32: Dr. Michelle Veneziano - How osteopathy can improve our mental health through its impact on the brain, embodiment and the nervous system

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.

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.

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.

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.

In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, Dr. Daniel Amen – psychiatrist, researcher, bestselling author, and founder of Amen Clinics – joins me to share his groundbreaking work on brain health and psychiatry. With over 260,000 brain SPECT scans across patients from 155 countries, Dr. Amen has built the world's largest database of brain imaging for mental health, transforming how we understand conditions like depression, anxiety, ADHD and dementia. Dr. Amen explains why mental health symptoms should be reframed as brain health issues, and how improving brain function through lifestyle, targeted treatments and integrative medicine can dramatically improve mood, focus and resilience. He introduces his BRIGHT MINDS framework – 11 risk factors that drive brain decline – and shares practical steps to prevent Alzheimer's, treat depression and optimize brain performance. This episode also explores the metabolic roots of mental health, the overlooked role of head trauma, how toxins like mold and anesthesia affect cognition, and why prevention is the future of psychiatry. From nutritional strategies and supplements like saffron to the promise of a global brain health revolution, Dr. Amen provides a hopeful, science-based roadmap for healing. In this episode, you'll learn: Why psychiatry is the only medical specialty that doesn't look at the organ it treats – and how SPECT imaging changes that. How Dr. Amen's BRIGHT MINDS framework addresses 11 key risk factors for brain health – Blood flow, Retirement/aging, Inflammation, Genetics, Head trauma, Toxins, Mental health, Immunity/infections, Neurohormone issues, Diabesity, and Sleep The strong connection between metabolic health, obesity and psychiatric symptoms. How brain reserve determines resilience to trauma and stress, and why prevention is critical. The role of environmental toxins like mold and pesticides in damaging cognition. Why traumatic brain injuries are a hidden but major cause of psychiatric illness. How supplements such as saffron, ginkgo and curcumin can support mood, memory, and overall brain health. Dr. Amen's vision for ending the stigma of "mental illness" and replacing it with a brain health revolution.

In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, Dr. Kristine Burke – triple board-certified precision medicine physician, educator and co-founder of TruNeura – joins me for a wide-ranging conversation on functional medicine, prevention and the future of brain health. Drawing from her background as a family physician, sports doctor and functional medicine pioneer, Dr. Burke explains how chronic disease, cognitive decline and even conditions like Alzheimer's can be prevented or reversed by addressing root causes such as inflammation, cardiovascular dysfunction, metabolic imbalance, toxins and hormone changes. She highlights her clinical work in mold-related illness and its profound effects on cognition and shares how her integrative systems-based approach empowers patients to reclaim both health and hope. We discuss Dr. Burke's excitement about TruNeura, the AI-driven platform she co-founded, designed to support both patients and practitioners in managing the overwhelming complexity of precision medicine. With AI-powered coaching and decision support, TruNeura helps scale prevention and treatment of cognitive decline worldwide. This episode blends deep clinical insight with cutting-edge innovation, offering practical strategies to protect the brain and body, and a hopeful vision of how technology and root-cause medicine together may transform the future of mental health care. In this episode, you'll learn: How Dr. Burke's journey from sports medicine to functional medicine reshaped her approach to chronic illness and prevention. Why root causes such as metabolic health, hormones, cardiovascular function, gut/oral microbiome, toxins and mold play a critical role in cognitive decline. The surprising links between mold exposure, biotoxins and brain health. How mindfulness, stress resilience, community and connection are essential pillars of brain health. The role of diet in prevention vs. therapy – from the Mediterranean diet to targeted ketogenic interventions. How TruNeura uses AI to empower patients, streamline clinical decision-making and scale precision medicine worldwide. Why prevention offers the greatest opportunity for preserving cognitive health and reducing the burden of neurodegenerative disease.

In this episode, we're diving deep into the latest breakthroughs in integrative mental health and wellness with special guest Kirkland Newman, founder of the Mind Health 360. Kirkland is an Anglo-American journalist, philanthropist, and Founder of MindHealth360, a global platform dedicated to integrative mental health and functional medicine psychiatry.   Get full transcript, audio, video & downloads of this episode here: https://www.jillcarnahan.com/kirkland...    SIGN UP NOW FOR IMMH! Link: https://www.immh.org/immh-2025/?ref=1265 Discount code for $50 off registration: CARNAHAN50   Key Topics You'll Discover: ① The surprising link between mitochondria and mental health – and why morning light and movement are your brain's best friends. ② How childhood trauma impacts your body's immune response and can drive chronic illnesses like mold sensitivity and Lyme disease. ③ The real talk on functional medicine: what's working, what's not, and the simple daily habits that make a powerful difference. ④ Insights from thought leaders like Dr. Gabor Maté, Dr. Emran Meyer, and Dr. Dale Bredesen.   💡 What You'll Take Away: 📌 Morning Routine: Incorporating light exposure and exercise in the morning can significantly enhance mitochondrial function and overall mental health. 📌 Trauma Awareness: Healthcare providers should integrate trauma inquiry into their practice to better address underlying health issues. 📌 Functional Medicine: While it can be resource-intensive, focusing on foundational health practices like sleep and light exposure can offer significant benefits. 📌 Educational Resources: The podcast encourages listeners to explore further through the Mind Health 360 Show and related resources.    🔗 Explore More: 🎧 Mind Health 360 Show: https://www.mindhealth360.com/ 📅 IMMH Conference - Sept 11–14, San Diego: https://www.immh.org/immh-2025/ (with virtual attendance options)   ✨ Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share – let's build a more resilient, trauma-informed world together.   This episode provides a comprehensive look at how integrating functional medicine and addressing trauma can lead to better mental health outcomes. Kirkland Newman - https://www.mindhealth360.com/ Kirkland Newman is an anglo-american journalist and philanthropist. She is the Founder and Editor of MindHealth360, a free, global resource for integrative mental health and functional medicine psychiatry, and is the Host of The MindHealth360 Show.,,She created MindHealth360 after her own postpartum depression to address the epidemic of mental health issues and the lack of sustainable, root-cause based solutions for mental health in mainstream medicine. She launched the MindHealth360 Show in 2020 to give a voice to the leading practitioners of integrative mental health from around the world.,,She has worked for Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Ogilvy & Mather in New York, and for Musiclegal and The Prince's Trust in London. She is a Co-Founder and Trustee of The Horizon Foundation which provides support for young refugees from the Middle East and Asia.,,Kirkland has a first class BA/MA from Oxford University in Modern Languages and Literature; an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in European Studies; and an MA from The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in Near and Middle Eastern Studies. Her dissertation "The Battle for Victimhood, Roles and Narratives of Suffering in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" was published in "Narrating Conflict in the Middle East: Discourse, Image and Communications Practices in Lebanon and Palestine".

In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, psychiatrist and trauma researcher Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, joins Kirkland Newman for a powerful exploration of how trauma affects the brain, body and sense of self – and how healing can emerge through somatic, relational and neurobiological interventions.  Drawing from decades of clinical and research experience, Dr. van der Kolk discusses how trauma disrupts core brain functions, creates enduring physiological patterns, and limits a person's ability to feel connected or safe. He emphasises the limitations of top-down, cognitive talk therapies alone, and highlights the critical role of bottom-up, body-based approaches to healing.  Bessel illustrates the value of experiential practices – including EMDR, neurofeedback, yoga, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and psychedelic-assisted therapy – as ways to improve self-regulation, brain integration, and emotional processing. He also reflects on the essential role of human connection, joy, rhythm, and relational safety in recovery.  This conversation will be especially valuable for clinicians, researchers, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of trauma and the integrative, whole-person approaches that can support healing.  In this episode, you will learn:  How trauma can create automatic patterns in brain and behavior, rooted in disrupted regulatory systems and rigid neural habits  Why bottom-up therapies (movement, rhythm, body awareness) are often necessary to complement verbal psychotherapy  How relational safety, rhythmic engagement, and movement can calm the nervous system and support healing  The significance of EMDR, neurofeedback, and IFS in reconnecting different brain regions and improving emotional regulation  Why trauma recovery is about restoring agency, self-awareness, and connection – not simply revisiting traumatic memories  How early neglect and lack of secure attachment affect development, social engagement, and physiological resilience  Why psychedelics (such as MDMA) show strong potential in expanding neuroplasticity and opening up new therapeutic possibilities  How creativity, play, and joy are central – not optional – to sustainable healing and growth  The importance of broadening trauma treatment beyond medication and talk therapy to include embodied, relational, and community-based approaches

In this episode of the MindHealth360 show, Dr. Sundeep Dugar – pharmaceutical scientist, inventor, and co-founder of Blue Oak NX – explores the foundational role of mitochondria in brain function, psychiatric and neurological health, aging, and chronic disease. With over 35 years of drug discovery expertise, Dr. Dugar breaks down the science behind how mitochondrial dysfunction may be a key root cause of many modern health conditions, as well as mental health symptoms – including anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, and fatigue. He shares how mitochondria generate ATP, the body's essential energy currency, and how their decline over time and through lifestyle "insults" such as  pollution, poor diet, stress, and inactivity, and how their loss of function and resilience can impair everything from gene expression to inflammation, immunity, energy and brain health. Dr. Dugar also introduces the mission-driven work of his company Blue Oak NX, dedicated to affordable and unique therapies that support mitochondrial health and overall wellness. Deeply scientific yet accessible, this conversation explores how optimizing mitochondrial function through exercise, fat-based nutrition, and lifestyle changes may hold the key to longevity, mental clarity, and true cellular healing. In this episode, you'll learn: Why mitochondria are essential to life – and produce 90% of the body's energy (ATP), but also perform dozens of other key functions essential to health and longevity. How mitochondrial decline begins around age 21 and accelerates with age. Why exercise is the most powerful intervention for mitochondrial health – and what happens on a cellular level when we move. The fundamental link between mitochondrial function and mental and neurological health symptoms such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, poor focus and poor memory. Why diet is "fuel" for your mitochondria – and how fats (not sugar) provide more sustainable energy. Why pollution, stress, ultra-processed food, and sedentary living create "insults" that impair mitochondrial function and overall health. How mitochondrial dysfunction may drive inflammation and underlie conditions like diabetes, cancer, and psychiatric and neurological illness. Why some people are more vulnerable to disease due to genotype and epigenetic responses to environmental insults. What "hormesis" and the "cell danger response" mean – and how they relate to mitochondrial resilience. How supporting your mitochondria can help shift the body from chronic illness to healing (salutogenesis). The groundbreaking molecule developed by Blue Oak NX which has been found to boost mitochondrial function in a way that only exercise can do, and its profound implications for people who cannot exercise.  

In this very personal and insightful episode of The MindHealth360 Show, Ashok Gupta – internationally renowned health practitioner and creator of the Gupta Program – joins us to discuss how brain retraining can reverse chronic illness and heal the nervous system. Gupta shares the powerful story behind the creation of his program, which he developed after suffering from ME/CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) as a student at Cambridge University. Through his own neurological research and treatment plans, Gupta achieved full recovery and has since helped thousands of others do the same.  Kirkland Newman shares her own journey through mould toxicity, nervous system dysregulation, and severe neurological symptoms, and how the Gupta Program – recommended to her by Dr. Neil Nathan – was instrumental in her recovery. Together, they explore how chronic stress, trauma, and environmental triggers can lead to maladaptive brain responses that keep the body stuck in illness, and how brain retraining offers a path to healing.  In this compelling episode, Gupta explains the science behind his program, its origins, and how it helps people with conditions such as ME/CFS, CIRS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Fibromyalgia, long COVID, mould illness, anxiety, and other neurological and mental health conditions. He also reflects on the broader implications of neuroplasticity and the mind-body connection in the treatment of chronic disease.  In this episode you will learn about:  How Ashok Gupta developed the Gupta Program after healing from chronic fatigue syndrome during his time at Cambridge University.  The role of brain retraining in reversing neurological and mental health symptoms caused by an inflammatory and immune response driven initially by toxins and pathogens, and leading to a dysregulated nervous system and chronic symptoms Why chronic illness is often rooted in a "trauma loop" within the brain's limbic system.  How the Gupta Program uses neuroplasticity to interrupt maladaptive patterns and rewire the brain toward healing.  Why environmental triggers like mould can activate a dysfunctional threat response in the brain.  How Ashok Gupta's recovery journey led to the creation of a structured, evidence-based program that has helped thousands of people globally.  A firsthand account from host Kirkland Newman on how the Gupta Program helped relieve her symptoms of tremors, anxiety, fasciculations, and more.  The importance of viewing chronic illness through the lens of the brain-body connection, and the role of hope and empowerment in recovery.