dying, healing, Hospice, Incarceration, justice system, Maine State Prison, prison system

Imprisonment and Life Transformation (Part 2) with Mike

January 1, 2014 by ssradmin

Part 2 of Mike’s conversation with Safe Space Radio about the seven years he spent in federal prison. Mike talks about his experiences participating in a group inside the prison called the Jericho Circle which he credits with teaching him emotional literacy and authenticity. His work with Jericho Circle enabled him to reunite with his …read more »

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Social Justice Tagged With: communication, community, conversation, criminal justice reform, criminal justice system, emotional intelligence, Hospice, Incarceration, judicial system, men, Prison

On the Experience of Arrest and Imprisonment with Liz

December 9, 2013 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features Liz, who spoke with us only three days after her release from prison. She discusses her shame at being arrested, and the experience of exposure and intrusion from a public trial. She also describes the surprising support she received from other women in prison, and the experiences she …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Mental Health, Social Justice Tagged With: arrest, community, criminal justice reform, criminal justice system, Incarceration, motherhood, Parenting, police, prison system, release, teenagers, Teens

Somalis in the Maine Workforce with Hussein Ahmed

February 18, 2013 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features Hussein Ahmed, a business owner in Lewiston, Maine. He describes his journey from Somalia, the ten years he spent in refugee camps in Kenya, and the challenges of finding work in the U.S. due to language barriers, cultural uncertainties and religious stereotypes. Hussein is optimistic that with modifications …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: asylum seekers, community, Immigration & Refugees, lewiston, Refugees, refugees and asylum seekers, somalia, work, workplace

Having a Child with Schizophrenia with Cheryl Ramsay

September 26, 2012 by ssradmin

Safe Space Radio interviews Cheryl Ramsay about her two sons, one with schizophrenia who is in treatment and one with an undiagnosed mental illness and addiction who avoids the mental health system. Cheryl describes the deep self-doubt she feels about whether she somehow could have made a difference at each step of the way. She …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health Tagged With: Addiction & Recovery, community, doubt, Family, mental hospitals, mental illness, Parenting, psychiatric care, schizophrenia, Shame, sons

Transition and Sexual Reassignment Surgery with Jean Vermette

April 27, 2011 by ssradmin

Jean Vermette talks about recognizing that she was female, and taking the risk to share it with the people she loved. She ultimately chose to undergo sexual reassignment surgery and wrote a book, Je Me Souviens (“I Will Remember”) about her experience of MTF genital surgery. Jean describes the process as an example of the …read more »

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: bottom surgery, coming out, community, female, Gender, identity, LGBTQ, male, male to female, memoir, mtf, sexual reassignment, trans, Transgender, transition, writing

Thinking Through Lesbian and Trans Community with Jem Hodsdon

March 30, 2011 by ssradmin

Social worker, writer, and queer activist Jem Hodsdon talks about the relationship between the lesbian community and the trans community. Jem speaks about how delicate the relationship can be between two oppressed and marginalized groups, and her intention to speak only about her particular experience. A focus on marriage equality can be divisive because it …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Sexuality Tagged With: community, discrimination, division, dyke, feminism, Gender, Homophobia, identity, inclusion, Lesbian, LGBTQ, marriage equality, pride, queer, same sex marriage, trans, trans exclusionary, Transgender, transphobia

Camp for Transgender and Gender-Variant Youth

March 16, 2011 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features the founder and president of the first camp for trans youth. Nick describes many challenges that trans youth face as they grow up, particularly as they enter puberty and begin to develop secondary sex characteristics of the sex that feels wrong to them. Camp Aranu’tiq is for ages …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: community, Friendship, Gender Fluid, gender variant, LGBTQ, nonbinary, puberty, summer camp, teenagers, Teens, trans, Transgender, youth

Transgender 101 with Alex Roan

March 9, 2011 by ssradmin

Alex Roan is the director of the Maine Transgender Network. Alex defines the terms transgender, transsexual, and cross-dresser, clarifying the difference between sex, gender, gender expression and sexual orientation. He describes his own story of experiencing the gap between his sex and his gender, and his experience of transitioning from female to male.

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: community, cross dressing, difficult conversations, female to male transition, FTM, Gender, Gender Fluid, gender variant, language, LGBTQ, sex, sexual orientation, trans, Transgender, transsexual

Food Addiction and Spiritual Hunger with Margaret Bullitt-Jonas

November 3, 2010 by ssradmin

This episode features Episcopal priest Margaret Bullitt-Jonas talking about her experience of food addiction. She discusses living with feelings of longing and how she found support in OA.

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Filed Under: Mental Health Tagged With: Addiction & Recovery, community, eating, Eating Disorders, food addiction, overeaters anonymous, spirituality

The Inner Feelings of Bulimia with Julia Jarvis

September 29, 2010 by ssradmin

Julia Jarvis talks about her struggle with bulimia and her recovery. Julia describes her profound experience with feeling she was bad, and keeping a journal of her daily sins. She credits her recovery with the loosening of a rigid and punitive theology, prozac, and the community she found in Adult Children of Alcoholics.

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Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health Tagged With: adult children of alcoholics, body image, bulemia, bulimia, community, diet culture, Eating Disorders, food, healing, medication, mental illness, Recovery, Shame, theology, Therapy

Surviving Breast Cancer with Sheila Cassidy

February 17, 2010 by ssradmin

Sheila Cassidy ran a support group for women with breast cancer, and was then diagnosed with breast cancer herself. She talks about the fear of dying and the ways that emotional support makes a difference.

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Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health Tagged With: breast cancer, cancer, community, death and dying, diagnosis, illness, physical health, Sickness, support group, Therapy, wellness

Working with Bereaved Children with Joanne Anning

February 10, 2010 by ssradmin

An interview with Joanne Anning about working with bereaved children in England. She describes the incredible resilience of children going through loss and the importance of including children in processes around death, explaining what to expect, and helping them cry.

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: Bereavement, childhood, childhood trauma, children, community, death and dying, emotions, greiving, grief, loss, loss of a parent, resiliency, Therapy

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Generously supported by:

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