Mental Health Episodes

Author and recovery advocate Damian Bloss returns to share how much life has changed since he first stepped onto the podcast and broke his silence. His memoir, Breaking the Silence, continues to reach people across the country, and in this conversation Damian opens up about speaking engagements, podcast appearances, and the surprising ways his story has made an impact. Damian also gives a first look at his next book, Recovering Out Loud, a hybrid of storytelling and workbook-style exercises designed to help readers navigate the recovery journey. He explains why Pink Cloud Syndrome needs more attention, how community support shaped his healing, and why he’s now pushing himself into new creative and outreach opportunities. From humor and honesty to deep reflection, this episode highlights the courage it takes to speak openly about recovery and the power of helping just one person at the right moment.

In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Rich sits down with Dr. Christiane Schroeter — TEDx speaker, university professor, entrepreneur, bestselling author, and host of the Happy Healthy Hustle podcast. Christiane shares her Petite Practice method and breaks down how small, intentional steps can create massive personal and professional change. Rich and Christiane dive into confidence, clarity, mindset, and the realities of building a business without feeding the overwhelm. From teaching more than 10,000 students to launching a top-ranked podcast, Christiane brings humor, heart, and practical strategy that entrepreneurs, creators, and dreamers can put into action immediately. They also explore cultural stories, cookies, German baking, vulnerability, TEDx insights, and why consistency is the real engine behind long-term success. Whether you're starting a business, launching a podcast, or simply trying to grow with more intention, this episode offers tools, perspective,…

What if the real issue isn’t that you’re broken, but that you’ve been convinced you are? In this conversation, psychiatrist and “Undoctor” Dr. Fred Moss challenges everything we’ve been taught about mental health. After nearly 40 years working in hospitals, prisons, clinics, and community settings, Fred came to a bold conclusion: most people don’t need more labels or more medication — they need to be heard, seen, and connected. Fred shares why so many of us cling to diagnoses, how psychiatric labels quietly become identities, and why medications often create the same symptoms they claim to treat. He explains the exhaustion of pretending to be someone else just to fit in, how school systems train us to silence our authentic selves, and why creativity is one of the most powerful healing tools we have. From anxiety and depression to social media overload and the myth of “normal,” this episode dives deep into what it really means to be human in a chaotic world. We also explore Fred’…

Recorded live at Edgewood American Legion Post 17, this special panel conversation brings together mental health professionals, a recovery leader, and a veteran suicide advocate to tackle stigma, access, and the realities facing Harford County residents. Moderator Ronya Nassar leads a raw discussion on youth anxiety, addiction, social media, cultural barriers, and veteran suicide, with practical ideas for how friends, families, and communities can truly “be the one” for someone in crisis. It is a grounded, hopeful conversation that shows listeners they are not alone and that healing is absolutely possible. Sponsored by Harford County Health Department

Energy healer and spiritual teacher Cheryl Stelte joins Rich to unpack why so many high-achieving women feel stuck even when life looks “successful” on the outside. From her Vancouver Island spiritual awakening to her Azarius Energy Healing method and “receive what’s offered” practice, Cheryl explains how early-rooted wounds, especially around the throat chakra, block fulfillment—and how to release them. You’ll hear practical tools, powerful stories, and a life-changing exercise to make better decisions now by asking what will matter on your deathbed.  Sponsored by Harford County Health Department

High-school teacher and nonprofit founder Diana Liberto Grove shares how she and her husband began fostering teens—and why she launched Shifting Gears to support youth ages 16–25 as they transition out of care. From Sunday dinners and tutoring to driver’s ed partnerships and a vision for tiny-home communities and an emergency shelter, Diana lays out practical, community-powered solutions anyone can help with. It’s a hopeful, action-oriented conversation about turning compassion into infrastructure.  Sponsored by Freedom Federal Credit Union

Author and recovery advocate Dennis “D.J.” Quinn joins Rich to share a deeply human mentoring journey—from Big Brothers Big Sisters to a 13-year bond with “Mike,” a foster-adopted child whose life was later upended by severe mental illness. Dennis unpacks how “just showing up” can anchor a life, the hard hospital visits, the gratitude that birthed his memoir Stick Figures, and why mentorship and recovery work still matter today.

What happens when addiction talks back—and you answer? Dr. Larry Smith, author of Johnnie and Me: Facing the Voice of Alcohol Within, shares how he personified alcohol as “Johnnie,” survived decades of trauma and dependency, and built a daily plan that’s kept him sober since 1999. He also previews his forthcoming novel 2084: The Neuroxone Conspiracy, a medical-thriller riff on Big Pharma, recovery, and personal freedom—making this a raw, hopeful, and deeply human conversation worth hearing.  Sponsored by Harford County Living

Rapper, producer, and entrepreneur Robert “B-Cide” Cardillo joins Rich to share the raw story behind his memoir, Myelin My Shoes—from underground tours and handing out mixtapes to launching a streetwear brand from a wheelchair after an MS diagnosis at 28. He breaks down how creativity became therapy, what the music business really teaches you, and why he refuses to let chronic illness define the art—or the hustle. If you need proof that purpose outlasts pain, this one’s for you.  Sponsored by Daniel McGhee and the Victory Team

Life coach and 25-year real estate pro Michelle Taylor shares how she healed deep trauma and transformed it into a movement she calls Repurposed Rising—a global vision to help women do their inner work and lead with purpose. She breaks down coaching vs. therapy, daily rituals, meditation insights, and why forgiveness is her superpower. Co-host Wendy Beck jumps in with powerful reflections and resources you can use today. Sponsored by Harford County Living

Live from Edgewood American Legion Post 17, Rich celebrates 10 years and 750+ episodes with special guests Kristy Breslin, Sensei Sydney Brackins, and the Delbridge family who helped launch the show’s in-person era. They swap origin stories, community wins, and wild ideas (hello, “Santa Smackdown”), then the co-hosts take the mics for a candid Q&A on growth, recovery impact, and what’s next. Sponsors and local shout-outs abound—this one’s a love letter to Harford County and beyond.  Sponsored by Freedom Federal Credit Union, Daniel McGhee & the Victory Team, and Eco-Cool HVAC

Coach, speaker, and medical intuitive Hanna Kok joins Rich to explore how unresolved emotions—especially unforgiveness—can disrupt hormones, immunity, and overall health. She explains why forgiveness is a biological act, not just a spiritual one, and shares tools for releasing “emotional toxins” so the body can self-repair. If you’ve felt stuck despite diets, diagnoses, and protocols, this conversation reframes healing from the inside out.  Sponsored by Harford County Living

Licensed professional counselor and Clear Fork Academy founder Austin Davis joins Rich to talk about rescuing teens from addiction and mental-health crises with clinically rigorous, Christ-centered residential care. He explains why 90-day programs, family-systems work, and even nightly dinners can change outcomes—and what warning signs parents miss most. They also discuss his book, My Kid, My Crisis, a plain-language guide for overwhelmed families.  Sponsored by Maryland Pickers

Rich sits down with coach and recovery advocate Jennifer Chase, whose life spans both sides of addiction—as the daughter of an alcoholic, a woman in long-term recovery, and the mother of a recovering addict. She shares how trauma, chronic pain, and over-prescription pulled her into dependency, and how connection, forgiveness, and firm, loving boundaries rebuilt her family. Listeners will learn practical ways families can stop enabling, set clear limits, and find peace—no matter where their loved one is on the recovery path.  Sponsored by Living Well Healthcare

Licensed psychotherapist and author Dr. Foojan Zeine joins Rich to unpack Awareness Integration Theory (AIT)—a practical framework that helps you observe your inner world, reality-check assumptions, integrate past parts, and choose your next best action. She shares concrete ways to reduce anxiety, explains why some anxiety “leaks” biologically, and introduces the Foojan app with an embedded AIT-trained coach, Mira. If you want fast, deep tools to move from surviving to thriving, this one’s worth a close listen.  Sponsored by CleverCat Marketing

John Carter’s life reads like a movie: teenage enforcer, shot in the head and left for dead, spiraling into addiction, and then a decade-long prison sentence. In this raw, uplifting conversation, John shares the plan that saved him, the people who didn’t give up on him, and how fitness, service dogs, and service to others rebuilt his life into one of purpose. If you need a wake-up call on grit, accountability, and second chances, this is it.  Sponsored by Elite Power Washing

Rich sits down with ADHD coach and author Sue Day, whose journey runs from dropping out of high school and burning out in multiple careers to embracing her diagnosis and helping others design lives that actually work for their brains. They unpack ADHD strengths (creativity, crisis focus, fairness), common myths, practical first steps after diagnosis, and Sue’s workbook-style guide, ADHD Brilliance: A Journey Into Your Extraordinary Brain. If you or someone you love has ADHD—or you simply want a more humane, strength-based way to live—this one delivers.  Sponsored by Daniel McGhee & the Victory Team

Diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis as a child, author and 2020 Bush Fellow Jenna Udenberg turned lifelong challenges into a mission: make accessibility the norm, not the exception. She shares how “Within My Spokes” captures resilience, why “committed over compliant” changes everything, and how her nonprofit Above & Beyond With U helps businesses and communities design with disabled people from the start. Expect practical truths on housing, travel, education, and what true inclusion really requires. Sponsored by Real Life Prosthetics

Allison Heiderman, Volunteer & Events Coordinator at SARC (Sexual Assault/Spouse Abuse Resource Center), joins Rich to unpack the full scope of SARC’s free services—24/7 helpline, counseling for adults and children, legal aid, a 40-bed confidential safehouse, and even an on-site pet kennel. They also cover community partnerships, volunteer pathways, and signature fundraisers like Walk a Mile in Their Shoes, Paws for a Cause, and Bubbles, Bourbon & Barrels. It’s a practical guide to getting and giving help in Harford County.  Sponsored by Your Pet AuPair

Business leader and mentor Irina Alexander joins Rich to unpack a neuroscience-rooted framework for staying regulated under pressure—especially in high-stress fields like first response and frontline leadership. She explains her C.A.R.E.S.™ approach (Communication, Awareness, Resilience, Emotional literacy, Self-mastery), why “knowing isn’t enough,” and how resilience is the byproduct of daily practices. Irina also shares candid stories of burnout, recovery, and the practical tools that help people shift from reactivity to regulation.  Sponsored by Maryland Pickers

Rich sits down with award-winning author and nationally recognized financial educator Matt Paradise to explore “whole-health wealth”—the blend of practical money skills, mindset, and healing. Matt shares his path from homelessness and addiction to 20 years in nonprofit credit counseling, his battle with cholangiocarcinoma, and the tools anyone can use to lower anxiety, get out of debt, and build a purposeful life. Listeners walk away with real-world frameworks for budgeting, credit repair, and changing the money stories that keep them stuck.  Sponsored by Elite Power Washing

Rich talks with recovery advocate Katie Lain about The Sinclair Method (TSM), a medication-assisted, science-based approach that helps people reduce or end problem drinking without the all-or-nothing pressure to stay abstinent. Katie shares her decade-long struggle with binge drinking, how naltrexone changed her brain’s reward loop, and why TSM can be a discreet, at-home path to control for millions. Listeners will learn how cravings fade, why relapse rates differ from traditional models, and how to combine medication with real-life coping skills.  Sponsored by Serenity Salt Spa

Madison shares a raw, hopeful journey from early mental-health struggles and a fast-progressing opioid addiction to a total life turnaround—sparked by accountability, treatment, and the Harford County Drug Court. Now clean since March 5, 2021, she leads at Pyramid Healthcare and pours her energy into helping others recover. This conversation shows why recovery is possible—and why purpose and community matter.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction

Elizabeth Kipp spent 40 years in chronic pain and 31 years on prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines—including fentanyl—until a pain-management track at the Betty Ford Center in 2013 catalyzed a complete turnaround. In this conversation, she unpacks the mind-body nature of chronic pain, the practical role of 12-Step recovery, yoga, breathwork, prayer/ancestral clearing, and the simple relapse-prevention principle that changed everything: staying in personal integrity. Listeners get a hopeful blueprint that blends science and spirituality with concrete next steps.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction