Podcast Episodes

When Sex Abuse Victims Become Adults & Avoiding Help/Work Burnout – Katie Vernoy LMFT

LMFT therapist Katie Vernoy and Paul respond to listener questions around the topics of 1) How childhood sexual abuse affects the survivors when they become adults and 2) How can people avoid job or helping burnout. They talk about the specifics of self-care and coping tips, acceptance vs approval, forgiveness, anger, misguided generosity, overprotective parents, people who can’t say no and is it possible for a younger child to sexually abuse an older child?

Obsessive & Secret World of Classical Musicians – Ben Turner

The Australian professional trombonist shares about the mental, emotional and logistical rigors of making a living as a classical musician and some insights into what drove him (and his peers) to such obsessive lengths. We get a peek behind the curtain into the dysfunction and sickness that can fester in such a high-pressure workplace and the poor coping mechanisms used by people who were raised to stuff emotions and just achieve to receive love. We touch on depression, anxiety, therapy, people pleasing, perfectionism, numbness and difficulty with intimacy. Turns out Mozart in the Jungle and Whiplash are not that far off.

Check out Ben’s podcast Double Depresso
https://omny.fm/shows/double-depresso-podcast

Ben’s Twitter handle is @DepressoPodcast

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. online counseling. To experience a free week go to and fill out a questionnaire.

This episode is sponsored by the Scott Alan Turner podcast. For a free audiobook and to hear the strategies he used to achieve financial independence and how he learned to handle and save money, go to www.ScottAlanTurner.com/happy

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

To become a monthly donor (for as little as $1/month) and get free bonus content from Paul go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod

The Worst Day of My Life – Rhonda Britten

Rhonda says “It took me 20 years to get thru that day” as she opens up about the event that changed her life forever when she was 14 years old. She talks about how it changed her view of God, herself and the world around her, sending her on a path or self-destruction she barely survived until finally dealing with the pain and anger, eventually healing and finding her life’s purpose.

Follow Rhonda on twitter @RhondaBritten

Check out her websites for the course she mentioned www.fearlessliving.org/risk

www.LifeCoachCertificationProgram.com

and her books https://fearlessliving.org/books/

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. online counseling.

This episode is sponsored by Audible and their new audio program Where Should We Begin? To check it out go to www.Audible.com/esther (Audible & Amazon Prime members listen for free)

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

To become a recurring monthly donor to the podcast (and get free things from Paul like Paul’s video Tribute to Herbert go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod and sign up for as little as $1/month.

Co-Dependency & Boundaries – Dr. Natalie Feinblatt

Dr. Feinblatt shares her experience as a therapist in working with co-dependent clients; how is co-dependency defined, what are some characteristics and how can it be treated or managed? She also shares about the importance of codependents learning about setting, enforcing and respecting boundaries.

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. online counseling. To experience a free week go to

In addition to her private practice Dr. Feinblatt also works at Westside Treatment, an intensive outpatient program for addiction & mental illness. Dr Feinblatt (who is also a BetterHelp therapist) can be reached at:

www.drnataliefeinblatt.com
https://www.instagram.com/drnatalief/
https://twitter.com/DrNatalieF
https://www.facebook.com/drnatalief
https:///natalie-feinblatt/

Consider helping out the show by making a donation. Either one-time, recurring monthly (you get freebies from Paul) or by donating frequent flyer miles.

My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward – Mark & Giulia Lukach

Rarely do we talk about the spouse of someone battling a serious mental illness. Mark and Giulia had never heard of Bipolar I with psychosis until she broke from reality well into their marriage. Taped in front of an audience in Oakland, they bare their souls about the pain and confusion of her treatment and Mark realizing how much help spouses also need.

Check out Mark’s new book My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward
Visit his website www.MarkLukach.com

This episode is sponsored by Blue Apron. To get your first 3 meals free with free delivery go to www.BlueApron.com/mental

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. online counseling. To experience a free week go to

Consider donating to the podcast with either a one-time donation, a recurring monthly donation (with free rewards) or donating frequent flyer miles.

Crack, Fights & Looking For Love – Charlie King

Paul’s support group friend has led an astoundingly painful life especially in regard to his mother (schizophrenia, depression), father (workaholic, hoarder), and sister (drug addict). He describes his descent into drugs (crack), emotionally damaged women and violence before finding the key to understanding his behavior.

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 see if online counseling is right for you go to and experience a free week.

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

This episode is sponsored by Audible. To start a free trial or just see their catalog of audiobooks go to www.Audible.com/mental

Support the podcast by becoming a one-time donor, a monthly donor or use when shopping at Amazon, enter using our Amazon link so they give us some money (at no cost to you).

Leaving Domestic Violence – Jenna Brister

I Was Born Afraid – Jenny Jaffe

The comedic writer/performer and mental health advocate who started Project UROK www.projecturok.org shares about the tremendous support she received from her family when depression anxiety and OCD had her close to suicide by age 10, and even more despondent from 15-17. Her story is a great example of parental support, the power of coping skills, and proof that even people from safe supportive homes with no trauma in their lives can suffer from mental illness because the issue is often one of chemical imbalance.

Follow Jenny on Twitter @JennyJaffe and @JennyJaffe on Instagram

Check out her Facebook page www.facebook.com/jennyjaffe

Visit her website www.theJennyJaffe.com

And of course check out www.ProjectUROK.org

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 try it and get a week for free go to

To support the podcast consider becoming a one-time or recurring monthly donor or donating frequent flyer miles. It can be done at www.mentalpod.com/donate

Monthly donors using Patreon can begin for as little as $1/month and qualify for occasional free stuff from Paul, like mini-episodes and more. To sign up go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod

Another way to support the show is to give it a nice review and rating at iTunes or spread the word through social media.

I Am The Worst Person Ever – Mike Levine

For most of his life Mike has been wracked with shame and self-hatred, convinced he was the worst person ever and fantasizing about suicide when he was hospitalized at 15. He and Paul talk about where his self-hate may come from as well as his ADHD, emotionally sterile and achievement-focused childhood, body dysmorphia, cross-dressing, kink as a submissive male, and how he finally summoned the courage and self-love to end an abusive friendship. Mike is a great example of someone learning to embrace his uniqueness instead of hating and shaming himself for it.

Follow Mike @BizMichael on Twitter and Instagram

Check out his books: At Least You’re Not These Monsters and All The Feelings

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. and fill out a questionnaire so you can be paired with a licensed counselor.

This episode is sponsored by ZipRecruiter. To post your jobs for free go to www.ZipRecruiter.com/first

To support the podcast consider becoming a monthly donor via Patreon for as little as $1/month (and get rewards for free like donor-only mini eps where Paul reads responses from the donor-only survey) Go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod

A great way to help the podcast is to donate frequent flyer miles. For details on how to do it go to. www.Mentalpod.com/donate and scroll down to the Frequent Flyer Miles section.