The word Badass does not even cover the awesomosity of Raff. New New York City transplant by way of California and Idaho, Raff embodies (in some ways literally) the compelling tensions in just being a human person. Radical leftist whose dad is a police officer (ACAB BMDIC (but my dad is cool) as John proffered), surrounded by violence but living a non-violent life, and using pain as a coping mechanism. Raff has been through a lot of adverse childhood experiences, but one of our abiding themes here at Harping with Howie is that our past is not our destiny.

Join hosts Anna Butler and John F. O'Donnell as we get to know perhaps the coolest person in our cohort. From being a part of a real-life The Wire-type situation to choosing hope over and over again, Raff is like a rainbow that points toward a way out of the dark.

Cover art by Pepper Auerbach @iwasateenagepepper on Instagram.

Content note: this episode contains discussions of child abuse, self harm, and sexual assault.

The Howette family grows today as we add a new rotating co-host to our roster, Ben Roberts, joining Anna Butler to present another thoroughly engrossing episode of Harping with Howie.

Today's guest is Ray Guzman. Part philosopher, part artist, part mental health advocate. We get an in-depth look at what it's like inside of Schizophrenia and also what it's like to look back at it, once you're through it. We ride off on a chewy tangent about the history and beauty of hip hop. Then we loop back to Ray's recollections of competing realities. What and who can you trust?

The conversation also touches on family, as it often does, as the source of love, pain, support, and trauma. The ties that bind indeed. We thank the goddesses that Ray decided on the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich of life and thank him for letting us try a crispy, crunchy, flavorful bite.

Cover art by Pepper Auerbach on Instagram @iwasateenagepepper

If people are layered, like onions, Renata would be a very large onion! Both whip-smart and level-headed, Renata takes hosts Anna Butler and John F. O'Donnell on a twisty-turny journey through the relationship we have with our mothers and our children, AuDHD, and the discovery we all make - even though we didn't cause it, we have to fix it ourselves. If life gives you lemons, make a goddamn lemon mousse tarte meringue parfait.

How can gaming heal you? Let Naomi tell you all about it. On today's very special episode of Harping with Howie, hosts Anna Butler and John F. O'Donnell talk to a fellow program participant from the Howie the Harp Peer Support Specialist Training Center in New York City.

With courage and candor, Naomi walks you through her recovery journey with PTSD. Her story asks the question: are we shaped by our history or are we the creators of our own lives? The answer (as with most binaries) is both. We'll let Naomi take it away from here.

Cover art by Pepper Auerbach on Instagram @iwasateenagepepper

Content note: this episode discusses child sexual abuse and sexual harassment

Welcome back Howettes to the second episode of Harping with Howie! Today we talk to Anwar from the Summer 2026 cohort of the Howie the Harp peer support specialist training program in Harlem. Anwar details his beginnings in both the mean and nice streets of Chicago, through his time in college, rehab, and New York's housing system. From being the life of the party to finding a life that's more than just a party, Anwar epitomizes the heart of recovery, which is often just putting one foot in front of the other. Trauma may come at you from all sides, but wherever you go, there you are.

Anwar tips his hat to his time in the restaurant service industry, but he's now ready to be of a different type of service to other people. Pull up a chair or earbud and join us on Anwar's journey of hope and recovery.

Cover art by Pepper Auerbach on Instagram @iwasateenagepepper

Content note: this episode discusses domestic violence and includes adult language

The key is having a grandmother who loves you too much. Just ask John!

In this very first episode ever of Harping with Howie: a Peer Support Podcast, hosts Anna Butler and John O'Donnell talk about what led them to the Peer Support Training program at the Howie the Harp Advocacy Center in New York City.

Along the way, they share tidbits of their story, like when Anna was accused of stealing $25,000 from a bank or when John was in cahoots with Bono.

Above all, John and Anna offer candid reflections about some of the most difficult parts of their mental health journeys and what truly helped. The only drug we're dealing here folks is Hope, not dope. Buckle in as we begin our curiosity adventure into the depths of the human mind and heart.

Cover Art by Pepper Auerbach. On Instagram @iwasateenagepepper

Content note: this episode discusses childhood trauma, sexual assault, eating disorders, alcoholism, suicidal ideation, and psychiatric hospitalization.