Hello! We’re Kat & Mouse
Co-Founders, Co-Hosts, Co-Producers, Co-Besties
We know what you’re thinking: where are the human photos? Who are the people attached to the voices we’re hearing? Are they using their real names? We’ve chosen to remain anonymous not because we’re afraid of connecting ourselves to the words, ideas, and work we share here but, rather, out of respect for the community that we are fortunate to be part of. One of the most important principles for some individuals in recovery from gambling addiction is anonymity because it frees them from the worry of being “found out” by individuals and colleagues who could jeopardize the personal and work lives. Thus, we have opted to respect this tenet of many 12-step programs.
Hi, I’m Kat! Why the dog? Because, despite my name, I’m ALL about the 4-legged canine. After all, I own 4 of them! I’m also all about 19th-century British literature, women’s writing, and justice. In 2010, I earned my PhD in 19th-century British literature, and started my career toward being veteran educator even earlier. Combined, I’ve been at the helm of middle school, high school, and community college classrooms in the US and England for over 20 years, teaching literature, composition, rhetoric, and critical thinking. It was in those spaces I honed my passion for social justice, becoming an ally for any learner in need of one and teaching them all to self-advocate in order to challenge limited and limiting social systems. I have 2 beautiful daughters and you had better believe they’re already breaking down walls, dismantling oppressive structures, and otherwise kicking ass and taking names. Just like their mama. I do this work because I don’t want anyone to feel as miserable and lonely as I did when I first found out about my now-ex-husband’s gambling addiction. And, I want to share the beautifully bizarre experience of being grateful for being so broken.
I’ve written 2 books so far to help this work go even further:
—All Bets Are Off: A Workbook for Kiddos Who Love A Compulsive Gambler and an accompanying facilitator’s guide to help a child’s trusted adult walk them through their journey (2025, Amazon and Barns & Noble)
In these books, I weave together personal experiences and mindfulness activities designed to help middle-years readers (aprox. 8-12 years old) understand gambling addiction in an age-appropriate way and process their experiences, with the hope of empowering young people and help them heal when their lives have been affected by a loved one’s gambling disorder.
—Shards Of Self: Cycle Breaking to Live Out Loud (2025)
In this memoir, I share with readers the experiences I’ve overcome to call myself today a true cycle breaker and butterfly rising. Opening up about the physical and emotional abuse I experienced at the hands of my parents and the emotional and financial abuse I faced from my ex-husband’s gambling addiction, I probe the patterns of my life that led me to spaces I never wanted to inhabit. A complimentary reflective journal is forthcoming.
–I am also working on articles, workshops, and trainings about writing with authenticity and assessment equity in composition-centric secondary and college-level classrooms.
Hi, I’m AnonyMouse, but you can call me Mouse. I was sitting in a conference listening to a couple talk about how they decided to start a podcast about gambling addiction. It was at that moment that I text Kat and told her that we must start a podcast for people on the other side of gambling addiction. (I found out that she was thinking the same thing at the same time.)
I grew up in a happy family with lots of people to support me in whatever I chose to do with my life. I knew I could do anything I wanted and that hasn’t changed. I got busy proving myself to everyone because I was always a little, well, a lot, insecure. I guess that’s why I thought I always needed to make people happy, to solve all the problems, and take care of everything.
After going through two relationships with compulsive gamblers, I think I have finally figured out how to take care of me. I am learning to set boundaries and keep them. The best part is that this doesn’t just work with compulsive gamblers, it works with anyone. I am constantly learning how to be a better person and although what I went through was painful and difficult, I wouldn’t change it for anything. It made me who I am and it gives me the opportunities to help people and understand what they are going through. You are not ever alone.