Greenhouse17: Shame, Belonging, Money, and Survivor Worth

Narcissist Apocalypse: Patterns of Abuse

Abuse Survivor Network

Relationships, Society & Culture, Education, Self-improvement, True Crime

4.7 • 796 Ratings

🗓️ 15 June 2026

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, Brandon talks with Darlene Thomas, Executive Director of Greenhouse17, a domestic violence shelter and advocacy program in Kentucky built on a 40-acre farm. Darlene shares how Greenhouse17 reimagined shelter by moving away from shame, secrecy, rigid rules, and one-size-fits-all support. Together, they discuss survivor shame, community belonging, financial abuse, economic repair, and why safety is only one part of rebuilding after abuse. Darlene explains how abusers can trap survivors through ruined credit, stolen identities, unpaid debts, lost income, and financial dependence, and how Greenhouse17 helps survivors begin repairing those pieces through education, support, stipends, and survivor-centered care. This conversation is also about worth. It is about what can happen when survivors are treated as people with value, not problems to manage. Through farming, flowers, handmade products, community connection, and grace, Greenhouse17 offers a model of shelter where survivors are supported, trusted, invested in, and given room to grow.

Transcript

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0:00.0	On this episode of Narcissist Apocalypse, we talk with Darl-Garice, everyone. I am Brandon Chadwick and today with us we have
0:45.1	Darlene Thomas who is the executive director at Greenhouse 17. How are you? I'm doing really good.
0:59.8	Well, thank you for being here. I found you on the internet.
1:07.0	I was searching around and you're located in Kentucky at greenhouse 17.org. And I was researching like different alternatives to shelters that are out there. Just doing my own research.
1:13.0	Shelters just might be doing things that are a little bit different, a different outlook,
1:16.5	a different philosophy on things from what the shelter system currently looks like. And not just
1:23.4	how the shelter works, but just like the philosophy of how survivors view themselves. And I found
1:31.9	what you were doing really interesting. Greenhouse 17 is part farm, part shelter, lots of
1:39.4	interesting ideas, programs. And today, my hope is that you, Darlene, can inspire someone out there to start
1:48.1	building more facilities like Greenhouse 17. You're also going to impart a lot of knowledge today
1:52.8	about a little bit about shame and what shame is here when it comes to the shelter system,
1:58.1	as well as a little bit on financial abuse as well.
2:02.1	So just a big thank you for being here.
2:05.0	And before we get into anything about Greenhouse 17, who are you?
2:09.6	How did this all begin?
2:11.6	And then we'll get to Greenhouse 17, the evolution in the philosophy and everything there.
2:18.4	Wow. Who am I?
2:20.8	I am now a 36-year advocate in this field working in domestic violence.
2:28.5	And I have to say that is the part of who I am because it is definitely what I was
2:32.3	supposed to do.
2:33.1	You know, sometimes you don't know your path. I was supposed to do you know sometimes you
2:34.7	don't know your path I just happened to get hired at the very first place I needed a big
	...

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