Podcast Recommendations
"What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation." – Glenn Close
If you are looking to listen and learn then you have come to the right place!
As a Counselling Psychologist, I’ve seen how powerful conversations about mental health can be. Too often, people struggle in silence, thinking they’re alone in their experiences. Talking about mental health helps break that isolation, challenge stigma, and encourage people to seek the support they deserve.
That’s why I like listening to mental health podcasts, particularly when I have a long commute. Whether the podcasts includes perspectives of different professionals working in field, or from people sharing their lived experiences of their struggles. I believe that a podcast can create a space where listeners hear insights, relatable stories, and practical strategies in a way that feels personal and supportive. I think that having more spaces where conversations about mental health take place can make sharing struggles with others more approachable, as mental health content reminds people that their feelings are valid and help is always within reach. Over the last few years podcasts have become more popular, and are readily accessible through different platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube, and Soundcloud etc. With this in mind, here are some mental health podcasts that are worth a listen to...
Psychology in Seattle
A podcast and YouTube channel hosted by Dr Kirk Honda, a psychologist, professor and marriage and family psychotherapist. He shares both educational and entertaining content surrounding mental health topics, relationship dynamics, the process of psychotherapy and taking a psychologist’s perspective on popular culture. I’ve listened to his podcast for years and find it encourages reflective thinking. If you would like to learn more about improving your communication in your relationships or specialist subjects, then this podcast could be for you.
The Hardcore Self-Help podcast
A podcast hosted by Dr Robert Duff, a clinical psychologist based in Southern California. He offers a question-and-answer style of podcast where he dedicates time to answer listener questions on mental health, anxiety, depression, relationships, sex and life using simple and understandable language. He tries to make self-help accessible by breaking down psychological conceptions and offering practical advice. He also invites guests with academic and clinical backgrounds to join him to discuss more specialist areas of interest. I’ve found myself listening to this podcast and nodding along with the commentary. It is my understanding that Dr Duff has decided to slow down making episodes for the time being; however, if you are a new listener, there are over 400 episodes to pick from. I would recommend this to people looking for a mental health podcast which offers relatable advice.
Am I a bad therapist?
A podcast is hosted by Allie Joy, a licensed art therapist and Dr Kathryn Esquer, a clinical psychologist. This podcast shares many stories about therapy behind closed doors, including experiences from other guest therapists, that make you question, “Am I a bad therapist?”. I found this podcast to be quite reassuring to listen to as a trainee, as it often brought stories which you might bring to supervision, or reflections on mistakes which therapists made in the past or conflicts between therapists and the services they’ve worked for and how they moved on and learned from them. Unfortunately, they have announced that they are closing down the podcast and will stop making new episodes in September 2024. I’ve found that they have taken down previous episodes from many streaming platforms; currently, it seems that it is available from Amazon’s Audible. For trainees and therapists alike who are interested in this content and have access to these archived episodes, I recommend giving them a listen.
Mental illness happy hour
A weekly podcast hosted by American comedian, Paul Gilmartin, which offerings open discussions about mental health and emotional well-being. The podcast began following his own lived experience with mental health difficulties, and his wish to make mental health support more accessible. He invites guests who share their stories about their struggles, and offers both empathy and humour in the hopes that listeners who can relate will feel less alone. I find myself laughing along to the relatability of some of the stories. I recommend this podcast to people who are looking for stories about similar experiences and would like that sense of connection that comes from sharing lived experience.
The Happiness Lab
A podcast hosted by Yale psychology professor Dr Laurie Santos, who has studied the science of happiness and found that so many people do the exact opposite of what will make their lives better. This podcast is all about giving you tools to “lead a happier life”, sharing a mix of scientific research and people’s inspiring stories to challenge how you think about happiness. I recommend this podcast for people who want to learn how to make room for more joy in their lives.
Mayim Bialik’s breakdown
A podcast is hosted by Neuroscientist, Author and Actress Mayim Bialik, who offers an informative discussion around different topics with a personal touch. She speaks with guests who have academic and clinical backgrounds, as well as other celebrities who have lived experiences. She uses her time on the podcast to break down misconceptions about mental health and emotional well-being and offers practical advice. I find myself coming back to this podcast depending on her guests and always find her interviewing skills lead to interesting conversations. If you are looking for more relaxed discussions surrounding mental health topics, then this podcast could be for you.
Therapy for black girls
A podcast hosted by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a psychologist based in Atlanta, Georgia. She offers weekly conversations about mental health and personal well-being topics relevant to Black women. It creates a safe space for important discussions to happen, with many guests who are invited to speak being Black women from academic and clinical backgrounds. I find that I dabble in listening to this podcast from time to time, depending on what is being discussed (as my context being a white Scottish woman means I relate to some topics more than others). I would recommend this podcast to women, and particularly black women whom this space was created for who want to learn more about self-care and mental health.