18 Popular Mental Health Podcasts To Listen To When You Need A Boost
While some mental health challenges may be best addressed with the help of a licensed therapist, mental health podcasts can be a valuable resource to learn strategies to cope with mental health concerns, hear stories from people experiencing similar challenges, and discover practical tips to overcome life’s adversities and prevent mental health complications. There are many different types of mental health and therapy podcasts, including podcasts for depression, podcasts for anxiety, substance use problems, and more.
Listening to your way to health
If you’re interested in trying a mental health podcast but are unsure of where to start, you might try one of the following health, wellness, and therapy podcasts. From helpful practical tips and coping strategies to real and relatable stories, there are podcasts designed to help people from all walks of life. The best mental health podcasts can provide actionable advice while working to reduce stigma around therapy. Below are 17 popular mental health podcasts to listen to when you need support.
1. Mental Illness Happy Hour
In the Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast, host Paul Gilmartin creates a safe space for guests to talk about difficult subjects, past trauma, and life’s challenges while striving to reduce the stigma around mental health topics. With over 500 episodes, Gilmartin covers all things mental health with compassion, authenticity, and a bit of humor, normalizing what so many people experience but may feel too afraid to talk about.
If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.
2. Getting Better: Stories of Mental Health
BetterHelp's official podcast, Getting Better: Stories of Mental Health, is hosted by therapists Micheline Maalouf and Nadia Addesi. The podcast features guests like Ian Somerhalder, Meghan Trainor, and Chris Bosh, who join in and share their lived experiences around various mental health topics.
3. Ten Percent Happier
Hosted by author Dan Harris, Ten Percent Happier is a podcast that touches on many mental health topics, including anxiety, happiness, stress, and meditation. Created for individuals who may be skeptical about meditation or other mental health practices, this podcast is intended to provide a fresh perspective for people to discover something new and learn evidence-based strategies to overcome mental health challenges, improve relationships, and become happier.
4. The Gratitude Diaries
Research shows that practicing daily gratitude can have numerous benefits for your mental health, such as decreasing stress and depression, improving your relationships with both others and yourself, and increasing resilience when dealing with life’s adversities. Hosted by author and editor Janice Kaplan, The Gratitude Diaries podcast explores gratitude by offering practical ways to cultivate it in everyday life.
5. Meditation Minis
Research shows that meditation has many mental health benefits and is an effective practice for managing anxiety, overcoming negative thought patterns, and being more mindful. Meditation Minis is an award-winning podcast that focuses on short, guided meditations for anxiety and mood support. Hosted by Chel Hamilton, these 10- to-20-minute guided meditations may be great for both beginners and advanced meditators to listen to whenever they need a moment of peace and relaxation.
6. Oprah’s Super Soul
Created by Oprah Winfrey, Super Soul is a podcast featuring Oprah’s selection of top interviews with health and wellness experts, intellectuals, and other influential people who discuss life’s important questions. This podcast is meant to inspire, connect, and foment growth for those who want to become the best version of themselves, providing valuable insights and strategies to have a better life.
7. Latinx Therapy
This podcast was created by the founder of Latinx Therapy, a network of Latinx therapists, Adriana Alejandre. This podcast explores mental health concerns and stigmas within the Latinx community and answers listeners’ mental health questions, including where to find culturally responsive therapy and crisis resources. This podcast features content in both Spanish and English, discussing practical self-help techniques, stress management, stigmas in underrepresented groups, and how to effectively support others experiencing mental health challenges.
8. Here’s Something Good
With all the negative daily news and the stresses of daily life, it may be helpful to start each day on a positive note with this podcast focused only on good news. Featuring helpful tips, expert advice, and inspiring stories, Here’s Something Good is a podcast intended to inspire, motivate, and offer mood support whenever you need it.
9. Mentally Yours
Hosted by Rachel Moss, Mentally Yours is a podcast featuring guests who experience a mental illness. This podcast is intended to educate, combat stigma, and create a safe space for hope, empathy, and compassion, offering practical tips and tools to overcome symptoms of mental illness.
Hosted by Rachel Moss, Mentally Yours is a podcast featuring guests who experience a mental illness. This podcast is intended to educate, combat stigma, and create a safe space for hope, empathy, and compassion, offering practical tips and tools to overcome symptoms of mental illness.
10. The Happiness Lab
Hosted by Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos, The Happiness Lab is a podcast based on the science of happiness and Dr. Santos’s popular psychology course at Yale University. Dr. Santos discovered in her research that many individuals tend to do the opposite of what makes them happy. This podcast explores why that is and discusses useful tools and inspiring stories that may change the way you think about happiness.
11. Attitudes!
Attitudes is a humorous and political podcast hosted by Erin Gibson and Bryan Safi, who explore LGBTQIA+ and gender issues in today’s world, help normalize mental health discussions within the LGBTQIA+ community, and provide real support with a comedic twist for those who may need it most.
12. Feeling good
Hosted by David D. Burns, a physician and author, Feeling Good is a podcast exploring valuable techniques designed to help people overcome anxiety and depression, increase self-confidence and happiness, and boost their overall mood.
13. Self-Care IRL
This podcast hosted by Ty Alexander focuses on self-care related to your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Self-care is often an underestimated practice that has many benefits. While self-care can mean different things to different people, you may find a combination of self-care practices that work for you by listening to Self-Care IRL. In each episode, Ty Alexander talks about practical tips and strategies for instilling self-care into your everyday life.
14. Bottoming
Bottoming is a mental health podcast created for the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies. Hosted by Brendan Geoghegan and Matthew Riley, this podcast navigates difficult conversations, uncovers stigmas, and explores rock bottoming and mental health concerns that can affect individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community.
15. Happier with Gretchen Rubin
Bestselling author and podcast host Gretchen Rubin explores happiness in the Happier podcast, which is co-hosted by her sister Elizabeth Craft. Together, they aim to provide practical tips on how to increase your happiness. From managing loneliness to implementing new life hacks, this podcast covers a wide range of topics meant to make your life easier and happier.
16. Being Well
Hosted by Rick Hanson and Forrest Hanson, this highly rated podcast explores the science of health and well-being while providing practical tips and advice on how to improve your mental health and overall well-being, build inner strength, and live a happier and more fulfilled life.
17. Griefcast
Hosted by Cariad Lloyd, the Griefcast podcast is a safe space and source of support for those who have lost a loved one and are experiencing grief. This award-winning podcast explores the individual experience with death and grief with a touch of humor from comedians, intending to make those living with grief feel a little less alone.
18. Mind If We Talk?
Building on the success of Getting Better, BetterHelp has launched a new podcast called Mind If We Talk?, hosted by licensed therapist Haesue Jo. This eight-episode series features honest, two-part conversations that explore everyday mental health challenges, like setting boundaries, managing anger, or coping with loneliness, through the lens of therapy. Each episode aims to break down complex emotional experiences into relatable, actionable insights, helping listeners feel seen, supported, and better equipped to take care of their well-being.
How to choose the right mental health podcast
There are dozens of mental health podcasts. So, how do you choose the right one for you?
Pick based on your goal
To choose the right mental health podcast, consider what you hope to accomplish through the experience. Are you looking for clinical insights into mental health treatment, or do you just want a mental health boost with journal prompts during the week? Considering your goal before downloading a podcast can help you pick one that’s best aligned with your intentions.
Consider format
Podcasts come in various formats. Some are therapist-led while others feature real people sharing their lived experiences. Often, the format can shed light on the type of content you can expect, whether that’s guided exercises, interviews, Q&As, or solo advice.
Length is important as well. Are you looking for podcasts to get you through a long run, or does your schedule only allow for short episodes?
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Content safety checklist
Learn as much as you can about the podcast to ensure it’s safe for listening. Many of the podcasts that cover sensitive topics include trigger warnings.
What makes a mental health podcast credible?
When choosing a mental health podcast, it could be important to ensure credibility. There are a few ways you can do so.
Signs of quality mental health podcasts
When evaluating a podcast’s credibility, you can look for signs of quality such as:
- Expert guests, such as licensed mental health professionals
- A mix of practical strategies and recommendations to seek professional help
- Discussions of evidence-based mental health techniques and treatments
- Citing research
- Advising on clear limitations for what a podcast can achieve
Common red flags
In addition to looking for signs of quality, you might also consider any red flags when listening to a new podcast, including:
- Giving one-size-fits-all advice
- Making medical claims without basis
- Perpetuating mental health stigma or stereotypes
How to use podcasts to support your mental health
Podcasts can be effective mental health tools, but often, they are what you make of them. Below are some tips for making the most of therapy podcasts.
Listen with intention
It could be beneficial to listen with intention. This is often referred to as mindful listening. Staying in the present moment and focusing on the words you hear may help you get the most meaning from the experience.
Try one skill after each episode
Applying the principles or exercises you learn from a podcast can help them feel more relevant and meaningful, whether it’s a coping strategy practice, journal prompts, or simply a moment of self-reflection. When you find a technique that works for you, consider adding it to your daily or weekly regimen. Over time, you can build routines that serve you and your well-being.
When to pause and reach out
As helpful as mental health podcasts, such as anxiety podcasts and depression podcasts, can be, there are times when you might need crisis support. If you’re having suicidal thoughts or other mental health symptoms that aren’t improving, don’t hesitate to reach out for professional help. You can call 911 or text/call 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If it’s not an emergency, consider scheduling a session with a therapist, whether online or in-person.
Finding the right therapist isn’t just important – it’s everything.
Find your matchWhen to see a therapist
While a mental health podcast can be an effective tool for managing mental health concerns, supporting recovery, and boosting your overall mood, it may not substitute treatment from a licensed therapist. A professional therapist or counselor may be able to provide tools, strategies, and other treatments specific to your unique mental health needs, such as trauma-informed care. If you don’t feel comfortable with in-person therapy at this time, you might benefit from online therapy, which many peer-reviewed studies have demonstrated to be just as effective as in-person therapy.
Getting started with BetterHelp is simple:
- Take a short questionnaire. Answer a few quick questions about your goals, preferences, and the type of therapist you’d like to work with.
- Get matched quickly. In most cases, you can be matched with a licensed provider in as little as 48 hours.
- Start therapy on your terms. Schedule sessions by video, phone, or live chat, and join from anywhere you have an internet connection.
Finding the right therapist isn’t just important – it’s everything.
Find your matchOnline therapy has been a venue through which many individuals have found help for a number of mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, and grief. With online therapy, you can connect with a licensed counselor via phone, videoconferencing, or live chat. You can also message your therapist in between sessions, and they’ll respond as soon as they can.
Takeaway
With BetterHelp, you can choose from a network of more than 25,000 licensed therapists, so you can find someone who has experience treating whatever specific challenges you’re facing. Reach out to BetterHelp and take the first step toward getting support.
Is there a podcast about mental health?
There are a number of podcasts that focus on mental health. Some of the best mental health podcasts by popularity include The Hilarious World of Depression, Therapy for Black Girls, Not Another Anxiety Show, Where Should We Begin, and Happier.
What should be included in a mental health podcast?
The best mental health podcasts, even if not hosted by mental health care professionals, should feature interviews with mental health experts and show evidence-based information on mental health conditions. A weekly podcast is no replacement for therapy sessions, but mental health care is an important issue, and a podcast should offer research-backed information on mental health issues.
What do mental health podcasts do?
It depends on the podcast. Some may be a humorous take on certain mental health conditions that the host is experiencing. Others may be informational and feature mental health care professionals who offer advice for taking care of your own mental health. Still others may have more of a storytelling format and offer a sort of support group dynamic for people who are experiencing certain mental health problems or need support for daily functioning.
Do podcasts reduce anxiety?
In some cases, they can. For many, humor or storytelling can be soothing and reduce anxiety symptoms.
Are there podcasts to help with anxiety?
There are a number of podcasts that address anxiety, and some of these may be helpful for someone who is experiencing anxiety. Titles include The Anxious Achiever, Mental Illness Happy Hour, Anxious in Austin, The Anxiety Guy, and The Overwhelmed Brain.
What is the number one mental health podcast?
There is no single best, or “number one” podcast for mental health. Instead, there’s a wide array of popular podcasts, such as the ones listed above, that you can choose from. This ensures you find the best podcast relevant to your circumstances and mental health concerns.
What is a good podcast for depression?
There are many good podcasts for depression, including:
- Feeling Good Podcast
- The Happy Times
- Giving Voice to Depression
- The Hardcore Self-Help Podcast
For persistent symptoms of depression, it could be best to reach out for professional mental health support.
What podcast is everyone listening to?
Mental health podcasts that are currently very popular include:
- The Happiness Lab
- The Anxiety Guy
- The Hilarious World of Depression
- On Purpose with Jay Shetty: What improves mental health?
There are a variety of evidence-based ways to improve mental health, including lifestyle changes, stress management techniques, therapy, and medication. Mental health podcasts can provide self-help or treatment support. How do I lift myself out of depression?
Self-help strategies such as exercising and sleeping well can help, but you don’t have to lift yourself out of depression. Mental health support is available, both in-person and online. Some types of depression require professional treatment in order for symptoms to improve.
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