The Verywell Mind Podcast

We all have things that we don’t want to do yet feel obligated to do them. Working out, cleaning the house, and paying the bills are just a few of those things that most of us don’t love doing yet we know these things are important.  It’s hard to force yourself to do something boring or to keep going on a task that you don’t feel like doing. When we give up on our goals (like quitting the gym), or...

Wendy Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University. She invests much of her time studying brain plasticity–how the brain is able to grow and adapt over the lifespan. She is known for her extensive work studying areas of the brain that are critical to our ability to develop and retain long-term memories.  But she’s also conducted a l...

Addressing your mental health might feel daunting when you don’t know what to do or when you’re experiencing a mental health issue. You might imagine you have to sign up for a yoga class or learn complicated meditation techniques. While those things might improve your mental health, they aren’t the only options. There are plenty of things you can do right now to feel better.  In today’s episode, I...

Mallory Ervin held the title of Miss Kentucky in 2009. In 2010, she was fourth runner-up for Miss America. She also competed on the reality show The Amazing Race three separate times.  Despite all the success she had on the outside, she didn’t feel worthy on the inside. And she developed an addiction to pills to help numb her feelings. Now, she’s written a best-selling book called Living Fully in...

While most people understand what it takes to become physically strong, there’s a lot of confusion about how to grow mentally strong. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to develop mental strength. You might even do some of them already without realizing that they’re helping you grow mentally stronger.  In this episode, I share the three components of mental strength. I also talk about s...

KJ Smith is an actress who stars in the BET comedy-drama series Sistas and Starz’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan.  She isn’t shy about talking about her mental health. She has become an advocate for therapy and self-care. Some of the things she talks about today are how she learned to be comfortable with her emotions, how she modifies her environment to stay mentally healthy, and how she establish...

Depression is complicated but some of the treatments can be simple.  That doesn’t mean following through with these treatments is easy–battling depression is a tough job. But it does mean that a few lifestyle changes can sometimes make a big difference to someone who is living with depression.  On today’s Friday Fix episode, I share how therapists often help people battle depression with behaviora...

One of the really fun parts about having a podcast is that I get to answer your questions on the show in real-time.  In my work as an author, it’s more of a one-sided conversation. I share my ideas in a book, and while I do receive plenty of messages from readers, I don’t really get to answer questions. But a podcast is different. I can answer questions in real-time. It’s almost like being able to...

Born Lenard McKelvey, Charlamagne Tha God is one of the most influential voices in media. He’s the outspoken host of The Breakfast Club, a radio show that reaches over 4.5 million listeners each week. He also co-hosts a popular podcast, The Brilliant Idiots, where he and Andrew Shulz discuss the biggest issues of the day. He hosts a TV show as well, called Tha God’s Honest Truth, which appears on...

Have you thought about journaling but didn’t know where to start? Do you think writing about your feelings would be a waste of time? If so, you’re not alone. I hear many therapy clients say they’ve considered journaling over the years, but for one reason or another, they just didn’t start it. Or if they did start journaling, they didn’t stick with it. Staring at a blank piece of paper might feel i...

Daniel Pink is a New York Times Best Selling author whose books have sold millions of copies around the world. His fascinating titles about business and behavior include books such as When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing and Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. His newest book, The Power of Regret, discusses how to use regret to move ourselves forward in life. He surveyed...

Although online therapy has grown in popularity during the pandemic, a lot of people are still hesitant to try it. And it’s wise to question whether online treatment can be effective as face-to-face therapy. Afterall, the relationship between a client and a therapist is key to a positive treatment outcome. Can someone really establish a healthy alliance with a therapist over video chat or messagin...

Diane Macedo is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who works as an anchor and correspondent for ABC News. She often appears on Good Morning America, World News Tonight, and World News Now.  She’s also the author of The Sleep Fix, a book that describes how she overcame insomnia. By reading countless studies and interviewing many experts, Diane discovered strategies that helped her get better quality...

It’s true that happy people smile. But it may also be true that people feel happy because they smile. Faking a smile might boost your mood, reduce your stress, and help you bounce back from challenges fast. But you may have also heard about the dangers of forcing a smile when you aren’t feeling it. After all, aren’t you repressing your emotions? There’s a difference between faking a smile for some...

William Miller, Ph. D., is a clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Mexico. He's also the co-founder of motivational interviewing, a strategy therapists use to help people deal with the ambivalence they feel about change.  He’s the author of many books, including his most recent book, On Second Thought, which explores the subject of ambivalence.  So...

Whether you say, “That chicken was too spicy,” or “The presentation was awful,” you might have strong judgments about the things around you. And while you’re entitled to your opinion, there are ways to experience opinions without being too judgmental. Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that your opinion isn’t a fact, however. Just because you thought a movie was great doesn’t mean every...

Kindra Hall is a Wall Street Journal best-selling author and an award-winning storyteller. She’s also the chief storytelling officer at Success magazine. Her newest book, Choose Your Story, Change Your Life, is a self-help book that teaches readers how to shift their narrative in a healthy way.  Some of the things Kindra talks about on the show are how to choose a different version of the stories...

While some people say you should always give others the ‘benefit of the doubt,’ other people say doing so means you let people take advantage of you. After all, not everyone has good intentions.  But assuming the best in others doesn’t have to come at your own expense. In fact, you can still assume other people are doing their best while also establishing clear boundaries with them.  There’s a sur...

Erica is a self-described recovering alcoholic who chose to become a certified drug and alcohol counselor. When she stopped drinking, she learned that she needed to learn some new skills to aid her recovery. She’s written several books including, Rewired: A Bold New Approach to Addiction & Recovery. In it, she explains how people can rewire their brains, change their behavior, and create positive...

It’s normal to want to be liked and accepted. But if taken too far, you could become a people-pleaser.  People-pleasing can become a chronic habit that is tough to break. You might say yes to things you don’t want to do to prevent someone from getting angry. Or you might say what you think people want to hear so that you’ll fit in with those around you. If you’ve been a lifelong people-pleaser, it...

Mariel Buquè is a Columbia University-trained psychologist and sound bath meditation healer. She specializes in helping people heal wounds that stem from intergenerational trauma. Some of the things she talks about on today's episode are how trauma can be passed down from one generation to the next, the five things that can happen when you experience intergenerational trauma, and the strategies th...

To say it’s been a strange year sounds like an understatement. There were lots of ups and downs in terms of public health, the economy, and the re-opening of many businesses. And while there was a lot of talk in the past about “things returning to normal,” this year made it clear that things likely won’t go back to the way they used to be. Instead, we’ll be establishing a new normal. Throughout al...

When you struggle to reach your goals, you might be tempted to blame it on a lack of self-discipline or too many obstacles that stood in your way. But, there’s a chance the problem wasn’t a character flaw or even an environmental issue. Instead, the problem might have been the goal itself. If you don’t establish a clear, helpful goal in the beginning, you’ll set yourself up for failure. Whether yo...

Skyh Black spent much of his life dancing. In fact, he used to be a backup dancer for superstars like Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, and Rihanna.  But a few years ago, he decided he wanted to become an actor. He took a break from dancing and put all his energy into launching an acting career—which meant he became homeless for a bit. He took acting classes, and with a lot of hard work, started landing role...

I thought it would be fun to answer your questions on The Verywell Mind Podcast this week. I put out the call on social media to ask me anything you want. And you certainly answered! It’s been fun sifting through your questions and hearing your comments. To my surprise, the vast majority of your questions centered around one thing — relationship issues. And most of them weren’t contained to romant...