Giving Voice to Depression: Real Stories & Expert Support for Depression and Mental Health

What does depression actually feel like from the inside?

In this candid conversation, Terry McGuire shares the origin story behind the Giving Voice to Depression podcast — and opens up about her own experience with major depression, antidepressants, intrusive thoughts, and the isolating voice of the illness.

She describes how depression “talks in your own voice,” how it infiltrates your thinking before you realize what’s happening, a...

What if the “sad kid” in school wasn’t just sensitive — but struggling with depression?

In this powerful episode of Giving Voice to Depression, Sally looks back at her childhood and teenage years and recognizes signs of depression that were misunderstood or overlooked. Excessive sleeping. Dark poetry. Persistent sadness. Thoughts about suicide. A lonely letter written at age ten.

At the time, mental health education was limited. Her ...

When Kathleen’s life fell apart near age 50 after a traumatic family event, she found herself battling severe depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts. After years of therapy and treatment-resistant depression, a turning point came through an unexpected source — crocheting tiny hearts.

In this episode of Giving Voice to Depression, Kathleen shares how creating and distributing these handmade hearts evolved into The Little He...

When depression runs in families, so can silence.

In this deeply personal episode, Giving Voice to Depression listener Alexander shares his journey from hiding his pain to opening up about it — and helping his family do the same.

After years of quietly managing chronic illness, anxiety, and depression, Alexander realized he couldn’t keep pretending he was “fine.” What began as a search for understanding led him to Giving Voice t...

When depression takes hold, even the smallest tasks — doing the dishes, making your bed, sending a text — can feel insurmountable. In this honest and compassionate conversation, writer Molly Bacchus joins host Terry McGuire to talk about what she calls “The Impossible Task.”

Molly’s viral description of this experience gave language to something millions silently endure: the crushing paralysis of depression that turns simple respons...

In this inspiring episode of Giving Voice to Depression, wellness expert and author Darin Olien — co-host of Netflix’s Down to Earth with Zac Efron — opens up about his personal experiences with depression and shares how physical and mental health are deeply connected.

Olien, known for his best-selling books SuperLife and Fatal Conveniences, discusses how diet, hydration, sleep, trauma, and emotional awareness play crucial roles in ...

In part two of his conversation with Giving Voice to Depression, musician, author, and activist Andre Henry continues sharing how creativity, self-compassion, and community have helped him survive depression and suicidal thoughts.

Following his song “Make It to Tomorrow”, Andre walks listeners through the tools that keep him grounded — self-hugs, breathing exercises, and reframing shame into self-acceptance. He explains how therapy ...

When everything feels unbearable, how do you keep going?
 In this deeply moving conversation, musician and author Andre Henry shares how writing his song “Make It To Tomorrow” helped him survive one of his darkest moments.

Growing up in the Black community, Andre faced the silence and stigma surrounding mental health. Through his art, he began to name his pain — transforming suicidal thoughts into words and melodies that resonat...

A new year often brings the pressure to reinvent ourselves — to lose weight, quit bad habits, or be more productive. But what if this year, your most important resolution was simply to take better care of your mental health?

In this insightful Giving Voice to Depression episode, psychologist and author Dr. Margaret Rutherford joins Terry McGuire and Bridget to talk about setting mental health resolutions that actually help — ones ro...

The holidays can be painful for anyone carrying grief, loss, or depression — especially in a world that insists on constant cheer.
 In this special annual episode of Giving Voice to Depression, author John Pavlovitz reads his essay “To Those Who Struggle This Christmas” — a heartfelt message to anyone who feels broken, lonely, or unseen this time of year.

His compassionate words acknowledge every kind of pain that the season can...

The holiday season can bring warmth, connection, and joy — but it can also trigger deep stress, loneliness, and depression. In this insightful conversation, Dr. Anita Sanz, psychologist and board member for Giving Voice to Depression, joins hosts Terry McGuire and Bridget to talk about how to navigate the holidays with compassion and balance.

Using a surprising lens — Ebenezer Scrooge — Dr. Sanz explores how grief, loss, and unreali...

In this special episode of Giving Voice to Depression, hosts Terry McGuire and her sister and former co-host Bridget Shore introduce a simple, science-backed tool that anyone can use to calm their nervous system and ease symptoms of depression or anxiety — EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), also known as tapping.

They’re joined by Brad Yates, one of the world’s most recognized EFT practitioners, who guides listeners through a powerf...

The holidays are marketed as “the most wonderful time of the year,” but for millions struggling with depression, anxiety, and burnout, the season can feel more overwhelming than joyful.

In this special Giving Voice to Depression episode, Terry McGuire and Dr. Anita Sanz discuss how to manage emotional overload and protect your mental health amid unrealistic expectations, family pressures, and financial strain.

Dr. Sanz shares compass...

The holidays are often portrayed as a time of joy, connection, and celebration—but for many living with depression or grief, this season can feel unbearably heavy.

In this episode of Giving Voice to Depression, host Terry McGuire and psychologist Dr. Anita Sanz speak with grief expert Krista St-Germain about how to navigate the emotional complexities of the holiday season when you’re struggling with loss, sadness, or mental exhausti...

Michelle is a mom living with depression, anxiety, and ADHD — and raising children diagnosed with OCD, ADHD, and DMDD. In this candid and compassionate episode, she describes how she juggles emotional overwhelm, fights toxic productivity, and clings to small moments of self-care. You’ll hear real strategies from her therapy sessions, how she recognizes early signs of a crash, and why talking to yourself with kindness matters. If yo...

In this deeply moving episode of Giving Voice to Depression, Cara from Belfast, Northern Ireland, opens up about her journey through years of darkness — from living with untreated depression as a teen to finally finding validation, healing, and light through therapy.

Cara describes depression not as constant sadness but as a suffocating grayness — a loss of color, motivation, and meaning. After multiple suicide attempts and years of...

After years of living with depression — through countless ups, downs, and failed treatment attempts — Caryn finally found light again. In this episode of Giving Voice to Depression, she opens up for the first time about what it’s like to live with treatment-resistant depression, the exhaustion of constantly “trying,” and the unexpected relief that came when she finally found the right therapist and medication.

Caryn describes how de...

This episode of Giving Voice to Depression features  licensed therapist Carolina Bracco and a candid conversation about the profound, long-term effects of growing up with emotionally immature or overly critical parents. 

Co-hosts Terry McGuire and Carly McCollow explore this often-overlooked area of childhood experience, highlighting how these parental patterns can contribute to depression and shape an adult's life, relationshi...

Depression in older adults is one of the most under-discussed — and most misunderstood — mental health challenges today. In this moving episode of Giving Voice to Depression, 93-year-old Mary shares what it’s like to experience depression in later life — when most of her peers have passed away, her body feels unfamiliar, and her generation still believes that “you just don’t talk about those things.”

Mary’s story challenges stereoty...