Turning Points: Navigating Mental Health

Latest Episodes:

Protecting Your Mental Health in a Constant News Cycle | S6E5 Nov 04, 2026

Show notes

In a world of breaking alerts and nonstop headlines, many of us are consuming far more information than we were ever built to handle. Constant exposure to crisis-driven social media and AI-generated content can quietly fuel anxiety and unease, even when staying informed feels like a civic duty. This episode explores the mental health toll of the 24/7 news cycle with former TV news producer Lisa Thalhamer, who studied trauma's effects on journalists, and MIT social scientist Sherry Turkle, author of Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines. Together they unpack how to stay engaged without becoming overwhelmed, and why the answer might be as simple as pretending it's the '80s.

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Parenting in the Age of Social Media | S6E4 Oct 28, 2026

Show notes

When Sabine Polak's daughter started high school, something shifted almost overnight. Her grades dropped, her mood changed, and her phone became the center of everything. Sabine turned that experience into the Phone Free Schools Movement. This week, Sabine joins host Frantzces Lys along with Dr. Gene Beresin of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital to unpack the dynamics of parenting children and teenagers in the age of social media. Dr. Beresin shares research on how social media hooks the developing brain, why secure attachment matters more than parental controls, and how families can start these conversations before a crisis hits.

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The Caregiver You Never Planned To Be | S6E3 Oct 21, 2026

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Laura Mauldin fell in love in her twenties, and then watched that relationship change shape when her partner’s cancer returned. In this episode of Turning Points: Navigating Mental Health, host Frantzces Lys talks with Laura, now a sociologist and author of In Sickness and in Health. Laura shares her experience from the invisible slide into caregiving: the grief with no clear name, the hypervigilance, the trauma responses she didn't recognize until years later. Sociologist Dr. Sung Park adds research context, including how caregiving burdens fall unevenly across immigrant families, the "sandwich generation," and the long-term toll on caregivers' health, finances, and careers. Caregiving can't be sustained by love alone. It requires community, support, and permission to say the hard things out loud.

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Starting Therapy Later in Life, with Tina Walsh and Dr. Helen Kyomen | S6E2 Oct 14, 2026

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Tina Walsh spent decades being the person everyone else counted on. But in her forties, she found herself in a therapist’s office for the first time. With a marriage under strain and a family history of "keeping it private,” those early conversations with a therapist kicked off decades of re-building the foundation of her mental health.

This week, Frantzces talks with Tina about what it took to finally ask for help: the near-accidental start, the divorce she never planned for, the sudden loss of her husband, and the years of somatic therapy and yoga that helped her reconnect with herself. Then, geriatric psychiatrist Dr. Helen Kyomen, Medical Director of the Boston Medical Center–Brighton Geriatric Psychiatry Program, joins to unpack why so many older adults wait so long to seek care, what actually brings people through her door, and why it's never too late to ask for help.

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The Health Toll of Widowhood - How You Can Continue Living After Loss | S6E1 Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

After the loss of her husband, Cynthia Blanc Preiss MacLean (@therealmentorcynthia) spent years hiding the truth. She joins the show to talk about continuing to live after loss, the judgment widows face when they start dating again, and how she learned to frolic, even while grieving. Geriatric psychiatrist Dr. Nancy Donovan explains the science behind that story: why losing a spouse doesn't just break your heart, it can measurably affect your body and brain, including a heightened risk of cognitive decline. Together, they explore what grief actually asks of us, and how connection, even imperfect and long after loss, can help us heal.

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Turning Points: Navigating Mental Health Returns for Season Six | S6E0 Sep 30, 2026

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There's often a specific moment that pushes someone to finally ask for help. This season, host Frantzces Lys explores the turning points, the ones that lead people to make that first call, walk into a therapist's office, or admit they can't do it alone.

From Tufts Health Plan, Turning Points: Navigating Mental Health dives into what keeps people going when life gets hard, what they learn about themselves in the process, and how healing rarely follows a straight line.

Join us this season for honest conversations about mental health at every stage of life. Follow Turning Points: Navigating Mental Health on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

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Combating the Loneliness Epidemic: How Social Connection Can Save Lives | S5E5 Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

Loneliness has been called more dangerous than smoking 15 cigarettes daily—a stark warning from the former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. Social isolation is a hidden health crisis affecting millions, especially older adults.

In this episode of Turning Points, Frantzces talks with Roxy Rocker, a Disability rights advocate, founder of Embracing Disability, who reveals how chronic illness and disability can intensify loneliness and offers practical strategies for overcoming barriers to social connection. Frantzces is also joined by Dr. James Lubben, Professor Emeritus at Boston College and UCLA, to learn more about groundbreaking findings from his decades-long research on social isolation among older adults. They discuss evidence-based interventions for combating elderly loneliness, and policy solutions for strengthening social support systems.

Follow the Turning Points podcast on your favorite podcasting app so you never miss an episode. Leave the podcast a rating, review or tell a friend about the show.

Visit globe.com/turningpoints for more information on mental health care and resources.

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Fighting the Loneliness Epidemic and the Power of Intergenerational Friendship | S5E4 Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

Can a meaningful friendship bridge a 51-year age gap and help combat social isolation? Meet Peter and Pooja; two unlikely companions whose intergenerational bond proves that friendships can flourish when we break down barriers and embrace human connection.

In this episode of Turning Points, explore how Peter and Pooja’s weekly conversations through Boston's FriendshipWorks program evolved from a simple volunteer match into a life-changing friendship filled with book launches, grocery runs, and life advice that flows both ways.

We also speak with Kyle Robidoux, Executive Director of FriendshipWorks. He shares insights on addressing social isolation and loneliness and how community-based friendship programs are strengthening social connections.

Peter and Pooja's transformative friendship shows that when we approach relationships without preconceived notions, we can unlock the healing power of human connection. Their story offers hope and practical wisdom for anyone struggling with loneliness or seeking to build deeper, more meaningful relationships.

Follow the Turning Points podcast on your favorite podcasting app so you never miss an episode. Leave the podcast a rating, review or tell a friend about the show.

Visit globe.com/turningpoints for more information on mental health care and resources.

Guests: Peter MacIntyre, Dr. Pooja K. Agarwal, Kyle Robidoux

Host: Frantzces Lys

Follow the Turning Points podcast on your favorite podcasting app so you never miss an episode. Leave the podcast a rating, review or tell a friend about the show.

Visit globe.com/turningpoints for more information on mental health care and resources.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Hidden Mental Health Journey of Menopause and Perimenopause | S5E3 Oct 22, 2025

Show notes

For years, Annalisa thought the anxiety, sleepless nights, and brain fog were just stress from COVID. But when she could barely function at work and felt like a stranger in her own body, she discovered the real culprit: perimenopause and menopause. We explore the profound mental health effects of this natural transition that affects nearly every woman, yet remains largely misunderstood.

Annalisa shares her five-year journey from feeling like she was "going crazy" to finding effective treatment through hormone therapy. Dr. Tara Iyer, medical director of the Menopause and Midlife Clinic at Brigham and Women's Hospital, explains the science behind why hormonal changes can trigger depression, anxiety, and cognitive issues - and what women can do about it.

If you or someone you love is navigating perimenopause or menopause, this episode offers both validation and hope. From the importance of self-advocacy to finding the right healthcare provider, we discuss practical steps for getting support during one of life's most challenging transitions.

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Caring for Loved Ones with Dementia | S5E2 Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

Caring for aging parents or loved ones — especially those with dementia — can take a deep emotional toll. In this episode, we’ll speak with a therapist or mental health professional about the mental and emotional effects of caregiving, including burnout, guilt, grief, and stress. Then we’ll hear from a caregiver who shares their honest experience: the exhaustion, the emotional complexity, and the deep sense of connection that can come from spending this time with a loved one. It’s a look at both the challenges and the moments of meaning that come with showing up day after day.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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