Mental Health Episodes

Mental health counselor, author, and meditation teacher Dean Graves explains why awareness may be the first step toward releasing emotional baggage, managing stress, and reconnecting with our authentic selves. Dean and Rich also explore trauma, meditation, military transition, consciousness, spirituality, and the belief that happiness already exists within us.

Dr. Evan Nadler challenges the harmful belief that childhood obesity is simply caused by overeating, inactivity, poor parenting, or a lack of willpower. He explains how genetics, biology, environment, mental health, food access, and family circumstances influence a child’s health while offering families compassionate, evidence-based paths forward. Listeners will learn why shame does more harm than good, how entire families can make realistic changes together, and why individualized treatment may include lifestyle support, medication, surgery, or a combination of approaches.

Hannah Dalby returns to explain how exercise, nutrition, sleep, hydration, and nervous system regulation influence the quality of our relationships. She and Rich explore how taking better care of yourself can help you become more patient, present, confident, and connected with your partner.

For Recovery Month, Rich Bennett revisits the unforgettable stories and lessons shared during last year’s Pot-a-thon for Recovery. Through personal accounts of addiction, overdose loss, relapse, sober living, motherhood, accountability, and healing, this episode reminds listeners that recovery is possible and nobody’s story has to end with addiction.

Teresa Leet explains how LovLi Life supports pregnant women who have chosen to carry their babies but may lack housing, resources, encouragement, or a dependable support system. She also shares how her own difficult experiences inspired a faith-based mission centered on practical assistance, mentorship, personal worth, and generational change.

Kaitlyn Hogancamp shares her deeply personal experience of enduring two pregnancy losses, confronting guilt and isolation, and navigating a high-risk pregnancy filled with fear. Joined by Christina O’Mara of the Sea of Hope Foundation, she explains how compassionate support, honest conversation, and meaningful advocacy can help families carry hope alongside their grief. Sponsored by Harford's Heart Magazine

After years of severe depression, anxiety, homelessness, and suffering in silence, Dave Mowry discovered an unexpected path forward through a stand-up comedy class for people living with mental illness. Dave explains how turning painful experiences into jokes helped him reclaim his identity, challenge stigma, and empower others to tell their stories. This conversation offers an honest, hopeful look at mental illness while demonstrating that laughter does not erase pain. It can change how we carry it.

Former professional Muay Thai fighter Hannah Dalby reveals how grief, addiction, abusive relationships, relentless ambition, and extreme training shaped a life that appeared successful while quietly falling apart. She explains how confronting the emotional and physical patterns beneath her behavior led to Human Integration, The Jungle, and a new way of helping high performers recover without losing their health, relationships, or identity.

Behavioral threat assessment expert Robert Mahoney explains why targeted violence rarely occurs without warning and how isolation, grievances, behavioral changes, and other concerning developments can form a recognizable pathway. He also introduces community care teams, a coordinated approach that helps schools, law enforcement, mental health providers, businesses, and community organizations support people before a crisis occurs.

Dr. Gary Sprouse returns to explain how behaviors intended to relieve stress can eventually create more stress, forming what he calls a “stress-reducer loop.” He discusses breaking these loops without shame, replacing harmful labels with healthier identities, recovering a sense of control, and finding a happy place rooted in gratitude, connection, hope, and purpose.

What happens when life completely changes the path you thought you were meant to follow? Nicole Valan shares her deeply personal journey from battling a rare metabolic disorder that nearly ended her dreams to discovering the healing power of yoga and creating One Love Mind Body in Aberdeen, Maryland. Nicole discusses how mindful movement, breathwork, and community have transformed not only her own life but the lives of countless others. From children's yoga and aerial yoga to chair yoga and sound immersions, this conversation is about far more than exercise. It's about resilience, compassion, and meeting people exactly where they are.

Human trafficking isn't just an international problem. It's happening in our own communities, often hidden in plain sight. In this powerful roundtable discussion, Rich Bennett is joined by Linda Aluoch of HopeWorks Global, Wendy Beck of Rage Against Addiction, and Teresa Ragsdale of The Parents' Place of Maryland to expose the realities of trafficking, addiction, mental health, caregiver struggles, and the importance of prevention through education. The conversation goes far beyond statistics. Each guest shares deeply personal experiences that reveal how vulnerable people can be exploited, how caregivers often feel alone, and why communities must work together instead of operating in silos. This is an emotional episode that encourages listeners to become more aware, more compassionate, and more willing to take action.

What does it take for a family business to thrive for more than 218 years? In this heartfelt conversation, Howard McComas IV shares the remarkable history of McComas Funeral Home, one of the oldest family-owned businesses in Harford County and among the oldest family-owned funeral homes in America. Howard opens up about the importance of relationships, community involvement, grief support, honoring veterans, and helping families navigate life's most difficult moments with compassion and dignity.

Michael Reed returns to Conversations with Rich Bennett to share the next chapter of his extraordinary journey through grief, healing, and purpose. Since his last appearance, Michael has become a certified grief coach, continued his education in behavioral health, published two additional books, and reached a major milestone in his own healing process. In this deeply moving conversation, Michael discusses The Million Stages of Healing, his children's grief workbook The Owl and the Ladybug, and how he has learned to carry the love of his wife and daughters forward while helping others navigate loss. This episode is a powerful reminder that grief is not the end of the story and that healing is possible.

After a brain tumor surgery left one side of his face completely paralyzed, John Kippen spent more than a decade hiding from the world. What began as a painful journey of isolation eventually became a mission to help others embrace their differences and discover their own strength. In this powerful conversation, John shares how magic, storytelling, resilience, and human connection transformed his life. From performing for Alex Trebek and meeting legends like Siegfried & Roy to helping coaching clients overcome adversity, John's story is a reminder that our greatest challenges can become our greatest gifts.

Alexis Watson, Behavioral Health Specialist for Harford County with The Parents’ Place of Maryland, joins Rich and Wendy to discuss how parents and caregivers can find support when dealing with school challenges, mental health concerns, bullying, addiction, special education needs, and risky behaviors. This episode is worth listening to because it reminds families that they do not have to face these struggles alone.

Laura Van Wormer shares her powerful journey from bestselling novelist to traumatic brain injury survivor after a devastating head-on collision with a drunk driver. After years of silence and struggle, she found a new creative voice through her serialized audio drama, The Class of ’74, proving that storytelling can heal, reconnect, and give life new meaning.

Teresa Blaes shares an extraordinary story of survival, loss, faith, and redemption. From childhood trauma and the tragic loss of family members to losing her eyesight and walking away from God for five years, Teresa opens up about the experiences that shaped her life. This powerful conversation explores healing, resilience, podcasting, music, faith, and why sharing your story can help both yourself and others. Listeners will leave inspired by Teresa's courage and reminded that even life's darkest chapters can lead to purpose.

Linda Aluoch shares her remarkable journey from growing up in poverty in Kenya to founding HopeWorks Global, an organization dedicated to preventing human trafficking and empowering vulnerable communities. Through personal tragedy, resilience, and faith, she transformed heartbreak into a mission that is changing lives in both Kenya and the United States. This powerful conversation sheds light on the realities of human trafficking, including labor trafficking, organ trafficking, and exploitation that often goes unnoticed. Linda's story is both inspiring and educational, making this an episode every listener should hear.

Jessie Fahay joins Conversations with Rich Bennett to discuss how theater can become more than entertainment and instead serve as a catalyst for meaningful conversations and social change. As the founder of Ripple Effect Artists, Jessie shares how productions focused on mental health, racism, human trafficking, and other critical issues inspire audiences to continue the conversation long after the curtain closes. This episode dives into the realities of running a nonprofit theater company, the challenges artists face, the importance of human connection in a divided world, and why storytelling still has the power to transform lives.

Financial stress impacts nearly every part of life, but most people were never taught how to properly manage money, retirement, or investing. In this episode, Paul Applegate shares his journey from law enforcement to becoming a financial advisor with Edward Jones and explains why helping everyday people build financial confidence became his passion. Paul opens up about PTSD, emergency funds, retirement planning, budgeting, and why relationships and trust matter more than numbers alone. This conversation is packed with practical financial advice and honest life lessons that can help listeners feel more secure about their future.

Chris Bingham shares the deeply personal story of his journey in law enforcement, the loss of former K9 partners, and the unexpected bond he built with retired police dog Tambo. What began as a difficult partnership turned into an unbreakable connection that helped both of them heal through trauma, loss, cancer, and family struggles. As Tambo battles aggressive cancer, Chris opens up about hope, resilience, fatherhood, forgiveness, and the incredible support provided by Project K9 Hero. This episode is emotional, inspiring, and a powerful reminder that sometimes our greatest heroes walk on four legs.

In this heartfelt episode, Rich sits down with school psychologist and author Jessica Hackmann to discuss her new children’s book, You Are Brave, Amy G. Jessica explains how understanding the brain, especially the amygdala and emotional responses, can help children better navigate anxiety, stress, transitions, and overwhelming emotions. The conversation dives into the lasting emotional impact of COVID on children, the importance of emotional regulation, and why teaching kids about how their brains work can change the way they see themselves. This episode is a must-listen for parents, educators, counselors, and anyone working with children.

Marine veteran and wellness coach Matthew Merryman joins Rich Bennett for a powerful conversation about mindset, meditation, self-love, nutrition, trauma, and personal growth. What begins as a discussion about fitness quickly evolves into a deeper exploration of healing, purpose, and the importance of understanding yourself. Matthew shares how his experiences in the Marine Corps shaped his perspective on discipline, behavioral psychology, and mental resilience while also opening up about addiction, meditation, spirituality, and finding balance in everyday life. This episode is packed with honest insight, practical wellness advice, and meaningful reflections that can inspire listeners to slow down, heal, and truly live with purpose.