This week, Ande and Amethyst sat down with Dr. Rachel Toles - licensed clinical and forensic psychologist, true crime consultant, and the mind behind the Psychology of Serial Killers live tour - for a conversation that honestly went in a lot of directions we weren't expecting.

Dr. Toles has spent her career studying serial homicide, extreme violence, and threat pathways, and she gets into all of it here: the early experiences that drew her to this work, why so many of the things we think we know about serial killers are flat-out wrong and why she thinks women's fascination with true crime is less morbid than it is deeply practical.

She also makes a case for slowing down, listening to your body's warning signs, and why throwing around words like "psychopath" and "narcissist" actually does more harm than good. Plus - keep an eye out for her upcoming book, Inventing the Psychopath, due out fall 2027.

If you're in the Chicago area, Dr. Toles is bringing the Psychology of Serial Killers tour to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie on Tuesday, April 28 at 7:30 PM. And if you're not local, she is truly everywhere right now - check the tour site to see if she's coming to a city near you.

Links:

• Learn more about Dr. Rachel Toles: drracheltoles.com
• Tour dates and tickets: psychologyofserialkillers.com (dates through May 18)

Support the show