a woman with natural hair listening to mental health podcast on headphones while wearing a beige sweatshirt and smiling
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While they’re no substitute for a qualified therapist, mental health podcasts can be great tools to utilize in tough moments. Not only can listening to podcasts make you feel validated and less alone; but they can also offer tips on how to tackle what you’re facing head-on. Here, we rounded up five of the best podcasts for mental health. So grab your headphones, crank up the volume on your phone, and get ready to soothe your soul.

Podcasts for Mental Health

1. Terrible, Thanks For Asking

Host and author Nora McInerny is a reluctant expert in grieving. She’s written several self-help books about moving forward after loss, drawing on her own life experiences of having a miscarriage and then losing her husband and father to cancer, all within a few weeks of each other. On Terrible, Thanks for Asking, she invites real people to candidly weigh in on the question, “How are you?” even when the answer is, well, terrible.  

2. Love Smarter

On Love Smarter, relationship coach Laurie-Anne King delivers savvy relationship advice on everything from sex to physical attraction to communication. Her podcasts are geared toward young women, whether they’re single, married, or still dating. Tune in for 10-minute snippets on how to keep your romance alive, create your dream marriage, and channel your inner goddess.

3. The Anxiety Chicks

Licensed psychotherapist Alison Seponara and dietician Taylor Marae always keep it real while bantering back and forth about a plethora of issues including anxiety, nutrition, and mental health. On The Anxiety Chicks, real-life BFFs tackle a wide variety of topics including the physical symptoms of anxiety, yoga for anxiety, and healing anxiety with hypnotherapy. 

4. Therapy for Black Girls

Therapy for Black Girls is an online space for mental health resources for Black women, founded by clinical psychologist Joy Harden Bradford, PhD. On the accompanying podcast, she and guests discuss everything from imposter syndrome,  body image, and trauma to breathwork and meditation and the mental health benefits of birdwatching.

5. The Happiness Lab

Dr. Laurie Santos is renowned for teaching the most popular course at Yale, “Psychology and the Good Life.” Her podcast, The Happiness Lab, is a spin-off of that same class, which remains the most sought-after course in the university’s 300-year history. Santos’s spirit-lifting podcast combines scientific research with inspiring real-life stories that will forever change the way you perceive your own sense of happiness. 

6. I Weigh with Jamila Jamil

Started as a social media post to push back against the idea of valuing women by their body weight, British actress Jameela Jamis’s “I Weigh” has bloomed into a full-on movement and podcast. On the I Weigh podcast, Jamil and guests challenge societal norms through vulnerable conversations that promote an anti-shame, progress-not-perfection perspective.

7.  Checking In With Michelle Williams

On Checking In With Michele Williams, the Destiny’s Child star and her inner circle share their personal experiences with depression, anxiety, and mental health in this surprisingly revealing podcast. The singer also interviews a revolving panel of celebrity guests who offer up their own coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and depression. 

8. Happier With Gretchen Rubin

If you’re looking for quick and simple ways to boost your happiness, tune in to Happier With Gretchen Rubin.  The author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before cohosts this podcast with her younger sister, offering advice for building good habits and breaking bad ones, and practical ways to deal with anxiety, loneliness, and more–all from a place of positivity.

9. Psychology Unplugged

On Psychology Unplugged, Dr. Corey J. Nigro hosts helpful, informative discussions on a variety of mental health topics and diagnoses. The show touches on everything from anger and attachment to conditions including schizoid personality disorder, panic disorder, ADHD, and more.

10. Unlocking Us With Brené Brown

From author and psychology research professor Brené Brown, PhD, Unlocking Us explores all of the ideas, connections, emotions, and experiences that make us human. From bravery to heartbreak to shame and accountability this podcast covers it all, and often hosts very high-profile guests (think US presidents and more)!

What are your favorite podcasts for mental health?  Tell us in the comments!

This post was originally published in February 2021 and is meant for informational purposes only; you should always reach out to a medical professional with specific issues. If you’re having suicidal thoughts, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to talk to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area at any time (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline). If you are located outside the United States, call your local emergency line immediately.