This podcast episode pulls back the curtain on what it's really like to see a therapist, and trust us, it's not all about lying on a couch talking about your parents!

Dr. Anita Sanz, a seasoned therapist, tackles the big question: when should you seek mental health support?

She makes a compelling case for treating our mental well-being with the same care we give our physical health, or even our cars. If your car breaks down, you get it fixed, right? So why do we feel the need to "just handle" mental health struggles like low energy, changes in sleep, or even suicidal thoughts on our own?

Dr. Sanz stresses that you don't have to wait until things are really bad. In fact, being proactive can make therapy much more effective and lead to faster improvement. Think of it like taking your car in for a check-up before a long road trip – it's about preventing a breakdown.

Dr. Sanz also offers practical tips on finding the right therapist, emphasizing that it's okay to "shop around" and that chemistry matters. You wouldn't settle for a pizza with toppings you hate, so why settle for a therapist who isn't a good fit?

The episode even addresses the common fear of sharing suicidal thoughts, assuring listeners that a therapist's primary goal is to help you navigate through a crisis and keep you safe.

Ultimately, therapy isn't a passive process where someone "fixes" you; it's a collaborative effort where you actively work with your therapist to learn new skills and rewire your thought patterns, thanks to your brain's amazing neuronal plasticity.

https://recovery.com/
https://givingvoicetodepression.com/

Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepression
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

A single conversation can change the course of your life.

A single person stepping in to say "You are not yourself. I am worried about you" can change the course of your life and recovery.

That's the story Chloe shares in this remixed episode. The school year may be ending, but the need to tune in, step in and care most certainly is not.

https://recovery.com/
https://givingvoicetodepression.com/

Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepression
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

What does it feel like to experience true happiness after the lowest lows of depression? In this moving and deeply honest episode, Cara McErlain from Belfast, Northern Ireland, offers a rare and powerful glimpse into the lived experience of depression—and the unexpected joy that can follow.

Cara speaks with unflinching honesty about her darkest moments, the numbness and hopelessness that once felt permanent, and the night that pushed her to finally reach out for help. She describes how therapy, though painful at times, helped her uncover, name, and begin healing from long-unrecognized trauma. And perhaps most inspiringly, she shares how those moments of light—whether it's a warm coffee, a stranger’s hug, or a fleeting sense of peace—now feel euphoric after living in darkness.

This episode is a masterclass in the wisdom of lived experience. It’s not about a fairy tale ending, but about resilience, authenticity, and the raw power of holding on. If you or someone you love struggles with depression, Cara’s voice is one you need to hear.

🎧 "Hold on until tomorrow," she says. "You just might find a moment of light worth staying for."

https://recovery.com/
https://givingvoicetodepression.com/

Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepression
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

Did you know depression doesn’t just bring sadness—it can steal your memories of joy?

In this 30-minute episode, we explore the deeply disorienting and isolating experience of how depression alters memory. Not through scientific jargon, but through lived experience. Writer and mental health advocate Natasha Tracy joins us to discuss how depression can convince you that you’ve never been happy—robbing you of the very memories that might offer hope.

You’ll hear:

• How depression manipulates memory to maintain its grip
• What “state-dependent memory” means and how it plays out emotionally
• How Natasha separates herself from her depression to survive it
• The ingenious ways people are preserving happy memories for future dark days—like writing letters to themselves or recording heartfelt videos during periods of stability

This episode is full of truth, tools, and the kind of wisdom you won’t find in textbooks. It’s honest. It’s raw. And it just might help you—or someone you love—find a foothold when hope feels out of reach.

Natasha's website: https://natashatracy.com/

Natasha's article: https://natashatracy.com/mental-illness/depression/remember-depressed-emotion-memory/

https://recovery.com/
https://givingvoicetodepression.com/

Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepression
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

"You’re supposed to be happy." That’s what Isabelle kept hearing when she was pregnant. Married, financially stable, expecting a deeply wanted baby — her life looked “perfect” from the outside. But inside, she was fighting an overwhelming darkness that few people talk about: antepartum depression, or depression during pregnancy.

In this honest and powerful conversation, Isabelle joins Terry and Bridget to share what it felt like to struggle mentally during what’s often painted as the most joyful time in a person’s life. From navigating stigma to managing daily symptoms and finding tools that help her cope years later, Isabelle gives voice to an often-silenced part of the maternal mental health journey.

Whether you've experienced depression yourself, love someone who has, or want to better understand the emotional complexities of pregnancy, this episode offers insight, compassion, and a reminder that you are not alone.

https://recovery.com/
https://givingvoicetodepression.com/

Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepression
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

Trina Kennedy joins Giving Voice to Depression to share her experience growing up in a household where emotional needs were often dismissed or misunderstood.

She reflects on how unacknowledged pain shaped her early struggles with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts—and how therapy, connection, and time allowed her to begin unpacking the emotional weight she carried.

Through the lens of trauma, Trina explores what it means to complete the “distress loop,” and why being seen, heard, and supported can change the course of a life.

Hosts Terry McGuire and Carly McCollow offer reflections on parenting, emotional honesty, and the importance of building support systems that make healing possible.

This conversation sheds light on the space between trauma and recovery—and the many steps it can take to move through it.

https://trinaleekennedy.ca/

https://recovery.com/
https://givingvoicetodepression.com/

Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepression
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

In this episode of Giving Voice to Depression, guest Ari Cohen shares her powerful and deeply personal mental health journey. Diagnosed with depression at the age of 11, Ari describes how her identity was once entirely wrapped up in her diagnosis. Initially, her motivation to get better was externally driven—whether to attend summer camp, to avoid causing pain to her family, or to meet others' expectations.

A turning point came when a therapist asked her, “Who are you getting better for?”, prompting a shift in perspective. Through intensive therapy and community support, Ari began to explore healing for herself, not just for others. She speaks candidly about suicidal ideation, medication side effects, the importance of peer connection, and the value of compassionate caregiving—particularly from her mother and a social worker who simply asked, “What do you think would help?”

Ari now works as a program manager at Families for Depression Awareness and encourages others to recognize their intrinsic worth, engage in self-compassion, and understand that healing “for ourselves” doesn’t have to mean healing “by ourselves.”

https://recovery.com/
https://givingvoicetodepression.com/

Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepression
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

In this episode, Giving Voice explores how mental health conversations—especially those aimed at men—need a major rebrand in order to be more effective and approachable. Their guest is Ethan Getchell, a former business student whose career path took a sharp turn after the loss of his brother to suicide. That moment of grief reshaped Ethan’s values and inspired him to pursue a career in mental health counseling, with a focus on reaching men who might otherwise avoid therapy.

Ethan shares how cultural ideals like rugged individualism and emotional suppression have created a barrier between many men and the support they need. He discusses how the isolation of the pandemic further revealed the prevalence of covert depression—mental health struggles that often go unnoticed until distraction is stripped away. To help men engage, Ethan emphasizes the importance of rebranding therapy using language and tools that resonate. That includes practical strategies like starting with behavioral changes rather than emotional deep-dives, using habit-tracking apps, and drawing on simple, memorable check-ins like the four elements: earth (food), water (hydration), fire (movement), and air (breathing).

The episode highlights the importance of meeting men where they are—whether that’s through humor, shared activities, or just listening without judgment. It also underscores how the way we frame mental health matters. Whether it’s through the creative campaigns of ManTherapy.com or Ethan’s own “Hey Man” newsletter, the message is clear: therapy isn’t about being broken, it’s about being human. Carly and Terry close the conversation with reflections on how everyday moments—like asking if someone has eaten or needs a hug—can become meaningful acts of care and connection.

Ethan's Hey Man newsletter: https://ethangetchell.substack.com/

Man Therapy: https://mantherapy.org/

https://recovery.com/
https://givingvoicetodepression.com/

Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VoiceDepression
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/