This is self-work, and I'm Dr. Margaret Rutherford.

At self-work, we discuss psychological and emotional issues and what you can do about them,

whether that's learning self-acceptance, taking action, or seeking therapy or treatment.

Eight years ago, I extended the walls of my practice to reach those of you who might already be knowledgeable about mental

health treatment, but also to those of you who might say, you'd never darken the door of a therapist.

And yet, you are here. I'll answer your questions while I invite you to take a few minutes for your

own self-work.

So I was just feeling incredibly alone standing on this stage, and this guy came walking up to me

with like an emotional look on his face, and he said, I'd never heard my story until tonight.

Wow.

And I said, can I have a hug?

And we hugged and I just like held on to him for dear life and cried.

Welcome to this week's edition of Self-Work.

It's a little hard to describe Paul Gilmartin. One of the things I found

out about him for this interview, I'd been on his podcast and didn't know this at the time, that he was

one of the first hosts of the show, Dinner and a Movie. In fact, he hosted that show for years,

and people still recognize him when he's out and about. Since 2011, however, he's

been the host of the Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast, where he interviews all kinds of people,

occasionally a mental health professional, and he encourages folks on the podcast to be as honest

as they're ready to be, about things that many might have a struggle with revealing.

Yet Paul's demeanor is such that you find yourself talking to him like no one's listening,

which of course they will eventually be.

...