Proxy with Yowei Shaw

Georgia Is Terrified of the Titanic

Georgia knows the Titanic can't hurt her. So why does just looking at a picture fill her with dread? And can she make the fear go away?  We find her a proxy who has spen

Can you want to succeed without losing your mind?

Yowei has a problem. She overprepares, overthinks, and worries so much about doing a good job that sometimes it makes her worse at her job. Can you care deeply about your

Ellie and the Other Woman

Ellie never thought she’d be the other woman. Then she fell in love with a married man.  We find Ellie a proxy: another woman who knows what it's like to fall in love wi

Ryan Jay Keeps Falling For His Friends

Ryan Jay has a problem. He makes friends with women. They get close. Then he falls for them. It’s happened enough times that Ryan Jay is starting to question whether he a

Chloe Is Starting to Drink Too Much

Chloe loves her life. There's just one problem: she's drinking more than she wants to, and she doesn't understand why. She's about to start medical school, but she's scar

State of the Show: Comcast Says We're Gonna Make It

Before Proxy comes back on September 22, Yowei and Kyle hold a tiny business meeting about the state of the show: more listeners, fewer members, a new membership goal, an

Taelor Doesn't Want to Have Sex

The case of the asexual woman who wants love with no sex.  Taelor wants a romantic partner. Someone to share a life with, to love and be loved by. Just without sex. But

Sam Doesn't Know How to Be Rich

The case of the progressive rich guy who doesn’t know what to do with his money. Sam grew up middle class, built a company, sold it, and suddenly found himself with more

Alex's Husband Is Too Straight

The case of the person who worries their husband still sees them as his wife.  Alex is nonbinary, and their husband Henry is a straight cis man. Henry has been supportiv

Yowei Can't Speak Bro

The case of the podcast host who can't speak bro. For twelve years, Yowei has been trying — and failing — to have a normal conversation with her husband's best friend. I

Jane Doesn't Like Her Dogs

The case of the dog trainer who stopped feeling close to her own dogs.  Jane has devoted her life to dogs. She's worked in animal rescue, fostering, and training. But la

Caitlin Lost the Voice In Her Head

The case of the writer whose inner narrator disappeared.  For most of her life, Caitlin Myer had a narrator in her head. A voice that told stories, shaped sentences, and

Yowei Used to Hide Her Husband Kyle (from Love Letters)

Once upon a time, Yowei felt embarrassed to have a boyfriend—not because of him, but because of what it said about her.  This story comes from the Love Letters podcast.

Nicole Can't Stop Being Aggro

The case of the organizer who's afraid to stop being angry.  Nicole knows how to be mad — and channel that into her work as a labor organizer and activist. But lately, t

Bob and the Forgiveness Spell

The case of the woman who wants to forgive her mom, but doesn't know how.  Erin wants to forgive her mother. Not because she wants a relationship with her. But because s

Yaroslava Can't Go Home

The case of the teenager who can't go home. Yaroslava was 16 when Russia invaded Ukraine and she had to flee her home. Now she's 19, living in New York and starting to b

The First Ever Extrovert-Introvert Cage Match

The case of the introverts and extroverts who love each other, but sometimes can't stand each other.  Why does it hurt so much when the people we love have different ide

An Estrangement Mystery

An Emotions Beat episode about the reasons that keep going missing. There's a strange pattern in family estrangement: adult children say they've explained why they need

JC's Kids Won't Talk To Her

The case of the mother whose kids won't talk to her. JC's adult children have cut off contact with her. They've told her why, but JC still doesn't understand what went w

Alex and the Impossible Ask

The case of two podcasters who hate asking for money. Alex Goldman used to host Reply All. Yowei used to host Invisibilia. Now they both make independent podcasts, which