Family Secrets

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Family Secrets. Every family has them. When Dani Shapiro accidentally stumbled upon a massive secret that had been kept from her all her life, she dove headlong into discovering everything she could about how that secret had shaped her reality and her destiny. Then she started talking with other peo…

iHeartRadio


    • Jun 5, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 33m AVG DURATION
    • 221 EPISODES

    4.5 from 4,646 ratings Listeners of Family Secrets that love the show mention: family secrets, dani shapiro, thank you dani, inheritance, every family, love dani, season 2 episode 1, hate the music, dna testing, biological father, unravel, npe, listener stories, family history, takes away, graduation, elegant, touching stories, nm, human stories.


    Ivy Insights

    The Family Secrets podcast is a compelling and thought-provoking show that delves into the hidden stories and secrets that shape families. Hosted by Dani Shapiro, this podcast offers a platform for guests to share their deeply personal and often emotional experiences with honesty and vulnerability. The episodes are filled with love, humor, and honesty, making it a truly captivating listen.

    One of the best aspects of The Family Secrets podcast is how the guests tell their stories with such love, humor, and authenticity. Each interview feels like a conversation with a close friend, as they open up about their family secrets and the impact it has had on their lives. Dani Shapiro does an excellent job of asking probing questions that allow the guests to explore their experiences in depth. The episodes cover a wide range of topics, from personal identity to intergenerational trauma, providing listeners with a rich tapestry of stories and perspectives.

    However, one drawback of the podcast is that some listeners may find certain episodes sad or upsetting. The stories shared can be heavy at times, dealing with themes such as betrayal and deception within families. While these narratives can be difficult to listen to, they also provide an opportunity for healing and understanding. It is important for potential listeners to be aware of the emotional nature of these stories before diving in.

    In conclusion, The Family Secrets podcast is an invaluable resource for those seeking insight into the complex dynamics of family secrets. Dani Shapiro's compassionate approach and her ability to elicit profound storytelling make this podcast a must-listen for anyone interested in exploring the hidden truths that shape our lives. From heartwarming moments of reconciliation to heartbreaking tales of betrayal, each episode offers a unique perspective on the power of honesty and self-discovery within families.



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    Latest episodes from Family Secrets

    Just Like an Arrow

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2025 47:13 Transcription Available


    As Sarah navigates the world as an artist and writer, she must confront the genetic history—its myriad patterns and traumas—at the heart of her story, her very self.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    I'm The Man You're Looking For

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 50:55 Transcription Available


    Brando’s father is an American Indian incarcerated political activist. Or is he? His mother tells a lot of stories. It’s almost impossible to know what’s true and what isn’t.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Family Secrets: Season 12 Trailer

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 2:54 Transcription Available


    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/listener for privacy information.

    A 2025 Update From Dani

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025 1:53 Transcription Available


    Catching up with our Family Secrets family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    I Got a Lion

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2025 32:45 Transcription Available


    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/listener for privacy information.

    I Thought I Was Telling the Truth

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2025 44:09 Transcription Available


    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. But with time comes new memories, new clarity. She’s realized something: it's time to tell the story again, and differently.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    We've Met Once Before

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2024 54:43 Transcription Available


    In her quest for answers about her biological mother in South Korea, Tracy finds more—and in some ways, less—than what she’s bargained for.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Sky Didn't Fall

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2024 58:08 Transcription Available


    When Sacha looks back to her childhood, she sees the branches of a gnarled and tangled family tree. But through art, reflection, storytelling – and just the right therapy – she finally begins to pry the pieces apart. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    An Active Annihilation

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2024 56:26 Transcription Available


    Growing up in Ahmedabad, one of India’s fastest-growing cities in the early 2000s, Zara’s world ignited –both literally and figuratively.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Let's Go Into the Woods

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2024 36:45 Transcription Available


    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, at all—to come out of hiding.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Sunshine

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2024 76:06 Transcription Available


    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 most of Nabil's life, he's only a stone's throw—and yet, a world—away.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    I Was Told Not to Tell Anyone

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2024 29:04 Transcription Available


    After years of keeping her abortion a secret, Honor discovers the power of telling.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Two Names

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2024 59:18 Transcription Available


    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 omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Love, Mommy Dearest

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2024 45:33 Transcription Available


    Two fires. Two Anitas. Countless questions. In order to understand her mother—and herself—Nina must reckon with a difficult and diffuse past.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Family Secrets: Season 11 Trailer

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 2:22 Transcription Available


    Season 11 of Family Secrets premieres next Thursday, November 7th.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    New Season and Workshop!

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2024 1:46 Transcription Available


    Dani updates the Family Secrets family about our Season 11 launch and an upcoming workshop at Kripalu Center.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Dani Recommends: You Probably Think This Story's About You

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2024 34:57 Transcription Available


    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 update on the release date for the next season of Family Secrets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    A Thank You From Dani

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2024 3:21 Transcription Available


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2024 61:06 Transcription Available


    Susannah was 758; that was her identifying number as a research subject in an academic study—and a psychological experiment— that spanned thirty years of her life. In adulthood, Susannah can finally uncover the myriad secrets woven into her life under the microscope.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Hey Dad, Who Was That at the Door?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2024 57:02 Transcription Available


    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 secrets? He keeps them. But only for a while.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    A Phantom Glamour

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2024 56:38 Transcription Available


    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 the intersection between drama and comedy in this tangled history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    No, The Kids Were Not All Right

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2024 43:26 Transcription Available


    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 herself. She needs to tell her story and corroborate it. She needs to set herself free.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Candy Bones

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2024 58:19 Transcription Available


    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 embark on a cinematic journey to solve the complex mystery of their mom's disappearance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    A Lightning Bolt of Desire

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2024 64:20 Transcription Available


    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, her children, and herself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    This Didn't Have to Be a Secret

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2024 35:26 Transcription Available


    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 down the truth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Dear Sister

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2024 51:28 Transcription Available


    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 will send her and her beloved sister down a harrowing and unforeseen path.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Code Blue Cafeteria

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2024 67:44 Transcription Available


    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 shared—a secret that's as heartbreaking as it is cataclysmic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    I Dug it Up

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2024 60:15 Transcription Available


    Growing up, Whit was extremely close with her mother. But when she becomes pregnant in her twenties, her mother extracts herself entirely; she spends the rest of her life pretending as if Whit simply does not exist. Why? To answer this burning question, Whit must dig and dig and dig.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Family Secrets: Season 10 Trailer

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 2:17 Transcription Available


    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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    A Message from Dani

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2024 6:22 Transcription Available


    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.com/listener for privacy information.

    A Virtuosic Patient

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2024 52:59 Transcription Available


    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 finally find herself and heal, she must confront the complicated truths and lies told by her artist parents.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    patients virtuosic
    An Answer to the Offness

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2024 49:12 Transcription Available


    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 off. When her intuition led to a painful discovery, she could finally claim her truth and grow.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    You Belong to the Mystery

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2023 66:57 Transcription Available


    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 more than she ever expected to know.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Self I Could Have Been

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2023 30:35 Transcription Available


    In his journey toward self-discovery, Shane must reconstruct his past by cobbling together memories of his kidnapping, upbringing, and the enormous swell of questions which once defined his identity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    This Was All Supposed to be Secret

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2023 57:40 Transcription Available


    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 beget more questions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    As Bad As a Lie

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2023 48:30 Transcription Available


    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 have each other. That is, until they don't.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Sail On

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2023 29:31 Transcription Available


    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/listener for privacy information.

    Because of William

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2023 53:59 Transcription Available


    Daniel grows up idolizing William, his friend and future brother-in-law. William is adventurous, effervescent and inspiring. But William has other attributes, too—secrets locked inside himself and when they come out, Daniel's world unravels.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    A Holiday Message from Dani

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2023 3:58 Transcription Available


    Happy Thanksgiving to our Family Secrets family. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    How Long the Dying Went On

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2023 67:44 Transcription Available


    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, she can at last begin to understand who she is, and who she will become.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Hall of Mirrors

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2023 53:47 Transcription Available


    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, a whole world of information can finally crystalize.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Family Secrets: Season 9 Trailer

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2023 2:39 Transcription Available


    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/listener for privacy information.

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