Mental Health Podcasts Worth Your Time: Expert Recommendations

Quality mental health podcasts offer accessible education, personal stories, and expert insights—often more engaging than reading. As a therapist regularly asked for recommendations, here are podcasts actually worth your time.

Rating criteria: Evidence-base, production quality, accessibility, expertise.

Best for Understanding Therapy

The Savvy Psychologist: ★★★★★

Host: Ellen Hendriksen, PhD (clinical psychologist)

Format: Short episodes (10-25 min) on specific psychology topics

Focus: Evidence-based mental health and psychology

Tone: Accessible, warm, no jargon

Why it's excellent: Dr. Hendriksen explains psychology clearly without dumbing down. Topics range from social anxiety to perfectionism, procrastination to relationships. Practical, evidence-based, immediately applicable.

Best episodes:

• "How to Stop Overthinking"
• "The Science of Self-Compassion"
• "Social Anxiety: When Small Talk Feels Like Big Talk"

Who it's for: Anyone wanting accessible, practical psychology based on science

The Psych Show: ★★★★☆

Host: Ali Mattu, PhD (clinical psychologist)

Format: Video podcast covering mental health topics

Focus: Therapy techniques, pop culture psychology, mental health education

Tone: Engaging, often humourous, relatable

Why it's good: Mattu makes therapy techniques accessible, often using examples from films/TV. Combines education with entertainment.

Best for: Younger audiences, visual learners, anyone wanting engaging mental health education

Speaking of Psychology (APA): ★★★★☆

Host: Various (American Psychological Association)

Format: Interviews with psychological researchers

Focus: Latest psychology research explained

Tone: Professional but accessible

Why it's valuable: Directly from source—researchers discussing their work. Covers broad range from parenting to prejudice, trauma to technology.

Best for: People interested in research, wanting depth without reading journal articles

Best for Personal Stories and Lived Experience

The Mental Illness Happy Hour: ★★★★★

Host: Paul Gilmartin (comedian)

Format: Long-form interviews (90+ minutes) with guests about mental health

Focus: Personal mental health stories, trauma, recovery, therapy experiences

Tone: Raw, honest, often dark humour, deeply compassionate

Why it's powerful: Unflinching honesty. Guests (including therapists, celebrities, everyday people) share experiences with depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction. Reduces shame through radical honesty.

Content warning: Discusses suicide, abuse, trauma explicitly

Best for: People wanting to feel less alone, appreciate honest conversation, can handle heavy content

Fearne Cotton's Happy Place: ★★★★☆

Host: Fearne Cotton (broadcaster)

Format: Interviews with guests about happiness and wellbeing

Focus: Mental health, happiness, what makes life meaningful

Tone: Warm, conversational, optimistic

Why it resonates: Cotton's openness about her own mental health struggles creates safety for guests. Covers therapy, meditation, creativity, relationships.

Best for: Accessible entry to mental health conversation, UK-focused

The Hilarious World of Depression: ★★★★☆

Hosts: John Moe

Format: Comedians discussing depression

Focus: Depression with humour

Tone: Funny, honest, surprising

Why it works: Uses humour to access difficult topic. Shows depression affects successful, funny people—challenges stereotypes.

Best for: People with depression wanting lighter approach, fans of comedy

Best for Practical Mental Health Skills

The Anxiety Coaches Podcast: ★★★★☆

Hosts: Gina Ryan, LMFT

Format: Practical anxiety management strategies

Focus: Specific anxiety symptoms and how to handle them

Tone: Coach-like, practical, encouraging

Why it's useful: Actionable advice. Episodes target specific issues: health anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, intrusive thoughts.

Best for: Anyone managing anxiety wanting practical tools

The Calmer You Podcast: ★★★★☆

Host: Chloe Brotheridge (anxiety expert, hypnotherapist)

Format: Short episodes on anxiety, stress, confidence

Focus: Practical wellbeing strategies

Tone: Calming (appropriately!), supportive

Why it helps: Accessible length (15-30 min), practical, specific techniques (breathing, mindfulness, reframing)

Best for: Busy people wanting practical anxiety management in digestible episodes

Best for Understanding Trauma

The Trauma Therapist Podcast: ★★★★★

Host: Guy Macpherson, PhD

Format: Interviews with trauma therapy experts

Focus: Trauma treatment approaches, therapist development

Tone: Professional, in-depth, educational

Why it's valuable: Deep dives into trauma therapy—EMDR, somatic approaches, neuroscience. For both clients wanting to understand trauma treatment and therapists developing skills.

Best for: Trauma survivors, therapists, anyone wanting depth on trauma recovery

On Being (Selected Episodes): ★★★★☆

Host: Krista Tippett

Format: Thoughtful conversations with thinkers, healers, scientists

Focus: Spirituality, meaning, human experience (selected episodes relevant to mental health/trauma)

Tone: Contemplative, profound, beautifully produced

Why specific episodes matter: When covering trauma (Bessel van der Kolk), resilience (Rachel Yehuda), or compassion (Thich Nhat Hanh), produces deeply moving, healing conversations.

Best for: Reflective listeners, interest in spirituality/meaning alongside psychology

Best for Therapist Insight

Therapy Chat: ★★★★☆

Hosts: Laura Reagan, LCSW-C and Holly Cox, LCPC

Format: Therapists discussing therapy topics

Focus: Therapy practice, techniques, therapist perspective

Tone: Inside conversation between therapists

Why it's fascinating: Behind-the-curtain look at how therapists think, what they notice, challenges they face

Best for: Curious about therapy process, considering training as therapist

Where Should We Begin? (Esther Perel): ★★★★★

Host: Esther Perel (renowned couples therapist)

Format: Real couples therapy sessions (with permission)

Focus: Relationship dynamics, communication, intimacy

Tone: Insightful, sometimes confrontational, always compassionate

Why it's exceptional: Hearing real therapy is powerful. Perel's insights into relationship dynamics are brilliant. Production quality superb.

Best for: Anyone in relationships, considering couples therapy, interested in relationship dynamics

Best for Specific Populations

The Guilty Feminist (Mental Health Episodes): ★★★★☆

Host: Deborah Frances-White

Format: Comedy podcast with feminist perspective

Focus: Various topics including mental health from feminist lens

Why relevant: Selected episodes brilliantly address women's mental health, perfectionism, body image with humour and insight.

Best for: Women, comedy fans, feminist perspective

Man Up: A Practical Guide to Male Mental Health: ★★★★☆

Host: Mind (charity)

Format: Men discussing mental health

Focus: Male mental health, breaking stigma

Tone: Direct, honest, accessible

Why it matters: Addresses male-specific mental health barriers

Best for: Men, anyone interested in gender and mental health

What to Avoid

Red flags:

• Hosts without credentials giving clinical advice
• Promoting pseudoscience (crystals curing depression, etc.)
• Anti-medication dogma
• "Cured my trauma with this one weird trick"
• Excessive advertising/monetization compromising content
• Oversharing without purpose

How to Use Mental Health Podcasts

Podcasts are excellent for:

• Education and understanding
• Reducing isolation (hearing others' experiences)
• Accessible mental health content (commute, exercise, chores)
• Motivation to seek help
• Normalizing therapy

Podcasts can't replace:

• Professional therapy
• Medical diagnosis
• Crisis support
• Individualised treatment

Tips:

• Start with single episode before subscribing
• Note which resonate; people's preferences vary widely
• Don't use for crisis situations (seek immediate professional help)
• Balance listening with action (knowledge without practice doesn't create change)
• Be selective (hundreds exist; quality varies)

My Top Recommendations by Need

Understanding anxiety: The Anxiety Coaches Podcast, The Savvy Psychologist

Understanding depression: The Mental Illness Happy Hour, Hilarious World of Depression

Understanding trauma: The Trauma Therapist Podcast

Relationship issues: Where Should We Begin? (Esther Perel)

General mental health education: The Savvy Psychologist, Speaking of Psychology

Feeling less alone: The Mental Illness Happy Hour

Quick practical tips: The Calmer You Podcast

UK-focused: Fearne Cotton's Happy Place

The Bottom Line

Quality mental health podcasts educate, normalise, inspire, and reduce isolation. They're accessible, often free, and can genuinely help understanding and managing mental health.

But they supplement rather than replace professional support when needed. If podcasts are resonating because you're struggling, consider them the first step toward seeking appropriate help.

My clinical perspective: I recommend specific podcast episodes to clients as homework—extending therapy conversation, normalizing experiences, teaching concepts efficiently. Podcasts are valuable educational tools but work best alongside, not instead of, therapy for significant mental health concerns.

For other free resources including apps and support services, see our comprehensive guide to free mental health resources in the UK.

Disclaimer: Recommendations based on clinical assessment of quality, evidence-base, and helpfulness. No financial relationships with podcasts mentioned.