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.

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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 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.

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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 Karen Winn, author of THE SOCIETY, and therapist Kara Friedman to explore claustophobia. Together they unpack how fear of enclosed spaces can take hold in the body and mind, and how gradual exposure, paired with practical skills to calm the nervous system, can help people reclaim a sense of safety.

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 Stillwater author Tanya Scott and therapist Dr. Carlos Perez to explore the process of unlearning unhealthy or harmful scripts. From anger and emotional suppression to accountability and repair, they unpack how inherited beliefs about strength and control can seep into relationships, and how awareness, vulnerability, and small but consistent changes can help rewrite the story.

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 THE EIGHT HEARTBREAKS OF HANUKKAH author Jean Meltzer and therapist Dr. Danielle Chesney of Healing After TFMR (termination for medical reasons) to explore grief related to abortion for medical reasons. They unpack the loneliness, trauma, and healing that follow the loss of a wanted pregnancy, and what it takes for couples to grieve together rather than apart. From navigating despair to finding meaning, connection, and hope, this episode offers insight into a loss too often left unseen.

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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 FRANCINE'S SPECTACULAR CRASH AND BURN author Renee Swindle and therapist Ed Chen about how depression shows up as disconnection, withdrawal, and loss of momentum—and how DBT offers concrete skills for getting unstuck. From understanding deactivation and rumination to practicing mindfulness, choice, and re-engagement, they explore how pairing insight with skill can help people rebuild a sense of agency and meaning.

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 The Favorites author Layne Fargo and therapist Kaleigh Cornelison for a deep dive into adolescence, attachment, ambition, and identity. Together they explore what happens when young love becomes all-consuming, how trauma and attachment shape relationships, why growing up can feel so destabilizing, what it truly means to become your own person, inside and outside of love, and ways parents can help navigate this path.

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 Both Things Are True author Kathleen Barber and therapist Jennifer Mullowney of Crossroads Counseling Services to explore how communication, self-concept, and emotional growth shape healthy relationships.

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.