Jul 24, 2024
Topics on this page:
Therapists and mental health professionals have a lot on their plates. From meeting clients’ needs to keeping up with current research and trends to finding a work-life balance, it’s tough to keep all the balls in the air. Plus, with the stress of knowing the anxieties and problems of so many people, therapists need to do their own burnout prevention.
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best therapy podcasts in 2023. Carving out time to listen to a podcast is more manageable than sitting down to read the latest medical journal (and can help make use of your daily commute!). This list is a mix of psychology podcasts, mental health podcasts, and business-oriented podcasts created by seasoned practitioners, leading experts, and business coaches to guide your counseling practice. The goal? To inspire, entertain, and educate you — and allow you to serve your clients best while practicing a little self-care.
Host: American Psychological Association
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher
What It’s About: The Speaking of Psychology series covers the latest, most relevant, and important psychological research currently being conducted. The American Psychological Association produces the series, which is hosted weekly by different experts.
Why You’ll Love It: Knowing current research and its implications on daily life opens up new ways of thinking about clients and their struggles. Additionally, the research is fascinating and is indicative of the ongoing growth and development of the practice of psychology. Episodes are released weekly with changing topics and hosts, and they discuss everything from phobias to pathological liars to the role of possessions in our life.
Hosts: Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | SoundCloud
What It’s About: Widhalm and Vernoy support you as a therapist and as a whole person by talking about the approach to being a therapist in the modern age.
Why You’ll Love It: Therapists at all stages of their careers find the Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide an invaluable resource to learn and stay at the top of their game. The hosts address complicated topics for therapists navigating their practice and becoming the best versions of themselves. The glowing reviews from those in the field support how valuable this podcast is in advancing listeners’ practices. To grow, we need people who discuss the hard stuff; expect to learn about firing patients, why men don’t stay in therapy, what to do about suicidal clients, or what to do if you’ve just graduated.
Host: Dacher Keltner, PhD
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
What It’s About: The Science of Happiness is produced by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center that discusses research-tested strategies to cultivating a life of greater happiness and meaning.
Why You’ll Love It: The science behind mindfulness, gratitude, compassion, and general happiness isn’t only fascinating but offers an ongoing topic of study that tremendously impacts our lives. You’ll hear about current case studies, emerging science like ASMR, and 36 questions that spark intimacy. The quality and relevance of the differing weekly subjects are reflected in the online reviews.
Hosts: Lori Gottlieb, MFT, and Guy Winch, PhD
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
What It’s About: Every Tuesday, renowned therapists Gottlieb and WInch bring the therapy room into your headphones. You will listen to intimate and transformative sessions, find out what happened after the session, and draw lessons from what you’ve heard.
Why You’ll Love It: There is no better way to grow and learn than listening to therapy as it happens and knowing the results of the sessions. These stories truly highlight what it means to be human and offer insights that can be applied in your own practice. Dear Therapists is fascinating and uplifting in sharing journeys of healing.
Host: Kirk Honda, PsyD, LMFT
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Patreon | Spotify
What It’s About: The podcast with a simple title describes itself with an even more nondescript tagline: “Entertaining and educational.” Hosted by Dr. Kirk Honda, who has been working as a professor since 1996, the podcast covers a vast array of topics that many won’t touch. The podcast is set up as a Q&A format with occasional deep dives into matters outside the mainstream, such as narcissistic personality disorder or attachment theory.
Why You’ll Love It: It is one of the best podcasts for therapists who wish to expand their horizons with an unmatched wealth of knowledge, particularly concerning modern applications of psychodynamic theory. Honda creates healthy conversations about topics ranging from psychedelic-assisted therapy to analyzing Batman villains. He also does celebrity deep dives, focusing episodes on the psychology of people like Lance Armstrong and Johnny Depp, making the podcast fun and informative.
Host: Bridget Nash, LCSW, PhD
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Stitcher
What It’s About: Even experienced therapists will learn something by listening to the Therapy Show. The podcast allows therapists to expand their knowledge of specialized treatment areas through interviews with subject matter experts working in the field. Host Dr. Bridget Nash covers a fantastic breadth of topics. Her guests are highly credentialed and focus on evidence-based methodologies. After listening, you can dive deeper by signing up for new training, reading a book, or learning more about the modality.
Why You’ll Love It: Every episode is informative and relevant to clinical work. There is a wealth of information about ethics, cutting-edge research, and other lesser field areas, including mobile crisis counseling or psilocybin-assisted therapy.
Host: American Counseling Association
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | iHeart
What It’s About: The Voice of Counseling podcast continues the ACA’s work as a professional and education resource for counseling practitioners. Topics covered include advocacy, private practice tips, professional ethics, and other areas relevant to the counseling practice.
Why You’ll Love It: The podcast features experts who cover diverse subjects within the counseling profession. IHosted by ACA staff members, this podcast provides professionals with informative and inspiring information. Listeners rank this podcast very highly for its impact on their practices.
Hosts: Alison Gomez, MS, LMFT, and Nikki Haffner, BA (Psychology)
Listen On: Google Play | Spotify
What It’s About: The podcast discusses deeply embedded biases through lenses of white supremacy, patriarchal society, ableism, and more. The two therapists have timely conversations on social issues and power in America.
Why You’ll Love It: Nothing is held back in Rebel Revolution. If four-letter words are a problem, this probably isn’t a podcast for you. You can expect to feel uncomfortable at times. The hosts ask questions required for therapists to be accountable and anti-oppressive. The lessons in therapist accountability expand the ability of therapists to be successful and effective in their work.
Host: Guy Macpherson, PhD
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
What It’s About: The Trauma Therapist podcast is described as one of the best mental health podcasts about the human spirit. Host Guy Macpherson interviews thought leaders to learn about their journeys of helping others impacted by trauma.
Why You’ll Love It: Macpherson interviews professionals from multiple fields, including trauma, mindfulness, addiction, and yoga, giving mental health professionals an opportunity to listen to and learn from those in a service-based private practice making a difference for others every day in the therapy room. Hearing their experiences and advice from working with past clients gives everyone from students to seasoned practitioners valuable insight that will help positively change the lives of trauma patients.
Host: Whitney Owens, LPC
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Audible
What It’s About: Designed to help faith-based counselors create and grow practices, Faith in Practice focuses more on what goes on behind the scenes. Host Whitney Owens shares a wealth of knowledge about how to start or grow a practice while keeping your faith as a grounding value. As a Practice of the Practice network podcast, it’s top notch.
Why You’ll Love It: The podcast is a great resource that can help your business thrive. Owens teaches things not learned in grad school. From a faith-based counselor perspective, Owens is incredible at explaining how to run a business without feeling like you’re taking advantage of people. With guidance from the podcast, therapists may increase rates and become comfortable treating what they do as a business that better meets client’s needs when it thrives.
Host: Lucy Maddox, CPsychol
Listen On: Apple Podcasts
What It’s About: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an important topic in psychotherapy, and Dr. Lucy Maddox interviews leading experts on the subject as well as those who have benefited from it.
Why You’ll Love It: Therapists wanting to gain new skills or expand their insights into the CBT process will find incredible value from this podcast. They will gain inspiration from success stories that deal with anxiety disorders, uncertainty, and self-harm. The podcast discusses such topics as how the practice of CBT has changed over decades and digital CBT.
Host: Gordon Brewer, LMFT
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio | Spotify
What It’s About: New and established therapists and counselors listen to the Practice of Therapy Podcast for the professional advice they need to build and grow their private practices.
Why You’ll Love It: Whether you’re just starting your private practice journey or are among well-established private practice owners, the Practice of Therapy Podcast is about the business side of running your practice. Gordon Brewer brings his expertise in practice management to interviews with business experts and mental health professionals in each new episode. Topics range from marketing on social media platforms to practice organization to community building. Every episode will give you new insights into how to grow and manage your private practice.
Host: Perry Rosenbloom, Founder Brighter Vision
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Podcast Addict | Stitcher
What It’s About: The Therapist Experience Podcast offers therapists, counselors, psychologists, and coaches expert advice from therapists who have successfully built and grown their own private practices.
Why You’ll Love It: All aspects of building your practice are discussed, including creating effective marketing strategies, using technology to help your business thrive, handling the normal ups and downs of business ownership, and creating niches in the marketplace. Building your practice is made easier with every listen.. Building your practice is made easier with every listen.
Hosts: Sue Marriott, LCSW, CGP, and Ann Kelley, PhD
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
What It’s About: Hosts Marriott and Kelley build on science-and evidence-based psychology theories to suggest practical tools that both professionals and laypeople can use to better understand their own psychology and others’.
Why You’ll Love It: The format is challenging and entertaining, making it accessible and interesting for all levels of listeners, whether mental health clinicians, seasoned professionals, psychology students, or patients. The excellence of this podcast is reaffirmed with an Apple ranking of Top 10 Social Science Podcast in U.S. and Top 50 Science Podcast in 75 Countries. You’ll learn about new theories that are unpacked in a way that is informative, fun, and relates to real life within great content. You’ll never want to miss today’s episode.
Host: Laura Reagan, LCSW-C
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
What It’s About: Reagan interviews guests about holistic and alternative approaches used in psychotherapy, coaching, and counseling.
Why You’ll Love It: Guest therapists discuss the practice of psychotherapy and how they introduce self-care into their own lives to prevent therapist burnout and keep themselves healthy. Topics include everything from parenting, trauma, EMDR, art therapy, and mindfulness. Therapy Chat invites listeners to share in joy and pain while making them think about the human experience. Both professionals and patients have taken away substantial benefits from this weekly podcast.
Host: Melvin Varghese, PhD
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher
What It’s About: Varghese helps budding therapists learn to set up their own practices and grow referrals. By interviewing successful practitioners, as well as marketing, productivity, and social media experts, he ensures listeners learn the business skills they need to be successful private practice therapists. He also shares his wisdom for creating profitable side hustles.
Why You’ll Love It: You don’t get lots of theory or pie-in-the-sky ideas with Selling the Couch. Varghese offers simple, actionable tips to guide your journey into private practice. In interviews, Varghese asks guests to share daily habits that help them be productive and the mistakes they’ve made along the way.
Host: Allison Puryear, LCSW, CEDS
Listen On: Amazon Music | Apple Podcasts | iHeart Radio | Spotify
What It’s About: Puryear gives practical advice for mental health professionals running or starting private practices. On “Consult Mondays,” she will consult with a therapist needing help with building their practice. On “What I Wish I’d Said Wednesdays,” she chats with other consultants about the therapist’s conundrum.
Why You’ll Love It: Who doesn’t want to grow their counseling practice? Puryear has been helping therapists grow their practices for years. She works as a full-time advisor for those looking to do so and has a professional team behind her, each offering actionable advice on different topics. Everyone in her agency has built successful practices in the past. Topics include why you should purge when starting up, gender and sexuality in therapy, mental health billing, and taking the leap from an agency to a private practice.
Host: Gretchen Rubin, JD
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
What It’s About: An award-winning podcast that offers useful information and insight for anyone, Happier has been heralded far and wide as among the best podcasts out there. Created by host Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project and founder of the Happiness Lab, the show offers an exciting mix of useful life hacks, interviews with experts, self-care tips, and discussions about what truly makes us happy. For example, in one of the mini-episodes (dubbed “A Little Happier”), the hosts explore how we make ourselves happier by making others happier.
Why You’ll Love It: Rubin conveys complex ideas using humor. Her approach makes tough subjects approachable and relatable. The content is uplifting, easy to absorb, and positive. The tips and tools are perfect for therapists to use in their own lives and to share with clients.
Host: Shena Lashey, Licensed Professional Counselor
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
What It’s About: Host Shena Lashey focuses on trauma, codependency, love addiction, attachment issues, and other problems that may result from unhealthy relationship behaviors. She is trained in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and aims to help people create life goals and achieve them.
Why You’ll Love It: This podcast gives practical advice to those looking to change unhealthy habits, break free from unhealthy relationships, and overcome sexual health traumas. Specializing in sex and love addictions, Lashey focuses on helping her listeners “leave codependency behind” and set goals for lasting, healthy relationships. It is a very relatable podcast, which makes her platform notable.
Host: Esther Perel, LMFT
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify
What It’s About: If you’ve ever wanted to be a fly on the wall in a therapist’s office, this is your chance. Renowned licensed marriage and family therapist and best-selling author Esther Perel counsels couples battling complicated, deeply personal issues. She’s not afraid to tackle delicate dynamics like racism within extended families, coming out in a religious family, chronic infidelity, and more highly sensitive topics. Clinical therapists are not the intended audience, but there’s a lot to learn from Perel’s approach.
Why You’ll Love It: The podcast provides a framework for therapists who may be tackling some family therapy issues for the first time. Perel provides insight that others might miss. The podcast is also akin to shadowing another provider, allowing therapists to learn from peers, and is among the best couples therapy podcasts. You can’t underestimate the value of hearing the experiences and approach of a fellow therapist.
Host: Brené Brown, LMSW, PhD
Listen On: Google Play | Spotify
What It’s About: Launched in 2020, this podcast discusses the human experience so we can better understand what makes each other tick. From making love last to discussions of race in America to coping with grief, Brown doesn’t shy away from any topic. She also talks with entertainers, authors, politicians, and musicians, seeking insights into pop culture’s role in our shared experience.
Why You’ll Love It: The podcast blends down-to-earth honesty, personal anecdotes, and influential research to better understand the human mind. Brown’s warmth and humor draw listeners in to think about hard-hitting topics. Therapists learn new insights on how and why people’s reactions vary dramatically and how to help clients heal in a way that reflects their unique processes.
Host: Shankar Vedantam, MA
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | NPR One app | Spotify
What It’s About: NPR science correspondent Shankar Vedantam hosts this podcast named after the best-selling book. It focuses on those little things we often overlook in our daily lives, unraveling patterns that influence our behaviors, the impacts of popular culture trends, the elements that impact relationships, and the instincts that drive our choices.
Why You’ll Love It: The psychological science of little things that impact us daily is fascinating. Learning about what drives decisions and actions and how to overcome them is tremendously valuable for your practice. Vedantam covers different topics weekly, such as finding meaning at work, loss and renewal, and the mind of the village.
Hosts: Sharon J. Burton, Certified Creativity Coach
Listen On: SoundCloud
What It’s About: This podcast focuses on the use of art as a medium for healing, anxiety, and calm, and how creatives can break through barriers.
Why You’ll Love It: If you love art and creatives, this is a fabulous podcast. Burton discusses topics such as creative anxiety, bringing artists together for hope, using uncertainty to fuel creativity, and art as medicine. Although it has been some time since her last podcast, there is a considerable library to enjoy for art therapists.
Host: Paul Gilmartin, Comedian, Writer
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
What It’s About: This is a weekly podcast about anxiety hosted by a stand-up comedian who interviews artists and industry friends affected by depression, addiction, and other mental health challenges.
Why You’ll Love It: While you may feel you’re listening to an online therapy session with a patient, the show aims to help listeners smile, connect, and not feel alone. Real people share their real coping strategies. If nothing else, it might be a great resource to recommend to some patients.
Hosts: Dr. Christian Jarrett, Ginny Smith, Ella Rhodes, Emily Reynolds, Dr. Matthew Warren
Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
What It’s About: Research is great, but sometimes it’s hard to determine how to apply it to your practice and life. PsychCrunch attempts to show you how to put theory into practice by applying research to real-life scenarios. The podcast is produced by the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest and features a rotating slate of hosts.
Why You’ll Love It: The episodes are short, about 10 minutes each. That means it’s easy to listen without carving out an hour of your day. Topics are fun too. In “How to Win an Argument,” learn why convincing people of your point of view is so difficult. This podcast from the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest, started in 2016, making it one of the longest-running psychotherapy podcasts.
The podcast realm is vast and diverse, and there are many more shows out there that cater to therapists. While our list is by no means exhaustive, these podcasts stand out as some of the best available for therapists and mental health practitioners. Start with one of these great shows and explore further on your own to discover even more helpful and engaging content for therapists!
Updated: May 16th, 2022 by Margarita David, DNP, RN, PCCN
Image courtesy of iStock.com/CalypsoArt
Last updated on Jul 24, 2024.
Originally published on Mar 16, 2023.
More:
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Berxi™ or Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company. This article (subject to change without notice) is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute professional advice. Click here to read our full disclaimer
The product descriptions provided here are only brief summaries and may be changed without notice. The full coverage terms and details, including limitations and exclusions, are contained in the insurance policy. If you have questions about coverage available under our plans, please review the policy or contact us at 833-242-3794 or support@berxi.com. “20% savings” is based on industry pricing averages.
Berxi™ is a part of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI). Insurance products are distributed through Berkshire Hathaway Global Insurance Services, California License # 0K09397. BHSI is part of Berkshire Hathaway’s National Indemnity group of insurance companies, consisting of National Indemnity and its affiliates, which hold financial strength ratings of A++ from AM Best and AA+ from Standard & Poor’s. The rating scales can be found at www.ambest.com and www.standardandpoors.com, respectively.
No warranty, guarantee, or representation, either expressed or implied, is made as to the correctness, accuracy, completeness, adequacy, or sufficiency of any representation or information. Any opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.
The information on this web site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and does not purport to establish a standard of care under any circumstances. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this web site is for general information purposes only based upon the information available at the time of presentation, and does not constitute medical, legal, regulatory, compliance, financial, professional, or any other advice.
BHSI makes no representation and assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy of information contained on or available through this web site, and such information is subject to change without notice. You are encouraged to consider and confirm any information obtained from or through this web site with other sources, and review all information regarding any medical condition or treatment with your physician or medical care provider. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE READ ON OR ACCESSED THROUGH THIS WEB SITE.
BHSI is not a medical organization, and does not recommend, endorse or make any representation about the efficacy, appropriateness or suitability of any specific tests, products, procedures, treatments, services, opinions, health care providers or other information contained on or available through this web site. BHSI IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY FOR, ANY ADVICE, COURSE OF TREATMENT, DIAGNOSIS OR ANY OTHER SERVICES OR PRODUCTS THAT YOU OBTAIN AFTER REVIEWING THIS WEB SITE.
Click to collapse disclamerWant Berxi articles delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our monthly newsletter below!
"*" indicates required fields
Brian McKay has his master’s degree in business administration from Boise State University. He is a professional writer, marketing strategist, and business consultant who loves helping realtors sell more homes.
Want Berxi articles delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our monthly newsletter below!
