Mental health issues are a serious concern for many. Whether you have a condition or are looking to learn ways to support better someone you love, podcasts can offer a new way to hear perspectives from thought leaders and therapists.
While these podcasts should never replace a psychiatric appointment, listening to real experiences can help reduce stigma. These popular podcasts cover everything from coping with depression to fighting back against anxiety. Visit Our Website to learn more.
After a sixteen-year stint co-hosting TBS’ Dinner and a Movie, Paul Gilmartin started the Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast. He interviews comedians, artists, and friends (as well as the occasional doctor) about their experiences with depression, addiction, and negative thinking. He believes that sharing these stories in a lighthearted way can help people feel less alone.
He says that when he first started recording the podcast, he was surprised at how open his listeners were. He wanted to create a space where people could share their fears and anxieties in a safe environment. He also wants to break the myth that people with mental illness are not funny.
In the podcast, he asks his guests to share their most shameful moments. He has found that these stories are often both awesome and awful at the same time. These situations are often what he calls “awfulsome”. It is these episodes that have helped him fight the stigma surrounding mental illness.
His podcast is also filled with stories from his own life. He has struggled with depression since he was a teenager. Initially, he tried to escape his pain through drugs and video games. However, he soon realized that it was impossible to live like that forever. In the end, he learned to accept his depression and turn it into something positive.
Paul also sends surveys to his community to find out how they are doing. He has found that many people are struggling with a variety of issues. For example, one person said that she felt overwhelmed by responsibilities and was not good at saying no. Another person mentioned that he had an allergy to paperwork and would experience physical and psychological stress when handling administrative tasks.
He has also spoken out about his own struggles with depression and alcoholism on the show. In a recent episode, he read allegations made by the Federal Trade Commission against BetterHelp regarding the misuse of their customers’ private information. He has since canceled his endorsement deal with them. His honesty and willingness to discuss his own mental health journey are admirable.
Therapy for Black Girls
Black women face a unique set of stressors that can make it difficult to find the right mental health professional. But the challenges of finding a therapist aren’t limited to race; they also have to consider whether or not they can afford the treatment, and they must search for someone who will understand their experiences. This is why online therapy is an important resource for Black women — it makes it easier to connect with a therapist who will have empathy and compassion for their needs.
Founded in 2014 by licensed psychologist Joy Harden Bradford, Therapy for Black Girls features a directory of culturally competent therapists who specialize in working with Black women. The website is dedicated to de-stigmatizing mental health and encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls. It features a weekly podcast, merch, and other resources that aim to provide access to healing for the community.
The online directory allows users to search for a therapist by location and specialty, and it includes the option to have virtual sessions. It is available on both iOS and Android, making it easy for users to find a therapist regardless of their device or schedule. The site also offers a podcast with a weekly conversation that focuses on the issues that affect Black communities, including racism and racial injustices.
Many people may think that mental health is a taboo subject, but it’s becoming more and more common for professionals to talk about their struggles with clients. However, Black patients often feel like they can’t open up to their therapists because the topic is too sensitive or that it will be seen as a sign of weakness. This is especially true for Black adolescent girls, who are exposed to a variety of racist and sexist microaggressions that can leave them feeling overwhelmed or disempowered (Journal of Counseling Psychology, 2022).
The therapists featured on this platform use their platform as an opportunity to advocate for the health and well-being of their clients. They work to help their patients manage their symptoms through talk therapy and other modalities such as mindfulness or deep breathing techniques. They also address the effects of trauma and social stigma, helping their patients understand that they’re not alone in their struggles.
Mentally Yours
Hosted by Metro journalists Ellen Scott and Yvette Caster, this podcast is an honest conversation about mental health issues. By speaking to guests with a wide range of experiences from postpartum psychosis and eating disorders to PTSD and erectile dysfunction, the women educate, empathise, and challenge stigma. Their episodes are helpfully titled with specific topics, making it easy to find something that resonates with you. Their focus is on promoting mental wellbeing during the coronavirus pandemic and is a must-listen.
The Melanated Social Work Podcast features conversations with people of color in the field of social work. Whether it’s about white supremacy at work or the relationship between mass shootings and mental health, the podcast discusses many important issues that don’t get enough attention. Journalist Bryony Gordon is also a regular guest on the show, interviewing household names and others with interesting stories and experiences about their own mental health struggles.
2020 with Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams took home her second Golden Globe of her career for Fosse/Verdon on Sunday night and used her acceptance speech to call out the importance of women’s right to choose how they want to live their lives. The 39-year-old actress, who was also nominated for an Emmy for her performance as the real-life Broadway dancer, praised the “folks in this room and around the world who believe in amplifying women’s voices,” and went on to urge her peers to vote and support abortion rights for all.
Williams, who is the mother of 14-year-old Matilda from her relationship with the late actor Heath Ledger, wore a maroon sequin spaghetti-strap dress on the red carpet. The event marked her first appearance since news broke that she and fiance Thomas Kail are expecting their first child together. The Hamilton creator and Williams reportedly met after her 14-year-old daughter played matchmaker.
As for her work, the actor has received critical acclaim for playing emotionally troubled women coping with loss or loneliness in independent dramas such as Wendy and Lucy (2008), Blue Valentine (2010), and Manchester by the Sea (2016). She earned two Golden Globe nominations for her nuanced personification of Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn (2011), and Gwen Verdon in the FX series Fosse/Verdon (2019).
On the big screen, she starred as a shady character in the thriller Shutter Island (2010), a bleak western in Meek’s Cutoff (2013), and a good witch in Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). She also starred in a Broadway revival of the musical Cabaret (2014) and made her directorial debut with the 2016 drama Blackbird.
As for her upcoming projects, she’ll be back as the enigmatic Jen Lindley in the reboot of Dawson’s Creek (2019). She’s also set to star alongside Christopher Plummer and Mark Wahlberg in Sony’s untitled Ridley Scott sci-fi movie and appears as an acrobatic dancer in a new trailer for The Masked Singer. In addition, she’s shooting scenes in Italy for a speculative future thriller called The New Age. Check out the trailer above.
