Trauma Bond with Theresa Bateman

Get your pumpkins and hot apple cider ready because this is the perfect Fall episode with none other than the man, the myth, the legend whose name has been dropped on the pod COUNTLESS times…MIKEY! We cover it all: from growing up as the only adopted gay kid in a small Indiana town, his former life in the ministry, 9/11 trauma, the impeccable vibes of the film Practical Magic, and why green bean casserole doesn't get enough credit as a perfect Thanksgiving side.

Mikey is a musician, pro makeup artist, home cook, cat dad, and Los Angeles newcomer from Nashville TN. You can follow him @meikimusic

We got you on the guest list for this one, because Aisha/AJ Blvck is on the decks dishing out all the hot goss. From MySpace crushes to Spice Girls hook ups to hexing, and the important questions like: "2 Girls 1 cup, where are they now?" they cover it all. LA may be opp/swamp city, but at least this episode is an unprecedented event that won't send you to therapy.

Their name is Aisha Black. AJ is their nick name. You can call them either, but if they're boy boots, AJ does feel more affirming. They are queer transdrogynous dyke/fag. They dj, they're a home chef, they throw dating events, they wrestle (if they're lucky enough), and they love birds. You can follow them @cowboyblvck

Tie us up, tie us down, because this week's episode packs a punch! Cristina Maria Florez takes a seat and a beat to remind us that it is all about how we process. From tallying up body count lists to creating fruitful artist retreats to conquering anal, Cristina knows all about building a praxis that thrives because of healing - not in spite of it. You don't need to wait for our permission, press play on this episode now.

Cristina Maria Florez is a multidisciplinary artist, performer, and coach based in Los Angeles. She's the founder of Conquer Your Sexy, where she works with women around confidence, embodiment, self-expression, and the ongoing adventure of becoming more fully themselves. She's a dancer, actor, musician, choreographer, and writer who has spent her career moving between creative disciplines—and generally refusing to choose just one thing. She is currently composing music, developing a one-woman show, and continuing to make a life and body of work that can hold all of her interests at once. Her work is interested in the messy, funny, intimate parts of being human, and in what happens when we stop waiting to feel ready and start making the thing anyway. You can follow her @cristinamariaflorez and @conqueryoursexy

In this dynamite episode, we tossed two proud theater kids in a room and let it roll. That's right, we have comedy diva Dylan Adler on the mic doling out whacky tales of making suicide jokes in front of empathetic lesbians, childhood crushes on lifeguards, and how to inject joy into rape content. Featuring an incredible song break, this episode is unadulterated joy - with a fever pitch you can't sweat out.

Dylan Adler is a comedian, actor, writer, and musician based in NYC and LA. He was a writer on the Late Late Show with James Corden where he also performed Stand Up and was a Sports Correspondent. He recently performed stand up on Comedy Central and was named a Comic You Should and Will Know by Vulture Magazine. He has also performed in the New York Comedy Festival as a Comic To Watch . His show with Kelly Bachman Rape Victims are Horny Too with Kelly was written up by Paste Magazine and ranked #2 in Paste Magazine's 12 Best Comedy Albums of 2022 . He formerly performed as a sketch actor on Maude Night at UCB. He's also the co-composer of the musical Good Morning New York that played Off-Broadway. You can follow him @dylanadler_

No Trauma Bond is ever broken... but we will be taking a short break. Trauma Bond HQ will be out of office for the month of August! But don't fret, our next episode comes out on September 7th with a very special guest and it's another fun one, if you can believe.

In the meantime, be sure to follow us on IG and Tiktok @traumabondpodpod for the unhinged social content we'll be dishing out throughout the month, and maybe go back and re-listen to your favorite episodes :)

Hope you're all having a great Summer!

Have you ever wanted to call CPS on your SIMs family? Does trauma run in your family like your father's eyes? Did you gift your virginity unceremoniously on an air mattress? Then, with heartfelt condolences and congratulations, you found the perfect episode! Kylie Vincent left us deeply undone yet unashamed with her appearance on the pod. So turn down the tender and tap in to this conversation to get the answer to the burning question: are there some experiences too dark to laugh at?

Kylie Vincent is a Gen Z pope. She has created a cult following of gay sick people from her first solo show "Bird" that received 5 star reviews at Edinburgh Fringe. Her stand-up has been featured on Comedy Central as a part of their Stand-Up Featuring series with over 100,000 views, if anyone watches YouTube. Glamorously, Kylie was presented by the city of West Hollywood this year as their 2026 Artist Grant recipient. Her new hour, Lesion Lady has had a sold out run of shows first performed 18 days out of hospital, 47 days out of the hospital, and 120 days out of the hospital, and Hollywood Fringe.

CONTENT WARNING: Incest and childhood sexual abuse

It's time for a Bateman Cousin Lore drop! After a girlhood spent people pleasing, the effervescently intelligent Margo Bateman is here to throw down. Listen up as she excavates the beauty algorithm's relentless investment in making us feel less than (though we're still buying), the tragedy of feeling represented in The Remains of the Day, fond memories of a little thing called Shanksgiving, and how blanking out on her dad's final words of wisdom is a clear sign of ADHD. So stop taking financial advise from nepo babies, and get all your DIY improvements from Margo instead.

Margo Bateman writes, directs and performs comedy; Paints and makes cartoons. She's a long time student of Astrology and professional bartender. Eagles fan. Go Birds!🦅🏈 Find her everywhere online @Averagelover69

Gemini season may be dunzo, but we got a breath of fresh air (sign) coming through your speakers because Claire Luisa is in the house. In between bites of butter, this Trader Joe's bag lady breaks down the emotional toll of working at Disney World on 9/11, being a gay for guns, and the trench warfare of acting. Come for Claire's goofiness, and you'll fall in love with her expansive understanding of how denial is one hell of a drug. What was it that Steve Lacy said? Oh yeah, Gemini Rights.

Claire is a queer Filipino-American writer, standup, retired rapper, weird aunt, adhd goblin, Gemini, and lady in waiting to an elderly Chihuahua. You can follow her @claireluisabiz

Gimme, gimme, gimme, an episode with Emily Draznik. In this jam packed dish session the star of our hearts chats with Theresa about all the niche drama of Los Angeles, holiday season birthday trauma, and going head to head with Katy Perry in a trivia contest about…Katy Perry. We were lucky enough to pull this beloved scene girl off the dance floor and into the studio just for y'all. Engage and enjoy! You can follow Emily @emdrazqueen

Come one, come all to this entrancing episode featuring the impeccable DJ Mausner. Together, DJ and Theresa swim laps in the sea of movie studio cannibals, intersectionality of trans aliens, and how it feels to get a binder on the same day as your dads death certificate. Interested in tactics to thrive, not just survive? This one's for you.

D.J. Mausner is a standup, sketch, and improv comedian known for writing the WGA Award nominated film Prom Dates on Hulu. They perform regularly on UCB Harold team 'dance club remix' and have performed at Just For Laughs, where they won the Homegrown Comics competition. You may have seen them on HBO, Prime, and Dropout TV. You can follow them @djmausner