Judging Meghan

Essential Inner Resources for Good Mental Health & A Fulfilling Life with Licensed Clinical Psychologist Dr. Celeste Birkhofer This episode I am joined by Dr. Celeste Birkhofer, a licensed clinical psychologist, longtime Stanford educator, mother, and upcoming author whose work centers on grief, suicide prevention, and the emotional weight of perfectionism. Dr. Celeste opens up about growing up in...

This episode I’m joined by Dr. Mark Horowitz, a psychiatrist, researcher, and one of the leading voices challenging the conventional approach to antidepressants. Together, we have an open and eye-opening conversation about the truth behind psychiatric medication, withdrawal, and what real healing looks like beyond the quick-fix model. Dr. Horowitz shares his own experience with dependence and reco...

I am re-releasing one of the most meaningful conversations I have ever had. I recorded this with Bruce and Donna Ellis, two people who have been like second parents to me. I wanted to share it again after recently losing Bruce, who was not only a hero in my life but someone deeply loved by everyone who knew him. This episode is about love, family, and the people who shape who we become. We talk ab...

In this powerful episode I sit down with one of the most iconic figures in boxing history, Christy Salters Martin, the first woman ever inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame. Her story is one of triumph, trauma, and unbreakable resilience. Christy shares her journey from a small-town girl in West Virginia who learned early on to hide who she was, to becoming a boxing phenomenon headlining Pay-Per-...

Trigger warning: This episode discusses suicide, depression, and grief—please listen with care. This deeply emotional episode is a revisited talk I had with a remarkable guest: Betsy Thibaut Stephens. Betsy is a mother, writer, and survivor of unthinkable loss. Her son, Charlie, was a bright, compassionate, easygoing 21-year-old who quietly battled depression—a struggle that ended in tragedy. In h...

In this episode I sit down with my friend, psychotherapist, and author John Tsilimparis to explore two of the biggest challenges shaping our world today: the rise of artificial intelligence and the quiet epidemic of loneliness. We’re living in a time when we’re more connected than ever and yet more isolated than we’ve ever been. John and I talk about how technology, social media, and AI are reshap...

This episode is a revisited conversation with the incredible Marianne Williamson, bestselling author, activist, and former presidential candidate, for a discussion that feels more relevant than ever. We dive deep into the power of love, resilience, and the urgent need for healing both individually and collectively. From the state of our nation to the deeper spiritual truths that guide us, we explo...

In this deeply moving episode of Judging Meghan, I sit down with Jennifer Levi, a mother who is living every parent’s worst nightmare. Just months ago, Jennifer lost her son Braun, an 18-year-old student-athlete full of life, kindness, and joy, after he was struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver while walking home with friends. Jennifer shares both the ordinary and extraordinary moments she...

In this episode I am joined by Ruby Dickulous, a realtor, developer, stand up performer, drag artist, and regular guest on Jeff Lewis Live who was featured on HGTV as America’s first drag queen realtor in the special The Queen of House Hunting in Austin, Texas. Ruby and I discuss what it was like to grow up gay in Texas, the painful messages she absorbed as a kid, and how a cross-dressing step gra...

In this very special episode I celebrate five years of sharing my story and the stories of so many others by sitting down with Bruce and Donna Ellis, who have been like second parents to me. This episode is a heartfelt conversation about family, love, resilience, and most of all about Julie Ellis, their daughter and my soulmate, my best friend since childhood, whose life was tragically cut short....

In this emotional episode I am joined by Christine Magiera, a mother of three, advocate, and survivor, who shares the devastating story of a drunk driving crash that changed her family’s life in an instant. What started as a simple ice cream outing ended in tragedy when their minivan was struck just minutes from home, leaving her youngest son critically injured. Christine recalls the chaos of that...

In this episode I welcome back Chris Burres, chief scientist, co-founder of MyVitalC, and host of the podcast Live Beyond the Norms. Since Chris first joined me last December, I have been taking MyVitalC every single day, and nine months later I have not gotten sick once. For someone who usually catches everything from colds to bronchitis, especially when traveling or when my kids bring home schoo...

In this episode I sit down with executive coach, professor, and four-time author Leslie Grossman to talk about the themes of her newest book, Circles of Collaboration. Drawing from her decades of experience in leadership and her upbringing in a family that modeled the power of community, Leslie shares why genuine connection is more essential than ever in our families, friendships, careers, and bey...

Trigger warning: This episode contains discussions of assault, grooming, and trauma that may be difficult for some listeners. In this powerful episode, I sit down with author, nurse, and survivor Stephanie Maley, who bravely shares her story of trauma, survival, and healing. From childhood medical trauma and abandonment to cycles of grooming, and the silence that followed, Stephanie opens up about...

In this episode I sit down with Nikki Eisenhauer, licensed psychotherapist, mental health podcaster, and fellow survivor, to explore the complex realities of healing from childhood trauma and complex PTSD. Nikki shares her courageous story of growing up in fear and chaos, carrying the impossible burden of protecting her younger sisters, and facing the painful truths of family estrangement. She ope...

This episode is a revisited conversation with the incredible Dr. Shah from Empower Her Health Center. The information we discussed continues to be just as relevant—and powerful—today. Whether you’re tuning in for the first time or listening again, I know you’ll find this discussion just as insightful and empowering as I did the day we recorded it. In this episode, we dive into essential topics lik...

This episode I’m joined once again by someone I truly admire. Dr. Alexandra Sowa is one of the nation’s first certified obesity medicine physicians, founder of the wellness brand SoWell, and author of "The Ozempic revolution" Together, we dive deep into what it really means to reclaim our health, our stories, and our futures. Dr. Sowa brings honesty, expertise, and compassion as we discuss the tru...

In this episode I sit down with Heather Bellino, CEO of the Texas Advocacy Project, to talk about her unexpected journey from PTA volunteer to leading one of Texas’s most impactful nonprofit legal organizations. What began as a school carnival fundraiser turned into a life’s mission helping survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking access the civil legal services they need to...

In this episode, I'm joined by the incredible Marisa Hallsted, a transformation coach and Reality Architect who helps people reconnect with themselves in powerful and gentle ways. Marisa and I dive into a deeply moving conversation about burnout, grief, and how the pain we carry, often silently can weigh us down without us even realizing it. She shares her own story of trauma, heartbreak, and the...

The following episode is a revisited episode from a previous conversation with Dr. Ken Druck that I feel is just as meaningful and relevant today as when it first aired. In this episode I’m joined by Dr. Ken Druck, a Ph. D. and grief expert, for a meaningful conversation about navigating "what now" moments. These moments can arise on a personal level or in response to larger global challenges, and...

This episode I sit down with journalist, author, and BBC veteran Emily Kasriel to explore something that feels both radical and deeply human: the art of deep listening. At a time when the world is louder, angrier, and more divided than ever, Emily’s message is a lifeline for anyone who’s ever felt dismissed, overwhelmed, or unsure how to bridge the growing gap with someone they care about. As some...

This week I’m joined by licensed clinical psychologist Dr Noelle Santorelli. We get into the invisible wounds left by social rejection and toxic dynamics, especially among women. I share my own deeply personal story of a friendship that turned into covert bullying and the emotional devastation that followed, while Dr. Noelle offers expert insight into how childhood trauma, complex PTSD, and early...

This week I’m joined by the incredible Dr. Bonnie Buckner, dream expert and author of The Secret Mind: Unlock the Power of Dreams to Transform Your Life. Together we take a  journey through the unconscious, as Bonnie shares how one vivid, recurring dream uprooted her life and led her all the way to the south of France. But more than a change of scenery, it was a call from deep within, a soul nudge...

From The Walking Dead to Walking Away: Reclaiming Power After Abuse with Actress, Podcaster, and BFF Alliance Co-Founder Lindsay Abernathy Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of emotional abuse, sexual assault, and trauma. Please listen with care. This week on Judging Meghan, I sit down with the remarkable Lindsay Abernathy—an actress, advocate, and survivor whose journey takes us f...

In this episode I sit down with podcaster, author, and MFT John Tsilimparis, to talk about one of the most universal and often misunderstood human experiences: grief. John's book The Magic in the Tragic: Rewriting the Script on Grief and Discovering Happiness in Our Darkest Days is a beautiful testament to the possibility of hope, healing, and even joy after loss. As someone who has walked through...