Can You Inherit Trauma - And If So, Can You Inherit Healing?

Can You Inherit Trauma - And If So, Can You Inherit Healing?

Author: Sony Music Entertainment / Jonathan Van Ness February 19, 2025 Duration: 55:47
JVN sits down with journalist and author James Longman to explore one of the most fascinating questions in mental health: can you inherit trauma? Drawing from his deeply personal journey and his new book The Inherited Mind, James unpacks the science behind genetic predisposition, epigenetics, and the interplay between nature and nurture. Together, they explore how trauma shapes our brains, why mental illness remains so stigmatized, and whether healing can be passed down just as much as hardship. James shares his own family’s history, the groundbreaking research that’s reshaping our understanding of mental illness, and the hopeful innovations that might change how we address treatment in the future. James Longman has been a foreign correspondent for ABC news since 2017. Based in London, his work takes him all over the world -- to date, more than 45 countries and counting. He has covered some of the most important international events of our time. He was in Moscow when Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine and spent a month reporting from the Russian capital with the situation deteriorating by the day. He then spent more than 12 weeks in Ukraine and was one of the first reporters to see firsthand the horrors in Bucha. From the fight against the Islamic State group on the Syrian front line, confronting Chechen authorities about abuses against LGBTQ+ people, terror attacks across Europe and further abroad to tagging humpback whales in the Antarctic, Longman has one of the most varied briefs in American network news. His new book, The Inherited Mind, is out now! You can find James Longman on Instagram @jameslongman Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Find books from Getting Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn. Our senior producer is Chris McClure. Our editor & engineer is Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall. Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com. Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com.  Go to nordvpn.com/jvn with our link, you’ll get an extra 4 months free on the 2-year plan and it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You know that feeling when you’re just trying to figure it all out, and you need a guide who’s equal parts insightful and hilarious? That’s the space where Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness lives. Hosted by the beloved Jonathan Van Ness of Queer Eye, this podcast turns genuine curiosity into a powerful engine for personal growth. Each episode feels like a vibrant conversation with a deeply empathetic friend who isn’t afraid to ask the big, awkward, or wonderfully silly questions. Jonathan sits down with a diverse array of experts, authors, and thinkers, weaving together discussions that are as enlightening as they are unexpectedly funny. The result is a unique blend of education, comedy, and culture that tackles everything from societal issues to the intimate details of self-improvement. You’ll find yourself laughing one moment and having a profound revelation the next, all while feeling less alone in the challenges of modern life. This isn’t about quick fixes; it’s about the ongoing, messy, and beautiful process of understanding ourselves and the world. Produced in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, the podcast delivers consistently engaging audio experiences that are both a lifeline and a joy. Tune in for a weekly dose of warmth, wit, and the kind of conversations that leave you feeling genuinely better equipped to navigate your own path.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness
Podcast Episodes
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The RMS Titanic sank 111 years ago this week. It may have been on its maiden voyage, but this trip was the culmination of more than 200 years of maritime travel and innovation. This week, Dr. Meaghan Walker joins us to e…
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How Have You Changed Reality TV As We Know It? with Fenton Bailey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:22
This week, we’re celebrating the small screen with a TV legend: World of Wonder’s Fenton Bailey! Fenton is one of the creative forces behind RuPaul’s Drag Race and other groundbreaking TV shows and films. Fenton and Jona…
How Smart Is AI? (Part Two) with Meredith Broussard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:39
We’re back with the second half of our special two-part episode about algorithms and artificial intelligence, featuring returning guest Meredith Broussard. Yesterday, we got the T on ChatGPT, and learned why we can’t tru…
How Smart Is AI? (Part One) with Meredith Broussard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:39
Every time you interact with a targeted advertisement, use a drop-down menu, or scroll through TikTok, you’re engaging with an algorithm. And these algorithms are anything but objective. This week, Meredith Broussard ret…
What’s Happening In East Palestine? with River Valley Organizing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:41
When a train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, just over a month ago, the team at River Valley Organizing sprang into action. River Valley Organizing is a multi-racial, multicultural working…