Podcasts by Social Anxiety Variety Hour
Ever been uncomfortable at a party or, you know, anywhere other humans go? This show is for you! Author, comedian
Further podcasts by Sara Benincasa
Podcast on the topic Mentale Gesundheit
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Roxane Gay Is Ready For Her Cookbook Deal from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.728429
Best selling author Roxane Gay joins Sara from her home in a different part of Los Angeles to discuss the social impact of soap operas, the soothing practice of baking, and the importance of giving...
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Travis McElroy Doesn’t LOVE Uncertainty from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.727550
Sara talks to her friend, comedian and podcast host Travis McElroy, about finding out about shelter in place rules while on a cruise ship. co-parenting a toddler and a newborn, and his livestream p...
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Chuck Wendig Is In A Shed from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.726464
Two relaxation exercises in one episode! Plus, bestselling sci-fi author Chuck Wendig also writes and talks and thinks about plenty of other stuff. He chats with Sara from his shed in the countrysi...
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Parker Molloy Is Almost The Coolest Person in Her Isolation Pod from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.725636
Sara asks Parker Molloy "What's your poison?" and they are, in fact, talking about emotionally eating cereal. Parker talks about writing, politics, enduring stress, and raising a puppy with a perso...
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Lori Gottlieb Is A VERY Busy Therapist from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.724847
Bestselling author and talented therapist Lori Gottlieb shares suggestions on how to deal with grief, fear and unproductive anxiety vs. productive anxiety. She also speaks movingly about not being ...
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Sebastian Roche Knows Wild Things from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.724002
Actor Sebastian Roche (Supernatural, General Hospital, Man in the High Castle) talks to Sara about growing up on a crowded small boat, finding joy in nature, fighting fascism, and how he keeps hope...
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Ben Lee Casts Musical Spells from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.722866
Ben Lee is a talented Australian musician who has accomplished various beautiful things. Naturally, Sara brings up the fact that he was in Sassy magazine as a teen. They discuss kindness, music cre...
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Thomas Sadoski Thinks Globally from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.673129
Veteran stage and screen actor Thomas Sadoski ("Tommy" on CBS; "The Newsroom" on HBO) talks to Sara about his work with refugee children through the fantastic medical charity INARA. In return, S...
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Alex Berg Kicks Ass On Roller Skates from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.672382
Alex Berg, host of Buzzfeed's AM2DM, chats with Sara about interviewing famous people during a vulnerable time, pivoting from a fancy studio set to her closet, the glory of cats, roller derby ad...
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Jessica Ellis Is A Filmmaker With Great Bangs from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.671634
Sara and Jessica got to chatting when they were volunteer boosters for the Elizabeth Warren campaign, though they've known of each other's work for awhile. In late March, they recorded this chat...
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Thomas Lennon Is A Goth Dandy from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.670561
Sara talks to enchanting screenwriter and actor Tom Lennon (Reno 911!, The State) about becoming a sketch comedy star in late adolescence, getting beaten nearly to death as an NYU student, and o...
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Kelly AuCoin Is Not Actually A Finance Bro from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.669654
Kelly AuCoin plays Dollar Bill on "Billions," and his list of other credits is very long. In this episode, recorded in early April 2020, Sara demands to know why Kelly doesn't remember every det...
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Rabbi Iggy Loves Tattoos and Torah from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.668532
Rabbi Igael Gurin-Malous was born in Belgium and has lived and traveled all over the world. He now dwells in NYC with his husband and teenage kids, where he's building an amazing recovery commun...
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Black Lives Matter from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.660856
In this short episode, Sara shares some resources by people way smarter than her. She also talks about learning and unlearning racism, trying to be decent, admitting your flaws, working on your ...
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Conner Habib Grew Up With White Supremacists from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.655618
Conner Habib is a former porn star and sex workers' rights advocate. He's also a Syrian-American kid from rural-ish Pennsylvania. Now a doctoral candidate, Conner talks to Sara from his flat in ...
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Chelsea Connor Is The Queen Of Anoles from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.651471
Meet Chelsea Connor, a young Black scientist and one of the cofounders of #BlackBirdersWeek. Chelsea is from Dominica (Sara pronounces it wrong right off the bat - it's an island country in the ...
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Season 1 Finale: Amanda Yates Garcia Will Bewitch You from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.650201
In the Season 1 finale of the only mental health podcast hosted by an author/comedian and executive produced by a demon queen cat named Polly, Sara Benincasa talks to Amanda Yates Garcia, a.k.a....
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Relaxation Kit For When You're Freaking Out from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.645647
Sara takes you through a series of relaxation exercises designed to help on and immediately after Election Day 2020 (and, honestly, kinda whenever you're flipping out). Break glass in case of em...
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Breathwork Minisode: Belly Breathing from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.639659
In the first of a series of mini-episodes on breathwork, Sara teaches the belly breath and talks about snake oil salespeople in the world of wellness. You can support this podcast at Patreon.com...
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Book Report: LEONARDO DA VINCI Part 1 from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.634978
In our inaugural BOOK REPORT episode, Sara loses her mind over the wonderful LEONARDO DA VINCI by Walter Isaacson, narrated by Alfred Molina. Based on Listen
Make Some Tiny Goals! from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.630157
In lieu of resolutions, Sara offers two simple methods for getting stuff done: a weekly chore chart, and a list of ten small, achievable goals for the year. You can support this podcast at Listen
Relaxation in Winter & Beyond from 2022-02-21T12:20:33.628891
Ways to pamper and soothe yourself: meditation, candles, houseplants, floral arrangements, writing, skincare with bizarre French names, body oil from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Buncombe County,...
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Healing Our Anxiety & Agoraphobia from 2021-12-22T12:28:38
Sara answers a message from a listener whose spouse is suffering from agoraphobia due to fears around COVID-19 and gun violence. This episode includes resources for mental health assistance, and...
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Minisode: Social Anxiety & Parties from 2021-10-30T01:37:04
In this short episode, Sara talks about getting anxious about parties, and not beating yourself up for it. Thank you to all Patreon supporters at Patreon.com/SaraBenincasa.
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Halloween & OnlyFans with Gia Cognata, P.I. from 2021-10-23T19:51:45
Model, video creator, makeup artist and private investigator Gia Cognata, Sara's probable biological cousin, joins the program to talk about a new income...
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Astrology, Cats & Curls with Jessica Lanyadoo from 2021-10-10T18:37:20
Sara talks to the stylish & saucy Jessica Lanyadoo, who is an astrologer, animal communicator, host of GHOST OF A PODCAST, and author. Jessica is funny, thoughtful, hardworking, and compelling. ...
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Audio Essay: These Were Our Years from 2021-08-19T21:57:23
Sara reads a recent essay and talks about some mental health resources. Thanks to subscribers at Patreon.com/SaraBenincasa.
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Breathe, Baby, Breathe from 2021-08-15T04:54:48
Sara is mildly overwhelmed but mostly coherent in this episode, and shares a few simple breathing exercises with you. These techniques are meant to be done for a brief period of time only. Don't...
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We're Back, Baby! from 2021-07-28T23:36:29
After a few months off, Sara Benincasa and your favorite stress relief podcast are back with an update, some inspiring words, some stories, random laughter, recommendations for great books and n...
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Breathwork Minisode: Square Breathing from 2021-04-21T07:18:15
Speaking in the context of the national news around police brutality this week, Sara leads you through the square breath technique. Support the podcast at Patreon.com/SaraBenincasa and rate, rev...
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Pop Culture Therapy w/Matt Catanzano from 2021-01-15T08:01:35
Actor, podcaster (LATE FEES), writer and unusually symmetrically-faced person from Boston Matt Catanzano joins Sara for a freewheeling discussion of the magic of movies, TV, and DIY art projects...
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Post-WW84 Healing Journey from 2020-12-30T16:55
In this unedited and somewhat bananas episode, Sara welcomes friend, fellow comedian, overworked hospital employee and podcaster Mike Mercadal to the podcast to freak out about Wonder Woman 1984...
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Recovery, Gratitude & Grief from 2020-12-22T08:39:09
Sara wraps up the year with an episode about recovery, loss, and love, with a special remembrance of comedian Catie Lazarus (1976-2020). This episode concludes with a breathwork exercise. Suppor...
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Rev. Galen Guengerich On The Way Of Gratitude from 2020-11-29T04:35:52
The Reverend Galen Guengerich, author of "The Way of Gratitude" and senior minister at
Return To This Moment from 2020-11-16T19:17:21
A mini episode with breathing exercises designed to help you refocus after a big event (like, you know, an election), a giant rush of emotion, or just a long day. Please support this podcast and...
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Fred And Me (And You) from 2020-10-15T04:04:25
Sara just moved 2800 miles, so here's a mini episode featuring an essay about love and history, plus some relaxation exercises for you. Support this podcast at Patreon.com/SaraBenincasa. Thank y...
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Director Sam Bailey Creates What She Wants To See from 2020-08-28T21:34:51
Here's the actual, full-length interview with Sam Bailey (Dear White People, Brown Girls, You're So Talented), a critically acclaimed writer, producer, director, once (and maybe future) actress,...
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Season 2 Premiere: Monique Moses of Astronomy Club! from 2020-08-17T23:25:47
Monique Moses is a Canadian actress, improviser and teacher who co-stars in Netflix's "Astronomy Club," one of Sara's favorite shows of the past 25 years (no, seriously - Sara compares it to "Th...
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Armand Cann Is Pro-Turtle, Anti-Racism from 2020-06-24T21:39:36
Young scientist Armand Cann talks to Sara about his work in biology, his love for wilderness, the importance of connecting with other young Black scientists online as a method of self-care, his ...
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Sidney Woodruff Tells People Not To Bother The Bears from 2020-06-18T04:58:13
Sidney Woodruff, 25, does her doctoral studies at UC Davis and conducts research in Yosemite National Park. She talks to Sara about being a young, Black, queer scientist; how she's received as a...
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Giulia Rozzi Is A 1st Generation Spitfire from 2020-06-11T01:01:41
Sara talks to her longtime friend Giulia Rozzi, a comedian, writer, actress, director and first-generation American. They talk about how sociology influences Giulia's comedy, socially distant pr...
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Brian Koppelman Writes TV, Movies And Songs from 2020-05-21T06:48:17
"Billions" co-creator and showrunner Brian Koppelman talks to Sara about a creative life, being of service during quarantine, staying grounded, and the magic of "The Artist's Way." You can suppo...
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Val Harvey Walks In Many Worlds from 2020-05-19T22:09:35
Sara interviews hair and makeup artist Val Harvey, her friend of many years. They talk about religion, racism, flouting societal norms and parental expectations, death, cults, sexism and other l...
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Stephanie Schriock Knows Some Overqualified Ladies from 2020-05-18T20:12:18
Sara talks to Emily's List president Stephanie Schriock about electing talented, hardworking, pro-choice Democrat women to offices from the school board up to the White House. They also discuss ...
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Myq Kaplan Made A New Album from 2020-05-17T04:31:57
Comedian Myq Kaplan chats with Sara about managing stress, grieving a loss in quarantine, and the strangeness of adjusting to spending zero time on the road doing gigs. You can support this podc...
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Casper Kelly Wants To Write Romance Novels from 2020-05-13T17:39:36
Casper Kelly (Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell, Too Many Cooks) pops in from Atlanta to confess his career aspiration: romance novels. ...
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Ben Mankiewicz Has A Voice For Storytelling from 2020-05-11T07:31:39
Ben Mankiewicz is the host of Turner Classic Movies, a co-founder of The Young Turks, and a former TV reporter. He talks to Sara about building one's own career, parenting in the time of quarona, h...
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Judd Winick Does Not Care For Pretend Perfect Parenting from 2020-04-30T10:13
Bestselling author, critically acclaimed comics writer and The Real World: San Francisco alum Judd Winick talks to Sara about what happens when people stop being polite and start sheltering at h...
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Ashley Nicole Black Feels Relatively Normal-ish from 2020-04-29T10:33
Ashley Nicole Black (Full Frontal with Sam Bee, A Black Lady Sketch Show) talks to Sara about why people with clinically diagnosed anxiety may be feeling weirdly calm these days - at least some ...
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Liz Hannah Is A Baby Genius from 2020-04-28T10:35
Sara repeatedly claims that one-woman TV and film factory Liz Hannah is 22 years old, despite Liz's claims to the contrary. Liz is an incredible writer (The Post, Long Shot, All The Bright Place...
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Josh Radnor Is A Renaissance Human from 2020-04-27T10:37
Josh Radnor (Hunters, How I Met Your Mother, Radnor & Lee) is most widely known as an actor, but he's a creative multi-hyphenate. This Ohio-raised artist talks to Sara about music, writing, acti...
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Rabbi Jill Zimmerman Walks A Path With Heart from 2020-04-17T07:35
Sara talks to Rabbi Jill Zimmerman, who has an online congregation called Hineni. They talk about mindfulness, Judaism, and the power of connecting online regardless of the faith in which you were ...
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Taali Won't Stop Singing from 2020-04-16T07:35
Sara talks to musician Taali (Talia Billig) of Rainbow Blonde Records. Taali had to cancel a tour, but there's no way she's going to stop creating music for as long as she possibly can. Her latest ...
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Tabetha Wallace Used To Be A Mortuary Makeup Artist from 2020-04-15T07:35
Tabetha Wallace is a veteran journalist, a soon-to-be author, a daughter of the Midwest, and a proud resident of Washington, D.C. She's also an audiobook narrator, one of Sara's dream jobs. She tal...
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John Ross Bowie Enjoys Being A Fake Dad & A Real Dad from 2020-04-14T07:35
John Ross Bowie is an actor ("Big Bang Theory," "Speechless," "Jumanji 2.") He's also a playwright, a dad, a husband, an improviser, a mensch, and a person for whom gray hair is working well. He an...
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Rob Belushi Doesn't Do Drugs from 2020-04-13T07:35
Actor and TV host Rob Belushi talks to Sara about sobriety, teaching at Second City, the joy of giving away money on Game Show Network, and being a part of his community. Please support LALGBT.org ...
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Sharon Salzberg Is Not Always Chill from 2020-03-31T07:35
Highly-regarded meditation teacher and author Sharon Salzberg talks to Sara about kindness, stress, and living with some peace in the midst of turmoil. Sara also speaks about a panic attack she rec...
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Niccole Thurman is Madonna's Assistant from 2020-03-30T07:35
Okay, actress Niccole Thurman isn't actually Madonna's assistant. But creating characters is one way this funny human stays inventive and creative during this time (and, honestly, during regular ti...
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Steven Weber Does Not Love The Impeached President from 2020-03-27T07:35
Sara talks about panic attacks - how to identify them and how to deal with them. Plus she welcomes a special guest. Steven Weber (NBC Indebted, Wings, tons of other stuff) is one of Sara's favorite...
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Ingrid Haas Has REALLY Been Going Through It from 2020-03-26T07:35
Sara talks to writer-director-actress Ingrid Haas about experiencing pregnancy loss and waking up from surgery to discover her directorial debut screening at SXSW had been cancelled. Yeah. This one...
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Alicia Hannah Loves America from 2020-03-25T07:35
Alicia Hannah is an actress, environmental advocate, and Korean-Australian-American world traveler. Sara talks to her about the impeached president, the profound experience of visiting Sydney durin...
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Ryan H. Walsh Is No Longer On Tour from 2020-03-24T07:35
Ryan H. Walsh talks to Sara about receiving shelter in place orders while traveling with his band, Hallelujah the Hills (HallelujahtheHills.com). Check out Ryan's deep dive into Van Morrison's time...
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Mikki Kendall Enjoys Boundaries and Manicures from 2020-03-23T07:35
Chicago's own Mikki Kendall, who just published "Hood Feminism" and "Amazons, Abolitionists and Activists: A Graphic History of Women's Fight for Their Rights," is a hard worker, an intellectual, a...
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Meredith Goldstein And Romance Novel Therapy from 2020-03-20T20:28
In today's episode, Boston Globe columnist Meredith Goldstein breaks down the surprising therapeutic benefits of romance novels. Also, Sara is getting a foster cat! Support the podcast via Patreon ...
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Alex Winter Made The Right Call from 2020-03-19T22:24
Alex Winter (The Panama Papers) is a director, actor, producer, and acclaimed documentarian. He was set to do a lot of press this year for his much-anticipated documentary on Frank Zappa, as well a...
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Jon Cryer's Crafty Quarantine from 2020-03-18T18:13
Sara talks to actor-producer Jon Cryer, who is Lex Luthor on the CW's "Supergirl" but way better in real life. He and his fabulous wife, Lisa Joyner, are crafting away the hours in between remote w...
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When They Just Won't Stay Home from 2020-03-17T20:59
What do you do when your friend or loved one refuses to stay away from bars and parties? Sara breaks down one conflict resolution conversational technique. Plus, alternate nostril breathing looks w...
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Remember to Breathe from 2020-03-17T00:11
In our premiere episode, Sara talks about mental health and self-care in the time of isolation. She shares a helpful breath-work technique you can do anywhere. Produced by Sara Benincasa and Spo...
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Remember to Breathe from 2020-03-17T00:11
In our premiere episode, Sara talks about mental health and self-care in the time of isolation. She shares a helpful breath-work technique you can do anywhere. Produced by Sara Benincasa and Spoke ...
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Remember to Breathe from 2020-03-17T00:11
In our premiere episode, Sara talks about mental health and self-care in the time of isolation. She shares a helpful breath-work technique you can do anywhere. Produced by Sara Benincasa and Spo...
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