What Makes The Shrink Next Door Podcast So Unsettling
The Shrink Next Door podcast turned a strange encounter with a Hamptons neighbor into one of the most talked-about true crime series in podcast history.
Written and hosted by journalist Joe Nocera for Wondery and Bloomberg, the show follows the real relationship between psychiatrist Isaac Herschkopf and his patient Martin Markowitz, a bond that stretched across nearly three decades and left Marty’s life almost unrecognizable.
The series hit number one on Apple’s podcast charts, won a Webby Award, and later became an Apple TV Plus limited series starring Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd.
Here is a look at the ten episodes that trace this story from an odd neighborly discovery to its final, jaw-dropping conclusion.
10 The Shrink Next Door Podcast Episodes With the Most Chilling Stories
1. Welcome To The Neighborhood
Joe Nocera introduces his eccentric next-door neighbor, a psychiatrist known as Ike, who counts celebrities among his patients and throws star-studded parties at his Hamptons house, setting up the mystery that will unravel over the following episodes.
2. Sibling Rivalry
This episode traces how Ike wedged himself between Marty and his own sister, planting doubts that would eventually cut Marty off from the family he had grown up with.
3. Easy Mark Markowitz
The story rewinds to how Marty first became Ike’s patient, and why a difficult period in his life made him vulnerable to a therapist willing to cross every professional line.
4. The Familia
Ike’s influence deepens as he folds Marty into his own family’s world, gradually gaining access to Marty’s finances and, eventually, the house that once belonged to Marty alone.
5. The Last Straw
Years of control finally start to unravel in this episode, as cracks begin to show in a relationship built almost entirely on dependence and manipulation.
6. What Did I Do To You?
Marty confronts just how much he lost across nearly three decades under Ike’s influence, from personal relationships to authority over his own home and finances.
7. Update
Joe returns with new reporting after the podcast’s initial run, including fresh accounts from other former patients, like Elizabeth Wurtzel and Nora McInerny, who came forward with their own experiences.
8. Charged
The New York State Department of Health opens a formal case against Ike, putting his medical license and his decades of unchecked influence on the line for the first time.
9. My Dinner With Ike
In one of the series’ most anticipated episodes, Joe finally sits down face to face with the man at the center of the entire story.
10. The Decision
The state’s investigation reaches its conclusion, closing out the case that began with a strange discovery right next door to Joe’s own Hamptons home.
Why These Episodes Stand Out
Each entry on this list reflects a different stage of how the story builds. The early episodes plant the unsettling groundwork of a therapist inserting himself into every corner of a patient’s life, the middle stretch shows the full scope of the damage, and the final episodes deliver the accountability listeners have been waiting for.
That structure is a big part of why the series became a genuine cultural phenomenon.
How to Start Listening to The Shrink Next Door Podcast in 2026
All episodes are available now through Wondery Plus, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music, with ad-free bingeing available to Wondery Plus and Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers.
Since the story builds chronologically, starting with episode one is the best way to experience it in full.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Shrink Next Door Podcast Based On A True Story
Yes. The series is a work of true crime journalism, following the real relationship between psychiatrist Isaac Herschkopf and his patient Martin Markowitz over nearly three decades.
How Many Episodes Does The Shrink Next Door Podcast Have
The core story runs across the first ten episodes, with four additional bonus episodes covering the making of the Apple TV Plus adaptation.
Where Can I Listen To The Shrink Next Door Podcast
The show is available on Wondery Plus, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Spotify.
Final Thoughts
The Shrink Next Door podcast turned an unsettling true story about power and control into a genuine cultural moment, earning a Webby Award and a hit television adaptation along the way.
Whether you start with the original neighborhood mystery or jump straight to the final decision, this list is a solid roadmap for working through one of true crime podcasting’s most chilling stories in 2026.
