Family Secrets
Episodes
All Without Telling Me
25 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1998, long before Dani discovered the truth of her biological paternity, she published a story called “The Secret Wife” about the disco...
The Guy Who Knew a Guy
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Francesca sets out to understand her father’s past, she is faced with a world of crime, silence, and denial. But it’s not just his pa...
Tangled Up in Blue
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sam grows up without knowing his biological father. As he enters adolescence, he begins to resemble Bob Dylan. A lot. So when Sam learns his mother ha...
Baby X
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After centuries of ancestral trauma, Julian must listen closely to the stories of his family —stories of survival, memory, myth and generat...
They Weren’t Into Consequences
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Amanda’s parents’ eccentricities take a dark turn toward hoarding, scheming, and secret-keeping, the walls begin to literally close i...
In The Backseat of My Body
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Kate begins to recover haunting memories, she must confront a family history shaped by silence and generational harm. What follows is her quest t...
Acting on Top of Acting
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ari’el has spent his life playing characters, trying on different identities. But at a certain point he must discover who—beneath all thes...
New Season! Coming Soon!
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thursday, November 13th. New Secrets. New Stories. New Season. Join us next week for our thirteenth launch!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...
Bonus: Dani and Gretchen Rubin
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author and podcaster Gretchen Rubin joins Dani to talk about aphorisms and family secrets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A Word from Dani
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Updates, Workshops, and Special Guests!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There’s a Storm Coming
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A ninety-year old father and his youngest daughter come together to unpack a secret that altered—and ultimately made sense of— the shape o...
Which Circle Are You In?
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Not every member of a family is told the same story. Elissa wrestles with the necessity of claiming her voice, even as telling her own singular truth ...
Who’s the Girlfriend?
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A box of letters. A hidden life. A history rewritten. Susan must reckon with how to move forward—how to be a daughter, a sister, a mother—...
Truth or Consequences
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As E.A. takes to the road on a route once taken with her mother, she must confront the stories we inherit, the ones we choose to tell, and the on...
It Feels Like Blood
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to be a family of one? Steven examines his search for belonging in the wake of disappearance, loss, and profound mystery.S...
The Rage Didn’t End Until the Mystery Did
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Marian’s body knows something her brain does not. It takes years before she finally has the language to define herself. To be herself. ...
Defensive Wounds
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Erin grows up in and around violence and anger. But nothing could have prepared her for the tragic discovery she makes at age twenty-seven.See omnystu...
The Perfect Happy Family
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Through the dual lens of a devoted sister and parent, Julie explores the emotional terrain of family illness and secrecy, puzzling over how she can ca...
Just Like an Arrow
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Sarah navigates the world as an artist and writer, she must confront the genetic history—its myriad patterns and traumas—at the heart o...
I’m The Man You’re Looking For
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brando’s father is an American Indian incarcerated political activist. Or is he? His mother tells a lot of stories. It’s almost impossible...
Family Secrets: Season 12 Trailer
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're back with a new season of extraordinary stories. Join us next Thursday, My 29th for the premiere of Family Secrets Season 12.See omnystudio.com/...
A 2025 Update From Dani
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Catching up with our Family Secrets family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I Got a Lion
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Griffin grew up in a family whose illustrious life defined them. But beneath their fame were the secrets that shaped his world.See omnystudio.com/list...
I Thought I Was Telling the Truth
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At the age of sixteen, Jill began a relationship that lasted most of her life with her much-older professor. Twenty-five years ago, she wrote a memoir...
We’ve Met Once Before
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In her quest for answers about her biological mother in South Korea, Tracy finds more—and in some ways, less—than what she’s bargain...
The Sky Didn't Fall
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Sacha looks back to her childhood, she sees the branches of a gnarled and tangled family tree. But through art, reflection, storytelling – ...
An Active Annihilation
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up in Ahmedabad, one of India’s fastest-growing cities in the early 2000s, Zara’s world ignited –both literally and figurati...
Let’s Go Into the Woods
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Garth was growing up, he managed to hide his struggles from his parents. But when Garth becomes a parent himself, he must decide when—and if, ...
The Sunshine
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nabil’s dad is not exactly in the picture when he grows up. But he is in other pictures, many in fact. He’s a famous jazz musician and throughout...
I Was Told Not to Tell Anyone
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After years of keeping her abortion a secret, Honor discovers the power of telling.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Two Names
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What’s in a name? And what’s not? With a splintered identity and a voracious hunger for truth, David travels far and wide for answers.See omnystud...
Love, Mommy Dearest
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Two fires. Two Anitas. Countless questions. In order to understand her mother—and herself—Nina must reckon with a difficult and diffuse past.See o...
Family Secrets: Season 11 Trailer
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 11 of Family Secrets premieres next Thursday, November 7th.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
New Season and Workshop!
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dani updates the Family Secrets family about our Season 11 launch and an upcoming workshop at Kripalu Center.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...
Dani Recommends: You Probably Think This Story’s About You
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hi Family Secrets family, this week we're bringing you a podcast we think you'll enjoy: You Probably Think This Story's About You. Dani also gives an ...
A Thank You From Dani
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dani shares an update with the Family Secrets family at the end of our tenth season.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I Was 758
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Susannah was 758; that was her identifying number as a research subject in an academic study—and a psychological experiment— that spanned thirty y...
Hey Dad, Who Was That at the Door?
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not until well into Darren’s adulthood that he discovers the truth of his father’s secret past. And what does he do with his father’s sec...
A Phantom Glamour
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
David’s mother is a fantasist with a secret. But hers is the kind of strange secret that’s out in the open…sort of. As David grows up, he finds ...
No, The Kids Were Not All Right
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The cult is a secret to most people she knows. Her very identity is a secret to most people she knows. But at a certain point, Lauren needs to be hers...
Candy Bones
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Reed grew up with a camera in his hand. At first, the videos he made with his brothers were just for fun. But when their mom goes missing, the boys em...
A Lightning Bolt of Desire
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Molly’s secret longings and buried desires become the basis of her marriage, she must decide how—and how much—to disclose. To her husband, ...
This Didn’t Have to Be a Secret
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Deep in Dina’s family lore is a story of a fire; someone burned a house down. But who? And why? After a lifetime of wondering, Dina finally hunts do...
Dear Sister
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Michelle gets a knock on her door one day in 2017, her life—and the lives of her loved ones—will be forever changed. What she learns that day...
Code Blue Cafeteria
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Barrett and his wife Jane are both oncologists – they share a social world, a professional world, and a rich life together. But one thing is not sha...
I Dug it Up
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up, Whit was extremely close with her mother. But when she becomes pregnant in her twenties, her mother extracts herself entirely; she spends ...
Family Secrets: Season 10 Trailer
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the 10th season of Family Secrets. Join us starting June 6th for new stories about identity, connection, and how we all long for the truth....
A Message from Dani
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 10 will launch in June; in the meantime, here’s an update on all things Family Secrets, some of which hit quite close to home.See omnystudio....
A Virtuosic Patient
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Alice’s upbringing is one of simultaneous excess and absence, and in the deep canyon between the two, she loses herself entirely. In order to finall...
An Answer to the Offness
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Maggie made a life for herself as a successful poet, wife, and proud mother of two. But after years of marriage, she sensed something to be terribly o...
You Belong to the Mystery
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Her paternity. Her health. Her very self. For many years, these are all mysteries to Kimberly. As she reckons with this myriad of unknowns, she learns...
The Self I Could Have Been
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In his journey toward self-discovery, Shane must reconstruct his past by cobbling together memories of his kidnapping, upbringing, and the enormous sw...
This Was All Supposed to be Secret
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Susan takes great lengths and risks to get answers about her biological family. But sometimes, in the world of family secrets, these kinds of answers ...
As Bad As a Lie
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brittany’s early life is defined by the road; she and her mom are vagabonds of sorts, never settling for too long in one place. But at least they ha...
Sail On
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Sarah is a young child, her parents vanish at sea. They are never found. How does she mourn what she cannot remember? See omnystudio.com/listene...
Because of William
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel grows up idolizing William, his friend and future brother-in-law. William is adventurous, effervescent and inspiring. But William has other att...
A Holiday Message from Dani
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Thanksgiving to our Family Secrets family. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How Long the Dying Went On
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It started with a wreck – a car accident steeped in the history of Cassandra’s family. When she learns about the accident and the secrets it bore,...
Hall of Mirrors
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nobody thinks they’re joining a cult. Certainly not the children who are born into it. When, over time, Mikel learns the truths about his childhood,...
Family Secrets: Season 9 Trailer
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join us on November 9th for new stories of resilience, memory, and the way in which long-held family secrets so often need out.See omnystudio.com/list...
Bonus: A Conversation with Dr. Ruth Faden
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s Great Minds bonus episode features scholar of bioethics and founder of The John Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, Dr. Ruth Faden. She a...
Prepare for Our Next Great Mind!
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tune in next week for our next Great Minds bonus conversation with renowned scientist, academic, and founder of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of ...
Bonus: A Conversation with Kris Carr
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For this week’s Great Minds bonus episode, Dani sits down with bestselling author Kris Carr to explore the moving themes and meanings woven into a F...
Get Ready for Another Great Minds Conversation!
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Next week’s bonus conversation is with bestselling author and wellness leader, Kris Carr. We’ll be unpacking a moving and memorable Family Secrets...
Bonus: A Conversation with Dr. Mark Epstein
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As part of this special bonus series, Dani and great mind Dr. Mark Epstein explore the powerful themes that underscore a memorable Family Secrets stor...
Get Ahead of Our Next Conversation with Great Minds!
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Next week’s bonus conversation is with one of our favorite writers and thinkers, about an unusual and unforgettable Family Secrets episode. Listener...
Bonus: A New Conversation with Dr. Galit Atlas
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the first episode of this special bonus series, Dani and great mind Dr. Galit Atlas unpack the themes presented in a memorable Family Secrets story...
Exciting News!
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dani announces a new bonus series of conversations with great minds coming soon!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus: A New Conversation with Jennifer Senior
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode, Dani sits down with Pulitzer Prize Winning Writer Jennifer Senior about her latest cover story in The Atlantic - ‘Those We ...
A Message from Dani
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As we prepare for Season Nine, Dani pauses to say hello to our Family Secrets family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You Can Run
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the second part of this inspiring two-part episode, writer and musician Jessica Willis Fisher finishes her powerful story of survival.See omnystud...
Total Depravity
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the first part of this harrowing two-part episode, writer and musician Jessica Willis Fisher courageously speaks the unspeakable truths of the abus...
Daddy Will Never Read Vogue
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From the outside, Priscilla’s family life looks dazzling. Her parents are both revered in the literary community and she and her sister grow up in a...
The 11:11 Wish
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kyleigh and her older sister Kait couldn’t be closer. They lean on one another all throughout childhood. But at a certain point, Kait’s mental hea...
World Class Liars
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Letty’s life is laced with “shanda”—the Yiddish word for shame or disgrace. And the shanda is not hers alone; it stretches back and through ma...
Letter of Extenuating Circumstances
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Emi is a brilliant child caught in the storms of the adults around her. As such, her own troubles begin to brew and her secrets compound. From foster ...
How Are You Weird in the World?
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Allison knows something is fundamentally different about her. She looks different and she feels different from the other girls in school. But when her...
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Forever punctuated by shame, secrecy, and danger, Isaac's search to know himself has always been a precarious journey. But as he walks the rocky road ...
The Family Business
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From a very young age, Sophia is taught to deflect when people ask questions. Her parents teach her this lesson, and they tell her to keep a low profi...
Telenovela
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up among conflicting cultures and customs, Carmen feels a profound sense of otherness. When her mother reveals their family secret, Carmen’s...
Family Secrets: Season 8 Trailer
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join us starting May 4th for 10 new stories of tenacity, resilience, and the profoundly necessary excavation of long-held family secrets.See omnystudi...
Bonus: Dani's Family Secret
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this special bonus episode, the tables are turned as veteran journalist and podcast host Kimi Culp interviews Dani about her own family history and...
Bonus: The Secrets Hotline
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Stories from our friends at The Secrets Hotline Podcast, hosted by Nick van der Kolk.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In Conversation with Dr. Gabor Maté
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode, Dani speaks with renowned physician and author Dr. Gabor Maté about his new book,The Myth of Normal, and the ways in which we...
Bonus: Dani's Listening, Episode 8
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus series, “Dani’s Listening”, Dani connects with listeners by responding to those who’ve called in to share their family secrets. ...
Bonus: Dani's Listening, Episode 7
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus series, “Dani’s Listening”, Dani connects with listeners by responding to those who’ve called in to share their family secrets. ...
Thanksgiving Message from Dani
24 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dani shares a message this Thanksgiving with the Family Secrets community.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Trastiendas
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Judy receives a thick envelope from her father—presumably including answers to long kept secrets about his identity and past—he instructs her...
Prisoner of History
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As Tad reckons with the choices he’s made in his relationships—most prominently, in his marriage—he must confront the choices made by his father...
A Special Episode from our friends at All the Wiser Podcast
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Meyli Chapin shares her story and discusses PTSD with host Kimi Culp.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Palais de Triomphe
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fraidy is raised in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community where she is forced to follow many conventions including an arranged marriage in her teens. Aft...
Going There
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We all know—or think we know—the wonderful journalist, news anchor, and bestselling author, Katie Couric. But behind and beyond her camera-ready e...
The Depression Book
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After Mark’s divorce, he cannot eat or sleep or function. Hesitant to pathologize these feelings, he finally acknowledges the clinical magnitude of ...
Exclusive: An Audio Preview of Dani's Forthcoming Novel!
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The opening chapter of SIGNAL FIRES is shared here, in Dani's voice, for the very first time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Somebody’s Daughter
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ashley’s father is imprisoned when she’s eight months old. She has no real context for him until she visits him for the first time, when she’s s...
The Best Family Ever
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From a harrowing, unstable childhood, Venus perseveres and creates an ideal life for herself—with an exuberant husband and a gaggle of amazing kids....
The Destroyed Palace
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up, Rich doesn’t know much about his family, save for the singular fact that his mother came to the US from Haiti when she was thirteen. But...
The World of Dogs
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chloe is an only child, but she’s not entirely alone. She has dogs. Meaningful, magical, ever-supportive dogs. With reserved parents and a habit of ...
The Baby on the Boat
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Putsata was an infant when she and her family fled from war-torn Cambodia on an escape boat. When the captain saw that baby Putsata was ill, he sugges...
Family Secrets: Season 7 Trailer
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the new season of Family Secrets, premiering September 1st.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.