How We Heal with Ryan Pink

Dr. Remi Drozd, an ER physician, shares his journey into working with psychedelics and ketamine specifically. He noticed that Western medicine couldn't effectively address mental health crisis, and after his own transformative experience with psychedelics, he realized their potential for healing.  Ketamine is most useful for depression, anxiety, and helping people who are stuck. He explains t...

In this conversation, Dr. Jorina Elbers, a board-certified neurologist and leader in trauma-informed medicine, discusses the definition of trauma and it’s impact on the nervous system. She explains hat trauma is a subjective experience of overwhelm that leads to an inability to cope and a shutdown response. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for rest and repair.  Dr. Elbers emphasizes t...

Brian Dixon shares his story of a business breakup and the challenges that came with it. When his team's online business grew rapidly during Covid, the cracks in the foundation became apparent. Hoping to sell the company, the deal fell through, leading to disappointment and uncertainty for everyone.  He shares how he decided to make an offer and take over the company himself, and the challeng...

In this conversation, Corban David Jenai speaks with Alicia Decker, the CEO of Mended Light, about trauma healing and finding healing from past experiences. Alicia shares her personal journey of healing and emphasizes the importance of making friends with the rejected parts of ourselves.  They discuss the power of being witnessed and seen by others, as well as the impact of childhood experiences o...

In this conversation, Corban David Jenai interviews Jessica Battle, a mindset coach and author, about improving our relationship with food. They discuss the concept of intuitive eating, which involves removing food rules and listening to our bodies' hunger and fullness cues.  Jessica emphasizes that a healthy relationship with food is not about good or bad foods, but about honoring and respec...

In this conversation between Corban and Jessica Battle, she starts off telling a story from when she was seven years old and her father left her family in a difficult situation, and how that was the start of her damaging relationship with food. She shared how her eating choices caused shame as she grew up. At age 19 she was ready to loose weight, and did, but only with a severely limited diet, not...

In this conversation, Jono shares his story of being bullied as a child, at home and then at school, and the effect this had on him as a young person. He describes how watching the movie Shrek helped see healing as a process achieved in layers. His own healing began when he found a friend who felt safe to him and who he could relate to. Jono reflects on his tendency towards kindness and the two mo...

In this conversation, Corban David Jenai interviews Jono Decker about cinema therapy and its role in healing. They discuss the power of films to make abstract concepts concrete and relatable, and how cinema therapy can be used in conjunction with other therapeutic modalities.  Jono shares personal experiences of using cinema therapy, including how movies like Rocky Balboa and Hook have helped him...

In this second conversation with Amy J. Dyck, she shares six paths she has discovered to healing through art.  She talks about how her personal journey of using art has helped her to connect with herself and others much more deeply, and how it has helped re-build a relationship of trust and respect with herself.  Amy also emphasizes the importance of imagination and creativity in finding healing a...

Corban David Jenai speaks with Amy J. Dyck about her lifelong struggle with chronic illness and her journey to healing. She starts her story at 2017 when she got very sick (again) and the devastating impact it had on her life. She discusses the physical limitations, the lack of understanding from doctors, and the emotional toll it took on her and her family.  Amy also shares how she used art as a...

Dana digs deeper into her own story including her son’s journey into the world, some of his challenges, and then being diagnosed with ADHD at 4 years old. She shares the melt-downs and other challenging behaviors that were present and what happened when she decided to pursue the path of medication to treat ADHD first.  She describes the pivotal moment that changed her perspective on how to treat A...

Dana shares the story of her personal experience with ADHD diagnosis for her son, and the relief she felt when it was diagnosed. Corbin and Dana discuss what ADHD is, how symptoms vary from child to child. She shares her opinions about why the number of children being diagnosed has drastically increased, and some of the potential causes of this.  The conversation shifts to the benefits of the ADHD...

In this discussion, Jon shares his story and how he learned when he was young ot sweep the difficult things under the rug to keep them hidden. He didn’t learn to talk about difficult things in his life, back then, mental health challenges were stigmatized even more than they are now. He talks about growing older and playing sports and working, and how he dealt with difficult struggles at home and...

This episode is a deep dive into the controversial psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy with Corban and today’s co-host, Rachel Spyker. They discuss the importance of having this conversation, the profoundly transformative effects of this medicines when used specifically and intentionally, with care and caution.  These therapies can help reduce rigid thoughts, support us in moving into primary consc...

In this discussion, Michelle shares more about her history as a professional dancer and accompanying injury, and the healing modalities she pursued that lead her to the Body Talk system. She discussed how her career shifted by following truth as she found it, by following what "resonated." She shares how art and dance can give permission to the artist and the viewer to express and explor...

In this discussion, Michelle shares some of her story starting at the age of 16, when she was a dancer and dealing with an injury that some said would end her career. During this time she was introduced to a broader range of therapies and supports and was able to transition into dancing professionally. Still dealing with injuries though, she shares how she tried a practitioner who helped her to lo...

Our guest shares her personal story and how it has informed her work in proactive mental health care. She and Corban discuss the concept of proactive mental health care and the practicalities of implementing it.  Janet emphasizes the importance of checking in with loved ones and the impact of social media on loneliness. She also provides an overview of her book 'Stop the Break' and the s...

In this conversation, Janet Barrett shares her journey of healing from childhood trauma and finding resilience. They discuss her experience as a management consultant and how it led her to focus on change management and helping people to embrace change.  Janet opens up about her personal struggles with the impact of infidelity, divorce on her mental and physical health. She emphasizes the importan...

As he shares his personal story of transformation, Tim Ash talks about how he shifted to an inner-directed focus after both of his parents passed away, causing him to re-evaluate his life, work, and parenting. They speak about how he began to look for a new way of living and for meaning. Discussed was a pivotal experience of participating in a men’s initiation process (mankindproject.org), how tra...

In this discussion, Corban and Tim discusses evolutionary phycology, sleep across all mammals, and the surprising value of sleep for humans. They touch on EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Retraining therapy) as it relates to sleep, which may hint at why it actually works in healing trauma. Tim goes into the sleep cycles, stages, and REM specifically, as well as how we use dream to process life,...

In this conversation, Susan Baier shares a formative moment in her adult life when she consulted with her father, who was a world renowned plastic surgeon, about liposuction. In this discussion he suggested she get other work done instead to improve her appearance. This experience emphasized her deep-seated insecurities about her appearance and her father's lack of belief in her being good en...

In this episode, Britney Kensmoe shares her special memories of her grandfather and the grief she experienced after his passing. She describes her Pop Pop as a funny, people-oriented person who made everyone feel seen and heard. Brittany talks about the impact he had on her family, her own life and how his loss affected her deeply.  She speaks about her journey through grief and how she found comf...

In this conversation, Ryan speaks with Britney Kensmoe as she shares her journey of strength, patience, and resilience through the challenges of miscarriage and infertility. She reflects on the lessons learned and the growth that came from the struggle. Britney emphasizes the importance of hope and patience in healing from past hardships and building resilience for the future. She encourages other...

In this conversation, Ryan and Kiley Peters discuss the importance of finding purpose in pain, building resilience, appreciating the beauty of life, the power of love, and being honest with oneself. She discusses her experience of burnout and the process of recovery and healing. Kylie also talks about the mindset shifts she made and the importance of finding gifts in difficult situations.  Key Tak...

In this conversation, Ryan speaks with Daniel McQueen about the therapeutic potential of cannabis as a psychedelic medicine. They discuss Daniel's journey into psychedelic medicine, his work at the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness, and they explore the difference between a guide and a therapist in psychedelic-assisted therapy. They also examine the role of psychedelic therapy as a catalyst fo...