Professor Derek Tracy is the Chief Medical Officer of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Derek is an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, and an honorary Professor at Brunel Medical School. He has published over 140 peer-reviewed scientific papers and 20 book chapters.

Prof. Tracy has written two chapters in Evolutionary Psychiatry: Current Perspectives on Evolution and Mental Health, published by Cambridge University Press:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/evolutionarypsychiatry/2A1862AA7A2D78F946A34475D98425EB

Today Derek and Alex discuss human evolution, and how a mismatch between the ancestral and modern enivornments may be contributing to many contemporary physical and mental health problems. 

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training.

Alex's Guardian article on this topic: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/sep/21/how-modern-life-makes-us-sick-and-what-to-do-about-it

If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line.

Alex is not currently taking on new psychotherapy clients, if you are interested in working with Alex for focused behaviour change coaching , you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com with "Coaching" in the subject line.

Check out The Thinking Mind Blog on Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-174371597

Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

Today Alex discusses the classic 2013 financial crime epic the Wolf of Wallstreet directed by Martin Scorcese and starring Leonardo Dicaprio, Margot Robbie and Jonah Hill. Including themes such as narcissism, behaviour control, addiction and moral disengagement. This episode does not contain financial advice. 

Presented by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training.

Podcast with Jordan Belfort's ex-wife Nadine Macaluso:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiaVUdXV2UY

If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line.

Alex is not currently taking on new psychotherapy clients, if you are interested in working with Alex for focused behaviour change coaching , you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com with "Coaching" in the subject line.

Check out The Thinking Mind Blog on Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-170117699

Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

Pim Cuijpers. Ph.D. is professor emeritus of Clinical Psychology at the Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He is also director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Dissemination of Psychological Interventions in Amsterdam.

Professor Cuijpers is specialised in conducting randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses on prevention and psychological treatments of common mental disorders.

Today, we focus on what is known about the psychological treatment of depression. We start off a little technical - so that you hopefully can come away with an initial understanding of what a meta-analysis is and how they are useful. Prof Cuijpers then tells us about what is known about how effective psychological therapies are in depression, where we’re at with personalising and what his vision for the future is.

Get in touch or read more from with Prof Cuijpers here: https://www.pimcuijpers.com/blog/

Interviewed by Dr. Anya Borissova - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast Tiktok - @thinking.mind.podcast 

Check out The Thinking Mind Blog on Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-170117699

Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

In this week's podcast we examine Narcissism through the lens of Napoleon and other characters in film. We explore, the different ways narcissism can manifest itself (including malignant, grandiose, covert & communal) and some of the psychological mechanisms underlying narcissism. We also discuss how narcissism can distort your psychology and your life path and how you can combat this.

Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant General Adult Psychiatrist who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com  
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Dr. Anna Lembke is a psychiatrist and author. She is the Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic at Stanford University and is the author of the New York Times bestseller Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence.

Today we discuss

- Dopamine and the different psychological functions it serves
- Different addictive behaviours ranging from drugs to alcohol to social media and how they affect can our mental health
- The relationship between pleasure and pain and how they are intimately tied together
- How you can re-sensitise yourself to dopamine
- The process of recovering from an addiction
- The importance of an overarching life philosophy when trying to manage an addictive behaviour

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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In this week's podcast we discuss seven common misconceptions about psychotherapy, and these include:

1. Only people with a psychiatric diagnosis can benefit from therapy
2. Therapists have all the answers and will tell you what to do
3. Therapy is only for long-term issues; it can't help with short-term problems
4. Therapy is just about talking, which doesn’t accomplish anything
5. Therapy is just about making excuses for your problems
6. Only "weak" people seek therapy; it's a sign of personal failure
7. Therapy is about dwelling in childhood and the past

Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant General Adult Psychiatrist who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com  
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On today's episode we discuss novel injectable weight loss drugs (GLP-1 agonists) such as Ozempic and Mounjaro. To discuss these drugs, we are in conversation with Dr. Michael Camilleri, a gastroenterologist from the Mayo Clinic who is specifically interested in how the gastrointestinal motility, obesity, diabetes, appetite, irritable bowel syndrome and related topics. He himself has overseen patients on these drugs and participated in research investigating these medications.

 Today we discuss which of these medications Dr. Camilleri thinks are likely to become dominant, how these drugs work, their known side effects and safety profiles, in what situations these drugs are likely to be prescribed, what kind of results you can expect, unexpected benefits and drawbacks and how they may be affecting the brain. 

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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How do you a sustain a relationship past the honeymoon phase? Why is falling in love overrated? What practices and mindsets can help you build a strong relationship?

Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant General Adult Psychiatrist who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

How and Why to Engage in Conflict:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-why-to-engage-in-conflict-audio-essay-11/id1466932169?i=1000552900055

Exploring Your Dark Side
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/going-over-to-the-dark-side-shadow-work/id1466932169?i=1000634716280

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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Jeremy Thomas is a public speaker and author. He is the author of two novels, Taking Leave, and the Santa Monica Suicide Club . He’s also co-written two books about mental health with Dr. Tony Hughes, the A-Z Guide to Mental Health and You Don't Have to Be Famous to Have Manic Depression.

In 2006 Jeremy and Tony co-produced a documentary about bipolar disorder, the Secret Life of the Manic Depressive starring Stephen Fry,  Jo Brand, Carrie Fisher and many others.  This is the first part of a two part podcast where we talk about Jeremy’s fascinating life story and his lived experience of bipolar disorder.

Today we discuss Jeremy's experiences running a record label in London in 1979, some of the dangers of success, what it’s like to have depression, Jeremy’s struggle with suicidal thoughts, what it’s like to have a manic episode and just how easily depression can switch into mania if you have bipolar disorder. We also discuss just how hard it can be for someone to realize they’re unwell when they’re in the midst of a manic episode.

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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Everyone has a dark side, what does yours look like? What happens when people have a dark side they have no control over? In this podcast we discuss Carl Jung's idea of the shadow; how can you explore your dark side and integrate it into your personality, to help you solve some of life's toughest challenges.

Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant General Adult Psychiatrist who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com  
Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

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Jeremy Thomas is a public speaker and author. He is the author of two novels, Taking Leave, and the Santa Monica Suicide Club . He’s also co-written two books about mental health with Dr. Tony Hughes, the A-Z Guide to Mental Health and You Don't Have to Be Famous to Have Manic Depression.

In 2006 Jeremy and Tony co-produced a documentary about bipolar disorder, the Secret Life of the Manic Depressive starring Stephen Fry,  Jo Brand, Carrie Fisher and many others.  This is the first part of a two part podcast where we talk about Jeremy’s fascinating life story and his lived experience of bipolar disorder.

Today we discuss Jeremy's experiences running a record label in London in 1979, some of the dangers of success, what it’s like to have depression, Jeremy’s struggle with suicidal thoughts, what it’s like to have a manic episode and just how easily depression can switch into mania if you have bipolar disorder. We also discuss just how hard it can be for someone to realize they’re unwell when they’re in the midst of a manic episode.

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

What is a story? In this week's audioessay we discuss the role of stories in our psychology, how mental narratives can keep us stuck and how we can start to develop more ownership over the stories of our lives. In particular we discuss ideas like transference, cognitive distortions & the life script to illustrate this further.

Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant General Adult Psychiatrist who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com  
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Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard is a British medical academic and a medical general practitioner. She is Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges a GP principal and Chair of the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP). She was Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) from November 2016 to November 2019.

In this episode Anya and Helen discuss the impact of loneliness, lack of meaning and spiritual needs can impact people's mental and physical health. They also discuss different means these problems can be addressed, including the concept of social prescribing.

Interviewed by  Dr. Anya Borissova.

National Academy for Social Prescribing website: https://socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/resources/

If you’re interested in becoming a link worker: 

1.https://www.nalw.org.uk/
2.https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/workforce-and-training/social-prescribing-link-workers/

Prevention is better than cure podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/prevention-is-the-new-cure/id1673584286

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Dr. Paul Eastwick is a Professor at UC Davis where he runs the Attraction and Relationships Research Laboratory. Dr. Eastwick’s research investigates how people initiate romantic relationships and the psychological mechanisms that help romantic partners to remain committed and attached. He is one of the hosts of the Love Factually podcast. 

https://www.lovefactuallypod.com/

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training.

If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line.

Alex is not currently taking on new psychotherapy clients, if you are interested in working with Alex for focused behaviour change coaching , you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com with "Coaching" in the subject line.

Check out The Thinking Mind Blog on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/thinkingmindblog/p/thinking-mind-blog-big-thoughts-edition?r=1cn09u&utm_medium=ios

Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

Whether you are aware of it or not, your brain is constantly making predictions - and these predictions have an enormous influence on your beliefs, expectations and overall experience of life. In this week's podcast we explore the predictive processing framework and how this helps us understand our emotions, decision making, confidence, common mental health problems and even gambling.

Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant General Adult Psychiatrist who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

Intro Excerpt from: The Matrix (1999)

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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Today Alex and Rebecca chat with British comedy legend Jo Brand. They discuss comedy, Jo's first time on stage, political correctness, Jo's career working in a psychiatric emergency clinic, misconceptions about mental health and many other topics.

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi with Dr. Rebecca Wilkinson - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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What is the drama triangle? What can it tell us about conflict and dysfunctional relationships?  In this episode we explore the roles of Persecutor, Rescuer and Victim -  what they mean, and how they enable toxic relationships. We also explore the healthier, more sustainable alternatives.

Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant General Adult Psychiatrist who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

Intro Excerpt from: Liar, Liar (1997)

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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Daniel Fryer is a Bristol based psychotherapist and author. In this podcast we discuss his book, the Four Thoughts that F*ck You Up, based on the principles of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy. We also discuss hypnotherapy, the barriers to change, self-sabotage, psychedelics and much more.

You can learn more about his work including his book here:
https://www.danielfryer.com/

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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When things are constantly changing, how should you know when you should add something new into your life, or subtract something? Should you leave your job and start a new career, or try and make it work? How do you know when a relationship has run it's course? What are the hidden costs of some of life's biggest decisions? In this week's audio-essay we look at life decisions through the lens of Creation, Destruction and Maintenance.

Intro Excerpt from: Donnie Darko (2001)

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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When you're faced with difficulties in life, how often do you consider taking something away, rather than adding on something new? Professor Leidy Klotz takes on this counter-intuitive idea in his 2021 book Subtract .

Professor Klotz is a Professor at the University of Virginia who studies the science of design, and his work exists at the cross section between design, sustainability and the science of decision making.

In addition to his book Leidy’s is extensively published in the scientific literature and his research has appeared in both Nature and Science. Leidy is a frequent guest on interview programs including Hidden Brain, Freakonomics, NPR, and for The Atlantic. His writing has appeared in outlets such as The Washington Post, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and Scientific American.

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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What can psychotherapy tell us about the importance of free speech? In this episode we explore how free speech promotes psychological health, and the parallels between the health of the individual and the health of wider society.

Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant General Adult Psychiatrist who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

Intro Excerpt from: George Carlin - Doin' it Again (1990)

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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Dr. Gad Saad is a marketing professor at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University. He is known for applying evolutionary psychology to marketing and consumer behaviour. He has his own podcast, the Saad truth and has been a frequent guest on other podcasts such as the Joe Rogan experience, the Sam Harris Making Sense podcast and the Rubin Report.

He's the author of several books including: The Evolutionary Basis of Consumption,
The Consuming Instinct and The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense.  His most recent book is The Saad Truth about Happiness , which combines his life experiences, ancient wisdom and what psychological science can tell us about the path to happiness

In this episode we discuss some of the ideas from his latest book, in particular Dr. Saad’s advice about how to design a career and how to choose a long term partner. We also discuss some of the fundamentals of evolutionary psychology and the surprising amount of challenge that still exists towards these ideas. Dr. Saad outlines many compelling scientific and anthropological arguments as to why we should be taking evolutionary psychology seriously.

You can find Dr. Saad's latest book here: https://shorturl.at/afL15

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

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What is unhealthy self-criticism? How can you tell if this is something that's holding you back? In this episode we discuss unhealthy self-criticism in depth, how it may have come about and how it may be holding you back. In addition we discuss six practical steps that can be taken to address it.

Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant General Adult Psychiatrist who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

Intro Excerpt from: Lost in Translation (Directed by Sofia Coppola)

The meditations discussed can be found here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6JKqFI7DCvBjzcvDEK5RSG?si=afa00ab39d78495f
https://open.spotify.com/episode/01JExbQcJMLNttjxu11I5L?si=22abeae913864ad6

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Professor Ian Robertson is a neuroscientist and clinical psychologist, and Professor of Psychology at Trinity College Dublin. He is also known as a leading researcher as to how an individual may harness the attention system to enhance one's autonomy over emotions and thinking.

He's the author of several books including: The Winner Effect: How Power Affects Your Brain,  The Stress Test: How Pressure Can and Make you Stronger and Sharper and  How Confidence works, the New Science of Self-belief.

In today’s episode we discuss, the danger of over-emphasising the genetic influences on our psychology, how your environment can shape your psychology and the ways in which a psychiatric view on mental health can be limiting. We also discuss confidence, the main components of confidence, the difference between confidence, optimism and self-esteem, the obesity crisis, the opioid crisis and much more.

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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We're on holiday this week! Today we briefly mention some recent episode recommendations, future episodes and other announcements. 

The Thinking Mind Podcast is hosted by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training.

If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line.

Alex is not currently taking on new psychotherapy clients, if you are interested in working with Alex for focused behaviour change coaching , you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com with "Coaching" in the subject line.

Check out The Thinking Mind Blog on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/thinkingmindblog/p/thinking-mind-blog-big-thoughts-edition?r=1cn09u&utm_medium=ios

Alex's TedX talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JvG10zQups&t=52s

The Thinking Mind Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thinkingmindpodcast

Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

When you're going through difficulties, why not borrow ideas from some of the wisest people in history? In this episode we discuss ideas from various schools of philosophical thought including Stoicism, Buddhism, Deontology and Existentialism, and how they can be applied to everyday problems.

Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant General Adult Psychiatrist who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

Intro Excerpt from: Monty Python's the Meaning of Life (Directed by Terry Gilliam)

The meditations discussed can be found here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6JKqFI7DCvBjzcvDEK5RSG?si=afa00ab39d78495f
https://open.spotify.com/episode/01JExbQcJMLNttjxu11I5L?si=22abeae913864ad6

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Dr Amit D. Mistry is a consultant sports psychiatrist, with a specialism in eating disorders and athlete mental health. Dr Amit D Mistry is chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) Sport & Exercise Group. He is the mental health advisor to Oxford University Sport and Consultant Sport Psychiatrist to the English Cricket Board (ECB) Women's XI national side. He is the editor of “Case Studies in Sports Psychiatry”.

In today's episode we discuss what a psychiatrist working with athletes does, approaches to treatment and how these are similar/different to general psychiatry, how interested doctors can get involved, as well as more specialist topics like exercise addiction and eating disorders.

Resources mentioned: https://movingmedicine.ac.uk/

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/members/special-interest-groups/sport-and-exercise

https://twitter.com/rcpsych_SEPSIG?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Interviewed by  Dr. Anya Borissova.

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Why is modern success so different from success in our ancestral world? What mental skills put you ahead of the world in 2023? What is the difference between a real and artificial reward?

Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant General Adult Psychiatrist who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. In addition to general adult psychiatry he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

The guide to long term behaviour change can be found here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0uryIvA9bVvk9osHh2SmKG?si=32523586f8f64b74

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​​Dr. Randy Nesse is a evolutionary psychiatrist, he is one of the founders of his field and his work has revolutionized our understanding of how evolution shapes our physical and mental health.  He isProfessor Emeritus at the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Michigan. He is also the Founding President of The International Society for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health

He is the author of several books, including "Why We Get Sick" and "Good Reasons for Bad Feelings". You can find a full list of Dr. Nesse's books here: https://www.randolphnesse.com/books

In today’s episode we discuss how Natural Selection has shaped our psychology, the evolutionary rationale underlying anxiety and low mood, Dr. Nesse's concepts of social traps and the "smoke detector principle",  how depression is not just one condition, why we have emotions, why men die earlier than women and much more.

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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Fear and Laziness are two of the most common obstacles between you and what you want. Why are Fear and Laziness such a big part of the human condition? What can you do about it? In this episode we take an evolutionary psychology approach to understanding these phenomena, with some practical guidance to overcoming them.

Audio-Essay by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Curmi is a consultant General Adult Psychiatrist who completed his training in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust, in addition he has a special interest in psychotherapy and mindfulness meditation.

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

Intro Excerpt from: Waking Life (Directed by Richard Linklater)

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Dr. Nolan Williams is a Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University and the Director of the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab.  He is triple certified in psychiatry, neurology and neuropsychiatry.  Dr. Williams' work has resulted in an FDA clearance for the world's first non-invasive, rapid-acting neuromodulation approach for treatment-resistant depression. He has published papers in high-impact peer-reviewed journals including Brain, American Journal of Psychiatry, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

In today's episode we discuss the Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy for treatment resistant depression, the differences between neurology and psychiatry, the first randomised trial in medicine, the problem with the chemical imbalance theory of depression, the suppression of psychedelics research, and the potential utility of psychedelics such as psilocybin, ketamine, MDMA and ibogaine.

You can learn more about Dr. Williams here:
https://profiles.stanford.edu/nolan-williams

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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Chris Ryan is a podcaster and author. He holds a PhD in psychology and is the author of two books: Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What it Means for Modern Relationships and Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress. He is the host of the Tangentially Speaking podcast and has made frequent appearances on the Joe Rogan Experience and the Duncan Trussel Family Hour Podcast.

You can learn more about his work here: https://chrisryanphd.com/

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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This week Anya chats with Dr Akeem Sule and  Dr. Omer Hamour about what we can learn about psychiatry, psychology and human nature from the hit HBO television show the Sopranos.

Dr. Akeem Sule is a Wolfson College Research Associate and a Consultant Psychiatrist in General Adult Psychiatry at the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and the co-founder of the Hip Hop Psych movement. Dr. Hamour is a graduate of the unversity of Edinburgh and a junior psychiatrist in the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. 

Interviewed by  Dr. Anya Borissova.

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Shaun Flores is a mental health advocate and public speaker with lived experience of OCD. He has given three TEDx talks in 2018, 2022 and 2023 about education, men's mental health and the potential value of using psychedelics to treat mental health conditions. 

In addition Shaun is a freelance journalist with published work in various online publications such as The Metro, Inews, South West Londoner, The Common Sense Network & Jacamo’s The Book of Man.

Interviewed by Dr. Rebecca Wilkinson - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

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Jack Arbuthnott is a producer know for his crowd-sourced documentaries Life in a Day and Life in a Day 2020. 

His other credits include The Aftermath, Mindhorn, Lords Of Chaos, and Asif Kapadia's VR short Laika. He was previously a development executive at BBC Films and the UK Film Council, beginning his career at New Line Cinema / Fine Line Features. He is a graduate of the UK’s National Film & Television School and Oxford University.

He is currently the Director and Producer of I HOPE THIS HELPS, a crowd sourced documentary about mental health.

To find out how you can take part in the documentary go here:
https://ihopethishelpsfilm.com/

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

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Dr. Alastair Santhouse is a consultant psychiatrist and author with over 20 years of experience in the field. He has worked at both Guy’s Hospital and the Maudsley Hospital in London, treating a wide range of mental health conditions.

His clinical expertise includes the psychological impact of physical illness and persistent physical symptoms, as well as more typical psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and adjustment disorders.

Dr. Santhouse is the author of Head First: A Psychiatrist's Stories of Mind and Body (2021), and No More Normal: Mental Health in an Age of Over-Diagnosis (2025).

Find out more about Dr. Santhouse here - https://www.alastairsanthouse.com/

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training.

If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line.

Alex is not currently taking on new psychotherapy clients, if you are interested in working with Alex for focused behaviour change coaching , you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com with "Coaching" in the subject line.

Check out The Thinking Mind Blog on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/thinkingmindblog/p/thinking-mind-blog-big-thoughts-edition?r=1cn09u&utm_medium=ios

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Dr. Suzanne O'Sullivan is a neurologist specializing in psychosomatic medicine.  O'Sullivan gained recognition for her expertise in diagnosing and treating epilepsy and in improving services for people who suffer with functional neurological disorders.  She is the author of three books: It's All in Your Head: True Stories of Imaginary Illness, Brainstorm: The Detective Stories from the World of Neurology and The Sleeping Beauties and Other Stories of Mystery Illness.

Interviewed by Dr. Anya Borissova with Dr. Alex Curmi.

If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com

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Cathryn Lewis, a Professor of Genetic Epidemiology and Statistics at King's College London, holds the position of Head of Department at the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience.

In this episode, we engage in an in-depth discussion on how our genetics influence the development of various mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. We explore the significance of mathematics and statistics in enhancing our comprehension of these conditions.

Moreover, we delve into the potential role of genetic testing in treating these conditions as our understanding of genetics evolves over time. Additionally, we examine how genetics impact aspects of our psychology that we can all relate to, such as personalities.

Lastly, we explore the qualities that contribute to a successful career in science and what characteristics define an exceptional scientist.

You can watch this interview on YouTube! -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jtoLRmC5F4&t=2227s

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

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Dr Garr is a GP working in Nottingham and is one of the medical directors for NHS Practitioner Health. This is a free, confidential, NHS primary care mental health service with very specific expertise in treating health and care professionals.   Dr Garr is a leader in the field of healthcare professional wellbeing and burnout.
For more information or to find out about referring yourself to NHS Practitioner Health, visit: https://www.practitionerhealth.nhs.uk/ or https://canopi.nhs.wales/ in Wales.

Interviewed by Dr. Anya Borissova.

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Professor Robin Dunbar is a British anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist and a specialist in primate behaviour. He is currently head of the Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford. He is best known for formulating Dunbar's number, a measurement of the "cognitive limit to the number of individuals with whom any one person can maintain stable relationships".

He is the author of many books including Friends: Understanding the Power of our Most Important Relationships which we discuss today.

Interviewed by Dr. Rebecca Wilkinson with Dr. Alex Curmi.

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Eli Zaretsky is Professor of History at The New School for Social Research. He has taught at Lang College since 1999. His interests are in twentieth century cultural history, the theory and history of capitalism (especially its social and cultural dimensions), and the history of the family. His most recent book is Political Freud, published in 2015 by Cambridge University Press. His earlier work includes Secrets of the Soul: A Social and Cultural History of Psychoanalysis and Why America Needs a Left.

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

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Special Thanks to www.wearegoat.com (insta: @wearegoat_official)  for our new logo and art work! 

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Dr. David Spiegel is an American psychiatrist and Associate Chair of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he is known for his research into psycho-oncology; the neurobiology of therapeutic hypnosis, and the role of the mind-brain-body connection in the management of various conditions.  

He directs the Stanford Center on Stress and Health and is a recognized authority on hypnosis's clinical utility and neuroscience.

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

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*Announcement! From April 14th 2023 the Maudsley Learning Podcast will be changing its name to The Thinking Mind Podcast and will have a completely new look! Make sure you follow or subscribe on your podcast player to avoid missing any new episodes!*

Special Thanks to https://www.wearegoat.com for our new logo and art work! 

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As head of operations for the Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) Foundation in the UK, Kitty Wallace supports sufferers and their families, raises awareness of the condition and much more. But she’s also had her own experience of living with BDD. 

Her story shows that recovery may not always be a straight line, but it’s always possible. Find out more on the BDD Foundation website https://bddfoundation.org/.

Interviewed by Dr. Rebecca Wilkinson - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

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This week Alex meets with Lisa, a CBT therapist at the Anxiety Disorders Residential Unit. 

The ADRU specialises in severe cases of anxiety conditions such as social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). The patients at the ADRU undergo an intensive 12 to 16 week residential programme with the goal of helping them understand their condition and develop better coping strategies to help manage their condition in their day-to-day lives. 

Alex and Lisa discuss how the ADRU works, what a patient there is likely to expect, the value of cognitive behaviour therapy as well as compassion focused therapy, the role of trauma in these conditions and how these conditions can be viewed holistically. 

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

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This week Anya chats with Alex and Rebecca about what training in psychiatry is like: why it's a rewarding speciality to choose for your medical career, what makes it challenging, how to carve out your own unique career path and good mindsets to adopt around helping people with mental health difficulties. 

Alex, Anya and Rebecca are all medical doctors and currently training psychiatrists within the South London and Maudsley NHS foundation trust. 

Interviewed by  Dr. Anya Borissova - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

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Dr. Patte Randal is a doctor trained in psychiatry, now retired from practice after working for over 30 years in mental health. She has lived experience of recovery from psychosis, and has told her story publicly in many contexts, including her  published book, Finding Hope in the Lived Experience of Psychosis: Reflections on Trauma, Use of Power, and Re-visioning Psychiatry - co-authored with Dr. Josephine Stanton.

For more resources on mental health recovery from Patte and her colleages visit:

https://thegiftbox.lovable.app/

https://www.talkthatheals.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haQvxyw4_9g

Patte's book on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/bdee66yz

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training.

If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line.

Alex is not currently taking on new psychotherapy clients, if you are interested in working with Alex for focused behaviour change coaching , you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com with "Coaching" in the subject line.

Check out The Thinking Mind Blog on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/thinkingmindblog/p/thinking-mind-blog-big-thoughts-edition?r=1cn09u&utm_medium=ios

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In this week's episode Anya and Alex speak to Natalie Ertl (@NatalieErtl1) who is currently a research assistant at Invicro and PhD candidate at Imperial College London, specialising in functional MRI applications in psychopharmacology. With Natalie is Dr Matt Wall (@m_wall) who is a psychologist, cognitive neuroscientist and fMRI specialist at Invicro and Imperial College London researching cannabis, psychedelics, sex hormones and addiction.

We talk about current understanding of what happens in the brain with sex and sexual desire, and current theories on what might contribute to difficulties with sexual desire or enjoying sex. From there, we find out what kind of drugs are being tested and how researching sexual function works. And what discussion about sex would be complete without a mention of Freud? We hope you enjoy!  

Further reading on the studies mentioned:

 Bremelanotide (women):
https://www.jci.org/articles/view/152341

Kisspeptin (women):  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2797718?resultClick=3

Kisspeptin (men):
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2800937

Interviewed by  Dr. Anya Borissova with Dr. Alex Curmi  
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On our fourth lived experience episode Alex sits down with Katie to talk about her experiences getting treatment from the mental health system, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy,  Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), crisis visits to A & E and medication. 

They also discuss issues around diagnosis (including depression, anxiety, autism and emotionally unstable personality disorder). They talk about what helped Katie made deeper meaningful change and how this has put her in a position where she can now help others.

Disclaimer: The benefits and drawbacks of different forms of therapy and medication are discussed in this conversation, but should not be taken as reccomendations for any one individual listener. Rather, the goal is to help the listener become more aware of different forms of treatment to inform their discussions with their healthcare providers. 

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi.

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Rose Cartwright is an author and screenwriter. She is the author of the 2015 book Pure about her experiences with OCD which subsequently became a Channel 4 television show with the same name. She is also a screenwriter and executive story editor on the upcoming Netflix sci-fi series Three Body Problem . 

In this episode Rose and Alex discuss her experiences including the pros and cons of the medical model, as well as Rose's experiences with meditation, psychedelics and trauma work.

You can find Rose's book Pure here:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43814840-pure

Interviewed by Dr Alex Curmi

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