Mental Health Podcasts That Will Make You Feel Less Alone

Though we're more connected than ever in the world right now, it's still easy to feel alone. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), one in five adults in the U.S. experience a mental illness every single year, while women outnumber men in getting treatment for mental health issues, with 51.2% of those who identify as female with a mental illness getting help, compared to just 37.4% of men.

Fortunately, though, as technology continues to evolve, there are more ways than ever to feel less isolated in the world — often without even having to leave your own home. Though you should always speak out and seek help from a trusted friend or a professional if you're struggling with any mental health issues, there are ways to help yourself simply by listening to those who have been through, or are still going through, similar situations.

One of the best ways to make that happen? Grabbing your headphones and tuning in to your favorite podcast. And there are plenty out there. No matter what your struggle, these following podcasts that touch on mental health topics are a great way to better understand yourself and the journey you're on.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Co-founders of the therapy-positive Melanin and Mental Health organization, Eliza Boqiun and Eboni Harris, talk all things therapy for Black and Latinx people on the "Between Sessions" podcast, helping people feel more comfortable and gain better knowledge of therapy and its benefits. As the website states, Boqiun and Eboni Harris are "two proud melanin-rich women making mental health more accessible and understood to Black & Latinx/Hispanic communities" — and they're doing an incredible job.

"We probably need therapy more than the vast majority, but it doesn't seem accessible. It's getting better, but we often don't see ourselves in a healing space or feel deserving of healing or we believe we should be able to do it on our own. It's like you haven't done anything differently from the next person other than living in Black or brown skin," Harris explained of her work while speaking to Psychology Today in 2022. "Recognize that whatever has happened to you and your experiences are not your fault, but it is your responsibility to take care of your mental health."

On the podcast, the duo talk to leading professionals about mental health issues facing minority groups (including Biracial, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people), while their website also offers listeners the opportunity to search for a therapist, psychiatrist, or psychologist in their area who can address their specific needs.

Founded by feminists Sophie Carter-Kahn and April K. Quioh, "She's All Fat: A Fat Positive Podcast" promoted body positivity and self-love, while also tackling mental health issues relating to body image. The podcast came about after the two felt somewhat unseen in the world, with Carter-Kahn telling HelloGiggles, "We found that our conversations aren't being heard or had in public in a lot of other places, and we love hearing other conversations about people's experiences and identities, so we figured... we'll share ours!"

The two covered a wide range of topics on the podcast series — and didn't shy away from sharing their own experiences. "Between the two of us, we've had experiences that so many can relate to and we're excited about creating a space where people can hear voices like ours for the very first time," Quioh shared. "Since many women of color often feel excluded from body-positive conversations online, we place a great emphasis on being as intersectional as possible."

The podcast, which wrapped in 2021, also shined a light on other marginalized groups. It focused on LGBTQ+ matters, including discussing the relationship queer people have with their bodies, as well as mental health coaching.

Hosted by Matika Wilbur (who is of Swinomish and Tulalip descent) and Adrienne Keene (who is of Cherokee Nation descent) "All My Relations" sees the two discuss their experiences as Native and Indigenous people, including the mental health issues they've experienced as members of a marginalized group. "There's enough poverty in Indigenous representation. What our children need is an opportunity to see themselves differently, to see themselves as powerful, beautiful, and resilient," Wilbur — who is also a talented photographer and has worked on projects making Indigenous people more literally visible in the art world — explained to SixtySix of her dedication to raising visibility of Native groups. "There were major battles fought for us to live in this moment in our traditional territories," she added.

The wide-ranging episodes of the twosome's podcast have covered a number of important topics, including an in-depth conversation in which they discussed mental health in relation to Indigenous people and queerness. The two have also spoken candidly about Indigeneity and feminism.

"The GenderGP Podcast" brought together transgender people, experts, and healthcare professionals to discuss all things being transgender entails, including the difficulties many trans people can face. The series, which came to a close in 2021, was hosted by GenderGP's founder, Dr Helen Webberley, and GenderGP's lead therapist, Marianne Oakes, and offered insight to all those who are thinking of transitioning, in the process of transitioning, or have transitioned, as well as being a dedicated source for those hoping to better understand the trans community.

The podcast covered a range of important topics relating to trans people during its run, including an episode that saw Webberley and Oakes have a candid conversation with nonbinary advocate, educator, and mental health therapist Van Levy about mental health care for trans people. "So people seeking mental health, it's not about us having to prove who we are and that we are trans. Nobody's gonna know us better than we know ourselves, which I completely agree with," Levy shared during the episode. "And another thing I want to touch on too, is that you can have a mental health illness or issue, and still be trans and still be eligible and have access to care."

"The Melanated Social Work Podcast," which ended its run in 2022, brought together Josh McNeil, Marvin Toliver, Michael Grinnell, and Jesse Wiltey — who are all people of color and work in the social work field — to discuss a broad range of important topics. The group had candid conversations about everything from mental health to white supremacy, as well as getting candid about the marginalization of people or color.

One of the most poignant episodes came when the group partook in a thought-provoking chat with Dr. Jennifer Mulla in August 2021 in which they discussed her take on Decolonizing Therapy and mental health struggles of marginalized groups. Shortly before that, during a March 2021 two-part episode, the group also spoke about providing therapy and what it's really like being a person of color working in social work, as well as discussing their own experiences of microaggressions from white supremacists.

"What The Trans!?" is a safe space for the trans community — and only the trans community. As hosts Ashleigh Talbot and Michelle Snow shared on WhatTheTrans.com, "We assume the reader is trans, we don't make any attempts to appeal to cis people and the only thing we care about when it comes to what we cover is: 'will this be of benefit to our audience?'" The two also forgo commercials on the podcast and vow to only promote things that can be of benefit to listeners.  

The U.K. podcast is linked to the website WhatTheTrans.com, which delivers news to the trans community, while Talbot and Snow discuss in-depth a wide variety of important topics impacting the trans community without holding back. During an October 2022 episode, the two spoke openly about the difficulties many trans people face when it comes to healthcare, while also touching on what it's like to be a trans person with a disability in a November 2022 episode.

Polyamorous nonbinary femme, Ericka Hart, and monogamous trans man, Ebony Donnley, host "Hoodrat to Headwrap: A Decolonized Podcast," which discusses a range of issues from white supremacy to polyamory to nonbinary and trans issues. The two also discuss how white supremacy can be detrimental to the mental health of people of color, while normalizing lifestyles and consenting relationships that may not be seen as traditionally conventional.

"At the core of what I've always wanted to do is get folks to willingly have conversations about things that are challenging. I love that I get to make a difference in peoples' lives," Hart told Rose Inc. in 2022 of bringing a voice to those who don't feel seen. Hart is also dedicated to decolonizing gender, noting during an interview with gal-dem in 2020, "I think it's important for Black people to explore gender on our terms ... I think that us talking about that and exploring what that means, as a paradigm for gender, rather than using what white folks have said is gender, would actually be decolonizing."

British TV presenter Nikki Fox hosts the weekly BBC Podcast "Access All: Disability News and Mental Health," which, as the headline suggests, is a safe space for people to talk about all things disability and the many difficulties that come with it. Fox is a true advocate for the disabled community, having landed a role at BBC News as a disability correspondent in 2014, which then evolved into her podcast role. The host shared at the time, "I am beyond excited to be joining BBC News and am thrilled to be able to work as part of a specialist team of journalists, dedicated to the reporting of disability issues for a national audience, in a new and fresh way."

Over on her podcast, Fox regularly addresses a number of important issues facing the disabled community while chatting with experts and important figures, letting people know they're never alone in what they're going through. One of her most important episodes came in December 2022 when she and Emma Tracey shared tips with the disabled community on how to keep their mental health in check over the holidays.