The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast

Sophia Dawson
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  • Mental Health

The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast explores the powerful connection between mind and body, blending nutritional psychology, psychological tools and inspiring conversations with health experts. Join Senior Psychologist Sophia Dawson to discover how nourishing your body can transform your mental health and help you live a more balanced, fulfilling life.

  1. Jul 20

    Understanding OCD: Intrusive Thoughts, Compulsions & the Misconceptions That Keep People Silent with Sophia Dawson #15

    Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍 I'm flying solo this week for an episode I've wanted to record for a long time. I've worked with clients with OCD for a number of years, and I've seen firsthand how earth-shattering and debilitating this disorder can be. It's also the focus of my PhD research, which is now in the data analysis phase, and while the literature has taught me a lot, nothing compares to sitting with well over 50+ people in the recruitment stage of my research and hearing their experience of OCD firsthand, as well as working with OCD for many years in the therapy room. In this episode, I walk you through what OCD actually is: the intrusive thoughts, images, doubts and urges that feel so completely misaligned with who you are, and the compulsions that promise relief but feed the cycle. I share some of the lesser-known ways OCD can show up, from relationship OCD to harm OCD to some of the most stigmatised and underrecognised forms, and why OCD so often grabs onto the very things that matter most to you. We also need to talk about "I'm so OCD." It's said lightly, and never maliciously, but for the many people carrying graphic intrusive thoughts and secret rituals in silence, it can be deeply invalidating. There's a reason the time between the onset of OCD symptoms and diagnosis can be up to 17 years, and shame sits right at the heart of it. Whether you're navigating OCD yourself, love somebody who is, or simply want to understand this misunderstood disorder better, this episode is honest, warm, and deeply human. I’ve created this episode with everyone in mind, and if you think that someone in your life may benefit from learning more about OCD - this is the podcast for them.  In this episode, I explore: ✨ What OCD actually is: the two elements of obsessions and compulsions, and why intrusive thoughts feel so alien to who you are ✨ Why compulsions bring short-term relief but make the thoughts more pervasive, urgent and frequent over time, like feeding a monster that only grows ✨ Why 99% of us have intrusive thoughts, and the meaning-making that separates OCD from a passing ‘weird’ thought ✨ The different faces of OCD: relationship OCD, paedophile OCD, contamination OCD, harm OCD, and sexual orientation OCD ✨ How OCD targets what you love and value most, and demands a certainty it can never actually deliver ✨ The shame that keeps people silent, and why diagnosis can take up to 17 years from symptom onset ✨ How OCD differs from health anxiety, and where the two can look almost identical (a wonderful listener question from my socials!) ✨ How to support a loved one with OCD: gradually reducing reassurance, externalising OCD, and teaming up against it together ✨ Why exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the gold-standard psychological treatment for OCD, and why the right support changes everything ✨ A gentle note from me: this episode discusses intrusive thoughts across a range of OCD themes, including harm and other confronting thought content. Please be kind to yourself as you listen, and come back to it whenever you feel ready. If you heard yourself in this episode, you are not alone. OCD is treatable with the right practitioner, and there are so many people out there to support you. If you're in New Zealand and would like support, my team and I would love to hear from you via the link below. Want even more WHOLEistic Psychology? Here's where to find more support and resources: Website & Client Enquiries: wholeisticpsychology.com  Join the Newsletter: wholeisticpsychology.com/thewholeedit-signup  Blog: wholeisticpsychology.com/blog

  2. Jun 24

    Coco Pops, Up & Go and the Great Food Pyramid Con: What We’ve Got Wrong with Prof Grant Schofield #14

    Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍 This one is a real treat for me, because my guest today is one of my fabulous PhD supervisors, Professor Grant Schofield. Grant is one of New Zealand's best-known public health scientists, a researcher, and the co-founder and Chief Science Officer of PREKURE. He's also the author of five best-selling books, with his newest, Choose Your Hard, just out in the world. Grant has spent his career asking the unpopular questions about how we eat, how we move, and what we've been told is "healthy", and then following the actual evidence wherever it leads. In this conversation we pull apart the food system most of us grew up inside: the food pyramid, the Health Star Rating, and the food rules that shaped a generation, and we look honestly at what all of that has done to our metabolic health and our minds. Buckle up, because we cover a whole lot of ground - from the food pyramid to psychiatric medication, and from AI robots and metabolic psychiatry. We get into the science, but we also stay human.  It's a warm, honest, occasionally cheeky conversation with one of the people who has shaped how I think about food and the brain, and I can't wait for you to hear it. In this episode, we explore: ✨ How the food pyramid came to be, who it really served, and why the advice so many of us grew up with was built on shaky ground ✨ The Health Star Rating decoded: how a chocolate drink, a Up & Go or a bowl of Coco Pops can score so well, and what the rating system genuinely can't see ✨ What "ultra-processed food" actually means, and why the level of processing may matter as much as the nutrients on the label ✨ The link between how we eat and how we feel, and what the research is showing us about food, metabolic health, and conditions like depression and anxiety ✨ The emerging world of metabolic psychiatry, including the early research on ketogenic approaches for serious mental illness, and how to hold that evidence honestly ✨ Where Grant thinks medicine gets it wrong on informed consent, SSRIs, and treating the body and mind as separate systems ✨ What Grant would change first if he had full power over the food environment tomorrow, and where he sees AI fitting into how we understand our food ✨ The heart of Choose Your Hard: why every path has a hard, and how choosing the right one changes everything ✨ A grounded, compassionate way to think about food and your mind that doesn't tip into fear, restriction, or shame ✨ A gentle note from me: we touch on mental health, antidepressants, and psychiatric treatment in this episode. Nothing here is medical advice, and it's never a reason to stop or change any medication on your own. Please take what's useful, leave what isn't, and be kind to yourself as you listen. To see more of the wonderful Grant: 🤍 Website: profgrantschofield.com  🤍 PREKURE: prekure.com  🤍 Choose Your Hard — available now wherever you buy your books  🤍 Listen to Grant's own podcast, Prevention is Cure ✨And as mentioned, you can listen to my own conversation on ACT over on Grant's Prevention is Cure podcast Mentioned in this episode: ✨ Choose Your Hard by Prof Grant Schofield ✨ The SMILES trial (dietary intervention for depression) ✨ The work of Prof Julia Rucklidge on nutrition and mental health ✨ Dr Matthew Phillips' research on metabolic and ketogenic therapies ✨ Metabolic Mind and the Baszucki Group ✨ The Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revised food guidance ✨ The Misogi Challenge ✨ My own conversation on ACT over on Grant's Prevention is Cure podcast Want even more WHOLEistic Psychology? Here's where to find more support and resources: 🤍 Website & Client Enquiries: wholeisticpsychology.com 🤍 Join the Newsletter (The WHOLE Edit): wholeisticpsychology.com/thewholeedit-signup 🤍 Blog: wholeisticpsychology.com/blog

  3. Jun 17

    Myth-Busting the Wellness Trends with Steph Pearson #13

    Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍 I’m back with one of my favourite people to talk all things nutrition with, my fab friend and colleague Steph Pearson. The wellness space is LOUD right now. Every other week social media decides whether protein, soy, fasting or ashwagandha is the thing that’s going to fix us or finish us off. So, Steph and I asked our communities what they actually wanted us to settle, and we sat down to myth-bust our way through your questions. Steph is a Nutritionist and Naturopath, and someone I trust deeply, professionally and personally. She works with women in the thick of perimenopause, stress, hormonal shifts and complicated relationships with food, and she has a rare gift for making the evidence feel human and doable rather than overwhelming. We move through protein and protein powders, the truth about soy, ashwagandha, collagen and creatine, coffee timing, fasting and training to your cycle, sauna and cold exposure, and the questions that don’t usually get said out loud. The thread running through all of it: there’s no one-size-fits-all, and test, don’t guess. This one is warm, honest and very real. It’s also Part One, because you sent us so many questions we couldn’t fit them all in, so we’ll be back to finish the list. In this episode, we explore: ✨ The protein hype — who actually needs a protein powder, and how to know whether you’re getting enough without tracking forever ✨ Soy on trial — the difference between processed soy and whole-food soy, and where Steph genuinely sees it help ✨ Ashwagandha, and why “test, don’t guess” matters before you add it to your coffee (including who is better off steering clear) ✨ Collagen — what the evidence does and doesn’t support, and the nutrients Steph would reach for first ✨ Coffee timing, and learning to read your own body’s signs instead of someone else’s rules ✨ Fasting and training to your cycle, and why piling more stress onto an already-stressed body isn’t the answer ✨ Creatine, one of the most researched supplements going, and how to actually take it ✨ The psychology underneath the food — where stress is really coming from, the mental load, and meeting all of this with compassion rather than self-criticism ✨ Sauna vs cold exposure for women, and the question nobody says out loud: low libido with two kids under five, will it ever come back? ✨ A gentle note from me: we talk openly about food, bodies, fasting and eating behaviour in this episode. If your relationship with food or your body feels tender right now, please be kind to yourself as you listen, and come back to it whenever you feel ready. If you’re struggling, reaching out for support is a brave and worthwhile thing to do. To see more of the wonderful Steph Pearson and her work, you can find her here: Instagram: @stephpearson.naturopath Mentioned in this episode: •  Dr Mindy Pelz — referenced on training and fasting to your menstrual cycle •  Two Raw Sisters — the recipe app I love for quick, whole-food snacks •  Creatine monohydrate — the form Steph discusses •  My conversation with Francesca Lyon on cortisol, stress and the nervous system #7

  4. Jun 10

    Nourish, Don't Punish: Rethinking Food Restriction with Emma Wylie #12

    Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍 Today's episode began the way the best ones do: as a conversation Emma Wylie and I kept having over voice message, until we knew we had to bring it to the podcast. Emma is back with us, and this time we're talking about our relationship with food, eating, body shape and weight, and what happens when the pursuit of "healthy" starts to run the show. I'm joined again by the wonderful Emma Wylie, Nutritionist and Founder of Elo Wellbeing, who many of you will remember from our Eating with Ease episode. Emma brings so much warmth, clarity and care to this work, and she has a real gift for making the science feel human. Together we get into how a difficult relationship with food can show up, often in small ways that are easy to miss, and why control around eating so often sits on top of something deeper. We talk honestly about the cost of staying stuck in that pattern, the difference between a long life and a life that feels good to be in, and how small, doable steps can gently open things back up. This episode is warm, honest, and deeply human. It's a conversation about making room for a bigger, fuller life. In this episode, we explore: ✨ The subtle signs of a difficult relationship with food: fear foods, avoiding social meals, pre-checking menus, and choosing exercise over connection ✨ Why controlling food so often becomes a way to manage emotions that feel too big, and how that control can become a cage ✨ What gets overshadowed when we overvalue body shape: the roles, relationships and parts of ourselves that matter most ✨ The tug-of-war metaphor for the voice that polices what you eat, and what it means to put the rope down ✨ The difference between lifespan and health span, and the longer-term cost of under-fuelling for bones, muscle and energy ✨ What restriction can mean for hormones, cycles and fertility, and why a calm, well-fuelled body is a safer body ✨ The "challenge ladder": how small, steady steps rebuild flexibility without forcing a single outcome ✨ Emma's measured take on weight-loss medications, and why how a body looks tells us so little about whether it's healthy A gentle note from me: this episode explores restrictive eating and difficult relationships with food. Please be kind to yourself as you listen, and come back to it whenever you feel ready. To see more of the wonderful Emma Wylie and her work, find her at Elo Wellbeing and follow along on Instagram @elo_wellbeing_. Mentioned in this episode: Eating with Ease — the self-paced course Emma and I created together, pairing nutritional knowledge with psychological tools. Follow along on Instagram @eating_with_ease.The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast episode with Emma Wylie (Episode 2) — Emma's first episode, where we introduced Eating with Ease and Emma shared her own story (the companion episode to this one).Want even more WHOLEistic Psychology? Here's where to find more support and resources: Website & Client Enquiries — Learn more about WHOLEistic Psychology and my fantastic team HERE. Join the Newsletter — My monthly(ish!) newsletter curated for you to show you all about mind-body wellness, through psychological tools, recipes, research and more! JOIN HERE Blog — Take a read of my thoughts and learnings I want to share with you. READ HERE

  5. May 13

    Rosa Power of Two Raw Sisters: RED-S, Eating Disorder Recovery, and Rebuilding Trust with Food and Body #11

    Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍 Today I'm joined by the wonderful Rosa Power,  the other half of Two Raw Sisters, the New Zealand food and wellbeing brand she co-founded with her sister Margo. Together they've built five bestselling cookbooks, a podcast, cooking workshops around the country, and an app with hundreds of recipes that takes the overwhelm out of whole-food cooking and makes it feel genuinely accessible. Rosa was an elite athlete for eight years, specialising in the 3000m steeplechase, before her body (and her mental health) started to be challenged under the weight of overtraining and under-fuelling. By 18, she had the bone density of a 70-year-old, didn't get her period until she was twenty-one, and was navigating a diagnosis of RED-S (relative energy deficiency in sport) and an eating disorder, all while still in the thick of competing on the world stage. This episode is honest, hopeful, and deeply human. Rosa speaks with so much warmth and clarity about her challenges with food, her body and over-training, and her courageous recovery. I know her reflections will resonate well beyond the world of athletics, with all of us able to identify with parts of her inspiring journey. In this episode, we explore: ✨ How Rosa’s love of running transitioned from a hobby into an obsession ✨ Her RED-S diagnosis, what this meant for her body, and how she began her recovery journey  ✨ The body comparison that's almost unavoidable in elite athletics and the “not good enough” thoughts she navigated ✨ The rock-bottom moment that led to Rosa’s healing journey ✨ Grieving the Olympics that didn't happen, reclaiming an identity outside of "the athlete," and how Two Raw Sisters became the next chapter ✨ How pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood gave Rosa a whole new appreciation for her body ✨ The mindset shifts around food and movement she lives by now To see more of the wonderful Rosa Power and everything Two Raw Sisters has to offer, explore their app, cookbooks, and podcast at tworawsisters.com and follow along on Instagram @tworawsisters. Mentioned in this episode: Two Raw Sisters app — over 850 recipes, search by ingredients, filter for dietary needs, take the decision fatigue out of cookingThe WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast episode with Margo Flanagan — Rosa's sister Margo on chronic illness, identity, and food as part of her healing (the companion episode to this one)RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) — an under-recognised but very common condition in female athletes, affecting hormones, bone density, and overall energy availabilityThe role of a multidisciplinary recovery team — endocrinologist, nutritionist, psychologist, physio, and family — in supporting recovery from RED-S and disordered eatingWant even more WHOLEistic Psychology? Here's where to find more support and resources: Website & Client Enquiries Learn more about WHOLEistic Psychology and my fantastic team HERE. Join the Newsletter My monthly(ish!) newsletter curated for you to show you all about mind-body wellness, through psychological tools, recipes, research and more! JOIN HERE Blog Take a read of my thoughts and learnings I want to share with you. READ HERE.

  6. May 6

    Margo Flanagan of Two Raw Sisters: Chronic Illness, Identity, and How Food Became Part of Her Healing #10

    Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍 Today's conversation is one I have been so excited to share with you - and it genuinely did not disappoint. I'm joined by the incredible Margo Flanagan, co-founder of Two Raw Sisters, the New Zealand food and wellbeing brand she built alongside her sister Rosa. Together they've created five bestselling cookbooks, a podcast, cooking workshops around the country, and an app with over 850 recipes designed to make whole-food cooking feel genuinely accessible. But before all of that, there was a deeply personal health journey. Margo was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome at sixteen, navigated two years largely bedridden, and later faced an endometriosis diagnosis too. Through both of those experiences, food became one of her most powerful tools, which is a big part of the conception of the Two Raw Sisters brand!  This episode is warm, honest, and deeply human. We go well beyond the brand, and I truly think a lot of Margo’s reflections are going to resonate with you. In this episode, we explore: ✨ Margo's chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis at sixteen: what her body was telling her, and the seven months of being dismissed before anyone listened ✨ The identity crisis that comes with chronic illness, and how comparison with a high-achieving sibling added another layer  ✨ How chronic illness reshapes your friendships when you're young, and the loneliness that comes alongside it ✨ Margo's endometriosis journey - her path to diagnosis, the guilt she carries for having a smoother ride than many women, and why endo stage does not equal pain level ✨ How food became medicine, and why it's so often the last thing we reach for when it should be the first ✨ The Two Raw Sisters app — how it works, what makes it different, and why I genuinely recommend it to my own clients ✨ The mindset tools Margo uses to manage self-doubt, protect her energy, and turn challenges into something she can grow from ✨ The honest reality of building a business while navigating your own health, and what social media doesn't show you about someone else's success To see more of the incredible Margo Flanagan and everything Two Raw Sisters has to offer, explore their app, cookbooks, and podcast at tworawsisters.com and follow along on Instagram @tworawsisters. Mentioned in this episode: Two Raw Sisters app — search by ingredients, filter for dietary needs, reduce decision fatigue at 5pmTwo Raw Sisters podcast episode with Lara Briden — how to talk to your GP about endometriosisLara Briden — author and naturopathic doctor specialising in women's hormonal healthDr Olivia Smart — Margo's gynaecologist recommendation for those navigating endo in NZWant even more WHOLEistic Psychology? Here’s where to find more support and resources: Website & Client Enquiries Learn more about WHOLEistic Psychology and my fantastic team HERE. Join the Newsletter My monthly(ish!) newsletter curated for you to show you all about mind-body wellness, through psychological tools, recipes, research and more! JOIN HERE Blog Take a read of my thoughts and learnings I want to share with you. READ HERE.

  7. Apr 29

    Say Their Name: Six Ways to Support Someone You Love Through Grief with Sophia Dawson #9

    Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍 Today's episode is a little different for me (and definitely my most candid). It's a solo one, recorded from a place I truly never imagined I'd be speaking from. Very recently, I lost somebody very close to me, unexpectedly and far, far too soon. And in the weeks since, I have been so deeply held by the most incredible, intentional people in my life who have shown up for me in the most beautiful ways, who have inspired today’s podcast. It has made me realise, both as a senior psychologist and as someone who is currently bereaved myself, how much we as a society really struggle with grief — and how many well-intentioned, beautiful people feel so unequipped to support someone they love through a loss. So this episode is a practical toolkit for the supporters of those who are grieving. If somebody in your life has lost a parent, partner, sibling, child, or friend, and you want to know how to show up for them in the best way, this one is absolutely for you. I explore: Why we as a society struggle so much with grief, and what's really happening underneath all our well-intentioned avoidanceWhy supporting the bereaved is, at its heart, a practice in staying (and not in fixing)My six practical tools: saying their name, jumping in with your clothes on, helping carry the mundane, supporting the continuing bond, showing up long after everyone else stops, and holding space for whatever needs to be spokenA few things I gently encourage you to be mindful of (including religious assumptions, big life changes, and changing the subject when their person comes up)What the bereaved themselves want you to know, in their own words - verbatim from my beautiful Instagram community✨ A gentle note from me: this episode discusses sudden bereavement. Please take care of yourself as you listen, and come back to it whenever you feel ready. Books I reference throughout (all in the links below): Resilient Grieving by Dr Lucy HoneThe Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis WellerBearing the Unbearable by Joanne CacciatoreWith so much gratitude to the Instagram community members who so generously shared their words and lived experience.  This one is dedicated to the beautiful humans in my own life who have shown up for me. If you are walking alongside someone who is grieving right now, thank you. It is one of the most sacred kinds of love there is. And if you are the one inside the grief yourself - I am walking alongside you.  Want even more WHOLEistic Psychology? Here's where to find more support and resources: Website & Client Enquiries Learn more about WHOLEistic Psychology and my fantastic team HERE. Join the Newsletter My monthly(ish!) newsletter curated for you to show you all about mind-body wellness, through psychological tools, recipes, research and more! JOIN HERE Blog Take a read of my thoughts and learnings I want to share with you. READ HERE.

  8. Apr 22

    ADHD, Food & The Whole-Body Connection with Dr Miguel Toribio-Mateas #8

    Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍 Today’s conversation is one that feels both deeply important and incredibly needed, and I feel so excited about sharing with you!  I’m joined by the incredible Dr Miguel Toribio-Mateas — a clinical neuroscientist, nutrition and mental health researcher, and author of ADHD Body and Mind — whose work brings together neuroscience, nutrition, and lived experience in a way that is both deeply compassionate and profoundly insightful . Together, we explore what ADHD actually looks like beyond the diagnostic criteria… not just as a condition of attention, but as a whole-body experience that shapes how we think, feel, eat, and move through the world. We talk about the gut-brain connection, emotional regulation, disordered eating, and Dr Miguel’s PHOCUS framework - a beautifully holistic approach to supporting ADHD through food, flexibility and self-kindness. In this episode, we explore: ✨ Dr Miguel’s personal journey with ADHD and autism, and how his late diagnosis reshaped his understanding of himself and his work  ✨ What ADHD actually feels like day-to-day (from hyperfocus and creativity to overwhelm, paralysis, and emotional intensity) ✨ Why ADHD is not just a “brain disorder”, but a whole-body experience involving the nervous system, gut, and inflammation ✨ The often-overlooked emotional landscape of ADHD, including overwhelm, dysregulation, and rejection sensitivity ✨ Why food matters for ADHD ✨ The gut-brain connection and how microbiome health may influence mood, focus, and overall wellbeing ✨ Dr Miguel’s PHOCUS framework: a flexible, ADHD-friendly approach to nourishment that moves away from rigid rules ✨ The role of protein in supporting dopamine, energy, and emotional regulation throughout the day ✨ How healthy fats, herbs, and hydration support brain function, inflammation, and overall health ✨ Why carbohydrates are not the enemy, and how they support gut health and steady energy ✨ The importance of colourful, diverse plant foods for the microbiome and whole-body health ✨ The role of unprocessed, unique, and umami foods in creating satisfaction, pleasure, and sensory engagement with food ✨ Why self-kindness is the foundation of any sustainable approach to health, especially for ADHD ✨ The connection between ADHD and disordered eating, and how food can become both a source of comfort and control ✨ Why perfectionism and rigid food rules can be more harmful than helpful ✨ The importance of a truly holistic approach: food, movement, connection, environment, and psychology all working together To see more of the incredible Dr Miguel Toribio-Mateas and his work, you can explore his book ADHD Body and Mind and his ongoing research in the field of nutrition and mental health, as well as by following him on Instagram @drmiguelmateas . Want even more WHOLEistic Psychology? Here’s where to find more support and resources: Website & Client Enquiries Learn more about WHOLEistic Psychology and my fantastic team HERE. Join the Newsletter My monthly(ish!) newsletter curated for you to show you all about mind-body wellness, through psychological tools, recipes, research and more! JOIN HERE Blog Take a read of my thoughts and learnings I want to share with you. READ HERE.

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About

The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast explores the powerful connection between mind and body, blending nutritional psychology, psychological tools and inspiring conversations with health experts. Join Senior Psychologist Sophia Dawson to discover how nourishing your body can transform your mental health and help you live a more balanced, fulfilling life.

Information

  • Creator
    Sophia Dawson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast
  • Show Website
    The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast

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