Fault Lines

Trust is the invisible economy that holds organizations, communities, and even families together, but what happens when it breaks? In this episode, Dr. Richard Roman examines why people stop trusting institutions not because the facts changed, but because the relationship broke down first.Using the autism-vaccine debate as a case study, he separates legitimate trust failures from unsupported causal claims and explains why “more facts” often backfires when trust is already damaged. He breaks down the difference between designed extraction and designed service, showing how systems built on opacity, certainty, and emotional reassurance can feel persuasive even when the evidence doesn’t support them.
Roman also reveals why personal stories are powerful but not the same as proof, and why a good outcome does not automatically mean an intervention caused it.
From public health to healthcare, HR, government, and leadership, this episode gives you a clear framework for spotting trust breakdowns, understanding what fills the vacuum, and building systems people can actually verify.
If you lead people, care for patients, make policy, or simply want to understand why trust erodes so quickly, this conversation will change the way you think about evidence, credibility, and institutional failure.

She was told her son would never talk, never live independently, never function without lifelong care. She refused to accept it.
In this episode, Tracy Slepcevic, bestselling author of Warrior Mom, founder of the Autism Health Summit, and one of the newest members of the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, speaks with Richard Roman to trace the fault line between the families who lost trust in the healthcare system and the institutions that stopped listening.
From the 1986 Vaccine Injury Act to the design of her own counter-institutional conference, Tracy reveals what happens when a parent's self-trust becomes the only foundation left, and what it takes to build something new from the wreckage.
A conversation about accountability, institutional design, and the question every system should be asking: was this built to serve, or built to protect?

In this episode of Fault Lines, Dr. Richard Roman explores why financial struggle is often not a knowledge problem, but a trust problem. Through the story of Holly Morphew, who once carried $67,000 in credit card debt while also managing chronic illness, Richard shows how even highly literate, high-achieving people can avoid looking at their numbers when shame, stress, and survival demands take over.Drawing on research into money scripts, childhood financial socialization, debt and mental health, and financial self-efficacy, this episode breaks down why “just be more confident” is not useful advice. Instead, it reveals a more durable path: awareness without judgment, values-based commitment to a future self, and small repeatable habits that rebuild trust over time.You’ll also hear practical takeaways for individuals, managers, and senior leaders who want to better understand financial stress in themselves and their teams. If you’ve ever avoided a statement, delayed a hard financial decision, or wondered why smart people still struggle with money, this conversation offers a clear and compassionate framework for what’s really happening.Listen now to rethink financial literacy, challenge the shame around money, and understand why trust (not just budgeting) is the foundation of lasting change.

Richard sits down with Holly Morphew, accredited financial counselor and founder of Financial Impact, to explore the powerful connection between self-trust, money mindset, and long-term financial freedom.
Holly shares the personal story behind her work, including how a health crisis, $67,000 in credit card debt, and years of financial anxiety shaped the coaching philosophy she uses to help others today.
Together, they unpack why so many high-achieving professionals still feel unsafe around money, how our earliest money scripts influence adult behavior, and why financial education should be treated as a public good.
Holly also explains the difference between financial advising and financial coaching, why she sees money as an infinite game, and how her simple but effective system helps people build assets, increase income, and create sustainable habits.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your finances, struggled with debt, or wanted a healthier relationship with money, this conversation offers practical wisdom and a human perspective on what it really takes to build wealth.
Learn more about Holly’s work at financialimpact.com.

In this episode, host Richard Roman explores a powerful idea: trust in organizations is not built by certainty, but by imagination.
Building on insights from a prior conversation with Rae Greiner, he attempts to illustrate why the best leaders don’t just verify behavior: they develop the judgment to understand people in context.
Richard breaks down the difference between rule thinking and case thinking explains the “certainty trap” that causes organizations to over-rely on process and data, and makes the case for a more human approach to leadership, one grounded in empathy, humility, and the willingness to revise your judgment when new information appears.
If you lead teams, shape culture, or want a more compelling framework for understanding why trust breaks and how it can be rebuilt, this episode offers a sharp, thought-provoking lens on the real work of leadership.Core themes: 
Why trust is an act of imagination
Rule thinking vs. case thinking
How certainty can weaken organizational trust
The role of empathy and perspective-taking in leadership
Why the best leaders stay open to revision
Listen now to rethink what trust really requires and how to build organizations that are sturdier under pressure.

Host Richard Roman welcomes Rae Greiner, associate professor and editor of Victorian Studies, to explore how 18th- and 19th-century novels trained readers to think beyond simple rules and certainty, and why trust, sympathy, and moral judgment are far more complicated than they first appear.
The conversation traces the rise of the sentimental and Gothic novel, the shifting relationship between reason and feeling, and how writers like Jane Austen, Dickens, Emily Brontë, and Henry James use narrative to test our assumptions about truth, morality, and human behavior.
Dr. Greiner also breaks down Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments and explains why sympathy is not just a feeling, but a process of imagination, interpretation, and case-by-case judgment.
Along the way, we discuss unreliable narrators, the ethics of withholding judgment, and how literature reflects the messiness of real life.
If you’ve ever wondered why stories can make us cry, laugh, distrust, or rethink what we believe, this episode offers a fascinating look at how fiction shapes the way we understand ourselves and others.

In this episode, Dr. Richard Roman explores a powerful question: what happens when boys grow up without healthy initiation, mentorship, and emotional permission?
Building on a prior conversation with Dan Doty, Richard examines the science behind masculine identity formation, the “boy code,” and the developmental cost of emotional suppression in men.
Using research from psychology, anthropology, and public health, this episode breaks down why rites of passage, intergenerational mentorship, wilderness experiences, and structured vulnerability matter so much for boys and men.
Richard connects these findings to urgent real-world issues including male loneliness, depression, suicide risk, help-seeking avoidance, and the collapse of male mentorship networks.
You’ll learn:
What initiation actually does for adolescent boys
How masculine norms can contribute to emotional suppression
Why male mentorship is a public health issue
How wilderness and group-based experiences create growth
What healthy masculine identity can look like today
If you care about men’s mental health, fatherhood, mentorship, youth development, or the future of healthy masculinity, this conversation offers a grounded, evidence-based perspective on one of the most important social issues of our time.
Listen now to hear why the initiation gap matters, and what it will take to build stronger boys, healthier men, and more connected communities.

In this important conversation, Dan Doty shares how wilderness therapy, men’s groups, and rites of passage shaped his life’s work helping boys and men grow into healthier, more emotionally connected adults.
He opens up about the difference between conditional and unconditional confidence, the role of vulnerability in building trust, and why so many modern men are missing the support systems they need to thrive.
Dan also reflects on the limitations of “depth cosplay” in men’s work, the importance of staying grounded in everyday life, and why true transformation often begins with simple human connection.
From fatherhood and leadership to emotional literacy and male friendship, this episode explores what it really takes to help men move through life’s threshold moments with integrity and care.
If you’re interested in masculinity, fatherhood, men’s work, personal growth, emotional resilience, or the power of community, this conversation offers insight, honesty, and a hopeful path forward.
Learn more at DanDoty.com.

Most organizational trust strategies overlook the deep structural harm embedded in our systems, until now. What if rebuilding trust requires more than transparency and good behavior?
What if it starts by recognizing the invisible forces shaping our organizations, and ourselves?
In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Richard Roman uncovers how liberation psychology offers a radical new lens on trust that goes beyond surface-level fixes.
You’ll discover how oppressive structures distort self-trust, undermine team safety, and breed systemic distrust at every level, from individual identities to civic institutions. He reveals how leaders can identify these harmful patterns, redistribute power, and design collective infrastructures that foster genuine trust and belonging.
We break down concrete concepts like naming structural harm, reshaping power dynamics, and embedding collective spaces, principles proven to reshape trust in organizations and communities alike.
Plus, hear stories from diverse fields, from healthcare to military veteran groups, illustrating how these ideas translate into real change.
You’ll learn why slow, deliberate cultural shifts beat quick fixes, and how skeptical leaders can still embrace groundbreaking frameworks without feeling accused or overwhelmed.
If you believe trust is the foundation of every thriving organization, but feel stuck in outdated approaches, this episode is your invitation to see beyond behaviors and into the systemic roots of distrust. It’s essential listening for leaders committed to authentic change, and for anyone striving to rebuild trust at every level of their work and community.
Are you ready to see your organization (and the patterns shaping it) through a new, liberating lens?
Tune in now, and discover how to translate this powerful psychology into tangible action that transforms trust from the ground up.

Unlock the transformative power of trust in healing, especially when navigating trauma, race, and systemic harm. Dr. Ayli Carrero Pinedo shares a compelling, never-before-told journey from immigrant beginnings to leading conversations on racial trauma, mental health, and social justice, revealing the subtle yet profound ways trust shapes recovery and resilience.
Most of us underestimate how trust (both in ourselves and institutions) affects healing from racial and systemic trauma.
Dr. Pinedo explores how trust breaches occur, why they persist, and how communities and individuals can rebuild a sense of safety and agency. Her story from a critical overnight in a hospital to groundbreaking research in liberation psychology highlights resilience in the face of systemic harm.
This episode drops powerful insights into how trusting relationships, cultural safety, and collective action accelerate healing and restore hope where it’s needed most.
You’ll discover:
the significance of trust in trauma recovery, especially within marginalized communities;
practical strategies for building psychological safety in vulnerable populations;
how transformative, culturally-centered approaches challenge oppressive systems and promote collective healing;
the critical role of community, leadership, and vulnerability in restoring faith in systems that have historically failed us.
We break down: the impact of systemic betrayals on mental health; the importance of cultural humility and authentic connection in therapy; and innovative practices that leverage community resilience, veteran trust, and social justice principles.
Dr. Pinedo shares how racial trauma intertwines with mental health, and the crucial shifts needed in both therapy and societal structures to foster trust and equity. This isn’t just a conversation about healing; it's a call to action.
If you're committed to transforming systemic harm and empowering marginalized voices, this episode offers concrete steps to foster trust in yourself, your community, and institutions.
Whether you're a mental health practitioner, community leader, or someone seeking personal healing, understanding how trust bridges individual and collective liberation is essential for meaningful change.
Join us and learn how to turn trauma into collective strength, rebuild trust against all odds, and advocate for silenced communities.
This episode is essential listening if you believe healing and social justice go hand in hand, and that trust is the most powerful tool we have to move forward.