Podcast Episodes

Needing Abusive Parents’ Money, The Scapegoat Child & The Politics of Skin Color

The 30 year-old left America for Europe to escape not only an American culture that was wearing on her but a family where she was tired of being the scapegoat to her golden-child brother. An all-too-common scenario where her parents can only seem to support her financially but not emotionally. She discusses the prejudice she experiences as a queer woman of color, what she has learned by having a fiancee who is a trans man and the subtle politics of skin color within the black community. Other topics: when well meaning but narcissistic parents focus too much on molding their child out of fear rather than listening to what their child wants and the excessive political correctness that she believes is making true communication more difficult between people who need to hear each other, NVLD and OCD.

This ep is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling. To experience a free week go to

This ep is sponsored by HelloFresh meal kit delivery service. For $30 off your first week of meals go to www.HelloFresh.com and use offer code MENTAL30

This ep is sponsored by ZipRecruiter. To post jobs for free go to www.ZipRecruiter.com/mental

To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod

To make a one-time donations via Paypal go to www.mentalpod.com/donate

Help the podcast by shopping with our podcast’s Amazon link (it doesn’t make your product any more expensive – even bookmark it!)

To help fund Paul’s next trip to record international guests, especially in Ireland, go to https://www.gofundme.com/pauls-trip-to-ireland

Follow Paul on Twitter and Instagram @mentalpod

Afraid To Leave The House – Sam Harriman

Panic attacks, agoraphobia, anxiety and depression had brought Sam to a very dark place a few years ago and he decided he needed help. Bit by bit he began to see how his childhood and negative self-beliefs had to be re-examined. A new clarity on the dysfunction in his family (a disinterested workaholic dad and a controlling, angry mother) gave him the hope to began protecting himself from the pain of having them in his life. A great episode on self-care, cutting contact with parents, re-parenting ourselves and the importance of humor and pursuing our dreams and being our authentic selves even if it means disappointing others.

Let’s Talk About Suicide Honestly – Kelechi Ubozoh

The 32 year-old poet, mental health advocate and daughter of a Nigerian immigrant father and Brooklyn mother opens up to Paul about her emotional and mental turnaround after years of feeling suicidal and several times attempting it. She details the ways her depression, disconnection and fear of taking off her “mask” as the perfect, popular girl played in leading her to believe it was a good idea. She and Paul discuss possible ways loved ones can reach out to someone who is talking about suicide as well as how the person who is in pain can find help and potentially hope. Her relationship with her mother, who is a doctor, is a great example of how someone in the helping profession can still learn ways to communicate with and love someone who is hurting.

Follow Kelechi at

Check out the documentary she appears in called The S Word

The book about covert incest that Paul mentioned is called Silently Seduced.

This podcast no longer recommends BetterHelp because of their unethical business practices as detailed in the suit brought against them in 2023 by the Federal Trade Commission for sharing private customer information with 3rd parties.

This ep is sponsored by HelloFresh meal kit delivery service. For $30 off your first week of meals go to www.HelloFresh and use promo code MENTAL 30

This ep is sponsored by Quip Electric Toothbrush. To get your first refill pack free with the purchase of a toothbrush go to www.GetQuip.com/mental

To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod

To make a one-time donations via Paypal go to www.mentalpod.com/donate

Help the podcast by shopping with our podcast’s Amazon link (it doesn’t make your product any more expensive – even bookmark it!)

To help fund Paul’s next trip to record international guests, especially in Ireland, go to https://www.gofundme.com/pauls-trip-to-ireland

Follow Paul on Twitter and Instagram @mentalpod

Andy Kindler – OCD, ADD & Twitter Fights

Paul’s longtime friend, standup (Letterman) and actor (Everybody Loves Raymond) shares about his struggles with OCD, ADD and feeling the need to control people’s opinions about his behavior even after lashing out at someone. He talks about his childhood and the negative self-beliefs and self-hatred that he’s now understanding have been driving his behaviors and fears.

For more on Andy go to www.AndyKindler.com www.Facebook.com/AndyKindler or www.Twitter.com/AndyKindler

This podcast no longer recommends BetterHelp because of their unethical business practices as detailed in the suit brought against them in 2023 by the Federal Trade Commission for sharing private customer information with 3rd parties.

This ep is sponsored by RXBar protein bars. For 25% off your first purchase go to www.RXBar.com/mental and use offer code MENTAL

This ep is sponsored by Glynn Washington’s new podcast about cults entitled Heaven’s Gate. It can be found in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod

To make a one-time donations via Paypal go to www.mentalpod.com/donate

Help the podcast by shopping with our podcast’s Amazon link (it doesn’t make your product any more expensive – even bookmark it!)

To help fund Paul’s next trip to record international guests, especially in Ireland, go to https://www.gofundme.com/pauls-trip-to-ireland

Follow Paul on Twitter and Instagram @mentalpod

Caitlin Doughty: Death, OCD & Being a Mortician

The mortician, TED Talk speaker and author of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, talks about her childhood OCD and fascination with death as a result of witnessing a tragedy, how she’d like to see the American funeral industry change and how death is viewed/embraced around the world via a read excerpt from her new book From Here To Eternity: Traveling the World To Find The Good Death.

Follow Caitlin on Instagram @TheGoodDeath

Follow Caitlin on Twitter @TheGoodDeath

Check out her website www.CaitlinDoughty.com

Buy her new book From Here to Etnernity: Traveling the World To Find The Good Death

This podcast no longer recommends BetterHelp because of their unethical business practices as detailed in the suit brought against them in 2023 by the Federal Trade Commission for sharing private customer information with 3rd parties.

This ep is sponsored by Hello Fresh meal kit delivery service. For $30 off your first week of deliveries go to www.HelloFresh.com and use offer code MENTAL30

This ep is sponsored by ZipRecruiter. To post jobs for free go to www.ZipRecruiter.com/mental

If you live in the Twin Cities come see a live taping of the podcast in the afternoon and a comedy show that night at Sisyphus Brewery (with Paul as the emcee) Sat Oct 14th. Click here for tix or info.

To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod

To make a one-time donations via Paypal go to www.mentalpod.com/donate

Help the podcast by shopping with our podcast’s Amazon link (it doesn’t make your product any more expensive – even bookmark it!)

To help fund Paul’s next trip to record international guests, especially in Ireland, go to https://www.gofundme.com/pauls-trip-to-ireland

Follow Paul on Twitter @mentalpod

Fears, Loves, Filth & Mortality w/Greg Behrendt

The comedian, co-author of He’s Just Not That Into You and longtime friend of Paul drops by to lighten his day up. They laugh at their fears, loves and thoughts about mortality and getting older.

Check out Greg’s PODCAN podcast network

Here is the episode with Paul that he talked about

Follow him on Twitter @GregoryBehrendt

Check out his website http://www.gregorybehrendt.com/

Visit his Facebook Page

This podcast no longer recommends BetterHelp because of their unethical business practices as detailed in the suit brought against them in 2023 by the Federal Trade Commission for sharing private customer information with 3rd parties.

To buy tickets to LAPodfest Oct 6-8 (we’re taping Oct 8th 4pm) at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown LA go to www.LAPodfest.com

If you live in the Twin Cities come see a live taping of the podcast in the afternoon and a comedy show that night at Sisyphus Brewery (with Paul as the emcee) Sat Oct 14th. Click here for tix or info.

To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod

To make a one-time donations via Paypal go to www.mentalpod.com/donate

Help the podcast by shopping with our podcast’s Amazon link (it doesn’t make your product any more expensive – even bookmark it!)

To help fund Paul’s next trip to record international guests, especially in Ireland, go to https://www.gofundme.com/pauls-trip-to-ireland

Intrusive Thoughts aka “Pure OCD” – Kimberley Quinlan LMFT

Specializing in treating clients whose self-judgement of their thoughts results in obsession and compulsions, Kimberley sits down with Paul and talks about the different forms OCD can take and how to treat it or support someone you love without enabling their compulsions. She and Paul also play a game she plays with clients called “One Up” where they try to outdo each other in sharing “disgusting” things that pop into their brains to show we all have thoughts pop into our heads that make us uncomfortable and laughing about it instead of judging it is the healthy response. Be forewarned, some of the stuff they share might be considered offensive or too intense for some listeners.

Links and resources mentioned by Kimberley.

This podcast no longer recommends BetterHelp because of their unethical business practices as detailed in the suit brought against them in 2023 by the Federal Trade Commission for sharing private customer information with 3rd parties.

This ep is sponsored by HelloFresh meal delivery. To get $30 off your first week go to www.HelloFresh.com and use offer code MENTAL30

This ep is sponsored by Audible. For a 30 day trial and free audiobook go to www.Audible.com/mental

To buy tickets to LAPodfest Oct 6-8 (we’re taping Oct 8th 4pm) at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown LA or to live stream it go to www.LAPodfest.com

If you live in the Twin Cities come see a live taping of the podcast in the afternoon and a comedy show that night at Sisyphus Brewery (with Paul as the emcee) Sat Oct 14th. Click here for tix or info.

To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod

To make a one-time donations via Paypal go to www.mentalpod.com/donate

Help the podcast by shopping with our podcast’s Amazon link (it doesn’t make your product any more expensive – even bookmark it!)

To help fund Paul’s next trip to record international guests, especially in Ireland, go to https://www.gofundme.com/pauls-trip-to-ireland

Emotionally Coercive Sex – Perfectionism – Dissociating – Parents W/O Boundaries

Paul’s support group friend Meredith opens up about being raised by parents who lacked a sense of privacy or sexual boundaries; being sexualized by her father, mother (who has a long history of “accidentally” showing her vagina) and step-mother in covert but damaging ways, being comfortable giving help but not taking it or asking for it; being a perfectionist, self-harm, being attracted to emotionally unavailable men ( #loveaddiction ) and being on both ends of manipulative/coercive sexual experiences. She also talks about the ways that therapy, support groups and mindfulness have helped her with these issues.

This podcast no longer recommends BetterHelp because of their unethical business practices as detailed in the suit brought against them in 2023 by the Federal Trade Commission for sharing private customer information with 3rd parties.

This ep is sponsored by ZipRecruiter. To post jobs for free go to www.ZipRecruiter.com/mental

To buy tickets to LAPodfest Oct 6-8 (we’re taping Oct 8th 4pm) at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown LA or to live stream it go to www.LAPodfest.com

If you live in the Twin Cities come see a live taping of the podcast in the afternoon and a comedy show that night at Sisyphus Brewery (with Paul as the emcee) Sat Oct 14th. Click here for tix or info.

To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod

To make a one-time donations via Paypal go to www.mentalpod.com/donate

Help the podcast by shopping with our podcast’s Amazon link (it doesn’t make your product any more expensive – even bookmark it!)

To help fund Paul’s next trip to record international guests, especially in Ireland, go to https://www.gofundme.com/pauls-trip-to-ireland

Manhattan Party Girl – Fielding Edlow

Raised in financial privilege but emotional poverty, the actor/writer/standup reflects on her “don’t give a fuck” eating disorder, drug and alcohol years trying to stuff the real feelings of abandonment, not being good enough, anxiety, anger and feeling invisible especially in comparison to her golden-child brother. She gets honest about the “self-centered demon inside me” that drove her actions until sobering up almost 20 years ago and learning to deal with her insecurities, fears and anger by connecting to trusted people in support groups and trying to be of service.

Check out her great web series www.BitterHomesandGardens.com

and her website www.FieldingEdlow.com

This podcast no longer recommends BetterHelp because of their unethical business practices as detailed in the suit brought against them in 2023 by the Federal Trade Commission for sharing private customer information with 3rd parties.

This episode is sponsored by ZipRecruiter. To post job ads for FREE go to www.ZipRecruiter.com/mental

To take the survey Paul mentioned on the podcast (to help out a graduate student doing a thesis on how this podcast helps people) click here.

To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod

Catch the podcast live at LAPodfest Oct 6-8. To learn more go to www.LAPodfest.com

For tix or info for the live podcast appearance Oct 14 in Minneapolis at Sisyphus Brewery click here

To make a one-time donations via Paypal go to www.mentalpod.com/donate

Help the podcast by shopping with our podcast’s Amazon link (it doesn’t make your product any more expensive – even bookmark it!)

To help fund Paul’s next trip to record international guests, especially in Ireland, go to https://www.gofundme.com/pauls-trip-to-ireland