The Thinking Mind Podcast: Psychiatry & Psychotherapy

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.  The Manosphere is defined as  a varied collection of onlne content made by men, for men to promote masculinity. Communities within the manosphere include mens rights activitists (MRAs), incels (involunt...

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 been adapted into the 2025 film Nuremberg starring Russel Crowe.  Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychothera...

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 case studies from his clinical practice to accessibly explain how our brains work and how they evolved the way they did. On this episode expect to learn: - Why we...

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 TV news station. We discuss the anti-social personality, the danger of bad incentives, how language can be used as a manipulative tool, the subtle insidiousness of co...

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 curator of the 70-chapter Oxford Handbook of Evolution and the Emotions , published in 2024. You can find his scholarly work, popular science writing, and po...

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 142km non-stop world record in 2024. Most recently Neil completed the Gozo 7, swimming around the island of Gozo 7 times in 7 days.  Expect to learn:  - What i...

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-acting antidepressants like ketamine and psilocybin (aka the active ingredient of magic mushrooms) could cause antidepressant effects.  We discuss how animal researc...

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 The Rip Current , a newsletter and podcast about the hidden forces shaping modern life. He previously served as a technology correspondent for NBC News and Al...

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  - Understanding different phases of weight management - How to measure your progress - The psychology of weight loss - How to get started  .. and much more. Disclaimer: This podcast is not...

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 how relationships commonly fail, how to maintian healthy relationships and why you always hurt the ones you love.  Presented by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consult...

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 mental healthcare.  Disclaimer: The Thinking Mind does not have any financial affiliation with Mind Data. Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a co...

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 which formed the spine of our conversation was ‘ In a world where technology has been quite disruptive psychologically for a lot of people, how do we prepare for an increasingly techno...

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.  He elaborates on his diverse experiences across various mental health settings and the importance of recognising biological, psychological, and social inputs in mental he...

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. Including themes such as splitting, repression, the shadow, and the effects of guilt and moral injury - this film remains a beautiful, dark and enigmatic look at human psycho...

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 others. Today she discusses her recent Guardian article: Are We Living in a Golden Age of Stupidity? - about the potential cognitive affects of AI overuse.  Link to article: https://www...

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 and Vice-Chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Today we discuss a case study of a 44 year ol...

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 the price of freedom.  Presented by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training. If you would lik...

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 multidisciplinary team that includes over 100 Consultants delivering care across a broad range of psychiatric and psychological specialties. Disclaimer: The Th...

Hilary Beard is a psychotherapist at the South London and Maudsley NHS trust. She is a practicing CAT therapist and trainer. She was a founding member of the Association for Cognitive Analytic Therapy (ACAT) and was the chair for ACAT from 1994 - 1997.  Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training. If you would like to invit...

Professor Derek Tracy is the Chief Medical Officer of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Derek is an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, and an honorary Professor at Brunel Medical School. He has published over 140 peer-reviewed scientific papers and 20 book chapters. Prof. Tracy has written two chapters in Evolutionary...

Today Alex discusses the classic 2013 financial crime epic the Wolf of Wallstreet directed by Martin Scorcese and starring Leonardo Dicaprio, Margot Robbie and Jonah Hill. Including themes such as narcissism, behaviour control, addiction and moral disengagement. This episode does not contain financial advice.  Presented by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered...

Professor David Nutt is a Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London and Chair of Drug Science, an organisation which aims to educate the public about drugs and their effects.  A world-leading researcher on how drugs affect the brain, he’s published over 500 papers and 34 books — including Drugs Without the Hot Air and his autobiography Nutt Uncut . A former Chair of the UK Ad...

Gillie is a qualified psychotherapist and counsellor with more than 30 years’ experience. She specialises in working with survivors of coercive, cultic or spiritual abuse, trauma including rape and sexual abuse, thought-reform (brainwashing) and undue influence. She works with former cult members, including those brought up in a cult (second and multi-generation) and those who joined or were recru...

Daniel Månsson is a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Flow Neuroscience , a medical device comapny which produces transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) headsets for depression.  Today we discuss:  What may be happening neurologically in certain cases of depression Different research studies that have looked into the effectiveness of TDCS treatment for depression The ethical challeng...

Jared Moore is a computer science Ph. D. student at Stanford University. There he recently taught a course about AI called on How to Make a Moral Agent.  He has previously been lectured at the University of Washington School of Computer Science where he taught a class on the philosophy of AI. He is the lead author of a research paper which came out in 2025 examining whether chat gpt and other LLMs...