{"podcast":{"title":"The Shadow Sessions","slug":"the-shadow-sessions-7629928","podcast_index_feed_id":7629928,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/TPG2074943060","website_url":"https://www.theshadowsessionspodcast.com","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/508c7f04-d53c-11f0-b71b-e3c48ce77e6b/image/197508254b9c224e2d1fc897170e5141.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Hiba Balfaqih","episode_count":31,"summary":"The Shadow Sessions is hosted by Hiba Balfaqih, an unconventional psychologist and trauma alchemist. We explore the stories that most people bury—particularly those tied to shame, trauma, and identity. Our goal is to shed light on the hidden corners of human experience, allowing listeners to hear stories that challenge societal norms and spark deep,introspective conversations.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-30T16:19:48.311441+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-shadow-sessions-7629928"},"episode":{"title":"Joe DiMeo on Living After 80% Burns and the World’s First Face & Double Hand Transplant","slug":"joe-dimeo-on-living-after-80-burns-and-the-world-s-first-face-double-hand-transplant","published_at":"2026-03-12T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-shadow-sessions-7629928/joe-dimeo-on-living-after-80-burns-and-the-world-s-first-face-double-hand-transplant","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-shadow-sessions-7629928","url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/tcQd6Q6C0RUUlOHq1Ytj/mgln.ai/e/51/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/TPG3435341850.mp3?updated=1773152353","audio_url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/tcQd6Q6C0RUUlOHq1Ytj/mgln.ai/e/51/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/TPG3435341850.mp3?updated=1773152353","summary":"We live in a world obsessed with appearance. We chase beauty, filters, and familiarity — often tying confidence to what we see in the mirror. But what happens when the mirror no longer shows the face you remember? In this episode of The Shadow Sessions, Hiba Balfaqih speaks with Joe DiMeo, who survived a catastrophic car accident at 20 years old and later became the first person in medical history to receive a full face and double hand transplant. This conversation isn’t only about physical recovery. It’s about identity — how the mind adapts when the body changes, and what it means to rebuild a sense of self when everything familiar is gone. Joe reflects on grief, acceptance, resilience, and learning to live in a body that no longer feels like the one you knew. Rather than focusing on tragedy, this episode explores psychological adjustment, body image, and the courage required to participate in life again. This episode is about adaptation, meaning, and discovering that healing is not returning to who you were — but learning how to become someone new.","meta_description":"We live in a world obsessed with appearance. We chase beauty, filters, and familiarity — often tying confidence to what we see in the mirror. But what hap…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4106,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-shadow-sessions-7629928/episodes/joe-dimeo-on-living-after-80-burns-and-the-world-s-first-face-double-hand-transplant/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-shadow-sessions-7629928/joe-dimeo-on-living-after-80-burns-and-the-world-s-first-face-double-hand-transplant.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}