The Supervised Mind

The Supervised Mind Episode Title: The Cutting Board Subtitle: Understanding Self-Injury in Psychiatric Practice Host: Dr. Faisal Rafiq Audience: Clinicians – Psychiatrists, NPs, PAs, Therapists Welcome back to The Supervised Mind Today’s episode is called The Cutting Board. We’re going to talk about self-injury—specifically non-suicidal self-injury, or NSSI. This is a topic that makes many clinic...

In this deep-dive episode, Dr. Faisal Rafiq explores the clinical science, supervision nuances, and lived experience surrounding Spravato® (esketamine) and IV ketamine as tools for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), suicidality, and trauma-linked shutdown. Through the story of Emily, a 32-year-old nurse whose depression was unresponsive to conventional treatments, we see how structured ketamine...

Theme: A story-driven exploration of OCD — from the first intrusive thought to the relentless rituals that follow, and ultimately, the path toward understanding and healing. Episode Summary: In The Piercing Thought, Dr. Faisal Rafiq unravels the hidden world of obsessive-compulsive disorder through the lens of a fictional patient, “Eli.” Listeners will follow Eli’s descent into cycles of fear and...

In this episode, Dr. Faisal Rafiq explores the complexity of Complex PTSD (cPTSD)—a condition shaped by chronic, repeated trauma that often masquerades as mood, personality, or anxiety disorders. Through a trauma-informed lens, this episode walks clinicians through recognizing cPTSD’s emotional and somatic layers, differentiating it from BPD or TRD, and understanding why traditional diagnostic fra...

In this episode, Dr. Faisal Rafiq describes the unmatched effectiveness of lithium as a mood stabilizer, highlighting its role in treating bipolar disorder and its unique status as one of the few naturally occurring psychiatric medications. He discusses key side effects—including the classic “peeing like a racehorse”—as well as important monitoring protocols, and the differences between extended-r...

In this episode of The Supervised Mind, Dr. Faisal Rafiq discusses the often-overlooked topic of deprescribing in clinical practice. He shares a compelling case study of a young patient to illustrate the complexities of medication management and the importance of understanding when to reduce or stop medications. The conversation emphasizes the need for clinicians to approach deprescribing with car...

In this podcast episode, Dr. Faisal Rafiq shares a case of a patient with bipolar disorder who had difficulty responding to traditional mood stabilizing medications. He also discusses the classical model of treating bipolar disorder and when it may break down. He suggests adapting the framework, removing mood stabilizers in some cases and using antipsychotics as a primary anchor. Dr. Rafiq also pr...