Maurice welcomes longtime TV journalist Dorothy Lucey for a deep, vulnerable conversation about crippling nerves, panic attacks, and the unseen emotional cost of decades in the spotlight. Dorothy opens up about faith, anxiety, marriage, grief, joy, and the daily work of stopping a spiral before it starts. Together they explore how trauma sits in the body, how peace is rebuilt step by step, and why none of us are ever as “normal” as we seem.

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch!

Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony Cammarata Audio/Video/Editorial: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

Actor and author Adrian Alvarado sits down with Maurice to talk about his memoir Flipping My Script—a powerful story of losing his mother at fourteen, growing up without a father, and fighting through generational trauma to rebuild his identity. Adrian opens up about domestic violence, grief, art as therapy, and the long road toward healing and forgiveness. This is a raw, honest conversation that will stay with anyone who has ever rebuilt themselves from the ground up.

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch!

Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony Cammarata Audio/Video/Editorial: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

Actress Raven Bowens joins Maurice for a powerful, wide-ranging conversation about resilience, mental health, and the unexpected turns that shape a life. Raven opens up about a childhood spent moving from city to city, the grief of losing her first love, and the struggle to find stability while chasing her dream. She also shares how her acting journey led her to Days of Our Lives and why her greatest fulfillment now comes from rebuilding a school in Nigeria. A raw, honest, and deeply hopeful episode that reminds us why purpose and connection matter.

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch!

Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony Cammarata Audio/Video/Editorial: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

Maurice sits down with actor and musician Larry Romano (Donnie Brasco, King of Queens, The Thin Red Line, Sleepers) for a raw, wide-ranging conversation about creativity, identity, and the inner battles most people never see. Larry opens up about studying under Al Pacino’s acting coach, navigating depression, rebuilding after setbacks, and how family, music, and discipline shaped his resilience. It’s an honest, emotional, and unexpectedly inspiring look at artistry, mental health, and what it really takes to survive the industry — and yourself.

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch!

Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony Cammarata Audio/Video/Editorial: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

In Part 2 of their conversation on State of Mind, Genie Francis (General Hospital) and Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation) open up about the hidden side of their 40-year relationship: social anxiety, deep lows, the “riverbank” metaphor that changed everything, and the small decisions that saved their marriage. Maurice creates space for a rare, honest look at survival, compassion, and what it means to stay when things get hard. Powerful, vulnerable, and unforgettable.

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch!

Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony Cammarata Audio/Video/Editorial: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

General Hospital favorite Jeffrey Vincent Parise opens up about the real story behind his life—far beyond Carlos, the villains, and the unforgettable on-screen moments GH fans remember him for. He and Maurice dig into Parise’s battles with anxiety, the dark seasons that reshaped him, and the practices that helped him rebuild from the inside out, including yoga, meditation, and deep shadow-work. This conversation blends nostalgia, vulnerability, and the kind of mental-health honesty that reminds fans why State of Mind exists in the first place.

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch!

Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony Cammarata Audio/Video/Editorial: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

This episode is Part 1 of Maurice Benard’s deeply personal conversation with Genie Francis. Together, they go back to the beginning: Genie’s early rise as a fourteen-year-old on General Hospital, the whirlwind fame of Laura Spencer, and the emotional toll of growing up on television.

Genie opens up about isolation, arrested development, perfectionism, and the generational anxiety that shaped her life long before she understood it. Maurice reflects on how her experiences intersect with his own mental-health journey, creating one of the most honest and revealing dialogues ever shared on State of Mind.

Part 1 covers Genie’s early career, the pressures of live TV, the explosive Luke & Laura years, and the hidden struggles behind her iconic performances. Part 2 drops November 23, when Genie is joined by her husband, Jonathan Frakes, for an intimate and powerful follow-up conversation.

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch!

Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony Cammarata Audio/Video/Editorial: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

Founder of Cliffside Malibu and Carrera Treatment, Richard Taite joins me to unpack addiction, the fentanyl crisis, and why most centers fail patients. We dig into his “love call” philosophy, what great treatment actually looks like, and how homelessness and veteran care intersect with mental health. It’s raw, practical, and full of takeaways for families seeking real help. Listen to Maurice's recent appearance on Richard Taite's Podcast: We're Out of Time

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch!

Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony Cammarata Audio/Video/Editorial: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato