This episode talks in detail about rape.

"I've actually been really scared to talk about these things," Paige told Renée as she started to tell her story and lose her breath. Paige had a relatively happy childhood and an appropriately "boy crazy" adolescence. Unfortunately, her first boyfriend was so abusive and controlling that, until recently, she kept the details of the five-year relationship buried far away from her consciousness. Now a happily married, 32 year-old mother of three, Paige finds herself suddenly overcome by the trauma - memories, feelings, all of it -- and she has come to the show hoping Renée can help her stabilize. Her story is intense and it was hard for her to tell it, but her bravery is stunning. Renée helps Paige understand her intense symptoms and new triggers, and by the end Paige not only has her breath back, but she also has hope and a plan.

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"It's an abusive relationship sometimes," Chad told Renée. He wasn't talking about his love life - he was talking about his job. Chad, who brings equal parts strength and sensitivity to the conversation (not to mention a seriously soothing voice), works as a 911 Dispatcher, and, as he explains, he often wants out but just can't leave. This relationship with his job is a big part of the reason Chad has come to the show; he is hoping Renée can help him let go of the stress he carries not only because his job is inherently stressful, but also because he puts so much pressure on himself. Having a job that demands hypervigilance makes it extra tricky to manage stress, but Renée is up for the challenge. She and Chad sort out the intersections of his childhood trauma and his current stress situation and develop a solid plan for salvaging his nervous system. As it turns out, this is a little more complicated than work stress, and Chad uncovers new layers and makes new connections right up until the very end of the conversation. But before they get into it, Renée has a story to tell. So much so that the intro is long enough to be its own episode. And we thought about making it an entirely separate episode. Instead, we are giving you one big juicy one. Muah!

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Jess was raised in the Mormon church and was a perfectly happy child - until she was sexually assaulted by two neighbors at 11 years old. Even at that young age, she had the self-possession to report the incident, only to be told by the church that the assault was her fault. This was the origin of Jess's "bad picker," as she calls it; she found herself drawn to abusive relationships before extricating herself from the church and its dogma. The journey from oppression to autonomy was dynamic and deeply difficult, and, Jess is ready to share the whole story. She has done a lot of healing work already, and her strength and smarts shine at every turn. Still, despite her remarkable resilience, she continues to struggle with the symptoms of CPTSD, and she comes to the show hoping Renée can provide the elusive layer of healing that will finally free her. Renée can, but not before Jess takes us through a ton of trauma twists and turns. Religion, relationships, suicide, sexuality, body image, babies, and more: all leading up to a beautifully happy ending.

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