Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness

Why do people join cults?  JVN is joined by investigative journalist Ellen Huet, who spent years interviewing more than 125 former members to expose how a movement built around empowerment, intimacy, and “sexual wellness”  spiraled into coercion, manipulation, and abuse of power. Together, we break down how wellness culture can blur boundaries, why charismatic leaders are so effective, and how lan...

The Monday Edit, now on YouTube!  This week: Wigs, buying bags, JVN Hairspray Launch, policing language, Gwyneth Paltrow singing, Renee Good, Minneapolis, Reading vs. Audiobooks. Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive content, bonus episodes, and more! www.patreon.com/jvn  Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn Jonathan on Instagram @jvn and senior producer Chris @amomentlikechris  Senior P...

High-Functioning Depression—what does it really look like?  ICYMI: JVN is joined by the brilliant Dr. Judith Joseph, a board-certified psychiatrist and researcher, to explore high-functioning depression — what it is, how to recognize it, and why so many people struggle with it in silence. Together, they break down the signs that often go unnoticed, unpack the stigma around seeking help when things...

We’re talking: Elder millennial moments, AI slop, Diet Soda in 2025, image hangups that are SO last year, life before and after Queer Eye, ADHD self medication, attraction vs. promotion, non-violent communication, failing with grace, anti-aging products, and the Stranger Things Finale.  Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive content, bonus episodes, and more! www.patreon.com/jvn  Follow us on Ins...

Play isn’t something we grow out of — it’s something we desperately need to return to. When was the last time you truly played — without trying to be productive, impressive, or good at it? This week on Getting Better, JVN sits down with toy designer and author Cas Holman to help us learn the value of a little playtime! From designing iconic toys to studying how people of all ages learn through pla...

This week, we’re talking: Lessons learned in 2025, bringing a sense of play into our every day lives, cubed salmon, jump roping on TikTok, muddling, exploring beauty as an expression of our individuality, AI Babies with buss down wigs, making Republicans “cool,” gay stuff in 2025, and our Hot Bitches of 2025!  Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive content, bonus episodes, and more! www.patreon.c...

Connection isn’t just about being around people — it’s about feeling seen. This week on Getting Better, JVN sits down certified mental health coach and founder of the SEEN Method, Morgan Burch, for a powerful conversation about authenticity, isolation, and what actually makes relationships work. Together, they unpack why so many of us feel disconnected even when we’re surrounded by others, how fea...

This week, we’re looking back at our favorite Monday Edit moments - just like in the Golden Girls when they sit at the kitchen table with their cheesecake and reminiscence, we're looking back at what was going on in YOUR world this year, the TikTok’s that spent the most time on our FYP, and one of our fave Hot Bitches of the Week!  Stay tuned for an all new Getting Better this week! Check out the...

Boundaries aren’t about being mean — they’re about being clear. This week on Getting Better, JVN sits down with Melissa Urban, founder of Whole30 and a leading voice on boundaries, to talk about how to set limits that actually stick — especially when emotions, history, and guilt get involved. From defining what a boundary really is (hint: it’s not just what you say, it’s what you do), to navigatin...

This week, we’re talking: Going no contact, All Her Fault, the Fanning Sisters, ADHD flow states, JVN’s new favorite European city, Miss Universe pregnancy rules, Norway’s royal family, Matthew Morrison’s dance breaks, thirsty little c*nts on Tiktok, "rebranding" domestic terrorism, Bari Weiss, blocking CBS news, Glogg, Tumeric, and success with semaglutides.  Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusi...

Your worth is not tied to your results.  This week, JVN is joined by Olympic Bronze Medalist - figure skater, author, and all-around icon Adam Rippon to talk about career pivots, personal reinvention, and why stepping into a new chapter can be one of the most powerful moves you make. They’re talking all about growing up in the golden age of 90s and 2000s figure skating, deep dives on Oksana Baiul’...

This week, we’re talking: JVN’s Euro Hot & Healed Tour, English Breakfasts, Whole Foods hot bars, Simone Biles’ first figure skating lesson, Instagram Close Friends Stories, NSFW shaped lipstick, home renovation revelations, Christina Aguilera at the Eiffel Tower, honey on toes, Trump v. Slaughter, Spotify Wrapped, and Pantone’s Color of the year - “cloud dancer” aka white.  Check out the JVN Patr...

Relationships aren’t just about chemistry or communication — they’re shaped by the attachment style running the show behind-the-scenes. This week, JVN sits down with author, educator, and founder of The Personal Development School, Thais Gibson, to break down the four core attachment styles and how they shape the way we love, communicate, and connect. If you’re trying to make sense of the way you...

This week, we’re talking: Thanksgiving recuperation, JVN Takes Europe, our continued Jennifer Welch obsession, attachment styles, TikTok hairstylist dramas, Crafty Slaughter LLC, Sami Sage (Betches)’s Incredible breakdown of some Trump admin corruption correlation, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Resignation, mature skincare recommendations, and Irish breakfasts.  Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive...

Today, we’re refining our BS reader with one the BEST in the biz - Jennifer Welch - from “I’ve Had It”!  Together, JVN and Jennifer dive into how to hold people accountable, discern the news we’re watching,  and call out hypocrisy in both everyday life and in U.S. politics. Jennifer leads by example how we can practice accountability at home, in friendships, on social media, and with our elected l...

This week, we're talking: visits to Drew Afualo & Suzanne Lambert’s podcasts, the Finlandia Trophy, Thanksgiving prep, Paul Revere, JVN’s upcoming European tour, Carmen Sandiego, “Where In The World Is JVN,” horses in the stable, Mikayla Noguiera’s haircut, Zara Larsson, the return of the salmon chunks, the death of Tierra Walker and abortion access in America, the release of the Epstein files, Ch...

Travel nightmares, cocktail jazz, & laughing gas…oh my!  This week, JVN is joined by comedian and certified delight, Heather McMahan (host, Absolutely Not) They’re talking: baths vs. showers, jazz scatting, preferred quesadilla orders, comedy in 2025, mid-flight medical emergencies, eyelashes, meeting people where they’re at, finding rituals that ground you, healthcare in the UK, The Golden Bachel...

This week, we’re talking: JVN’s return to yoga, which comedian makes JVN pull an oblique & an intercostal muscle, the process of becoming a U.S. Citizen, the perils of ankles being in weird positions, “Going Up on A Tuesday,” chickens in the Philippines, shark attacks, Cynthia Erivo’s reflexes, Megyn Kelly’s grift, The Devil Wears Prada 2 Trailer, Vulture’s article on Ziwe, reframing your view of...

Woke Mind Virus? How about the Whiteness Mindset! JVN welcomes psychologist and author Dr. Jonathan Mathias Lassiter to dig into his new book, How I Know White People Are Crazy and Other Stories, and explore how a “whiteness mindset” shows up in everyday life. We talk about what it is, who exhibits it, how it drives control and denial, feeds our collective stress, and why naming it is the first st...

This week, we’re talking: Elyse Myers making The NY Times Best Seller List, Unisex Bathrooms, our TikTok round up, scorned Trump supporter centrists, the election of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, taxing billionaires and corporations, and answering your listener question!  Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive content, bonus episodes, and more! www.patreon.com/jvn  Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwi...

Elyse Myers, (writer/creator) stopped by to talk to JVN all about her new book That's A Great Question, I'd Love To Tell You, living with ADHD, and navigating parenthood after being diagnosed with Autism as an adult. From masking and people-pleasing to boundaries and self-acceptance, Elyse shares the before/after of getting language following her diagnosis. Plus! We also dig into how she writes an...

This week, we’re talking: money confidence, JVN Hair Update: Air Dry Cream…in tubs!, lazy headlines around GLP-1s, the return of Chris’ bob, pig & cow content, whistling, Poot Lovato, attacks on Same-Sex marriage, cis-gendered nuance, "West End Girl," Thanksgiving advice, and our Hot Bitch of the Week.  Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive content, bonus episodes, and more! www.patreon.com/jvn ...

Money isn’t just about math — it’s about mindset. This week, JVN welcomes back financial educator, Her First $100K founder, and Financial Feminist Podcast host Tori Dunlap to the pod to talk about how we can break free from money shame and finally feel confident with our cash!  From debt and credit cards to saving, investing, and taxes, Tori breaks down the emotional and practical sides of money m...

This week, we’re talking: some big considerations following last week’s hypnosis episode, Halloween, money shame, soft-pitching “The Cancelistas,” speaking on panels, smoked fish, Ralph Lauren Christmas, the continued government shutdown, SNAP benefits, the White House Ballroom renovation, $230 Million from the Justice Department, Kristi Noem’s private jet, being a Patriot for Gymnastics, and the...

Hypnosis is not just swinging watches, stage magic, or Scooby Doo fodder - it's a tool we can all use to help rewire our brains. This week, JVN talks with Melissa Tiers, founder of The Center for Integrative Hypnosis in New York City. Melissa is a hypnotist whose work spans decades and has helped people effectively rewire their brains for the better. We're talking about self-hypnosis techniques, d...