The Verywell Mind Podcast

You sent Minaa your most pressing questions, and in today's episode she provides her insight and advice to those questions. You asked about how to handle a friendship you may have outgrown, how to develop healthy two-sided friendships, and when to forgive a friend that betrayed your trust (and how to do it). For more info visit: verywellmind.com/podcast The Verywell Mind Podcast is produced by: Mi...

Dr. Joy Harden Bradford is a Licensed Psychologist. She’s also a speaker and the Founder & CEO of Therapy for Black Girls, and host of its wildly popular mental health podcast, which received a Webby award in 2023.  In this episode, Dr. Joy sits down with Minaa to discuss her new book, Sisterhood Heals: The Transformative Power of Healing in Community. Her work focuses on making mental health topi...

Dr. Raquel Martin is on a mission to radically reimagine Black possibility by promoting Black mental health as key to legacy-building and longevity for generations to come. In this episode, she sits down with Minaa B to discuss black mental wealth -- what it is and what it looks like in practice. Dr. Martin is an experienced licensed clinical psychologist, devoted professor, acclaimed researcher,...

Julie Scelfo is the Founder/Executive Director of Get Media Savvy, a nonprofit using pop culture to establish a healthy media environment for kids and families. She is an award-winning journalist, a former New York Times staff writer, a media ecologist, an author, and a parent. Scelfo was moved to start Get Media Savvy after reporting on the youth mental health crisis and seeing suicidality affect...

Paige Bellenbaum, is a LCSW, and the Founding Director and Chief External Relations Officer at The Motherhood Center of New York. In this episode, Bellenbaum sits down with Minaa B to discuss her experience with severe postpartum depression and how that drove her to fight for education, screening, and treatment for postpartum depression so that no more women would have to suffer silently. For more...

Achieng Agutu is a Kenyan-born model, and digital content creator, who has made a name for herself through social platforms by serving us a daily bowl of motivation, daily affirmations, self-love and fearlessness. The positivity became a viral sensation, leading Vogue to name her the “Confidence Queen.” Global attention from major brands such as Victoria’s Secret and Away followed and she was also...

You sent Minaa your most pressing questions, and in today's episode Minaa provides her insight and advice to those questions. You asked about managing boundaries with an emotionally abusive parent, how to talk about intimacy in a relationship when you and your partner might have different needs, and how to set boundaries with a friend who is consistently late. Want your questions answered in anoth...

Over the last 15 years, Cassadee Pope has been a lot of things to a lot of people—leader of seminal pop-punk band Hey Monday, the season 3 winner of The Voice and a platinum-selling, GRAMMY-nominated country singer-songwriter. Pope is also an ally and activist pushing for social change and a brighter future in a backward world. In this episode, Pope sits down with Minaa B. to discuss how therapy h...

Being lonely really sucks. We've all experienced the moments where everyone we know seems to be busy—we haven't gotten a text back in hours, no one else is at home with us...even our pets can't be bothered with us! While the feeling of loneliness is never fun, we can learn ways to deal with solitude in a healthy way that doesn't start to wreak havoc on our mental health. Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH, Fou...

Social activism is hard and often thankless work. However, the small and big wins feel monumental and make the journey toward gaining equity and fair treatment worth it. Felicia A. Henry, LMSW, a social worker and PhD candidate with a focus on race, gender, carceral, and social vulnerability studies shares ways we can preserve our mental health while fighting for social justice—because activists d...

Your home environment and mood are connected. So, take a moment and look at your home surroundings. How does your home make you feel? Anxious? Sad? Cagey? Whatever emotion just popped up for you likely has something to do with the interior of your home. Even if some negative feelings come up for you—fear not!—because we can use interior design as a therapy tool. In fact, therapist-turned-interior-...

Conditions that last for a year or more and impair daily functioning are called chronic illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the most common include heart disease, depression, and arthritis. Living with a chronic illness can be isolating and painful, however, treatment options are available. In this episode, Nitika Chopra, founder and CEO of the chronic i...

When living with certain mental health conditions like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder, a common symptom is anhedonia—the inability to experience pleasure from the things that used to bring you joy. In this episode, Dr. Judith Joseph aka "social media's favorite psychiatrist" talks about what anhedonia really looks like and how people experiencing it can ask f...

 We're excited to introduce Minaa B., who will be hosting a new season of the Verywell Mind podcast starting September 1st. This season, we will be focusing on the power of community and discussing topics such as friendships, navigating difficult relationships, and how to seek support for your mental health. Minaa B. is a licensed social worker, mental health educator, and author of Owning Our Str...

Do you struggle to find healthy ways to deal with family dysfunction? If so, you're not alone. Therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab has some ideas on how to manage issues with friends and family without all the drama. Some of the things she talks about today are recognizing when you're getting pulled into dysfunction, setting time boundaries, and dealing with privacy issues. To learn more about Nedra, vi...

Panic attacks involve an intense fear that comes out of the blue. It creates physical symptoms within the body, such as a rapid heart rate, dizziness, and sweating. Many people live in great fear of when they'll have another panic attack and often worry that it will happen in public. Fortunately, there are some strategies that can help you get through a panic attack while also making the fear anot...

Have you ever wondered why you keep dreaming that you're falling? Or have you ever dreamed that you showed up somewhere without your clothes on? If so, you're not alone. And while you might try to brush off your dreams by telling yourself that they are just your brain telling stories while you're sleeping, there's evidence that suggests your dreams can have deeper meanings. Jesse Lyon is a therapi...

While it may come as no surprise that reading could be good for your cognitive health, a lot of research shows it can be good for your mental health. In fact, reading might even be good for your social life. The good news is that you don't have to read for long to reap the benefits. There's some research that shows reading for just six minutes a day might make you a happier person. Follow Amy on I...

Jordana Brewster is best known for her role as Mia Toretto in the Fast & Furious franchise. She's been open about the fact that she's seen a therapist since she was in college, and she says she continues to learn new strategies to improve her mental health. Some of the things she discusses today are how she manages the pressure to develop a 'work/life balance,' the strategies she uses to manage an...

When our emotions go up, our logic goes down. The more emotional we are, the tougher it is to think clearly, make wise decisions, and feel good. Fortunately, you can do many things to gain more control over your emotions. This strategy can decrease the intensity of an uncomfortable emotion so you can make healthy choices for yourself. It's one of my favorite mental strength-building strategies, an...

Do you ever make things harder than they need to be? Most of us do that at one time or another. We overthink things or we beat ourselves up for making a mistake. Fortunately, there are strategies you can use to just let things be easy, and author Susie Moore is going to explain how to do that. Susie is a life coach who has written a book called Let It Be Easy, and she offers some great tips for de...

Everyone feels overwhelmed sometimes. But there are always choices in how you respond to those feelings. Whether you're overwhelmed by too many feelings or feel overwhelmed because you have too much to do, having a plan in place always helps. Amy explains a strategy that will help you prioritize your tasks and distance yourself from overwhelmed feelings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod...

Johnny Crowder is the CEO of a mental health/tech startup. But he wasn't always in a position to help other people. In fact, for many years he lacked hope that there were any mental health resources that could help him. He struggled with a variety of symptoms, and he attempted several different avenues of treatment — but nothing seemed to work. Fortunately, he didn't give up, and he learned that h...

Whether you get turned down for a promotion or you get ghosted by your latest love interest, rejection stings. But you don't have to let it define you. In fact, you can grow from the pain you experience when someone rejects you. These seven strategies can help you cope with the pain of rejection while also help you move forward better than before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastcho...

Ali Landry was first spotlighted as Miss Louisiana Teen USA in 1990. She won the Miss USA title in 1996 and then starred in an iconic Super Bowl commercial advertising Doritos. She’s gone on to star in several movies and written a book called Shape Your Life. But Ali’s life hasn’t always been easy. She went through a very public marriage that was annulled after only two weeks. The breakup was feat...