The 15 Best Overcoming Depression Podcasts (2026)

John Moe turned his own long battle with depression into something genuinely useful. After wrapping up The Hilarious World of Depression, he launched Depresh Mode to keep the conversation going, and the show has only gotten sharper. Each week, Moe sits down with comedians, musicians, actors, and writers who open up about their mental health struggles with a candor that feels rare. He has this ability to ask the exact question you would want to ask a guest about their darkest moments without it ever feeling invasive. The tone walks a tightrope between heavy and funny. You might hear a comedian describe a panic attack one minute and crack a joke about antidepressant side effects the next. It works because Moe never forces the humor -- it just shows up naturally the way it does when real people talk about hard things. With over 270 episodes and a 4.9-star rating from more than 800 reviews, the show has clearly found its audience. The interviews go beyond surface-level celebrity wellness talk. Guests get into specifics about what treatments worked and what flopped, which medications helped, what therapy looked like day to day. Moe also brings in actual mental health professionals to provide clinical context without making it feel like a lecture. The Maximum Fun network gives it solid production values. Episodes drop weekly and tend to run around 45 minutes to an hour. If you are tired of mental health content that either treats depression like a motivational poster or wallows without direction, this show hits a rare middle ground.

This show wrapped up in 2021 after 97 episodes, but its back catalog remains one of the best things ever made about depression. Host John Moe, drawing from his own experience and the loss of his brother to suicide, interviewed comedians like Maria Bamford, Paul F. Tompkins, Andy Richter, and Jen Kirkman about their battles with clinical depression. The premise sounds contradictory -- a funny show about something terrible -- but it worked because comedians are often the most honest people in the room about their inner chaos. Moe had a public radio background, and the production quality shows. Each episode is carefully crafted, not just a rambling conversation but a real narrative arc from struggle to (sometimes partial) recovery. The 4.8-star rating from over 4,200 reviews speaks to how deeply it resonated. You will hear frank discussions about medication, therapy, hospitalization, and suicidal ideation delivered with warmth and occasional dark humor. The show proved that talking openly about depression does not have to be somber or clinical. Plenty of listeners credit it with helping them finally seek treatment. Even though no new episodes are coming, the conversations feel timeless. Start anywhere in the catalog, but the Maria Bamford episodes are particularly memorable. Consider this one an essential archive rather than an active show.

Dr. David Burns literally wrote the book on cognitive behavioral therapy -- his 1980 bestseller Feeling Good has sold millions of copies and remains a standard recommendation from therapists worldwide. On this podcast, he and co-host Rhonda Barovsky take his TEAM-CBT approach and break it down through real therapy demonstrations, listener Q&As, and deep dives into specific techniques. With over 500 episodes since 2016, the archive is massive. What makes this show stand out from other therapy podcasts is that Burns actually does live therapy sessions on air. You can hear him work through cognitive distortions with real people in real time, which is far more instructive than abstract explanations of how CBT works. The man is in his 80s and still publishing weekly, bringing decades of clinical experience to each episode. He covers everything from procrastination and perfectionism to OCD, relationship conflicts, and yes, depression specifically. The episodes on defeating negative thoughts using techniques like the Daily Mood Log are especially practical. Some listeners find his style a bit professorial, and the production is straightforward rather than polished. But the depth of actionable content is hard to match anywhere else. If you want to understand the actual mechanics of how therapy changes your thinking patterns, not just hear people talk about the importance of mental health, this is the one.

Amanda Armstrong brings a nervous system-first approach to anxiety and depression that sets this podcast apart from the standard CBT-focused shows. As a trauma-informed practitioner, she focuses on somatic techniques and vagus nerve regulation -- basically teaching your body to calm down before trying to reason your way out of a depressive episode. The show launched in 2023 and already has 148 episodes with a near-perfect 4.9 rating from almost 400 reviews. Armstrong recently published a book called Healing Through the Vagus Nerve, and the podcast episodes often expand on concepts from that work. Each episode is solo-hosted and educational, running about 20-30 minutes with clear, actionable takeaways. She covers seasonal depression, compassion fatigue, trauma responses, and practical somatic exercises you can do during a panic attack or depressive spiral. The research backing is solid without being overwhelming. Armstrong also runs a coaching program called RESTORE and a membership community, so occasional episodes do mention those, but the free content stands on its own. What listeners seem to appreciate most is how body-focused the advice is. If you have tried talk therapy and journaling and still feel stuck, the nervous system angle might click where other approaches have not. The weekly release schedule means fresh content is always coming, and the back catalog is organized well enough to find episodes on specific topics.

Paul Gilmartin has been hosting this show since 2011, making it one of the longest-running mental health podcasts around. A former stand-up comedian, Gilmartin creates what he calls a perversely safe place for guests to unload about their fears, addictions, trauma, and depressive episodes. With nearly 700 episodes and 5,800 ratings at 4.8 stars, the show has built a loyal following. The NY Times, Esquire, Slate, and Oprah Magazine have all named it a top health podcast, and Psychology Today called it remarkable. The format is straightforward -- long-form interviews, usually running an hour or more, where guests go deep into their experiences with depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, addiction, grief, and more. Gilmartin is not a therapist, and he is upfront about that. He is someone who has been through it himself and knows how to hold space for difficult conversations without making them feel performative. The show skews raw and honest. Guests talk about self-harm, suicidal thoughts, childhood abuse, and codependency in ways that feel unscripted and real. Some episodes are genuinely hard to listen to, but that unflinching honesty is exactly what draws people in. It is rated explicit for good reason. If polished, upbeat wellness content leaves you cold, this podcast meets you where you actually are.

Running since 2017 with nearly 500 episodes, Giving Voice to Depression combines lived experience stories with expert clinical insight in a way that feels balanced and grounding. Host Terry McGuire speaks from personal experience with depression, and her sister Bridget Shore served as co-host for earlier seasons. Dr. Anita Sanz, a psychologist and board member at Recovery.com, provides the professional perspective. Episodes typically run 18-28 minutes, which makes them easy to fit into a lunch break or commute. The format alternates between personal recovery narratives from everyday people and discussions of evidence-based strategies like EFT tapping, medication management, and therapy approaches. The show covers ground that bigger mental health podcasts sometimes skip -- childhood depression warning signs, navigating the holidays when you are depressed, supporting a partner through a depressive episode, and the intersection of physical illness and depression. The biweekly release schedule means the catalog grows steadily without overwhelming your feed. With a 4.6-star rating from 164 reviews, the audience is smaller but deeply engaged. Listener reviews consistently mention feeling less alone after listening. The tone is warm and supportive without being syrupy, and the episodes on family cycles of depression are particularly strong. A solid pick if you want something focused specifically on depression rather than general mental health.

Dr. Laurie Santos teaches Yale's most popular course ever -- "The Science of Well-Being" -- and this podcast is essentially an extension of that class, minus the tuition. Each weekly episode runs 30 to 47 minutes, which makes it perfect for a commute or lunch break. Santos takes psychological research that might otherwise gather dust in academic journals and turns it into stories about real people making real changes. She will explain why your brain is terrible at predicting what will make you happy, then offer evidence-backed alternatives that actually move the needle. The show has 271 episodes, a 4.7 rating from nearly 14,000 reviews, and a Pushkin Industries production quality that keeps the pacing tight. Recent episodes have covered the science of dating, what makes people feel genuinely loved, and how to navigate major life transitions without spiraling. Santos interviews everyone from behavioral economists to relationship researchers, and she has a warm interviewing style that brings out surprisingly personal moments from her guests. One thing to know: the ad breaks can feel frequent, though a Pushkin+ subscription removes them. But the content between those breaks is consistently sharp. If you have ever wondered why buying that thing did not make you as happy as you expected, Santos has the research to explain it -- and the practical suggestions to point you somewhere better.

Emma McAdam is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who built a massive YouTube following by explaining mental health concepts in plain language. Her podcast carries that same approach -- condensing therapy skills and psychological research into digestible episodes that typically run 15-45 minutes. The show has 278 episodes and a 4.8-star rating from 572 reviews, with an overwhelming majority being five-star. McAdam pulls from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, systems theory, positive psychology, and the biopsychosocial model, which means you get a wider lens than shows that only teach CBT. Recent episodes have featured heavy hitters like IFS founder Dick Schwartz and various psychiatrists and meditation researchers. The depression-specific episodes break down concepts like learned helplessness, anhedonia, and the relationship between inflammation and mood in ways that a general audience can actually use. McAdam has this calm, clear delivery that feels like talking to a really smart friend who happens to have clinical training. She avoids jargon without dumbing things down. The show also covers anxiety, ADHD, trauma, emotional regulation, and relationship dynamics, so it works well as a general mental health resource alongside depression-specific content. The biweekly release schedule keeps things manageable. Her episode on the difference between sadness and depression is a great starting point if you are new to the show.

Jaycob Danielson started this podcast with a simple mission: destroy the stigma around mental health and normalize asking for help. With 276 episodes and a 4.9-star rating, the show has found a dedicated audience that responds to his authentic, no-nonsense style. Episodes are short, usually 5-15 minutes, which makes them perfect for those mornings when getting out of bed feels like a monumental task. Danielson speaks from personal experience with mental health struggles, and his approach is motivational without being preachy. Topics range from grief and loss to self-care, kindness, dealing with setbacks, and finding small sparks of positivity during dark stretches. He also maintains an active presence on Twitch, Instagram, and TikTok, building a community around mental health awareness. The production is straightforward -- no fancy sound design or guest interviews, just Danielson talking directly to you like a supportive friend checking in. Some episodes function as brief pep talks while others go deeper into specific mental health challenges. Every episode description includes crisis resources, which shows real care for the audience. The show updates roughly bimonthly. If you want a quick, encouraging voice in your earbuds that treats depression as something to actively fight rather than passively endure, Danielson delivers consistently. His tagline says it all: asking for help is strong.

Dr. Daniel Amen is a psychiatrist and brain imaging specialist who has built his career around the idea that you can literally see mental health problems on brain scans and then fix them. He and his wife Tana co-host this weekly show, which has racked up 966 episodes and nearly 2,000 ratings at 4.7 stars. The podcast covers anxiety, depression, ADHD, memory loss, addiction, and brain health broadly. Amen brings a biological perspective to depression that many other shows skip entirely. He talks about SPECT brain imaging, the role of omega-3 fatty acids, blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, gut-brain connections, and how physical health directly impacts mood. Recent guests have included neurosurgeon Dr. Lee Warren and motivational author Mel Robbins. The format mixes solo episodes where Amen teaches a concept with interview episodes featuring researchers and health experts. Tana adds a wellness and nutrition angle. Some listeners note that she occasionally interrupts guests, which can be a minor annoyance. The show leans toward a brain-health-as-lifestyle approach, so expect advice about diet, supplements, exercise, and sleep alongside more traditional mental health content. Amen is a New York Times bestselling author multiple times over, and his clinical experience spans decades. If you respond better to biological explanations of why you feel the way you do rather than purely psychological frameworks, this show speaks your language.

Dr. Margaret Robinson Rutherford has been a practicing psychologist for over 30 years, and she brings every bit of that experience to this podcast. With 535 episodes, nearly 5 million downloads, and a 4.8-star rating from over 1,100 reviews, the show ranks in the top 0.5% of mental health podcasts internationally. She coined the concept of Perfectly Hidden Depression -- the idea that some people hide their depression so well that even therapists miss it -- and wrote a book on the subject. That framework alone makes this show valuable for anyone who functions well on the outside while falling apart internally. Episodes run 20-40 minutes and alternate between solo discussions where Dr. Margaret addresses listener questions and interviews with authors and fellow psychologists. Her style is conversational and direct. She explains clinical concepts without talking down to you, and her decades of practice mean the advice comes with real-world nuance rather than textbook generalities. Topics include depression, PTSD, anxiety, self-criticism, grief, perfectionism, and family dynamics. The listener question episodes are particularly good because the scenarios are so relatable -- people writing in about their specific situations and getting thoughtful, specific responses. The show updates weekly. If you have ever thought your depression does not count because you still manage to show up for work and smile at people, Dr. Margaret is speaking directly to you.

Robert Duff is a neuropsychologist who describes himself as talented at breaking down complex science into digestible information, and honestly, that is a fair self-assessment. With 448 episodes and 961 ratings at 4.5 stars, the Hardcore Self-Help Podcast has been a steady presence in the mental health podcast space for years. The format alternates between interview episodes with therapists, scholars, and other experts, and solo Q&A episodes where Duff answers listener questions directly. He covers a wide range of topics beyond depression -- schizophrenia, OCD, bipolar disorder, dating anxiety, family communication breakdowns, workplace stress -- but the depression episodes are particularly strong because of his neuropsychology background. He can explain what is happening in your brain during a depressive episode in a way that is both scientifically accurate and actually helpful. The tone is casual and occasionally irreverent, which is right there in the name. Duff does not put on a clinical voice or talk at you from behind a desk. It feels more like getting advice from a friend who happens to have a doctorate in how brains work. Episodes are rated explicit, so expect some colorful language mixed in with the clinical insight. The weekly release schedule means there is always something new, and the massive back catalog is well worth exploring by topic. Good entry point for younger listeners who find traditional therapy podcasts stuffy.

Immanuel Jones lives with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, and he started this podcast to prove that depression does not have to stop you from building a meaningful life. With 81 episodes and a perfect 5.0-star rating from 36 reviews, the show has a small but deeply appreciative audience. Jones works as a mental health advocate and speaker, and his podcast is an extension of that mission -- specifically focused on suicide prevention awareness and reducing stigma around depression. The format is solo and conversational, with Jones sharing personal reflections on topics like self-doubt, numbness, the pressure to fit in, and what it actually feels like to push through a bad mental health day. Episodes range from very short (1-2 minutes) to around 25 minutes, with most landing in the 5-12 minute range. This makes the show perfect for when you need a quick check-in rather than a deep hour-long conversation. There are no guest interviews or clinical experts -- just one person being honest about his ongoing experience with depression. That simplicity is the appeal. Jones talks to you like someone who genuinely understands what you are going through because he is going through it too. The show ran actively from 2018 to 2024. If you connect with personal stories over professional advice, and especially if you want to hear from someone who is managing depression rather than looking back on it from the other side, this podcast delivers something authentic and unpretentious.

Tamera C. Trotter hosts this weekly podcast with an approach that blends practical mental health strategies with faith-based encouragement. Across 176 episodes, she covers depression, anxiety, mindfulness, self-care, resilience, and the specific challenges of navigating mental health during difficult seasons like holidays or periods of grief. Episodes drop every Friday and run 7-24 minutes, keeping things focused and manageable. The show carries a perfect 5.0-star rating, though from a small review base of 4 ratings. Trotter brings a warm, empathetic delivery that listeners describe as feeling like a supportive friend rather than a lecturer. She talks about finding your identity beyond mental illness, taking small steps when recovery feels overwhelming, and building commitment to wellness as an ongoing practice rather than a one-time fix. The faith-based perspective shows up naturally in the conversation without dominating it, so the show works for both religious and secular listeners looking for encouragement. Topics like caregiving burnout, self-worth during depression, and breaking the stigma of asking for help come up regularly. The format is primarily solo with occasional expert guidance woven in. If you are looking for a shorter podcast that meets you with compassion every week and helps you take one more step forward, this show delivers that reliably. The community-building aspect -- Trotter genuinely trying to foster connection among listeners dealing with depression -- gives it a personal touch that bigger shows sometimes lack.

Four mental health experts team up on this podcast to cover the brain science behind emotional struggles. Dr. Daniel Binus, Dr. Kdee Crews, Amanda Anguish, and Jonathan Edens rotate hosting duties, which gives each episode a slightly different flavor depending on who is at the mic. With 126 episodes and a 4.8-star rating from 49 reviews, the show has carved out a niche for listeners who want clinical depth without losing accessibility. The rotating host format means topics get examined from multiple professional perspectives -- a psychiatrist might approach anxiety differently than a therapist or counselor, and hearing those different angles in the same podcast feed is genuinely useful. Episodes cover depression, shame, fear, self-worth, trauma recovery, sleep and longevity, and even the mental health effects of cannabis use. The discussions between host pairs feel like overhearing a conversation between two clinicians who genuinely enjoy nerding out about how brains work. Guest expert interviews add further depth, with recent episodes featuring conversations with medical specialists on various wellness topics. The show comes from Beautiful Minds Wellness, so there is occasionally a wellness-center flavor to the content, but the clinical grounding keeps it credible. Weekly updates mean consistent new material. If you want your depression podcast to come with actual brain science and multiple expert perspectives rather than a single host sharing opinions, this is a strong choice.