In this episode, Rudi sits down with therapists Katie and Ashleigh, hosts of the TheraTay Podcast, for a roundtable conversation on Taylor Swift’s newest album The Life of a Showgirl — and what it reveals about joy, ambition, grief, inner parts, and the cost of being seen.

Together they explore why Taylor’s lyrics resonate so deeply with women in therapy, why joy is sometimes more vulnerable than sadness, how music gives language to emotions we haven’t fully named, and what it means to live with both strength and softness.

Whether you’re a therapist, a Swiftie, or just someone trying to understand your own inner world, this conversation invites you to slow down, feel deeply, and notice the parts of you that are still waiting to be heard.


Topics we explore
- The emotional maturity in The Life of a Showgirl
- Why Taylor’s storytelling feels like therapy
- Dialectics: holding two truths at once
- Why joy can feel dangerous when you’re used to protecting yourself
- The “showgirl” mask and the parts we hide
- How art mirrors our unspoken inner life
- What it looks like to be both ambitious and tender
Guests

Kati & Ashleigh — hosts of the TheraTay Podcast
Instagram: @therataypodcast
Podcast: Listen here

Connect with Rudi

Instagram: @thehiddenwaypod
Substack: Read essays here