Rewiring the brain - ketamine-assisted therapy

In this episode Dr Jess meets Cynthia Kesington, Founder and CEO of She Believes She Can, a community organisation supporting women experiencing hidden homelessness, sofa surfing, and unstable housing. Cynthia shares her own story, from being asked to leave her family home at 16, just as she started college, to spending time on the street and in temporary accommodation. She describes how she kept up appearances to the outside world, and how she only later recognised what she had been through as homelessness. She explains why women’s homelessness is so often invisible, and what the council’s 56-day duty to help really means in practice. Cynthia also unpacks the concept of “intentional homelessness”, and why a home is about far more than four walls. This is Part One of a two-part conversation. Subscribe to the Wired for Hope podcast to make sure you don’t miss the next episode.Note: this episode contains discussions of homelessness, trauma, and unsafe living environments.LINKS:She Believes She Can: https://www.shebelievesshecan.org/ StreetLink: https://thestreetlink.org.uk/ Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you catch the second episode. And join the conversation on Instagram @drjessneuropsychWritten and hosted by Dr. Jessica BartonProduced by ⁠Anthony Zahra⁠Music Credit: ⁠SigmaMusicArt⁠DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not intended for use in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or facing a mental health emergency, please seek immediate help by contacting emergency services or a crisis line.UK Resources Include:• Emergency Services (Police/Ambulance): Call 999• Samaritans (Free, 24/7 Helpline): Call 116 123• NHS 111 (Non-Emergency Medical Help): Call 111• Contact your local Single Point of Access (SPA) for mental health referrals and support — a centralised hub in the UK for accessing local services.• ⁠Headway⁠ – A UK charity providing resources and support for individuals affected by brain injury and their families.Limitation of LiabilityWhile every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of information shared, the host and contributors to “Wired for Hope” disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage that may arise from the use of the podcast or reliance on its content.Please see full disclaimer in the show description. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two, the conversation moves from the science of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy to its practice. Dr Henry Whitfield shares a series of powerful therapeutic exercises used during and after dosing, including a deceptively simple technique of toggling between a negative and positive self-belief that can produce rapid shifts in deeply held assumptions.Dr Rob Krause describes what low-dose trauma therapy with ketamine actually looks like in the room. They, along with Dr Mark Landreneau and Dr Jess, explore the critical importance of the integration period after dosing, the double-edged nature of neuroplasticity, and the risk of addiction.Mark offers a vivid analogy for the difference between the medical model of ketamine (numbing the wound) and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (cleaning it out). The episode closes with all three guests reflecting on what remains under-researched and what comes next, and converges on a shared conviction that group psychotherapy, with all its resonance and transformation, may be the most powerful and under-explored frontier in the field.Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you catch the second episode. And join the conversation on Instagram @drjessneuropsychWritten and hosted by Dr. Jessica BartonProduced by ⁠Anthony Zahra⁠Music Credit: ⁠SigmaMusicArt⁠DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not intended for use in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or facing a mental health emergency, please seek immediate help by contacting emergency services or a crisis line.UK Resources Include:• Emergency Services (Police/Ambulance): Call 999• Samaritans (Free, 24/7 Helpline): Call 116 123• NHS 111 (Non-Emergency Medical Help): Call 111• Contact your local Single Point of Access (SPA) for mental health referrals and support — a centralised hub in the UK for accessing local services.• ⁠Headway⁠ – A UK charity providing resources and support for individuals affected by brain injury and their families.Limitation of LiabilityWhile every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of information shared, the host and contributors to “Wired for Hope” disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage that may arise from the use of the podcast or reliance on its content.Please see full disclaimer in the show description. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Wired for Hope podcast, Dr Jess is joined by three expert guests to explore ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.It is a rapidly growing field sitting at the intersection of neuroscience, trauma therapy, and, as this conversation reveals, spirituality. Dr Rob Krause is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and psychedelic therapist based in Connecticut; Dr Mark Landreneau is a neurologist and neuro-intensivist who came to psychedelic medicine through his work with functional neurological disorders; and Dr Henry Whitfield is a trauma therapist, ACT practitioner, and psilocybin researcher at Maastricht University.Together they share the personal journeys that brought each of them to this work, including Rob's experience with LSD at a concert in his early twenties, Mark's encounter with the sacred, and Henry's discovery of ayahuasca. The conversation explores what ketamine-assisted psychotherapy actually is, how it works at different doses, why ego dissolution can be profoundly therapeutic, and what the neurobiology of ketamine tells us about trauma, depression, and the possibility of lasting change. This is part one of a two-part conversation. Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you catch the second episode. And join the conversation on Instagram @drjessneuropsychWritten and hosted by Dr. Jessica BartonProduced by ⁠Anthony Zahra⁠Music Credit: ⁠SigmaMusicArt⁠DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not intended for use in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or facing a mental health emergency, please seek immediate help by contacting emergency services or a crisis line.UK Resources Include:• Emergency Services (Police/Ambulance): Call 999• Samaritans (Free, 24/7 Helpline): Call 116 123• NHS 111 (Non-Emergency Medical Help): Call 111• Contact your local Single Point of Access (SPA) for mental health referrals and support — a centralised hub in the UK for accessing local services.• ⁠Headway⁠ – A UK charity providing resources and support for individuals affected by brain injury and their families.Limitation of LiabilityWhile every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of information shared, the host and contributors to “Wired for Hope” disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage that may arise from the use of the podcast or reliance on its content.Please see full disclaimer in the show description. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of Dr Jess’ conversation with Paul Beadon on assisted dying, Paul shares vivid and moving clinical stories from his twenty years in palliative care, including a patient who asked, with genuine surprise, whether she was "allowed" to talk about what dying would feel like.We also explore what a “good death” actually looks like in practice. The conversation turns to the role of psychologists in end-of-life multidisciplinary teams: why their absence leads to people being reduced to clusters of symptoms rather than whole human beings, and how staff in palliative care need their own processing spaces just as much as patients do. Looking to the future, Paul sets out the specific roles psychologists could and should play if assisted dying becomes law in the UK.This is part two of the conversation. To listen to part one, just search Wired for Hope wherever you get your podcasts.Note: this episode contains discussions of death, dying, and end-of-life care.This episode was recorded before the assisted dying bill was rejected by MPs iin the UK Parliament on September 11th. The issue has been debated many times over the last century. This is part one of Dr Jess and Paul's conversation. Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you catch part two. And join the conversation on Instagram @drjessneuropsychWarning: this episode contains discussions of death, dying, and end-of-life care.CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (02:48) Permission To Talk About Death(06:07) What Makes A Good Death(12:07) Supervision Peer Support Debriefs(17:12) Assisted Dying Psychologist Role(20:37) Lessons On Living And ConnectionSubscribe today to join the Wired for hope podcast community and learn with me.Written and hosted by Dr. Jessica BartonProduced by ⁠Anthony Zahra⁠Music Credit: ⁠SigmaMusicArt⁠DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not intended for use in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or facing a mental health emergency, please seek immediate help by contacting emergency services or a crisis line.UK Resources Include:• Emergency Services (Police/Ambulance): Call 999• Samaritans (Free, 24/7 Helpline): Call 116 123• NHS 111 (Non-Emergency Medical Help): Call 111• Contact your local Single Point of Access (SPA) for mental health referrals and support — a centralised hub in the UK for accessing local services.• ⁠Headway⁠ – A UK charity providing resources and support for individuals affected by brain injury and their families.Limitation of LiabilityWhile every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of information shared, the host and contributors to “Wired for Hope” disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage that may arise from the use of the podcast or reliance on its content.Please see full disclaimer in the show description. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Wired for Hope podcast, Dr Jess meets Paul Beadon, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with more than two decades of experience in palliative and end-of-life care.They discuss one of the most charged and nuanced topics in healthcare today: assisted dying. This conversation is not a debate for or against, but an attempt to have the thoughtful, clinically grounded discussion that the public discourse so often lacks. Paul describes the global and historical landscape of assisted dying legislation and explains the key points of controversy.The conversation also explores what patients most often need psychologically at the end of life, why so many clinicians inadvertently shut down conversations about death, and the concept of "pragmatic neutrality”.This episode was published on September 7th and the assisted dying bill is going to be debated in the UK Parliament on September 11th. The issue has been debated many times over the last century. This is part one of Dr Jess and Paul's conversation. Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you catch part two. And join the conversation on Instagram @drjessneuropsychWarning: this episode contains discussions of death, dying, and end-of-life care.CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction(01:10) Assisted Dying UK History(08:04) Emotions and Needs(13:43) Palliative Care Choice Gap(18:10) Pragmatic Neutrality for Psychologists(22:08) Personal Contexts and Public Views(37:16) Therapeutic ConversationsSubscribe today to join the Wired for hope podcast community and learn with me.Written and hosted by Dr. Jessica BartonProduced by ⁠Anthony Zahra⁠Music Credit: ⁠SigmaMusicArt⁠DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not intended for use in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or facing a mental health emergency, please seek immediate help by contacting emergency services or a crisis line.UK Resources Include:• Emergency Services (Police/Ambulance): Call 999• Samaritans (Free, 24/7 Helpline): Call 116 123• NHS 111 (Non-Emergency Medical Help): Call 111• Contact your local Single Point of Access (SPA) for mental health referrals and support — a centralised hub in the UK for accessing local services.• ⁠Headway⁠ – A UK charity providing resources and support for individuals affected by brain injury and their families.Limitation of LiabilityWhile every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of information shared, the host and contributors to “Wired for Hope” disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage that may arise from the use of the podcast or reliance on its content.Please see full disclaimer in the show description. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of this conversations, Dr Melinda Rees turns her attention to the future: technology, AI, and what mental health services could and should look like. She and Dr Jess explore the rise of chatbots as informal mental health support for young people, and the real concerns around alienation, stickability, and whether digital tools can genuinely touch the sides for people who need embodied care. Melinda shares what she's building at Psyomics - a platform called Be Seen, designed to slash repeat assessments and speed up access to mental health services - and explains why she believes the golden question that nobody has yet answered properly is simply: what works best for whom? The conversation also takes in NHS staff wellbeing, the billions of pounds of unused NHS estate sitting idle while clinicians are being let go, and why Melinda thinks psychologists need to stop holding hypotheses and start making bold, opinionated leadership decisions. This is part two of a two-part conversation. To listen to part one, just search for Wired for Hope wherever you get your podcasts.LINKS: PsyomicsSubscribe today to join the Wired for hope podcast community and learn with me.Written and hosted by Dr. Jessica BartonProduced by ⁠Anthony Zahra⁠Music Credit: ⁠SigmaMusicArt⁠DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not intended for use in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or facing a mental health emergency, please seek immediate help by contacting emergency services or a crisis line.UK Resources Include:• Emergency Services (Police/Ambulance): Call 999• Samaritans (Free, 24/7 Helpline): Call 116 123• NHS 111 (Non-Emergency Medical Help): Call 111• Contact your local Single Point of Access (SPA) for mental health referrals and support — a centralised hub in the UK for accessing local services.• ⁠Headway⁠ – A UK charity providing resources and support for individuals affected by brain injury and their families.Limitation of LiabilityWhile every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of information shared, the host and contributors to “Wired for Hope” disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage that may arise from the use of the podcast or reliance on its content.Please see full disclaimer in the show description. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dr Jess spends some time with Dr Melinda Rees, a consultant clinical psychologist with more than three decades of experience across clinical, leadership, and commercial roles in mental health.Melinda is now CEO of the mental health technology company Psyomics. She opens up about her own journey: from her first day as a newly qualified psychologist arriving at a struggling GP practice in East London in 2000, to the culture war that erupted within psychology services when outcomes monitoring was introduced.She reflects on the changes NHS mental health services have been through in just the last decade, and what that shift means for quality, for staff, and for patients. And Melinda reflects candidly on what she sees as the biggest misconception the public still holds about the National Health Service. This is part one of a two-part conversation. Subscribe to the Wired for Hope podcast to make sure you don’t miss the second part when it is released.LINKS: PsyomicsSubscribe today to join the Wired for hope podcast community and learn with me.Written and hosted by Dr. Jessica BartonProduced by ⁠Anthony Zahra⁠Music Credit: ⁠SigmaMusicArt⁠DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not intended for use in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or facing a mental health emergency, please seek immediate help by contacting emergency services or a crisis line.UK Resources Include:• Emergency Services (Police/Ambulance): Call 999• Samaritans (Free, 24/7 Helpline): Call 116 123• NHS 111 (Non-Emergency Medical Help): Call 111• Contact your local Single Point of Access (SPA) for mental health referrals and support — a centralised hub in the UK for accessing local services.• ⁠Headway⁠ – A UK charity providing resources and support for individuals affected by brain injury and their families.Limitation of LiabilityWhile every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of information shared, the host and contributors to “Wired for Hope” disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage that may arise from the use of the podcast or reliance on its content.Please see full disclaimer in the show description. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two, Dr Mary Delaney picks up with the neuroscience of nature, exploring how natural environments reduce activity in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, restore attentional capacity, and boost creativity.She highlights why that matters profoundly for people living with brain injuries and neurological conditions. Mary describes what a typical adapted forest bathing session looks like for Neuro in Nature's groups, including indoor and even online versions for those who can't easily get outside, and reflects on what a neurorehabilitation service designed from scratch around nature might look like. She also offers practical, accessible suggestions for anyone listening who wants to reconnect with the natural world.Links:Neuro in Nature: https://neuroinnature.co.uk/@neuroinnature on Facebook, instagram and linkedinMore info about forest bathing: https://tfb.instituteForestry England virtual forest bathing: https://www.forestryengland.uk/virtual-forest-bathingNature Connectedness Handbook: https://findingnature.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/the-nature-connection-handbook.pdfSubscribe today to join the Wired for hope podcast community and learn with me.Written and hosted by Dr. Jessica BartonProduced by ⁠Anthony Zahra⁠Music Credit: ⁠SigmaMusicArt⁠DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not intended for use in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or facing a mental health emergency, please seek immediate help by contacting emergency services or a crisis line.UK Resources Include:• Emergency Services (Police/Ambulance): Call 999• Samaritans (Free, 24/7 Helpline): Call 116 123• NHS 111 (Non-Emergency Medical Help): Call 111• Contact your local Single Point of Access (SPA) for mental health referrals and support — a centralised hub in the UK for accessing local services.• ⁠Headway⁠ – A UK charity providing resources and support for individuals affected by brain injury and their families.Limitation of LiabilityWhile every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of information shared, the host and contributors to “Wired for Hope” disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage that may arise from the use of the podcast or reliance on its content.Please see full disclaimer in the show description. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dr Jess meets Dr Mary Delaney, a consultant clinical neuropsychologist in Greater Manchester and co-founder of the social enterprise Neuro in Nature. Mary shares the story of how she and her colleague Claire McDonald came to set up the enterprise, after noticing, during the Covid lockdowns, just how differently their clients with brain injuries engaged in sessions held outside, and how much calmer and more communicative they became. The conversation explores what distinguishes intentional nature therapy and forest bathing from a simple walk in the park - and why, for people with neurological conditions, the low cognitive load of being in nature can be a profound help alongside more traditional talking therapies. Mary describes the groups she and Claire run in a woodland park, shares a touching story of a gentleman with severe aphasia who spoke more during those sessions than he had since his stroke, and introduces two of her favourite nature metaphors - the lottery of the seed and the wood wide web. We also explore the science behind nature's effects on our nervous system, immune function, and mental health. This is part one of a two-part conversation. Subscribe to make sure you don’t miss part two which will be released in a fortnight.Links:Neuro in Nature: https://neuroinnature.co.uk/@neuroinnature on Facebook, instagram and linkedinMore info about forest bathing: https://tfb.instituteForestry England virtual forest bathing: https://www.forestryengland.uk/virtual-forest-bathingNature Connectedness Handbook: https://findingnature.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/the-nature-connection-handbook.pdfSubscribe today to join the Wired for hope podcast community and learn with me.Written and hosted by Dr. Jessica BartonProduced by ⁠Anthony Zahra⁠Music Credit: ⁠SigmaMusicArt⁠DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not intended for use in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or facing a mental health emergency, please seek immediate help by contacting emergency services or a crisis line.UK Resources Include:• Emergency Services (Police/Ambulance): Call 999• Samaritans (Free, 24/7 Helpline): Call 116 123• NHS 111 (Non-Emergency Medical Help): Call 111• Contact your local Single Point of Access (SPA) for mental health referrals and support — a centralised hub in the UK for accessing local services.• ⁠Headway⁠ – A UK charity providing resources and support for individuals affected by brain injury and their families.Limitation of LiabilityWhile every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of information shared, the host and contributors to “Wired for Hope” disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage that may arise from the use of the podcast or reliance on its content.Please see full disclaimer in the show description. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two, Richard Coates picks up with the third pillar of ProSocial: contextual behavioural science and ACT, and how psychological flexibility, values, and an awareness of our threat system shape how we behave within groups. Richard and Dr Jess discuss what a ProSocial session with a struggling NHS team actually looks like, including the ACT Matrix tool, and explore the common mistakes large organisations make when trying to foster teamwork from the top down. The conversation also covers the economic case for investing in team cooperation, the importance of bottom-up values over imposed ones, and a vivid real-world example of ProSocial in action during the 2014 Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone. We end with a story about psychopathic chickens that just might change how you think about building a great team.If you missed part one of this conversation, find the Wired for Hope podcast on your preferred player to access previous episodes.Links:ProSocial World: https://www.prosocial.worldSubscribe today to join the Wired for hope podcast community and learn with me.Written and hosted by Dr. Jessica BartonProduced by ⁠Anthony Zahra⁠Music Credit: ⁠SigmaMusicArt⁠DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not intended for use in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or facing a mental health emergency, please seek immediate help by contacting emergency services or a crisis line.UK Resources Include:• Emergency Services (Police/Ambulance): Call 999• Samaritans (Free, 24/7 Helpline): Call 116 123• NHS 111 (Non-Emergency Medical Help): Call 111• Contact your local Single Point of Access (SPA) for mental health referrals and support — a centralised hub in the UK for accessing local services.• ⁠Headway⁠ – A UK charity providing resources and support for individuals affected by brain injury and their families.Limitation of LiabilityWhile every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of information shared, the host and contributors to “Wired for Hope” disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage that may arise from the use of the podcast or reliance on its content.Please see full disclaimer in the show description. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.