Math Therapy

Vanessa Vakharia, aka The Math Guru
  • 4.8 (34)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

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 worry, no calculators or actual math were involved in the making of this podcast ;)

  1. 5d ago

    How to get fired up about teaching (even if the system has crushed your spirit) w/ Chase Orton

    Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Vanessa recently took one step closer to her dream of hosting a Netflix show, recording the first ever live Math Therapy interview!   For her session last week at Leander ISD's annual Math Joy Conference in Texas, she interviewed self-proclaimed "chaos-driven non-compliant educator" Chase Orton - and you can now hear their extremely unfiltered conversation in front of a room full of teachers whose gasps are VERY audible throughout! Chase and Vanessa share a fearlessness in calling out the education as it is, and in this convo they cover hot topics like: how teachers can stay motivated in a broken systemwho standardized testing benefits (hint: not students or teachers!)how to follow the rules while rebelling against the status quoAbout Chase: (Website, YouTube) As an accomplished facilitator of lesson study for K-12 math teachers, Chase Orton partners with districts who are interested in taking a teacher-centered, teacher-directed approach to professional development. Chase is also the author of The Imperfect and Unfinished Teacher of Mathematics. Contact us: Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy: Get the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

    48 min

  2. Jun 4

    3 essential study skills to make exams less stressful for everyone w/ Deena Kara Shaffer

    Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Exam season is upon us, but NOBODY PANIC!  Today's guest, learning strategist Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer, joined Vanessa to share some simple but game-changing study tips to help you get through exams without breaking a sweat. They discuss: what actually is learning, and what does and does not count as studyingwhy we get trapped trying to perfect to-do lists & how to prioritize betterhow we can all use AI tools ethically to support our learning (not replace it)This episode is for anyone (students, teachers, parents) who find exam season stressful and need a pep talk about practical & effective ways to learn better! About Deena: (Website, Instagram, Facebook) For over 20 years, Dr. Deena has dedicated her career to promoting more equity and justice in learning and enabling the success of more than 5,000 students, educators, and business leaders through learning strategies.  As a keynote speaker, mentor, training facilitator, and founder of Awakened Learning Inc., she looks forward to any opportunity to connect with individuals and organizations who are ready to feel happier, healthier, and more at peace. Contact us: Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy: Get the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

    53 min

  3. May 28

    The unexpected text that turned my day around (and may turn yours around too)

    Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Last week Vanessa ended her episode saying the podcast would be taking this week off while she was on vacation, but it might not surprise you that she is not exactly "good" at vacation .. so while she's definitely taking some much needed time off, she also could not resist recording this short episode after receiving a very unexpected and beautiful text from Timothy Jones, an inmate with the Prison Mathematics Project. Our podcast is available through prisons across the US, and Timothy was moved to write in to Vanessa through their messaging system after listening to her recent "tax season meltdown" episode.  He shared some beautiful words of affirmation that we can all tell ourselves daily, which stem from his own journey getting to know his true self and rewriting the false stories he was told about himself in childhood. Links mentioned: Ep: Why smart people still feel out of control (and what to do about it)Ep: How math can help prison inmates turn their lives around w/ Christopher HavensListen to new mini-series Heart Work by Imagine Learning, featuring Vanessa on episode 2!Learn more about the Prison Mathematics Project and ways to get involvedContact us: Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy: Get the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

    9 min

  4. May 21

    How I talked my way out of an anxiety spiral

    Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Vanessa reflects on her recent self-described "meltdown episode" in which she talked herself down from a panic spiral.  She was nervous to share something so messy & vulnerable, but the response was incredible - so many of you identified completely with her feelings. (Turns out tax season is a real trigger for us all!) Today, she shares some of her own observations once she had de-escalated, as well as some of the feedback and perspective she received - and most importantly she details what helped her actually get organized as opposed to just spiralling over the fear of being disorganized. Also, we got over 100 entries for last week's Texas Instruments "Oh My Math" Box giveaway!  The winner has already been contacted, but if you didn't hear from us don't despair - we'll be giving away one box every month for the rest of the summer, so stay subscribed to Math Therapy so you don't miss your next chance to win. Links mentioned: Ep: Why smart people still feel out of control (and what to do about it)Ep: This will change the way you think about calculators w/ Curtis BrownImagine Learning's podcast series "Heart Work" featuring Vanessa (Pt 1 available now)Contact us: Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy: Get the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

    31 min

  5. May 14

    Anxious about math? You may be the best person to teach it w/ Heidi Sabnani

    Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Everyone's finally talking about math anxiety - in students, parents, and anyone that goes into a panic at the mere mention of the word "math".  But one group is often overlooked: math teachers! Many teachers find themselves having to teach math whether they planned to or not, and often without even being trained on the material themselves.  But don't panic!  Today's guest, teaching coach Heidi Sabnani, has a step by step process to turn that math anxiety into a classroom strength.  She joined Vanessa to discuss: Is math anxiety contagious?Consistency - the secret to longterm changeHow to overcome math anxiety at any ageAbout Heidi: (Website, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube) Heidi Sabnani, EdD, has been an educator in math and literacy for over 25 years. She regularly presents at regional and national conferences in the United States and has been invited to speak at conferences in Guatemala and Ecuador. She is the co-host and co-author, with Molly Vokey, of the Math 4 All Show and Math Activators for Reasoning about Fractions, Decimals and Integers. This episode is sponsored by Texas Instruments!  Listen to the episode for instructions to enter to win an "Oh My Math" box featuring: the new TI-84 Evo graphing calculator + 4-yr licensean adorable plushie TI calculator keychain!Contact us: Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy: Get the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

    42 min

  6. May 7

    Why smart people still feel out of control (and what to do about it)

    Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Ever feel like you don't know how to take your own advice?  Like you've learned all the strategies but can't seem to actually use them?  Like no matter how hard you try to get your life in order, it just seems to get more complicated?! Well Vanessa certainly does, and (at the encouragement of her producer) she hopped on the mic and let it all out in one of her most honest and vulnerable episodes yet. With the help of her calculator stuffie and her trademark stream of consciousness outer processing, she talks herself down from a panicked state and explores: what an anxiety spiral looks like and what's actually behind itnegativity bias + confirmation bias = catastrophization!how therapy tools like a gratitude practice can helpwhat this all has to do with math educationIf you can relate, or just want to give Vanessa a pep talk, send us a text!  And share this episode with a friend who needs to hear it. Contact us: Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy: Get the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

    31 min

  7. Apr 30

    Math is a spiritual practice & here's the proof w/ Edward Doolittle

    Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) 500 BC: Pythagoras may not have even existed, but a number-worshipping / bean-hating (yet vegetarian?!) cult definitely did. 1600 AD: Johannes Kepler lays the mathematical foundation for Newton's theory of gravity while innovating in both astronomy and astrology (and also inventing the genre of sci-fi in his spare time). April 2026: Vanessa learns these stories and more watching Dr Edward Doolittle deliver a fascinating keynote in Saskatoon and impulsively convinces him to be on Math Therapy!  So they sat down the next day to discuss topics like: how spirituality (in any form) can help us bring our whole selves to mathwhat the whole world can learn from Indigenous understandings of maththe power of storytelling in learningAbout Edward: Dr. Edward Doolittle, (Kanyenkehake [Flint Nation = Mohawk] from Six Nations in southern Ontario) is Associate Professor of Mathematics at First Nations University of Canada, a federated college of the University of Regina.  His interests range from probability (particularly in relation to partial differential operators) to Indigenous mathematics and the educational possibilities afforded by those different views of mathematics. Contact us: Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy: Get the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

    48 min

  8. Apr 23

    It’s never too late to change your relationship with math

    Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply) Ever since we introduced the above link to text the podcast, Vanessa has been obsessed with getting listeners to do so.  And guess what - tons of you have!  So today she reads a bunch of them on a range of topics like: the problem with labels like "gifted"gaining math confidence later in lifeneuroplasticity and thinking processeswho is Sister Beth?! (seriously, we need to send her a book)Also, you can now not only text us but leave us a voicenote!  Just hit the link at the top of this description and we may include your text/voicenote on a future episode. Contact us: Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy: Get the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

    28 min
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4.8
out of 5
34 Ratings

About

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 worry, no calculators or actual math were involved in the making of this podcast ;)

Information

  • Creator
    Vanessa Vakharia, aka The Math Guru
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    125
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Math Therapy
  • Show Website
    Math Therapy

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