Terror Talk: True Crime, Serial Killers and Horror

Shannon & Cathy | Clinical Psychology PhD & Forensic Psychologist
  • 4.5 (35)
  • True Crime
  • Updated Bimonthly

Two psychologists — one forensic, one clinical — dissecting serial killers, psychopaths, and the dark minds behind true crime and horror cinema. Hosted by Shannon (PhD, LMFT) and Cathy (PhD, forensic psychology). 600+ episodes covering serial killer psychology, criminal profiling, horror films, cold cases, unsolved murders, cults, narcissism, and crimes so bizarre they defy explanation. Expert clinical insight. Genuine dark humor. New episodes every week. Follow now and join us on Patreon. Lock your doors. 🔒

  1. May 29

    PROFILE: Gary Ridgway, The Green River Killer Part 2

    In Part 1 we followed the investigation. Now Shannon and Cathy go somewhere far more unsettling, inside Gary Ridgway's head. What does it actually take to live a double life for nearly two decades? To hold down a job, get married, attend church, and kill without remorse? In Part 2, our two therapists unpack the psychological machinery behind one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. Ridgway's profile wasn't that of a thrill-seeking sadist, it was something arguably more chilling: a methodical, compulsive need to kill driven by psychopathy and paraphilic disorders. Shannon and Cathy dig into the cognitive dissonance that allowed him to rationalize his crimes, the narcissism that ultimately helped investigators break him, and what his case reveals about the darkest intersections of psychology and violence. If Part 1 asked how he wasn't caught sooner. Part 2 asks who he really was. Buckle up. Until then... sleep safe. 😴 🎧 Follow Terror Talk wherever you get your podcasts and join us on Patreon for bonus content and access to the compound. 📸 Instagram: @terrortalkpodcast | 🎥 YouTube: Terror Talk Podcast | 📘 Facebook: Terror Talk Podcast | 🎵 TikTok: @dark.psychology.girls 🎶 Music by Mannequin Uprising.

    45 min

  2. Apr 22

    PROFILE: Gary Ridgway, The Green River Killer Part 1

    How does a predator this prolific go undetected for so long? He held the same job for 30 years, married three times, and attended church on Sundays. Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, was hiding in plain sight for nearly two decades while methodically strangling scores of women across King County, Washington. In Part 1 of this two-part true crime deep dive, therapists Shannon and Cathy apply their criminal psychology expertise to one of the most baffling serial killer investigations in American history. From the bodies first discovered along the Green River in 1982 to the failed polygraph that pushed Ridgway down the suspect list for years, this episode traces the jaw-dropping failures and near-misses of one of the longest unsolved serial killer cases in American history, and what they reveal about the limits of criminal profiling and forensic investigation. Shannon and Cathy bring their clinical lens to what made Ridgway so psychologically elusive, so dangerous, and so disturbingly easy to overlook. If you think you know this case, think again. Part 2 drops next and it goes somewhere darker. Until then... sleep safe. 😴 🎧 Follow Terror Talk wherever you get your podcasts and join us on Patreon for bonus content and access to the compound. 📸 Instagram: @terrortalkpodcast | 🎥 YouTube: Terror Talk Podcast | 📘 Facebook: Terror Talk Podcast | 🎵 TikTok: @dark.psychology.girls 🎶 Music by Mannequin Uprising

    44 min

  3. Mar 25

    WHAT THE HELL: Ridiculous Crimes, Dumb Criminals and Absolute Chaos

    Why are people so spectacularly bad at being people? Shannon and Cathy take a break from profiling serial killers to profile something arguably more baffling — the sheer, staggering stupidity of ordinary human behavior. From dumb criminals to absurd laws still on the books, this episode is pure chaos with a psychological twist. Because even ridiculous behavior tells you something about the human mind. And some of it is genuinely unhinged. Until then... Sleep safe. 😴 🎧 Follow Terror Talk wherever you get your podcasts and join us on Patreon for bonus content and access to the compound. 📸 Instagram: @terrortalkpodcast | 🎥 YouTube: Terror Talk Podcast | 📘 Facebook: Terror Talk Podcast | 🎵 TikTok: @dark.psychology.girls 🎶 Music by Mannequin Uprising

    35 min

  4. Mar 19

    SHRINK CHAT: Dracula, Iron Lung and The Bride

    What do a centuries-old vampire, a polio-era nightmare and a monster's bride have in common? Shannon and Cathy have opinions. Shrink Chat is where two psychologists get gloriously off-script. This episode Shannon and Cathy dig into their latest horror movie, series and book reviews, including Dracula, Iron Lung and The Bride, plus trivia, highlight games and the general jackassery you come here for. No serial killers this week. Just horror, laughs and two PhDs with too many feelings about monsters. Until then... sleep safe. 😴 🎧 Follow Terror Talk wherever you get your podcasts and join us on Patreon for bonus content and access to the compound. 📸 Instagram: @terrortalkpodcast | 🎥 YouTube: Terror Talk Podcast | 📘 Facebook: Terror Talk Podcast | 🎵 TikTok: @dark.psychology.girls 🎶 Music by Mannequin Uprising

    51 min

  5. Feb 25

    FEMALE PSYCHOPATH: Real and Fictional Women of the 2000s

    Who gets called a psychopath and who just got in the way of a good story? In Part 3 of their decade-by-decade series, therapists Shannon and Cathy turn their clinical lens on the women the 2000s couldn't stop talking about. From Jodi Arias and Casey Anthony to the calculated con of Belle Gibson, and the chilling manipulation of Dalia Dippolito, this episode profiles the real cases that defined female psychopathy in a decade obsessed with dangerous women. On the fiction side: Amy Dunne in Gone Girl, Asami Yamazaki in Audition, Mallory Knox in Natural Born Killers and Marie in High Tension, four of the most psychologically complex female villains ever put on screen. And then there's Amanda Knox. Shannon and Cathy revisit one of the most media-distorted cases of the decade and what it reveals about how quickly the psychopath label gets applied to women who simply don't perform grief the right way. Two psychologists. Ten women. One question: what does it actually take to be labeled a monster? Until then... sleep safe. 😴 🎧 Follow Terror Talk wherever you get your podcasts and join us on Patreon for bonus content and access to the compound. 📸 Instagram: @terrortalkpodcast | 🎥 YouTube: Terror Talk Podcast | 📘 Facebook: Terror Talk Podcast | 🎵 TikTok: @dark.psychology.girls 🎶 Music by Mannequin Upcoming

    45 min

  6. Feb 13

    Worst Horror of 2025 - T***ies & Tonic - Popeye the Slayer Man and IKWYDLS - Bad Movies We Didn't See

    Join us to talk about the worst rated horror of 2025. We like to call it T*****s and Tonic. Subscribe, share the episode, and comment with your own Worst of Horror 2025 picks. 📸 Instagram: @terrortalkpodcast🎥 YouTube: Terror Talk Podcast🎃 Facebook: Halloween All Year Long 🎵 Music by Mannequin Uprising

    53 min

  7. Jan 26

    Best of Horror 2025 - Movies, Series and Horrified

    In this Best of Horror 2026 episode of Terror Talk Podcast, we break down the movies, series, and surprises that defined horror this year — with a fun but thoughtful, spoiler-free conversation. We kick things off with a mini-review of Cathy’s new favorite horror game, Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons, before diving into our top horror TV series of 2026, including standout favorites IT: Welcome to Derry, Dexter: Resurrection, and The Hunting Wives, plus discussions of Alien: Earth and Zero Day. We even disagree on Stranger Things, offering contrasting perspectives. Next, we cover our favorite horror movies of the year, including Sinners, Frankenstein, House of Dynamite, Wolfman, and Companion, along with a few surprise mentions that caught us off guard. This episode is a curated, year-end guide for horror fans who want smart recommendations, honest reactions, and a female-driven perspective on the best horror of 2026. Subscribe, share the episode, and comment with your own Best of Horror 2026 picks. 📸 Instagram: @terrortalkpodcast🎥 YouTube: Terror Talk Podcast🎃 Facebook: Halloween All Year Long 🎵 Music by Mannequin Uprising

    52 min

  8. Jan 7

    What the Hell?! Best of The Dumbest Crimes, Wildest Criminals & Absolute Chaos in 2025

    Welcome to the What the Hell?! Best of The Dumbest Crimes, Wildest Criminals & Absolute Chaos in 2025 episode of Terror Talk Podcast, where we round up the most ridiculous, unbelievable, and head-scratching crimes of the year — the stories that made us stop mid-sentence and say, “What. The. Hell.” This special episode is packed with all-new 2025 crime stories featuring spectacularly bad decision-making, deeply confused criminals, and situations so absurd they sound fictional… but unfortunately are very real. If you love true crime with a heavy dose of humor, this one is for you. As always, we balance our disbelief with laughter, commentary, and just enough psychological insight to ask the real question: how did anyone think this was a good idea? These episodes are a reminder that while true crime can be dark and disturbing, there’s also a strange, absurd side of criminal behavior that deserves to be examined — and laughed at. No glamorizing.No sympathy.Just consequences… and comedy. 📸 Instagram: @terrortalkpodcast🎥 YouTube: Terror Talk Podcast🎃 Facebook: Halloween All Year LongOriginal music by Mannequin Uprising

    37 min
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4.5
out of 5
35 Ratings

About

Two psychologists — one forensic, one clinical — dissecting serial killers, psychopaths, and the dark minds behind true crime and horror cinema. Hosted by Shannon (PhD, LMFT) and Cathy (PhD, forensic psychology). 600+ episodes covering serial killer psychology, criminal profiling, horror films, cold cases, unsolved murders, cults, narcissism, and crimes so bizarre they defy explanation. Expert clinical insight. Genuine dark humor. New episodes every week. Follow now and join us on Patreon. Lock your doors. 🔒

Information

  • Creator
    Shannon & Cathy | Clinical Psychology PhD & Forensic Psychologist
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    580
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Shannon & Cathy | Clinical Psychology PhD & Forensic Psychologist
  • Show Website
    Terror Talk: True Crime, Serial Killers and Horror

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