Over the past decade, the popularity of podcasts has skyrocketed, with more than five million podcasts globally and nearly 500 million listeners. Their subjects and styles vary greatly, but we love the ones (of course) that feature personal stories from lived experience. Better still if they point toward some type of advocacy. Here are a few of our favorites.

The Clutter Chronicles 

In this intimate series, “Mary” takes the brave step of going public with her personal experience of hoarding—and her recovery—so others may benefit. Bev Bachel wrote about this ongoing conversation between Mary and host Lori Koppelman here on the LPA blog and it remains one of our most read.

Once Upon A Gene 

Mom of a son with an extremely rare disorder, Effie Parks has created a space for other “rare families” to share their stories of perseverance, connection and advocacy. Talk about “living proof” of the power of sharing lived experience.

Unread 

In this brief four-episode nonfiction series from 2021, Chris Stedman shares his personal narrative of loss, friendship and the search for Britney Spears. It’s a great example of the “inner” and “outer” stories that we tell when powerfully sharing lived experiences.

All There Is

The subject is loss and grief, but the message is clear: you are not alone. Cooper takes us through his own journey of losing his mother, father and brother, and interviews others about what they learned from loss. The episode featuring Stephen Colbert alone is worth investing a listen.

How about you? What are your favorite podcasts that feature personal stories from lived experience and/or advocacy? Please share them in the comments below.