A Better Pill To Swallow

There’s a moment in this conversation where Emily says she doesn’t recognize herself anymore—and somehow, it opens the door to something more honest. Emily Walton—Broadway actress (Come From Away) turned mental health counselor—joins me for a conversation that moves between humor, identity, and what it means to stop performing in your own life. We talk about growing up in a world where performance...

A healthy baby. A seizure in the middle of the night. And a reality no parent is prepared to face. Susan Weissman shares the story of losing her son Nathan just weeks before his second birthday — what it was like to bring him home knowing he would die, the silence and discomfort that followed, and the long, uneven path of learning to live again. We talk about denial, marriage under strain, faith,...

At the heart of A Better Pill to Swallow is the belief that mental health in the modern era demands new modalities—approaches that go beyond insight alone and actually meet the body and brain where change happens. That’s what makes a conversation like this so important. Biofeedback therapy speaks directly to the subconscious, where most of our patterns, reactions, and choices are formed. Using sub...

On this week’s episode, I share my conversation with Karl Mauks-Kopke — eighth grade math teacher and not-so-secret philosopher. Karl is a dear friend and one of the most thoughtful people I know. (Some call him heaven.) We talk about Karl’s work inside the middle school classroom, including how he motivates kids who don’t always see the point of school, or math, and why learning math is a lot lik...

Today’s episode cuts to the origin tale of how this very podcast was created. I’m interviewing my mother, Laine Neiman, about parenting a child with mental illness, handling the grief of losing him, and opening up to the community for support. Lainie (a.k.a. Mom Neiman) is an executive and leadership coach, as a family business consultant. More importantly, she spent the last 30 years in the trenc...

On this week’s episode, I share my conversation with Jennifer Stevens, Holistic Nutrition Practitioner and Thyroid Cancer Survivor. We talk all about Jen’s experiences with anxiety pre-cancer, leading to a very unexpected diagnosis in her late 30s. Jen shares her decision to forgo radiation in favor of surgery and holistic healing, and how that led her into her new career helping others.  In addit...

  Our first episode of season three kicks off with a very special, long-awaited guest…a woman who needs no introduction, but I’m giving her one anyway because she’s ‘a my wife—Amanda Neiman. We explain the reason for our truncated 2nd season and our exceptionally long hiatus: we had a baby! In new-parent fashion, our conversation is a wild, sleep-deprived reflection on how we’re adjusting to the l...

This week, I’m joined by nurse practitioner Margaret Decker for a conversation about the role of love and community in modern medicine. We talk about what it means to show up for people—not just as professionals, but as humans—especially in moments of illness, aging, and death. We explore how belief, religion, and ideology intersect with science in clinical settings, and how the fear of liability...

This week, we’re joined by Betsy Capes—founder of Capes Coaching and a powerhouse guide for artists, creatives, and performers looking to build sustainable careers in an unpredictable industry. Betsy shares her wealth of wisdom on how to thrive in a high-risk, high-reward profession, touching on the pressures of hustle culture and social media that often feel at odds with the artistic spirit. This...

  Today’s episode features my illuminating conversation with Jason Gold, personal coach and psychedelics expert. We explore the therapeutic potential of psilocybin—not just as a healing modality, but as a meaningful alternative to more addictive recreational substances like cannabis and alcohol. Jason offers grounded wisdom on the importance of integration, intention, and nervous system regulation...

Today’s episode features my fascinating conversation with Birdie Condon, Hudson Valley-based midwife and sex educator. We talk all about the history of childbirth including how and why it became industrialized, the differences between obstetrics and midwifery, and how certain medical interventions can stall labor. Birdie shares her non-dogmatic, highly nuanced perspective on the various ways women...

Today, I’m sitting down with ADHD coach, Steev Hodgson, to discuss his journey to an adult ADHD diagnosis and the wisdom he’s picked up along the way. We get into practical tips and tricks as well as the deeper impacts ADHD has on emotional regulation, self esteem, and intimate relationships. Steev is a wealth of accessible, easy to digest knowledge on this subject and a breath of fresh air for an...

This week, I’m sharing my candid and irreverent conversation with my close friend, Mark Priceman. As fellow neurotic Jews who have wrestled with OCD tendencies, we compare notes on how partnership has evolved us in unexpected ways. We go deep into his journey to becoming a parent and how it has softened his need for control. We also discuss the art of wearing intrusive thoughts lightly and even to...

This week’s episode features my enriching conversation with spiritual alchemist, guide, and yoga/meditation teacher, Maya Kramer. We go deep into Maya’s beginnings as a model in NYC, exploring how the emptiness of that path led her to a spur-of-the-moment move to Tel-Aviv, where she experienced a spiritual awakening. Through our dynamic conversation, we explore what alchemy really means in a heali...

In part two of my conversation with sex educator Elizabeth Greenblatt, we're taking an abrupt turn from our conversation on sex, into a deep dive on grief. Elizabeth discusses the loss of one of her best friends in a tragic car accident in her early 20's, as I  share a bit more about my own experience losing my brother to mental illness. We have a raw and open conversation about how grie...

This week, I’m sharing my enlightening (not to mention fun) conversation with sex educator Elizabeth Greenblatt. We delve deep into her experiences as a high schooler volunteering at Planned Parenthood, all the way through to her current work teaching sex ed classes to kids and teens. Elizabeth shares her conviction that raising confident, informed kids requires more than abstinence-only education...

In the premiere of Season 2, I have an inspiring conversation with Rosey Rouhana, a licensed mental health counselor and registered play therapist. Rosey opens up about her journey in helping children and teens navigate through trauma, sharing insightful strategies and lessons from her practice. She also candidly discusses the personal mental health struggles she faced, including panic attacks and...

In part two of my conversation with Emily Abramson, we look deeper at parenthood, grief, and the importance of “doing the work.” Emily shares how she models healthy body image and navigates intense emotions for her three daughters, and how wisdom and patience have grown with time. We touch on the importance of struggle and introspection in having a meaningful life and how winter plays a role in th...

On today’s episode, I’m sharing part one of my conversation with Emily Abramson. Emily is a foreign language teacher who speaks five languages, and PhD student on a mission to bring more depth and meaning to public education. She also happens to be my sister, one of my best friends, and a brilliant conversationalist with deep insight into our mental health landscape. Part one of our two-hour conve...

On today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome the incredible singer-songwriter Jen Hirsh, aka Monogem. Jen opens up about her journey to discovering her authentic voice as an artist: from the lessons she learned from her time on American Idol to what it took to break free from the pressures of the industry. She also shares a deeply personal side of her story, discussing how motherhood has transfor...

In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Zach Jones, associate director for Wild Earth Middle School Initiative. Zach is an avid world traveler and nature expert who has a wealth of experience working with kids of all backgrounds who cosmically happens to be my next door neighbor. We talk about the role of privilege in immersive programs like Wild Earth, as well as how to build resilience in chil...

In this episode, Pam Dunn, leader of "Your Infinite Life Training & Coaching Company" discusses her journey from a stay-at-home mom to life coach, the differences between coaching and therapy, the role of medication in personal development, and her experiences coaching within the Orthodox Jewish community. Pam, an expert in emotional intelligence and values-driven leadership, also de...

In part two of our podcast with Marilyn Manno, I discuss non-toxic living and cancer prevention, specifically as it pertains to living with the BRACA gene. We dive into the trials of finding balance between taking care of ourselves with the stress of trying to control the uncontrollable. We also touch on the critical importance of mental health in intimate relationships and even delve into some of...

Marilyn Manno is a writer, creative director, and dear friend living medication-free after being hospitalized for a manic episode in 2011. In this episode, we talk about her lifestyle that led to her psychotic break, and how she was able to find her way back to homeostasis.  In part one of this two-part podcast, we delve into a rich discussion on grief, as Marilyn recently lost her beloved father...

We now welcome to "A Better Pill," Amy Eidelman. She has struggled her entire life with food and environmental allergies. In her early 20s, her sensitivities devolved into full-blown IBS, leading her into Xanax dependency and recovery, and more recently several bouts of long Covid. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more sensitive body than hers. Yet through her suffering and struggle, Amy...