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There’s something uniquely satisfying about absorbing wisdom while you’re doing something else—whether you’re commuting, cooking dinner, or taking a walk. Podcasts let you gain insights and inspiration or simply be entertained by real voices without having to stare at another screen, making them perfect for our overstimulated lives.
There’s no shortage of options—with about 4.5 million total podcasts worldwide as of 2025—so the real work is figuring out which titles are truly worth your listening time. To lighten the task, we turned to trusted mental health professionals.
Below, you’ll find 23 podcasts that therapists listen to personally and regularly recommend to their clients, organized by topic to help you find exactly what you need. From personal growth and relationship advice to anxiety support and deeper psychological insights, these shows offer genuinely helpful guidance for building a happier, more fulfilling life.
Personal Growth and Motivation
Get the motivational boost you need with actionable advice on happiness, productivity, and personal development. These hosts blend science-backed insights with real-world tools you can actually use to create positive change.
1. The Mel Robbins Podcast
I love how she blends science-backed insights with real-life tools. Her tone is direct but encouraging, which really resonates with me both personally and professionally. I’m always thinking about how to translate what we know from therapy into something people can actually use, and her episodes do exactly that. I find myself jotting down notes, sharing clips, and reflecting on how her content supports the emotional growth I focus on in my own work.
– Meredith Van Ness, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
2. On Purpose With Jay Shetty
Jay is an inspirational motivator who speaks on mental health, relationships, and using mindfulness and other practices to improve your overall emotional well-being. He brings on expert guests to discuss different niches within the self-improvement and self-help spaces. It’s an inspiring podcast for anyone interested in general self-help and improvement.
– Alyssa Kushner, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
3. The Rachel Hollis Podcast
What stands out to me is Rachel’s upbeat energy and the wide range of topics she covers. Her episodes feel down-to-earth and relatable, yet also inspiring. It’s refreshing to hear how she navigates wellness, family life, and running a business.
– Abby Wilson, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
4. Dear Gabby
Sometimes it’s refreshing not to feel like I’m listening to therapy jargon—but just good old common sense from a peer. Her motivational talk hits home with the core emotion, need, and sense of spiritual connection that comes from how she talks about relationships and our place in the world. I always feel uplifted and grounded after listening to another soul who just gets it.
– Dr. Dana McNeil, Licensed Psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist
Relationships and Love
From couples therapy sessions to dating advice, these podcasts tackle the messy, beautiful reality of relationships. Learn how to communicate better, set boundaries, and understand the dynamics that make (or break) our connections with others.
5. We Can Do Hard Things
It centers around the idea that we have to do hard things every day—like dealing with friends, our parents, or children, struggling at our jobs, setting boundaries, and so on. The hosts say that talking honestly about hard things (such as anxiety and addiction) can be extremely freeing and make life easier. They have guests who talk about their own “hard things,” and I truly feel like I’m sitting with them on a couch, cozied up with my favorite coffee and talking about anything and everything.
– Hallie Kritsas, Licensed Mental Health Counselor at Thriveworks
6. Where Should We Begin? With Esther Perel
I love this podcast because it brings us inside real therapy sessions, offering a raw look at couples (and sometimes individuals) navigating deep emotional landscapes—from intimacy and conflict to grief and desire. As a psychologist and a mom, I recommend it because it models compassionate curiosity, shows how curiosity opens doors in relationships, and gives listeners tangible tools for empathy and connection in everyday life. Plus, it’s a beautiful reminder that underneath roles like ‘mom’ or ‘partner’ are full, evolving human stories.
– Dr. Lilit Ayrapetyan, Licensed Clinical Psychologist
7. Reimagining Love
Dr. Alexandra Solomon’s podcast covers intimacy and relationships while weaving in science in a digestible way. It’s a great blend of real-life stories, relationship insights, therapeutic strategies, expert interviews, and research—all shared in a relatable way. It’s one of my go-to podcast recommendations for anyone focused on relational growth.
– Dr. Jennifer Litner, Ph.D., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
8. Dates & Mates with Damona Hoffman
This podcast explores the world of dating and relationships, providing expert advice, real-life stories, and actionable tips for navigating the often-challenging landscape of love. Damona’s combination of humor and insight makes it a go-to for anyone looking to enhance their romantic life.
– Monica Cwynar, Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Thriveworks
9. Death, Sex & Money
The host, Anna Sale, has a calm, warm energy that works perfectly to destigmatize the topics her guests discuss. They’re regular people (some famous, some not) talking about hard-to-discuss topics. It has an expert way of making me feel seen, less alone, and altogether more comfortably human.
– Kate Hanselman, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Thriveworks
Anxiety and Mental Health Support
Therapist-recommended shows that provide practical, science-backed strategies for specific mental health concerns. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety spirals, OCD themes, or disordered eating, these podcasts offer both professional insights and lived experiences.
10. Disordered: Anxiety Help
This podcast is a game changer for people who have struggled with anxiety for years! The hosts are engaging and the topics are incredibly practical—they provide science-backed tools you can start using today to improve your anxiety.
– Lauren Spencer, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
11. The OCD Stories
The OCD Stories podcast is a fantastic resource for individuals with OCD, as well as their family members and anyone who wants to learn more about this complex, often misunderstood disorder. Every episode covers a different theme specific to OCD. Some episodes feature interviews with top clinicians and researchers, while others include discussions with individuals who have OCD sharing their personal stories. OCD is often quite isolating, and this podcast helps my clients feel less alone. I can always find an episode relevant to my individual client’s OCD theme or situation, which is so valuable to their process.
– Caitlyn Oscarson, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
12. Nuance Needed
This podcast is curated by two licensed therapists who provide a wealth of mental health tools and knowledge. I love it for its discussion of relatable topics that offer valuable insights and helpful strategies that can positively benefit listeners.
– Katrina Leggins, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
13. Food Psych
Our world is awash in wellness misinformation (especially recently), and I think it’s extraordinarily helpful to listen to people who aren’t grifters and aren’t trying to sell you anything when seeking to learn about health and wellness. Food Psych focuses on diet culture, eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image, but it’s still very relevant given the nonsense we’re seeing play out politically and culturally.
– Jessica Sprengle, Licensed Professional Counselor
Psychology and Understanding Yourself
Perfect for curious minds who want to understand human behavior, cognitive biases, and the unconscious patterns that shape our daily lives. These shows blend research with relatable storytelling to help you make sense of yourself and others.
14. Hidden Brain
This podcast explores human behavior, decision-making, and psychology in a way that’s both insightful and accessible. It helps people understand why they think and act the way they do, which is often the first step toward meaningful change.
– Blaine Stephens, Licensed Professional Counselor at Thriveworks
15. Magical Overthinkers
This podcast is a total gem for anyone whose brain tends to go a mile a minute. Amanda Montell somehow manages to be wildly smart, deeply validating, and laugh-out-loud funny—often all in the same episode. She explores everything from nostalgia to intrusive thoughts to laziness to people-pleasing, combining cultural critique, history, philosophy, personal reflection, and grounded psychological insight. She ends each episode with a science-backed skill to help soothe and reframe spiraling thoughts, so you walk away feeling both seen and supported.
– Rachel Wright, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
16. The Happiness Lab
I love a podcast that shares stories while backing up the information with research, and that’s exactly what happens on The Happiness Lab. It explores the science of happiness and gives us practical tools to improve our lives and feel more content and fulfilled.
– Liz Beecroft Ridgway, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
17. Dear Therapists
I appreciate how the hosts share anonymous therapy cases and provide a glimpse of what it’s like to be in a therapeutic space. They offer thoughtful and actionable strategies for managing life’s challenges. It’s relatable because they address issues many people face—such as anxiety, complicated relationships, generational trauma, and communication struggles—while providing a deeper understanding of the psychological dynamics at play. The podcast is also a reminder that therapy isn’t just for people in crisis, but a valuable resource for anyone who wants to understand themselves better and improve their mental health.
– Brittney Cobb-Farmer, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Life Skills and Practical Wisdom
From productivity hacks to parenting wisdom, these shows help you navigate specific life challenges with expert advice. Perfect for anyone juggling multiple roles and looking for sustainable ways to thrive.
18. The Knowledge Project
I listen to podcasts in other realms, like business, leadership, and management, which I feel are steeped in psychological ideas but also readily applicable to everyday life. This podcast interviews all types of people—athletes, business leaders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs. I find that hearing their stories in this context helps you see how you can use these tools and tips in your everyday life.
– Dr. Jenny Wang, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist
19. Deeply Rested
I love this podcast because it normalizes slowing down and taking time to rest as something that’s productive and necessary! I love that it discusses the benefits of slowing down and nurturing yourself while also being an ambitious person who can be very successful and intentional. Learning to strike a balance is key to sustainability and avoiding burnout. The podcast gives tangible examples and exercises to help with this.
– Rebecca Marcus, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
20. Conversations with Cam
I love Conversations With Cam because the host, Cameron Oaks Rogers, tackles topics that are relevant to moms. She places particular emphasis on mental health for moms, boldly sharing her own personal experiences and encouraging her guests to do the same. The tone of the podcast depends on the episode, which means some episodes are profound and meaningful, while others are light-hearted and funny. Regardless of the topic, Cameron always keeps it real, is endlessly validating of all feelings associated with parenthood, and has great lifestyle and wellness recommendations to boot.
– Dr. Molly Burrets, Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Identity and Community
Explore topics around identity, community, and social dynamics with hosts who aren’t afraid to tackle difficult conversations. These shows offer validation, education, and tools for understanding complex social and personal issues.
21. Therapy for Black Girls
This podcast is great because it features interviews with experts on a range of wellness topics and gives practical tips for self-care and improvement. There are also educational episodes on how to approach and engage with therapy, which is perfect for first-timers.
– Dr. Alicia Hodge, Licensed Clinical Psychologist
22. Something Was Wrong
This podcast is about sociopaths and makes you realize you’re not alone in dealing with pathologically disordered people.
– Vanessa Reiser, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and author of Narcissistic Abuse: A Therapist’s Guide to Identifying, Escaping, and Healing from Toxic and Manipulative People
23. Sexology
This is a great podcast by sex therapist Dr. Nazanin Moali. It covers all the questions and issues related to the sensitive topic of sex. It’s empowering, inclusive, and very educational.
– Cindy Johnson, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Thriveworks
Want More Unfiltered Advice from Therapists?
This article is part of our Clinician Confidential series, in which we collect useful tips and advice from a wide variety of experienced mental health professionals. Check out some of the other articles in the series here:
