I love your show, Dani. Wishing you good health & looking forward to your new episodes in May 2025.

I have an idea for the show…tell something remotely interesting between the 500 ads.

Ever since this podcast started solely telling stories of writers it’s not about ‘family secrets’ any more. It’s just like introspective personal stories. Maybe there should be a different podcast for this platform and go back to actual family secrets on this one.

This is a perfect episode to share with friends - great perspectives on life that’s worth exploring further. Was initially skeptical - teacher / student romance with 30 yr age difference… Instead it was really a study of how one’s perspective changes over time - how we evolve and change. Will read memoir -

I look forward to each new episode and have enjoyed listening to the various family secrets shared. I too have been rocked by finding out I'm at the center of a family secret, and listening to this podcast has been comforting. It's giving me strength to speak my truth because secrecy and shame are so damaging. The commercials are annoying though

I have followed and listen to this podcast since season 1. The first few seasons were amazing. Everyday people sharing their family secrets. Eventually this changed. All of your guests have written memoirs, which reveal a family secrets. Not all people, who have interesting family secrets, are gifted writers. Suggest you change the title of your podcast to Family Secrets: A Memoir.

Waaay too many commercials ruins the podcast. Was not always this way. Over time more and more added. Would be five stars but with this over load of of hyped, fast-speaking ads it is a three star. Not worth it to listen anymore.

I’ve been a listener since the debut of this podcast. As others have already noted the show seems to be turning into memoir promotions shifting away from the truly engaging personal accounts of family secrets. Hoping for a return to more relatable stories.

I enjoy most of the shows. Could handle less episodes of experts talking on topics and hear more real people stories. I subscribe to iheart. Sure wish it could be commercial free for people that pay. 4-5 minutes of ads in a row is awful. Worse than television.

Such an important recording at this time in our country. Women’s choice and health care is paramount. I thought we had left this issue behind as a country. As a mother of many daughters it’s worrying.

Listen to my boring life story to justify my bad deeds. Your therapist is ruining your soul.

To hear about your diagnosis. I wish you a full recovery and thank you for continuing this pod—it helps me so much! I kept a secret for so long.

Dani Shapiro created an outstanding podcast going into the depths of what is hiding and working in many family systems. Her understanding shows a deep humanity. Hopefully, she Ms. Shapiro can produce more episodes or podcasts.

I am loving this podcast so much. Thank you for healing me through sharing so many family secrets. I have family secrets of my own and am writing a book about it. Someday I would like to be on this podcast sharing my family secrets and my book. It is an important goal I hope to achieve.

Data Baby? Boo hoo. Your college educated parents signed you up for a longitudinal study and you think you were victimized? You are clueless. Why don’t you go spend some time in an elementary school and see what actual problems kids face. Longitudinal studies aren’t one of them. Go find a real problem.

It makes it hard to listen to your podcast

I’m a listener since the beginning. The stories were mesmerizing. Last and current season are just people telling their life stories. We all have a story; not all are worth telling. If the stories are just stories, change the title of the podcast to: “We all have something to whine about”.

I’m absolutely loving this podcast and how real & vulnerable your guest are being.

Interesting and sad how hard Molly is working to convince herself her and her husband’s sexual immorality is a good thing. In speaking of her husband’s affairs: “Sparks some jealousy.” “Give me some attention.” “Used to be like maybe a 4 hour conversation that involved a lot of my crying.” It’s easy to see pain is there. Molly’s written a book and agreed to this podcast most likely to justify what she’s doing is okay. Dani’s soft and gentle background music was used to make Molly’s story seem light and pretty and morally acceptable. She should have used thunderstorms.

Purely writing this review because of the the latest episode about an open marriage. I don’t think people want to hear about a woman abandoning her kids and looking for pleasure. There’s a lot of people here who were on the other end of that. The kids end. Seeing their mother leave them in pursuit of better things, as if they weren’t good enough. Terrible episode and I am so disappointed in it that I needed to write this review. Most other episodes are healing and helpful to people who experienced terrible things in their life, but this is the opposite.

It would be so nice if you’d link your guest’s books and thing they’re taking about in these episodes. You don’t give them enough exposure keeping us in the dark

This podcast features mostly entitled people with too much time on their hands.

I have been listening to this podcast since the beginning and I must say it’s my favorite. Dani you are the best! Thank you for your podcast. I hate when it’s over.

I accidentally stumbled upon this podcast and found myself binge listening. I’ve felt every emotion possible, and enjoyed each episode. Thanks for an outstanding, thought provoking, interesting show!!

This episode was so compelling and authentic. It resonated with me as a human being who is a hospice nurse. As a daughter and sister Jane’s need to get her room cleaned and set right I see myself. Bravo! Thank you Dani.

Dani Shapiro is amazing and insightful…her guests and their stories are intelligent and thought provoking.

Just listened to Whit’s story about her estranged mother. I’m gutted. I feel so much sadness for Whit and rage for her mother. I hope Whit deeply understands her mother’s actions have ZERO to do with Whit.

Season 10 ep 2 What I have to say is WOW this is the best one I have heard since I’ve been listening to this podcast, I think it was a great love story and all he went through and at the end he married a woman that cared for him since the beginning also. I think there should be more like this one.

I’ve listened to so many of these podcasts and you mentioned the one about the Vietnam war and the wall , I wanted my husband to hear it and can’t find it anywhere.

Good job due respect

Dani, I adore your podcast and all of the teachings you give so freely. I’m sending blessings and prayers to you for total healing. ❤️‍🩹

This show brought a lot of comfort to me through pandemic and beyond. Thank you!! Oh Dani I am so happy you are well!! This news got me so teary.. God bless and keep you for many many more years ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Love listening ❤️❤️

My last show January the 1st or second show. Now all I get is. Do you want to replay the last show ????

True stories well-told.. Too bad about the annoying and anxiety-provoking music. The stories are strong enough without it.

This podcast is more comical than tragic. No longer following.

Overall this is an engaging and interesting podcast with fascinating and articulate guests. Please give the title of the book and the author’s name, plus social media in the show notes. Also would like to see more diverse guests.

I sure hope there was fact checking on your last three guests. Sounded highly unlikely.

I’ve listened for a couple years now, but I’m crying “Uncle.” It seems every episode is the same: some unknown person writes their memoir about their traumatic childhood with their big, huge “secret” and never gets over it so they “write a memoir.” I can’t listen anymore to the same old story. Kept thinking their would be something interesting and original. I’m unfollowing.

Dani’s story and episodes of interviews are truly inspirational and enlightening. The calming, thoughtful way she interacts and engages with each guest makes it one of my favorite podcasts!

The calm voice in my life- and always interesting, thoughtful and insightful of the human experience. I want to hug the guests!

Thank you for this podcast. I’ve found it really helpful to know that many families have secrets. I found out I was adopted by my stepfather when I was nine. However I always knew something was wrong. There is a lot of lies tied to this one big huge lie. I enjoy listening to the podcast even the podcast that are not about adoption. One of my favorites was the one about Ted Kaczynski, and what it was like for his family to have a family member with mental illness. Also, what it’s like growing up in a cult, or mafia family. Again thank you.

This is an excellent and engrossing podcast. The only reason I don’t give it 5/5 stars is because it does such a poor job of promoting the work of the guests who come on and share the most intimate details of their lives. Most of the guests have authored memoirs. Dani Shapiro will state the full name of the author and the title of their memoir in the first moments of the recording, but if you look at the show notes all you get is the author’s first name and no information on their book. You’d think a podcast hosted by an acclaimed author would make more of an effort to promote up and coming writers. Give the guest’s full name in the notes! Link to their book! I’m tired of going back to replay the first minute of the podcast if I decide I’m interested in reading the memoir.

This is a really wonderful podcast. My only issue is the ridiculous number of advertisements that are included in each episode. Podcasts have ads but not this many! Still well worth listening but be prepared for the commercial breaks.

In your latest podcast, who was at fault, who died, no answers provided and I listened for over 1 hour. Yes, I know the subject is about family secrets, but she never knew what happened and neither do the listeners, ultimately.

The interview with Mikel Jollett was one of best “Family Secrets” episodes. My heart goes out to him and I appreciate the way he told his story with love, humor, and honesty. So glad he is in a good place with his own family-i bet a lot of hard inner work to get to that place. Really appreciate Mikel’s story, please thank him for writing and speaking it.

Stories about privileged people going through mental health problems. “I lived in a 3200 sq feet apartment in NYC to very successful, affluent parents, and they had depression and it was very hard on me”

I loved the original format of this podcast when guests shared family secrets and Dani and the guest explored the ramifications of those secrets. This year though, there are very few with that format and too many conversations with doctors & experts. The brilliance of this podcast was that it was relatable. Now it feels like a therapy session & I’m done waiting for the podcast to return to its original format.

The stories and guest are fascinating and everything is so well put together but I swear at least half of each episode’s run time is just ads. It makes it borderline unlistenable which is disappointing because the actual content is really good

I first read Dani’s book Inheritance and then discovered this podcast. From the beginning I was hooked because it felt as if she knew all my families secrets but I didn’t know them. Compelling guests, probing questions and compassion makes me feel a part of a community that I never knew existed. Invaluable service to those of us still discovering. Thank you everyone.