Ep. 64 - Dr. Corey Keyes on Languishing, Flourishing, and the Mental Health Continuum: Redefining What It Means to Be Mentally Well

In this powerful conversation, host Diana S. Rice, LMHC, CIMHP, sits down with renowned sociologist and author Dr. Corey Keyes — the pioneer who coined the term languishing. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the fog between burnout and depression but weren’t sure how to name it, this episode is a must-listen.

Dr. Keyes unpacks the groundbreaking Mental Health Continuum model and the five daily “vitamins” of flourishing — evidence-based habits that promote resilience, emotional healing, and a renewed sense of purpose. Diana and Dr. Keyes dive into the role of spirituality, social connection, and play in long-term mental wellness and why traditional models of therapy may stop short at symptom relief without addressing the deeper need for human flourishing.

This isn’t just a conversation. It’s a call to reclaim your sense of aliveness.

 Topics We Cover:

• What is languishing, and why is it often mistaken for depression?

• The origin story behind Dr. Keyes’ research and his own trauma recovery

• The difference between mental illness and the absence of mental health

• The 5 “mental health vitamins” that support healing and growth

• Why spirituality, play, and helping others are essential—not extra

• How sociological frameworks reveal what psychology often misses

• Why therapy alone may leave clients “stuck” in languishing

• How faith leaders, clinicians, and community builders can promote flourishing

 Mentioned Resources:

•  Languishing: How to Feel Alive Again in a World That Wears Us Down by Dr. Corey Keyes
   Buy the book on Amazon

•  Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF):
  Learn more and download

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