Second Adolescence

Adam James Cohen
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Conversations about Second Adolescence - the messy, exhilarating, awkward, healing-filled LGBTQ+ adulthood that comes after growing up in an anti-queer world. Hosted by Adam James Cohen, a licensed psychotherapist and a fellow human who navigated his own Second Adolescence. For more, visit: www.secondadolescencepod.com

  1. Ep. 66: Bella Crum (they/she) on Listening and Returning to Our Bodies as Queer and Neurodivergent People

    JUN 16

    Ep. 66: Bella Crum (they/she) on Listening and Returning to Our Bodies as Queer and Neurodivergent People

    On this week's episode we have Bella Crum (they/she). Bella is a queer and neurodivergent somatic practitioner specializing in supporting queer and neurodivergent folks. In this conversation, Bella lets us into their own journey of understanding her queerness and neurodivergence, what healing and support has been for them in this process, and what somatic work actually is and how it can help us unmask, heal, and actually feel like our most true and free selves. I SO loved learning from and connecting with Bella, and am sure you will too! About the guest: Bella Crum is a queer and neurodivergent somatic practitioner who helps people become friends with their past, present, and future selves and the bodies that carry them—without shame, pressure, or pretending to be someone they’re not. She blends nervous system science, identity exploration, and a handful of swear words to support folks in unmasking, healing, and actually feeling like themselves. Basically, if you’ve ever thought “Am I queer enough?” or “Why does being a person feel so hard?”—they’re your people. Links: For free resources, coaching and to sign up for the Somatic Yes course, you can visit www.rainbowwillows.org  To find Bella on social media, search @SomethinAboutBella on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube or click directly to the links on RainbowWillows.org For more, visit www.secondadolescencepod.com and @secondadolescencepod.

    43 min
  2. Ep. 65: Liz Rhea (she/her) on Breaking Free to Exist Fully

    APR 8

    Ep. 65: Liz Rhea (she/her) on Breaking Free to Exist Fully

    On this week's episode we have Liz Rhea (she/her). Liz is a therapist who many folks may know on social media for her really helpful work of providing an affirming, validating, and helpful perspective about what it means to be a therapist and how folks who attend therapy can continue getting what they need out of it. So much of her therapy practice centers on support queer and trans people and people with religious trauma and that became a focus of today's conversation. Liz takes us into her own personal journey as a queer person who engaged in really meaningful deconstruction of beliefs that growing up in a conservative religious context left her with and kept her from existing fully as herself. Blending her own personal experience with her perspective and work as a therapist, Liz dropped so many nuggets of wisdom and affirmation throughout this chat! About the guest: Liz Rhea, MSW, LMSW is an associate licensed social worker and private practice owner in Atlanta, Georgia. Liz is a queer-identified therapist and specializes in supporting queer and trans folks, as well as folks navigating complex trauma, including religious trauma and purity culture recovery. Liz believes deeply in the utilization of reclaiming and healing within community in the therapeutic space. In addition to her work as therapist, Liz is a Founding Organizer for Let's Talk About It, a queer and trans-centered mental health training organization, and she creates content about being a chill therapist for both therapists and therapy-goers on instagram and tiktok!  Reclamation Collective: https://www.reclamationcollective.com Let's Talk About It: https://www.letstalkaboutitcon.com Liz's Website: https://www.lizrheatherapy.com Tiktok: @lizrheatherapy  Insta: @lizrheatherapy  For more visit www.secondadolescencepod.com and @secondadolescencepod.

    41 min
  3. Ep 64: Tom Bruett, LMFT (he/him) on Couples & Relationship Therapy for Gay Men

    MAR 21

    Ep 64: Tom Bruett, LMFT (he/him) on Couples & Relationship Therapy for Gay Men

    Today we have couples and relationship therapist, Tom Bruett, LMFT (he/him). Tom specializes in supporting gay men and is the author of The Go To Relationship Guide for Gay Men: From Honeymoon to Lasting Commitment (out now!). I was excited to have Tom on because I want to create more space to talk about the power and complexities of the romantic relationships we pursue in our Second Adolescence. In this conversation, we chat about a lot of the work Tom does with gay men, what couples and relationship therapy entails, how and why unaddressed trauma comes up in our relationships, how relationships can be containers for our own personal growth and healing, and so much more. I so loved getting to connect with Tom and am excited to invite you all into the chat! About the guest: Tom Bruett, LMFT is a therapist, trainer, consultant, and author who works extensively with the queer community. He is the founder of the Queer Relationship Institute, which provides therapy for queer folx and training for therapists who work with queer relationships. Tom has trained under Drs. Ellyn Bader and Peter Pearson in the Developmental Model of Relationship Therapy, which he now trains other therapists in. His book The Go-To Relationship Guide for Gay Men: From Honeymoon to Lasting Commitment will be published by Jessica Kingsley in March 2025. In his downtime, he loves theatre, travel, and collaborating with his partner to keep their rescue dog, Millie, from causing too much mischief.  Get Tom's book HERE. You can follow Tom's work at @queerrelationshipinstitute and www.queerrelationshipinstitute.com. For more, visit www.secondadolescencepod.com or @secondadolescencepod.

    39 min
  4. Ep. 63: Brandan Robertson (he/him) on Being Queer & Christian

    FEB 20

    Ep. 63: Brandan Robertson (he/him) on Being Queer & Christian

    On today’s episode, we have Brandan Robertson (he/him). Brandan is known on the internet as the “TikTok Pastor,” with lots of folks tuning into his inclusive theological digital content across social media. I was curious to have Brandan come on to add to the conversation we’ve been having about queerness - I’ve gotten to speak with lots of folks whom as part of their healing have created distance between themselves and religion and God, but I’ve also heard from folks who are seeking ways to integrate their queerness with a faith as an adult. Brandan is a great resource here because he author of the forthcoming book “Queer & Christian: Reclaiming the Bible, Our Faith, and Our Place at the Table." The book and todays conversation are really about how queer folks can do just that - reclaim their faith. Even if you’re not seeking this for yourself, I found this conversation to be interesting and informative. Pre-order Queer & Christian HERE About the guest: Rev. Brandan Robertson is a noted author, activist, and public theologian, dedicated to exploring the intersections of spirituality, sexuality, and social justice. He serves as the Pastor of Sunnyside Reformed Church in New York City and is the founder and Executive Director of The Devout Foundation. Known as the "TikTok Pastor," Robertson's inclusive theological content reaches over 250,000 followers and has garnered 6 million views. He has authored 23 books, including the INDIES Book of the Year finalist True Inclusion. His work has been featured in TIME Magazine, CNN, and The Washington Post. Robertson is a sought-after speaker who regularly presents at prestigious platforms like The White House and Oxford University, continuing to inspire and challenge audiences around the world. Robertson acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Ministry and Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute, an Master of Theological Study from Iliff School of Theology, and an Master of Arts in Political Science and Public Administration from Eastern Illinois University. He's presently pursuing a PhD in Biblical Studies at Drew University. He currently resides in New York City. Connect with Brandan on TikTok & Instagram For more, visit www.secondadolescencepod.com and @secondadolescencepod.

    35 min
  5. Ep. 62: Help and Healing From Male Escorts: One Man’s Story of Stepping Into His Queerness While Grieving His Late Wife

    FEB 6

    Ep. 62: Help and Healing From Male Escorts: One Man’s Story of Stepping Into His Queerness While Grieving His Late Wife

    Our guest on today’s episode is a man we’re going to call "David" - David is not his real name, he’s using a pseudonym. We recorded this conversation about a year into his uncovering his bisexuality in his early 60s, something he started doing alongside grieving the passing of his wife of over 40 years. Prior to passing, his wife encouraged him to live a happy life when she's gone. Though she may not have been anticipating this turn, he is in a current chapter of stepping into his full self for the first time. To ease the fear he held in pursuing gay experiences, David sought the support of male escorts as a way to ease into this world. The result has proven to be very powerful and healing, with escorts having acted as safe supports guiding him in unlocking his queerness and stepping into his Second Adolescence. There’s definitely a nuanced conversation we all could and should have about sex work and the experience of sex workers, and that is so important, but this conversation is really about highlighting one man’s meaningful healing journey that has been aided by their support, and I am so grateful to David for offering this story to this collective work and am so honored to get to invite you all into it. For more, visit www.secondadolescencepod.com and @secondadolescencepod (IG).

    50 min
  6. Ep 61: Valerie Baker (she/they) on Late Blooming After Fundamentalist Religious Upbringings

    JAN 30

    Ep 61: Valerie Baker (she/they) on Late Blooming After Fundamentalist Religious Upbringings

    This week’s guest is Valerie Baker (she/they). In this episode, Valerie shares with us about her experience coming into her queerness in her 30s after growing up within a culture of religious fundamentalism. They share with us about childhood, and how due to the level of conservativeness within the fundamentalist religion she grew up within, she felt like she missed out on her first adolescence for multiple reasons. After getting married to a man and beginning to find their adult self, Valerie eventually felt the pull to pursue her interest in women and so much followed. This was such a lovely conversation, I feel SO grateful to Valerie for inviting us all into their story. About the guest: Valerie Baker (she/they) is a writer and creative based in North Carolina. On her Substack, Breadcrumbs, Valerie writes about being a late blooming queer woman, coming out of fundamentalist religion, and their experience finding hope and healing along that journey. You can find Valerie's Substack at valeriehart.substack.com and follow on IG @writerwithadayjob.  For more, visit www.secondadolescencepod.com and @secondadolescencepod (IG).

    37 min
  7. Ep. 60: Lucas Wilson (he/him) - From Conversion Therapy to Queer Liberation

    JAN 16

    Ep. 60: Lucas Wilson (he/him) - From Conversion Therapy to Queer Liberation

    This week's guest is Lucas Wilson (he/him). Lucas is the editor of Shame-Sex Attraction: Survivors' Stories of Conversion Therapy, which features personal essays written by survivors about their experience in Conversion Therapy (CT). Lucas is also a survivor of CT and this is the focus of our conversation today - his own personal journey as a survivor of conversion therapy, and his experience studying and knowing the experiences of other survivors. This conversation includes discussion of conversion therapy, religious trauma and mentions of sexual abuse. We also talk about what it means to heal and liberate after these experiences. About the guest: Lucas Wilson is a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Toronto Mississauga and was formerly the Justice, Equity, and Transformation Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Calgary. He is the editor of Shame-Sex Attraction: Survivors’ Stories of Conversion Therapy (out January 21st!), and he is the author of At Home with the Holocaust: Postmemory, Domestic Space, and Second-Generation Holocaust Literature, which received the Jordan Schnitzer First Book Publication Award. His public-facing writing has appeared in The Advocate, Queerty, LGBTQ Nation, and Religion Dispatches, among other venues. He is currently working on two interrelated monograph projects that examine evangelical homophobia and transphobia in the U.S. Pre-order Shame-Sex Attraction HERE. Instagram: @lukeslamdunkwilson Threads: @lukeslamdunkwilson Bluesky: @lukeslamdunkwilson.bsky.social Twitter/X: @wilson_fw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-wilson-2a0753b1/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luke.wilson.96 For more, visit www.secondadolescencepod.com and @secondadolescencepod (IG).

    1h 1m
  8. Ep 59: Steve Spencer (he/him) on Navigating Biphobia and HIV Stigma

    09/05/2024

    Ep 59: Steve Spencer (he/him) on Navigating Biphobia and HIV Stigma

    September is Bisexuality Visibility Month, and I’m excited to kick it off with this week’s guest, Steve Spencer (he/him). Steve is award-winning bi+ and HIV advocate, researcher, and consultant. Steve is a bi, HIV positive man who is doing so much work to advocate for bi+ visibility and action against HIV stigma, and I was eager to have him on to give voice to all of this.  In this episode, we hear Steve’s personal story of discovering his biness at age 13 but then being told by a well-intentioned but uninformed therapist that he was gay and did not need to pretend he was bi. He went on to spend the next 13 years repressing his biness. Steve shares with us what coming into his biness has been like for him, his experience as a person with positive HIV status, and guides us through wider conversations about biness, HIV, and so much more. I so loved getting time with Steve and think what he’s doing is so important, and I’m just so excited to be able to invite you all in to the conversation.  About the guest: Steve Spencer is an award-winning bi+ and HIV advocate, researcher, and consultant based on Gadigal Land, Sydney, Australia, and he is a proud ambassador of Qtopia Sydney and the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation. Steve sits on the board of Australia's national peak HIV body, NAPWHA, and is a leading advisor, researcher, and university lecturer in bisexual health and HIV, working with The Kirby Institute, UNSW, and Johns Hopkins University. Steve also uses his large social media following - perfecting the art of discussing serious messages with a sprinkling of thirst traps - to advocate for bi-visibility and action against HIV stigma.  Self-acceptance, community, courage, and empathy are at the core of Steve’s advocacy and you can follow his work on Instagram @ssstorven. For more, visit www.secondadolescencepod.com and @secondadolescencepod.

    46 min
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About

Conversations about Second Adolescence - the messy, exhilarating, awkward, healing-filled LGBTQ+ adulthood that comes after growing up in an anti-queer world. Hosted by Adam James Cohen, a licensed psychotherapist and a fellow human who navigated his own Second Adolescence. For more, visit: www.secondadolescencepod.com

Information

  • Creator
    Adam James Cohen
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    70
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Second Adolescence
  • Show Website
    Second Adolescence