Claire Bare

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This episode takes the scenic route...from Shane Gillis, Texas dating apps, and the apparently luxurious promise of a full set of teeth and dinner at Chili’s, to a much deeper question: Who taught us what treatment we should accept?

Claire looks back at her eighth-grade home life, her decades-long “Pick Me” era, and the late-but-life-changing art of getting good at goodbyes. She also confesses to a truly mortifying Civil War class project that proves some memories belong on VHS and in a landfill and to be forgotten. 

It’s funny, uncomfortable, painfully honest, and ultimately about owning the harm, learning the lesson, and changing anyway.

Content note: This episode includes discussions of misogyny, sexual assault, racism, emotional abuse, and family dysfunction.

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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and this week we’re talking about the kind of abuse that doesn’t always leave a bruise.

Coercive control. Financial and psychological abuse. Post-separation abuse. Family court. Survival mode. And what happens when leaving doesn’t necessarily mean it’s over.

I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that talking about the hard things can make someone feel a little less alone.

So we’re talking about it.

And most importantly, we’re talking about finding your way back to yourself...your people, your laughter, your hobbies, your light and your sparkle.

Because darkness doesn’t get to have the last word. 💜

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Thank you for getting BARE with Claire! 

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Apparently, I’m old now.

I discovered this while photographing twenty-somethings who had no idea who Zack Morris was while I repeatedly yelled “YOLO” at them like someone’s embarrassing aunt.

So naturally, this sent me into an existential crisis about middle age, barrel jeans, the price of milk, if I'll have to forgo the South of France for Dollywood and what exactly happens when you’re no longer young, definitely not old, and everyone on Instagram seems to be vacationing in Greece.

BUT THEN…something happened.

Someone found my little baby podcast.

An actual OB-GYN in Baltimore emailed ME and asked if she could come on the show to talk about women’s health.

And listen, we are celebrating the wins around here.

Because sometimes you’re wondering if anyone is listening, whether you should keep going, and if this ridiculous idea you had is actually going anywhere BUT THEN the universe gives you one tiny little nudge that says, keep going.

So I am.

And speaking of women’s health, we finally arrive at the moment I have been threatening you with for approximately seven episodes:

I GOT MY PERIOD.

At my dad’s house.

After eating teriyaki chicken.

And instead of telling another human being what was happening, I balled up my underwear and hid it behind the towels in the linen closet.

Womanhood! ✨

From there, we head into seventh grade, where I desperately wanted to make the basketball team despite having no discernible basketball skills, practicing approximately never, and mostly just wanting to be included in the girl gang.

I did, however, throw myself onto a gravel parking lot and sob while my mother sat in the minivan repeatedly telling me to get in the car.

I was destined for entertainment after all.

This week we’re talking middle age, periods, parenting, perimenopause, rejection, questionable fashion choices, mothers who somehow survived us, and those tiny moments that remind us maybe we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be.

Also: I need your questions for our FIRST GUEST!

We’re talking women’s health, hormones, HRT, perimenopause, menopause and all the things nobody seems to adequately explain to us. Send me what you want to know.

And please share the podcast.

Mama’s trying to get to Greece.

At minimum, Dollywood.

Support the show

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Thank you for getting BARE with Claire! 

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Ahhh, adolescence.

But underneath all the bangs, bodily fluids and butt-cheek splinters is something I can see now that I couldn't see then...how early we start worrying about being pretty enough, cool enough, developed enough and, maybe, most importantly wanted.

Because maybe sometimes we didn't actually want the boy or the bra or the shaved legs.

Maybe we just wanted the boy to want us or to feel like we can shave and wear bras on our time. 

And THAT seems like something worth unpacking.

So grab your Esprit bag, tight-roll your jeans and whatever you do, do not bounce against the wooden bleachers.

We're going to middle school.

Support the show

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https://www.youtube.com/@theclairebare

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Thank you for getting BARE with Claire! 

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Fifth grade, the year of triumphs, trials, questionable friendships, and discovering that apparently I was, according to one bathroom stall, a bitch.

This week, we’re heading back to the strange social battleground that was fifth grade, when friendships could change by lunchtime, mean girls were mean girling and sometimes…plot twist…I was the problem.

There are friendship feuds. Favorite trees. Petty revenge. Bathroom graffiti. Some victories. Some character-building moments I probably could have done without. And plenty of evidence that ten-year-old girls should not be left in charge of anyone’s kool-aid or self-esteem, including their own.

And just when fifth grade couldn’t get any more emotionally complicated, the adults decided it was time to gather us together and explain periods and not in the grammatical sense.

So sharpen your No. 2 pencils, choose your friends carefully, and whatever you do, don’t read the bathroom stalls.

Support the show

https://www.instagram.com/theclairebare

https://www.youtube.com/@theclairebare

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Thank you for getting BARE with Claire! 

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This one is...a lot.

I've gone back and forth about whether I should even release this episode because it's deeply personal, uncomfortable, and honestly, a little terrifying to share.

What started as my thoughts on the Lindsay Clancy trial became something much bigger...a conversation about coercive control, mental health, postpartum depression, trauma, family court, and what happens when someone's reality doesn't fit neatly into the story everyone else has already decided is true.

I'm not here to tell you what to believe about any case. I'm here to tell you why this case hit me so hard.

For the first time, I'm sharing pieces of my own story. How years of post-separation conflict changed my mental health, why I believe abuse can look very different than we expect, and why I think we need to start asking one simple question before we label someone "crazy":

Is someone hurting you?

This isn't an easy listen. There are moments that are heavy, heartbreaking, and probably a little unhinged...because that's real life. There are also jokes about Burning Man, because apparently my coping mechanism is making inappropriate jokes at the worst possible times.

If you've ever felt dismissed, gaslit, overwhelmed, or wondered why healing feels impossible while you're still surviving the thing that's hurting you, I hope you know you're not alone.

As always, these are my personal experiences, opinions, and reflections. Nothing in this episode should be taken as legal, medical, or mental health advice. If you or someone you love is struggling with thoughts of suicide or is experiencing abuse, please reach out to a trusted person or qualified professional in your area.

I'd genuinely love to hear your perspective.

Because maybe...just maybe...the facts aren't always facting and sometimes we should explore why! 

♡ Claire

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Thank you for getting BARE with Claire! 

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This episode is different.

The Lindsay Clancy case has captivated the country, but for me, some elements painfully familiar. In 2023 I lost a close friend and her two young children in a tragedy that followed a hauntingly similar pattern.

In both cases, one detail has stayed with me: according to public reports and witness testimony, the husbands immediately told first responders that their wives had killed the children.

This is an episode about conspiracy theories AND critical thinking because they can coexist and why every investigation shouldn't leave questions unanswered, cell phones unchecked and blindly trust a man's word.  

As always, these are my personal opinions and reflections based on publicly available information and my own lived experience. My goal isn't to tell you what to believe, it's to encourage us all to think a little more deeply before deciding that every story is as simple as it first appears.

Support the show

https://www.instagram.com/theclairebare

https://www.youtube.com/@theclairebare

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Thank you for getting BARE with Claire! 

Tell me everything!

A quick check-in to say… summer is doing the absolute most and also not. 

Between life, schedules, and everything in between, episodes may be a little more sporadic over the next couple of months. But don’t you worry...Claire Bare isn’t going anywhere. 

Regularly scheduled programming will be back in full force this August. Just "BARE" with me during the summer.

Until then, expect a little chaos, a little inconsistency, and the same unfiltered honesty, just on a slightly looser timeline.

If you have some downtime this summer and want to be featured on a bonus episode. Reach out and let's get you in the chair with Claire! 

Now go get BARE and enjoy the sweet summa of fun! 

Support the show

https://www.instagram.com/theclairebare

https://www.youtube.com/@theclairebare

https://www.tiktok.com/@theclairebare

Thank you for getting BARE with Claire! 

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In this episode, Claire dives into the end-of-year chaos. Emotions are high, calendars are full, and somehow… everyone’s getting an award.

From current trends and observations to navigating the bittersweet (and slightly humbling) experience of watching her son absolutely thrive, Claire unpacks the unexpected feelings that come with it...including a little jealousy she wasn’t exactly prepared for.

She also looks back on her own childhood, revisiting the infamous “scary” fourth-grade teacher and what it actually meant to experience her firsthand. Finding out she has always been different.

It’s honest, self-aware, and a reminder that sometimes the things we fear (or compare ourselves to) aren’t the full story. 

Support the show

https://www.instagram.com/theclairebare

https://www.youtube.com/@theclairebare

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Thank you for getting BARE with Claire! 

Tell me everything!

Re-sharing this episode because it’s one of those stories that just hits—early signs of perfectionism, chaos, and a few questionable childhood decisions. If you’re new here, welcome. If you’ve heard it before… it might hit differently this time.

Taking some time to focus on MAY-HEM! Will be back next week with a banger!

Support the show

https://www.instagram.com/theclairebare

https://www.youtube.com/@theclairebare

https://www.tiktok.com/@theclairebare

Thank you for getting BARE with Claire!