Episodios

  • The Podcast About the Podcast: What Are We Really Doing Here?
    Oct 24 2025

    In this episode, the guys turn the mic on themselves and discuss the future of the podcast on the podcast.
    🎧 Why did we start this podcast?
    💬 How can men learn to open up and go deeper?
    ⚙️ What’s next for Better MENtal Health?
    And… some honest check-ins about anxiety, ADHD, overwhelm, grief, and the inner critic.


    👇 Timestamps & Chapters


    00:00 – Why men struggle to talk deeply
    00:46 – Intro: The podcast about the podcast
    02:00 – What are we trying to do with this?
    03:10 – Finding focus vs chasing ideas
    05:00 – The pressure to say something meaningful
    05:45 – The goal: being examples of vulnerability
    07:00 – How to help men open up
    08:45 – The “Double-Click” analogy
    09:30 – Feeling into the body (somatic awareness)
    11:00 – Can we actually do that on a podcast?
    12:20 – Learning to reflect feelings instead of asking questions
    14:00 – The “I don’t know” defense and how to go deeper
    15:00 – Listener feedback: patriarchy, masculinity & nuance
    16:30 – The Christian Science episode and deconstruction
    18:30 – Living differently as men
    19:30 – Real check-ins: how are we actually doing?
    20:00 – Overwhelm, distraction, and avoidance
    24:00 – ADHD, shame, and medication talk
    27:30 – Feeling like society isn’t built for our brains
    29:00 – Why the system rewards the grind
    32:00 – Jamie’s anxiety and imposter feelings in grad school
    35:00 – Searching for balance as dads, partners, and students
    39:00 – Blake’s family loss and grief
    42:00 – The gym, body connection, and emotional health
    43:30 – The inner critic and negative self-talk
    46:00 – A compliment worth remembering
    47:00 – Gratitude, mindset, and reframing positivity
    49:00 – Final thoughts and listener invitation


    Leave a comment, share your thoughts, and let us know what you want us to talk about next.


    🔗 Follow us on Instagram: @bettermentalhealthpod


    ❤️ Subscribe for new episodes.



    #mensmentalhealth
    #realtalk
    #vulnerabilityisstrength
    #mindfulnessformen
    #healingjourney
    #mentalhealthpodcast
    #deepconvos
    #mensgroup
    #podcastclips
    #bettermensmentalhealth

    #mensmentalhealth

    #mentalhealthformen

    #menswellness

    #mensupportingmen

    #vulnerability

    #mentalhealthmatters

    #destigmatizementalhealth

    #healingjourney

    #talkaboutit

    #bettermensmentalhealth

    Más Menos
    50 m
  • The Mental Health Side of Becoming a Dad with Matt Bowman
    Aug 29 2025

    In this episode, Jamie, Blair, and Blake sit down with their good friend Matt, who just became a dad. We dive into the real highs and lows of new fatherhood — from sleepless nights and baby-led weaning to mental health struggles, identity shifts, and the surprising ways relationships change after bringing a baby home.

    This conversation is raw, honest, and full of stories that every dad (and partner) can relate to. If you’ve ever wondered what the first six months of parenthood really look like, this one’s for you.


    Chapters
    00:00 – Intro: Why we’re talking fatherhood

    00:50 – Matt’s sleep training success

    02:00 – Starting solids & scary first foods

    05:00 – Baby looking like dad? Reflections on identity

    06:30 – Biggest unexpected changes in daily life

    08:00 – Balancing freedom, hobbies & parenting

    11:20 – Good enough parenting & self-reflection

    13:30 – Coming home from the hospital: reality check

    16:00 – Building love & attachment over time

    18:00 – Baby milestones & finally having fun

    20:00 – Jamie’s emotional first moments as a dad

    22:00 – Postpartum depression & men’s mental health

    25:00 – Therapy, life coaching, and support systems

    28:00 – Parenting schedules: the freedom paradox

    30:00 – Emotional ups & downs as a new dad

    33:00 – Anger, frustration, and healthy outlets

    36:00 – Tolerance for chaos & crying

    39:00 – Partner communication & tactical teamwork

    41:00 – Shifts with friends & family dynamics

    43:00 – Parenting with grandparents’ help

    46:00 – Looking forward: what dads get excited about

    48:00 – Closing reflections


    🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations about men’s mental health, fatherhood, and becoming the best version of yourself.
    💬 Share your parenting stories or struggles in the comments — we’d love to hear from you.

    Más Menos
    50 m
  • Religious Trauma, Addiction, and Healing: Nate Laningham Shares His Journey
    Aug 13 2025

    In this episode of Better Mental Health, we feature an in-depth and raw discussion with Nate Landingham, a musician and producer based in Austin, Texas, known as Nathaniel Earl on Spotify. Nate joins hosts Blake, Jamie, and Blair to talk about his experiences growing up in Christian Science, his struggles with addiction and suicidal ideation, and how these challenges have shaped his mental health journey. We delve into intense topics like family dynamics and the psychological impacts of a religious upbringing, alongside the complexities of navigating sobriety and self-acceptance. 00:00 Trigger Warning and Introduction00:19 Meet the Hosts and Guest Introduction01:03 Nate's Upbringing in Christian Science04:21 Running Away and Homelessness07:07 Struggles with Addiction and Mental Health12:41 Therapy and the Road to Sobriety20:22 Finding Spirituality and Sobriety24:05 Reflecting on Rock Bottom and Ego Death26:25 Reflecting on My Father's Legacy30:06 Navigating Family Dynamics After Loss32:30 Music as a Tool for Emotional Healing37:02 Balancing Light and Dark: Embracing Emotions37:35 Overcoming Addiction and Finding Balance40:50 Pre-Performance Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms46:42 Final Thoughts and Advice

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    52 m
  • The Enneagram & Mental Health: With Josh Lavine
    Jul 17 2025

    In this episode of Better MENtal Health, we sit down with coach and Enneagram expert Josh Lavine to explore the Enneagram not just as a personality tool, but as a tool for mental health, growth, and authenticity.

    Josh breaks down the 9 Enneagram types through the lens of body, heart, and mind, and shares his own journey of discovering what authenticity meant to him.

    Whether you're brand new to the Enneagram or deep in the work, this conversation is full of insights into identity, therapy, and how we accidentally forget who we are, and how to come back home.


    Timecodes

    00:00 – Intro & Meet Josh

    01:20 – What is the Enneagram?

    02:10 – Why We Start With Type 8

    04:00 – Body Types: 8, 9, 1

    08:42 – Heart Types: 2, 3, 4

    12:10 – Mind Types: 5, 6, 7

    17:00 – All Three Hosts Are 9s!

    18:20 – Growing Up Disconnected from the Body

    21:00 – Josh’s Breakdown & Burnout at Princeton

    26:00 – The Search for Authenticity

    27:00 – How the Enneagram “Found” Him

    33:40 – The Bermuda Triangle: Type 3/6/9

    36:50 – Finding Yourself Again (and Again)

    39:00 – Why the Enneagram Is So Effective for Mental Health

    42:00 – What Does It Mean to Live From Essence?

    44:10 – Nines and the “Accidental Blankness”

    47:00 – Enneagram in Executive Coaching

    48:40 – Why You Need the Whole System

    50:00 – Wrap-Up + Where to Find Josh

    Links mentioned in the video

    joshlavine.com

    theenneagramschool.com


    Subscribe for more honest conversations around men’s mental health: relationships, identity, healing, and self-leadership.

    #Enneagram #MensMentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #PersonalityTypes #SelfDiscovery #TherapyForMen #HealingJourney #SelfAwareness #EmotionalWellness #InnerWork #BetterMENtalHealth #PodcastForMen #MensHealthPodcast #EnneagramCoach #JoshLavine

    Más Menos
    1 h y 5 m
  • Men Talk About Insecurities: Body Image, Hair Loss, Social Anxiety & More
    Jul 2 2025

    In this raw and honest episode of Better MENtal Health, we open up about the insecurities we've carried, from being a late bloomer and feeling small, to hair loss, social anxiety, public speaking fears, impostor syndrome, and everything in between.


    We dive into:

    • How comments from others (even years ago) still shape our self-image
    • Why some insecurities live in silence for too long
    • How opening up can rewire shame
    • And what we’re learning in therapy and life about reclaiming self-worth


    Subscribe for weekly episodes that destigmatize men's mental health and build connections through real, vulnerable conversations.


    Timestamps:


    0:00 – Intro: Why We’re Talking About Insecurities

    1:06 – Blake: “I was always the small one”

    4:30 – Jamie: Middle school, puberty, and height anxiety

    7:55 – Blair: No body hair, skinny arms, and internalizing comments

    10:48 – Humor as a shield & deflecting with jokes

    12:12 – When external comments land as deep shame

    14:30 – Blair: Being a “late bloomer” emotionally and physically

    16:00 – Jamie: Balding, over-fixating, and identity shifts

    19:20 – Blake: The shame of public speaking and insecurity in group settings

    22:05 – Blair: "Am I smart enough?" and math anxiety

    23:30 – Insecurity in non-monogamy and comparison culture

    25:55 – The power of voicing insecurities out loud

    27:00 – Letting go of shame and rewriting internal scripts


    #MensMentalHealth #Insecurities #BetterMENtalHealth #HairLoss #BodyImage #ImposterSyndrome #SocialAnxiety #TherapyForMen #MentalHealthAwareness #VulnerabilityIsStrength

    Más Menos
    56 m
  • Our Honest Experiences With Therapy (What We Learned As Men)
    Jun 20 2025

    In this episode, Blair and Blake (Jamie’s out this week) get personal about their own therapy experiences: the good, the awkward, and the deeply human.


    We talk about:


    - How hard it can be to find a therapist you actually connect with

    - What it’s like to leave a therapist when it’s not working

    - Why in-person vs. virtual therapy hits differently

    - Our own mental health struggles around things like insecurity, imposter syndrome, and hair loss

    - The difference between individual therapy and group therapy

    - Why therapy isn't just for "big" trauma — and how "little" traumas affect us too

    - What to look for in a therapist (even if you're not totally sure what you need yet)

    - And how opening up can feel terrifying — but also completely life-giving


    This episode is for the guy who’s thought about therapy but doesn’t know where to start.


    🎧 Got a therapy story or question? Drop it in the comments or DM us — we want to hear from you.


    ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS


    0:00 – Welcome and Jamie’s absence

    0:45 – Why we’re sharing our therapy journeys

    1:56 – Finding a therapist through the “No More Mr. Nice Guy” community

    3:08 – Individual therapy vs. group therapy experiences

    6:34 – Ending a therapy relationship: Blair’s story

    10:00 – Do we prefer in-person or virtual therapy?

    13:10 – When therapy just isn’t clicking

    15:00 – The “dating” analogy of finding a therapist

    17:00 – Why opening up feels risky, especially for men

    18:45 – Balding, confidence, and internalized shame

    22:00 – Ketamine-assisted therapy and future mental health tools

    26:00 – Imposter syndrome, self-worth, and men's identity

    30:47 – Why we sometimes stay too long with the wrong therapist

    34:00 – What a first therapy session actually feels like

    36:00 – “Are my problems big enough for therapy?”

    38:40 – Big T vs. little t trauma explained

    41:00 – Nuance, invalidation, and why most people carry trauma

    45:00 – “You’re just paying someone to care about you” myth

    47:50 – Why most therapists do genuinely care

    50:30 – The emotional toll of suppressing vs. expressing

    54:00 – Why therapy takes courage — and why it matters


    #BetterMentalHealth #MensMentalHealth #TherapyForMen #MentalHealthPodcast #FindingATherapist #MenInTherapy #DestigmatizeTherapy #VulnerabilityIsStrength #EmotionalHealth #GroupTherapy #KetamineTherapy #LeavingYourTherapist #TalkTherapy #NiceGuySyndrome #MensSupport #MentalHealthAwareness #MensHealingJourney #PodcastForMen #SelfWorth #ImposterSyndrome #TherapyJourney #HairLossConfidence

    Más Menos
    59 m
  • The Manosphere Unmasked: Red Pill Culture, Alpha Myths & the Fight for Men's Mental Health
    May 23 2025

    In this episode of Better MENtal Health, Blair, Jamie, and Blake dive into one of the most controversial corners of the internet: the manosphere. We explore how red pill rhetoric, alpha male myths, incel forums, and influencer culture have built an entire ecosystem that both addresses and manipulates male emotional pain.

    This conversation examines how we ourselves could have been pulled into this world, what makes it appealing, and how we can create healthier spaces for men to be seen, heard, and supported.


    00:00 – Intro: What is the Manosphere?
    01:30 – Red pill ideology explained
    03:10 – Jordan Peterson, fitness influencers & the gateway effect
    06:00 – How “science” gets twisted to justify misogyny
    08:20 – False sense of community vs true connection
    10:00 – Why some men turn anger into ideology
    12:00 – The algorithm’s role in radicalization
    14:30 – How we almost got pulled into it
    17:00 – The teen male experience & sex-driven content
    20:30 – High stakes masculinity & social status obsession
    22:00 – When manosphere content turns violent
    24:00 – Critical thinking, empathy & manipulation
    27:00 – “Simp” culture & shame around emotional connection
    30:00 – Alpha male myth debunked
    32:00 – The Joe Rogan dilemma: curiosity vs controversy
    35:00 – Why men need to speak to men
    38:00 – Group therapy as antidote to manosphere
    40:00 – Rage clicks, influencers, and the business of anger
    42:00 – Victimhood, MRA, and backlash to feminism
    45:00 – Why patriarchy harms everyone
    48:00 – Final thoughts + call to action


    Let’s talk: Are you a former manosphere follower? Just learning about it? Curious?

    Drop your thoughts in the comments—we welcome every perspective.
    Referenced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgO25FTwfRI&t=5716s&ab_channel=m%C3%BCnecat


    #MensMentalHealth #Manosphere #RedPill #AlphaMaleMyth #BetterMentalHealth #AndrewTate #JoeRogan #JordanPeterson #FreshAndFit #Masculinity #IncelCulture #PodcastClip #MentalHealthAwareness #EmpathyNotAnger #RedPillDebunked

    Más Menos
    51 m
  • Punching Walls and Processing Pain: A Conversation About Men’s Anger and Healthy Emotional Expression
    May 7 2025

    Why is anger the only emotion many men feel safe expressing? In this episode of Better MENtal Health, we dive into the role anger plays in men’s lives—from suppressed emotions to explosive outbursts. We share vulnerable personal stories (yes, even punching walls and slamming doors), explore the influence of figures like Andrew Tate, and discuss how childhood, trauma, alcohol, and societal norms shape how men express (or hide) their rage.


    Whether it’s righteous anger or misdirected pain, this episode helps unpack what’s really going on beneath the surface—and what we can do about it.


    ⏱️ Topics include:


    Why anger can be healthy (or harmful)


    Righteous rage vs. reactive outbursts


    The link between embarrassment, control, and anger


    The role of therapy, physical outlets, and parenting in managing anger



    00:00 Introduction to Better Mental Health Podcast

    00:24 Blake's Anger Triggered by Andrew Tate

    03:05 Righteous Anger and Making Change

    11:23 Jamie and Blair Discuss Anger Management

    14:30 Personal Stories of Anger Outbursts

    27:13 Intergenerational Anger and Trauma

    32:46 Small Frustrations vs. Big Issues

    33:56 Therapy and Anger Exploration

    34:35 Sports as an Anger Outlet

    37:18 College Memories and Anger

    40:42 Healthy Outlets for Anger

    52:43 Alcohol and Anger

    56:17 Recognizing Anger Triggers

    59:38 Conclusion and Call to Action


    #MensMentalHealth #Anger #BetterMentalHealthPodcast #RighteousAnger #AndrewTate #ToxicMasculinity #EmotionalHealth #TherapyForMen #MaleVulnerability #MentalHealthAwareness #Fatherhood #EmotionalIntelligence #breakingthestigma

    Más Menos
    1 h