96: Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark: Forgotten medicines for better mental & physical health

I started dancing 5 Rhythms about a year ago, and it changed my life. I met a whole new tribe of like minded people who have become fast friends, learned to inhabit my body in ways I never had before, healed some of my childhood wounding, discovered Joy in a way that had always eluded me, and enjoyed a year of personal freedom, exploration and growth which have profoundly changed me. Who knew that dance could be so powerful?   Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark, herself a physician and dancer, understands the power of dance, and the science behind its healing benefits. But she also understands the power of other cultural and lifestyle traditions which form part of the ancient medicine practiced by our ancestors. In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark raises an important question: have we become so focused on increasingly sophisticated treatments, testing and biomarkers that we are overlooking some of the most fundamental determinants of our mental and physical health? Drawing on her new book Medicine for All People: Science and Ancient Wisdom for Revolutionary Healing, Dr. Maker-Clark explores the medicines we may have forgotten to value: nature, food, plants, relationships, community, movement, dance, gratitude and play. Dr. Maker-Clark's approach brings together biomedical science, integrative medicine and ancestral wisdom without dismissing any of them. She argues that even functional medicine can become reductionist when it focuses exclusively on biomarkers and biochemical precision, while overlooking the environments and relationships in which people actually live.  We explore why health is not simply created in the exam room;  how loneliness and social connection can affect stress physiology, inflammation, immunity and mortality risk; why our increasingly indoor and digital lives may be distancing us from important biological inputs; and why Getta describes community as 'the vagal nerve stimulator of our times'. We also look at the emerging science behind some of these forgotten medicines. Why might time in nature affect mood and circadian biology? What happens when dance brings together aerobic movement, rhythm, memory, emotion and social connection? And can practices such as gratitude help us train our attention without denying the reality of suffering? Finally, we explore "primordial prevention": the idea that rather than waiting for disease or even its risk factors to emerge, we can create environments and ways of living in which those risks are less likely to develop in the first place. In this episode, you will learn: Why medicine belongs to everyone and should not be reserved for those who can afford expensive testing, supplements or specialist care. Why modern medicine may be overlooking the health effects of nature, food, community, movement, relationships, gratitude and play. How our increasing disconnection from nature may be affecting mental and physical health, particularly for children growing up in increasingly indoor and digitalised environments. Why social connection is biological as well as emotional, influencing stress physiology, inflammation, immunity, sleep and mortality risk. Why dance brings together movement, music, memory, emotion, culture and human connection in ways that may have particular relevance for mental health.  Why gratitude is a practice of attention rather than denial and what research suggests about its relationship with mental health and resilience. Why rebuilding trust, including trust in ourselves, can be a powerful part of healing. What primordial prevention means and why addressing the conditions that give rise to disease could fundamentally change the model of care. Take the conversation further at IMMH 2026 At the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) Conference 2026, Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark will take one of the central ideas from this conversation, and one close to my heart, into greater clinical depth in her session: Could dance have a serious role to play in mental healthcare? In her CE/CME presentation Medicine for All People: Dance, Neuroscience, and Embodied Mental Health she will explore how dance brings together aerobic movement, bilateral motor engagement, music, memory, emotional expression and interpersonal synchrony and examine the emerging evidence for its effects on neuroplasticity, stress regulation, mood, cognition and social connection. She will also consider dance through the lens of ancestral and cross-cultural healing traditions. Long before movement was studied through neuroscience and psychophysiology, humans danced collectively. What might modern mental healthcare learn from a practice that has brought together body, emotion, rhythm and community across cultures for millennia? Join Dr. Maker-Clark and more than 50 leading clinicians and researchers at IMMH 2026, October 8–11 in San Diego or online,to explore the emerging science behind whole-person approaches to mental health and their potential application in clinical practice. Get tickets now: https://www.immh.org/immh-2026/

An overstimulated nervous system is my chronic problem, and the problem of many of us in our current society with its 24/7 connectivity and therefore constant demands and stimulation. And that's just tech. Not to mention other contributing factors such as disrupted circadian rhythms, lack of nature and natural light, lack of sleep, processed foods, pollutants in the air, water and soil, and nutritional deficiencies. Of all the interventions I have ever done to reset my nervous system, one found in the ancient practice of Ayurveda has proven to be the most effective – known as the queen of Ayurvedic cures, the Panchakarma is a prolonged nervous system reset and detoxification protocol with incredible results. I always come away completely reset and restored.  So I was thrilled to find a fellow aficionado from the medical world with data in her pocket, psychiatrist Dr. Judith Pentz , In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, we sit down to explore what the ancient Indian healing system of Ayurveda can teach us about some of the most modern problems affecting our mental health – chronic stress, overstimulation, poor sleep, nervous-system dysregulation and our increasing difficulty creating space for genuine self-care. Dr. Pentz's journey into Ayurveda began after a health scare during perimenopause led her to experience Panchakarma, an intensive personalised Ayurvedic cleansing programme in India. What began as an attempt to support her physical health became something much deeper. She describes how repeated Panchakarma experiences affected not only her body, but also brought unresolved trauma, emotional patterns and questions of meaning and purpose to the surface. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, she reflects on how many adults may carry wounds from childhood without fully recognising their impact. Together, we explore Ayurveda's highly personalised approach to health, including the doshas and the idea that modern life itself can push many of us towards imbalance through constant stimulation. Dr. Pentz explains why healing is not something that happens passively: sleep, food, breathwork, movement, boundaries, relationships and small daily rituals all influence how regulated and resilient we feel. We also explore the idea that physical cleansing, emotional processing and spiritual growth may be more connected than Western medicine traditionally assumes – and why sometimes the smallest "life-affirming choices" can be the beginning of meaningful change. In this episode, you'll learn: Why modern overstimulation can leave us with poor sleep, scattered thinking and a dysregulated nervous system. What Panchakarma is and how Dr. Pentz's own experience brought unresolved trauma and emotional patterns to the surface, changing her understanding of healing. Why Ayurveda looks beyond symptoms to food, sleep, relationships, social connection, spirituality and daily habits. Why many adults carry unresolved childhood wounds without fully recognising their impact. How daily breathwork, sleep, movement and moments of quiet may have a cumulative effect on mental and physical health. Why self-care requires active participation and daily discipline, and how boundaries and relationships became part of Dr. Pentz's own healing. Why disease prevention is something shaped by the choices we make everyday. Take the conversation further at IMMH 2026 At the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) Conference 2026, Dr. Judith Pentz will take the ideas explored in this episode into greater clinical depth in her session: Ayurveda and Personalized Medicine: The Power of Self-Care for Prevention and Longevity CE/CME presentation – exploring how Ayurvedic principles can complement modern psychiatry and lifestyle medicine, and how simple, consistent daily practices can support prevention, emotional balance, resilience and longevity. Dr. Pentz will be joined by more than 50 leading clinicians and researchers exploring the latest approaches to integrative and functional mental health, including Dr. Robert Lustig and Dr. Elissa Epel on mitochondria, metabolism and the biology of stress; Dr. Emeran Mayer on the brain–gut–microbiome connection in healthy ageing; Dr. Leslie Korn on safely reducing or discontinuing psychiatric medication; and Dr. Ilene Naomi Rusk on nervous system regulation, resilience and brain health. Taking place October 8–11 at the Town and Country Resort, San Diego – and online, IMMH 2026 offers up to 40 CE/CME and CPD credits, with 90-day on-demand access to revisit sessions you miss live.

An overstimulated nervous system is my chronic problem, and the problem of many of us in our current society with its 24/7 connectivity and therefore constant demands and stimulation. And that's just tech. Not to mention other contributing factors such as disrupted circadian rhythms, lack of nature and natural light, lack of sleep, processed foods, pollutants in the air, water and soil, and nutritional deficiencies. Of all the interventions I have ever done to reset my nervous system, one found in the ancient practice of Ayurveda has proven to be the most effective – known as the queen of Ayurvedic cures, the Panchakarma is a prolonged nervous system reset and detoxification protocol with incredible results. I always come away completely reset and restored.  So I was thrilled to find a fellow aficionado from the medical world with data in her pocket, psychiatrist Dr. Judith Pentz , In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, we sit down to explore what the ancient Indian healing system of Ayurveda can teach us about some of the most modern problems affecting our mental health – chronic stress, overstimulation, poor sleep, nervous-system dysregulation and our increasing difficulty creating space for genuine self-care. Dr. Pentz's journey into Ayurveda began after a health scare during perimenopause led her to experience Panchakarma, an intensive personalised Ayurvedic cleansing programme in India. What began as an attempt to support her physical health became something much deeper. She describes how repeated Panchakarma experiences affected not only her body, but also brought unresolved trauma, emotional patterns and questions of meaning and purpose to the surface. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, she reflects on how many adults may carry wounds from childhood without fully recognising their impact. Together, we explore Ayurveda's highly personalised approach to health, including the doshas and the idea that modern life itself can push many of us towards imbalance through constant stimulation. Dr. Pentz explains why healing is not something that happens passively: sleep, food, breathwork, movement, boundaries, relationships and small daily rituals all influence how regulated and resilient we feel. We also explore the idea that physical cleansing, emotional processing and spiritual growth may be more connected than Western medicine traditionally assumes – and why sometimes the smallest "life-affirming choices" can be the beginning of meaningful change. In this episode, you'll learn: Why modern overstimulation can leave us with poor sleep, scattered thinking and a dysregulated nervous system. What Panchakarma is and how Dr. Pentz's own experience brought unresolved trauma and emotional patterns to the surface, changing her understanding of healing. Why Ayurveda looks beyond symptoms to food, sleep, relationships, social connection, spirituality and daily habits. Why many adults carry unresolved childhood wounds without fully recognising their impact. How daily breathwork, sleep, movement and moments of quiet may have a cumulative effect on mental and physical health. Why self-care requires active participation and daily discipline, and how boundaries and relationships became part of Dr. Pentz's own healing. Why disease prevention is something shaped by the choices we make everyday. Take the conversation further at IMMH 2026 At the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) Conference 2026, Dr. Judith Pentz will take the ideas explored in this episode into greater clinical depth in her session: Ayurveda and Personalized Medicine: The Power of Self-Care for Prevention and Longevity CE/CME presentation – exploring how Ayurvedic principles can complement modern psychiatry and lifestyle medicine, and how simple, consistent daily practices can support prevention, emotional balance, resilience and longevity. Dr. Pentz will be joined by more than 50 leading clinicians and researchers exploring the latest approaches to integrative and functional mental health, including Dr. Robert Lustig and Dr. Elissa Epel on mitochondria, metabolism and the biology of stress; Dr. Emeran Mayer on the brain–gut–microbiome connection in healthy ageing; Dr. Leslie Korn on safely reducing or discontinuing psychiatric medication; and Dr. Ilene Naomi Rusk on nervous system regulation, resilience and brain health. Taking place October 8–11 at the Town and Country Resort, San Diego – and online, IMMH 2026 offers up to 40 CE/CME and CPD credits, with 90-day on-demand access to revisit sessions you miss live.

I was particularly excited to sit down with one of my long term colleagues, psychiatrist Dr. James Greenblatt for an exploration of his new book "Finally Hopeful subtitle". Dr. Greenblatt is one of the pioneers of functional and integrative psychiatry, and it's his fourth interview with the MindHealth360 Show. His first three were about suicide, ADHD and Eating Disorders. This one was about the biological root causes of depression – and why identifying them could fundamentally change the way we diagnose and treat mental illness. Dr. Greenblatt argues that depression is not one uniform condition: ten people with the same diagnosis may have ten different underlying drivers. From vitamin D and B12 deficiencies, amino acids, thyroid and hormone imbalances, to low cholesterol, impaired digestion and chronic infections, he explains why common and measurable biological factors can contribute to depressive symptoms – and why testing for root causes should often come before treatment. But this is not a conversation about replacing antidepressants with supplements. Dr. Greenblatt is equally critical of functional medicine approaches that focus on tests and large supplement protocols without understanding the individual patient. We explore his mantra to "treat patients, not tests", and examine why trauma and chronic stress can impair digestion and nutrient absorption, and why nervous-system regulation, and an understanding of psycho-social factors and relationships must sit alongside biochemical treatment. In this episode, you'll learn: Why ten people with depression may have ten completely different underlying causes. Why clinicians should investigate factors including thyroid function, iron, B12, zinc and vitamin D before automatically reaching for an antidepressant. Why vitamin D deficiency is associated with depression, anxiety and suicide risk – and why testing matters more than simply giving everyone vitamin D. How trauma and chronic stress can suppress stomach acid and digestion, leaving people low in amino acids even when they eat adequate protein. Why commonly accepted B12 "normal" ranges may miss deficiencies relevant to brain and mental health. Why very low cholesterol levels may be an overlooked biological factor in depression, addiction and suicide risk. What new research tells us about lithium orotate and brain health, and why lithium is being reconsidered by mainstream psychiatry. Why "treat patients, not tests" has become one of Dr. Greenblatt's central principles – and why more supplements do not necessarily mean better treatment. Why he considers somatic therapies particularly important for patients whose stress and trauma are held in the body. Why ketogenic diets and psychedelics can be powerful tools, but may still become sophisticated "Band-Aids" if basic biological deficiencies are overlooked. Take the conversation further at IMMH 2026 At this year's Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) Conference, Dr. James Greenblatt will take several of the ideas explored in this episode into greater clinical depth across two sessions: Amino Acids as Precursors for Neurotransmitters – exploring how amino acid deficiencies can affect neurotransmitter production, and how targeted testing and repletion may support more personalised approaches to depression. Functional Medicine for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – examining evidence-based nutritional approaches to OCD, including inositol, NAC and 5-HTP, alongside nutrigenomic testing to inform individualised treatment. Join Dr. Greenblatt and more than 50 leading clinicians, researchers and thought leaders at IMMH 2026, October 8–11 in San Diego. Early Bird ticket prices – available until August 31 In-person ticket: $1,045  Virtual ticket: $495  Get tickets here: https://www.immh.org/immh-2026/

In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, I sit down with Judy whose remarkable journey has challenged long-held assumptions about Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline. Diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the age of 67 after watching her mother and four uncles die from the disease, Judy believed her future had already been written. Instead, she became Dr. Dale Bredesen's 'patient zero' – his first human patient to follow the personalised precision medicine approach that would later become the RECODE Programme. Together, they explored whether identifying and addressing the many factors contributing to cognitive decline could alter the course of the disease. Judy's experience went on to help shape one of the most widely discussed personalised approaches to Alzheimer's disease. Together, we explore why Alzheimer's may not be driven by a single cause, but by a combination of underlying factors that differ from person-to-person. Judy explains how nutrition, sleep, exercise, stress reduction, detoxification and other personalised interventions became the foundation of her approach and why consistency has been just as important as the interventions themselves. Fourteen years after her diagnosis, at the age of 81, Judy is fitter, healthier and cognitively sharper than ever. To prove it, she walked 3,000 miles across America to raise awareness of Dr. Bredesen's work and to share a message of hope for others facing cognitive decline. Now, at 82, she is currently walking from Land's End to London, across the UK.. Her extraordinary and inspirational story invites us to reconsider what is possible when cognitive decline is addressed through a personalised, whole-person approach. In this episode, you'll learn: What it was like to receive an Alzheimer's diagnosis after watching dementia affect five close members of Judy's family. How Judy became Dr. Dale Bredesen's 'patient zero' and helped inspire the personalised approach that became the RECODE Programme. Why Alzheimer's may be driven by multiple underlying factors rather than a single disease process. Why identifying and addressing those underlying factors supports better brain health, and better overall health. Why early intervention, lifestyle changes and long-term consistency have been central to Judy's experience. How Judy went from an Alzheimer's diagnosis at 67 to walking 3,000 miles across America at the age of 81 and now, at the age of 82, Judy is walking 530 miles across the UK. What Judy's story reveals about emerging precision medicine approaches to cognitive decline. Why Judy believes hope and taking an active role in your health makes all the difference. Take the conversation further at IMMH 2026 At this year's Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) Conference, Judy Benjamin will join Dr. Kat Toups, Dr. Dale Bredesen and Dr. Richard Horowitz for a dedicated session on reversing cognitive decline through personalised, precision medicine. The session will explore groundbreaking results from a randomised controlled trial of precision medicine in Alzheimer's disease, alongside the clinical approaches being used to identify and address the individual drivers of cognitive decline. Join Judy and leading experts in neurodegeneration at IMMH 2026, October 8–11 in San Diego.

In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, I was lucky enough to sit down with one of my favourite people in the world: physician, bestselling author and trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté, to explore some of the most important questions in mental health: what is at the root of all diseases of the body and mind? How can we heal? And what does it actually mean to be healed?  Drawing on decades of clinical experience working with addiction, mental illness and chronic disease, Dr. Mate explains why trauma is not simply what happens to us but what happens inside us as a result. He argues that while trauma is increasingly recognised by the public, it remains one of medicine's greatest blind spots – despite growing evidence that early experiences shapes brain development, stress physiology, behaviour and long-term health outcomes.  Together, we explore why symptoms such as anxiety, ADHD and addiction may often be understood as adaptive responses to developmental stress, and why emotional suppression, chronic stress and unresolved trauma may also contribute to autoimmune disease and other chronic illnesses. In this episode, you'll learn: Why trauma remains one of the biggest blind spots in modern medicine – despite a growing body of scientific evidence. Why the true cause of many mental health conditions lies in developmental trauma and its impact on our neurobiology, nervous system and relationships. Why symptoms such as anxiety, ADHD and addiction can often be understood as adaptive responses rather than disorders per se. How the conflict between authenticity and attachment in childhood shapes lifelong patterns of behaviour, health and relationships. The relationship between emotional repression, trauma and autoimmune disease and other chronic health conditions. Why trauma separates us from ourselves and the world around us. Why a biochemical approach can be helpful, but still does not address the underlying root cause of physiological and psychological imbalances – developmental trauma and poor relationships How connection, whether in person or on our phones, is key, but addiction to connection is problematic, as an escape from feeling difficult feelings  Why chronic and unfettered use of social media can cause brain damage, relationship issues and mental health issues in children and adolescents AI as therapist, pipe dream or nightmare?  The true meaning of healing – and why becoming whole may be more important than being cured. As a thank you to our community, we're giving you free access to Dr. Gabor Maté's full IMMH 2025 session: https://www.immh.org/gabor-mate-the-myth-of-normal-session/

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...

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.

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.

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.