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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Self love isn’t just about accepting yourself as you are or chasing a better version of yourself. It’s about learning how to hold contradictory parts of yourself with self compassion and curiosity.

This conversation explores self love, confidence, mental health, body image, and self-awareness through the lens of growth, rest, insecurity, joy, and becoming. If you’re in your late 20s, or going through a big life transition, this episode is for you.

You will learn how to…

• reframe the way you think about insecurities
• question diet culture, beauty standards, productivity, and comparison
• understand how pleasure can coexist with pain

Remember: self love is not about reaching a healed or perfected version of yourself. It’s about staying honest, present, and compassionate through every season of becoming.

If you’re enjoying our self love podcast, share it with the women in your life to continue spreading the gift of self love.

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 on IG: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

Mentioned In This Episode...

• Beauty Sick by Dr. Renee Engeln
• No Bad Parts by Dr. Richard Schwartz
• Flesh World, Substack by Jessica DeFino

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Astrology can be a grounding, practical tool for self-love and mental health, especially for women navigating change. Daniela from Cosmic Latte joins me to break down rising signs, moon energy, and Saturn returns—and how understanding your zodiac chart can help you meet yourself with more compassion, confidence, and care. Whether you’re looking to add a little whimsy to your life or fully devote yourself to the stars, this episode is equal parts fun and educational.

You will learn about...

• why most daily horoscopes are incorrect
• the importance of knowing your rising sign
• how the moon influences mood, energy, and confidence
• how astrology can help you build routines that support your mental health
• what a Saturn return brings up in your late 20s (and why it’s not all doom)
• the astrology of weekdays i.e. how to plan your week around the planets

Remember: Self-love isn’t about fixing yourself—it’s about understanding yourself and letting that understanding soften the way you show up. Daniela Karpenos is a New York-based astrologer and founder of Cosmic Latte, a community of 200,000+ unique souls worldwide devoted to feeding spiritual curiosity, creativity, and connection. With her Leo sun flair and Cancer moon intuition, she shares playful astrology content to help you discover your “you-niverse.”

Get your personalized eclipse guidebook from The Cosmic Latte here!

Or book a private astrology reading with Daniela at thecosmiclatte.com and follow her on Instagram @thecosmiclatte

Mentioned In This Episode...

• The Astrology of Days Guide
• Stardust (moon + cycle tracking app)
• No Bad Parts by Dr. Richard Schwartz

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with the women in your life! Make sure to tag @maryspodcast and @cosmiclatte so we can share this self-love journey with you!

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A vision board can be a powerful tool for self love when created intentionally. In this episode, Mary shares how to approach vision boarding as a self-love practice rooted in intention, self worth, and presence rather than pressure, perfection, or productivity.

If you want Mary’s vision board template, you can get instant access at maryscupoftea.com/vision and follow along.

Instead of focusing on how your life should look, this process invites you to reconnect with how you want it to feel — offering a refreshing approach to self love that prioritizes intention over outcome, being happy in your life (not just happy with it), and learning to enjoy the process of becoming someone you’re proud of.

Tune in to learn…

• How to make a digital vision board that feels supportive instead of overwhelming
• Why intentions are much better than traditional goal-setting
• How to manifest from self compassion rather than control
• The difference between being “happy with your life” vs. being happy in it
• What a vision board becomes when it’s rooted in self-worth, not pressure

Remember: Your vision board is not a contract — it’s a conversation with your future self. What’s meant for you is already unfolding, and your only responsibility is to stay present, responsive, and kind to yourself along the way.

If you’re enjoying our self love podcast, share it with the women in your life to continue spreading the gift of self love.

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

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As women, we’re often praised for being “good” — benevolent, proper, generous, and agreeable. But that version of goodness often comes at the expense of your mental health. And it requires a type of self-abandonment which leaves little room for complexity, creativity, or truth.

Poet and writer Joy Sullivan joins Mary to explore why being “good” can be antithetical to being fully human. Together, they unpack purity culture (both religious and progressive), moral performance, and the shame that follows many women. They also explore Joy’s viral essay Tiny Evils and why allowing ourselves small, imperfect, human transgressions can actually reconnect us to creativity.

You will learn how to…

• Question moral perfection without abandoning integrity
• Understand why goodness is often performative
• Reclaim creativity as survival, not productivity
• Write and create with confidence and without censoring your vulnerability

Remember: You don’t have to be flawless to be worthy. Your self worth is inherent. If you can love yourself as you are, your creativity will skyrocket.

Joy Sullivan is a poet, teacher, and author of the national bestseller, *Instructions for Traveling West.* She received a Masters in poetry from Miami University and has served as the poet-in-residence for the Wexner Center for the Arts. Her work has appeared in places like Goop, Oprah Daily, and The Sunday Paper.

In addition to leading international writing retreats, Joy has guest-lectured in classrooms from Stanford University to Florida International University and is the founder of Sustenance, a community designed to help writers revitalize and nourish their craft. Read her thoughts on the creative life in her Substack newsletter, Necessary Salt

Follow Joy on Instagram: **@**joysullivan

Get Joy’s poetry book *Instructions for Traveling West.*

Learn more about Joy’s writing community, Sustenance, here.

And if you enjoyed this episode, screenshot it and share it on social media! Make sure to tag @maryspodcast and @joysullivan so other women can find this self-love podcast.

Mentioned in This Episode…

• Tiny Evils by Joy Sullivan
• Glamour UK feature
• Miranda July
• Ellen Bass
• Ada Limón

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In this episode, Mary explores seven principles of self love, using her Self-Love Tree framework as a calm and grounding guide for your year-end reflection and renewal.

You will learn how to…

• Understand the roots of self-love: self-esteem, self-compassion, and self-worth
• Apply the Self-Love Tree framework to your spiritual, emotional, mental, physical, social, romantic, and existential wellbeing
• Create your own personalized self-love template to support next year’s intentions

May you always ground yourself in your own unique individual framework for self love, whether that's a tree or something else you want to plant.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends to spread the self love tea!

Deepen your self-love journey with Mary’s books:
1. The Gift of Self-Love, an interactive workbook that will 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 to help you calm self-criticism and learn to love who you are.

Follow Mary on IG: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.