427: THE Guided Meditation you need for 2025
The Hardcore Self-Help Podcast with Duff the Psych
Release Date: 01/17/2025
Intimacy, Breakups, and Dating in the Real World: A Conversation with Dr. Justin Garcia
The Hardcore Self-Help Podcast with Duff the Psych
Dating and relationships have never been simple — but in today’s world of apps, algorithms, and endless options, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and disconnected. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Justin Garcia, Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute, evolutionary biologist, sex researcher, and author of the upcoming book The Intimate Animal. We talk about what our biology can (and can’t) tell us about love and desire, how technology is reshaping intimacy, and why breakups can hit so hard. We also get personal — sharing stories about grief, recovery, non-monogamy, and navigating...
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Compassionate and Effective Schizophrenia Care with Dr. Tracy Hicks
The Hardcore Self-Help Podcast with Duff the Psych
In this episode, I’m honored to welcome Dr. Tracy Hicks, a dual-certified family and mental health nurse practitioner with over two decades of clinical experience—and a deeply personal connection to serious mental illness. Dr. Hicks is both the daughter of a parent and the mother of a child with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Her perspective blends professional expertise with lived experience in a way that is both deeply compassionate and refreshingly practical. We talk about what schizophrenia really is (and isn’t), the impact of stigma on individuals and families, and the importance...
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I Am Determined.
The Hardcore Self-Help Podcast with Duff the Psych
In this episode, I share the absolute honest truth about my life at the moment. I also talk about my focus for this year, the phrases I can't get out of my head, and the things I'm grateful for from the last year. Let's do this. Got a question for the show? Email or head over the . Watch the video at Follow me on Instagram at and Facebook at More writings and additional podcast content over at
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A New Approach to OCD: Internal Family Systems w/ Melissa Mose
The Hardcore Self-Help Podcast with Duff the Psych
In this deeply informative episode, I’m joined by licensed marriage and family therapist Melissa Mose, LMFT, who brings 30 years of clinical experience to the table and a unique approach to treating OCD by integrating Internal Family Systems (IFS) with traditional methods like Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Melissa shares how a personal experience—her daughter’s sudden-onset OCD—propelled her into the world of OCD treatment and changed the direction of her career. We talk through how OCD manifests, why traditional ERP can be both life-changing and difficult for people,...
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Celeb Chef Chris Valdes on Mental Health in Kitchens
The Hardcore Self-Help Podcast with Duff the Psych
In this heartfelt and candid episode, I'm joined by Chef Chris Valdes—TV personality, cookbook author, and lifelong culinary artist—to talk about his powerful personal journey through the culinary world and the mental health struggles he’s faced along the way. From growing up in a Cuban restaurant in Miami to rising to national TV fame, Chris has seen both the bright lights and the dark corners of the kitchen. He shares stories of family, grief, hustle, and healing—including why he took a year off from everything to rediscover himself. Whether you're in food service, struggling with...
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Dr. Andrea Martinez Talks Gangs, Loss, Depression, and Learning Discernment.
The Hardcore Self-Help Podcast with Duff the Psych
Friends, welcome back to the Hardcore Self Help Podcast. This is my first interview back after a bit of a journey. I thought there was no better way to kick off this next phase of the podcast than by introducing you to a friend and brilliant human that I met in the interim. Dr. Amy Andrea Martinez is a professor of sociology with a focus on Chicano gang culture, incarceration, and abolition. She is a total badass, and she gets vulnerable about her experiences in this conversation. We discuss how her younger brother's arrest, the development of her identity as a Xicana woman, her experiences...
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The Podcast is Coming Back.
The Hardcore Self-Help Podcast with Duff the Psych
Episode Summary: In this deeply personal solo episode, Dr. Duff returns to the mic after a hiatus to share what’s been going on behind the scenes with The Hardcore Self Help Podcast. He opens up about an almost-acquisition of the show by a larger mental health organization—a deal that initially looked promising but ultimately fell through. With transparency and vulnerability, Dr. Duff reflects on the emotional and professional impact of that experience, explains why the podcast paused, and announces the exciting new direction it’s headed in. What You'll Hear In This Episode: Why the...
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437: Multicultural Identity, Somatic Healing, and Embodied Code Switching w/ Marcia Bonato Warren
The Hardcore Self-Help Podcast with Duff the Psych
In this insightful interview, I’m joined by Marcia Bonato Warren, a trauma-informed body therapist, somatic counselor, interculturalist, and author. Marcia brings over 30 years of experience working with cross-cultural mental health, and she shares a powerful lens on how identity, culture, and trauma intersect in the body. Together, we explore the concept of embodied code switching, how our bodies carry cultural and ancestral imprints, and how healing often involves not just the mind, but movement, sensation, and deep awareness of the self. Marcia discusses her personal journey as a...
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436: Facing Horrific Family Trauma & Finding Joy After Divorce
The Hardcore Self-Help Podcast with Duff the Psych
In this episode, Dr. Duff takes on two powerful listener questions in a raw and compassionate Q&A format. The first question comes from a survivor of extensive childhood abuse, religious trauma, and complex family dynamics, who is wrestling with the decision of whether or not to publish a deeply personal memoir. Dr. Duff dives into the emotional, psychological, and ethical layers of this situation, offering validation, insight, and a heartfelt reminder that healing and storytelling can be acts of empowerment. The second question comes from a newly single parent facing feelings of...
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435: Moving Past infidelity & Coping with Sudden Medication Changes
The Hardcore Self-Help Podcast with Duff the Psych
In this episode, I address two deeply personal listener questions that highlight the complex nature of anxiety and emotional healing in relationships. The first question comes from a listener who has struggled with anxiety for most of their life, recently facing severe limitations due to Generalized Anxiety Disorder and medication changes. We talk about the genetic components of anxiety, the risks of benzodiazepines in older adults, and the importance of advocating for the right care—even if that means seeking new providers or considering higher levels of treatment. The second question dives...
info_outlineIn this special episode of the Hardcore Self Help Podcast, I lead you through a guided meditation designed to help you let go of mental burdens and find focus in an overwhelming world. Using visualization techniques and intentional breathing exercises, this meditation offers a space to acknowledge your stressors, release tension, and tap into a feeling of calm and clarity.
This experience is set in a vivid mindscape of space, where you can imagine yourself aboard a futuristic spacecraft, surrounded by the beauty of the cosmos. Together, we’ll navigate through moments of recognition, release, and rejuvenation. By the end of this session, you’ll feel more centered and grounded, with a renewed connection to how you’d like to move forward.
Whether you’re a seasoned meditator or new to mindfulness, this episode is a judgment-free zone to focus on yourself. Bookmark it to return to anytime you need a mental reset.
Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by NOCD, a leading provider of virtual therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). If you’re stuck in cycles of overthinking, compulsive behaviors, or intrusive thoughts, NOCD offers specialized treatment using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)—a gold-standard therapy for OCD.
They provide virtual sessions with licensed therapists, accept many major insurance plans, and offer support between sessions to make treatment as accessible as possible.
To learn more about OCD and how NOCD Therapy can help, visit http://learn.nocd.com/
Chapters:
- 00:15 — Introduction: Why This Meditation Matters
- 03:00 — Sponsor: NOCD – Treatment for OCD Symptoms
- 04:30 — Setting the Scene: Guided Visualization in Space
- 08:00 — Acknowledging and Offloading Mental Burdens
- 13:00 — Breathing for Release: Techniques to Let Go
- 17:00 — Choosing Your Focus and Setting Your Intention
- 19:30 — Relaxation Breathing and Body Scan
- 25:00 — Final Reflections and Letting the Experience Settle
About the Podcast
I’m Dr. Robert Duff, a clinical psychologist and host of the Hardcore Self Help Podcast. My mission is to make mental health topics relatable and actionable. Whether through guided meditations like this one, Q&A sessions, or expert interviews, I aim to help you navigate life’s challenges with clarity and confidence.
Connect With Me:
- Website: https://duffthepsych.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/duffthepsych
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/duffthepsych
Hashtags:
#GuidedMeditation #Mindfulness #MentalHealth #Relaxation #StressRelief #SelfHelp