In Front of the Mirror - The English Podcast

Cristiano Bacchi, Giacomo Piselli Fioroni
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  • PHILOSOPHY
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Is a philosophy of mental health possible? And what would it look like? Let’s join together and reflect, in front of the mirror. About us: Hello, we’re Giacomo and Cristiano! We are Master’s students in philosophy and cognitive sciences, at the ‘Berlin School of Mind and Brain’, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. Giacomo strives for pursuing a path as a philosopher of mind and mental health. Cristiano dreams of becoming a psychotherapist, one day. Together, we’re committed to cultivating this dialogue, between philosophy and mental health, which has become our mission, and our passion.

  1. Philosophy of the DSM

    FEB 9

    Philosophy of the DSM

    The DSM is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Some have described it as the “bible of psychiatry.” And, much like the Bible – or a constitution – it feels like one of those texts that quietly shape our society, and our lives, whether we’ve actually read it or not. Its vocabulary slips into our everyday conversations. Its descriptions help form the concepts we use to understand ourselves and others. In short, reading it, understanding it, and maybe even criticizing it, seems almost mandatory. So today we want to ask: what do we actually find inside this manual? What principles guide it? And how can we reflect on it? Every other Monday, at 12pm. Follow us on: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠mirror_podcast_⁠⁠⁠ Substack: ⁠⁠⁠In front of the mirror⁠⁠⁠ This project exists in Italian as well: ⁠⁠⁠In Front of the Mirror - Il Podcast in italiano⁠⁠ References: Rossi Monti, M. (2016). Manuale di psichiatria per psicologi. Carocci Editore.

    26 min
  2. Diagnosis and medical language: Good or bad?

    JAN 26

    Diagnosis and medical language: Good or bad?

    When we say diagnosis, we’re talking about medicine. When we say health, we’re still talking about medicine. So then - when do we get to talk about psychology? It often feels impossible to talk about mental health without using medical language. Even the words we choose - like “disorders” - show it. Today we’re asking: is all of this a good thing or a bad thing? What impact does diagnosis really have on our lives? Every other Monday, at 12pm. Follow us on: Instagram: ⁠⁠mirror_podcast_⁠⁠ Substack: ⁠⁠In front of the mirror⁠⁠ This project exists in Italian as well: ⁠⁠In Front of the Mirror - Il Podcast in italiano⁠⁠ References: Lingiardi, V. (2018). Diagnosi e destino. Einaudi. Rose Cartwright's piece: The Guardian - I was the poster girl for ocd then I began to question everything I'd been told about mental illness

    25 min
  3. Naming suffering: What is a diagnosis?

    JAN 12

    Naming suffering: What is a diagnosis?

    Sooner or later, in life, we have all received a diagnosis. An expert comes to us, or we go to them, and they utter some words that can sometimes change the course of our lives, for better or for worse. Words like “cold,” “gastritis,” “sore throat,” “ADHD,” or “major depression.” Well then, what do these words have in common? Why do we call all of them “diagnoses”? Every other Monday, at 12pm. Follow us on: Instagram: ⁠mirror_podcast_⁠ Substack: ⁠In front of the mirror⁠ This project exists in Italian as well: ⁠In Front of the Mirror - Il Podcast in italiano⁠ References: Hacking, I. (1995). The looping effects of human kinds. In D. Sperber, D. Premack, & A. J. Premack (Eds.), Causal cognition: A multidisciplinary debate (pp. 351–394). Clarendon Press/Oxford University Press. Lingiardi, V. (2018). Diagnosi e destino. Einaudi. Lingiardi, V. (2021). Arcipelago N. Variazioni sul narcisismo. Einaudi. Sadler, J. Z. (2004). Diagnosis/antidiagnosis. In J. Radden (Ed.), The philosophy of psychiatry: A companion (pp. 163–179). Oxford University Press

    24 min
  4. Christmas Special: Our paths

    12/22/2025

    Christmas Special: Our paths

    It's Christmas. We are all very tired. Today, we are bringing you a special episode: we talk about ourselves, our paths, and how we got here. Every other Monday, at 12pm. Follow us on: Instagram: mirror_podcast_ Substack: In front of the mirror This project exists in Italian as well: In Front of the Mirror - Il Podcast in italiano

    38 min
  5. Making complexity compelling: Psychiatry and its many lenses with Jazmine Russell

    12/08/2025

    Making complexity compelling: Psychiatry and its many lenses with Jazmine Russell

    The possibility of being offered and exposed to a multiplicity of frameworks reflects and respects the complex nature of mental health phenomena. Rather than finding themselves encapsulated within the neat confines of only one narrative, the person would benefit from choosing and adopting one or more stories and narratives that make sense to them. In light of this, we ask: are there frameworks that do more good than others? To what extent should the clinician guide, direct, or even impose particular narratives? Can the epistemic significance of a symptom be overlooked or misinterpreted? In the attempt to make complexity compelling, we are joined for the second time by Jazmine Russell, who is a mental health educator, writer, and interdisciplinary scholar focused on bridging mental health, mind-body healing, and societal change. She is the co-founder of the Institute for the Development of Human Arts, a transformative mental health training institute and the founder & host of the Depth Work Podcast. Drawing on her lived experiences and professional training working both within and outside the mental health system, Jazmine is a holistic counselor and trauma-informed holotropic breathwork practitioner. She co-edited the Mad Studies Reader: Interdisciplinary Innovations in Mental Health (Routledge, 2024). Find her work at ⁠www.depth-work.com⁠ and ⁠www.JazmineRussell.com⁠ Every other Monday, at 12pm. Follow us on: Instagram: ⁠@mirror_podcast_⁠ This project exists in Italian as well: ⁠In Front of the Mirror - Il Podcast in Italiano

    37 min
  6. Making sense of psychiatric symptoms: from lived experience to philosophical exploration with Jazmine Russell

    11/24/2025

    Making sense of psychiatric symptoms: from lived experience to philosophical exploration with Jazmine Russell

    Mental health crises might be investigated from a variety of perspectives. The lived experience of mental health conditions can be considered an irreplaceable source of knowledge. It is through lived experience that we become aware of aspects that are often neglected, such as the ways our bodies try to communicate with us and alert us, or how our personal histories are revealed to us through the very phenomena we tend to call "symptoms". Jazmine Russell is a mental health educator, writer, and interdisciplinary scholar focused on bridging mental health, mind-body healing, and societal change. She is the co-founder of the Institute for the Development of Human Arts, a transformative mental health training institute and the founder & host of the Depth Work Podcast. Drawing on her lived experiences and professional training working both within and outside the mental health system, Jazmine is a holistic counselor and trauma-informed holotropic breathwork practitioner. She co-edited the Mad Studies Reader: Interdisciplinary Innovations in Mental Health (Routledge, 2024). Find her work at www.depth-work.com and www.JazmineRussell.com Every other Monday, at 12pm. Follow us on: Instagram: @mirror_podcast_ This project exists in Italian as well: In Front of the Mirror - Il Podcast in Italiano

    38 min
  7. On the nature of psychiatric symptoms

    11/10/2025

    On the nature of psychiatric symptoms

    What are hallucinations, depressive episodes, or panic attacks? We know what they are, of course - psychiatric symptoms. The problem is that we don’t know what they are - ontologically. Which is to say: are they the manifestations of a compromised neurobiological mechanism? Or perhaps phenomena carrying a meaning to be deciphered? Adaptive strategies, defense mechanisms? The ninth episode is a philosophical inquiry into the nature of psychiatric symptoms and the power of the conceptual lenses we wear to understand them. References Eagle, M. N. (2011). From classical to contemporary psychoanalysis: A critique and integration. Routledge. Ritunnano, R., Humpston, C., & Broome, M. R. (2022). Finding order within the disorder: A case study exploring the meaningfulness of delusions. BJPsych Bulletin, 46(2), 109–115. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjb.2020.151 Russell, J. (2024). How delusions can uncover sources of harm and pathology: The epistemic value of interoceptive & unconscious information. Philosophy and the Mind Sciences, 5. https://doi.org/10.33735/phimisci.2024.11490 Every other Monday, at 12pm. Follow us on: Instagram: @mirror_podcast_ This project exists in Italian as well: In Front of the Mirror - Il podcast in Italiano

    42 min
  8. What does change mean? Self, identity, and the goal of psychotherapy

    10/27/2025

    What does change mean? Self, identity, and the goal of psychotherapy

    The question of all questions: What do we mean when we say that therapy brings about change? Then, if there are different types of therapy, are there also different kinds of change? And furthermore, when it comes to the person - "who" is changing? And, where should we start if we want to build the sense a person has of being themselves?   References: Kellog S., Torres A. (2021) Chairwork invites you to shift perspective on who you are. Aeon  Kiverstein J, Rietveld E, Denys D. (2021) World Wide Open. Aeon Rossi Monti M. (2016) Manuale  di psichiatria per psicologi. Carocci Editore. Rosfort, R., & Stanghellini, G. (2015). The Patient as an Autonomous Person: Hermeneutical Phenomenology as a Resource for an Ethics for Psychiatrists . In J. Z. Sadler, W. van Staden, & KWM. Fulford (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Psychiatric Ethics (Vol. 1, pp. 319-335). Oxford https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198732365.013.26 Every other Monday, at 12pm. Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠Instagram: @mirror_podcast_⁠⁠⁠ This project exists in Italian as well: ⁠⁠In Front of the Mirror - Il Podcast in Italiano⁠

    39 min
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About

Is a philosophy of mental health possible? And what would it look like? Let’s join together and reflect, in front of the mirror. About us: Hello, we’re Giacomo and Cristiano! We are Master’s students in philosophy and cognitive sciences, at the ‘Berlin School of Mind and Brain’, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. Giacomo strives for pursuing a path as a philosopher of mind and mental health. Cristiano dreams of becoming a psychotherapist, one day. Together, we’re committed to cultivating this dialogue, between philosophy and mental health, which has become our mission, and our passion.

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