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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
Joshua Fields and T.K. Coleman,(@TheMinimalists) better known as two parts of the popular trio, The Minimalists, join Paul to talk about how all the clutter in our lives can affect our minds and offer tips on how to live better with less.
We visit the family tree today with Paul Gilmartin’s cousin, Paul Barnard. He shares stories of his past, from losing his baby sister to moving in with an entirely new family when he was 8 years old. He also shares beautiful thoughts on his time caretaking for his wife, who battled cancer for many years.