The Thinking Mind Podcast: Psychiatry & Psychotherapy

Sean Ruane is the founder and CEO of Mind Data. A lifelong entrepreneur, Sean's goal is to combine his business accumen with his own experiences of mental health difficulties to form a company than can help practitioners deliver high quality mental healthcare. Disclaimer: The Thinking Mind does not have any financial affiliation with Mind Data.Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training.Check out The Thinking Mind Blog on Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-174371597If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email [email protected] with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line.Alex is not currently taking on new psychotherapy clients, if you are interested in working with Alex for focused behaviour change coaching , you can email - [email protected] with "Coaching" in the subject line.Give feedback here - [email protected] Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastGive feedback here - [email protected] Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

This week Alex presents his conversation on the Examined Life podcast with Kenneth Primrose. Alex discusses the more troubling aspects of modern life, and how we might prepare for an uncertain future. The question which formed the spine of our conversation was ‘ In a world where technology has been quite disruptive psychologically for a lot of people, how do we prepare for an increasingly technological future?This conversation examines how modern technology reshapes attention, confidence, morality and meaning, and Alex offers practical tips for staying human as machines grow more capable. Among the topics explored you will find:• Tech-driven overstimulation dulling joy and focus• Confidence built through voluntary discomfort• Psychiatry and psychotherapy as complementary lenses• Intolerance of uncertainty and stoic control• Integrity, congruence and moral habits • Social skills as a proactive practice• AI as tool versus thinking crutch• Career durability through uncommon skill combinations• Financial resilience vs consumerist drift• Community as the container for lasting changeYou can check out The Examined Life on Apple, Spotify and every major podcast platform:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-examined-life/id1680728280https://open.spotify.com/show/1QaEmvYjKVmMg3LZVpq0qS?trackId=1rJaiv1oQkEL0DdBoKarPADr. Alex Curmi is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training.If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email [email protected] with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line.Alex is not currently taking on new psychotherapy clients, if you are interested in working with Alex for focused behaviour change coaching , you can email - [email protected] with "Coaching" in the subject line.Check out The Thinking Mind Blog on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/thinkingmindblog/p/thinking-mind-blog-big-thoughts-edition?r=1cn09u&utm_medium=iosGive feedback here - [email protected] Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

This week Alex returns to the Lively Minds Podcast to chat to hosts Will and Ellie. They discuss what it means to take a patient-centred approach, and the differences between seeing clients as a psychiatrist, therapist or coach. He elaborates on his diverse experiences across various mental health settings and the importance of recognising biological, psychological, and social inputs in mental health. He also touches on the challenges and methodologies involved in acute and planned mental health interventions, patient-centred care, and challenges of working within a limited mental health system. The conversation highlights the need for a holistic, collaborative, and anti-tribalistic approach in mental health practice.You can check out Lively Minds on Apple, Spotify and every major podcast platform:https://open.spotify.com/episode/021FbsjSIfH2ZvXPm5bNfA?si=TKA7Lzr1TSCRZrgUZRQ6jAhttps://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/lively-minds-the-uk-mental-health-podcast/id1670147948Dr. Alex Curmi is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training.If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email [email protected] with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line.Alex is not currently taking on new psychotherapy clients, if you are interested in working with Alex for focused behaviour change coaching , you can email - [email protected] with "Coaching" in the subject line.Check out The Thinking Mind Blog on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/thinkingmindblog/p/thinking-mind-blog-big-thoughts-edition?r=1cn09u&utm_medium=iosGive feedback here - [email protected] Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

Today Alex discusses David Lynch's 2001 classic Mulholland Drive with David Shariatmadari. David is a writer and editor at the Guardian and is the author of Don't Believe A Word: The Surprising Truth About Language.Including themes such as splitting, repression, the shadow, and the effects of guilt and moral injury - this film remains a beautiful, dark and enigmatic look at human psychology. Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training.If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email [email protected] with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line.Alex is not currently taking on new psychotherapy clients, if you are interested in working with Alex for focused behaviour change coaching , you can email - [email protected] with "Coaching" in the subject line.Check out The Thinking Mind Blog on Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-174371597Episode produced by Ellis Ballard and Alex Curmi. Give feedback here - [email protected] Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

Sophie McBain is an award-winning freelance writer based in Boston. She writes longform narrative nonfiction, profiles, book reviews and essays for the Guardian, the Observer, the Times, New Statesman magazine and others.Today she discusses her recent Guardian article: Are We Living in a Golden Age of Stupidity? - about the potential cognitive affects of AI overuse. Link to article: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/18/are-we-living-in-a-golden-age-of-stupidity-technologyInterviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training.If you would like to invite Alex to speak at your organisation please email [email protected] with "Speaking Enquiry" in the subject line.Alex is not currently taking on new psychotherapy clients, if you are interested in working with Alex for focused behaviour change coaching , you can email - [email protected] with "Coaching" in the subject line.Check out The Thinking Mind Blog on Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-174371597Episode produced by Ellis Ballard and Alex Curmi. Give feedback here - [email protected] Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast