The Mental Health Evolution

The Mental Health Evolution A Mental Health Podcast
Listen: https://pod.link/1724750091
Watch: www.youtube.com/

In Episode 34 of Mental Health Evolution, Rachel sits down with Andrea Fox, Senior Editor at Healthcare IT News, to unpa...
04/16/2026

In Episode 34 of Mental Health Evolution, Rachel sits down with Andrea Fox, Senior Editor at Healthcare IT News, to unpack what’s really happening in mental health access right now—from telehealth expansion to the policy and system barriers that are still shaping who gets care and who doesn’t.

Rachel and Andrea talk about:
• What has actually improved in behavioral health access
• Why rural and underserved communities are still falling behind
• The ongoing uncertainty around telehealth prescribing rules
• How insurance, funding, and workforce shortages are shaping care
• What a more integrated mental health system could look like

This conversation gets into both the progress and the friction points that don’t always make it into the headlines—but directly affect patients and providers every day.

🎧 Full episode is live now — link in bio.

Nearly three years after the 988 Su***de and Crisis Lifeline launched, Rachel Harrison is asking the question our field ...
04/09/2026

Nearly three years after the 988 Su***de and Crisis Lifeline launched, Rachel Harrison is asking the question our field needs to sit with: is it actually working?

In this solo episode, Rachel breaks down what the data shows about 988's reach and impact, where the gaps are becoming harder to ignore, and what our system still needs to build for crisis care to work for everyone. She covers funding disparities, uneven access across communities, the recent discontinuation of the LGBTQ+ specialized line, and what clinicians and practice owners have to do with all of it.
This one is also intentional groundwork for an upcoming episode on virtual crisis teams, so it is worth a listen before that conversation drops.

🎙️ The 988 Hotline: Three Years In is out now. Link in bio.

04/03/2026

Therapists are always trying to work themselves out of a job — and Dr. Kryn McClain built with that same philosophy in mind.

After interviewing 50 to 100 parents, teachers, BCBAs, and therapists, she identified four core areas where transition age kids were falling behind: communication and social skills, occupational readiness, daily living skills, and emotion regulation. Even kids labeled "high functioning" were showing deficits in two or more of those categories.

So she built VR modules to help. From brushing teeth to managing emotions to exposure therapy — therapists can now get beyond the worksheet.

Full episode link in bio.

What does it look like when a trauma-trained therapist builds a virtual reality company from the ground up?Rachel spoke ...
04/02/2026

What does it look like when a trauma-trained therapist builds a virtual reality company from the ground up?

Rachel spoke Dr. Kryn McClain, founder and CEO of , to talk about how VR is being used inside therapy sessions to help clients build life skills in a safe, immersive environment. They also dig into the realities of the entrepreneurial journey for clinicians and what it takes to build something meaningful in the mental health space.

A great listen for clinicians, practice owners, and anyone curious about where mental health technology is headed.

Full episode link in bio.

03/30/2026

Call it therapy and some people won't show up. Call it a checkup and the door opens. Dr. James Cordova shares what their research found about reluctant partners who said they never would have agreed to therapy but a checkup felt different. Language matters more than we think. Full episode out now. Link in bio.

03/29/2026

You can Google what a suspicious mole looks like, but you'd still want a professional to actually look at it. Matt Rubin says relationship health is the same way. People are turning to TikTok and search engines when they can't access care, and that just cannot be the answer. Full episode out now. Link in bio.

03/28/2026

One relationship checkup. The same clinical impact as 12 therapy sessions. Matt Rubin breaks down the research behind Arammu's model and what it means for providers, couples, and the mental health access crisis. Watch the full conversation with Matt Rubin and Dr. James Cordova on the Mental Health Evolution Podcast. Click the link in the video to listen to the full episode.

03/27/2026

Your teeth get a checkup. Your car gets a tune-up. Your relationship? You're mostly on your own until something breaks. Dr. James Cordova says relationship health is about a century behind every other health field, and this clip explains exactly why. Link in bio to hear the full conversation on the Mental Health Evolution Podcast.

What if your relationship got an annual checkup, just like your teeth or your car? Rachel is bringing back one of her fa...
03/26/2026

What if your relationship got an annual checkup, just like your teeth or your car? Rachel is bringing back one of her favorite conversations from The Mental Health Entrepreneur, this time for the Mental Health Evolution audience. Dr. James Cordova and Matt Rubin of join her to talk about why relationship health deserves proactive, preventative care and what it looks like when we actually treat it that way. New episode out now.

Listen here: https://pod.link/1724750091
Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/

New episode! Rachel interviews Jason Youngblood, Senior Director at Cigna U.S. Markets Behavioral Center of Excellence a...
03/19/2026

New episode!

Rachel interviews Jason Youngblood, Senior Director at Cigna U.S. Markets Behavioral Center of Excellence and a licensed professional counselor, to talk about what it really takes to reach the people who need behavioral health support but never ask for it.

They dig into digital tools, employer-sponsored care, the Headspace for Cigna Healthcare partnership, and why navigation has become one of the biggest challenges in mental health access today.

If you work in the field, run a practice, or think about systems and access, this one is worth a listen.

Listen here: https://pod.link/1724750091
Or watch here: www.youtube.com/

What happens when someone in crisis turns to an AI chatbot and the system fails them? Shirali Nigam and Arul Nigam, co-f...
03/12/2026

What happens when someone in crisis turns to an AI chatbot and the system fails them? Shirali Nigam and Arul Nigam, co-founders of Circuit Breaker Labs, are working to make sure that never happens by testing AI mental health tools with simulated patients before they ever reach a real person. Rachel sat down with them to talk about what they are finding, what clinicians should be asking, and why safety testing needs to be standard practice before these tools go public.

Full episode link in bio.

If you've ever wondered why more providers don't accept Medicaid and Medicare, this episode is for you. Rachel Harrison ...
03/05/2026

If you've ever wondered why more providers don't accept Medicaid and Medicare, this episode is for you. Rachel Harrison has a candid conversation with Malcolm Furgol of the Coalition for a Healthier Frederick County about reimbursement rates, insurance clawbacks, and the systemic changes that could actually move the needle.

Full episode link in bio.

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