Ethics Policy
On Proxy, we want everyone to get something out of the exchange - from the listeners, to the host and producer, to the interview subjects.
So what exactly are we giving you when you come to us with your emotional conundrum?
Well, it's not therapy. We repeat: a proxy conversation is not therapy and we are not licensed mental health professionals!
Our goal is to find you a stranger to talk to who has relevant experience with your conundrum and to set up a container so that you have an honest and hopefully helpful conversation with a peer.
Think of it like sitting next to someone at a bar who happens to have just the right experience with the thing you've been wanting to talk through, but haven't been able to with anyone in your life.
We know emotions are tricky though, so we talked to several licensed therapists and clinical psychologists to get advice on how to vet, prep, and facilitate proxy conversations. Everyone who signs up for a proxy conversation gets a clear set of guidelines to help them know what to expect and how to navigate the process. (Shout out to former production fellow Anakaren Santana for leading those efforts so thoroughly.)
As for our journalistic process, we do our best to confirm facts and details in our episodes. But we don't call other people in a case to get their side of the story, for a couple reasons.
At Proxy, we don't try to pin down what happened in a conflict. When our guests say they have an emotional conundrum, that's where we start. Sometimes that can mean sitting in ambiguity. That's also why we often use pseudonyms and obscure details to protect everyone's privacy.
We try to build towards a different kind of understanding. We report on feelings by finding strangers with relevant perspectives to try to help people get a little less stuck. We believe you can get special insight by talking to a stranger who's outside your situation. Because you can ask questions you wouldn't be able to ask, say things you wouldn't be able to say. Be less defensive and more open to listening and learning.
At the end of the day, every proxy conversation is an experiment. We debrief every time and are always improving our process. We welcome feedback. So if you have some, please get in touch at proxythepod@gmail.com.