Best Mental Health Podcasts 2026: Ranked by Real Chart Data
Updated September 2026 · Based on CastFox data covering 24 Apple Podcasts chart snapshots in 78 countries (2026-02-24 to 2026-09-08) and 5M+ indexed podcasts
If you search best mental health podcasts 2026 you mostly get lists assembled from other lists. The 19 shows below are the ones that held the top of the US Mental Health chart on Apple Podcasts across 24 separate snapshots between February 24 and September 8, 2026, measured from CastFox's daily chart data in 78 countries. Every show here appeared in all 24 of them.
Mental health is no longer one kind of show. The chart splits into five clear formats, and they are not competing for the same listener. There are the big interview shows that anchor the category, led by On Purpose with Jay Shetty and The School of Greatness. There is practitioner psychology, where a clinician is in the room: Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson, The Dr. John Delony Show, Therapy and Theology. There is the research-and-practice wing around mindfulness and happiness science, with 10% Happier with Dan Harris and Office Hours with Arthur Brooks. There is sleep and sound, an entire economy of its own that four shows on this list occupy. And there are the personal-story and advocacy shows, where the host has lived the subject.
Each card gives you what the show is, who hosts it, why the data put it here, and who it is for, plus its full chart record: how many of our 24 snapshots it appeared in, its average and best US rank, and how many countries it charts in. One thing worth saying before the list. None of these shows are treatment, and none of them are a substitute for one. A podcast can give you language for what is happening and make it feel less isolating. If you are struggling, talk to a licensed professional.
The 19 best mental health podcasts of 2026 at a glance
| # | Podcast | Hosted by | Avg US rank | Best rank | Countries charting | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | On Purpose with Jay Shetty | Perfect Strangers | 2 | #1 | 78 | 871 |
| 2 | The School of Greatness | Lewis Howes | 5.3 | #4 | 77 | 1,000 |
| 3 | The Psychology of your 20s | iHeartPodcasts | 15 | #12 | 77 | 458 |
| 4 | 10% Happier with Dan Harris | 10% Happier | 6.2 | #5 | 57 | 1,000 |
| 5 | Mayim Bialik's Breakdown | Mayim Bialik | 8.8 | #5 | 58 | 495 |
| 6 | The Dr. John Delony Show | Ramsey Network | 3.2 | #1 | 42 | 957 |
| 7 | Office Hours with Arthur Brooks | Arthur Brooks | 13.2 | #8 | 42 | 58 |
| 8 | Sleep With Me | Silver Sleeper Productions LLC | 14.1 | #10 | 43 | 750 |
| 9 | Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson | Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Forrest Hanson | 21.3 | #16 | 47 | 486 |
| 10 | Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta | CNN Podcasts | 21.2 | #13 | 42 | 645 |
| 11 | Just Sleep - Bedtime Stories for Adults | Bedtime Stories with Taesha Glasgow | 21.2 | #12 | 39 | 591 |
| 12 | White Noise and Sleep Sounds (12 Hours) | White Noise and Sleep Sounds (12 Hours) to Sleep | Study | Relax | Soothe a Baby | 37.2 | #26 | 56 | 197 |
| 13 | Guided Sleep Meditation & Sleep Hypnosis from Sleep Cove | Sleep Hypnosis, Meditations and Bedtime Stories | 30.5 | #22 | 47 | 549 |
| 14 | The One You Feed | Personal Growth, Emotional Resilience & Purpose | Eric Zimmer | 27.2 | #15 | 34 | 1,000 |
| 15 | We're Out of Time | Richard Taite | 1.6 | #1 | 3 | 97 |
| 16 | Tony Mantor: Why Not Me ? | iHeartPodcasts | 5.4 | #2 | 7 | 236 |
| 17 | Therapy and Theology | Lysa TerKeurst | 16 | #8 | 16 | 99 |
| 18 | Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads | G-Rex and Dirty Skittles, Bleav | 8.6 | #6 | 2 | 229 |
| 19 | Make Me Smile with Miist | Miist | 10 | #7 | 3 | 49 |
Jump to a Show
- #1. On Purpose with Jay Shetty
- #2. The School of Greatness
- #3. The Psychology of your 20s
- #4. 10% Happier with Dan Harris
- #5. Mayim Bialik's Breakdown
- #6. The Dr. John Delony Show
- #7. Office Hours with Arthur Brooks
- #8. Sleep With Me
- #9. Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson
- #10. Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta
- #11. Just Sleep - Bedtime Stories for Adults
- #12. White Noise and Sleep Sounds (12 Hours)
- #13. Guided Sleep Meditation & Sleep Hypnosis from Sleep Cove
- #14. The One You Feed | Personal Growth, Emotional Resilience & Purpose
- #15. We're Out of Time
- #16. Tony Mantor: Why Not Me ?
- #17. Therapy and Theology
- #18. Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads
- #19. Make Me Smile with Miist
Rising this month · How we ranked these · How to pick the right show · FAQ
The 19 Best Mental Health Podcasts to Listen To in 2026
The Big Interview Shows That Anchor the Category
#1. On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Hosted by Perfect Strangers
About this show: Jay Shetty interviews experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes about habits, relationships and healing, in a format he describes as conversations and workshops rather than straight interviews. New episodes land every Monday and Friday.
Why it made the list in 2026: It is the anchor of the whole category. No other mental health show holds the very top of the US chart as steadily, and none reaches as far outside it. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 2, best #1, charting in 78 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Listeners who want big-name conversations and practical takeaways rather than clinical detail.
#2. The School of Greatness
Hosted by Lewis Howes
About this show: Lewis Howes, a New York Times best-selling author, two-time All-American athlete and entrepreneur, interviews leaders in business, entertainment, sport, science, health and mental health about how they got there.
Why it made the list in 2026: A permanent fixture near the top of the US chart all year, and one of the few shows here that reaches almost every country we track. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 5.3, best #4, charting in 77 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: People who want mental health framed as performance and ambition rather than as recovery.
#5. Mayim Bialik's Breakdown
Hosted by Mayim Bialik
About this show: Neuroscientist and actor Mayim Bialik hosts with Jonathan Cohen. The show started as a conversation about mental health and widened into consciousness, near-death experiences, manifestation and other places where science and spirituality meet.
Why it made the list in 2026: It holds a strong average US position while covering ground no other show in this category goes near, which is a large part of why it keeps its audience. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 8.8, best #5, charting in 58 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Listeners comfortable sitting at the boundary between psychology and the unexplained.
#10. Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Hosted by CNN Podcasts
About this show: CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and reporter, looks at people who live long, happy and unusually healthy lives, covering brain resilience, aging and the habits behind low rates of chronic disease.
Why it made the list in 2026: The strongest news-brand entry in the category, and the show that connects mental health to physical health most directly. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 21.2, best #13, charting in 42 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: People who want a reporter's treatment of health research rather than a host's personal philosophy.
Psychology and Therapy, With a Practitioner in the Room
#3. The Psychology of your 20s
Hosted by iHeartPodcasts
About this show: Hosted by Jemma Sbeg, each episode takes one experience that defines your twenties, dating, career anxiety, friendship, money, and works through the psychology research behind it. New episodes on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Why it made the list in 2026: The most consistent show aimed squarely at younger listeners, and one of the widest-reaching in the category despite being built around a single narrow decade of life. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 15, best #12, charting in 77 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Anyone in their twenties who wants evidence-based context for what they are feeling.
#6. The Dr. John Delony Show
Hosted by Ramsey Network
About this show: A caller-driven show from the Ramsey Network. Dr. John Delony, who holds two PhDs and spent two decades in crisis response, takes calls from people working through relationship problems and mental health challenges.
Why it made the list in 2026: It sits near the very top of the US chart, and it is what people reach for when they want an answer to their own situation rather than a general discussion. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 3.2, best #1, charting in 42 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Anyone who wants direct, practical advice on a specific relationship or mental health problem.
#9. Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson
Hosted by Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Forrest Hanson
About this show: Forrest Hanson hosts with his father, clinical psychologist Dr. Rick Hanson, plus guest experts, on the practical science of lasting wellbeing: building inner strengths, working through challenges, and getting more out of life. New episodes every Monday.
Why it made the list in 2026: The most clinically grounded show on this list that is still built for a general audience rather than for practitioners. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 21.3, best #16, charting in 47 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Listeners who want psychology from a practitioner and are willing to do the exercises.
#17. Therapy and Theology
Hosted by Lysa TerKeurst
About this show: Lysa TerKeurst hosts with her licensed professional counselor Jim Cress and Dr. Joel Muddamalle, Director of Theological Research at Proverbs 31 Ministries, working through heartbreak and emotional trauma from both a counseling and a Christian theological angle.
Why it made the list in 2026: The clearest example in the category of a faith-and-counseling show holding its own against secular psychology shows on the same chart. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 16, best #8, charting in 16 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Christian listeners who want counseling language alongside scripture.
Mindfulness, Meditation, and the Science of Feeling Better
#4. 10% Happier with Dan Harris
Hosted by 10% Happier
About this show: Veteran journalist and best-selling author Dan Harris hosts what he calls self-help for smart people, bringing in experts from modern science and contemplative traditions for practical instruction in meditation and mindfulness.
Why it made the list in 2026: It stays near the top of the US chart month after month, and it treats meditation as something to be explained and argued for rather than sold. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 6.2, best #5, charting in 57 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Skeptics who want the evidence before the practice.
#7. Office Hours with Arthur Brooks
Hosted by Arthur Brooks
About this show: Arthur Brooks, a social scientist, Vanderbilt professor and columnist at The Free Press, spends each weekly episode on new happiness research and how to apply it, blending neuroscience, behavioral science, philosophy and religion.
Why it made the list in 2026: One of the newest feeds on this list, and it has still charted in every snapshot we took this year, which very few new shows manage. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 13.2, best #8, charting in 42 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: People who want the happiness research itself, without the self-help packaging around it.
#14. The One You Feed | Personal Growth, Emotional Resilience & Purpose
Hosted by Eric Zimmer
About this show: Eric Zimmer hosts conversations on resilience, self-compassion and purpose with thinkers including James Clear, Susan Cain and Tara Brach, built around the parable of the two wolves that gives the show its name.
Why it made the list in 2026: A long-running independent interview show that has stayed on the chart in every snapshot without a network behind it. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 27.2, best #15, charting in 34 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: People who want depth and are happy to sit with a long conversation.
Sleep and Sound: Shows You Put On to Wind Down
#8. Sleep With Me
Hosted by Silver Sleeper Productions LLC
About this show: A bedtime story podcast built to be boring on purpose. The host tells a meandering story that gradually goes nowhere, so a racing mind has something to follow until it lets go.
Why it made the list in 2026: The longest-running sleep show here, and it holds its chart position without ever publishing a conversation episode. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 14.1, best #10, charting in 43 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: People whose main problem is a mind that will not stop at night.
#11. Just Sleep - Bedtime Stories for Adults
Hosted by Bedtime Stories with Taesha Glasgow
About this show: Taesha Glasgow reads a public-domain story aloud in each episode, at a pace designed to let you stop following it and fall asleep.
Why it made the list in 2026: The most straightforward of the sleep shows: a story, read calmly, nothing else, and it has charted in every snapshot this year. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 21.2, best #12, charting in 39 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Adults who want a bedtime story without a plot to keep up with.
#12. White Noise and Sleep Sounds (12 Hours)
Hosted by White Noise and Sleep Sounds (12 Hours) to Sleep | Study | Relax | Soothe a Baby
About this show: Twelve-hour sound episodes: white noise, pink and brown noise, rain and thunder, for sleeping, studying, sound masking or settling a baby.
Why it made the list in 2026: The widest-reaching sound feed in the category, and it charts far outside the US, which is unusual for a show with no spoken content. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 37.2, best #26, charting in 56 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Anyone who needs steady sound rather than a voice.
#13. Guided Sleep Meditation & Sleep Hypnosis from Sleep Cove
Hosted by Sleep Hypnosis, Meditations and Bedtime Stories
About this show: Sleep hypnosis, guided sleep meditations and bedtime stories for people who cannot get to sleep, each episode built to relax you into a full night.
Why it made the list in 2026: The most consistent guided-meditation feed on the chart, and the bridge between the meditation shows and the pure sound ones. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 30.5, best #22, charting in 47 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Listeners who want to be talked down rather than left with noise.
Personal Stories, Recovery, and Advocacy
#15. We're Out of Time
Hosted by Richard Taite
About this show: Addiction recovery expert Richard Taite hosts conversations on the fentanyl crisis, mental health, parenting and resilience, with guests ranging from people in recovery to wellness experts, athletes and musicians.
Why it made the list in 2026: It holds the strongest average US position of any show here, although its reach is concentrated in a small number of countries rather than spread globally. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 1.6, best #1, charting in 3 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Listeners following addiction, recovery and the public conversation around both.
#16. Tony Mantor: Why Not Me ?
Hosted by iHeartPodcasts
About this show: Tony Mantor's interview show on autism, mental health and advocacy, built around personal stories from guests alongside expert perspectives, with a stated aim of widening awareness of both subjects.
Why it made the list in 2026: A small independent show that has outperformed much larger ones on the US chart all year, with its audience concentrated in a few countries. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 5.4, best #2, charting in 7 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Families and listeners looking for autism and mental health advocacy told through personal stories.
#18. Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads
Hosted by G-Rex and Dirty Skittles, Bleav
About this show: G-Rex and Dirty Skittles talk about mental health, relationships, parenting and pop culture with humor. The show grew out of G-Rex's own breakdown in 2022 and her decision to talk about it publicly.
Why it made the list in 2026: It keeps a high average US position with almost no international footprint, which usually points to a tight, returning domestic audience. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 8.6, best #6, charting in 2 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Listeners who want the subject handled with jokes and without clinical distance.
#19. Make Me Smile with Miist
Hosted by Miist
About this show: Musician Miist builds each weekly episode around the themes of her songs and the 15-second actions listeners can take against loneliness, with stories from guests and input from experts.
Why it made the list in 2026: The shortest catalog on this list, and it has still charted in every snapshot this year, which is rare for a show this new. Chart record: 24 of 24 US snapshots, average US rank 10, best #7, charting in 3 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Listeners who want short, upbeat episodes rather than long conversations.
Rising This Month: Mental Health Podcasts Climbing the Charts (September 2026)
These are the mental health shows moving up fastest in CastFox rankings. We compare each show's average US chart position across the 3 most recent snapshots (2026-08-18 to 2026-09-08) with the 3 snapshots before that. A show that was outside the top 100 in the prior window is marked as new to the top 100. This section is refreshed every month; the main list above changes more slowly because it rewards consistency.
Sisters In Sobriety
Hosted by Sonia Kahlon and Kathleen Killen. Sisters In Sobriety moved from an average of #90.3 to #10.5 (up 79.8 places), with a best US rank of #10 so far in 2026 and a top-100 position in 1 country on the latest snapshot. You know that sinking feeling when you wake up with a hangover and think: “I’m never doing this again”? We’ve all been there. But what happens when you follow through? Sonia Kahlon and Kathleen Killen can tell you,...
🎙️ Rebuild & Fulfill Real conversations on burnout, rebuilding, and becoming stronger than before. New to the top 100
Hosted by Kelsey Dunbar and Marc Rogala. 🎙️ Rebuild & Fulfill Real conversations on burnout, rebuilding, and becoming stronger than before. new to the US top 100, now averaging #25.5, with a best US rank of #24 so far in 2026 and a top-100 position in 3 countries on the latest snapshot. 🎧 Podcast Description Rebuild & Fulfill is for high-functioning adults who are burned out, overwhelmed, or rebuilding after hitting a wall. Hosted by Kelsey Dunbar and Marc Rogala, this show delivers real conversations...
Holding It Together (Kinda) New to the top 100
Hosted by Michael Mackniak, Esq. Holding It Together (Kinda) new to the US top 100, now averaging #49, with a best US rank of #44 so far in 2026 and a top-100 position in 1 country on the latest snapshot. Here we will get real in our conversations about Mental Illness and Caregiving, and the messy reality of keeping it all balanced. No sugar-coating, no clinical jargon—just real talk about the hospitalizations, the...
خوابکست New to the top 100
Hosted by khabcast.com. خوابکست new to the US top 100, now averaging #50.7, with a best US rank of #43 so far in 2026 and a top-100 position in 16 countries on the latest snapshot. خوابکست (خواب کَست) یک پادکست خواب است که به شما کمک می کند راحت تر بخوابید. داستان های آرامش بخش، مدیتیشن های خواب، ریلکسیشن و تصویر سازی ذهنی، روش های موثری هستند که به شما کمک می کنند یک خواب آرام و راحت را تجربه...
Normalize It Forward
Hosted by Marc Lehman. Normalize It Forward moved from an average of #69 to #21 (up 48 places), with a best US rank of #14 so far in 2026 and a top-100 position in 2 countries on the latest snapshot. The transition to college and the college years are a challenging phase for a young adult. Besides jumping into a higher level of education and the bigger responsibilities that come with it, they also live away from...
How We Ranked These: CastFox Methodology
CastFox scrapes the Apple Podcasts charts every day in 78 countries and stores every position in the top 200 of every genre. For this list we took the 24 2026 snapshots of the US Mental Health chart between 2026-02-24 and 2026-09-08, and scored every show that appeared in the top 100 of any of them.
- Consistency (50% of the score): the number of snapshots in which the show appeared in the US top 100. Every show on this list scored 24 out of 24, which is the filter that removes one-week spikes.
- Average US rank (30%): the mean of the show's US chart positions across those snapshots. Lower is better.
- Global reach (20%): the number of tracked countries in which the show was in the genre top 100 on the most recent snapshot. This is what separates a show with a large US following from a show with a global one.
There are no paid placements and no editorial overrides. A few shows on this list would not be our personal picks; they are here because the chart data put them here, and we would rather show you what people are actually listening to than what we think they should be. Chart position is not the same as audience size, so treat the ranking as a measure of sustained popularity rather than a download count. For a deeper look at what chart data can and cannot tell you, read how podcast audience demographics are calculated.
How to Pick the Right Mental Health Podcast for You
What are the best podcasts for anxiety and stress?
Start with Being Well and 10% Happier with Dan Harris. Both give you something to do rather than something to worry about: Being Well works through the psychology of a specific difficulty with a clinical psychologist on the mic, and 10% Happier treats meditation as a skill to be taught. If the anxiety is loudest at night, skip both and go to the sleep group below, where the job is not insight but switching off.
What are the best therapy and psychology podcasts?
The Psychology of your 20s is the most accessible way into the research, taking one experience per episode and working through the studies behind it. Being Well goes deeper and is co-hosted by a clinical psychologist. The Dr. John Delony Show is the applied version: real callers, real situations, direct answers.
What are the best mindfulness and meditation podcasts?
10% Happier with Dan Harris is the one to start with if you are skeptical, because Harris was too and the show keeps the science in front of the practice. Sleep Cove is the guided option when you want to be talked through it rather than taught. Office Hours with Arthur Brooks covers the happiness research that sits behind most of these practices.
What are the best mental health podcasts hosted by therapists?
Three shows on this list put a credentialed practitioner in the room. Being Well is co-hosted by Dr. Rick Hanson, a clinical psychologist. Therapy and Theology features Jim Cress, a licensed professional counselor, alongside Lysa TerKeurst. The Dr. John Delony Show is hosted by Dr. John Delony, who holds two PhDs and spent two decades in crisis response before the show. The rest of the list is hosted by journalists, scientists, musicians and people talking about their own experience, which is not a criticism, just a different thing.
What are the best podcasts for burnout and work stress?
Office Hours with Arthur Brooks is the most useful if your problem is that work has stopped feeling like it means anything, since that is the research he covers. The School of Greatness takes the performance angle, which suits people who are still trying to do the work rather than step back from it. The One You Feed is the slower, more reflective option.
What should you listen to if you only have ten minutes a day?
Take one show, not five. The Psychology of your 20s and Make Me Smile with Miist are the two easiest to fit into a short window without losing the thread. The interview shows at the top of this list run long, and starting three of them at once is the fastest way to finish none of them.
Want the next 181 mental health podcasts?
This list is the top 19. The CastFox Mental Health chart page shows the top 50 updated daily, and PodcastGPT can find shows on any specific topic across 5M+ podcasts.
See the daily top 50 → Search by topic →Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Mental Health Podcasts
What is the best mental health podcast in 2026?
By CastFox's chart-consistency score, On Purpose with Jay Shetty is the best mental health podcast of 2026. It appeared in all 24 US Mental Health chart snapshots between February and September with an average US rank of 2, and it charted in all 78 countries CastFox tracks, more than any other show in the category. The School of Greatness and The Psychology of your 20s are second and third.
What are the best wellbeing podcasts 2026 has to offer?
If you mean wellbeing in the broad sense, habits, happiness, sleep and resilience rather than clinical mental health, the strongest four on this list are Office Hours with Arthur Brooks for the happiness research, 10% Happier with Dan Harris for practice, Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson for the psychology, and Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta for the link between mental and physical health. All four charted in every snapshot we took in 2026.
Can a mental health podcast replace therapy?
No. Every show on this list is media, not care, and several say so themselves. Podcasts are good at giving you vocabulary, context and the sense that other people have been through the same thing, and some of them teach real skills such as meditation or reframing. They cannot assess you, and they do not know your situation. If something is affecting your daily life, speak to a licensed professional.
Which mental health podcasts help most with sleep?
Four shows on this list exist for sleep specifically, and they work differently. Sleep With Me tells a deliberately meandering bedtime story so your mind has something dull to follow. Just Sleep reads public-domain stories aloud. White Noise and Sleep Sounds runs twelve-hour sound episodes with no voice at all. Guided Sleep Meditation and Sleep Hypnosis from Sleep Cove talks you down with hypnosis and guided meditation. Pick by whether a voice helps you or keeps you awake.
How is this list ranked?
We scored every show that appeared in the top 100 of the US Mental Health chart across 24 snapshots taken between February 24 and September 8, 2026. The score is 50% consistency, the share of snapshots the show appeared in, 30% average US rank, and 20% global reach, the number of the 78 tracked countries where the show was in the genre top 100 on the latest snapshot. There are no paid placements and no editorial overrides.