The MindHealth360 Show

Kirkland Newman
  • 4.6 (12)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Monthly

If you, your loved ones, or clients suffer from mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, poor memory, poor attention, mood swings, etc… and want to find sustainable solutions, then this show is for you. I interview the leading integrative mental health experts from around the world to help you understand the root causes of these symptoms– many of which may surprise you -- and suggest solutions to help you heal. If you want further information please go to www.mindhealth360.com, or find us on social media.

  1. 2d ago

    91: Luis Mojica: Why Trauma Changes What You Want to Eat

    In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, I speak with Luis Mojica, somatic therapist, trauma expert, nutritionist, founder of Holistic Life Navigation, and author of Food Therapy: Conscious Eating to Navigate Anxiety, Stress and Trauma. Luis brings together nutrition, somatic experiencing and trauma healing in a way that beautifully captures the MindHealth360 approach: that mental health cannot be separated from physical health, and that the biochemical, psychospiritual and lifestyle-behavioural roots of our symptoms are deeply interconnected. Together, we explore how food affects not only our metabolism and blood sugar, but also the nervous system, emotional regulation and trauma responses. Luis explains how many of us turn to food for regulation when connection, safety or co-regulation are unavailable elsewhere and how cravings, bingeing, restriction and even 'healthy eating' can often be understood as nervous system adaptations rather than matters of shame or willpower. Luis also shares his framework of stimulating, depressing and balancing foods, showing how different foods can push us into fight-or-flight, numb us out, or help us stabilise. We discuss why trauma can make the body more sensitive to caffeine, sugar, fasting and processed foods; why embodiment is essential for understanding how food affects us; and how learning to pause, listen to cravings and sense into the body can help us use food more consciously to support regulation, resilience and healing. In this episode, you'll learn: Why food is about far more than nutrition, influencing emotions, safety and nervous system regulation. How trauma can drive cravings, bingeing, restriction and other eating behaviours. How different foods, through their biochemical effects on the body and brain, can stimulate, numb or help regulate the nervous system. What cravings may reveal about unmet emotional, relational or nutritional needs. How conscious eating and embodiment practices can support healing and resilience. Why Luis sees food as both biochemical and relational – something that can affect our body, emotions and sense of safety. Join Luis Mojica at IMMH 2026 As understanding of the brain-body connection continues to evolve, practitioners are increasingly recognising the role that nutrition, trauma and nervous system regulation play in mental health. At the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) conference, October 8–11, 2026, Luis Mojica will join more than 50 world-renowned clinicians, researchers and thought leaders exploring the emerging science and clinical applications shaping the future of integrative mental health.. In his session, Food Therapy: The Missing Piece for Nervous System Regulation, Luis will share practical frameworks for understanding the relationship between food, trauma and nervous system function, helping practitioners recognise patterns of dysregulation, and integrate nutrition more effectively into mental health treatment and recovery. Luis will also join an expert panel on Eating Disorders alongside Dr. James Greenblatt, Dr. Jeanne Catanzaro, and Dr. Christina Bjorndal, examining integrative root-cause approaches to understanding and treating disordered eating. Early Bird tickets are now available. Shownotes: Food Therapy by Luis Mojica: Conscious Eating to Navigate Anxiety, Stress, and Trauma https://amzn.to/4tKNbuB Luis Mojica's website — For more on somatic nutrition and reading your body's response to food https://www.holisticlifenavigation.co...

    1h 19m

  2. May 29

    90: Trauma, war and AI: what's really happening to our nervous systems

    In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, I join Dr. Nicole Cain and Hadlee Garrison for a powerful conversation on trauma, nervous system regulation, whole-person mental health and the role AI may play in the future of healing. Together, we explore the growing disconnect between the privileged wellness culture, and the realities of war, displacement, chronic stress and social isolation – and why community, purpose and human connection remain essential foundations of mental wellbeing. I share how my own experience with postpartum depression led me to create MindHealth360 and champion a root-cause approach to mental health that looks beyond symptoms to the biochemical, psychospiritual and lifestyle drivers of suffering. The conversation explores why trauma can shape both biology and behaviour across generations, why modern mental healthcare often overlooks the whole person, and how integrative approaches may help restore regulation, resilience and connection. We also dive into the future of AI in mental health – from its potential to process complex health data and support emotional reflection, to the risks of dehumanisation, dependency and disconnection. And we explore whether technology can actually help us to become more human, more connected and more emotionally regulated – one nervous system at a time? In this episode, you'll learn: Why community, purpose and education are described as core pillars of mental health. How trauma and chronic stress can dysregulate the nervous system and impact future generations. Why mental healthcare must move beyond symptom management to address root causes. How integrative mental health approaches combine biochemical, psychological, lifestyle and spiritual factors. Why AI may become both a powerful therapeutic tool and a potential mental health risk. How "othering" and dehumanisation contribute to conflict, division and emotional dysregulation. Why nervous system regulation may be one of the most important foundations for healing – individually and collectively.

    56 min

  3. Apr 30

    89: Oxytocin isn't what you think: the hidden link between stress and attachment

    I don't know about you, but I have always been fascinated by hormones. Whether we are male or female, our hormones are essential to how we feel, our moods, anxiety levels, ability to connect with others, and sleep. As such, they are absolutely critical to our relationships, attachment and nervous systems. Two of the key hormones for bonding and nervous system regulation are oxytocin and vasopressin which shape human behaviour, stress physiology and the biology of attachment.  In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, pioneering behavioural neuroendocrinologist Dr Sue Carter, known for uncovering the relationship between oxytocin, vasopressin, and social bonding explores the roles of these hormones in mental health. She also traces how oxytocin was historically misunderstood as a niche "female" hormone, and shows why modern science now places it at the centre of nervous system regulation, safety and social connection. Dr Carter is a Distinguished University Scientist and Rudy Professor Emeritus of Biology at Indiana University, and served as Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute (2014–2019). She is widely recognised for foundational discoveries in the endocrinology of love and social bonds, including research on the prairie vole that helped define the physiology of pair-bonding and opened the door to decades of work on oxytocin and vasopressin in behaviour and development. In a wide-ranging and clinically relevant conversation, Dr Carter explains why context and receptors matter more than simplistic "hormone = behaviour" narratives. She also cautions against the growing trend of using oxytocin as a consumer "hack" for nervous system regulation and bonding, (including online sprays), and offers a more nuanced view of how oxytocin interacts with its molecular "partner" vasopressin – a system that can support connection and calm in some contexts, but is deeply tied to survival physiology and the stress axis. In this episode, you'll learn: What oxytocin is – and why it was long mischaracterised as a "women-only" hormone with limited relevance to the brain and behaviour. Why oxytocin sits in the hypothalamus at the centre of the stress axis. How oxytocin and vasopressin evolved from a common ancestor (vasotocin) and differ by only two amino acids. Why oxytocin and vasopressin can "talk" to each other's receptors – and why their effects may compete depending on dose, timing and context. How vasopressin tends to increase arousal and fight–flight responses, while oxytocin is described as slower, more "patient," and linked with caregiving physiology. Why oxytocin is short-lived and why using it pharmacologically requires careful attention to timing, dosing and individual history. Why Dr Carter is cautious about consumer use of oxytocin (including online sprays) and the risks of "messing with Mother Nature." What a polyvagal framing suggests about stress responses (including shutdown physiology) and why the dorsal motor nucleus is described as being loaded with oxytocin receptors. What prairie vole research did (and didn't) show – including the distinction between social monogamy and sexual monogamy. Why humans form multiple attachments across a lifetime (parent–child, siblings, partners and beyond) and why lifelong single-partner expectations can be biologically and socially complex.

    1h 14m

  4. Mar 30

    88: Dr. William van Derveer: Psychedelic therapy and functional medicine: A new paradigm for healing

    Are psychedelics the new wonder drugs for mental health? One could be excused for thinking so given the buzz in the field, the impressive research results, the rush of patients and practitioners lining up for a piece of the promise. But it's a young field. And like any goldrush, full of pitfalls, misleading claims and confusion.  In order to shed some clarity on this emerging field, psychiatrist Dr. William van Deveer and psychologist, Dr. Keith Kurlander, co-founders of The Integrative Psychiatry Institute (IPI), have just come out with their first book Psychedelic Therapy: Restore Your Mental Health, Reclaim Your Life, which aims to be a grounded guidebook for those wanting to learn more about the research and practice of working with psychedelics.  I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. van Deveer for the MindHealth360 Show, where we discuss his unique approach to integrating functional medicine and psychedelic therapy to address the deeper drivers of mental ill health, be they biochemical or psychospiritual. Drawing on his own journey out of conventional psychiatry, he describes how the limits of talk therapy and medication led him to explore the gut–brain connection, somatic trauma therapy and psychedelic-assisted treatment – and why an understanding of root causes across body, mind and spirit are essential to long-term healing. Through the IPI, Dr. van Deveer and Dr. Kurlander have trained thousands of clinicians in integrative approaches to mental health and more than 2,500 in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Dr. van Deveer has also staffed MAPS-sponsored clinical trials in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. In this conversation, he shares how his work has evolved from conventional psychiatry into a broader model that integrates functional medicine, trauma-informed care and psychedelic therapy. In this practical and wide-ranging discussion, Dr. van Deveer outlines his framework for assessing mental health through a broad map of root causes – including lifestyle, detoxification, infections, the microbiome, autoimmunity, psychology and spirituality. He explains why many patients need both functional medicine and psychedelic therapy, especially as early trauma, insecure attachment and physiological dysregulation are often intertwined. He also explores the distinct biochemical profiles of MDMA, ketamine and psilocybin, and shows why psychedelic treatment is most effective when it is used not as a standalone fix, but as a catalyst for deeper healing, behaviour change and self-care. Dr. van Deever, alongside co-author Dr. Keith Kurlander, will release Psychedelic Therapy: A Revolutionary Approach to Restoring Your Mental Health and Reclaiming Your Life on May 31. In this episode, you'll learn: What led Dr. van Derveer to move beyond conventional psychiatry after discovering how limited medication and talk therapy could be for many patients. How a former patient's recovery from panic disorder and agoraphobia after being diagnosed with celiac disease transformed his understanding of the gut–brain connection and led him to explore the wider biological root causes of mental illness. Why he sees functional medicine and psychedelic therapy as two complementary healing traditions that often need to be used together. How his treatment model maps root causes across lifestyle, the body, detoxification, infections, the microbiome, autoimmunity, psychology and spirituality. Why early trauma may be stored outside narrative memory – in somatic, episodic and procedural memory – and continue to shape beliefs, relationships and health behaviours. How insecure attachment and early dysregulation can underlie self-beliefs and behaviour patterns that later contribute to addiction, inflammation and poor health. Why Dr. van Derveer believes inflammation is a common pathway linking trauma, gut dysfunction and other drivers of mental illness. How MDMA, ketamine and psilocybin differ in their biochemical effects, psychological impact and spiritual potential. Why he describes MDMA as pro-inflammatory in the short term, ketamine as potentially helpful in reducing the impact of quinolinate-related excitotoxicity, and psilocybin as having broader anti-inflammatory effects. Why psychedelic therapy works best as a catalyst for self-love, spirituality, and sustained lifestyle change within ongoing therapeutic work—not as a one-off, "pill for an ill" intervention detached from root causes.

    1h 10m

  5. Feb 13

    87: Felice Gersh: Sex hormones and their impact on mental health

    In this IMMH 2023 conference presentation on "Sex Hormones and their Impact on Mental Health", Dr. Gersh explains why ovarian hormones influence so much more than reproduction – and why they are a missing ingredient in many conversations about brain health, mood disorders and cognitive decline. She highlights the disproportionate burden of depression and anxiety in women and notes that nearly a quarter of women in their 40s and 50s (peri/early menopause) are being prescribed antidepressants, arguing that hormone health must be considered as part of the bigger clinical picture. Dr. Gersh is a dual board-certified OB-GYN and integrative physician, founder and director of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine, and a leading voice in women's hormonal and metabolic health. In this session she combines clinical and scientific data and decades of experience to demonstrate that estradiol (E2) plays a central, protective role in the brain, supporting energy production, regulating inflammation and maintaining neurological resilience. In this very informative and practical talk, Dr. Gersh outlines how hormonal decline and disruption can increase vulnerability to mood disorders, migraines, cognitive symptoms and neurodegeneration – and how optimizing hormones through lifestyle, nutrition and psychological therapies can help protect long-term brain health. The overall message is both preventative and hopeful: many hormone-related mental health risks are modifiable and treatable. In this episode, you will learn: Why sex hormones function as whole-body "life/health hormones," supporting brain, metabolic and immune health – not just reproduction. How hormones are a missing piece in many discussions of depression, anxiety and cognitive decline in women. That almost 25% of peri- and early-menopausal women are prescribed antidepressants, highlighting the scale of midlife mood symptoms. The association between teen oral contraceptive use and higher lifetime cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes. How estradiol (E2) is strongly neuroprotective, supporting brain energy metabolism and cellular resilience. Why women have approximately 2.5× the incidence of Alzheimer's disease, and how hormone loss may contribute to that risk. How estradiol helps regulate microglia, astrocytes and neuroinflammation, keeping the brain's immune response balanced. The role of estradiol in maintaining the blood–brain barrier, and how deficiency may increase inflammatory vulnerability. Emerging evidence that low-dose estradiol therapy may support mood stability, including in postpartum depression and certain bipolar presentations. Why progesterone is also neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory, with important roles in mood, mitochondrial function and overall brain health.

    1h 7m

  6. Jan 23

    86: The Effects of Toxins on Mental Health with Dr. Joe Pizzorno

    In this important and timely presentation on "The Effects of Toxins on Mental Health," naturopathic physician and environmental medicine pioneer Dr Joe Pizzorno reveals how the global rise in mental health disorders parallels a dramatic increase in human exposure to toxic chemicals. He explains that toxins now permeate our food, water, air, household environments, and even medical care – while the nutrients that once protected us from these chemicals have simultaneously declined in the modern diet. This combination, he shows, has created ideal conditions for brain dysfunction, neurodegeneration and mood disorders worldwide. Dr Pizzorno – founding president of Bastyr University, co-author of Clinical Environmental Medicine and The Toxin Solution, and one of the world's leading voices in science-based natural medicine – draws on decades of research, clinical practice and large-scale human data to demonstrate that environmental toxins are now major drivers of neurological and psychiatric illness. He outlines how specific contaminants, including arsenic, pesticides, industrial chemicals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), mercury and commonly used medications, damage the brain through mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, glutathione depletion, microglial activation and impaired apoptosis. In this deeply informative and practical session, Dr Pizzorno explains how clinicians and patients can meaningfully reduce toxic exposure and support detoxification through diet, lifestyle and environmental choices. By correcting nutritional deficiencies, decreasing total toxic load and improving the body's natural elimination pathways, he shows that biomarkers of oxidative and toxic burden can improve – and so can long-term brain health. In this episode, you will learn: Why the global epidemic of mental disorders aligns closely with rising exposure to neurotoxins and falling intake of protective nutrients. Which environmental toxins are strongly associated with dementia, cognitive decline, depression, ADHD, autism and Parkinson's disease. Why arsenic, particularly from contaminated water and food, is one of the most damaging neurotoxins linked to Alzheimer's disease, dementia and major cancers. How pesticides, PCBs and contaminated fish contribute to neurodegeneration and psychiatric symptoms. Why commonly used prescription and over-the-counter medications can act as neurotoxins and increase the risk of dementia. How toxins harm the brain through mitochondrial damage, oxidative stress and glutathione depletion. Why food is the single largest source of toxic exposure, followed by water, household chemicals, personal-care products and indoor air. Practical ways to reduce exposure at home, including air filtration, choosing cleaner products and improving food quality. How increasing dietary fibre and colourful plant foods supports toxin elimination and protects brain function. Why supporting glutathione and detoxification pathways – and maintaining these habits over time – can lower oxidative burden and improve long-term mental health.

    1h 4m

  7. 12/16/2025

    85: Dr. Anna Lembke: Dopamine Fasting: A Solution to Overwhelm, Depression and Anxiety in the Digital Age

    In her presentation for the IMMH 2023 conference, Dopamine Fasting: An Early Intervention for Compulsive Overconsumption in the Digital Age, Dr. Anna Lembke explains how the pleasure–pain balance in the brain – once an adaptive survival mechanism – has become dangerously dysregulated in modern societies. Drawing from cutting-edge neuroscience and decades of clinical experience, she shows how our dopamine-overloaded world of constant stimulation and "drugified" everyday activities have created unprecedented vulnerability to addiction, anxiety, depression, and unhappiness. Through her clear, compassionate teaching, Dr. Lembke reveals how repeated exposure to high-reward experiences alters the brain's reward pathways, driving down our baseline dopamine and contributing to the modern mental health crisis. Dr. Lembke brings a rare combination of scientific depth and clinical wisdom. Her work integrates neuroscience with the insights of recovery communities, and in this talk she introduces practical, accessible strategies for rebalancing the brain's reward circuitry. With characteristic clarity, she explains why dopamine fasting, behavioural recalibration, and the intentional pursuit of "healthy pain" can restore homeostasis and help patients overcome compulsive overconsumption. In this richly informative and hopeful session, Dr. Lembke outlines the Plenty Paradox – her hypothesis that overabundance itself has become a source of physiological and psychological stress – and offers evidence-based tools to help clinicians and patients navigate the modern dopamine ecosystem. By understanding how the brain processes pleasure and pain, and by intentionally engaging in moderate stressors, she shows that we can elevate dopamine in a more stable, sustainable way, improve emotional resilience and mental health, and regain healthy control over habits. In this episode, you will learn: Why overabundance and constant access to reinforcing stimuli have become major drivers of stress, addiction, and mental health symptoms such as depression and anxiety. How pleasure and pain operate like opposite sides of a balance within the same brain regions. How repeated exposure to intoxicants or high-dopamine behaviours lowers baseline dopamine and the hedonic set-point. Why modern life has "drugified" everyday experiences, making them more reinforcing and more accessible. Why dopamine fasting (short-term abstinence) is an effective intervention for resetting reward pathways. Why patients often feel worse before they feel better during a dopamine fast. How hormesis – the use of moderate, controlled discomfort – can elevate dopamine sustainably without a crash. Examples of hormetic practices such as cold exposure, exercise, fasting, prayer and meditation. Why "right-sized pain" matters, and how too much or too little discomfort can be counterproductive. Why behavioural activation, mindfulness and insight are crucial tools for restoring balance and supporting recovery. I hope you find Dr. Lembke's wisdom helpful during this age and season of overwhelm, and that you are able to enjoy your family, friends, work and rest with full focus and presence these holidays and beyond.

    1h 7m
  8. 84: Flow States: The neuroscience of healing, performance and burnout recovery with Josh Dickson

    11/05/2025

    84: Flow States: The neuroscience of healing, performance and burnout recovery with Josh Dickson

    In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, trauma and addiction specialist Josh Dickson—founder of Resurface, a pioneering integration of flow science and therapy—explains how harnessing flow states can accelerate healing, boost performance, and counter burnout. Drawing on years of clinical experience, Josh describes how taking clients surfing led him to observe transformative shifts beyond talk therapy, sparking his exploration into the neuroscience of flow. He defines flow as an optimal state of consciousness where we feel and perform at our best – marked by total absorption, timelessness, and effortless action— and outlines how its neurochemical cycle can be intentionally applied in therapeutic settings. From the stress-driven struggle phase (cortisol and norepinephrine) through release and deep flow (dopamine, endorphins, anandamide), to the recovery phase (serotonin and oxytocin), Josh reveals how this natural sequence supports creativity, connection, and emotional resilience. He also discusses how flow can help counter burnout, depression, and anxiety by restoring agency, balance, and meaning – both for clients and practitioners alike. In this episode, you'll learn: What flow states are and why they enhance both performance and wellbeing. The four stages of the flow cycle – struggle, release, flow and recovery – and their brainwave and neurochemical signatures. How flow and meditation overlap yet differ in depth and brain activity. Why recovery (sleep, rest, nutrition and boundaries) is essential for sustained performance and preventing burnout. How brief experiences of flow can help re-establish agency and counter depression and helplessness. Why burnout often stems from codependency and compulsive helping, and how flow restores balance and vitality. How group-based flow experiences can amplify connection, oxytocin and healing, even for those struggling to access flow individually.

    1h 13m
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Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

If you, your loved ones, or clients suffer from mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, poor memory, poor attention, mood swings, etc… and want to find sustainable solutions, then this show is for you. I interview the leading integrative mental health experts from around the world to help you understand the root causes of these symptoms– many of which may surprise you -- and suggest solutions to help you heal. If you want further information please go to www.mindhealth360.com, or find us on social media.

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