Five Building Blocks of Recovery®

What if the hardest seasons in life and along the mental health recovery journey aren’t detours but doorways? We sit down with depth psychotherapist, coach, and author Ben Hummell to unpack how identity, transitions, and purpose intersect—and why your most stubborn obstacles may be pointing you toward your life’s work. 

In this episode Ben and I discuss the following:

1. Navigating identity struggles

2. Handling life transitions

3. The...

In a world that forces many of us to mask, especially those with mental health conditions, what if your real power comes from authenticity and turning authenticity into impact?

That question sits at the heart of our conversation with youth mental health advocate, student, and writer Merlot Ghadoushi, who opens up about rerouting her college path to protect her mental health, learning to set boundaries, prioritizing rest, and buildin...

A non-motorized trek across the East Coast. A hospital stay that reset everything. And a clear, human roadmap for living well with bipolar disorder. I sat down with Steven Nawotniak—occupational therapist, certified psychiatric rehabilitation practitioner, New York certified peer specialist, and award-winning author—to trace how he moved from coping with symptoms to building a purpose-driven life grounded in fulfillment and action ...

Hard seasons test our values. After losing a home to a wildfire, getting sick, and wrestling with an inconsistent rhythm in 2025, I made a decision that protects my mental health, supports self-care, and honors your time: I'm switching to a monthly release so every conversation about recovery gets the care it deserves.

New episodes will come out every four weeks on Sundays at 3PM, which adds up to approximately 13 epi...

It is no secret that the current mental health treatment model, is, to put nicely, flawed and incomplete. 

In this week’s episode I talk with Adam Sholder, mental health advocate and founder of Insight Enrichment Group, a mental health coaching and consulting company, about the missing elements to the standard mental health treatment model.

In this episode we talk about:

• Adam’s personal and family history with mental health strugg...

Let’s face it; being a college student can be one of the most fulfilling but also the most stressful periods of a young person’s life.

Having to balance both academic and social pressures while being away from home for the first time and working towards a degree comes with its own set of challenges for anyone, not to mention those living with a mental health condition.

In this week’s episode, I interview Ryder Dav...

A surprising dream following tragedy becomes a guiding light for an artist's life mission. After losing his Boy Scout leader to suicide at 16, Oshri Hakak dreamed of a document meant to cure all human illnesses—only to find its pages blank except for one word: "music." This mystical experience launched Oshri's commitment to creative expression as a healing force, a path that gained even deeper meaning when he la...

After a prolonged absence since December 2024, I'm returning to the podcast following the devastating fires in Los Angeles County that destroyed my home and neighborhood in early January 2025. I share how I've used the Five Building Blocks of Recovery to navigate through one of the most difficult periods of my life and how you can use the building blocks to take care of your mental health in the midst of/after a crisis or...

What role does structure play in mental health recovery, and could it be the missing piece in your journey to well-being? This episode explores the transformative power of adding structure to your life (Building Block #1), drawing from my own "dark years" when the absence of grounding activities led to a mental health crisis. Through attending community college classes and participating in NAMI support groups, I discovere...

Imagine growing up in a household shadowed by bipolar disorder, only to find yourself struggling with your own mental health challenges as a teenager. That was Debbie Brazil's reality, and she's here to share her deeply personal story of overcoming panic and anxiety disorders and agoraphobia. 

Her experiences as a mother with children living with mental health conditions, and her mission to normalize mental healt...

Francesca Reicherter shares a deeply personal journey from the pressures of competitive cheerleading to becoming a beacon of hope in mental health advocacy. Her story lays bare the impact of media, social media, and societal pressures on self-worth, and how writing and podcasting became her refuge and platform for change and breaking the stigma. We explore how her struggles led to the founding of multiple different entities and pro...

In this episode I talk about the importance of, and what it means, to trust the process of recovery (Building Block #3) for those living with a mental health condition. I also offer some tips for how to get through the bad days and setbacks along the recovery journey with less resistance.

For more information about the Five Building Blocks of Recovery and/or to contact Jared, go to Five Building Blocks of Recovery (thefivebuildingbl...

In today’s episode, as part of my second conversation with Frank King, we talk more about his journey with comedy and mental health, and the importance of following one’s intuition and what intuition can look like (Building Block 5). We also talk about trusting the process in life and in recovery, especially when it comes to depression (Building Block 3), and the importance of community (Building Block 4).
 
Frank King, Sui...

In this episode I talk about why having a support system outside of having a therapist is so essential along the mental health recovery journey.
 
I also share ideas for how you can expand your support system and what it can look like to actually ask for support.
 
You don't have to go through the recovery journey alone. Everyone deserves support.

*this episode was published when the podcast was titled...

In this episode I talk about the importance of accepting and embracing clinical support along the mental health recovery journey and what to look for in a psychiatrist and a therapist. I also share tips on how to find clinical support.

*trigger warning I do indirectly talk about suicide

*this episode was published when the podcast was titled "Five Pillars of Recovery" and before the name change to "...

In this episode I talk with Frank King about how he takes care of his mental health through the lens of Building Block 2 (Having a Self-Care Plan) and Building Block 1 (Basic Stability).

Frank talks about his five-part self-care plan and how he uses “gamification” to motivate him to stay consistent with his self-care practice. He also talks about the importance of having a schedule/structure and relying on his “pit-crew” ...

In this episode I share my own story of recovery from dealing with anxiety from a young age, going through a mental health crisis after college, and eventually being able to bounce back and create a new life for myself as a mental health advocate. 

I also introduce the actual Five Building Blocks of Recovery, which are:

1. Building Block 1 (Basic Stability)
2. Building Block 2 (Having a Self-Care Plan)
3. Building B...