Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel

Esther Perel is one of the most recognized therapists in the world, and this podcast gives you a front-row seat to actual therapy sessions. Each episode features a real couple or individual sitting down with Perel for a single session, and you get to listen as they work through breakups, open relationships, family fractures, and workplace conflicts. The sessions are edited for time and anonymity, but they retain the raw emotional texture that makes therapy so powerful to witness. What makes this show remarkable is Perel's ability to cut through a person's narrative and find the core tension underneath. She doesn't just nod along. She challenges, reframes, and sometimes says the uncomfortable thing that nobody in the room wants to hear. Her accent, her timing, her directness all contribute to a listening experience that feels genuinely intimate. With 189 episodes and a 4.7 star rating from over 14,000 reviews, this is one of the most popular therapy podcasts ever produced. The show is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network and drops new episodes every Monday. There's also a subscription tier called Esther's Office Hours that includes behind-the-scenes analysis of sessions. Some long-time listeners prefer the earlier couples-focused episodes over newer ones that feature individual callers, but the quality of Perel's work remains consistently high across the catalog. If you've ever wondered what actually happens behind the closed door of a therapist's office, this is as close as you'll get without being in the room.