Mental Illness Happy Hour

Joe Smarro is a Marine Corps combat veteran who trains first responders on how to properly manage and de-escalate mental health crises. He talks about the path that led him to this work, why the current system is so broken–for both civilians and first responders–and what can be done to fix it. For more about Joe: www. JoeSmarro.com www. Instagram.com/JoeSmarro If you’re interested in seeing or buy...

Vanessa Blackstone is a therapist specializing in chronic pain and the Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center. She outlines the success she’s found in the Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) modality. She also shares her personal journey to this work, growing up in foster care and learning to manage her chronic pain. Look for her book, The Pain Reprocessing Therapy Workbook. More about Vanes...

Kayla Hurt is a professional organizer who aims to work with deep empathy and a soft approach. She opens up about her journey to decluttering, including her struggles with ADHD, OCD, and her mother’s mental health issues. More about Kayla: Tiktok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@organizingwithkayla?_t=ZP-8vSNa0TsBcV&_r=1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/organizingwithkayla?igsh=MThlYmNrZzVlN...

Listener (and MIHH Zoom hangout member) Stevie G opens up about her repressed childhood trauma memories and needing outpatient psychiatric care, learning new coping skills and walking thru the grief of the passing of her best friend and most recently, her sister. If you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and makes follow his IG for his woodworking which is transition...

Andrea Jones-Rooy is a data scientist, speaker, and stand-up comedian. They join Paul to share their struggles with anorexia and OCD, and how they have managed them over the years.   For more about Andrea: Behind the Data (podcast):  https://shows.acast.com/behind-the-data Her site:  https://www.jonesrooy.com/ If you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul des...

Author and speaker Jessica Slice joins the pod to share her parenting story as a disabled mother. She discusses misconceptions about disability and parenting, and how so many parents are underestimated. Look for her book Unfit Parent: A Disabled Mother Challenges an Inaccessible World Purchase Jessica’s book Unfit Parent here https://www.amazon.com/dp/0807013242#detailBullets_feature_div If you’re...

Dillon Tucker is an actor and filmmaker who shares the challenges and advantages of his various iterations of OCD and shares his process for the movie, Pure O, which he wrote and directed. To find places to stream Pure O https://www.pure-o-movie.com/ Follow him on IG www.instagram.com/DillonTucker If you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and makes follow his IG for...

This “Best Of” episode originally aired in 2013 and was voted a listener favorite. David Hiroshima is a 3rd generation Japanese-American psychologist. He shares his experience and observations counseling sexual predators (rapists and child molesters) at Coalinga, a lockdown mental hospital in central California and how he used Buddhism to help him cope. If you’re interested in seeing or buyin...

Allen Strickland Williams is a standup comedian who shares his struggles with the stress of perfectionism and ADHD tendencies. He also opens up about the trauma of surviving a random shooting. Check out his comedy special, Ran Through, and his podcast, Finding My Audience. More about Allen www. AllenStricklandWilliams.com If you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and...

Abby Reyes is an author, lawyer, and climate justice leader. She shares her story of activism, the tragic loss of her partner, and the mindfulness techniques she uses to manage her grief. Look for her new book, Truth Demands: A Memoir of Murder, Oil Wars, and the Rise of Climate Justice. For More About Abby abbyreyes.org IG: @abbysreyes If you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture t...

Rachel Kaplan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who focuses deeply on moving through difficult feelings in order to heal–what she calls “emotional potty training”. She opens up about her personal tragedies and what led her to this work. Look for her podcast the Healing Feeling Sh*t Show and her new book Feel, Heal, and Let That Sh*t Go: Your Guide to Emotional Resilience and Lasti...

Bo V is a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer who attends Paul’s support group. They talk about the work they’re doing on self-judgment and shame, finding the perfect church after leaving Catholicism, and discovering their trans identity. If you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and makes follow his IG for his woodworking which is transitioning from @MIHHfurniture...

Rich Forer is a Jewish-American author and activist. He discusses his perspective of growing up Jewish, being a member of AIPAC, and how his perspective on Palestine shifted dramatically, shattering his entire worldview.  Here's a link to Rich’s book page on Amazon.   Here's a link to a very interesting written interview he did, and here's a link to his YouTube channel. If you’...

Dr. Jessica Zucker returns to the podcast for her 4th visit, focusing on the importance of talking about hard things: Cancer, miscarriages, perimenopause, and more. Watch for her new book, Normalize It: Upending the Silence, Stigma, and Shame That Shape Women's Lives. More about Jessica: Where to buy her book: Amazon Bookshop Instagram: @ihadamiscarriage Website: drjessicazucker.com If you’re inte...

Mark M is Paul’s friend from a support group. He visits the podcast to share his story of addiction, growing up entrenched in deception, and how he eventually broke the pattern in his adult life. He digs into his complicated family life, the losses he’s suffered, and how he continues to work through it all to maintain a life of integrity. This episode is sponsored by Smalls cat food. For a limited...

Jennifer Westcott is a therapist who has shared her story of sexual abuse at the hands of her mother. She returns for her second visit on the pod and opens up about the emotional hangover she had after recording her first episode. In this episode, she digs into her healing journey and the immense progress she’s made. More about Jennifer: https://youtube.com/@therapistsanctuary?si=LXxyNlcClD00m-Qz...

Jennifer Westcott is a therapist who, as an adult, began to recall sexual abuse by her mother. She and Paul both dig deep to talk about maternal sexual abuse and why it’s so difficult for people to understand and accept. Jennifer also shares the painful reactions from her family and how she’s pressed on with the help of her husband and her work in therapy. More about Jennifer: https://youtube.com/...

Dr. Blaise Aguirre is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He specializes in dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) with a particular focus on borderline personality disorder (BPD). He discusses his recent clinical work on self-hatred and discusses his new book, I Hate Myself: Overcome Self-Loathing and Realize Why You're Wrong About You. Dr. Aguirre’s book: https://www.ih...

Ryan Sheldon (@RealRyanSheldon) is a speaker, a model, an eating disorder advocate, and the author of F*ckboys Are Boring: A Gay Man’s Guide to Dating (For Everyone). He shares excerpts from his book and talks about his lifelong journey to self-acceptance, through eating disorders, body image issues, and dating all the wrong men. He also shares tips on healthy ways to look for partners.  More...

This Best Of episode was originally recorded and aired in 2015. Jeanie, a writer, talks about being parentless at 3 and the complex relationship with her mentally disabled sister whom she now has guardianship of. She and Paul bond over suicidal thoughts, isolating and much much more For more about Jeanie's writing https://scriptanatomy.com/jeanie-bergen/ Substack https://itcanbeboth.substack.com/...

Matt D. is a good friend of Paul's who shares his story of starting over after a divorce, a career change, and getting sober—while owning a weed store in California. He also talks about the surprising joy he finds in living in a sober community.  This episode is sponsored by Smalls cat food. For 50% off your first order, head to www. Smalls.com and use promo code MENTAL.  If you’re inter...

Jen Soriano is a Filipinx author, musician, and first-generation American. She shares important context about Filipino history and how transgenerational trauma plays out for so many people, including her own family. She also opens up about living with chronic pain and the importance of understanding the mind-body connection. Look for her new book Nervous: Essays on Heritage and Healing. For m...

Phil Stark is a former screenwriter (Dude, Where’s My Car) turned marriage and family therapist. He shares why he made this huge career pivot plus he and Paul discuss passive aggression in relationships and managing the inner critic. Check out his new book, Dude, Where's My Car-tharsis?: A Friendly and Engaging Guide to Talk Therapy For more about Phil: Website:  https://www.starktalk.net Ama...

Paul’s support group friend, Jon Luc, opens up about the ways that school took an incredible mental toll on his life and how being gay in this world has also created challenges. He shares his struggles with addiction, his love for his support group, and how he’s learned to set boundaries in his relationships. This episode is sponsored by Orgain Organic Plant Protein Powder . For 30% off go to...