Math Therapy
By: Vanessa Vakharia, aka The Math Guru
Language: en
Categories: Education, Self Improvement, Science, Mathematics
Math Therapy explores the root causes of math trauma, and the empowering ways we can heal from it. Each week host Vanessa Vakharia, aka The Math Guru, dives into what we get right and wrong about math education, and chats with some of today’s most inspiring and visionary minds working to make math more accessible, diverse, and fun for students of all ages. Whether you think you’re a "math person" or not, you’re about to find out that math people don’t actually exist – but the scars that math class left on many of us, definitely do. And don’t w...
Episodes
2026: The Year of Student Engagement!
Jan 01, 2026Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Happy new year! To get in the mindset for a great 2026, here's a motivating episode about one of last year's hottest topics in math ed: student engagement.
Why is it so hard to get students to really engage in the classroom? What does engagement even mean? What can we try differently this year?
In this episode, Vanessa explores four reasons students might not engage in class (and offers tips for each):
They don't feel heard (democratize engagement)They don't know... Duration: 00:38:46How Netflix saved both Christmas and math
Dec 18, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Five years ago, Vanessa fell head over heels in love with a Christmas movie. The plot twist? This wasn't one of the countless Hallmark romcoms she actually consumes throughout the year - this was a movie about a little girl who literally saves Christmas with math!
Back then she interviewed Producer Lyn Sisson-Talbert and Writer/Director David E. Talbert about their groundbreaking Netflix film Jingle Jangle, so we’re resharing the conversation today as Christmas approaches.
On that note, we'll be taking a break next wee...
Duration: 00:33:18How to make "show your thinking" less anxiety-inducing
Dec 11, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Getting students to think is a hot topic - but what does it actually mean? When kids are asked to "show their thinking", can we really blame them for being like "WTF?!?!"
Today on Math Therapy, Vanessa explores the surprising number of ways we can define & interpret "thinking", and shares 5 strategies to demystify it in the classroom:
Explain what thinking actually meansNormalize that the thought process isn't always quickGive prompts that invite students into a conversationOuter process - talk it out before writing it downModel your o... Duration: 00:33:15Math Therapy's 100th (& most manic) episode!
Dec 04, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Since our humble (and as you'll find out, quite disorganized) start in 2019, Math Therapy has come a long way ... and today we celebrate our 100th episode!
Join host Vanessa Vakharia and producer David Kochberg (with a cameo from OG MT producer Sabina Wex) as they reminisce and argue about:
The (mostly) true origin story of Math TherapyWhere the “final 2 questions” came fromFave past episodesDream future guestsIf ChatGPT listens to our showWhether you've been listening from the start or just finding this show now, thank you...
Duration: 00:48:40How to believe in yourself when nobody else will w/ Taylor Telfer-Thompson
Nov 27, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Today we follow-up last week's episode with unfiltered celeb moms Cat and Nat (listen here) by interviewing Nat's daughter Taylor! Currently in Grade 11, she's a wealth of hard-earned wisdom, having taken her education into her own hands to overcome a system that literally told her not to bother even trying.
This ep is overflowing with real lessons right from a student who's been through it all. Taylor describes:
how being "bad" at math really felt & how she decided to rewrite her narrativesmall supports that made a hu... Duration: 00:35:08Hard truths teachers need to hear from parents w/ Cat and Nat
Nov 20, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
From the moment Vanessa met bestselling authors/podcasters Cat and Nat on Breakfast Television, where the 2 moms proudly professed to hate math ... she knew she had to have them on Math Therapy to dig deeper and find out why. They are the definition of unfiltered, so they are a perfect fit!
This interview may be uncomfortable for teachers to hear - honestly, it was difficult for Vanessa at times to not be defensive. But the fact is, we need to know what students and parents are really go...
Duration: 00:42:44Why we can’t binge-learn math like Netflix w/ Rob Baier
Nov 13, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
*call-out before we get into today's ep* - If you or a colleague/parent/student has a story about incorporating the absurd 6-7 phenomenon into actual learning, we need you! Seriously, send us a brief text or a voicenote via Instagram DM or email. We've heard some stories and want to do an episode about enhancing learning by reaching kids through their interests (no matter how ridiculous we think they are...)
On today's episode w/ Rob Baier:
Vanessa often goes into ou...
Duration: 00:48:53What the Blue Jays taught us about math education
Nov 06, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
This past weekend, hearts across North America shattered as the plucky underdog Toronto Blue Jays lost to the LA Dodgers in extra innings of the deciding Game 7 of the Major League Baseball World Series. And if none of those words matter to you at all - then you and Vanessa have much in common!
However, as a self-admitted bandwagon jumper, even though she was down in the US on a math ed conference tour, she was all in on this series and sucked a bunch of colleagues i...
Duration: 01:09:19How to turn anxiety into empowerment
Oct 30, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Most episodes, Vanessa is chatting with colleagues about the root causes of math anxiety/trauma and exploring how math education can change to avoid causing them.
But as long as math remains a 4-letter word for some, we need some practical coping strategies! So today, Vanessa details 5 ways you can flip anxious math moments into empowering ones - for teachers, parents, and students.
Learn how to:
Trade control for curiosityAdmit what you don't knowNot be afraid to follow tangents in classCoregulate before y... Duration: 00:27:25An unfiltered debate about "natural ability"
Oct 23, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Sometimes an interview fires us up so much here at Math Therapy HQ, that we end up debriefing and debating it long after the guest has signed off - at which point producer David says to host Vanessa "we should have recorded THAT too!"
So today, we actually did! We kept the mics rolling after interviewing last week's guest, Dr. Raj Shah, resulting in a discussion on the mechanics of memory & aptitude and a spirited debate as David pushed back against Vanessa's war on the words "natural a...
Duration: 00:19:33Why math sucks and how to fix it w/ Raj Shah
Oct 16, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
What is memory? Are different brains good at memorizing different things (like math vs music)? Is memorization even a good way to learn? Why don’t we teach math like we teach reading? Why do we love puzzles and escape rooms but hate math class? Is it possible to make math learning fun?? Will Vanessa ever learn how to explain how to text the podcast?!?! How does this all relate to math trauma?!?!?!
Ok. Deep breaths. Today's ep with Dr. Raj Shah was a rollercoaster, as every ques...
Duration: 00:53:58Math ed needs more conversations like this w/ Pam Harris
Oct 09, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Today's ep ended up in a different place than Vanessa expected when she first sat down to chat with Pam Harris, founder of Math Is Figureoutable. Their first real interaction was on the DebateMath Podcast; Pam insisted that learning algorithms/shortcuts can actually hold students back from true learning, while Vanessa advocated for kids to learn however works for them.
Often, that's where it ends. Worse, especially in the "everyone yell at each other" media landscape, the conversation never begins! Which makes today's episode so refreshing - a...
Duration: 00:46:23The Comment Section w/ Mike Flynn
Oct 02, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
We're trying something new this week! Last week's ep with Mike Flynn dove into some very murky debate waters: do students need to know the "why" of what their learning in order to truly understand material, or is it fine for them to just memorize things as long as they get the answers? (If you missed, scroll back in your feed or click here to catch up.)
But the real drama took place over on TikTok, where Vanessa posted a clip from the ep and some viewers en...
Duration: 00:37:13How to find the "why" in math class w/ Mike Flynn
Sep 25, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
When Mike Flynn started teaching, math was just one of many subjects he had to guide his students through. The problem was, the way he was taught math made him hate it!
But when a new career opportunity gave him the chance at a much deeper understanding of the concepts and a reason "why" they mattered in the real world, Mike realized that he wasn't confined to just teaching the way he was taught - he could give students and teachers the chance to value math right fr...
Duration: 00:49:04Exclusive: Math Therapy audiobook sample for our listeners!
Sep 18, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
If you follow Vanessa on Instagram, you know the rollercoaster she went on to record the audiobook version of Math Therapy ... well, the hard work / literal sweat & tears paid off because it is now out! You can find it on Audible/Amazon right now, and if you have never used Audible you can likely get it for a free credit with their new trial offer. (It will be on Spotify soon as well, let us know if there's any other platform it should be added to.)
We w...
Duration: 00:30:19Why 1 + 1 isn't always 2 w/ Eugenia Cheng
Sep 11, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Have you ever felt like it's impossible to win an argument with someone, or even simply see eye to eye on anything? On today's episode, mathematician Eugenia Cheng joins Vanessa to challenge the black-and-white thinking that often defines our world - especially in math class.
3 Key Topics Discussed:
Why seemingly silly questions like "is math real?" or "when does 1 + 1 not equal 2?" are both valid and valuableHow Eugenia works to help people overcome math trauma the way she o... Duration: 00:50:145 simple Math Therapy strategies for your classroom (weekly podcast launch!)
Sep 04, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Today we celebrate back to school week with ... the official launch of Math Therapy as a weekly podcast!
On today's episode, Vanessa catches you up on everything going on in Math Therapy-land, and shares 5 very simple and quick strategies that teachers can employ to make this year's classroom more empowering - both for students and themselves.
5 low-lift Math Therapy strategies for the new school year:
Watch your facial expressionsWatch your languageAsk students about their thinking processGet on your student's level - literallyAsk s... Duration: 00:28:55How Math Therapy changed my entire life w/ Charizma Laughton
Jun 26, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
As long as Charizma Laughton can remember, her entire life was defined by a singular identity: she's bad at math, because she's not smart. This self-image was rooted in deeply traumatic math class experiences that completely dismantled her self-confidence and made her feel like she was simply not capable of ... anything.
BUT THEN: she and Vanessa met after a yoga class in Bali recently, and after a mere two weeks of math therapy sessions together, Charizma had done a complete 180 (see what we d...
Duration: 00:57:20How to trust your intuition w/ Rebecca MacLeod
Jun 19, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
First of all, big news: as of this fall, Math Therapy will be a weekly podcast! This has long been a goal, so after 6 glorious 10-episode seasons and a bunch of bonus eps along the way, we'll be hitting your feed every single Thursday starting September.
For now, we are back this month with 2 special interviews we recorded earlier in the year with some friends we made in Bali, Indonesia. (Next week's episode will legit blow your mind!!)
Today, Vanessa explores the power of intuition an...
Duration: 00:37:26Bonus: What's your sign? (Vanessa has no clue)
Jun 05, 2025Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Given how much Vanessa talks about astrology on the podcast, what do you think her success rate was for guessing the star signs of all the guests last season? Today's episode (guest "hosted" by producer David) reveals all ... and also drops some hints about what to expect from this podcast in the coming months!
Show notes:
Math Therapy the book - buy from Corwin Press or AmazonS5 outtakes: The Awkward GoodbyeContact us:
Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailGet the politicians out of the classroom w/ David Kochberg
Nov 14, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
If you're a fan of the podcast, you've often heard Vanessa mention our producer "David" in reference to him getting mad at her for yelling into the mic or hitting the mic or generally doing things that impact the quality of this AUDIO medium. And if it isn't apparent, this is actually David typing, because I also handle publishing the episodes, so I'll stop referring to myself in the 3rd person because it's weird!
In September we released an episode in which I interviewed Vanessa about her c...
We're not teaching content, we're teaching students w/ Kevin Dykema
Sep 12, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Having attended and presented at the annual NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) conference, Vanessa reached out to "famously nice guy" Kevin Dykema, the organization's President, to learn more about his journey to the top. Along the way she was surprised to learn that even he battles imposter syndrome, and the way he's learned to deal with it is by "learning what he doesn't know" and not being afraid to reach out for help.
Today's conversation covered the pros and cons of professional development, advice on h...
Math Therapy is now a book! Vanessa tells all ...
Sep 05, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
HUGE news - Math Therapy is now a book! Vanessa has taken everything she's learned in her career helping students overcome math trauma, and all the insights from the 6 seasons of this podcast, and formulated a 5-step process to bring math therapy into classrooms and help all students develop a better relationship with math.
To celebrate, Math Therapy producer David Kochberg turned the mic around and interviewed Vanessa about how Math Therapy started in the first place, what gives her hope about the future of math education, a...
We are born to love math w/ Dan Finkel
May 30, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Dan Finkel is an author/educator who believes that humans are wired to be curious from birth, and that play is the secret to maintaining that joy of learning throughout childhood. On today’s season 6 finale, he and Vanessa discuss how teaching kids about math can be so much more fun than we think; it can mean playing board games, counting on their fingers, anything that helps them develop an intuitive sense that there are patterns and structures in the world for them to discover. They also discuss how pla...
Duration: 00:42:44Grit is your superpower w/ Dr. India White
May 23, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Dr. India White learned grit and resilience the hard way: facing down obstacles throughout her life and deciding she wouldn’t back down. Now she coaches teachers and students on developing their own gritty superpowers, and she joins Vanessa today for wide-ranging and inspiring conversation. They discuss her journey from a homeless shelter to a college dorm, how equity is about so much more than just race, and the power of lifting each other up as an antidote to fear.
About India:
(Website, Twitter, Ins...
How to change someone's mind w/ Chris Luzniak
May 16, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
What if the secret to winning a debate was actually listening to your opponent? What if you could build confidence and overcome anxiety through the practice of public speaking? And HOW does someone go from dreams of Broadway fame to teaching debate in math class?! Find out today as Vanessa chats with math educator/coach Chris Luzniak, host of The DebateMath Podcast!
About Chris (Website, Twitter, Instagram)
Chris Luzniak is an international math consultant and instructional coach. While teaching in New York City public sc...
Math doesn't cause trauma, people do w/ Sean Nank
May 09, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
When Vanessa saw today’s guest deliver a deeply personal talk at a recent math conference, she was left with more questions than answers; all she knew for certain was she had to get him on the podcast. Sean Nank is a math educator who believes that the power of our students' stories is the most valuable tool we can harness in our math classrooms, and he illustrates this by sharing his own journey of growing up in an abusive environment, learning to understand and embrace his OCD, and the...
Duration: 00:39:04Turns out some folks hate math w/ Jon Orr & Kyle Pearce
May 02, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Today’s another one for the teachers, featuring Jon Orr & Kyle Pearce of the Make Math Moments empire - they have a podcast, a framework, workshops & courses & virtual summits galore, and who knows probably even a cooking show at this point?! They join Vanessa today to discuss the SHOCKING realization early in their career that not all students would be as excited about math as they were … which propelled them to adapt their teaching methods to fuel curiosity in kids so they don’t just get the right answers, but rat...
Duration: 00:40:37Teachers have trauma too w/ Brittany Hege
Apr 25, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
We’re often talking about trauma from the student perspective: how it happens in the classroom, and how it follows them into adulthood. But one group is often overlooked in this discussion - teachers!
Today Vanessa chats with educator Brittany Hege about the challenges teachers often face in keeping up with changing pedagogies, while already being strapped for time and often struggling with math traumas of their own! This is an honest and heartfelt discussion about how education can evolve without leaving either students or teach...
Duration: 00:36:38More clickbait in the classroom! w/ Howie Hua
Apr 18, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Of the truly infinite things Vanessa likes to rant about, few top the list like math’s marketing problem - which is why she was elated to chat with social media mathstar Howie Hua!
Today Howie shares how his own experiences with math anxiety sucked the joy out of math when he was a student, and how he started to bring it back for both himself and his students when he became a teacher. He’s built a massive following on TikTok and beyond by sharing quick and fu...
Duration: 00:26:52The spiritual side of math w/ Francis Su
Apr 11, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
When you picture a mathematician, what comes to mind? Now … what about a “mathematical explorer”? Well, that’s what Francis Su calls himself, and when Vanessa picked up his book Mathematics for Human Flourishing, she couldn’t put it down.
On today's episode they explore how mathematical discovery can unleash the wonder and curiosity innate within us all. They also discuss some deep questions, like why do people have different emotional reactions to math compared to other fields? How can humans cultivate the virtues we'll need to keep AI in che...
Duration: 00:37:49Tell your students you trust them w/ Zak Champagne
Apr 04, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Longtime listeners (like today’s guest, as you’ll discover…) will recall one name popping up in almost every interview last season, so Vanessa needed to find out for herself: who is Zak Champagne & why do people like him so much?! Through today’s rollercoaster episode she discovered a teacher with boundless enthusiasm for the joys of teaching, grounded in a deep respect for his students.
They unpack what we really mean by terms like “student voice” and “building trust”, offer practical advice on how to actually integrate those i...
The difference between equity & equality w/ Dr. Pamela Seda
Mar 28, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
On the Season 6 premiere of Math Therapy, Vanessa chats with Dr. Pamela Seda, an expert in all things education and inspiration! They dive deep into hot topics like how teachers can build trust in the classroom by modelling vulnerability, the benefits of cultivating community over competition, and a fascinating metaphor that illustrates what equity and accommodations truly mean in our schools.
About Pam (Website, Insta, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)
Dr. Pamela Seda, Founder and CEO of Seda Educational Consulting, is the c...
Season 6 Trailer
Mar 21, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Season 6 drops March 28th - here’s a sample of who and what you’ll hear!
Contact us:
Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, Email Math Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:
Get the book: Corwin, Amazon Audiobook: Audible, Spotify Merch store: Shop here Duration: 00:04:07Refresher: Pi Day in Prison
Mar 14, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
It's March 14th, aka 3.14 ... so Happy Pi Day! To help you get in the zone, we're re-airing an episode from last year recounting the Math Therapy team's Pi Day 2023 trip to Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility in Michigan. This stemmed from Vanessa's Season 3, Episode 10 interview with Christopher Havens, an inmate serving a 25-year sentence for murder who has rehabilitated himself with math and founded the Prison Mathematics Project.
Find out more about PMP at prisonmathproject.org where you can:
The Awkward Return?! (S6 is coming)
Mar 07, 2024Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
The rumours are true! (The rumours that Vanessa has been spreading herself.) Season 6 of Math Therapy launches March 28th!
To get you hyped while we get this batch of episodes ready for you, here are some brief thoughts she recorded immediately after we finished a marathon 10 interviews over 4 days. What themes did she cover? Will she or her guests get cancelled this season? How much did she annoy her producer David? You be the judge ...
Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast feed, and tell a fri...
The Awkward Goodbye
Oct 19, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Don't worry, Math Therapy isn't going anywhere ... but here's a fun bonus episode as we look back on an incredible 5th season! It was a total success in every possible way, except one: for whatever reason, Vanessa lost the ability to simply say "goodbye" at the end of the interviews.
This hadn't been an issue in previous seasons but she somehow got very in her head about it, and when her producer David recently listened back to them he thought they were hilarious and had to be s...
Embracing your limitless mind w/ Jo Boaler
Jul 20, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
In Vanessa's masters thesis titled "Imagining a World Where Paris Hilton Loves Math", there was nobody quoted more frequently than today's guest, Stanford professor Dr. Jo Boaler. On the season 5 finale of Math Therapy, Vanessa sits down with her math ed hero to discuss how limiting beliefs vs a growth mindset impact the brain, how struggle and mistake-making benefit learning, and the extremely personal resistance she's faced in a career dedicated to making math more equitable and accessible.
About Jo: (Website, Twitter)
Stanford Professor D...
Teaching students to ... think?! w/ Peter Liljedahl
Jul 13, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Peter Liljedahl is literally changing the math classroom. His book "Building Thinking Classrooms" has taken the educational world by storm with a simple message: instead of teaching students to memorize, we have to teach them to think. Sounds trite, but if you ... think about it, traditional classrooms are not designed that way!
Today, Peter explains to Vanessa how a "thinking classroom" swaps out tables for vertical whiteboards to reduce barriers for student interaction in problem-solving, and how small randomized groups foster collaboration that lifts the whole class. He...
Mistakes: Villains or Heroes?
Jul 06, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Should mistake-making be encouraged in math class? Or should mistakes be shamed because “in the real world” you can get fired from your job from making a mistake? You can probably guess how Vanessa feels, but a fellow educator recently disagreed … so of course she took to Twitter and a spirited convo ensued!
On today’s episode she further outer-processes her thoughts on this topic, and shares two classroom exercises that encourage constructive mistake-making and help normalize growth from failure.
Contact us:
Vaness... Duration: 00:32:42Centering student voice in math class w/ Crystal Watson
Jun 29, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Today's guest literally entered the chat wearing a t-shirt that read "TRUTH MATTERS”, and that sure set the tone for this wide-ranging episode! Crystal M. Watson is an educator who firmly believes in centering student voices in the classroom, and she also advocates for empowering students by making math practical and meaningful to their life experience.
Throw in some discussion on defining success, different approaches to grading, and a simple but thorough explanation of what "critical race theory" is and what it definitely isn't, and we've got an...
Duration: 00:43:42Redefining "Success"
Jun 22, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
In today's episode, Vanessa explores the dangers of narrowly defining success and argues that contrary to popular belief, failure and success are actually BFF, not opposites (looking at you, Merriam-Webster!). She also shares a practical classroom tool for teachers and students to collaborate on shared definitions of success to support everyone's learning.
Contact us:
Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, Email Math Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:
Get the book: Corwin, Amazon Audiobook Duration: 00:28:09Refresher: Drag queens & math class w/ Kyne Santos
Jun 15, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
In honour of Pride Month, we're taking a mid-season 5 break to re-air one of our all-time fave episodes featuring mathematician / drag queen Kyne Santos. Drag has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons, so we wanted to share Kyne's inspiring story of breaking stereotypes and defying the haters.
If you're new to the podcast we also highly recommend going back and listening to the season 4 finale with Dr. Anthony Bonato which dove further into the fraught relationship between academia and the queer community and t...
How struggle leads to growth w/ Robert Kaplinsky
Jun 08, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Think of this week's episode as a kind of reverse palate cleanser ... Vanessa and today's guest Robert Kaplinsky more than make up for the lack of swearing last week! What got them fired up? Oh, just the systemic barriers to educational reform and the lack of support for both teachers and students when it comes to working through math anxiety ...
But don't worry, it's not all doom and gloom; Robert is certain that if we make math more practical to daily life and more welcoming to a div...
Duration: 00:38:21How trauma affects the brain w/ Liesl McConchie
Jun 01, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Last week's episode featured a deep dive with Vanessa into math trauma: what it is and how to avoid it. Today, brain expert Liesl McConchie joins her to explain the neurological science of trauma, debunk the myth of the "math gene", and discuss the hopeful promise of neuroplasticity. And not to be all clickbaity, but Vanessa ends up sharing some pretty intense math trauma of her own...
About Liesl: (Twitter, Website)
Liesl McConchie is an international expert on how the brain learns, an...
What even is math trauma?
May 25, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Each episode, Vanessa discusses the impacts that math trauma can have on our collective relationship with math. But she realized she's never explained what it is! In this episode she defines what math trauma actually is, unpacks why traumatic educational experiences happen more often in math than in other subjects, and lists 8 common causes of math trauma for educators to be aware of.
The tweet that started it allFree webinar by Dr. Kasi Allen: Math Trauma: Healing Our Classrooms, Our Students, and Our DisciplineContact us...
Duration: 00:23:28Mathers gonna math w/ Deborah Peart
May 18, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
You know how readers read and writers write? Well one day Deborah Peart decided that math should also be a verb, so she created the Mather movement. She and Vanessa discuss the difference between a "mather" and a "mathematician", how numeracy and literacy are basically the same thing, and how bringing a mindfulness approach to her classrooms led to her being known by her students simply as "Peace Lady". Shake up your glitter jar (yep, that's a thing) and settle in for this hilarious and uplifting ep!
A...
Teaching math as an act of protest w/ Dan Meyer
May 11, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
When Vanessa crossed paths with Dan Meyer at a math conference, she sensed some pushback on her concept of math therapy. So naturally, she invited him on the podcast to get into it!
The ensuing rollercoaster interview blurred lines between clearing the air and settling the score, as they hilariously debated hot topics ranging from the need for student-centred educational reform ... to which of them holds the most impressive Guinness World Record. You be the judge!
About Dan: (Twitter, ...
Season 5 trailer
May 08, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
We have some serious A-list math celebs coming at your podcast feeds over the next 10 weeks - here's a little sample until season 5 launches this Thursday!
Contact us:
Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, Email Math Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:
Get the book: Corwin, Amazon Audiobook: Audible, Spotify Merch store: Shop here Duration: 00:02:24Exciting update w/ Jill from Season 2!
May 04, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Longtime listeners will remember Season 2's Jill Waddell who shared her inspiring decision to switch careers at age 40 and go back to school for power engineering - facing down her lifelong math anxiety along the way! Vanessa caught up with her after graduation to find out how things turned out (spoiler alert - she was class valedictorian!) and hear what advice she'd give her younger self.
Jill's epic story can show everyone that it's never too late in life to face your fears ... even if one of the...
Pi Day in Prison (Seriously)
Mar 30, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
There's no other way to say this: we went to prison for Pi Day this year. Longtime listeners will remembers Vanessa's fascinating and inspiring interview with Christopher Havens, an inmate serving a 25-year sentence for murder who has rehabilitated himself with math and founded the Prison Mathematics Project (Season 3, Episode 10). Vanessa helped with the virtual Pi Day celebration last year, but this year was a first: PMP was able to host an in-person event at Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility in Michigan, and Christopher asked Vanessa to MC!
Sh...
Math reform under attack w/ Jo Boaler
Mar 23, 2023Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Math Therapy is (briefly) back! We've been hard at work on a new season which I can't wait for you to hear soon, but I had to share an excerpt of one of the interviews I just did - you'll see why. Stanford professor Jo Boaler is one of my math heroes, I referenced her all through my master's thesis, and her work in trying to make math education more equitable has been an inspiration to literally millions of people.
But there are some who disagree with he...
S4E10: Queering math w/ Dr. Anthony Bonato
May 26, 2022Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
In our final episode of the season, Vanessa chats with math professor Dr. Anthony Bonato about what it means to be queer in - let’s face it - the historically snobby and closed-minded field that is math. But as soon as you hear Anthony in today’s episode, you’ll understand there will be no silencing his advocacy for diversity & inclusion in math … or for that matter his insistence that Adele’s album titles actually form a unique prime-numbers based mathematical sequence?!
Anthony discusses how pop culture ca...
Duration: 00:26:56S4E09: Giving students the voice they deserve w/ Rosalind Wiseman
May 19, 2022Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Did you know that the infamous math movie Mean Girls was actually inspired by Rosalind Wiseman’s non-fiction book called Queen Bees and Wannabes? Today Vanessa talks to Rosalind about why we need to change the media and messaging that girls get about how it’s not “cool” to be good at math.
How can we teach students that they can be good at more than one thing? How can we help them embrace who they are individually in the face of the completely insane pressures of high sch...
Duration: 00:31:41S4E08: “Dude Walls” & the lost women of science w/ Katie Hafner
May 12, 2022Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
You may be thinking “what the F*CK is a dude wall?!”, and today Vanessa talks to the incredible Katie Hafner to find out. Katie is an author, journalist, and host of the podcast “Lost Women of Science,” whose mission is to tell the stories of female scientists who history has inconveniently forgotten.
But how do we prevent this from happening in the future? How do we encourage more girls and women to go into STEM, and how do we ensure their portraits aren’t left off the walls o...
Duration: 00:36:58S4E07: Defying Asian math stereotypes w/ Steven Tran
May 05, 2022Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
One of the missions of this podcast is challenging stereotypes, and on today’s episode we tackle a big one: Asians and math. Steven Tran grew up with Asian parents, and the pressures and expectations from his family, community, and society as a whole affected his perception of his own math ability.
Getting caught cheating in high school could have led him down a very different educational path if not for a teacher that treated him with genuine care and compassion, and, most importantly, believed in Steven an...
Duration: 00:28:42S4E06: From mathochistic to mathcurious w/ A.K. Whitney
Apr 28, 2022Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
This one’s for all the adults out there who are like “hmmm maybe it’s not too late to learn a little math…”! On today’s episode Vanessa talks to journalist A.K. Whitney, who went back to school at 38 to learn math and chronicled it in Cosmopolitan, The Washington Post, and her own podcast/website delightfully titled “The Mathochism Project”. She is basically the definition of overcoming math trauma and making it less of a stigma - but how did she do it? Why don’t more people do it? And...
Duration: 00:25:35S4E05: Compassion & confidence in the classroom w/ Sophie Soberano
Apr 21, 2022Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Nothing shows how important teacher-student relationships can be than actually being friends with some of your students over a DECADE later, as is the case with Vanessa and Sophie Soberano. Sophie was one of Vanessa’s first tutoring students, long before The Math Guru even existed!
Sophie went from daily math meltdowns in high school to becoming a math teacher who leads her class with compassion and creativity, and today she shares how she uses a mindfulness approach to get her students ready for learning before class. Wh...
Duration: 00:32:42S4E04: Dancing on the moon w/ Dr. Merritt Moore
Apr 14, 2022Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Today’s guest has a dream: to dance on the moon. With a robot. The craziest part? This is actually an attainable goal for Dr. Merritt Moore, better known as the “Quantum Ballerina”! Merritt has a PhD in Atomic & Laser Physics and is also a professional ballerina, and if that’s not enough for one resumé, she was recently selected for astronaut training. She also went viral during a pandemic lockdown with a video of her dancing with an actual robot as her partner.
Today, Merritt tells Vanessa abou...
Duration: 00:26:35S4E03: 4 million subscribers watch this guy do math w/ Grant Sanderson
Apr 07, 2022Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Today’s guest is an actual celeb in the math-world. We’re talking A-list, we’re talking literally MILLIONS OF FANS. Grant Sanderson explains very high level math on his YouTube channel, 3Blue1Brown, in a way that is accessible for anyone to tune in and learn from!
Vanessa and Grant discuss how he makes math so appealing and unintimidating, how a feeling of discovery or usefulness can help students develop a sense of ownership over a topic, and how teachers can motivate their students to pay attent...
Duration: 00:30:31S4E02: Is math the ultimate catfish? w/ Terilisha
Mar 31, 2022Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
We’re not the only ones who binge-watched Netflix’s The Circle over the pandemic, and one reason we were OBSESSED was the breakout star of the show: Terilisha, a math teacher AND musician, who stole our hearts with her IDGAF attitude!
Today Vanessa chats with Terilisha about her experience on the show, how the media (and society) struggle to accept that people can be multifaceted, how the educational system fails us early by not prioritizing practical math skills like personal finances, and how she’s determined to def...
Duration: 00:23:55S4E01: Can math predict the Oscars? w/ Ben Zauzmer
Mar 24, 2022Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Will you be watching the Oscars this Sunday, comparing the winners with your predictions? Well one person who definitely will be is our first guest of season 4 - Ben Zauzmer, author of Oscarmetrics!
Ben, who is also the director of baseball analytics for the New York Mets, uses stats from past and present awards to try to predict this year's winners, and we also discuss representation and diversity among award winners and across all media, as well as the classic Math Therapy debate: can math and pop...
Duration: 00:30:50Season 4 trailer
Mar 17, 2022Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
We are BACK! We've got 10 incredible and inspiring guests lined up for the new season of Math Therapy, each with a totally different history and relationship with math.
Season 4 launches March 24th and because that’s a few days before the Oscars, we’re starting with a fascinating chat with Ben Zauzmer, author of Oscarmetrics - he uses statistics to try to predict this year’s winners! We discuss some juicy topics like representation and diversity in the media & among award-winners, and how math and pop culture can tota...
S3E10: How math rehabilitated a murderer w/ Christopher Havens
Jun 10, 2021Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
When this podcast started, interviewing a convicted murderer - while he was still in prison, no less - was admittedly not on Vanessa’s “Math Therapy guest” bingo card. But then we heard how Christopher Havens discovered math in solitary confinement halfway through a 25-year sentence, and committed the rest of his life to rehabilitating himself and repaying his debt to society.
On today’s season 3 finale of Math Therapy, Vanessa chats with Christopher about how a lack of purpose in his youth and the misguided desire to be “c...
Duration: 00:37:01S3E09: I’m not a math person, don’t @ me w/ Bex
Jun 03, 2021Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
The year was 2020. A tweet went viral on the interwebs and Vanessa damn near lost her mind. Somewhere in the UK, Bex had tweeted that the best part of being an adult was “opting out” of math; online mag Bustle picked it up and next thing we know Bex was on our podcast - turns out she’s even more hilarious over Zoom than she is on Twitter!
On today’s episode she describes how dyscalculia (number dyslexia) influenced her rocky relationship with math, how she learned to cope...
Duration: 00:34:20S3E08: There are no stupid questions w/ Roger Fischer
May 27, 2021Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Alright teachers, this one’s for you! Today Vanessa chats with Dr. Roger Fischer, an educator from Montana who is not just a hardcore fan of the podcast but also a natural math therapist himself! Roger explains how small instances of math trauma can lead to long-term effects on students, how he incorporates mindfulness and compassion into his lesson plans, and how there is absolutely no such thing as a stupid question.
About Roger (Twitter)
Dr. Roger Fischer loves math. He hasn’t alwa...
Duration: 00:29:41S3E07: Challenging stereotypes by fulfilling them w/ Abby Govindan
May 20, 2021Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
We all hate harmful stereotypes, but have you ever thought of breaking stereotypes … by simply fulfilling them?! Being an Indian woman who doesn’t like STEM carries many consequences, and on today’s episode, Vanessa talks to South Asian comedian Abby Govindan about how women are pressured to either resist or conform to social and cultural expectations, and how she’s navigated that struggle through humour - especially through provocative tweets which is how Vanessa found her in the first place!
About Abby: (Twitter, Insta)
Abby...
Duration: 00:21:26S3E06: Why representation matters w/ Brittany Rhodes
May 13, 2021Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Forget Uber Eats - get some math delivered to your doorstep! Yep, that’s a thing, and it’s all thanks to Brittany Rhodes, the founder of math-activity subscription-box company Black Girl MATHgic!
Vanessa chats with Brittany about why she saw a need for representation in math education, how consistency is the key to kids building confidence in their skills, and how her quest to show Black girls that they belong in the world of math has been so successful that she’s even received a shoutout from B...
Duration: 00:25:59S3E05: How brands can use their power for good w/ Candace Borland
May 06, 2021Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Late last year AT&T ran a full-page ad in the New York Times depicting a mother and daughter in despair over math homework, and Vanessa was NOT impressed. Whether we realize it or not (and we usually don’t), the media plays a massive role in shaping everything from our collective social values to our individual self-worth. So what if brands acknowledged that responsibility and used marketing not just to sell products but to also promote positive change in the world?
Today Vanessa speaks with Candace Borl...
Duration: 00:21:41S3E04: Mathfluencers, Mean Girls & more w/ Esther Brunat
Apr 29, 2021Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Yep, you read that right: mathfluencers are the future of education and today’s guest is leading the way! Esther Brunat and The Squadratics (think Mean Girls but like, if Mean Girls somehow had even MORE math) are on a mission to market math to Gen Z, and they’re gaining mad momentum.
Today Vanessa talks to Esther about how teachers can embrace new technology, genuinely connect with their students, and even learn valuable marketing lessons from hideous footwear trends. See you on the 'gram!
Ab...
Extra Credit: Spirituality & Science
Apr 27, 2021Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
This season's interviews were all done remotely over Zoom with our producer Sabina Wex and technical producer David Kochberg listening in, and the conversations were so much fun that we often kept chatting after the actual interviews were over!
Vanessa's convo last week with astrologer Anthony Perrotta got us all especially fired up, and since she and Sabina are super into astrology and tarot, and David is super NOT, we wanted to share a little bonus episode diving further into the overlap of science and spirituality.
S3E03: Albert Einstein was a f*cking Pisces w/ Anthony Perrotta
Apr 22, 2021Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
If you follow Vanessa on Instagram, you may know that a) she has really gotten into astrology, and b) that is slightly controversial for an aspiring mathfluencer**. So today Vanessa is joined by modern astro-celeb Anthony Perrotta to discuss how his background in architecture and love of math led him to exploring patterns in the movements of our universe and the use of sacred geometry through history.
Together they explore how spirituality and science can coexist and even complement each other, why younger generations are pulled more t...
Duration: 00:32:10S3E02: The math teacher that changed my life w/ Ewa Kasinska
Apr 15, 2021Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
It is no exaggeration to say that this podcast (and Vanessa’s entire career in math education) would not exist if she hadn't crossed paths with superhero math teacher Ewa Kasinska in high school.
Today, Ewa spills the tea on what Vanessa was like as a 17-year-old, how she managed to turn a math-hater into a Math Guru, and what the media gets wrong about teachers, and she also shares her fave tips for teachers on how to engage, inspire, and excite even the most skeptical students. Ewa...
Duration: 00:34:03S3E01: A drag queen walks into a math class ... w/ Kyne Santos
Apr 08, 2021Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Season 3 of Math Therapy kicks off today with a brand new theme: math in the media! Historically, media representations of math have left a LOT to be desired, but change is in the air and we are HERE for it.
Today Vanessa chats with / fangirls over Kyne Santos - a true trailblazer when it comes to showing how complex and multi-dimensional we can be if we give ourselves permission! From fierce competition on Canada’s Drag Race to taking math viral on TikTok, they discuss how Kyne ha...
Duration: 00:34:00Season 3 Trailer
Apr 01, 2021Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Season 3 starts April 8th, and for the next 10 weeks Vanessa Vakharia, aka The Math Guru, will be exploring the relationship between math and the media with a diverse range of guests. Subscribe now!
Contact us:
Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, Email Math Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:
Get the book: Corwin, Amazon Audiobook: Audible, Spotify Merch store: Shop here Duration: 00:02:57Mailbag #2: Teachers Tell All!
Mar 25, 2021Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
We're back!! Well, we'll be back for real April 8th when Season 3 of Math Therapy officially launches. To get in the zone, today Vanessa is sharing a few short stories we received from some teachers who are determined to be part of the education solution after their own brushes with math trauma.
If you have a story you want us to consider for future mailbag episodes, here are instructions:
The square root of possible w/ the creators of Netflix's Jingle Jangle!
Dec 17, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
It’s a Math Therapy holiday miracle!! After bawling her eyes out watching the groundbreaking Netflix Christmas movie Jingle Jangle and raving about it to literally everyone in earshot, Vanessa had the most festive chat in the history of the podcast with the film’s creators! Writer/director David E. Talbert & producer Lyn Sisson-Talbert discuss representation on screen and why they chose to make math such an integral (didn’t you miss the math puns?!) element to this magical story.
Connect...
Duration: 00:32:42S2E10: Why is no one listening to John Mighton?! w/ John Mighton
Aug 06, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
This season of Math Therapy might be over, but not before Vanessa meets her own personal mathematical hero, Canada’s very own Dr. John Mighton. Brace yourself for a season finale filled with joy, laughter, and tears (shockingly, NOT Vanessa’s) as Vanessa and Dr. Mighton dig deep into the way in which math, the most divisive subject of all, could actually be the key to achieving social & systemic equity if we only knew how to help teachers and students unlock its powers, once and for all. Spoiler: you’re goi...
Duration: 00:45:48S2E09: Nature, meet Nurture w/ Tamara Rebick & her kids
Jul 30, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
This week Vanessa goes out on a limb and does something she’s never done before on the pod: she talks to real, actual children (and their mom, of course)! Despite her rocky relationship with math growing up, Tamara Rebick chats with Vanessa about her determination to show her two daughters that math ability isn’t genetic, and that anyone - even MOMs, can do math. Her two kids Eden (13) and Nomie (11) also share their very different feelings about math class, math teachers, and well, math in general!
S2E08: Mathematicians: they’re just like us! w/ Sunil Singh
Jul 23, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Ever wonder what it would be like if your math teacher was like, the editor of TMZ and like, if your textbook was filled with juicy goss about all of those seemingly-boring-actually-scandalous mathematicians that plagued your high school existence? Today Vanessa talks to Sunil Singh about how different our relationship to math would be if we humanized mathematics through storytelling, and - he spills the TEA, bigtime!
About Sunil: (Twitter)
Sunil Singh was a high school math and physics teacher for 19 years and...
Duration: 00:41:27S2E07: You can’t be what you can’t see w/ Renee Powers
Jul 16, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
You’d think by 2020 we’d finally be done with the archaic views society has traditionally held on women and math ... um, not quite. Today Vanessa chats with Feminist Book Club founder Renee Powers about the different ways that boys and girls perceive mathematical intelligence, why women get a bad rep when it comes to reading maps, and how feeling confident with math might actually be the secret to tackling economic equality.
About Renee (Website) & Feminist Book Club (Website, Instagram)
Renee M. Po...
Duration: 00:36:07S2E06: The 40-year-old math virgin w/ Mike S
Jul 09, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Have you ever had the feeling that you might have peaked too early? Meet Mike: a math-dropout-turned-software-cloud-architect. He chats with Vanessa about faking it til’ you make it, learning that it’s ok to admit you don’t know everything, and that #selflove can sometimes be way harder than #SOHCAHTOA.
About Mike
Mike is a big phony who is somehow able to achieve all of his dreams and is waiting for it all to come crashing down. Is it luck? Is he just so innoc...
Duration: 00:37:38S2E05: Retail therapy vs. Math therapy w/ Tamica Marcano
Jul 02, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Welcome to our most intense (and successful!) math therapy session yet! Has your inability to fit into that mythical “math person” category haunted you for your entire life? Today Vanessa talks to Tamica Marcano about how being labelled ADHD led to mega feelings of inadequacy, especially when it comes to math, and they discover what’s truly possible when we leap out of the boxes we once forced ourselves into. Ready to hear math therapy legit transform Tamica’s life? Let’s do this!
About Tamica
Fol...
Duration: 00:42:26S2E04: How “Math Therapy” changed my life w/ Jill Waddell
Jun 25, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Ever dream of quitting your job and starting over again? Today Vanessa talks to Jill Waddell, a nutritionist who decided to finally face her fear of math to become a friggin POWER ENGINEER! AT 40!! Crazy, right?! From crying in the bathroom, to melting down in front of her husband, to doing everything in her power to keep her eye on the prize - this episode has it all so BUCKLE UP KIDS.
About Jill: (Instagram)
At the age of 40, with three children at...
Duration: 00:43:59S2E03: Recalculating your destiny w/ Miguel Escobar
Jun 18, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
What would you do if your high school math teacher told you that the only thing you were capable of doing was flipping burgers? Ummm ... become the king of the kitchen, of course! Today Vanessa talks to Miguel about how he went from killing it in the restaurant industry to a career 180 as a stats analyst rockstar with the Ontario government, all while battling some deep math trauma and persistent imposter syndrome. If you’re ready to turn your fear of failure into your greatest motivator, then this episode is...
Duration: 00:41:06S2E02: How to use your privilege w/ Imogen Coe
Jun 11, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Last week we brought you a discussion about the need for greater diversity in math education, and today we have a conversation about how to lift up marginalized voices if you are in a position of privilege. Vanessa talks to Canadian thought leader Dr. Imogen Coe about what it’s like to advocate for equality in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), fields traditionally dominated by white men, and what it actually means to use your privilege for good.
About Imogen (Website, Instagram, LinkedIn)
D...
Duration: 00:40:17S2E01: A Black woman walks into a math class … w/ Michole Washington
Jun 04, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
A couple months ago we had picked today as the launch date for Season 2, but we've been glued to the news as I'm sure you've been and we know that math is not exactly the topic on everyone's mind this week. We considered delaying the launch, but we realized that an episode we had planned to release later in the season, a conversation with Michole Washington, was actually very topical.
Michole is currently working on a PhD at the University of Michigan researching common experiences of Black p...
Duration: 00:46:48Mailbag #1: Your stories!
May 28, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Season 2 starts June 4th but today we're sharing some of the inspiring stories that listeners have sent us! From math traumas to math triumphs, we were SO inspired by the courage in these submissions. Follow Vanessa on all socials @themathguru for updates and get pumped for Season 2!
Contact us:
Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, Email Math Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:
Get the book: Corwin, Amazon Audiobook: Audible, Spotify Merch st... Duration: 00:26:28Fighting fake news w/ Science Sam
May 14, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Not sure what to do with all the COVID-conspiracy theories flying around? Finding yourself arguing on social media while your blood pressure rises and your friend/follower count drops?!?! Um, I FEEL YA.
So I called up my dear friend and legit science super-star, Dr. Samantha Yammine (aka Science Sam on Instagram and YouTube), to break down exactly why #fakenews spreads so easily and what we can do to constructively and compassionately champion facts based in real math and sc...
Duration: 00:30:56Wait ... flatten WHAT curve?!
Apr 17, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
The last few weeks I have been freaking out about how, in a math-anxious society, the secret to understanding the spread of COVID and the importance of physical distancing is ... MATH?! Like honestly, I'm a (self-described) math therapist and even I have been confused at times exactly what curve needs to be f*cking flattened.
In this episode I break down some of the key math-related COVID issues I've been thinking about, and I hope this gives you a bit of clarity or perhaps some help when a...
Duration: 00:18:42Send us your stories!
Mar 19, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
While we're working on Season 2, we want to hear from you! Send us your math stories/questions - the good, the bad, and the ugly :) How do you feel about the term "math person"? Do YOU have math trauma?! Share your story with us and we'll pick some to play/read on our 1st ever mailbag episode! Ways to share:
Send your written story via email to vanessa at themathguru dot caRecord a voice note on your phone & send via email or dm on instaText the podcast at the l... Duration: 00:02:08Season 1 Outtakes
Feb 27, 2020Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Exciting news: Season 2 of Math Therapy is IN PRODUCTION!!! We've got an incredible range of guests lined up and can't wait to share some new episodes with you. In the meantime, here are some outtakes from Season 1 ... aka "us figuring out how to make a podcast" :) Enjoy and stay tuned for a bigger and better Season 2!
Contact us:
Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, Email Math Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:
Get the boo... Duration: 00:05:48S1E10: What the f*ck is a “math person”?! w/ Johnny Cassels
Dec 19, 2019Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
The first season of Math Therapy ends with a BANG - and a hashtag that all of us should probably start using immediately! Math tutor Johnny Cassels shares with Vanessa why labelling ourselves can hold us back, but how accountability can help us leave our comfort zones and do great things - math-related or not! A big part of this is the difference between WANTING something and F*CKING wanting it. Do you want to hear this ep guys? Or do you #F*ckingWantIt?!
About Johnny:<...
Duration: 00:41:03S1E09: Girls are bad at math (& other stupid myths) w/ Zainab Husain
Dec 12, 2019Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Even though it ain’t 1942 anymore, the pesky rumour that girls suck at math is still alive and well! Vanessa chats with math tutor / math major Zainab Husain about the different ways that boys and girls perceive intelligence, and how feeling confident with math might actually be the secret to raising more female leaders in our world - which let’s be honest, we very desperately need right about now.
About Zainab
Zainab Husain is entering her final year at Ryerson University, where she...
Duration: 00:35:04S1E08: It’s never too late w/ Yvonne Osondu
Dec 05, 2019Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Yvonne Osondu is basically #goals. At the age of 52, she decided to learn how to ride a bike, and now she’s tackling the next thing on her bucket list: learning math ... ALL the way from grade 9 to grade 12 calculus. Yvonne chats with Vanessa about how she’s decided to prove to the world and herself that she is capable of ANYTHING - even math - despite being told she was incapable for 50 years!
About Yvonne:
Yvonne Osondu is the owner of Reflexology and...
Duration: 00:33:47S1E07: The myth of math and money w/ Bruce Sellery
Nov 28, 2019Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Do you freak out about ca$h money? Well it’s time to stop that sh*t and realize you know more about money AND math than you think! Vanessa chats with personal finance guru Bruce Sellery about the most common math-money myths, the super genius ways he teaches his daughter about the value of a dollar, and - MOST importantly - the most economical strategy when dining at a buffet so that you can feel richer with every single bite! YUM.
About Bruce: (Website, Fa...
Duration: 00:34:03S1E06: What failure really feels like w/ Jenna Kabakulak
Nov 21, 2019Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
School can be hella traumatizing, but it’s especially bad if you fail math several times, have an undiagnosed learning disability, struggle with anxiety and depression, and come from a low-income, immigrant family ... a.k.a. Jenna Kabakulak’s entire school career. She and Vanessa discuss turning failures into successes, and dive deep into some big questions like how to make quality education accessible and affordable for all - regardless of your background.
About Jenna: (Instagram)
Jenna (Canan) Kabakulak is completing her B.A in...
Duration: 00:40:36S1E05: The math therapist’s therapist w/ Kimberley McLeod
Nov 14, 2019Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Have you ever wanted to therapize your therapist? Vanessa invites Kimberley McLeod, her former therapist, on the show to share her OWN math traumas. And guess what?! Even therapists need a little math therapy sometimes! Kimberley also digs into the connection she often sees in her young female clients between confidence, anxiety, and - you guessed it - MATH!
About Kimberley
Kimberley is a registered social worker and therapist. She specializes in helping women process their concerns in a way that allows them...
Duration: 00:26:38S1E04: The ultimate math blackout w/ Liz Idowu
Nov 07, 2019Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Have you ever met someone so traumatized by their high school math experience that they legit blocked out a year of their life?! Vanessa chats with Liz Idowu, who now works as an admin assistant at Vanessa’s math tutoring studio and is determined to overcome her fear of numbers even though it’s been 20 years since she kissed math bye for good.
About Liz
Coming from a world of performance arts and wellness, Liz Idowu joined the admin team at The Math Guru...
Duration: 00:36:24S1E03: A mathemagical crisis w/ Jonah Babins
Oct 31, 2019Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)
Did you think that people who do well in math don’t have math trauma? THINK AGAIN. The mathematician-turned-magician (yes, that’s a thing!) Jonah Babins talks to Vanessa about how going to university for math caused him to have a total existential meltdown. He also pulls back the curtain on the relation between math and magic - voila!
About Jonah:
Jonah is a magician, performing in Toronto, New York and L.A. He also produces and performs awe-inspiring shows in Toronto with his...
Duration: 00:36:35