Math Therapy

By Vanessa Vakharia, aka The Math Guru

Math Therapy explores the root causes of math trauma, and the empowering ways we can heal from it. Each week host Vanessa Vakharia, aka The Math Guru, dives into what we get right and wrong a

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How many episodes does Math Therapy have?

The podcast currently has 139 episodes available.

Best of Math Therapy

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: 3 things every math teacher should do from day one
Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Some of you have already started school, while the rest are just counting down the days ... so Vanessa is back this week with 3 easy & actionable strategies you can bring to your math class RIGHT now, to set the tone that each of your students belongs in your classroom this year and has the ability to build a better relationship with math.Collect: find out what baggage kids might be bringing into classCo-Create: make ALL voices valued, heard, and respected (including yours!)Connect: break down the student-teacher barrier, even in a big classFor more, download the FREE Math Therapy Toolkit here and let us know how it goes - you've got this! Contact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Get the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here
August 20, 202637min
Number 2: Before & After Pt. 1: How Math Therapy changed Lauren Keeling's life (May 2026)
Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Today we bring you part 1 of 2 of our first ever Math Therapy Makeover "Before & After"! When Vanessa first met Lauren Keeling earlier this year, being "not a math person" defined her entire life. Visiting Vanessa's tutoring centre in Toronto with her team from Imagine Learning's Heart Work podcast, Lauren was dreading her IRL math therapy session - literally terrified that Vanessa would ask her to do math with the mics on and cameras rolling! But what actually happened was magic; the two unpacked the roots of her icky feelings around math and talked through how to flip the script. The 2nd episode of Heart Work's 3-part series on math anxiety included portions of that session, but Imagine Learning graciously allowed us to share the FULL convo with Math Therapy listeners! And what makes this EXTRA special is that Vanessa interviewed Lauren 4 months later to find out what changed - and we'll be airing THAT episode NEXT week! Links mentioned:3-part podcast series: "Heart Work: Breaking the Cycle of Math Anxiety" by Imagine LearningWatch this interview: extended video interview on Heart Work's YouTubeContact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Get the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here
September 03, 202636min
Number 3: What to do when your math class needs an intervention w/ Juliana Tapper
Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Have you ever felt like math education needs to take a good long look at itself in the mirror and make some major changes before everything goes off the rails? Like one of those Hollywood interventions - but for math class? Well today's guest, Juliana Tapper, is a math interventionist! She steps in to help students before they slip through the cracks. Today they discuss:what a math intervention is and how it worksthe keys to a successful interventionsmall shifts teachers can try that really make a differenceThe conversation also gets emotional when Juliana reads out some of her student “mathographies” (their personal math stories), showing how powerful it can be when students are able to voice their deepest feelings and fears around math. Links mentioned:Coherence by Design article by TNTP about intervention tutoringFree download: "My Mathography" - print and try with your students!About Juliana: (Website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) Juliana Tapper is living proof that your worst subject can become your superpower. After healing her own early math trauma, she dedicated her life to ending the cycle of math trauma for other kids and to empowering teachers with strategies and tools that actually work for students who have been historically unsuccessful in math. She works with schools, districts, state departments of education, and juvenile justice systems to make math accessible for all. She is the bestselling author of Teaching 6-12 Math Intervention: A Practical Framework to Engage Students Who Struggle and the host of the K-12 Math Intervention Summit. Contact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Get the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here
August 27, 202651min
Number 4: Fluency & Flexibility aren't the math F-bombs you think they are w/ Christina Tondevold
Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) One of the most misunderstood words in math ed right now is "fluency", so Vanessa invited an expert on the podcast to demystify it: educator Christina Tondevold. Christina calls herself a "recovering traditionalist" - she committed to stop teaching students in the same ineffective ways she was taught as a student. They discuss a ton of practical strategies you can bring to your classroom, such as:showing students how connected math is (in class and in their lives)building fluency on 3 balanced pillars: efficiency, accuracy, and flexibilityteaching students to learn math by teaching them to be problem solversIf you enjoy this conversation, sign up for Christina's free 3-day virtual summit August 10-12, 2026 featuring Vanessa and a ton of other incredible speakers!Register here for the FREE "Build Math Minds Thinking Summit"About Christina: (Website) Christina Tondevold is a Recovering Traditionalist - she previously taught mathematics traditionally and expected the students to parrot back what she taught them. Now she gets to work with teachers in developing students’ mathematical understandings in a balanced way by developing conceptual understanding while working on procedural fluency through her site BuildMathMinds.com where you can get PD at Your Fingertips. Contact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Get the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here
July 30, 202651min
Number 5: Math Therapy Masterclass Part 2: How to start next year with confidence
Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Today we bring you part 2 in Vanessa's two part Math Therapy Masterclass on how to start the coming school year with renewed confidence - for yourself and for your students! In part 1 she shared 4 exercises/experiences you can try this summer (check it out here ICYMI), and she's back with 4 more: 5) practice being bad at something 6) find a mindset/psychology book/podcast (suggestions below) 7) try Duolingo Math 8) face your math trauma as a grown up Let us know if you tried any of these and what happened! Books/podcasts mentioned:Mel Robbins PodcastLet Them Theory by Mel RobbinsThe Power of Now by Eckhart TolleThe Four Agreements by Miguel RuizAtomic Habits by James ClearHow Minds Change by David McRaneyMindset by Carol DweckDaring Greatly by Brené BrownContact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Get the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here
July 23, 202630min