The Character's Toolkit
The Character's Toolkit
Podcast Description
In every episode, therapist (and reader!) Marisa Gelfand chats with novelists and therapists to explore the mental health struggles of fictional characters.
Characters don’t have access to a therapist’s insights, but you do, and you walk away with the skills.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on mental health themes as they relate to fictional characters, with episodes covering topics like coercive relationships, mental filtering, and sports performance anxiety. For example, episodes dive into the nuances of controlling relationships with insights from experts, explore cognitive distortions, and examine the psychological challenges faced by athletes.
In every episode, therapist (and reader!) Marisa Gelfand chats with novelists and therapists to explore the mental health struggles of fictional characters.
Think, bibliotherapy: mental health with a literary twist.
Characters in books and literature don’t have access to a therapist’s insights, but you do, and you walk away with the skills.
Marisa chats with Ashley Hanna-Morgan, author of In Her Own Backyard, and therapist Caitlyn Wallace of Desert Bloom Wellness about postpartum mental health and the hidden realities of early motherhood. Together, they explore what happens when you don’t feel like yourself after having a baby, why breastfeeding struggles (like D-MER) and sleep deprivation can become major mental health stressors, and how community can be a lifeline during one of life’s most challenging transitions.
Using the novel’s blend of suspense, friendship, and emotional honesty as a starting point, they discuss the signs of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, the importance of seeking support, and the hopeful message that healing is possible.
Want more? Follow @TheCharactersToolkit on Instagram!
The Character’s Toolkit is a bibliotherapy-based mental health podcast where novels and fictional characters are used to explore therapy concepts and coping skills.
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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