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A Little Help For Our Friends

A Little Help For Our Friends

Written by: Dr. Kibby McMahon
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About this listen

A LITTLE HELP FOR OUR FRIENDS is a mental health podcast hosted by Dr. Kibby McMahon, licensed clinical psychologist and CEO of KulaMind. The podcast sheds light on the psychological issues your loved ones could be struggling with and provides scientifically-informed perspectives on various mental health topics like dealing with toxic relationships, narcissism, trauma, and therapy.

As a clinical psychologist from Duke University, Dr. Kibby shares her expertise on the relational nature of mental health. She mixes evidence-based learning with her own personal examples and stories from their listeners. Episodes are a range of solo episodes with Dr. Kibby, as well as with featured guests including Bachelor Nation members such as Zac Clark speaking on addiction recovery, Ben Higgins on loneliness, and Jenna Cooper on cyberbullying, as well as therapists & doctors such as sleep specialist Dr. Jade Wu, world experts on personality disorders like Dr. Zach Rosenthal, amongst many others. Additional topics covered on the podcast have included fertility, gaslighting, depression, mental health & veterans, mindfulness, and much more. Episodes are released every other week. For more information, check out www.ALittleHelpForOurFriends.com

Do you need help coping with a loved one's mental or emotional problems? Check out www.KulaMind.com, an exclusive community where you can connect other fans of "A Little Help" and get support from Dr. Kibby directly.

Dr. Kibby McMahon
Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • From Toxic Patterns to a Healthy Marriage: 5 Mindset Shifts To Find "The One"
    Jan 21 2026

    This episode shares five mindset shifts that helped Dr. Kibby stop chasing toxic relationships and finally find a real life partner.

    How do you know when you've found "the one"? Disney movies and rom coms aside, how do we even figure out who should we spend the rest of our lives with? Dr. Kibby breaks down the five giant shifts in perspective that led her to the right husband: choosing a partner who can truly care for you “in sickness and in health,” ending the urge to heal childhood wounds by repeating old patterns, prioritizing someone who will be a strong co-parent, and valuing a partner who can reliably handle life’s logistics. If you’ve felt like you’re parenting a grown adult, walking on eggshells, or stuck in the same exhausting cycle, these shifts offer a practical path out- grounded in therapy breakthroughs, grief work, and different choices from day one.

    Dr. Kibby shares stories about how and when she made those mindset shifts (including navigating cancer with a supportive partner) and clear criteria to follow in dating. Notice when despair after a fight is really an old wound asking for care- not another round of fixing someone else.


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    54 mins
  • Interview with "Rosemead" director Eric Lin: Turning an Haunting True Story into a Conversation about Stigma
    Jan 14 2026

    Message us here!

    How do you turn a haunting true story about family mental illness into a national conversation about stigma? This is the third and final episode of the series diving into the movie "Rosemead," a moving true story about how a Chinese immigrant mother (played by Lucy Liu) faces schizophrenia, stigma, and the fear of becoming a burden. In this episode, director Eric Lin shares how he was able to create such a honest, complex portrait of mental illness in a marginalized family.

    Eric opens up about seeing his own family dynamics reflected in the script: the pressure to appear strong, the instinct to hide hard truths, and the painful isolation that grows when a community doesn’t have the language or resources to help. We go behind the camera to explore how the team built an honest, human portrayal of psychosis. Eric drew from first-person accounts and documentaries to shape psychotic episodes that feel present yet accessible. That craft choice keeps Joe grounded in our empathy rather than lost in stereotype. We also confront the delicate thread tying public fear of mass shootings to mental illness, and why the film refuses sensational shortcuts while acknowledging a parent’s very real terror.

    The finale gets the care it deserves: Lucy Liu’s performance arrives in a single, shattering take for the devastating ending. The result is not shock for its own sake, but a moment that honors love, loss, and the cost of silence.

    If you care about mental health, immigrant family dynamics, or the ethics of portraying schizophrenia on screen, you’ll find a lot to resonate with. Go see "Rosemead" in theaters so you don't miss being part of the conversation.

    Resources:

    • Rosemead on IG: @rosemeadfilm
    • Erin Lin on IG: @holdtheframe

    Support the show

    • If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.


    • Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.


    • For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com
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    59 mins
  • Interview with "Rosemead's" Lawrence Shou: Schizophrenia And A Mother’s Love
    Jan 7 2026

    Message us here!

    A headline never tells the whole story, and the movie "Rosemead" refuses to let us look away. In this episode, star of "Rosemead," Lawrence Shou, unpacks a true-story-inspired film about a Chinese immigrant mother (played by Lucy Liu), a teenage son named Joe (Shou) navigating schizophrenia, and the quiet heartbreak that unfolds when love collides with stigma and a patchwork mental health system. Lawrence brings us inside his process of weeks of research, clinician interviews, and on-set practices that made his performance so hauntingly real.

    Our conversation traces how psychosis actually presents: not just shouting or destruction, but blankness, withdrawal, and a mind overloaded by grief and fear. Lawrence explains how Joe’s symptoms are shaped by trauma and context, including anxiety about mass shootings and the loss of his father. We talk about cultural pressures in immigrant families: why silence can feel safer than asking for help and how that silence magnifies risk.

    Lawrence shares how reframing treatment as a path to agency, combined with psychoeducation and community support, can make a tangible difference for families who are exhausted and scared. If you’ve ever wondered what schizophrenia looks like up close, how to avoid snap judgments, or how to show up when someone you love is slipping away, this episode is for you.

    "Rosemead" is out in theaters January 9th. Go see it to join the conversation on how we're failing marginalized families with mental illness.

    Resources:

    • Connect to Lawrence on IG: @lawrenceshou
    • Stay updated on Rosemead through IG: @rosemeadfilm

    Support the show

    • If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.


    • Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.


    • For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com
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    1 hr and 8 mins
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