30 year-old Mary M. left America for Europe to escape not only an American culture that was wearing on her but a family where she was tired of being the scapegoat to her golden-child brother. An all-too-common scenario where her parents can only seem to support her financially but not emotionally. She discusses the prejudice she experiences as a queer woman ... Show More
Mar 27
#793 - Darkness In The "Wholesome" Family - Andrea Leeb
Andrea Leeb is a writer and advocate who opens up about her experience as an incest survivor and the betrayal of both her father, who abused her, and her mother, who turned the other way. She also shares her path to healing through it all. Look for her acclaimed new memoir, Such ... Show More
1h 38m
Mar 20
#792 Can Personalities Change? - Olga Khazan
Olga Khazan is an author and staff writer for The Atlantic. Today she talks about the experiments she undertook to change her own personality traits over the course of a year, which inspired her new book, Me, But Better. She also shares her good and bad experiences with anxiety-- ... Show More
1h 14m
Mar 2025
If You Want This Kind of Love, Don’t Expect It to Be Easy
<p>When Samaiya Mushtaq was growing up, she imagined marrying a kind Muslim man, and at 21, she did. But while studying to become a psychiatrist in medical school, she realized her husband couldn’t meet her emotional needs — something she deeply craved. Despite the shame she felt ... Show More
40m 58s
Dec 2024
Family, Feels, & Finding Myself
In this week’s solo episode, Ken takes us on an emotional and hilarious journey as she reflects on her recent Cabo trip with her mom. From heartfelt gratitude for her mother’s sacrifices to the chaos of navigating their differences, Kennedy dives into the complex dynamics of thei ... Show More
41m 18s
Nov 2025
Alisha’s Mom’s Story — Adoption, Addiction & Panic Attacks
<p>This episode includes discussions of domestic violence, addiction, and heavy mental health topics. Please listen with care or feel free to skip if these topics are triggering for you. </p><p>This week’s guest is a Pretty Basic legend in her own right — Alisha’s mom, Chris! </p ... Show More
1h 43m
<p><strong><em>Trigger warning: </em></strong>This episode contains conversations about family trauma and eating disorders. If these topics are difficult for you, feel free to skip or take breaks as needed. 💜</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Bretman Rock is back on <em>Pretty Basic </em ... Show More
