Bipolar disorder is a term many people have heard, but it is often misunderstood. This episode of Unravelling takes a closer look at what bipolar disorder really is and how it shows up in people’s lives.
Kurt speaks with Matt Dove, PMHNP-BC, FNP-C, a dual-certified nurse practitioner in family medicine and psychiatric mental health at the Brattleboro Retreat. Their conversation explores the full picture of bipolar disorder, including depression, mania, and hypomania, and how the illness can affect sleep, energy, thinking, relationships, and daily life. They also discuss why the condition is frequently misdiagnosed, how symptoms can overlap with other mental health concerns, and why it can take years for some people to receive the right diagnosis.
Matt shares insights from his clinical work and talks about treatment options such as mood stabilizing medications, the importance of sleep, and the role of therapy and supportive relationships in recovery. He emphasizes that bipolar disorder is treatable. Many people living with it build stable and meaningful lives, and recovery and repair are possible even after difficult episodes

In this episode of Unravelling, Mary interviews Angela Harrelson, maternal aunt of George Floyd (Perry), a registered nurse, author, and racial justice advocate. Angela remembers Perry as a deeply family-oriented, faithful, and big-hearted dreamer, beyond the global symbol he has become. She describes the shock of his murder during the early pandemic, the disorienting experience of grieving both privately and publicly, and how her grief slowly transformed into purpose through activism and speaking out. Angela reflects on George Floyd Square as a sacred space of collective grief and healing, where people from around the world bring flowers, art, prayers, and stories, and where she has witnessed powerful moments of personal transformation. Throughout, she emphasizes grounding the fight for racial justice in humanity and love.

Links
Interactive Map of George Floyd Square
Rise and Remember
Angela Harrelson's book - Lift Your Voice: How My Nephew George Floyd's Murder Changed the World

This episode of Unravelling explores how grief unfolds not only within us but also in community. Kurt interviews Nikki, creator of the Instagram project Dad’s Vinyl Stash, which she began after the death of her father, Bobby, a passionate and deeply private drummer with a vast record collection. By sharing his albums one by one, Nikki continues her relationship with him through the music he loved. She reflects on growing up with a father whose drumming and records formed the soundtrack of her life, and how songs from artists like Pat Benatar, Def Leppard, Robbie Robertson, Cigarettes After Sex, and Beach House now bring him instantly to mind. She also shares the lesson her father taught her about sitting back and simply listening, a practice that now shapes how she approaches grief.

Nikki explains why she chose to share such a personal process publicly and how the community around Dad’s Vinyl Stash has become a place where others reflect on their own losses. Together, they explore how music, memory, and storytelling can help people stay connected to those they love while creating space for healing.

Follow Dad's Vinyl Stash on Instagram

Why are there so many types of psychotherapists and mental health professionals, and what do they all DO? On this episode, we take a deep dive into the messy, overlapping histories of psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers. Mary and producer Hans ask Kurt many questions about all of this, looking to get to the bottom of what all of this is about. Kurt shares guideposts for finding the right fit in a psychotherapist, explores the 'pace of safety' in sharing one's story, and explains how therapy helps us metabolize the hard things in life. Whether you’re just curious or currently seeking, this episode replaces professional jargon with a light of clarity.

References:
Benjamin Rush, Medical Inquiries and Observations, On Diseases of the Mind (1812)
William James, Principles of Psychology (1890)
Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams (1900)
Important moments in history of Psychiatry
Friendly Visiting Among the Poor: A Handbook for Charity Workers (1899)

Recorded at the 2025 Brattleboro Literary Festival, Kurt White speaks with author, designer, and Creative Director of The Atlantic, Peter Mendelsund. Their conversation centers on Mendelsund’s book Exhibitionist: 1 Journal, 1 Depression, 100 Paintings, an unconventional work that pairs personal journal entries with paintings created during a period of severe depression. Through vivid, abstract imagery and unfiltered reflection, Mendelsund explores the lived experience of depression, including its loneliness, alienation, shame, and the difficulty of sharing suffering with loved ones. He speaks candidly about bipolar depression, suicidal ideation, the limits of creativity as a coping mechanism, and the life-saving roles of therapy, medication, and human connection. The conversation reflects on the slow work of getting through each day, the courage it takes to ask for help, and the possibility of greater openness and compassion on the other side of despair.

Links:
Peter Mendelsund's website
Paintings by Peter Mendelsund
Exhibitionist and other books by Peter Mendelsund
Brattleboro Literary Festival

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Dial or text 988 in the US and Canada to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

In this episode of Unravelling, recorded at the 2025 Brattleboro Literary Festival, Mary Wilson sits down with author and literary agent Betsy Lerner for an intimate conversation about writing, mental illness, and family dynamics.
Betsy shares how she began keeping diaries as a child after reading Anne Frank, using journaling to process secret feelings and a sense of being different within her family. She discusses her early diagnosis of bipolar disorder at 15, years of ineffective treatment, and how finally finding the right care in her 30s allowed her to live stably and write clearly for decades.

The conversation centers on Betsy’s novel Shred Sisters, which blends fiction with emotional truth to explore bipolar disorder, sibling rivalry, and shame. Betsy speaks about her mission to destigmatize bipolar disorder, challenge sensationalized portrayals, and validate both those living with bipolar disorder and their loved ones, while emphasizing the importance of boundaries and self-preservation.

She also discusses her popular TikTok diary project! Her social media account encourages young people to prioritize mental health, keep handwritten journals, and seek help.

Links -
Visit Betsy Lerner's website
Buy Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner
Follow Betsy Lerner on TikTok
Brattleboro Literary Festival

This episode explores how the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. continues to shape conversations about mental health. Mary speaks with Kurt and special guest Dr. Nnamdi Pole, who for the past five years have collaborated on annual MLK Day presentations at the Brattleboro Retreat, a mental health hospital in Vermont. The live events draw directly from King’s speeches and writings to examine racism as a central mental health issue. From King’s 1967 APA keynote, where he challenged psychologists to stop pathologizing Black communities and instead confront the psychological damage of racism itself, to his framing of racism as a societal “poison,” the conversation traces how King’s ideas remain urgently relevant amid contemporary racial conflict and political polarization.

They preview an upcoming MLK Day presentation focused on derogatory speech in inpatient settings, using King’s own words as a guide for naming harm, supporting staff, and shaping compassionate but clear institutional responses. Throughout, the discussion returns to King’s enduring challenge-- a commitment to love and hope, even, and especially, in difficult times.

Links:
MLK's speech at the APA's 1967 Convention in Washington, D.C.
I Have a Dream Speech
Where Do We Go From Here?

As the year comes to a close, Mary and Kurt welcome listeners to a reflective New Year’s conversation from Dr. Justin Hecht, Jungian analyst and psychologist. This episode explores the cyclical nature of endings and beginnings, and how pain, grief, and disappointment can be metabolized into vision, vocation, and hope. Drawing on Jungian ideas of individuation, the “wound and the vision,” Dr. Hecht shares clinical insights and personal stories about midlife crisis, creativity, spirituality, and the importance of holding a vision, sometimes with the help of therapists, groups, or community, when we cannot hold it ourselves.

Links:

Visit Dr. Justin Hecht's website - https://www.justinhecht.com/

More about Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D -
https://www.jeanbolen.com/

More about Auld Lang Syne -
https://genius.com/Robert-burns-auld-lang-syne-annotated

More about Year Compass:
https://yearcompass.com/