P.S.A the Mental Health Podcast

Season 9 continues with another powerful chapter in the Social Media & You series as Izzy Baker sits down with Anthony Dodson, also known as Mr. Six Ways, for a deeply layered conversation about family, legacy, rebranding, and mental health. Recorded during the holiday season, this episode explores how social media has reshaped the meaning of family — sometimes strengthening blood ties, and other times creating chosen communities that feel just as real.Anthony opens up about building a business alongside his daughter and the often unseen tension of balancing fatherhood with entrepreneurship. Together, he and Izzy unpack the emotional weight of legacy, generational wealth, and the responsibility of not passing down unresolved trauma. The conversation challenges the idea that financial success alone defines legacy, emphasizing instead the importance of healing generational wounds, protecting a child’s identity, and prioritizing mental health over optics.A central theme of the episode is rebranding — not just online, but internally. Anthony speaks candidly about stepping back from constant social media engagement, losing followers during his transition, and shifting his focus from surface-level financial literacy to character development, burnout recovery, and emotional health. Izzy connects this to his own journey of evolving professionally and creatively, highlighting how rebrands often feel uncomfortable before they feel aligned.The discussion also confronts difficult but necessary topics, including suicidal ideation, survivor’s remorse, and the pressure Black men face to remain strong while carrying inherited burdens. Anthony shares how social media can distort self-worth, amplify comparison, and drain mental health, while also acknowledging its potential as a tool for education, community building, and legacy work when used intentionally.As the episode closes, the two reflect on family dynamics, holiday triggers, and what it truly means to leave something better behind — not just money, but memories, emotional safety, and freedom. This episode is for anyone navigating change, questioning their online identity, rebuilding after burnout, or trying to build a future that heals rather than repeats the past.Listen. Reflect. And consider what legacy you’re actively rewriting.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/p-s-a-the-mental-health-podcast--5520511/support.TrustBuilder Package🎯 Level up your professional development influence with the TrustBuilder Package — a social media strategy designed to position you as a thought leader in your space. From authority-building content to engagement that actually converts, we make sure your message doesn’t just get seen… it gets respected. Perfect for personal brands looking to grow their presence and impact. Legacy Launchpad🚀 Build your podcast — and your influence — from the ground up with the Legacy Launchpad. We handle everything: strategy, branding, production, and promotion, so you can focus on delivering value. Designed for personal and professional development influencers who want their voice amplified, their brand elevated, and their legacy secured in the digital space.

This week’s Mental Man Monday livestream is a raw, culture-driven conversation about burnout, growth, and knowing when it’s time to leave a season behind. Izzy Baker opens the episode by recapping the latest PSA: The Mental Health Podcast release, Social Media & You Reloaded Pt. 2, featuring licensed therapist Payton Hogan, and reflects on why conversations around therapy, emotional expression, and suicidal ideation still make many men uncomfortable — especially Black men.From there, the conversation shifts into how early exposure to adult environments can shape long-term dissatisfaction. Using 21 Savage’s viral comments about being “clubbed out” as a case study, Izzy breaks down how many men are introduced to nightlife, validation, and external stimulation at a young age — only to feel bored, empty, or restless later in life. The discussion connects club culture, social conditioning, and mental health, questioning whether burnout is less about age and more about repetition without purpose.The livestream then pivots to John Cena’s retirement and the psychology of endings. Izzy explores what it means to exit a season with intention — whether it’s a career, a relationship, a lifestyle, or an identity you’ve outgrown. The episode challenges men to recognize when it’s time to make a clean break instead of waiting to be forced out, emphasizing the mental toll of staying too long in spaces that no longer serve you.Throughout the conversation, Izzy weaves together faith, personal experience, and cultural commentary — touching on entrepreneurship, financial pressure, family responsibility, and the silent expectations placed on men to “just keep going.” This episode isn’t about shaming the past; it’s about recognizing patterns, honoring growth, and giving yourself permission to move forward.If you’ve ever felt tired of the same routines, disconnected from environments you once loved, or unsure how to transition into your next chapter, this Mental Man Monday is for you.Listen. Reflect. And ask yourself what season you’re being called to leave behind.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/p-s-a-the-mental-health-podcast--5520511/support.TrustBuilder Package🎯 Level up your professional development influence with the TrustBuilder Package — a social media strategy designed to position you as a thought leader in your space. From authority-building content to engagement that actually converts, we make sure your message doesn’t just get seen… it gets respected. Perfect for personal brands looking to grow their presence and impact. Legacy Launchpad🚀 Build your podcast — and your influence — from the ground up with the Legacy Launchpad. We handle everything: strategy, branding, production, and promotion, so you can focus on delivering value. Designed for personal and professional development influencers who want their voice amplified, their brand elevated, and their legacy secured in the digital space.

Part two of Social Media and You dives into one of the most misunderstood topics in mental health: therapy. This week, Izzy Baker sits down with Omaha-based licensed professional counselor Payton Hogan, founder of Bear Company Counseling, for an unfiltered conversation about the intersection of faith, healing, and the internet. What starts as a discussion on how social media glorifies “self-care” quickly becomes a deeper exploration of why so many men avoid therapy altogether.Izzy and Payton break down the myths that keep men silent—like the idea that therapy is just “talking to a stranger” or that prayer alone is enough to fix what discipline and dialogue are meant to address. They discuss how the rise of “therapy culture” online has made mental health both a movement and a marketing trend, and how that confuses people who genuinely need help. Payton shares how he went from private struggle to running a full counseling practice, why community care matters more than image, and how faith can guide—but not replace—the therapeutic process.The episode also challenges the common phrase, “I talk to God, not a therapist,” and examines how spiritual pride can sometimes block emotional growth. Through their conversation, Izzy and Payton connect faith and practicality—showing that therapy isn’t the absence of God, it’s often how He meets you. Together, they discuss the emotional labor of entrepreneurship, the exhaustion that comes from constantly performing strength, and the freedom that comes with being honest about your limits.As the episode closes, Izzy reminds listeners that vulnerability is not weakness—it’s alignment. Healing doesn’t always look holy on social media, but it’s still sacred work. Listen. Reflect. And remember, real men heal out loud.Payton's Social MediaInstagram: @thecyrpodcastYouTube: ‪ ⁨ ⁨@therealpaytonhogan⁩ Website: bearcompanycounseling.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/p-s-a-the-mental-health-podcast--5520511/support.TrustBuilder Package🎯 Level up your professional development influence with the TrustBuilder Package — a social media strategy designed to position you as a thought leader in your space. From authority-building content to engagement that actually converts, we make sure your message doesn’t just get seen… it gets respected. Perfect for personal brands looking to grow their presence and impact. Legacy Launchpad🚀 Build your podcast — and your influence — from the ground up with the Legacy Launchpad. We handle everything: strategy, branding, production, and promotion, so you can focus on delivering value. Designed for personal and professional development influencers who want their voice amplified, their brand elevated, and their legacy secured in the digital space.

Season 9 continues with a brand-new six-part series, Social Media and You, and Izzy Baker kicks it off on Thanksgiving Day with a conversation that hits home for anyone navigating digital life in 2025. From therapy misconceptions to doomscrolling addiction, Izzy opens the series with licensed professional counselor William Sharp, known online as With the Therapist, to explore the real link between social media and mental health. This one isn’t just about apps — it’s about attention, identity, and the hidden ways the online world is shaping how we think, feel, and believe. Izzy begins with humor and honesty, setting the tone for a Thanksgiving special that’s as relatable as it is revealing.The meme of the week reads: “After being on social media… how’s your mental health?” That question drives the episode as Izzy and Will unpack why therapy isn’t just “paid advice,” why so many people — especially Black men — still resist counseling, and how misunderstanding therapy keeps communities stuck in cycles of burnout and emotional isolation. Drawing from Angel Reese and Monaleo’s viral conversation about therapy, Izzy challenges the myth that “therapists tell you what you want to hear,” and instead highlights how real therapy forces us to confront the truths we’ve been avoiding.The discussion quickly widens into the bigger picture — how the digital world has become both a tool and a trap. Izzy and Will take a hard look at the rise of AI therapy tools like ChatGPT, the increasing dependence on digital validation, and how men are using online spaces to process pain in unhealthy ways. Will offers professional insight into why comparison culture hits men differently, explaining how purpose, work, and emotional restraint collide under the pressure of social media. Together, they explore what it means to live authentically when your highlight reel becomes your identity — and why so many “high-functioning” men are thriving online while quietly unraveling offline. In the Happy Hour segment, Izzy addresses one of the most controversial trends of the year — using chatbots as substitutes for therapy — and asks the hard question:At what point are we replacing God with technology? Drawing from Matthew 6:22 and Psalm 101:3, he warns listeners about guarding their eye gates and ear gates, breaking down how overstimulation, gossip algorithms, and endless “self-help” content can distort spiritual and emotional clarity. Will adds balance with practical strategies, from setting social media cut-off times to fasting from digital noise to refocus on purpose. The conversation turns deeply personal as the two men share how they’ve had to guard their peace as both content creators and counselors. Izzy opens up about his own struggles with distraction, comparison, and the temptation to overwork in the name of “purpose.”Will responds with a message on fasting, boundaries, and the freedom that comes from stepping away — even temporarily — to reclaim your mind. They both challenge listeners to examine how much control their phones really have, and to ask: Do you own your feed, or does it own you? By the time the Weekly Sabbatical arrives, the tone turns spiritual. Izzy reads from a reflection on Proverbs 4:20–22, reminding listeners that “what you watch, hear, and meditate on becomes either life or poison to your body.”He connects the scripture to modern habits — the endless scrolling, the comparison traps, and the way entertainment can quietly erode discipline and joy. The challenge of the week is simple but piercing: Do you need a social media fast — and if so, when’s the last time you took one? As Thanksgiving unfolds, Izzy leaves the audience with a reminder that gratitude and presence matter more than performance. You don’t have to post your plate to prove you’re enjoying your blessings. You just have to live them.Listen. Reflect. And don’t be afraid to join the conversation.Will's Social MediaInstagram: @withatherapistTikTok: ‪@withatherapist YouTube: ‪ ⁨@withatherapist⁩ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/p-s-a-the-mental-health-podcast--5520511/support.TrustBuilder Package🎯 Level up your professional development influence with the TrustBuilder Package — a social media strategy designed to position you as a thought leader in your space. From authority-building content to engagement that actually converts, we make sure your message doesn’t just get seen… it gets respected. Perfect for personal brands looking to grow their presence and impact. Legacy Launchpad🚀 Build your podcast — and your influence — from the ground up with the Legacy Launchpad. We handle everything: strategy, branding, production, and promotion, so you can focus on delivering value. Designed for personal and professional development influencers who want their voice amplified, their brand elevated, and their legacy secured in the digital space.

This week’s Mental Man Monday livestream lands right on Thanksgiving week — and Izzy Baker’s back solo with the launch of a brand-new six-part mini-series: Social Media and You. In this first installment, he wastes no time stirring the pot, opening up bold conversations about truth, accountability, and why silence is becoming one of the most dangerous habits among modern men. With just two solo episodes left before the series finale of Season 9, Izzy sets the tone for what’s about to be a stretch of some of the most honest dialogue yet. He starts by recapping last week’s PSA episode, “Did God Tell You To Do That, or Does It Just Make Sense?”, breaking down how obedience often clashes with comfort. Pulling from his own growth and real-life reflections, Izzy challenges listeners to consider how faith gets limited when we try to make everything logical. He calls out how men often get stuck in cycles of “doing what makes sense” rather than trusting divine redirection — highlighting that partial obedience still counts as disobedience, no matter how rational it looks.From there, Izzy shifts into the week’s major headlines: the release of the Epstein files and Nicki Minaj’s viral United Nations speech about the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. In true Mental Man Monday fashion, he approaches both stories with balance — part faith, part logic, and all transparency. He questions the timing of the Epstein file release, challenging the government’s motives and asking whether edited “truths” protect the innocent or simply hide the guilty. It’s not conspiracy for clicks — it’s a deeper reflection on truth, accountability, and discernment in a digital age that rewards distraction.Then comes the curveball: Nicki Minaj. Izzy unpacks how, of all people, Nicki — a female rapper — became the one to publicly speak on Christian persecution before most men of faith did. It’s a sharp, uncomfortable mirror for male audiences. He connects her courage to a broader issue: how fear, groupthink, and cancel culture have made men hesitant to stand on conviction. He doesn’t defend every move she’s made, but he calls her boldness what it is — leadership. Through faith and fire, he questions why men who quote scripture in private remain silent in public, and how social media has turned too many believers into spectators instead of soldiers.As the episode closes, Izzy flips the usual “what would Jesus do?” question into a challenge: What would you do if the truth cost you popularity? He reminds listeners that Jesus didn’t avoid controversy to stay comfortable — He flipped tables when it mattered. Izzy’s final message is both spiritual and practical: if you can speak up about sports, music, and memes, you can speak up about morals too. Because as he says, “Nicki outmanned half of y’all this week — and that’s saying something.”It’s sharp. It’s layered. And it’s a reminder that real manhood doesn’t hide behind silence. Listen. Reflect. And don’t be afraid to join the conversation.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/p-s-a-the-mental-health-podcast--5520511/support.TrustBuilder Package🎯 Level up your professional development influence with the TrustBuilder Package — a social media strategy designed to position you as a thought leader in your space. From authority-building content to engagement that actually converts, we make sure your message doesn’t just get seen… it gets respected. Perfect for personal brands looking to grow their presence and impact. Legacy Launchpad🚀 Build your podcast — and your influence — from the ground up with the Legacy Launchpad. We handle everything: strategy, branding, production, and promotion, so you can focus on delivering value. Designed for personal and professional development influencers who want their voice amplified, their brand elevated, and their legacy secured in the digital space.