The right podcast can bring expert-backed tips to your ears. Remember that listening to a podcast doesn’t replace seeing a licensed clinician.
Whether you’re looking for tips to boost your holistic happiness or need support fighting against mental health stigma, there’s a podcast out there. Keep reading the article below to learn more about Mental Health Podcasts.
Laughter is the best medicine, so this podcast, featuring frank and moving conversations with comedians who have dealt with depression, should resonate with anyone. Public radio host John Moe aims to break the stigma against this isolating disease and show that it’s okay to be vulnerable. While the series is on a pseudo-hiatus, fans can follow Moe’s new podcast, Depresh Mode, for even more funny yet insightful episodes.
Psychologist and author Lori Gottlieb and Ted Talk presenter Guy Winch are two respected therapists who bring listeners into their therapy sessions (with their permission). In each episode, they share patients’ real-life situations and offer recommendations. They even check back in with patients months later to see how they’re doing.
While a great way to learn, these mental health podcasts shouldn’t replace formal treatment with a licensed counselor. If you’re experiencing emotional difficulties or thinking about suicide, seek professional help right away. For everyone else, podcasts can provide a healthy alternative to self-care and give us a chance to normalize what we’re going through so that others will feel comfortable seeking help as well.
Therapy for Black Girls
Black women face unique challenges, from workplace discrimination and intergenerational trauma to fertility and body image struggles. A lack of Black therapists and cultural stigmas deter many from seeking psychiatric help. In this no-holds-barred podcast, psychologist and cultural darling Joy Harden Bradford brings in experts to discuss these issues while imparting small steps for better wellbeing.
Guests like author Glennon Doyle and soccer star Abby Wambach reflect on their clinical depression experiences with the same raw honesty they use in their work. But they also offer a sense of validation, making this one of the most powerful mental health podcasts around.
Seen is a podcast that takes the often-esoteric conversations about wellness and mental illness and makes them accessible to people of color. Co-hosts Nic Wayara and Lala Matthen, two Black queer women from Vancouver, discuss topics like confidence, intimacy, homelessness and more. They believe that true mental wellness is a journey that encompasses identity and culture.
Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead
The best mental health podcasts feature open, candid discussions between hosts and guests. Listeners can learn more about specific mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression, or find inspiration from people who are working through their own struggles. Many of these podcasts also aim to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and encourage listeners to seek help if they are struggling.
For example, the Psych Central podcast features interviews with a variety of experts on various mental health topics, from historical events and their lasting impact to current collective happenings like burn out and cancel culture. Similarly, author Gretchen Rubin covers all things active happiness in her laid-back podcast, with episodes focused on a range of topics from daily tips to shifts in perspective.
Closer to Fine is another uplifting podcast about mental health, featuring two best friends who discuss difficult subjects that most would be too afraid to talk about at the dinner table. The duo’s irreverent, self-deprecating humor makes the conversations about everything from church hurt to diet culture feel like a conversation you could have with your own best friend. For a more scientific approach to mental wellness, neuroscientist Mayim Bialik’s podcast, Breakdown, features valuable insights based on research and her own personal experience.
Therapy with Marc Maron
If you’re looking for a lighthearted, relatable approach to mental health issues, check out Therapy with Marc Maron. The show hosts a variety of celebrities, authors, and other experts on a variety of topics related to depression, anxiety, addictions, and more. Episodes are often funny, yet still manage to convey practical advice about coping with these challenges.
While this podcast isn’t a substitute for seeking treatment, it can serve as an invaluable resource for anyone who struggles with depression or anxiety. The show’s guests share their own experiences with the disorders, as well as offer advice on how to deal with them.
This podcast offers a deep dive into the effects of trauma, with guest psychologists and other experts sharing their expertise on topics such as PTSD, grief, and complex trauma. Episodes also explore healing strategies for individuals and society.
Therapy for Therapists
Many therapists use podcasts to keep up with the latest research in their field and to learn new tools and techniques. They also find these podcasts to be a useful tool to help their clients.
PsychCrunch is one such podcast, and it’s designed to educate therapists on advanced psychological theories, methods, and strategies. For instance, the show explains how to apply cognitive-behavioral therapy for treating anxiety disorders. It also provides a range of practical advice for therapists, such as how to build a private practice and how to treat their depressed patients.
Some mental health podcasts are designed to normalize the conversation around certain issues, such as mental illness and body image problems. Others are bold enough to tackle taboo topics, such as racial identity and mental wellness in marginalized communities.
This podcast is a little different, in that it brings listeners into real-life therapy sessions—with client permission, of course. The hosts are therapists who have also been patients, and they bring their own unique perspective to the mix. The topics are often controversial and thought-provoking, but the conversations are always honest. Some episodes explore what it’s like to get fired by a patient or why men don’t stay in therapy.
The Mental Illness Happy Hour
Podcasts come in all shapes and sizes, from funny shows like The Hilarious World of Depression to poignant programs, such as Therapy for Black Girls. Regardless of what you’re looking for, the right mental health podcast can provide comfort and help you cope with anxiety and depression or better understand the struggles that your loved ones may face.
This podcast offers a refreshing, holistic approach to mental health topics. Guests talk about a wide range of issues, from self-care to how sleep and mental health are related to pandemic anxiety. In addition, the podcast also covers a variety of social and political issues such as racism and gender inequality.
After sixteen years as a regular on TBS’ Dinner and a Movie, comedian Paul Gilmartin launched this podcast to more openly discuss his own battles with depression. Despite its dark humor, the show is never mean-spirited or exploitative. Instead, it aims to break down stigma and encourage people to seek treatment.
Depresh Mode
John Moe, host of the MPR-sponsored podcast The Hilarious World of Depression, has long been open about his own mental health struggles. In fact, he’s had a recurring character on his show called Maura, his co-worker and friend who died from depression.
After he was laid off from public radio last year, he pondered leaving media entirely. But then he began hearing from listeners who were desperate to hear more of his honest and relatable conversations about mental health.
So Moe decided to start a new show, launching this week. The new show, Depresh Mode (a pun on the band Depeche Mode), expands the subject matter from his previous podcast, and he’s contracted to produce 48 episodes each year.
He’ll continue to interview high-profile comedians, actors, authors and other personalities about their experiences with depression, anxiety and other common mental disorders, but he’ll also blend in insights from experts. He says the combination is a better fit for how people talk about their mental health struggles, and he hopes to bring a bit of levity to the genre.