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Former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama has revealed she is currently in therapy, describing it as a helpful tool as she navigates what she considers the “next phase” of her life.
Speaking on The Jay Shetty Podcast alongside her brother, Craig Robinson, Obama opened up about personal changes and addressed persistent rumors about her marriage to former President Barack Obama.
Now in her 60s and embracing the role of an “empty nester,” she shared that therapy is helping her cope with this major life transition. “At this phase of my life, I’m in therapy right now because I’m transitioning, you know? I’m 60 years old, I’ve finished a really hard thing in my life with my family intact. I’m an empty nester—my girls have been launched,” she explained.
Obama noted that therapy has given her access to “other voices” and a “new person who’s getting to know me” as she reflects on her personal journey. No longer bound by the demands of public service or child-rearing, she said, “Every choice that I’m making is completely mine.”
“I don’t have the excuse of, ‘Well, my kids need this,’ or ‘My husband needs that,’ or ‘The country needs that,’” she added.
Describing therapy as a “tune-up” for this stage in her life, Obama said it’s helping her unwind old habits, address lingering guilt, and deepen her relationship with her mother. “I believe this is a whole new phase in life for me. And I now have the wisdom to know—let me go get some coaching while I’m doing it.”
A long-time mental health advocate, Obama encouraged others to seek support if needed. “I am an advocate of it. Everybody needs to find their form of it, the best way they can,” she said.
She also took a moment to dispel recent speculation surrounding her marriage. Speaking on a separate podcast with entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, she laughed off the rumors, saying, “If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it.”
