421 episodes listed below
Short reflections from the emotional sobriety gym.
Michael Stoller turns personal struggle into compact reflections on emotional sobriety, often beginning with a morning thought, a book passage, or a memory that will not leave him alone. The result is intimate mental-health audio built around self-honesty, spiritual practice, and the work of staying present.
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Michael Stoller’s show is built around the unfinished work of emotional sobriety. It is personal, compact, and often recorded because a thought, reading, prayer, or memory has become too strong to ignore. The episodes do not present recovery as a clean arc. They circle relapse, recommitment, depression, bipolar, addiction, anxiety, family history, grief, and spiritual dependence with the feeling of someone checking his own condition in real time. Some entries begin quietly, with coffee, a brown reclining chair, Lola in his lap, and a book that calls for another look. Others open with a hard admission about not wanting the day to begin. The show’s central discipline is action. Stoller returns to the idea of the emotional sobriety gym, a daily practice where steadiness is trained through repetition, humility, and effort. He also uses books as pressure points. Callings leads into authenticity and the need for less force. Life in Three Dimensions raises a question about happiness, meaning, and psychological richness that lingers beyond the episode premise. His reflections on therapy are especially concrete. He talks about working with teenage boys and middle-aged men, about romantic need replacing inner grounding, and about learning that presence can sometimes matter more than advice. Grief gives the show some of its gentlest moments. A memory of John Staub becomes a practice of sending audio messages to Taryn and asking others what can be done for them today. Faith is woven through the series as a lived reference point rather than a decorative theme. Parenting, marriage, anger toward family, and old dependency patterns all appear as material for self-examination. The show is not slick. Its value comes from its immediacy, its willingness to name uncomfortable states cleanly, and its insistence that emotional sobriety is maintained one honest day at a time.
Made for: For listeners drawn to recovery, therapy, spirituality, and candid mental-health reflection from someone still practicing the work. It will especially suit people who prefer brief, personal episodes over polished expert panels.
What sets it apart: The show’s strength is its unvarnished first-source perspective: Michael Stoller connects recovery language, therapy work, faith, books, grief, and daily habits without pretending the struggle is over. Its episodes feel like verbal journaling with a clear emotional discipline behind it.
All my podcast will be short-never more than 15 minutes. I will be talking about my own personal experiences on topics such as depression, anxiety, spirituality, emotional sobriety, parenting, and marriage to name a few. I think that the only thing that is truly unique to me is my personal journey and my personal story. My vision is that as you listen to my experiences and struggles, you will find value for yourself.
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A blunt, useful case for naming the traits that keep intimacy and change out of reach.
Michael Stoller frames emotional sobriety as the discipline of naming what he sees in himself: selfishness, greed, lust, hate, resentment, laziness, and impatience.
Jonquilyn Hill chases one listener question per episode to the experts who can answer it.
Three hosts and psychologist Dr Emily talk vulnerability, therapy, and imperfection with guests.
Fearne Cotton interviews guests like Boy George and Bryony Gordon about mental health and identity.
Dr. Joy Harden Bradford pairs therapy insight with Black TV recaps, maternal health, and history.
Michael Stoller reflects on the question 'What would you preach about if given an hour of prime time?' from the book 'Callings' by Greg Lavoie.
The host returns to his podcast after previously claiming to end it, discussing Oprah Winfrey's significant impact on his life.
The host shares a personal story about rowing 4000 meters while listening to a podcast, then reflects on the recent death of a close friend and the eulogy he gave.
Michael reflects on his late friend John Staub and shares a tradition of sending audio memories to John's wife, highlighting a recent mock trial success of John's daughter.
The host discusses recommitting to daily actions for emotional sobriety after relapses, inspired by his own past episode on the Steichmuller Mentality.
A reflective monologue on embracing life as it is, finding peace through inner growth, and letting go of resistance to change.
The host discusses the differences between a happy, meaningful, and psychologically rich life after reading a book recommended by his therapist.
Michael Stoller’s #351 episode challenges Joe Dispenza’s claim that changing thoughts and repeating exercises can produce lasting behavioral change.
Michael Stoller recounts a Disneyland trip with 18 family members, a phone call from his depressed friend John, and his decision to listen rather than offer solutions.
Michael Stoller uses his morning routine, verbal journaling, and reading Greg LaVoy's Callings, Finding and Following an Authentic Life to examine why people resist the experiences they say they want.
Michael Stoller discusses his intention to start reading again and shares insights from the book 'Callings' by Greg Lavoie.
Michael Stoller uses 3,000 daily affirmations to counter decades of self-criticism beginning at age six.
Therapist Michael Stoller discusses how romantic relationships often replace therapy for men, leading to a dependency that hinders personal growth and spiritual connection.
Michael Stoller shares his struggle with morning motivation and vulnerability, questioning his readiness for a tour while advocating for emotional honesty.
Michael Stoller discusses the difference between wanting, needing, and being desperate for change, using a recent sponsorship call as an example.