1279. Zachary Levi on the Mental Breakdown that Saved Him, Unhealed Trauma + Why Every Hardship Is God’s Invitation

Heal Squad x Maria Menounos

Maria Menounos, Heal Squad

Mental Health, Health & Fitness, Education, Self-improvement

4.7 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2026

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Hey Heal Squad! Our friend Zachary Levi is back and honestly, this may be the most grounded and open we’ve ever heard him. He’s a brand-new dad, he’s building Wyldwood Studios from the ground up in Texas, and he’s going deeper into his faith, healing, and purpose than ever before. Zach takes us all the way back to being three years old and feeling, deep in his soul, that he was put here to make people laugh and help others. From there, we get into the bigger conversation so many people are quietly having right now: Why does it feel so hard to know what’s true anymore? Zach breaks down what he calls the two sides of finding truth: empathy and logic and why he believes we’ve lost the ability to really hear each other. But the heart of this episode is what happens when Zach opens up about his 2017 mental breakdown, the season where he didn’t want to live and didn’t understand why. He shares how therapy finally taught him something he’d never learned before: how to love himself. We talk about unresolved trauma, how emotional pain can actually live in the body, and why he now believes every hardship can become an invitation to heal, grow, and go deeper with God.And then he says something I honestly haven’t stopped thinking about since we recorded this: that we are “infinitely valuable… and entirely unimportant.” Trust us… you’re going to want to hear the way he explains that one. Enjoy! HEALERS & HEAL LINERS You can't outrun unhealed trauma. It lives in the body. It makes you sick on every level — physical, emotional, mental, spiritual — and it keeps showing up until you stop saying "I got it" and finally sit with what's actually there. Every hardship is an invitation. The breakdowns, the breakups, the moments that bring you to your knees — Zach believes those aren't punishment. They're God asking you to come closer. You are infinitely valuable, and entirely unimportant. You matter more than you'll ever know, AND you don't have to carry it all alone. Your only job is to take the next step. HEAL SQUAD SOCIALS IG: https://www.instagram.com/healsquad/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@healsquadxmaria HEAL SQUAD RESOURCES: Heal Squad Website:https://www.healsquad.com/ Heal Squad x Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HealSquad/membership Maria Menounos Website: https://www.mariamenounos.com My Curated Macy’s Page: https://stylecrew.macys.com/@mariamenounos EMR-Tek Red Light: https://emr-tek.com/discount/Maria30 for 30% off Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/host GUEST RESOURCES: Follow Zach on IG: https://www.instagram.com/zacharylevi/ Radical Love: https://www.amazon.com/Go-Love-Yourself-Radical-Acceptance/dp/0785236759 Wyldwood Studios: wyldwood.com Nerd HQ: nerdhq.org ABOUT MARIA MENOUNOS: Emmy Award-winning journalist, TV personality, actress, 2x NYT best-selling author, former pro-wrestler and brain tumor survivor, Maria Menounos’ passion is to see others heal and to get better in all areas of life. ABOUT HEAL SQUAD x MARIA MENOUNOS: A daily digital talk-show that brings you the world's leading healers, experts, and celebrities to share groundbreaking secrets and tips to getting better in all areas of life. DISCLAIMER: This Podcast and all related content (published or distributed by or on behalf of Maria Menounos or http://Mariamenounos.com and http://healsquad.com) is for informational purposes only and may include information that is general in nature and that is not specific to you. Any information or opinions provided by guest experts or hosts featured within website or on Company’s Podcast are their own; not those of Maria Menounos or the Company. Accordingly, Maria Menounos and the Company cannot be responsible for any results or consequences or actions you may take based on such information or opinions. This podcast is presented for exploratory purposes only. Published content is not intended to be used for preventing, diagnosing, or treating a specific illness. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health-care emergency, please contact a qualified health care professional for treatment.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Heals Squad, you probably heard me talking about planning a summer trip from my family to the Grand Canyon. And let me tell you, with a big family, I have to be very intentional when I'm looking on Airbnb to find the right set up. Because there are so many of us, I already know I want everyone in the same area, but still have their own space. And honestly, that's exactly why a home on Airbnb worked so well for big group trips. Instead of cramming in a hotel rooms, you can book
0:21.6	multiple homes close together. Everyone has room to breathe, and you still have spots where everyone
0:26.7	can come together. I love finding a home with a big kitchen for meals because we all get to be in one
0:31.5	place cooking and catching up. So good for the soul. Here's something else to think about. While
0:35.5	you're away, your own place could be doing something for you, too, instead of sitting empty. You can list your space on Airbnb
0:41.4	and earn some extra cash, maybe even, to help fund your next trip. And if hosting ever seemed
0:46.6	overwhelming, now it's easier than ever with Airbnb's co-host network. You can hire a
0:51.3	local co-host to manage reservations, guest communication, provide
0:54.9	on-site support. So hosting stays stress-free and manageable. So if you've ever thought about
0:59.8	hosting but need a little help, find a co-host at Airbnb.com slash host. Okay, here's a little
1:05.3	confession. Sometimes I get annoyed with fashion. Even though I love it, like why are we trying to figure out all of this
1:11.9	by ourselves? Summer hits, you get events, you get dinners, plans. Suddenly you're staring at your
1:16.9	closet. Like, what am I wearing for all of this? What I've learned, don't overthink it. Go to the
1:22.0	experts. And Macy's has them. They've got beauty advisors and free personal stylists. Free. You tell
1:27.2	them your budget, they're going to come up with something amazing. They're got beauty advisors and free personal stylists. Free. You tell them your budget.
1:27.8	They're going to come up with something amazing. They're going to pull options that are ready to go.
1:30.9	Just go to Macy's.com to book one and start building your summer looks.
1:37.8	I'm on a journey to heal and get better in all areas of life. And I want to do it with you.
1:42.8	Welcome to Heal Squad by Maria Menunos, where we improve and heal all parts of life, and I want to do it with you. Welcome to Heal Squad by Maria Menuno's,
1:45.0	where we improve and heal all parts of our lives, most importantly, our health. Heal Squad by
1:51.0	Maria Menuno's, your life improvement series starts now. Coming up on this episode of Heal Squad,
1:58.1	so when you think about truth, how do you think about it?
	...

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