Family Secrets

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Family Secrets. We all have them. And while the discovery of family secrets can initially be terrifying or traumatic, often these discoveries have the power to liberate, heal, and even uplift us. Join Dani Shapiro, bestselling author of the memoir Inheritance, and her guests as they explore astonishing family secrets and uncover the extraordinary lessons the truth can teach us. read less

Our Editor's Take

The host of the podcast Family Secrets had a shocking discovery about her family's past at an older age. When she was a child, Dani Shapiro always felt different. Her blonde hair and blue eyes didn't seem to fit with her Ashkenazi Jewish parents. But it was only when Shapiro was in her 50s that she found out why.

Shapiro's husband convinced her to take a DNA test with him, as he was curious about his heritage. Her results were more than surprising. Not only did Shapiro have French, Irish, and German origins, but she was not related to her half-sister at all. The only conclusion was that her beloved father was not her biological parent. But the reality was even stranger than what the podcast host could have imagined.

She learned that her parents underwent fertility treatments. In an effort to improve their odds, her dad's sperm got mixed with that of an anonymous donor. During the 1960s, this was a common practice that no one thought to question. The podcast host's parents kept that secret from her their entire lives. Now it was all unraveling in front of her.

Something amazing happened when Shapiro finally started to disclose her secret to others. Others began to tell her their own secrets. That was the motivation for her to create the podcast. Secrets fester in the darkness. They grow larger and scarier, and they have the power to shape whole lives. But Shapiro found that if people are open about them, something extraordinary happens. They realize that they're not alone.

In each episode of Family Secrets, Shapiro hosts someone who's had their life turned upside down. They uncover reports about their past, rooted in shame, trauma, or their DNA. Shapiro's warm and compassionate interviewing style allows her guests to bare their souls. That results in stories that are both remarkable and relatable at the same time. New podcast episodes debut each week.

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Family Secrets: Season 11 Trailer

Family Secrets: Season 11 Trailer

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

Episodes

Let’s Go Into the Woods

Let’s Go Into the Woods

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.

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

I Was Told Not to Tell Anyone

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

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

Love, Mommy Dearest

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

Family Secrets: Season 11 Trailer

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

New Season and Workshop!

New Season and Workshop!

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

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

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

A Thank You From Dani

Dani shares an update with the Family Secrets family at the end of our tenth season.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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?

Hey Dad, Who Was That at the Door?

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

A Phantom Glamour

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

No, The Kids Were Not All Right

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.

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

A Lightning Bolt of Desire

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

This Didn’t Have to Be a Secret

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.

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

Code Blue Cafeteria

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.

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

Family Secrets: Season 10 Trailer

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.