The New Mind

Ella McCrystal
  • 4.4 (19)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated fortnightly

I’m Ella McCrystal and over the last 20 years I’ve been using neuroscience, to help a broad spectrum of individuals, including leaders in the world of business, sports, and the arts find and reach their full potential.I want to welcome you to a new show about the brain and the unbelievable potential you have when your mind has the training, programming and support it needs. A place that will showcase practical strategies and solutions; whether you're an individual looking to improve their mental health and well-being, or someone seeking to enhance their cognitive abilities or gain a deeper understanding of how the brain works.I’m here to show you how to harness it as your greatest asset.Welcome to The New Mind.

  1. 3 days ago

    Crime, Prison, Heartbreak and God.

    What happens when someone grows up believing crime is a way of life? This week I sit down with Chris Booth, a man whose life has been shaped by crime, addiction, prison, violence, family legacy, and consequence.  Chris began committing robberies at 15 years old, before spiralling into drug addiction and spending decades behind bars. This conversation doesn’t offer easy answers.  Chris speaks openly about the choices he made….He’s rutally honest throughout.  This isn’t a celebration of crime. It’s an unfiltered exploration of trauma, identity, addiction, family patterns, personal responsibility, and the psychology behind a life lived outside the law. If you’re interested in true crime, criminal psychology, addiction, rehabilitation, trauma, prison life, forensic psychology, or understanding the human mind, this is an episode you won’t forget. In this episode you’ll discover: * The psychology behind growing up in a criminal environment * How childhood shapes identity and decision making * The reality of prison life in the UK * Drug addiction and the cycle of offending * Intergenerational crime and family legacy * Why some people change and others don’t * Trauma, accountability, consequence, and personal responsibility * Honest conversations about life behind bars Subscribe for conversations exploring psychology, trauma, neuroscience, mental health, criminal behaviour, addiction, resilience, and the extraordinary stories that shape the human mind. Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellamccrystal  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellamccrystalhypno    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ella_mccrystal Web: https://www.ellamccrystal.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EllaMcCrystal Connect with Chris:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nojudgement81/?hl=en

    Crime, Prison, Heartbreak and God.

  2. 2 Jul

    Justice Failed... He Didn’t. The Day He Took On A Predator

    Brad Donovan’s life has been shaped by violence, prison, bare knuckle fighting & choices that many people will judge at face value.  Yet when you look beneath the surface, a very different story begins to emerge.  One of childhood trauma, survival, emotional pain, ADHD, impulsivity, rejection, fear & a nervous system that’d adapted to danger from an incredibly young age. When children grow up believing the world’s unsafe, their brains don’t develop around connection. They develop around protection. Hypervigilance replaces trust. Impulsivity replaces reflection. Anger becomes armour. Risk becomes normal.  For many children living with trauma & ADHD, the path towards violence isn’t planned. It’s adapted. Brad shares what life’s really like inside the prison system, why prison often teaches people how to become better criminals rather than helping them understand themselves & how the little boy inside him never actually disappeared. He simply learnt to survive in the only ways he knew. This conversation isn’t about removing accountability. It’s about adding understanding…. Because if we want fewer victims, fewer offenders, fewer children growing into adults consumed by violence, addiction, crime & emotional pain, we’ve got to start asking different questions.  As a psychotherapist specialising in trauma, I explore the neuroscience behind behaviour, emotional dysregulation, attachment, adverse childhood experiences & why so many people’re punished for adaptations their brains made to keep them alive. This episode will challenge your beliefs about violence, criminality, masculinity, rehabilitation, trauma & what real healing actually looks like. Because every violent adult was once an innocent child. If this conversation moves you, subscribe, share it & help us change the way the world understands trauma, prison, violence, & mental health. One conversation really can change a life. Thank you Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellamccrystal  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellamccrystalhypno    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ella_mccrystal Web: https://www.ellamccrystal.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EllaMcCrystal Connect with Brad:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DaPOdOfIvcd/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradley.donovan.bkb

    Justice Failed... He Didn’t. The Day He Took On A Predator

  3. 18 Jun

    Death isn’t The End... Life after Near Death

    This week, I’m absolutely delighted to welcome back one of my favourite guests, the brilliant Emmanuel Sonubi, for his THIRD appearance on The New Mind Podcast. Emmanuel is one of the most exciting comedians in the world right now. A stand up comedian, writer & storyteller whose honesty, intelligence, warmth, & razor sharp humour have earned him a devoted following across the globe.  Having toured the UK, Australia, & New Zealand with his hugely successful Life After Near Death tour, he’s now taking the show across Europe, continuing to captivate audiences wherever he goes!! Every time Emmanuel joins me, I know we’re going to laugh, but what continually surprises me is just how much depth sits beneath the comedy.  Whilst he’s undoubtedly one of the funniest people you’ll ever listen to, he’s also one of the most thoughtful, insightful, & emotionally intelligent people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. Following a near death experience that profoundly changed his perspective on life, Emmanuel brings a wisdom, humanity, & authenticity that makes every conversation with him unforgettable. He has a remarkable ability to find meaning in life’s most difficult moments, transforming adversity into something that not only inspires others but encourages us to look at ourselves a little differently too. In this episode, we explore life, death, resilience, purpose, fear, gratitude, success, connection, & what it truly means to be alive. It’s a conversation filled with laughter, honesty, vulnerability, perspective, & those rare moments that make you stop for a second & reflect on the things that really matter. Emmanuel possesses an extraordinary gift. He can have you crying with laughter one moment & quietly contemplating life’s biggest questions the next, often without you even realising the shift has happened. This isn’t simply a conversation with a comedian. It’s a conversation with someone who’s walked through one of life’s most profound experiences & returned with a deeper appreciation for living, loving, laughing, & making the most of the time we’re given. I adore this man, I always leave our conversations feeling inspired, & I genuinely think this might be our best episode yet. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed recording it. Subscribe to The New Mind podcast for more uplifting and insightful conversations that explore the depths of mental health, personal growth, and inspiring stories of individuals making a difference in the world. Thank you Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellamccrystal  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellamccrystalhypno    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ella_mccrystal Web: https://www.ellamccrystal.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EllaMcCrystal Connect with Emmanuel:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRT33jjj79jsigfwn9dS3rA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmanuelstandup/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@emmanuelstandup Website - Tour Tickets: https://www.emmanuelstandup.com

    Death isn’t The End... Life after Near Death

  4. 4 Jun

    No Warning. No Symptoms. Her Life Gone…

    This week on The New Mind, I sit with Big Nick Collins…. In one of the most emotional and powerful episodes of The New Mind Podcast, Nick opens up on the devastating loss of his soulmate and the mother of their children, Beth. Beth tragically died from a brain aneurysm at just 36 years old. Nick shares the raw reality of grief, the moment his world changed forever, and what it’s really like to navigate unimaginable heartbreak while trying to remain strong for his children. With remarkable honesty and vulnerability, he opens up about love, trauma, loss, resilience, mental health, fatherhood and the lessons that emerge when life forces you to rebuild from the ground up. This is a conversation about far more than grief. It’s about the human capacity to survive the unthinkable. It’s about carrying love after loss. It’s about finding purpose in pain and learning how to keep moving forward when every part of you wants to stand still. If you’ve ever experienced bereavement, loss, trauma, heartbreak, anxiety, depression, or the fear of losing someone you love, this conversation will stay with you. Nick’s courage, honesty and vulnerability are extraordinary. His story is heartbreaking, inspiring and profoundly human.

    No Warning. No Symptoms. Her Life Gone…

  5. 21 May

    The Most Emotional Bare Knuckle Fight Story You’ll Ever Hear

    What happens when grief, masculinity, pain, purpose, and identity collide in one human being? In this deeply powerful episode, I sit down with Aaron Ashton, one of the most resilient and emotionally raw voices emerging from British combat sports. Aaron’s story isn’t just about fighting…. It’s about survival and it’s about loss. It’s about what happens to the human mind and body when life pushes you beyond what should be possible. From brutal setbacks and painful defeats to becoming one of the most talked about names in bare knuckle boxing, Aaron’s journey has been anything but ordinary.  But in February 2026, the world witnessed something far bigger than sport. Just hours after losing his father, after spending days sitting beside his hospital bed, Aaron stepped into the ring at BKB 51: Heavy Lies The Crown at The O2 Arena. What happened next stunned the combat sports world!! Carrying unimaginable grief, Aaron delivered the performance of his life, stopping heavily favoured opponent Brad Donovan. The moment went viral worldwide. But behind the knockout was something much deeper. In this conversation we explore: * Grief and masculine identity * Trauma, emotional suppression, and resilience * What fighting teaches you about the human psyche * The psychology of pain and pressure * Mental strength versus emotional avoidance * The reality behind combat sports * Fatherhood, loyalty, discipline, and loss * What happens when life strips everything back This is one of the most honest, emotional, and psychologically revealing conversations we’ve had on the podcast. If you’ve ever battled pain silently, questioned yourself, fought through grief, or tried to stay standing while life was breaking you internally, this episode will stay with you. Watch until the end. Subscribe to The New Mind podcast for more uplifting and insightful conversations that explore the depths of mental health, personal growth, and inspiring stories of individuals making a difference in the world. Thank you Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellamccrystal  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellamccrystalhypno    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ella_mccrystal Web: https://www.ellamccrystal.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EllaMcCrystal

    The Most Emotional Bare Knuckle Fight Story You’ll Ever Hear

  6. 7 May

    The UK's Most Feared Doorman

    In this gripping episode of The New Mind Podcast, I sit down with one of Britain’s most infamous nightclub enforcers……a man who survived decades of violence, organised crime, revenge threats, shootings, and chaos on the doors of some of the UK’s roughest clubs and pubs. Bullied relentlessly as a child growing up near Ramsgate, he transformed pain into power through boxing, eventually becoming one of the most feared and respected doormen in Southern England. For over 40 years, he lived in a world most people never see. Violence. Gangsters. Knives. Guns. He shares stories from thousands of brutal confrontations, brushes with death, underworld connections, and the psychological toll of living in constant hypervigilance. This is not just a story about fighting…..It’s a story about trauma, identity, masculinity, survival, and what happens when a human being decides they will never be powerless again. Inside this episode: • The psychology of violence and dominance • Growing up with bullying and humiliation • Life as a nightclub doorman in Britain’s most dangerous era • Encounters with gangsters and organised crime • The hidden trauma behind aggression • Hypervigilance, fear, and survival psychology • Masculinity, power, and emotional suppression • What decades of violence does to the nervous system • Escaping death and living to tell the tale • The truth about strength, respect, and fear This is a raw and moving & intense conversation!! Watch until the end. Subscribe to The New Mind podcast for more uplifting and insightful conversations that explore the depths of mental health, personal growth, and inspiring stories of individuals making a difference in the world. Thank you

    The UK's Most Feared Doorman

  7. 23 Apr

    She Was Meant To Be Safe... This is What Happened Instead

    This is one of the most difficult, yet important conversations we’ve ever had on The New Mind Podcast. This episode explores the reality of abuse within the home, the psychological impact of prolonged trauma, and what it takes to survive something that should never happen. This is not shared for shock. It is shared for awareness, understanding, and truth. Because silence protects harm. And truth is where healing begins. If this conversation resonates with you, or you know someone who needs to hear it, share it. You are not alone. ⸻ ⚠️ Viewer discretion advised. This episode discusses themes of abuse and trauma. This is The New Mind. Where truth meets the human story… Enjoy!  Subscribe to The New Mind podcast for more uplifting and insightful conversations that explore the depths of mental health, personal growth, and inspiring stories of individuals making a difference in the world. Thank you Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellamccrystal  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellamccrystalhypno    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ella_mccrystal Web: https://www.ellamccrystal.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EllaMcCrystal Connect with Stace:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stace_don/ Web: https://thelifeofstacedon.wordpress.com/ Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-launch-safe-seen-heard-across-the-uk?utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp20_t2&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&lang=en_GB My Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1915306868?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_J1TN76VS2Q7X59SC06YR&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_J1TN76VS2Q7X59SC06YR&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_J1TN76VS2Q7X59SC06YR&bestFormat=true

    She Was Meant To Be Safe... This is What Happened Instead

  8. 9 Apr

    You Will Not Believe What These Three Men Experienced

    This week’s compilation episode of The New Mind brings together three men who have witnessed and lived through experiences most people will never encounter. Their stories move between shock, pain, heartbreak, and unexpected moments of humour, offering a rare and deeply human insight into resilience, survival, and the complexity of the mind. This is not just something you listen to. It is something you feel. If you are drawn to understanding human behaviour, trauma, and the hidden layers of lived experience, this episode will stay with you long after it ends. Listen/watch now and explore the depths of the human experience. This is The New Mind. Where truth meets the human story… Enjoy!  Subscribe to The New Mind podcast for more uplifting and insightful conversations that explore the depths of mental health, personal growth, and inspiring stories of individuals making a difference in the world. Thank you Connect with me:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellamccrystal  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellamccrystalhypno    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ella_mccrystal Web: https://www.ellamccrystal.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EllaMcCrystal Connect with my guests:  Kevin Lane: https://www.instagram.com/fittedupandfightingback/ Yammy B: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWvjCWaeyUWQ2CKLRtc2hOg Ben Hatchett: https://www.tiktok.com/@ben_hatchett_official

    You Will Not Believe What These Three Men Experienced
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Trailer

4.4
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

I’m Ella McCrystal and over the last 20 years I’ve been using neuroscience, to help a broad spectrum of individuals, including leaders in the world of business, sports, and the arts find and reach their full potential.I want to welcome you to a new show about the brain and the unbelievable potential you have when your mind has the training, programming and support it needs. A place that will showcase practical strategies and solutions; whether you're an individual looking to improve their mental health and well-being, or someone seeking to enhance their cognitive abilities or gain a deeper understanding of how the brain works.I’m here to show you how to harness it as your greatest asset.Welcome to The New Mind.

Information

  • Creator
    Ella McCrystal
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    90
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The New Mind