In a special bonus episode of Trauma Town, Amanda reflects on the overwhelming response she has received in the wake of Great Photo, Lovely Life’s release on December 5, 2023. Joined by Trauma Town producer — and bff — Jen Wilburne, she discusses her approach to receiving feedback, the reactions that she has received from viewers, and what she's got cooking next in her life. 

This episode was recorded after the release of Great Photo, Lovely Life.

Amanda chats with her friend and mentor Sasha Joseph Neulinger about their shared surreal experience as primary characters in their own documentary projects, what it’s like to navigate projections from outsiders, the importance of self-care, and the subjectivity of language around abuse.

This episode was recorded before the release of Great Photo, Lovely Life.

Sasha Joseph Neulinger is the Founder and President of Voice For The Kids, and Co-Founder and Head of Production at Step 1 Films. In 2015, Sasha presented at TEDxBozeman with his first public speech, Trauma Is Irreversible. How It Shapes Us Is Our Choice. Since his TED Talk, Sasha has presented over 100 keynote speeches around the world, helping raise over $8 million for the fight against child abuse. Sasha made his directorial debut at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival with his autobiographical, feature-length documentary, REWIND. REWIND had its US Television Premiere on May 11, 2020 as a part of PBS’ Independent Lens lineup, and has since been streaming for audiences both nationally and internationally. REWIND was nominated for a 2020 Critics Choice Award for Best First Feature Documentary and received three Emmy Nominations in 2021, including Outstanding Social Issue Documentary, Outstanding Direction, and Outstanding Editing.

Sexual violence expert Kristen Houser-Rapp discusses society’s attitudes toward victims, misplaced blame, and the oversimplification of issues that could help prevent sexual violence. Kristen gives context around the nature of intrafamilial abuse and the grooming of spouses and family members and dissects Amanda’s family members’ responses to Bill’s violence and predation. 

This episode was recorded before the release of Great Photo, Lovely Life.

Kristen Houser-Rapp is a leading expert on sexual violence. With decades of experience in the field, Houser is a go-to source for context and expert opinion to national, regional, and international media – including the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Forbes, and others. Houser-Rapp has served as a lead spokesperson for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and Raliance, a national partnership working to end sexual violence in one generation. She provides expert opinion, context, and facts about sexual assault to media covering high-profile cases, including those of Bill Cosby and Jerry Sandusky. She graduated from Penn State in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in Human Development & Family Studies and a minor in Women’s Studies and earned her Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2005.