Many women talk about anxiety as if it’s a personality trait, but Dr. Ellen Vora offers a different lens: anxiety could be a mind-body signal that something in your mental health ecosystem needs support. In this conversation, we unpack what women misunderstand about anxiety, why mental health is deeply physical, and how to stop seeing anxiety as a personal flaw.

You will learn…

• the difference between “false anxiety” vs. “true anxiety” (and why that distinction changes everything)
• is it the mind-body connection or the body-mind connection?
• how women’s bodies, hormones, and cultural stressors create a unique anxiety landscape
• the drawbacks of traditional cognitive behavioral therapy
• physical ways to take care of your mental health

Remember: Anxiety doesn’t automatically mean something is mentally wrong with you. Often it’s your physical body asking for care, and sometimes it’s your inner compass asking for honesty. Either way, you deserve support that helps you feel safer in your body and steadier in your mental health.

Dr. Ellen Vora is a board-certified psychiatrist who takes a functional medicine approach to mental health. Dr. Vora received her B.A. from Yale University and her M.D. from Columbia University. She’s also the bestselling author of The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body’s Fear Response where she shares a whole-person perspective on anxiety, mental health, and overall well-being– especially for women.

Follow Dr. Ellen on Instagram: @ellenvoramd Get Dr. Ellen’s book, The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body’s Fear Response

And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with the women in your life! Make sure to tag @maryspodcast and @ellenvoramd

Mentioned In This Episode...

• Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker
• Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection by Dr. John Sarno
• The Way Out by Alan Gordon
• research on Ketamine-assisted therapy
• Wizard of Oz & Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd Theory EXPLAINED

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Sometimes the parts of us we’re trying hardest to fix are the ones working the hardest to protect us. Inspired by one of the best mental health books I’ve read recently, this episode offers a compassionate framework for understanding your inner world without pathologizing it.

If you’ve ever felt conflicted, inconsistent, or torn in different directions, this conversation is for you. It explores why inner tension does not mean you are failing at mental health. It might actually make a lot of sense. This episode reviews my biggest takeaways from the book No Bad Parts by Dr. Richard Schwartz.

We’ll explore ideas like:

• Why there are no bad parts — only misunderstood ones
• How self-compassion creates internal safety instead of control
• The difference between being protector-led vs. Self-led
• Why mental health isn’t about eliminating inner conflict, but learning how to relate to it
• What it looks like to stay engaged with the world while still protecting your energy

We also touch on something many of us struggle with: how to care deeply about the world without letting its weight completely overwhelm you. And why true self love does not require numbing out, bypassing reality, or carrying everything alone.

Remember: Every part of your personality that you do not love will become hostile. The goal is not to get rid of parts of yourself, but to change how you relate to them.

If you’re enjoying this self love podcast, share it with the women in your life! Your support helps spread conversations about mental health, confidence, and self-love in a way that feels real and sustainable.

Deepen your self love journey with Mary’s books:

1. The Gift of Self-Love, an interactive workbook to help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.
2. 100 Days of Self-Love, a guided journal with 100 prompts for calming self-criticism and learning to love yourself.

Follow Mary's self love journey on IG: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

Mentioned In This Episode...

No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz

“How to talk to the worst parts of yourself” TEDx talk by Karen Faith

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WOW!!! This just might be the most enlightening, inspiring interview on Mary’s Cup of Tea, thanks to our guest, Samantha Chung. Rooted in self-love and self-worth, Sam’s approach to manifestation is deep yet simple, grounded yet expansive, firm yet deeply compassionate.

Contrary to popular belief, isn’t about positive thinking, vision boards, or proving your worth — it’s about the relationship you have with yourself. Sam explains why healing shame, releasing self-criticism, and relating to yourself with compassion is what actually changes what you attract.

You will learn about...

• the surprising link between loving yourself and manifesting your dreams
• how to reconcile manifestation teachings with privilege, access, and real-world limitations
• why Sam hates the word “manifestation” and the connotations it comes with
• how to repair a punitive, damaged relationship with yourself
• why self-compassion will not you complacent
• what body-image struggles reveal about safety, control, and self worth
• how to face your own unworthiness and make contact with a deeply supportive part of yourself
• the ONLY emotion that lowers your vibration
• access the emotional experience you think money, love, or success will finally give you
• see manifestation as a lifestyle rooted in self-love, not a method to fix yourself

Remember: Manifestation doesn't work without self-worth. It's not about getting or achieving something, it's about who you become along the way.

Samantha Chung is a transformational life and mindset coach, viral content creator, and host of the top-ranking podcast Spiraling Higher. She is on a mission to help people break free from their conditioned narratives and awaken to their most authentic, limitless selves. Her paradigm-shifting perspectives have inspired millions to step into self-love and embody their highest potential. Today, she’s here to help you do the same.

Follow Sam on Instagram: @simplifying.sam

Learn more about Sam’s private coaching here.

Share this self love podcast with the women in your life or on social media! Make sure to tag @maryspodcast and @simplifying.sam

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