Beyond the Veil

Sometimes labeling ourselves can feel limiting or constrictive, but other times it can be a source of new possibilities. In this episode, Sara shares her stories about the power of fandom and identifying as a Hufflepuff.

On Episode 33, we discuss...

→ Coping with loneliness after a friend moves away

→ The key to new friendships? Harry Potter, of course

→ Losing an identity, but finding a new one in Hufflepuff

→ The amazing power of online fandom, even when you're a lurker

→ The enormous emotional power of IRL Potter events

→ Love is the best weapon we have

→ Surrounding yourself with what you become

If you have a Potter story you want to share, we'd love for you to join us as a guest on the podcast! Please fill out the form on our website. At the end of every show, we also read anonymous submissions from anyone who doesn't want to have their name shared with their story. You can also submit anonymous stories through our form.

Share your thoughts on this episode with us below in the comments! Be sure to check out Beyond the Veil on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, Potter and mental health discussions, and more!

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Throughout the Potter series, Harry loses his parents, Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore, and many more loved ones. Grief is hard enough, but it's made even more difficult when we lose more loved ones before we've truly been able to process other prior losses. In this episode, Erica shares the story of how grief affected her mental health and how Harry Potter was able to help her cope.

Trigger Warning: Death of a loved one, suicide

On Episode 32, we discuss...

→ Death, depression, and turning off your emotions

→ The difficulty of losing multiple people close to one another

→ Being able to see thestrals

→ The role of anger in grieving

→ Learning from Harry's unrelenting grief

→ The importance of community

→ Escaping with Potter

→ Learning to express what you need during grief

If you have a Potter story you want to share, we'd love for you to join us as a guest on the podcast! Please fill out the form on our website. At the end of every show, we also read anonymous submissions from anyone who doesn't want to have their name shared with their story.

Share your thoughts on this episode with us below in the comments! Be sure to check out Beyond the Veil on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, Potter and mental health discussions, and more!

Listen to us on iTunes, Spotify, Pocketcast, and

Losing a loved one is one of the most difficult things we experience in life, and the Potter series is one of the many resources here to help us better understand our feelings after the fact. In this episode, Jean shares the story of someone she lost and how the Potter series has helped her move with her grief.

TRIGGER WARNING - Death of a loved one, grief

On Episode 31, we discuss...

→ Finding a new relationship in the absence of a father figure

→ The strangeness of a person entering our lives exactly when we need them

→ The harrowing loss of someone who's larger than life

→ Unreality in the aftermath of grief

→ Returning to Potter with a new perspective

→ "You care so much you feel as though you will bleed to death with the pain of it"

→ Reflections on Harry, Sirius, and James

→ The obsessive nature of grief

→ Lessons on depression and sadness from Sirius

If you have a Potter story you want to share, we'd love for you to join us as a guest on the podcast! Please fill out the form on our website. At the end of every show, we also read anonymous submissions from anyone who doesn't want to have their name shared with their story.

Although Harry Potter's life is roller coaster ride of different traumatic events, he's able to grow and recover after these difficult times, and so can we. In this episode, Dr. Katy-Lauren Ford shares her knowledge on attachment styles, the impact of trauma on our worldview, and how to better make sense of these topics through the lens of the Potter series.

On Episode 30, we discuss...

→ Potter academia: teaching a course on trauma and PTSD in the Potter series

→ A refresher on the basics of trauma & PTSD

→ The four attachment styles: secure, avoidant, anxious, and disorganized

→ Learning about attachment through the golden trio

→ How our interactions with our caregivers influence the way we see the world, our friends and romantic connections, and how we deal with emotional distress

→ The complex relationship of trauma and attachment style

→ How to keep your traumas from defining you

If you have a Potter story you want to share, we'd love for you to join us as a guest on the podcast! Please fill out our submission form.

Share your thoughts on this episode with us below in the comments! Be sure to check out Beyond the Veil on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, Potter and mental health discussions, and more!

You can now support us on Patreon!

Listen to us on iTunes, Spotify, Pocketcast, and Google!

The most wonderful time of the year doesn't always live up to its name. Grief, seasonal depression, and the pressure around the holiday season can make this time of year really difficult for some of us. Join host Madison Ford for some tips on how to keep the holidays magical, even when you feel like this time of the year is a burden.

On Episode 28, we discuss...

→ What do you do when you can't spend the holidays at Hogwarts?

→ The plethora of ways the holidays can make us feel not so wonderful

→ Listener responses: what makes the holidays difficult for you, and how do you fight off the Dementors?

→ Self-care tips for a Potter-ful holiday

If you have a Potter story you want to share, we'd love for you to join us as a guest on the podcast! Please fill out our submission form.

Share your thoughts on this episode with us below in the comments! Be sure to check out Beyond the Veil on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, Potter and mental health discussions, and more!

You can now support us on Patreon!

Listen to us on iTunes, Spotify, Pocketcast, and Google!

Everyone has a unique experience in the Potter fandom, and it's incredible how fan fiction, headcanons, and deep conversations with friends allow us to make the series our own. In this episode, Jessie and Lark of The Gayly Prophet podcast share their thoughts on intersectionality in fandom, their mental health experiences, and how the Potter series has played a role in their lives.

On Episode 28, we discuss...

→ Our wishes for better Potter movies

→ "The Gayly Prophet: a #ruthless Potter podcast that looks at the books with a critical but funloving eye

→ How diverse headcanons open up space for interesting and nuanced conversation

→ Vague character descriptions: the good and the bad

→ Juggle mental health, marginalized identifies, and participating in the Potter fandom

→ Practicing intersectionality within the fandom

→ How to talk about personal experiences on a podcast

→ The many benefits of Potter for your mental health

If you have a Potter story you want to share, we'd love for you to join us as a guest on the podcast!

Share your thoughts on this episode with us below in the comments! Be sure to check out Beyond the Veil on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, Potter and mental health discussions, and more!

Listen to us on iTunes, Spotify, Pocketcast, and Google!

Throughout the years, Harry Potter has been there to help fans in so many different ways. In this episode, Benjamin Marshall shares his experience with wand carving as a way to help with the negative thoughts that accompany depression and OCD.

TRIGGER WARNING: This entire episode contains a candid discussion about suicide. Much of our discussion takes place from 20:44-26:45, but the subject comes up throughout the entire discussion. If you're struggling, please know that you're not alone. You can reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or chat with a representative online.

On Episode 27, we discuss…

→ OCD: how to cope when intrusive thoughts come pounding at the door

→ Feeling out of place at home after six days in a psychiatric hospital

→ A life-changing new hobby: wand carving

→ Where mental health and wand carving collide

→ Reading the books with new empathy

→ The importance of sharing your mental health experiences with others, spoken and in writing

→ If you'd like to read Benjamin's book, please visit his website: http://benjaminjamesmarshall.com/

If you have a Potter story you want to share, we'd love for you to join us as a guest on the podcast!

Share your thoughts on this episode with us below in the comments! Be sure to check out Beyond the Veil on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, Potter and mental health discussions, and more!

Listen to us on iTunes, Spotify, Pocketcast, and Google!

Harry Potter has been a part of our world long enough that many who first read it as children are now adults. On this episode, Haley Futch shares the way the Potter series helped her during her school years and how it continues to help her as a teacher.

On Episode 26, we discuss…

→ Finding Potter friends: online and offline

→ Fan fiction as a source of hope, healing, inspiration, and realizing that you deserve better

→ Lessons from Lily in relationships

→ Draco Malfoy the healer

→ Potter podcasts and audiobooks for the few free hours of a graduate student with a job

→ Learning from the failures of Harry's teachers

→ The responsibility of teachers going beyond the content they teach

If you have a Potter story you want to share, we'd love for you to join us as a guest on the podcast!

Share your thoughts on this episode with us below in the comments! Be sure to check out Beyond the Veil on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, Potter and mental health discussions, and more!

Listen to us on iTunes, Spotify, Pocketcast, and Google!

One of the most magical parts of the Potter series is getting to see Harry become part of the big, happy Weasley family after a childhood of abuse by the Dursleys. On this episode, Jacqueline Frank shares how the Potter series was an escape for her during a very trying childhood.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode may be triggering for survivors of childhood abuse. Suicide mention 15:45 – 16:53.

On Episode 25, we discuss…

→ How growing up with a narcissistic parent can feel like living in the cupboard under the stairs

→ Harry Potter: a secret escape

→ Learning to choose your own family

→ The issue with the importance of blood relatives in the Potter series

→ Fighting injustice alongside Hermione

→ How do you actually cast a Patronus?

→ Hagrid's most relatable teacher moments

If you have a Potter story you want to share, we'd love for you to join us as a guest on the podcast!

Share your thoughts on this episode with us below in the comments! Be sure to check out Beyond the Veil on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, Potter and mental health discussions, and more!

Listen to us on iTunes, Spotify, Pocketcast, and Google!

We know how Harry, Ron, Hermione, and our other favorite characters in the Potter universe cast a spell to keep Dementors out of their lives, but how can we use this metaphor in the Muggle world? In this episode, we discuss the ins and outs of Dementors, Patronuses, and what we can do to manage our feelings when life gets really difficult.

On Episode 24, we discuss…

→ What exactly is a Dementor? What exactly is a Patronus?

→ How a Dementor is like depression

→ Sirius Black protected himself from Dementors without his wand, and so can we

→ Listener thoughts on Dementors, Patronuses, and mental health

→ How to cast your own Patronus

If you have a Potter story you want to share, we'd love for you to join us as a guest on the podcast!

Share your thoughts on this episode with us below in the comments! Be sure to check out Beyond the Veil on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, Potter and mental health discussions, and more!

Listen to us on iTunes, Spotify, Pocketcast, and Google!