#481: The Mental Health Movement Has Lost the Plot with Joe Nucci

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Human Connection Specialist, Speaker, Author, Coach, Podcast Host and founder of Create The Love. 
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Summary

In this episode Mark sits down with psychotherapist and author Joe Nucci to unpack the rise of psychobabble—how social media has turned mental health into bite-sized buzzwords that distort the truth about healing, growth, and relationships. They dive deep into the myths that dominate online conversations—like “your feelings are always valid,” “everyone’s a narcissist,” and “everything is ADHD”—and explore how oversimplified self-diagnosis and viral therapy language can actually keep us stuck instead of setting us free. Together, they challenge the culture of self-labeling, discuss how nuance and personal accountability are essential for real mental wellness, and offer a refreshing, grounded perspective on what it really means to heal in today’s hyper-digital world.

Joe Nucci, LPC, is a licensed psychotherapist, writer, and social media influencer. His content contextualizes mental health misinformation, pop-psychology facts and fallacies, and culturally misconstrued ideas. Joe’s work focuses on empowering individuals—whether or not they have abackground in psychology—so they can live a life with a greater sense of agency and self-awareness.


Discover

00:00 – Introduction: Mark welcomes Joe Nucci to discuss Psychobabble and the rise of viral mental health myths.
01:00 – The Buzzword Problem: How social media flattened real psychology into clickbait terms.
02:30 – Therapy vs. Comfort: Why real healing means facing truth, not validation.

04:00 – Feelings Aren’t Facts: Joe breaks down the myth that all emotions are credible.

07:45 – Emotional Maturity: Navigating mismatched timelines and feelings in dating.

13:40 – Are We Healthier Yet?: Why more awareness hasn’t made us more well.

14:20 – Problems of Living: The difference between real mental illness and everyday struggles.

19:40 – Narcissism Everywhere: Why not every ex—or person—is a narcissist.

28:00 – The ADHD Explosion: Challenging overdiagnosis and the culture of labels.
43:30 – The Empath Myth: When sensitivity is actually poor boundaries.

53:00 – Trapped Online: The cost of turning your mental health into a brand.
56:00 – Attention & Love: Why boredom tolerance matters for real connection.

57:50 – Closing: Joe dedicates Psychobabble to anyone struggling to live with truth.


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