Soundtracks of the self: Protection and expression in (unsafe) spaces

Soundtracks of the self: Protection and expression in (unsafe) spaces

Author: Charts & Leisure June 18, 2025 Duration: 40:45

In this episode of Unravelling, host Kurt speaks with Evelyn Lee, a music therapist based in Singapore, about how music can be a powerful tool for identity, healing, and connection, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. Evelyn shares insights from her work with queer clients in a country where homosexuality was only recently decriminalized. Together, they explore how music supports self-expression, the evolving landscape of queer-affirming care, and the role of social media in shaping how we experience and share music.

We want to know what you're listening to and what it might say about you! Send us an email, a voice message, or a voice memo by emailing unravel@brattlebororetreat.org or calling 802-258-POD3 (802-258-7633)!

Links
Evelyn's website - prospectmusictherapy.com
Prospect Music Therapy on Instagram
Sign up for Prospect Music Therapy's mailing list. 


There’s a thread that connects our inner lives to the culture we live in, and Unravelling pulls on it to see what emerges. This isn’t a lecture series, but a conversation guided by therapist Kurt White and journalist Mary Wilson, who bring their distinct perspectives to every discussion. They explore how mental health is woven into everything from our daily fitness routines and societal pressures to the art we consume and the relationships we keep. In each episode, you’ll hear from experts who study the mind alongside individuals sharing their personal, lived experiences, creating a dialogue that feels both intellectually rigorous and deeply human. The aim is to move beyond simple definitions, examining how anxiety, resilience, joy, and struggle shape our collective reality. Produced by Charts & Leisure, this podcast provides a space for nuance, challenging the idea that our psychological worlds exist in a vacuum. It’s for anyone who has ever felt the tension between their private thoughts and the public world, offering not easy answers but a more textured understanding. By listening, you become part of a broader exploration into how compassion, for ourselves and our society, can actually be built from a place of genuine curiosity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Unravelling
Podcast Episodes
The psychology of the Black experience [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:03
In this episode of Unravelling, Kurt White sits down with Professor Nnamdi Pole, Harold and Elsa Israel Professor of Psychology and Chair of the Psychology Department at Smith College, to discuss his course, The Psycholo…
What you don't know about alcohol [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:56
In this episode of Unravelling, Kurt White sits down with his colleague Dr. Geoff Kane, MD, MPH, Emeritus Chief of Addiction Services at the Brattleboro Retreat, to delve into the evolving understanding of alcohol’s heal…
The riddles within: Crosswords, anorexia, and feminist history [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:17
In this episode of Unravelling, Kurt White sits down with Anna Shechtman, author and renowned crossword creator, at the Brattleboro Literary Festival to discuss her book, The Riddles of the Sphinx: Inheriting the Feminis…
Family estrangement: Breaking ties, building community [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:26
Description: In this episode of Unravelling, Mary Wilson speaks with Angel Cassin, CEO of Together Estranged, about the complex and often taboo topic of family estrangement. Angel shares her own journey of going no-conta…
Democracy and distress: The mental health impact of politics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:34
In this episode of Unravelling, Kurt White speaks with Dr. Kevin Smith, a political scientist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, about the connection between politics, stress, and mental health. They discuss Dr. Smit…
The embodied wisdom of peer-led approaches [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:19
Description:This episode of Unravelling delves into peer-led mental health care by exploring the work of Stefanie Lyn Kaufman-Mthimkhulu, founder of Project LETS. This national grassroots organization centers the voices…