Judith Belmont is a veteran therapist, a mental health coach, and the prolific author of 11 books on mental health. Her message is simple: make sure your thoughts are rational. In this episode of the Work of Being Human, Judith guides us through the basics of cognitive behavioral therapy and discusses how our thoughts can easily lead us astray. Irrational thoughts become unwanted emotions and unwanted emotions contribute to problematic behaviors. You'll learn how to catch cognitive distortions before they take root and become destructive thought patterns. She expertly teaches "short cuts" you can use to train your brain to think rationally leading to a more optimistic, grounded approach to living.

Click these links to connect with Judith:

Judith's website: www.belmontwellness.com

Judith's Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Judith-A.-Belmont/author/B004CRN10I?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=144bdc96-4630-4ce2-bcd7-f97d5b1b295c

Most of us say we want peace—but what we’re really longing for is a regulated nervous system. In this episode of The Work of Being Human, we explore what’s actually happening beneath our anxiety, reactivity, numbness, and exhaustion, and why so many of us feel worse—not better—when life finally gets quiet. Through a personal story of silence, stillness, and unexpected internal chaos, I unpack how the nervous system’s primary question is not “Am I happy?” but “Am I safe?” You’ll learn the difference between real and perceived threat, why peace requires space, how we unknowingly become unsafe for ourselves, and what it truly means to cultivate safety—both internally and in our relationships. This is not about mastering techniques, but about understanding your body, facing reality with compassion, and beginning the slow, brave work of becoming someone you can finally rest with.

We’ve heard it and said it: “I had a happy childhood.” What does this really mean? This week we explore the importance of childhood, what NEEDS to happen in childhood that will lead to a healthy adulthood, and how the goal of happiness can actually stunt our growth. Topics we cover in this episode:

- trauma and reducing the harmful effects of a traumatic experience

- how identity is achieved

- what impedes the development of a healthy, authentic identity in childhood and adolescence

- what role the full range of emotions play in our experience of joy

Thanks for listening, and if you like it, share it!

Has therapy become our religion? In this winter episode of The Work of Being Human, I explore what happens when a deeply good and necessary tool is asked to carry weight it was never meant to bear. Using winter as a metaphor for inward attention, stillness, and self-knowledge, I reflect on my own psycho-spiritual journey and the powerful role therapy played in my healing.

Drawing from psychology, attachment theory, and meaning-making research, this episode examines humans as orienting beings—creatures who must organize their lives around something ultimate. Therapy offers compassion, clarity, and relational repair, but it cannot provide meaning, purpose, or wholeness. When we ask it to, it quietly becomes sacralized. This episode is not an argument against therapy, but an invitation to place it where it belongs: as a vital support for facing reality, healing wounds, and preparing the ground for life—while leaving space to reach beyond the self for what the human heart ultimately longs for.

Send me your reactions: contact@vanessabentley.co

Happy New Year to all! In this opening episode, Foundations: The Two Things You Need in Order to Grow, we begin the year by doing something countercultural: slowing down. Instead of rushing into resolutions and forced change, we look to winter — and the natural rhythms of the seasons — as an honest model for how growth actually works. Drawing from the agricultural calendar, psychology, and Christian wisdom, this episode explores why January is not a time for productivity or reinvention, but for rest, stillness, and preparation. We talk about dormancy, readiness, and the unseen work that happens beneath the surface before anything grows. You’ll hear why insight alone doesn’t transform us, how modern mental health culture often pushes urgency over wisdom, and why true change requires both grace and self-discipline. This episode sets the foundation for a year-long journey rooted in reality, humanity, and timing — beginning not with a push, but with a breath.

Follow me on Instagram: @vanessathetherapist

Send me an email: contact@vanessabentley.co

And don't forget... DM me with a photo of you, fascinated by a piece of cheese. And yes -- you have to listen to this week's episode to get it. ;-)

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, near and far! This week, we discuss the essence of what it means to be present. Too often, we offer parts of ourselves and not the whole, and we wonder why we feel lonely and disconnected. The truth is: all healing culminates in the ability to be fully present. We'll look at what it is, what it's not, and why it's the greatest gift we can give another.

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessathetherapist/

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanessabentleylpc

Follow me on X: https://x.com/Vthetherapist

Send me an email with a podcast request: contact@vanessbentley.co

As we continue our series, Ending the Year Well, we look at a very important question we could ask ourselves at the close of the year: what does the healthiest version of myself look like? If I'm as healthy as I want to be, what does that look like emotionally, physically, mentally, professionally, sexually, and so on. Then we do some inventorying: who is going to help me get there and who isn't? Folks, it's time to "clean out the closet" of our relationships. We're going to talk about recruiting, reconciling, and releasing... and we're looking ahead into 2026 with purpose, intention, and full responsibility for who we are.

To look at the "Yearly Inventory" from years past, click here:

1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-vanessa-londino-podcast/id1555914519?i=1000588774344

2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-vanessa-londino-podcast/id1555914519?i=1000589824748

3: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-vanessa-londino-podcast/id1555914519?i=1000590594579

4: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-vanessa-londino-podcast/id1555914519?i=1000591292133

If you'd like to send me a message, email me at: contact@vanessabentley.co (not .com)

As the year winds down to a close, it’s time to take some inventory and think through how we want to close 2025 out. Starting a new year with a clean slate is one of the greatest gifts you can supply to your mental health. No baggage. No loose ends. No unfinished business. Just a clear mind and an open heart. So we need to ask ourselves: Am I holding on to hurt, bitterness, or resentment? Is there someone I need to forgive? This week, we tackle what forgiveness is and isn’t, how to do it, and how it’s actually essential to your mental health.

Send me an email about the podcast! Contact@vanessabentley.co

Buy “The Toolbox” - https://a.co/d/azt401j