The Season 6 finale of Going There with Dr. Mike is a powerful look back at the art of healing. In this special episode, host Dr. Mike Friedman revisits conversations with artists who have vulnerably shared their personal journeys, collectively showing that healing is not a single event but a continuous process of building a life that holds space for both our scars and our strength.

The episode highlights several key themes explored throughout the season. The journey often starts with finding belonging, as Kenny from The Head and the Heart shares how a welcoming community provided a crucial anchor that helped him become the person he wanted to be. The conversation also explores redefining grief, with Bishop Briggs offering a unique perspective, describing it as "glitter" that lives alongside us. Jordan Miller of The Beaches speaks honestly about the struggle of persona and finding a healthy balance, while Jim James of My Morning Jacket pinpoints the profound struggle of simply giving ourselves permission to heal. The episode culminates with Mon Rovîa's powerful philosophy of alchemizing what is broken, referencing the Japanese art of Kintsugi.

Dr. Mike also revisits his conversation with musician and social media personality Loren Gray, who speaks about her struggle with depression and the pressure of a public life. She discusses the stress of feeling like she had to exude a false sense of happiness and the importance of having the agency to heal on your own terms.

Listen to these powerful stories of hope and resilience in the Going There with Dr. Mike finale. Make sure to follow the podcast on your favorite podcast provider to hear all the new episodes from Season 6. You can also follow the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our shows

Season 6 of Going There with Dr. Mike is brought to you by Johnson & Johnson who believes that health is everything. Their strength in healthcare innovation empowers them to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through their expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, they are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at www.jnj.com, on the JanssenUS and JNJInnovMed on X.

Singer-songwriter Mon Rovîa joins host Dr. Mike Friedman on Going There with Dr. Mike to explore the profound and painful feeling of not belonging. The conversation begins with Mon unpacking the concept of reassuring ourselves that we are "meant to be here," set against the backdrop of his own life story. Born in the second Liberian Civil War and adopted by missionaries, Mon details his journey of navigating trauma and racism in America, which often led him to question his identity. The episode explores the weight of being a "token black kid," the silent anger that builds from microaggressions, and the danger of suppressing one’s feelings in an attempt to assimilate.

The conversation delves into Mon’s candid experience with finding a path toward healing and self-acceptance. He shares how music became a form of "alchemy"—a way to take the broken pieces of his past and glue them together into something beautiful and strong. Mon discusses how reconnecting with his history in Liberia and reading authors like James Baldwin helped him build the confidence to "wear the cracks" of his trauma. The episode explores how this journey is reflected in his "Afro Appalachian folk" music, which aims to take the "nutrients" from painful experiences to create a new, authentic identity.

Listen to Mon Rovîa talk with Dr. Mike about identity, racism, trauma, healing, and more. Then, make sure to follow Going There with Dr. Mike via your favorite podcast provider to hear all the new episodes from Season 6. You can also follow the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our shows.

Season 6 of Going There with Dr. Mike is brought to you by Johnson & Johnson who believes that health is everything. Their strength in healthcare innovation empowers them to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through their expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, they are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at www.jnj.com, on the JanssenUS and JNJInnovMed on X.

On this archival episode of Going There with Dr. Mike, Dr Mike revisits a conversation with Bartees Strange. The Farm to Table artist joins host Dr. Mike Friedman for a discussion about the concept of validation and why it is so critical for maintaining strong mental health and emotional well-being.

Strange explains how he experienced the damaging effects of invalidation when dealing with racism, often feeling that some people in his life would either directly or inadvertently invalidate that experience. As an example, he describes growing up in Oklahoma and witnessing violence against black people and fearing violence against himself. When others told him he'd be "fine" or "safe," it didn't reassure him -- it only made him feel more frightened.

He also discusses the feelings of invalidation that came when others told him following his love of music was not a valid choice.

Listen to Bartees Strange talk with Dr. Mike about all this and more. Then, make sure to follow Going There with Dr. Mike via your favorite podcast provider to hear all the new episodes from Season 6. You can also follow the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our shows.

Season 6 of Going There with Dr. Mike is brought to you by Johnson & Johnson who believes that health is everything. Their strength in healthcare innovation empowers them to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through their expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, they are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at www.jnj.com, on the JanssenUS and JNJInnovMed on X.