Welcome!

Dr. Janeane Bernstein is a journalist, educator, and social impact leader working at the intersection of mental health, storytelling, and human connection. She is the founder of Outside the Box Series and the Outside the Box Institute, and author of Get the Funk Out and Better Humans, focused on healing, resilience, and rebuilding connection in a disconnected world. 

In 2021, she launched Outside the Box, a mental health initiative created during the pandemic and became a  community partner with the University of California, Irvine’s School of Social Ecology Field Study Program. Her mission is to reduce mental health stigma and address loneliness and social disconnection.  As a media host and producer across radio and podcast platforms, she is dedicated to advancing human connection and well-being. She earned her doctorate from Boston University and studied at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications and School of Education.

Through workshops, her podcast, and media work, she creates safe spaces for conversations about trauma, grief, depression, anxiety, and the challenges of everyday life. She uses storytelling to elevate voices and spark meaningful dialogue about connection and community.

 Through interviews with people from all walks of life, Janeane explores pathways to sustainable social change, with a focus on supporting struggling college students. Guests span the globe and share personal experiences and insights on mental health, resilience, and well-being. In 2025, Bernstein founded the Outside the Box Institute, a social benefit organization with a mission to end loneliness, build connection, and inspire better humans.