Professor Dr Brendon Stubbs is a clinical-academic physiotherapist whose research focuses on physical activity and mental health and the mind-body interface. Brendon has published over 500 International academic papers. Brendon was lead author of the recently published European Psychiatric Association guidelines on the use of exercise for mental health and senior author on a recent Lancet commission to improve the physical health of people with mental health conditions. Interviewed by  Dr. Anya Borissova.Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastSUPPORT THE PODCAST: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind

Professor Sir Simon Baron Cohen is a Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, and Director of the Autism Centre at Cambridge University. He is the author of 600 scientific articles and 4 books, including Zero Degrees of Empathy and the Pattern Seekers.  He created the first UK clinic for adults suspected to have Asperger's syndrome that has helped over 1000 patients have their disability recognised.  He was chair of the Nice guideline development group for Adults with Autism and was chair of the psychology section of the British Academy. Interviewed by Dr. Rebecca Wilkinson - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com -  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastJoin Our Mailing List! - https://thinkingmindpod.aidaform.com/mailinglistsignupSUPPORT: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind

Sheldon Solomon is an American social psychologist. He is a professor of psychology at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. Solomon is best known for developing terror management theory, along with Jeff Greenberg and Tom Pyszczynski. This theory is concerned with how humans deal with their own sense of mortality.Today we talk all about existential themes and how our mortality affects our psychology.We also discuss - the concept of death anxiety and terror management theory in some depth, the relationship between mortality and the meaning we extract from our lives, the right way to approach our mortality to improve our mental health, the relationship between death anxiety and political attitudes,the importance of self-esteem in getting through the ups and downs of life and many other topicsInterviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastIf you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.comJoin Our Mailing List! - https://thinkingmindpod.aidaform.com/mailinglistsignupSUPPORT: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind

As the New Year approaches, we decided to make a short podcast all about endings, the importance of endings in psychotherapy, and how to orient yourself towards endings (small and large) in your own life.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.comGive feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastJoin Our Mailing List! - https://thinkingmindpod.aidaform.com/mailinglistsignupSUPPORT THE PODCAST: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind

This week the team is taking a much deserved break for the holidays, but we are re-posting this 2021 episode where Anya and Alex discuss the psychological significance and historical origins of Christmas, as well as other similar celebrations around the world. They also discuss: nostalgia, social cohesion, why you shouldn't try and change your relatives minds over Turkey, loneliness, New Years resolutions and much more.From the Thinking Mind  team Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!With Dr. Anya Borissova and Dr. Alex CurmiIf you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.comGive feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastSUPPORT THE PODCAST: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind

Professor Nav Kapur is an academic psychiatrist, working at Manchester University and Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. He leads the suicide work programme of the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health.We discuss the epidemiology of suicide and self-harm, how to think about prevention from both the societal and individual person perspective, the complexity of thinking about causes/factors that increase risk, the idea of zero suicide, impact of the Covid pandemic, the new NICE guidelines on self-harm and some practical guidance on helpful approaches to working with people experiencing suicidal thoughts.  Crisis services and helplines: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/crisis-services/helplines-listening-services/Interviewed by  Dr. Anya Borissova.Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastSUPPORT THE PODCAST: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind

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.comGive feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastJoin Our Mailing List! - https://thinkingmindpod.aidaform.com/mailinglistsignupSUPPORT THE PODCAST: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind

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 behaviourInterviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastIf you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.comJoin Our Mailing List! - https://thinkingmindpod.aidaform.com/mailinglistsignupSUPPORT: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind

In this week's podcast we discuss seven common misconceptions about psychotherapy, and these include:Only people with a psychiatric diagnosis can benefit from therapyTherapists have all the answers and will tell you what to doTherapy is only for long-term issues; it can't help with short-term problemsTherapy is just about talking, which doesn’t accomplish anythingTherapy is just about making excuses for your problemsOnly "weak" people seek therapy; it's a sign of personal failureTherapy is about dwelling in childhood and the pastAudio-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.comGive feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com  Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastJoin Our Mailing List! - https://thinkingmindpod.aidaform.com/mailinglistsignupSUPPORT THE PODCAST: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind

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 @thinkingmindpodcastIf you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.comJoin Our Mailing List! - https://thinkingmindpod.aidaform.com/mailinglistsignupSUPPORT: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind