There are plenty or reasons to be anxious and depressed about the world in 2025. And while parasocial relationships with your podcast friends are no substitute for therapy, a thoughtful, informative, empathetic podcast can be a useful addition to your mental health toolbox.Unfortunately, not all of these shows are helpful (or even worthwhile), and wading through a sea of them is probably not something you feel like doing when you're already stressed or sad. Thankfully, I've done that hard work for you: Here are eight shows that don't just spew generic tips and hollow affirmations, but actually use thoughtful conversations, untraditional storytelling, and specific structures that can help you through a rough spot. (They've certainly helped methe fifth one on the list legitimately changed my life.) Basket Case Credit: Podcast logo Basket Case is a mental health podcast unlike any mental health podcast Ive listened to before. Its not offering hacks or tips, but considering the mental health industry as a whole, using intimate narrative storytelling to reveal how it systematically keeps us sick. It's more about the forces that contribute to mental illness than it is about mental health, but invaluable all the same. Host NK ushers us through different mental health issues, from perfectionism, to depression, to anxiety, in a way that makes them feel visceral and immediate. This is accomplished partially through an amazing soundscape, which NK uses to recreate other ways of experiencing the world.The Blindboy Podcast Credit: Podcast logo The Blindboy Podcast, hosted by Blindboy of the Rubberbandits, isnt strictly a mental health podcast either, but it is like a hug in podcast form. With a mixture of cultural commentary, history, observations, and magical storytelling, Blindboy manages to normalize the therapy process and autism by being open about his own. He helps listeners discover something they might need to hear about the world or themselves. Free-flowing episodes cover everything from Irish and Greek mythology, to the inside of a tennis ball, to a discussion with the late Sinad OConnor.Black Healing Remixed Credit: Podcast logo Black Healing Remixed is the front porch, the kitchen island, and the perfect seat on the couch where honest and transformative talks about healing and wellness unfold. Each episode celebrates Black healing in all its formsbeautiful, messy, imperfect, and joyouswhile giving listeners the language and practical resources to embrace their own healing journeys. What does it mean to thoughtfully and honestly foreground your mental health in the face of modern society? Hosts Yolo Akili Robinson and Natalie Patterson are the perfect guides for answering this question. 10% Happier Credit: Podcast logo Meditation can seem so murky, so foreign, so woo-woo. And if youre not woo-woo, you might not think it can help you. On 10% Happier, Dan Harris gets into meditation and mindfulness in a really approachable and science-backed way, offering practical tools and interviewing a range of guests, from meditation teachers to neuroscientists, psychologists, and the occasional celebrity. Dan is a relatable and authentic hosthe once had a panic attack on air, which is what put him on the path toward his mental health. How to Fail Credit: Podcast logo On every episode of How To Fail, journalist Elizabeth Day asks her guest to take us through three failures they've experienced, reframing them as events that helped them be better people or live better lives (eventually, at least). Elizabeth creates a magical chemistry with all of her guests, which have included the likes of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mo Gawdat, and Brene Brown. The focus isnt hacks or tips, but unpacking the mistakes and regrets that these people have been able to overcome, and how. You might not finish an episode feeling grateful for your latest screwup or setback, but hopefully it won't feel quite as dire either.The One You Feed Credit: Podcast logo The One You Feed was inspired by the famous parable of the two wolves, representing the choices we all make in feeding either the positive or negative aspects of ourselves. Host Eric Zimmer blends health, wellness, and self-improvement topics into deep conversations with psychologists, spiritual leaders, and authors in episodes that tackle anxiety, depression, self-doubt, and more. The One You Feed beautifully balances ancient philosophical ideas with modern psychological research, and Erics personal story of overcoming addiction adds a layer of vulnerability and relatability to every installmentover 400 to date.Depresh Mode Credit: Podcast logo On every episode of Depresh Mode, John Moe (also the creator of The Hilarious World of Depression) sits down with comedians, musicians, authors, and actors to talk about the many ways we experience depression, anxiety, addiction, and rude internal dialogue. Familiar names like Jamie Lee Curtis, Justin McElroy, and David Sedaris have shared their baggage and the tactics that workedand didntas they attempted to handle it. If you cant find someone in your life who identifies with your struggles, you might find it in John and his guests.Mental Illness Happy Hour Credit: Podcast logo On Mental Illness Happy Hour, comedian Paul Gilmartin covers mental health issues in a way that makes listeners feel cared for and will get them laughing at the same time, helped along by his guestsactors, comedians, and the occasional doctor. The show covers a wide range of topics, and will help you realize not only that you don't have to feel so alone in your problems, but that so many others are facing different issues that probably have them feeling equally isolated. GIlmartins secret ingredient is humor, but he doesnt skirt around the tough stuff.