The Character's Toolkit: Bibliotherapy (Mental Health with a Literary Twist)

Marisa chats with Jacqueline Friedland, author of Breathing Underwater, and Jamie Bassos, autism and behavioral health expert, to explore autism, neurodiversity, and the importance of looking beyond behavior to understand the person. They unpack what happens when we shift from trying to "fix" autistic people to changing the environments around them, challenge assumptions about communication and behavior, and explore how curiosity, strength-based thinking, and creating space for authentic expression can help us build more compassionate and accessible communities.

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The Character's Toolkit is a bibliotherapy-based mental health podcast where novels and fictional characters are used to explore therapy concepts and coping skills.

Marisa chats with Kimberly McCreight, author of Someone Else's Husband, and therapist Leor Wasser to explore self-deception, denial, and the stories we tell ourselves to protect against painful truths. Together, they unpack why the mind creates self-deception as a coping mechanism, how fear, anger, and shame can keep us holding onto relationships or identities that no longer fit, and how self-compassion and curiosity can help us face reality once we're ready.

Want more? Follow @TheCharactersToolkit on Instagram!

The Character's Toolkit is a bibliotherapy-based mental health podcast where novels and fictional characters are used to explore therapy concepts and coping skills.

Marisa chats with Ruta Sepetys, author of A Fortune of Sand, and therapist Callie Manea to explore gaslighting, self-trust, identity, and the challenge of finding yourself after years of being defined by other people's expectations. Together, they unpack how chronic invalidation and manipulation can erode our confidence, why some people become especially vulnerable to gaslighting, and steps that help us reconnect with our own instincts, boundaries, and authentic selves.

Want more? Follow @TheCharactersToolkit on Instagram!

The Character's Toolkit is a bibliotherapy-based mental health podcast where novels and fictional characters are used to explore therapy concepts and coping skills.

Marisa chats with Ashley Hanna-Morgan, author of In Her Own Backyard, and therapist Caitlyn Wallace of Desert Bloom Wellness about postpartum mental health and the hidden realities of early motherhood. Together, they explore what happens when you don't feel like yourself after having a baby, why breastfeeding struggles (like D-MER) and sleep deprivation can become major mental health stressors, and how community can be a lifeline during one of life's most challenging transitions.

Using the novel's blend of suspense, friendship, and emotional honesty as a starting point, they discuss the signs of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, the importance of seeking support, and the hopeful message that healing is possible.

Want more? Follow @TheCharactersToolkit on Instagram!

The Character's Toolkit is a bibliotherapy-based mental health podcast where novels and fictional characters are used to explore therapy concepts and coping skills.

Marisa chats with Lindsay Goldstein, author of Gap Year, and Brittany Parenti, therapist at Matrescence, to explore identity, empty nesting, reinvention, and the challenges of finding yourself when the roles that once defined you shift. They unpack the emotional complexity of launching children into adulthood, the grief and growth that can accompany this major life transition, and how community, self-discovery, and intentional change can help us reconnect with who we are beyond caregiving.

Want more? Follow @TheCharactersToolkit on Instagram!

The Character's Toolkit is a bibliotherapy-based mental health podcast where novels and fictional characters are used to explore therapy concepts and coping skills.

Marisa chats with Jessica Guerrieri, author of BOTH CAN BE TRUE, and Leslie Plaia, therapist and Executive Director at Magnolia Creek, to explore relapse, recovery, disconnection, and the quiet ways we can begin to disappear from ourselves. Together they unpack how recovery isn't always linear, why relapse often begins subtly and internally, and how shame, motherhood, overwhelm, and self-compassion impact the path back to connection.

Want more? Follow @TheCharactersToolkit on Instagram!

The Character's Toolkit is a bibliotherapy-based mental health podcast where novels and fictional characters are used to explore therapy concepts and coping skills.

Marisa chats with Laurie Frankel, author of ENORMOUS WINGS, and Dr. Antonia Biggs of the University of California, San Francisco to explore agency, autonomy, and what happens when the power to make decisions about our own bodies is taken away. Through the story of a 77-year-old pregnant woman navigating a restrictive legal landscape, they examine how society limits choice across the lifespan—from aging to reproductive health—and how quickly one lost decision can ripple into many. Drawing on insights from the Turnaway Study, they discuss the real mental health, financial, and relational impacts of being denied reproductive care, challenge common misconceptions about abortion, and highlight the complex emotional realities people experience. Together, they explore how agency shapes well-being, why autonomy matters at every age, and how opening up these conversations can shift the way we think about choice.

Want more? Follow @TheCharactersToolkit on Instagram!

The Character's Toolkit is a bibliotherapy-based mental health podcast where novels and fictional characters are used to explore therapy concepts and coping skills.

Marisa chats with Emma Gray, author of START AT THE END, and therapist Tyler Witzig to explore depression and how it uniquely shows up in men. They discuss the hidden nature of depression, focusing on how even when life looks good on paper, anger, withdrawal, and numbness can mask deeper struggles, while stigma and silence can keep people from seeking help. Together, they examine how relationships can support healing, how vulnerability can strengthen connection, and how small steps toward openness and care can interrupt cycles of isolation and rumination.

Want more? Follow @TheCharactersToolkit on Instagram!

The Character's Toolkit is a bibliotherapy-based mental health podcast where novels and fictional characters are used to explore therapy concepts and coping skills.

Marisa chats with Shana Youngdahl, author of A Catalog of Burnt Objects, and therapist Danielle Palomares to explore the emotional aftermath of wildfire and the complexity of trauma. They discuss how people cope with loss while life continues, how the nervous system responds to crisis, and how grief, resilience, and connection can coexist in the wake of disaster. Together, they examine what it means to rebuild practically and emotionally, and how moments of safety can emerge even in a world that feels uncertain. Want more? Follow @TheCharactersToolkit on Instagram!

The Character's Toolkit is a bibliotherapy-based mental health podcast where novels and fictional characters are used to explore therapy concepts and coping skills.

Marisa chats with Erin White, author of LIKE FAMILY, and therapist Amanda Samuels to explore the interconnection of secrets and intimacy. They discuss how secrets can function as both a bond and a burden in close relationships, shaping trust, vulnerability, and identity, and how thoughtful disclosure and communication can help people navigate connection, repair, and emotional risk.

Want more? Follow @TheCharactersToolkit on Instagram!

The Character's Toolkit is a bibliotherapy-based mental health podcast where novels and fictional characters are used to explore therapy concepts and coping skills.