We Are Better Together

Tags: trauma, recovery, healing, relationships, mental health, belonging, introduction

Listen with your eyes – the full episode transcript

Kine:

Welcome to Alveskog – Voices of the Soul. My name is Kine.

Paal:

And I’m Paal. And we are so grateful that you’ve found your way here. Whether you’ve been searching for something like this for a long time, or you just stumbled across us by chance, you are very welcome in this space.

Kine:

We want to start by telling you what Alveskog means to us. It’s actually our family name. But it’s more than just a name—it has become a symbol for our journey together. Alveskog literally translates to “elf forest” in Norwegian. For us, it represents nature, rootedness, mystery, and the quiet strength of the woods. It reminds us that healing takes time, that growth happens in seasons, and that every soul carries its own light even when it’s hidden under layers of darkness.

Paal:

And that’s where the second part of our name comes in: The Voices of the Soul. This podcast is about listening—to ourselves, to each other, and to the stories that shape us. We believe the soul has a voice. Sometimes it whispers through intuition, sometimes it cries out in pain, and sometimes it laughs loudly in joy. Often, it’s drowned out by the noise of the world. Our goal here is to make space for those voices—ours and yours.

Kine:

We didn’t start this because life was easy and we wanted a hobby. We started because life has been messy, painful, beautiful, and complicated—and we realized that when we began sharing our experiences openly, people around us said, “I thought I was the only one.”

Paal:

Exactly. Both of us have lived through trauma, through addiction, through loss, and also through rebuilding, love, and deep healing. We’ve sat in the darkness, and we’ve also seen what happens when you decide to take even the smallest step forward. We don’t come as experts looking down from a pedestal. We come as fellow travelers who know what it’s like to feel lost and what it’s like to find hope again.

Kine:

For years, we carried shame. Shame about mental health, shame about addiction, shame about family struggles, shame about not fitting the perfect picture. Shame is heavy. And it keeps people silent. This podcast is our way of breaking that silence.

Paal:

So, what is this space really about? It’s not therapy, it’s not self-help in a polished sense—it’s raw conversation. Every episode will focus on a theme connected to real life:

• mental health and anxiety
• addiction and recovery
• childhood wounds and inner child work
• relationships, parenting, and family struggles
• spirituality and the search for meaning
• grief, resilience, and healing
• and sometimes just the simple act of being human in a busy world.

Kine:

It is just the two of us talking, reflecting, and even disagreeing. But no matter what, the conversations will always be real, unedited, and honest. We don’t edit out the tears, the stumbles, or the silences. We let the conversation breathe—because that’s where the truth lives.

Paal:

To paint a picture: we record from our living room in Norway. This is not a fancy studio. Sometimes you might hear a child laugh in the background, or a neighbor walking upstairs, or a coffee cup clink. And that’s intentional. Because life is not perfect, and we don’t want to pretend it is.

Kine:

We actually believe imperfection is beautiful. That’s part of our philosophy: vulnerability, flaws, and humanity are what connect us. So when you listen, imagine that you’re sitting here with us—at our table, with a warm cup of tea or coffee—just having a real conversation.

Kine:

I want to share a little about me. I’m a mother, a creator, and someone who has walked through anxiety, addiction, and rebuilding. For many years, I tried to appear strong while hiding deep struggles. I’ve lived through family rupture, through the pain of losing custody of my children, through shame that made me feel small. But I’ve also lived through healing—through treatment, through recovery, through reconnecting with myself and with those I love.

Paal:

And for me, I grew up in a strict religious group—Jehovah’s Witnesses. That shaped my early life in ways I didn’t fully understand until much later. I left as a teenager, full of anger, and I spent years fighting with myself and with the world. I drowned that anger in black metal, rebellion, and rage. But anger only carries you so far. Eventually I had to face the grief underneath it—the loss of family connection, the betrayal, and the weight of unmet needs. My journey has been about moving from blame and bitterness to acceptance, perspective, and healing.

Kine:

Both of us know what it’s like to break, and both of us know what it’s like to rebuild. That’s why we care so deeply about this podcast—it’s not abstract. It’s lived.

Paal:

Our motto is “We are better together.” We don’t just say that—it’s how we live. Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. Growth doesn’t happen in silence. We need each other. Sometimes we need someone to sit with us in our tears. Sometimes we need someone to challenge us when we’re stuck in blame. Sometimes we need someone to simply remind us: you are not alone.

Kine:

That’s the heart of this podcast. You are not alone. Your story matters. And sharing it can change not only your own life but someone else’s.

Paal:

When you finish an episode, we don’t want you to just feel entertained. We hope you walk away with something deeper—maybe a reflection, maybe a question to carry into your own life, maybe a bit of courage to speak your own truth.

Kine:

We hope you feel less alone. We hope you feel that your scars do not disqualify you—they are part of your strength. We hope you feel that vulnerability is not weakness, but power.

Paal:

And we hope you feel part of something bigger—a community of people who may never meet in person, but who are connected through shared humanity.

Kine:

Before we end this first episode, we want to say something important. We will sometimes talk about heavy topics—mental illness, addiction, trauma, abuse, grief. If at any point you feel overwhelmed, please pause. Please care for yourself. And if you need help, reach out to local services or someone you trust. This podcast is not a substitute for professional help, but it can be a reminder that you are worthy of help, and you don’t have to carry everything alone.

Paal:

So this is where we begin. This is Alveskog – The Voices of the Soul. A podcast about life, growth, and belonging.

Kine:

We’re here to tell stories—the light ones and the dark ones—because both can change lives when they’re shared.

Paal:

We’ll speak honestly, without filters. We’ll listen with our whole selves. And we’ll carry forward our guiding truth:

Both:

We are better together.

Kine:

So make yourself comfortable. Bring your laughter, bring your tears, bring your questions and your doubts.

Paal:

This is not just our podcast. It’s our conversation with you.

Kine:

Welcome to Alveskog - Voices of the Soul