The Thinking Mind Podcast: Psychiatry & Psychotherapy

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  E185 | How Psychiatry Became Fixated on Chemical Imbalance (w/ Prof. Justin Garson) 14.08.2026 1h 2min

  What if one of psychiatry’s most influential ideas began with LSD, amphetamines and a handful of experiments that would be difficult to imagine today? In this episode, Dr. Alex speaks with philosophy Professor Justin Garson about his new book, The Madness Pill: One Doctor’s Quest to Understand Schizophrenia. They explore the remarkable story of neuroscientist Solomon Snyder, whose work helped establish the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia and contributed to psychiatry’s shift towards a mo...
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  Why Tradwife Content Feels Dangerous (Key Moment w/ Dr. Rosy Blunstone) 06.08.2026 13min

  Is being a tradwife really just about baking bread, homemaking and traditional femininity, or is there something deeper going on? This clip is an except from E181 of the Thinking Mind Podcast. In this episode, Dr Alex is joined by Dr Rosy Blunstone to explore the psychology of the tradwife phenomenon: why tradwife content has become so popular online, what it offers women psychologically, and why it may also be more complicated (and less traditional) than it first appears. This conversati...
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  Podcast Announcements & Housekeeping! 31.07.2026 3min

  The Thinking Mind is taking a short break, but there is plenty happening behind the scenes. In this quick update, Dr Alex shares what listeners can catch up on now, what is coming next, and why the podcast is making a move towards YouTube. There are also new episodes on meditation, doing difficult things, schizophrenia and more already in the works. If you want to support the show like, comment and subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thinkingmindpodcast Dr. Alex is a co...
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  What the Manosphere Gets Wrong About Evolutionary Psychology (Key Moment w/ Dr Paul Eastwick) 30.07.2026 10min

  In this exceprt from E179 of the Thinking Mind Podcast, Dr Paul Eastwick explains the “EvoScript” — the popular version of evolutionary psychology that many people have absorbed from online dating advice, red pill content, the manosphere and social media. Dr Eastwick argues that while “mate value” can matter in first impressions, the idea that your romantic fate is determined by looks, height, money, status or fixed desirability is deeply misleading. Attraction is not just about static trait...
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  E184 | Thinking Films: Obsession (2026) 24.07.2026 34min

  Can we really love another person, or only the version of them we have created in our minds? Today Dr Alex explores Obsession, directed by Curry Barker, a psychological horror film about desire, consent, fantasy and the darker side of romantic love. Using the film’s central premise (a young man wishes for the woman he loves to become completely devoted to him) Alex examines the difference between love and obsession, the dangers of projection and limerence, and why genuine intimacy depends on ...
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  E183 | Finding Your Life's Meaning (w/ Dr. Joel Vos) 17.07.2026 1h 2min

  This week Dr Alex speaks with psychologist and philosopher Dr Joel Vos about what it really means to live a meaningful life. They explore why modern culture can leave people feeling distracted, disconnected and overly focused on external goals, and how existential psychotherapy can help people reconnect with what matters most to them. The conversation also examines the relationship between meaning, mental health and radicalisation. Lastly, they discuss Transactional Analysis, and under discus...
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  Key Moment: What We Get Wrong About Depression (and Anti-Depressants) 15.07.2026 13min

  This is an excerpt from E178 of the Thinking Mind Podcast. In this clip, Alex speaks with neuroscientist and author Dr Dean Burnett about whether depression should really be understood as a disease. They discuss the disease model of mental health, why depression is more complicated than a simple biological fault, and why mental health problems cannot always be treated in the same way as physical illnesses. Dean explains why calling depression a disease can sometimes help people take it serio...
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  E182 | Can AI Cause Psychosis? (w/ Dr. Tom Pollak) 10.07.2026 1h

  Today Dr Alex speaks with consultant neuropsychiatrist and immunopsychiatry researcher Dr Tom Pollack about one of the strangest and most urgent questions emerging in mental health today: can AI chatbots contribute to delusions, psychosis, conspiracy thinking and changes in belief? They discuss the rise of so-called “AI psychosis” or AI-associated delusions, and how prolonged conversations with tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini can sometimes drift into troubling territory. They also as...
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  Key Moment: How To Break the Habit of Negative Thinking 08.07.2026 7min

  This is an excerpt from E175 of the Thinking Mind Podcast. In this episode, Alex is joined by Professor Kalina Christoff Hadjiilieva, Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia and one of the world’s leading researchers on the neuroscience of thought. We explore why our relationship with thought may be one of the most important factors in our wellbeing. Kalina explains why spontaneous thought — mind-wandering, daydreaming, creativity and even dreaming — is far more import...
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  E181 | Are Trad Wives Feminists? (w/ Dr. Rosy Blunstone) 03.07.2026 54min

  Is being a tradwife really just about baking bread, homemaking and traditional femininity, or is there something deeper going on? In this episode, Dr Alex is joined by Dr Rosy Blunstone to explore the psychology of the tradwife phenomenon: why tradwife content has become so popular online, what it offers women psychologically, and why it may also be more complicated (and less traditional) than it first appears. This conversation examines whether tradwife culture is a harmless aesthetic, a gen...
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  Key Moment: The Three Faces of Self-Hate 01.07.2026 6min

  This is an excerpt from: E177 - Why You Must Deal With Self-Hate. Low self-esteem doesn’t always look like insecurity. In this clip, Dr. Alex explains three patterns of low self-esteem and self-hate: becoming aggressive, becoming submissive, or becoming avoidant. Drawing on Karen Horney’s ideas in *Neurosis and Human Growth*, he explores how poor self-esteem can show up as narcissism, people-pleasing, dependency, cynicism, avoidance, difficulty with criticism, and trouble taking risks. Low ...
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  E180 | Thinking Films: Another Woman (1988) 25.06.2026 1h 24min

  In this episode of The Thinking Mind, Dr. Alex is joined by Michael Cohen and Jonathan Kirschner, hosts of That ’70s Movie Podcast, to discuss Woody Allen’s 1988 film Another Woman, starring Gena Rowlands, Ian Holm, Mia Farrow and Gene Hackman. Another Woman is a quiet but devastating psychological drama about Marion Post, a philosophy professor whose life begins to unravel when she overhears the therapy sessions of a younger pregnant woman. Dr Alex, Michael and Jonathan discuss why the...
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  Key Moment: How Dating Apps Break Male Confidence (LooksMaxxing Explained) 24.06.2026 15min

  This is an excerpt from E174 about LooksMaxxing. Looksmaxxing has become one of the most talked-about trends among young men online — but what does it actually mean, and when does self-improvement become harmful? This conversation looks at the deeper psychological forces behind the looksmaxxing trend: fear of rejection, low self-esteem, the desire to become more attractive, the pressure to “ascend,” and the belief that changing your face or body will solve your dating life. We also ...
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  E179 | Why Attraction Isn't What You Think - Dr. Paul Eastwick 18.06.2026 1h 7min

  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. Today we discuss his 2026 book Bonded by Evolution - to explore the science of romantic attraction, dating, compatibility and long-term relationships...
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  Key Moment: Make Your Life a Work of Art (w/ Emmy Van Deurzen) 16.06.2026 17min

  This is an excerpt from E172 of the Thinking Mind Podcast. Emmy van Deurzen, one of the leading figures in existential therapy in the UK and internationally. Emmy has over fifty years’ experience as a psychotherapist, has published more than thirty books, and was the first chair of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy when it was created in 1993. In this conversation, we discuss existential therapy, what it means to be truly free, how to face life’s difficulties without turning awa...
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  E178 | Our Idiot Brains, Happiness & Antidepressants (w/ Dr. Dean Burnett) 11.06.2026 1h 4min

  Today Dr. Alex is joined by neuroscientist and author Dr Dean Burnett for a wide-ranging conversation about the strange, flawed and fascinating human brain. Dr Dean Burnett is the author of The Idiot Brain, The Happy Brain and several other books exploring neuroscience, psychology and the weird ways our brains shape our lives. They discuss why the brain is not the perfect machine we often imagine it to be, why intrusive thoughts don’t define who you are, why anxiety and self-sabotage are ofte...
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  Sleep Series E4 | The Sleep Disorders No One Talks About (w/ Dr. Hugh Selsick) 08.06.2026 1h 18min

  For the final episode of our Sleep Series, Dr. Anya welcomes back Dr Hugh Selsick, consultant psychiatrist and lead for the UCLH Sleep Clinic in London. This episode covers sleep disorders we didn’t discuss previously on the last episode with Hugh (E128). They discuss the different stages of sleep, strange things can happen during sleep such as sleep paralysis (parasomnias), narcolepsy, sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome and much more. If you haven't already check out episodes 1...
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  E177 | Why You Must Deal With Self-Hate 04.06.2026 24min

  In this episode, Alex explores self-esteem, self-hate and self-criticism, not just as emotional issues, but as forces that can shape the quality of a person’s life. He discusses how poor self-esteem can affect relationships, work, ambition, risk-taking and the ability to build a life that feels authentic. Alex also examines how people can develop a defensive “neurotic self” in response to fear, shame, anxiety or the stresses of life. Finally, he looks at what healthier self-esteem might...
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  Sleep Series E3 | How Do Children Sleep? (w/ Dr Anya McLaren-Barnett) 01.06.2026 1h 3min

  This episode in the sleep series is with Dr Anya McLaren-Barnett. Dr Anya is a pediatric respirologist, sleep medicine physician and creator of The Sleep Health Intelligence Program (SHIPTM). In this episode, we discuss how our sleep patterns develop from birth, how Dr Anya addresses children’s sleep disorders in her clinic and we get some pointers on how to choose a sleep consultant. Thinking about investing in melatonin gummies? Listen to this episode first and then decide. You can see more...
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  E176 | LSD, Narcissism & the Science of the Self (w/ Dr. Anjali Bhat) 29.05.2026 1h 18min

  Dr Anjali Bhat is a neuroscientist, therapist and writer. Today we discuss the science of the self, the future of therapy, and what altered states of consciousness can teach us about the mind. Anjali explains her work in psychedelics research, including an upcoming study that involves giving people high doses of LSD in a high-resolution brain scanner. We also talk about the promises and limitations of psychedelic-assisted therapy, ADHD, productivity culture, burnout, and why slowi...