After a brief hiatus, the podcast is back with a psychodynamic analysis of the Barbie movie! At the time this episode will be going live, it will be right around the one-year anniversary of when the Barbie movie premiered in the US, which was July 21st, 2023. Tune in to hear this psychologist’s analysis of the Barbie Movie. It might not be what you…

If you are someone who enjoys making commitments to becoming a better version of yourself in sync with the Gregorian calendar, then this episode, which is all about taking a Compassionate Approach to New Year’s Resolutions, might be just what you need to hear this time of year. If you would like to get your free copy of Ground to Set Them, Motivate…

Earlier this holiday season, I had the distinct honor of interviewing 12 compassionate women, all thought leaders with a background in psychology or mental health on how they see stress impact the women they serve over the holidays. Plus, I was sure to ask about all of their self-help tips for navigating the many different forms that holiday stress…

On this milestone episode (the first show since we turned 1 year old!) the podcast brings you our first guest expert interview. We are honored to be joined by Dr. Sierra Trainor, a licensed psychologist in the state of Florida who also provides tele-psychology in PsyPact participating states. She specializes in pet grief and loss and will be sharin…

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, a holiday all about giving thanks, the PsycHope Self-Help podcast wants you to know there are some impressive psychological and other health benefits connected to feeling grateful and expressing our appreciation to others. Tune in to our latest episode to hear highlights on the science of gratitude plus gets some hel…

On this episode, the podcast wraps up our in-depth exploration of one of the biggest stressors for women: work stress. This focus on work stress concludes with a journey down the final path through work stress, the Harmony Path. Women on the Harmony Path can experience any combination of struggles from the first three paths. The essence of stress r…

On this episode, Dr. McManus guides your journey down the Spirit Path by highlighting key struggles of work stress for this path. The journey concludes by reviewing two stress relief tools that harness the power of connection to help reduce the negative impact work stress can have on us. Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find your best pa…

On this episode, Dr. McManus guides your journey down the Body Path by highlighting key struggles of work stress for this path. The journey concludes by reviewing two stress relief tools that use abilities already within our bodies to comfort and soothe the negative impact work stress can have on us. Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find…

On this episode, the podcast gives some background on the latest self-help resource created by Dr. Jennifer McManus: The Your Path Through Work Stress online quiz. Dr. McManus explains how this quiz is based on psychological research on stress symptoms and stress management techniques. The Mind, Body, Spirit framework that was used to conceptualize…

The PsycHope Self-Help podcast is back after a summer hiatus. It's that time of year again when we're back in full swing at work. With this mind, the podcast highlights the negative impact work stress can have on our mental health and physical health. Scientifically supported techniques that can help with managing work stress are also discussed. Yo…

As we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month, the podcast highlights a mental health concern unique to women: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD. In this episode, we raise awareness for PMDD by exploring the continuum of menstrual cycle symptoms, from regular menstrual symptoms to premenstrual syndrome (or PMS) to PMDD. We chose a continuum ap…

Have you ever wondered why some people are more likely to develop a mental illness or have mental health problems than others? If so, then this episode is for you! The podcast explores the Diathesis Stress Model, which provides a framework for understanding the connection between stress and mental illness. Ideas for stress management are also provi…

Wrap up Stress Awareness month by diving into how stressful life events are measured in psychological research studies and learn which stressors are in the top 10. You can find a copy of The Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory PDF right here on the American Institute of Stress website. Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find your best path throug…

This episode explores two of the top challenges for which women engage in self-help practices: stress and anxiety. Special attention is given to why it is so hard to tell the difference between stress and anxiety. Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find your best path through work stress? You can find the quiz right here: Take the Quiz. Yo…

Given the PsycHope Self-Help podcast is a space for women, this episode explores the importance of International Women’s Day to women’s mental health. International Women's Day occurs on March 8th each year. This year's theme is embrace equity. You can learn more about this day of celebrating women and accelerating gender parity on the Internationa…

Today the podcast brings you a quick episode on the self-help approach of thought work as inspired by cognitive behavioral therapy. Access the CBT infographics: Instagram Facebook Resources on CBT: Beck Institute Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find your best path through work stress? You can find the quiz right here: Take the Quiz. You…

This week, the podcast reviews the healing power of self-compassion and offers a few practical ideas of how to integrate self-compassion into our own lives as self-help approaches. Try the Guided Mindfulness Meditation, Reflecting on Self-Compassion, that was created to accompany this episode. References Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being K…

In the spirit of the focus on love that dominates the month of February, the podcast explores the psychology of compassion. This episode provides an introduction to the psychology of compassion and includes findings from relevant and classic psychological research studies. A quick overview of Compassion Focused Therapy is provided and some seeds of…

This week, the podcast explores how mindfulness can be beneficial in terms of helping us manage stress and anxiety. Key findings from the scientific research on mindfulness are reviewed. And in the second half of the episode, Dr. McManus shares some ideas of how to use mindfulness as a self-help intervention for stress and anxiety in our own lives.…

This week the podcast takes a deep dive into the psychological benefits of physical exercise. Special attention is given to the positive impact of exercise on reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Suggestions on how to apply the research findings on the psychological benefits of exercise as a self-help intervention in one’s own life are also of…

This week, the podcast offers another foundational episode for the overall vision of this relatively new podcast. The PsycHope Self Help podcast is a space where psychology illuminates paths to healing, hope, and personal growth. On this episode, clarification is provided on how psychology lights the way down these paths for us. What makes psycholo…

In this episode, 14 psychology tips are offered to help you stay motivated for and make progress on your New Year’s Resolutions or personal goals any time of the year. We'll explore the following tips: 1. Start with how you set them 2. Put them in writing 3. Start when ready 4. Social support 5. Accountability 6. Friendly competition 7. The value o…

In this episode, the podcast turns our attention to the New Year and New Year’s resolutions. Dr. Jennifer McManus offers some strategies for positioning yourself for success when setting your New Year’s Resolutions for the coming year. While the theme for the episode is New Year’s Resolutions, the approaches can be applied to personal goals any tim…

On the 12th day of holiday stress relief, we’re highlighting how social support can help during what can be a challenging time of year. Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find your best path through work stress? You can find the quiz right here: Take the Quiz. You can find self-help resources like mindfulness meditations and other stress r…

On the 11th day of holiday stress relief, we’re going to explore a few strategies to help us navigate the stress involved with difficult family dynamics. Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find your best path through work stress? You can find the quiz right here: Take the Quiz. You can find self-help resources like mindfulness meditations …

Join the podcast for daily quick tip episodes with 12 days of Holiday Stress relief. On the 10th day of Holiday Stress relief, the podcast switches things up a bit. So far, we’ve been focusing on a specific stress relief strategy for each day. On this episode, however, the podcast concentrates on a specific challenge – that of heightened stress aro…

Many people struggle to cope with heightened stress during the holiday season. Some people will be so busy they never slow down to fully experience the current moment. So, on the 9th day of Holiday Stress relief, we consider how practicing mindfulness, which is all about being in the current moment, can help us cope with holiday stress. The holiday…

On the 8th day of Holiday Stress relief this self-help podcaster brings you the gift of calming breathing for managing holiday stress. It's one of my favorite relaxation strategies! The calming breathing exercise video can be found here: Peace on Earth. Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find your best path through work stress? You can fin…

On the 7th day of Holiday Stress relief, the quick tip is to recognize your strengths and draw on them. Here is the link to the character's strengths survey: Survey Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find your best path through work stress? You can find the quiz right here: Take the Quiz. You can find self-help resources like mindfulness m…

On the 6th day of holiday stress relief, the podcast turns its attention to how physical exercise and our diet choices can help with holiday stress. Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find your best path through work stress? You can find the quiz right here: Take the Quiz. You can find self-help resources like mindfulness meditations and o…

On the 5th day of holiday Stress relief, I want to remind you of the importance of self-care. During a time of year when we’re so focused on the happiness of others—whether that’s by getting a meaningful gift or hosting a memorable event—it’s so easy to let our self-care go to the bottom of our list of priorities. The value of self-care for stress …

It’s the 12 days of holiday stress relief around here. And, on the 4th day of holiday stress relief, the focus is on making sure we’re getting enough sleep. The importance of sleep for stress reduction is explored and helpful tips for improving sleep this holiday season are provided. Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find your best path t…

On the 3rd day of holiday stress relief, we turn to the benefits of gratitude. Even though the famous holiday for thankfulness has already passed, I’ll be sharing some findings from psychological research on gratitude that just may encourage you to draw on the power of gratitude during the rest of the holiday season, and maybe even all year round. …

On the second day of holiday stress relief, we’ll explore the value of time management and organization strategies to help with holiday stress. Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find your best path through work stress? You can find the quiz right here: Take the Quiz. You can find self-help resources like mindfulness meditations and other …

Let's kick off the 12 Days of Holiday Stress Relief series! Each day we will explore a different approach to managing holiday stress. The first day is all about setting reasonable expectations for the holiday season. Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find your best path through work stress? You can find the quiz right here: Take the Quiz.…

On this episode, you'll get an overview of some practices that can really set you up for success on your healing journey. You will hear about daily commitments that individual women can make towards prioritizing their own emotional well-being. Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find your best path through work stress? You can find the quiz…

This episode explains why this podcast focuses exclusively on self-help for women. Mental health challenges and complexities experienced by women are explored along with ways to prioritize the emotional well-being of women. Suicide Prevention and Survivor Resources Hope may be in the form of the confidential support that is always available (24/7) …

This is the very first episode of the PsycHope Self-Help Podcast: a space for women where psychology illuminates paths to healing, hope, and personal growth. Your host is Dr. Jennifer McManus, a clinical psychologist. In this episode, you will learn about the host’s professional background and qualifications to host a podcast on psychology informed…