She Persisted

Sadie Sutton started She Persisted when she was a teenager who had just come out of a year-long residential treatment program for depression and anxiety. That background shapes everything about the show. She knows what it feels like to sit in a therapist's office for the first time, to take medication and worry about side effects, to explain to friends why you missed three weeks of school. Now in her twenties and studying psychology at Penn, she brings on clinicians, researchers, and other young people who have walked through hard mental health stuff and come out the other side. Episodes tackle specific topics: how CBT actually works in practice, what to expect from intensive outpatient programs, the difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack, how to tell your parents you need help. The guest list is packed with therapists who specialize in adolescents, so the advice is grounded and practical rather than vague. What makes the show work for teenagers is the tone. Sadie doesn't talk down, doesn't pretend she has it all figured out, and doesn't package recovery as a cute journey. She asks the questions a 16-year-old would actually ask, and her guests answer them like they're talking to a smart peer. For teens navigating their own mental health, or just curious about how this stuff works, it's one of the most honest resources around.