It’s easy to feel alone, especially during the troubling times of the current state of the world. Through the process of growing up and trying to figure out who you are, teenagers can often find themselves feeling isolated in their struggles. 

Along with being entertaining, I’ve found that the podcast Teenager Therapy efficiently touches on these issues in a way that gives advice to those struggling along with personal anecdotes to allow the audience to feel a sense of connection. Run by five high school students –  Gael, Kayla, Isaac, Mark, and Thomas – the podcast allows adolescents to hear about these topics from someone their age instead of a parent or teacher. 

This podcast definitely lives up to its slogan, “Teenager Therapy: Because We Have Problems Too,” in that it discusses a wide array of relevant topics from sexuality to mental health to toxic friends to homelessness and more. Teenager Therapy focuses a lot on self-esteem and body image, an important issue especially in today’s climate of social media. These more serious episodes are also a positive resource for those struggling with an issue but not wanting to open up to friends. 

For example, one instance of these heavier topics can be found in their podcast episode entitled “Depression/Struggles with Mental Health.” This episode discusses the hosts’ personal mental health struggles and reaching out. They describe how mental health can impact one’s life. At one point, Thomas discusses his struggle with depression, saying, “when people suffer with depression, they don’t think it’ll ever get better for them, and they just don’t have a sense of hope or a motivation to get better because they don’t think they will, and at the time, I felt that way.” He went on to discuss things getting better, making this aspect of the episode uplifting and could possibly give some struggling faith in the light at the end of the tunnel.

This way, one could still get advice on issues such as coming out or depression without the fear of vulnerability that often comes with talking about these subjects with those close to you. 

Along with discussing deeper issues, Teenager Therapy also has more light-hearted episodes. Sometimes these episodes discuss lighter topics such as Tik Tok or dating. In other instances, the podcast hosts discuss their day-to-day lives or whatever comes to mind – “Coffee Shop Talk” as they’ve labeled it. These episodes are great to listen to after a hard day or a distraction from stress. They’re also good to listen to during long car rides. 

I think this podcast is especially valuable right now. With the stay-at-home orders and social distancing experienced worldwide, many are likely growing restless stuck inside. Teenager Therapy has released a few episodes discussing COVID-19 and the precautions being taken, as well as how they are dealing with the pandemic. These episodes are a great way to hear others’ perspectives on the state of the world as well as being able to feel more united with others while staying home. 

As someone who sometimes struggles to get into podcasts, I found myself hooked on this one. The hosts made the podcast incredibly enjoyable to listen to because it’s apparent to them it’s not just a podcast. Each episode is filled with compassion and the hosts clearly care for one another. This makes the podcast all the more enjoyable because it contains depth and emotion, not just the mere discussion of issues. 

Teenager Therapy has something for everyone. It has a wide range of both heavy and lighter topics, covering a lot of ground in subjects one might find interesting.