In Conversation with Nathalie Nahai

In today’s conversation, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Gillian Isaacs Russell - an author, Psychoanalyst, Psychotherapist, and a member of the British Psychoanalytic Council, the American Psychoanalytic Association and the International Psychoanalytical Association. Having served on the Editorial Board as Book Reviews Editor, Gillian is currently on the Reviewing Panel for the British Journal for Psychotherapy, and was recently co-opted to the Covid-19 Advisory Team for the American Psychoanalytic Association. With each of us living different experiences of what it means to be under lockdown during a pandemic, we explore how denial, grief, loss and fear can show up, what personal adaptation and transition might look like, and how we might begin to give ourselves permission to experience and integrate what we’re living through, however that may be. We also discuss the role of eye gaze and embodied presence, how increased screen time may bring both losses and gains, and what we may come to value as we move through this time together. Gillian also mentions several fascinating studies which I’ll link to in the show notes page if you fancy diving in deeper. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In this episode, I had the treat of speaking with a beloved friend, Blanche Ellis. An artist, musician and poet, Blanche works with events and conferences using live-scribing and graphic facilitation techniques to capture content and the flow of ideas. She helps businesses find beautiful ways to convey their message on long term projects, and has worked with the BBC, Kings College London, CISCO, the NHS, The British Council and Roshe as well as some great social movements including WOW (Women of the World) Festival and Drivers for Change at The Southbank Centre and Rising Global Peace Forum. Within her artistic practice, Blanche has worked on projects and shown her art in galleries in London, Norwich, New Orleans and Barcelona, and in the past few years she has been studying more traditional techniques of oil painting and charcoal at the Barcelona Academy of Art, which is where we met. In this conversation, I wanted to uncover how any and each of us can engage in creative processes in our everyday lives, from exploring and absorbing what comes to us, to integrating our experiences and finding ways to echo it back. Far from creativity being a gift to the chosen few, we talk about how it can be used by anyone as a means of understanding and transforming how we experience the world and ourselves, whether through movement, mark-making, music or the weaving of stories. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In today’s show, I had the pleasure of speaking with Joshua Macht, the Executive Vice President and Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Harvard Business Publishing. An American journalist and media commentator. He joined HBR from TIME magazine where he worked as the Editor and General Manager of TIME.com, as well as the magazine's Technology Editor. Before that, he was a journalist at Inc. magazine, where he became the editor and co-founder of Inc.com. For most of us, the current crisis has put a halt to ‘business as usual’, and with companies and workplaces having to adapt quickly to the new landscape, we ask how going virtual may be changing the ways in which we do business, both in the short term, and in the future. We talk about the values and qualities that leaders will need to cultivate during this crisis, and how this may influence everything from the management of remote workers, to the ways in which companies fulfil their social responsibilities. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

This episode, I talk with Carl Miller, the Research Director of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media (CASM) at Demos, the first UK think tank institute dedicated to studying the digital world. We explore how digital tools are being harnessed during this time of physical distancing - from their potential impact on our social and business lives, to their implications for personal privacy and human rights. We also talk about what we can do to reduce the spread of misinformation (and why our parents seem to be particularly susceptible), and the principles we could apply to engage with social media and news in a supportive way that benefits (rather than undermines) our mental and emotional health. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

So, for the first of these episodes, I wanted to dive into the big questions and thought who better to invite back on the show, than my beloved friend, the wonderful author and psychotherapist, Dr Aaron Balick. In this opening conversation, Aaron and I explore some of the layers of human response to crises beyond our control - from how we deal with uncertainty, to ways in which to cope with the anxiety such unpredictable situations can provoke. We touch on grief, loss and manic defence, and discuss how our capacity to relate to our state of mind from a place of awareness (rather than identification) can stand us in good stead when coping with unexpected and complex life events. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

Today’s guest is Christopher Timmermann who hails from Santiago, Chile, where he obtained a BSc in Psychology prior to undertaking a Neuroscience MSc in Bologna, Italy. We explore the comparative effects of DMT, LSD and psilocybin on brain function, our need and capacity for transformation, and the potential for altered states to offer us experiences from which new and creative ways of thinking may emerge - something that may prove vital if we are to innovate our way out of the climate crisis. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

This episode, I speak with Sophia Rokhlin, an author, speaker and nonprofit organiser whose work with engaged botany and ecology bridges the worlds of indigenous ecological knowledge and Western science. We discuss the popularisation of Ayahuasca, the importance of integration and harm reduction, and some of the economic, social, political, cultural and environmental impacts that Ayahuasca use is having on its societies of origin and beyond. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In today’s show, I’m excited to be speaking with Bruce Parry, an award-winning documentarian, indigenous rights advocate, author, explorer, trek leader and former Royal Marines commando officer. Our conversation explores everything from the kinds of narratives we currently inhabit and the use of sound in traditional healing rituals, to what the non-hierarchical social dynamics within a particular indigenous community can teach us about how we might redesign the societies in which we live. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

This episode, I’m delighted to be speaking with Manda Scott, a best-selling author, columnist and teacher, whose new platform Accidental Gods explores how we might to transform ourselves and evolve our conscious engagement with the world. Our conversation spans from consciousness, resilience and the evolution and interconnectedness of complex systems, to shamanic practice, trust, and the courage required to leap into the void. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/

In this conversation, I’m really delighted to be speaking with a dear friend of mine, Dr Kiki Leutner, a Business Psychologist and Data Scientist, who combines psychological theory with machine learning methodology. We explore, from a personality-based perspective, what creates a sense of self and identity, and how this relates to our feeling of connectedness and belonging. Join in the conversation #hivepodcast, and find out more at www.nathalienahai.com/the-hive-podcast/