The Thinking Mind Podcast: Psychiatry & Psychotherapy
"If you are interested in your mind, emotions, sense of self, and understanding of others, this show is brilliant."
Learn something new about the mind every week - With in-depth conversations at the intersection of psychiatry, psychotherapy, self-development, spirituality and the philosophy of mental health.
Featuring experts from around the world, leading clinicians and academics, published authors, and people with lived experience, we aim to make complex ideas in the mental health space accessible and engaging.
This podcast is designed for a broad audience including professionals, those who suffer with mental health difficulties, more common psychological problems, or those who just want to learn more about themselves and others.
Hosted by psychiatrists Dr. Alex Curmi, Dr. Anya Borissova & Dr. Rebecca Wilkinson.
Listeners have also said:
"Every episode is enlightening, the approach, conversations and depth of information is deeply enriching. So refreshing to hear practitioners with this level of insight into human behaviour. Thank you for the work and for sharing."
Podcast related enquiries: thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com.
If you would like to work with Dr. Curmi: alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com
Disclaimer: None of the information in the podcast is intended as medical advice for any one invididual.
Episodes
242 episodes
E173 | Thinking Films: Network (1976) w/ Tom Shkolnik
Today Alex and special guest Tom Shkolnik discuss the 1976 film Network directed by Sidney Lumet, written by Paddy Chayefsky and starring Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, William Holden and Faye Dunaway. In this episode we disc...
E172 | How to Live Courageously (Existential Psychotherapy w/ Emmy van Deurzen)
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 C...
E171 - Taking Your Life Back (w/ Tom Shkolnik)
Tom Shkolnik returns to discuss his upcoming film A Life of One’s Own, based on the life of psychoanalyst and writer Marion Milner. Today he explains Milner’s undogmatic, exploratory style, rooted in her rejection of post–World War I s...
E170 - The Unexpected Joy of Sobriety (w/ Catherine Gray)
Catherine Gray is the best selling author of The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober (2017). In addition to her books she has also been published in The Guardian, Stylist, The Telegraph, Grazia and The Lancet Psychiatrist.&...
E169 | From Depression to Elite Athletic Performance (w/ Fergus Crawley)
Fergus is a hybrid athlete and mental health advocate, known for world-first endurance feats including ultra marathons and extreme triathlon challenges. His upcoming Project TENacity will see him complete 10 Iron-distance triathlons in 10 citie...
We're on Break this week! Announcements, Future Episodes & Housekeeping
This week, The Thinking Mind is taking a short break. In this brief update, we highlight some recent favourite episodes, including conversations on Nazi psychology, the manosphere, mastering emotions, and a Thinking Films discussion on Taxi...
E168 | Thinking Films: Taxi Driver (1976) w/ Tom Shkolnik
Today Alex and special guest Tom Shkolnik discuss the 1976 film Taxi Driver directed by Marin Scorcese and starring Robert De Niro and Jodie Foster. Tom is the director of the 2012 British drama The Comedian nomina...
E167 | Inside the Manosphere (w/ Dr. Rosy Blunstone)
Today Alex discusses the Louis Theroux documentary for Netflix Inside the Manosphere with psychiatry and psychotherapy registrar Dr. Rosy Blunstone - who also leads the the Thinking Mind Substack. <...
E166 | The Nazi & The Psychiatrist (w/ Jack El-Hai)
Jack El-Hai is an American journalist and author who focuses most of his work on the history of medicine, the history of science, and other historical topics. He is the author of The Nazi and the Psychiatrist (2013) which has since bee...
E165 | Why Do Your Goals Make You Miserable? (w/ Dr. Paul Goldsmith)
Dr Paul Goldsmith is a Consultant Neurologist with a special interest in evolutionary biology and its application to the challenges of modern life. In his new book The Evolving Brain, Dr Goldsmith draws on cutting-edge neuroscience and...
E164 | Thinking Films: Nightcrawler (2014)
Today Alex discusses the 2014 film Nightcrawler directed by Dan Gilroy. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as an unhinged freelancer who seeks out violent events late at night in Los Angeles, so he can film them and sell the footage to a local T...
E163 | How Can We Master Our Emotions? (w/ Prof Laith Al Shawaf)
Dr. Laith Al-Shawaf is an award-winning professor, research psychologist, and writer at the University of Colorado. His research focuses on emotions, cognitive biases, and personality & individual differences. He is the primary editor and c...
E162 | Training Your Mind to Break World Records (w/ Neil Agius)
Neil Agius is a Maltese former Olympian and world record-breaking ultra long-distance swimmer. Neil has completed some of the longest unassisted open-water swims in history, including record-breaking crossings between Sicily and Malta and a 142...
E161 | How do Psychedelics Help with Depression? (Professor Emma Robinson)
Professor Emma Robinson is Professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Bristol. Professor Robinson conducts research with rodents, which can help us to better understand how emotions get formed by the brain and how novel fast-ac...
E160 | How AI Hacks Your Mind (w/ Jacob Ward)
Jacob Ward is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years of experience covering technology, power, and the unintended consequences of innovation. He’s currently a reporter-in-residence at Omidyar Network and the founding editor and host of
E159 | The Fundamentals of Weight Loss
Today Alex discusses the fundamentals of weight loss and sustainable weight management including: - How to approach the problem of being overweight or obese- The role of nutrition, exercise, sleep and alcohol - Un...
E158 | Thinking Films: Blue Valentine (2010)
Today Alex discussed the 2010 film Blue Valentine, directed by Derek Cianfrance and starring Ryan Gosling & Michelle Williams. Including themes of attachment, regret, addiction and unmet potential. With important takeways such as h...
E157 | How can AI Technology help Therapists? (w/ Sean Ruane)
Sean Ruane is the founder and CEO of Mind Data. A lifelong entrepreneur, Sean's goal is to combine his business accumen with his own experiences of mental health difficulties to form a company than can help practitioners deliver high quality me...
E156 | How Should We Prepare for the Future? (feat. the Examined Life Podcast)
This week Alex presents his conversation on the Examined Life podcast with Kenneth Primrose. Alex discusses the more troubling aspects of modern life, and how we might prepare for an uncertain future. The question whic...
E155 | A Holistic Approach to Mental Health Treatment (feat. the Lively Minds Podcast)
This week Alex returns to the Lively Minds Podcast to chat to hosts Will and Ellie. They discuss what it means to take a patient-centred approach, and the differences between seeing clients as a psychiatrist, therapist or coach. <...
E154 | Thinking Films: Mulholland Drive (w/ David Shariatmadari)
Today Alex discusses David Lynch's 2001 classic Mulholland Drive with David Shariatmadari. David is a writer and editor at the Guardian and is the author of Don't Believe A Word: The Surprising Truth About Language.
E153 | Does AI Make us Dumber? (w/ Sophie McBain)
Sophie McBain is an award-winning freelance writer based in Boston. She writes longform narrative nonfiction, profiles, book reviews and essays for the Guardian, the Observer, the Times, New Statesman magazine and oth...
E152 | How Brain Stimulation Cured Lifelong Depression (w/ Prof. Ziad Nahas)
Prof. Ziad Nahas is a psychiatrist and researcher who treats adult patients with mood disorders and treatment resistant depression and specializes in performing deep brain stimulation and electro-convulsive therapy. Dr. Nahas is Professor...
E151 | Thinking Films: The Truman Show (1998)
Today Alex discusses the 1998 high-concept drama The Truman Show, starring Jim Carrey and directed by Peter Weir, about a man unknowingly trapped in a reality tv show. Including themes such as control, trauma, truth over comfort, paranoia and t...
E150 | Addiction, ADHD and the Price of Success (w/ Paul Flynn)
Paul Flynn is the founder and CEO of Harbor London, with over 25 years of experience in building and leading organisations. His core focus is on the clinical management and development of high-performing mental health services, overseeing a mul...
