Behind the Stigma

Send us Fan Mail In our previous episode with Nisrine Maktabi, we looked at what is the attachment theory, and what are the 4 main styles of attachment. In this episode, we dive a little deeper into relationships and dating, why we choose or attract certain partners, and what is at the heart of a secure, functioning relationships. We also discuss the meaning of rupture and repair, and how negative...

Send us Fan Mail You asked and we answered! Today's episode is all about answering some of the questions we received from our listeners that were of importance to them. Check out our chapter markers to jump straight to the questions of your interest, and if you have any burning questions yourself, reach out to us on @behindthestigmapodcast on instagram!

Send us Fan Mail Our memories help make us who we are. They are our link that connects our past to our present and they underlie the way we talk, the way we learn and even the way we feel about situations and things.  Have you ever wondered how our memories are stored in our brain? Is there a difference between long term and short term memory? And if yes, can we use certain techniques to strengthe...

Send us Fan Mail Does our attachment style define how we are in relationships? In this episode, our guest speaker, Nisrine Maktabi, a licensed psychotherapist from Canada, speaks to us about  a psychological, evolutionary and ethological theory concerning relationships between humans known as the attachment theory. We discusses how the relationship we have with our main figures of attachment, refl...

Send us Fan Mail This week, I speak to Alina Vasilache about a talk therapy that's most popularly used today known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a type of psychotherapeutic treatment that helps people learn how to identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that have a negative influence on behavior and emotions. We talk about what CBT addresses, some of its...

Send us Fan Mail What is burn out? In this week's episode, I speak to,  Alina Vasilache about the feeling of being burn out and when it can happen. We talk about its meaning, and how long term stress can be physically emotionally and draining for us. We then talk about her experience of burn-out and what are some of the things that can be done.  

Send us Fan Mail This week, I speak to Dr. Gisele Dias, a chartered psychologist, neuroscientist and a senior lecturer in Psychology at King’s College London about one of her research works in Positive psychology. Positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life most worth living, focusing on both individual and societal well-being. In contrast to usual psychology, it's focus is...

Send us Fan Mail This week is NEDA, (National Eating Disorder Awareness) week, and so we decided to dedicate a very important episode to the relationship between food and our body. I speak to Alina Vasilache, the podcast's clinical psychologist, about what having a healthy relationship with food and body means. We also briefly introduce the 3 main eating disorder types: anorexia nervosa, buli...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Alina Vasilache,  our clinical psychologist talks about how she witnesses anxiety during her practice and the different types of anxiety that people go through. Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear that can cause disruption in our lives and is now considered one of the highest burden rates in the world. We discuss the different forms of anxiety, the pot...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Alina Vasilache, our clinical psychologist comes back to speak to us about the feeling of guilt. We all feel guilt, and in fact it helps direct our moral compass. But can guilt reach to a point, where it stops us from being or doing certain things in our life? We discuss the maladaptive form of guilt, the difference between shame and guilt, and the way we can look and c...

Send us Fan Mail Are you a result of your genes? or your environment? What if its possible that our genes and environment is interactive with one another?   In this episode, I speak to Professor Thalia Eley, who specializes in both gene-environment interactions on the development of anxiety and depression on this topic. We discuss the different types of gene-environment correlations, what is gene-...

Send us Fan Mail This week, I speak to Dr. Ioannis Bakolis, a senior lecturer at King's College London, who's interest lies in understanding how social and built environments impact our mental well being. Dr Bakolis helps us understand how city living is affecting mental health through the influence of increased stressors and factors such as: noise and air pollution, neighborhood depriva...

Send us Fan Mail What is the connection between the brain and gut? & does the microbe composition in our gut have an impact on our mental health? This week, I speak with Dr. Ruari Robertson, a leading researcher in the field who studies how microbes in our gut influence the human body and brain. We speak about the brain gut connection, what type of diet is good for our gut composition, and the...

Send us Fan Mail Is psychiatry doing more harm than good? In this episode, our guest speaker is Nick Fortino, a Psychology Professor at University of Silicon Valley and Gavilan College in the USA and host of the Psychology Is podcast. We talk about the nature of mental health diagnosis and how it's history evolved into what we know today as biological mental disorders. We cover the history of...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Alina Vasilache,  our clinical psychologist talks about the different types of thought processes we may have known as cognitive distortions.  These distortions are negative thinking patterns we have that are not always rational and can cause us distress. We discuss different types of cognitive distortions, how people with anxiety and depression are more predispose...

Send us Fan Mail Is seeking validation actually a bad thing? Our clinical psychologist Alina Vasilache, explores the root of seeking validation and when it can become maladaptive. We also cover living with guilt, self acceptance and living with rights. 

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I talk to Alina Vasilache, a clinical psychologist from Dubai, UAE, about her interpretation of a concept that has raised a lot of interest recently: The Inner Child. Alina explains her understanding of the word inner child, and talks about the 3 different types of modes we inherit: - the child mode, - the adult mode and - the parent mode. About:  https://cmcdubai...

Send us Fan Mail Our first and quick introductory episode covers the definition and difference between mental health and mental disorders, how disorders are currently being diagnosed, and a few tips from our clinical psychologist on how to take care of our overall well being. 

Send us Fan Mail Learn all about who we are in this short 2 minute audio!