she persisted | mental health, self-care, psychology, gen z, dbt, depression, anxiety, healing

#257
🍿 watch on spotify & youtube
💌 ask me a question or leave feedback on the podcast!
why do some people struggle to accept love?? today’s guest is dr. marisa g. franco— a psychologist, author, professor, and friendship expert. she writes about how to build relationships with yourself and others for psychology today and has been a featured connection expert for major publications like the new york times, the telegraph, and vice.
in this episode, we talk about how our self-worth impacts our ability to love ourselves– and receive love from others. 

we talk about:
01:38 how self-worth and relationships are tied together
05:16 how you can be loved but not feel loved
06:16 how memories become the database of your self-worth
08:50 external vs. internal validation
10:10 how to rewrite the memories that shaped you
14:20 supporting someone who can't accept your love
15:38 low self-worth and feeling misunderstood
18:46 how i found 1% of hope in recovery
20:50 what we get wrong about attachment styles
26:02 the one thing to take away from this episode

mentioned:
• dr. franco’s previous episode
• dr. franco’s instagram
• dr. franco’s website
• pre-order worth

☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:
1. leave a review on apple or spotify
2. dm me a screenshot on instagram
📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!

@shepersistedpodcast
shepersistedpodcast.com
hello@shepersistedpodcast.com 
© 2026 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.

#256
🍿 watch on ⁠spotify⁠ & ⁠youtube⁠
💌 ⁠ask me a question⁠ or leave feedback on the podcast!
wanna know what over a decade of therapy, a psychology degree, and my own podcast have taught me about mental health?! in this solo episode, i’m breaking down the key takeaways that i’ve learned throughout my mental health journey.
in honor of it being mental health awareness month, i’m condensing everything i’ve learned from receiving intensive mental health care and years of dbt therapy as a suicidally depressed teenager– combined with my psychology education at upenn and my experience creating this very podcast– to make your 12-step guide to maintaining your mental health.
by the end of this episode, you’ll know all the mental health tips + tricks i wish i’d known when i was struggling!

i talk about:
• why avoidance is impacting your mental health 
• how to start getting better at recognizing your emotions
• my mantra for dealing with conflict more effectively
• relationship changes + how to navigate them 
• the power of secondary emotions 
• effective ways to reach your goals + stabilize your mental health
• a mental health quote that changed my life
• an underrated aspect of managing your mental health 
• whether we can use our mental health to predict our futures
• the mindset that was stopping me from building a life worth living
• how distraction can actually save lives
• what i learned in therapy that changed my self-esteem forever

mentioned: 
• atomic habits
• dr. blaise aguirre episode

☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:
1. leave a review on apple or spotify
2. dm me a screenshot on instagram
📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!

⁠@shepersistedpodcast⁠
⁠shepersistedpodcast.com⁠
⁠hello@shepersistedpodcast.com⁠ 
© 2026 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.

#255
🍿 watch on ⁠spotify⁠ & ⁠youtube⁠
💌 ⁠ask me a question⁠ or leave feedback on the podcast!
if your mental health is getting worse, but asking for help feels like too much, this episode is for YOU. 
in this solo episode, i explain why so many of us can be reluctant to open up about our mental health before breaking down the techniques you can try to be more vulnerable. 
by the end of this episode, you’ll learn how to lower your anxiety around asking for help– because vulnerability is the key to recovery! 

i talk about:
• why i didn’t ask for help when my mental health started struggling
• how our environment + upbringing shape our mental health 
• the impact of depression on our self worth + anxiety
• using exposure therapy to try actually being vulnerable 
• a communication technique that helped me open up to my parents
• easier ways you can practice being vulnerable on a regular basis
• choosing the right people to share with + setting clear expectations

mentioned:
• ep.254 (why they’re not getting help)

☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:
1. leave a review on apple or spotify
2. dm me a screenshot on instagram
📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!

⁠@shepersistedpodcast⁠
⁠shepersistedpodcast.com⁠
⁠hello@shepersistedpodcast.com⁠ 
© 2026 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.

#254
🍿 watch on ⁠spotify⁠ & ⁠youtube⁠
💌 ⁠ask me a question⁠ or leave feedback on the podcast!
how do you help someone who’s struggling with depression??
in this solo episode, i answer a mom's question on how she can best support her son with his depression. i explain how my mental health journey taught me what the best– and worst!– ways are to be there for someone who’s depressed– and three conversation ideas you can try out.  
whether you’re a parent, sibling, or friend, this advice can apply to anyone who wants to be a support system for their loved one.

i talk about:
• what to do if someone you care about is feeling hopeless
• why encouragement can be invalidating when you’re depressed
• do’s + don’ts for supporting someone who’s depressed
• using dbt diary cards to validate 
• the best ways to offer advice to someone with depression 
• how depression + anger are linked
• three ways to make someone feel less alone

mentioned:
• ep.209 maddy ellberger
• ep.156 diary cards
• ep.248 diary cards
• ep.215 caroline fleck
• validation by caroline fleck
• mclean 3east

☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:
1. leave a review on apple or spotify
2. dm me a screenshot on instagram
📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!

⁠@shepersistedpodcast⁠
⁠shepersistedpodcast.com⁠
⁠hello@shepersistedpodcast.com⁠ 
© 2025 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.

🍿 watch on ⁠spotify⁠ & ⁠youtube⁠
💌 ⁠ask me a question⁠ or leave feedback on the podcast!
when i think about a major turning point in my mental health journey, this one conversation is truly what kickstarted my recovery. 
in this solo episode, i break down the moment in intensive mental health treatment that changed my outlook on mental health recovery, what led me to being hospitalized for my mental health in the first place, & how i began to recover from severe depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. 
if you are on the fence about whether to ask for help with your mental health (or have a loved one in that exact spot), this episode details when i was in the exact same spot: i explain how i went from not believing i could get better to feeling hopeful that i could recover & build a life worth living. 

i talk about:
• why i needed intensive mental health treatment 
• the question my doctor asked me that changed my life
• how i almost got turned away from my mental health treatment 
• dbt wise mind & how that impacted my journey
• my biggest fears going into a residential mental health facility 
• being vulnerable when you’re getting mental health care
• the mindset i had going into getting residential mental health care

mentioned:
• dr. blaise aguirre ep.
• mclean 3east

☕giveaway! want coffee on me? every month, i gift one listener a starbucks gift card to enter:
1. leave a review on apple or spotify
2. dm me a screenshot on instagram
📲 bonus entries for story or tiktok tags!

⁠@shepersistedpodcast⁠
⁠shepersistedpodcast.com⁠
⁠hello@shepersistedpodcast.com⁠ 
© 2025 SHE PERSISTED LLC. all rights reserved.