Resources:

Join the Passionista Sisterhood: https://go.lunatrk.com/aff_c?offer_id=2695&aff_id=2966

The Passionistas Podcast - https://www.thepassionistasproject.com/passionistaspodcast

Passionista TV Network - https://www.youtube.com/@ThePassionistasProject/

Contact: Guide@Safrianna.com | Safrianna.com | LivingLUNAs.com

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Episode 15: Creating Inclusive Community with the Passionistas

Welcome to The Shadow Side with Safrianna, where we illuminate what others too often keep hidden in the dark. I'm Safrianna Lughna - licensed therapist, CEO of Living LUNAs, and your guide into the world of shadow work.

In this episode, originally recorded in early 2025, I sat down with sisters Amy and Nancy Harrington, co-founders of the Passionista Project—a truly inclusive community that launched in 2024. We dove deep into the messy, beautiful reality of building spaces where women from all backgrounds can show up authentically without perfection.

I've been a member of the Passionista Sisterhood since late 2024, and throughout 2025, this community became one of my anchors. Amy and Nancy's approach to building inclusive space has profoundly influenced how I show up in my own community work—and this conversation captures why.

Amy and Nancy shared their journey from entertainment industry careers to creating a sisterhood built on one core rule: kindness.

We explored the uncomfortable truth that building inclusive communities means sometimes excluding those who can't practice tolerance, the difference between healthy community and cult-like control, and why rupture and repair—not just harmony—creates real connection.

This conversation tackled the hard questions: How do you create space for difficult conversations? What do you do when members disagree? How do you handle the paradox of being inclusive while standing for something?

In This Episode, We Discussed:

- Why conformity destroys community (and Amy's experience being "one of the guys")

- The catalyst moment: how the 2016 election and Me Too movement sparked their mission

- Building community through listening rather than prescribing answers

- The difference between cults and community

- Why people weed themselves out when kindness is non-negotiable

This podcast is for anyone ready to explore uncomfortable truths, do the inner work, and contribute to collective healing. If you're tired of surface-level conversations and ready to go deeper, this is your space.

Guest Information:

Amy and Nancy Harrington are sisters, entertainment industry veterans, and co-founders of the Passionista Project. They've conducted over 1,500 celebrity interviews, host the Passionistas Podcast, run annual Women's Equality Summits, and created the Passionista Sisterhood—an online community where women from diverse backgrounds connect, support each other, and lift each other up. Learn more at https://www.thepassionistasproject.com/

Episode 14: The Season of Darkness with Camille A. Saunders

Welcome to The Shadow Side with Safrianna, where we illuminate what others too often keep hidden in the dark. I'm Safrianna Lughna - licensed therapist, CEO of Living LUNAs, and your guide into the world of shadow work.

In this episode, sex and relationships therapist Camille A. Saunders joins me to explore winter as a season of rest, reflection, and necessary darkness. We discuss how modern society's relentless productivity demands clash with nature's call to hibernate, and why honoring seasonal rhythms is essential for our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.

Together, we examine the pressure to maintain high energy during the darkest time of year, the importance of setting boundaries during holiday obligations, and how to find balance between preparation and actual rest. Camille shares her experience navigating winter in the Pacific Northwest, while I discuss the grief and family dynamics that often surface during this season.

We explore winter through four bodies—physical (managing darkness and vitamin D), mental (resisting premature goal-setting), emotional (allowing the full range of feelings including grief), and spiritual (going inward for reflection and shadow work). This conversation challenges the commercialized holiday hustle and invites listeners to honor winter as a time for genuine hibernation and inner work.

This podcast is for anyone ready to explore uncomfortable truths, do the inner work, and contribute to collective healing. If you're tired of surface-level conversations and ready to go deeper, this is your space.

Contact: Guide@Safrianna.com | Safrianna.com | LivingLUNAs.com

Guest Bio

About Camille A. Saunders

Camille A. Saunders is a sex and relationships therapist, gardener, cat mom, witch, and bisexual human navigating life in the Pacific Northwest. She brings a holistic approach to her therapeutic work, honoring the intersection of nature's rhythms, personal healing, and relational wellbeing. Camille believes in creating space for the full range of human emotions and experiences, particularly during challenging seasons—both literal and metaphorical. https://www.camilleasaunders.com/

Looking for Ways to Connect with the Wheel of the Year? Join Safrianna and Dr. Melissa Bird for their eight ritual series. For more information, visit: https://safrianna.com/seasonal

Breaking the Cycle of Violence with Heartly House - The Shadow Side Ep. 13

Content Warning: This episode discusses intimate partner violence, child abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking, and trauma in detail. Please care for yourself while listening.

In this essential episode, licensed trauma therapist and domestic violence survivor Safrianna Lughna sits down with Caroline Dato, MSW (she/her) and Natalie Feit (she/her) from Heartly House, a nonprofit agency providing free services to survivors of intimate partner violence, child abuse, sexual violence, and human trafficking in Frederick County, Maryland.

Drawing on both her clinical expertise and lived experience, Safrianna creates space for an honest, comprehensive conversation about the realities of intimate partner violence, the barriers survivors face when trying to leave, and the pervasive nature of abuse in our society.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

— The difference between domestic violence and intimate partner violence

— Why it takes survivors an average of seven times to leave an abusive relationship

— The cycle of violence and why the "honeymoon phase" keeps people trapped

— How financial abuse occurs in many intimate partner violence cases

— The connection between childhood abuse and adult abusive relationships

— Why male survivors of childhood sexual abuse take 20-25 years on average to come forward

— The role of consent in preventing all forms of violence

— Human trafficking realities that don't match the stereotypes

— How to support survivors without re-traumatizing them

— The power of simply saying "I believe you"

Caroline and Natalie share information about Heartly House's comprehensive services including their 24/7 hotline, emergency shelter, counseling, case management, youth prevention team, abuser intervention program, and support for secondary survivors (those supporting survivors in their lives).

This conversation goes beyond awareness to provide practical education on recognizing abuse, understanding trauma responses like freezing, and building community support that can literally change the trajectory of a survivor's healing journey.

Guest Bios:

Caroline Dato, MSW (she/her) is the Community Engagement and Prevention Lead at Heartly House, where she trains individuals who live, work, or go to school in Frederick County on supporting survivors and recognizing abuse patterns.

Natalie Fight (she/her) is a Bachelor of Arts student majoring in social work at Hood College and served as a Community Engagement Intern at Heartly House.

This podcast is for anyone ready to explore uncomfortable truths, do the inner work, and contribute to collective healing. Connect with Safrianna at Guide@Safrianna.com | Safrianna.com | LivingLUNAs.com

Resources:

Heartly House 24/7 Hotline: 301-662-8800

If you live outside Frederick County, Maryland, you can still call the hotline to be connected with resources in your area.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 1-800-656-4673

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888