The Thinking Mind Podcast: Psychiatry & Psychotherapy

This is the first episode on our special mini-series on sleep. Professor Russell Foster is Professor of Circadian Neuroscience, Director of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology and the Head of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford. He is the author of the Sunday Times bestseller 'Life Time'.
In this episode, we take a whirlwind tour of how we’ve developed circadian rhythms and how they orchestrate pretty much every function in our body. We turn the focus onto sleep, of course, and speak about the impact of shift work, what is known about the sleep disruption in mental illness (chicken or egg?!) and much more. 
You can see more of Prof Foster's research at https://www.scni.ox.ac.uk/
Interviewed by Dr. Anya Borissova with Dr. Rosy Blunstone. Dr. Borissova is an academic psychiatry registrar at the South London and Maudsley Trust. Dr. Blunstone is a psychiatry and psychotherapy registrar in London. 
Check out The Thinking Mind  on Substack: https://substack.com/@thinkingmindpodcast
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. 

Give feedback here - [email protected] Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

This is an excerpt from: E170 | The Unexpected Joy of Sobriety (w/ Catherine Gray)

Catherine Gray is the best selling author of The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober (2017). In addition to her books she has also been published in The Guardian, Stylist, The Telegraph, Grazia and The Lancet Psychiatrist. Her most recent book Little Addictions (2026) is out now.

Today we discuss her journey to sobriety, the hidden role alcohol can play in mental health, and why giving it up can lead to a richer, more joyful life. We also explore the psychology of addiction, behaviour change, how one can strengthen their long-term thinking, why uncertain rewards are so addictive, the unexpected downside of gossiping and much more.

Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training. Website: alexcurmitherapy.com

Check out The Thinking Mind  on Substack: https://substack.com/@thinkingmindpodcast

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 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 @thinkingmindpodcast

Looksmaxxing is an online subculture that has moved from niche online forums into mainstream conversation, but what does it actually mean, and when does looksmaxxing become concerning, if not disturbing? 
In this episode, Alex is joined again by psychiatry and psychotherapy registrar Dr Rosy Blunstone to explore the world of looksmaxxing: from grooming, fitness and “softmaxxing” to more extreme practices such as bone smashing, steroid use, cosmetic surgery and dangerous medication misuse.
They discuss why looksmaxxing appears to resonate especially with young men, how dating apps and image-based social media may be shaping anxiety around attraction, and the links between looksmaxxing, rejection, loneliness, OCD, body dysmorphic disorder and incel culture.
Together, they ask what a healthier attitude toward appearance might look like, and why confidence, resilience, social connection and learning to tolerate rejection may matter far more than chasing physical perfection.
Watched the Channel 4 doc about Looksmaxxing here: https://youtu.be/KdfKZpsNMvE?si=VWYuNugKxZVWgZsS
Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training. Website: alexcurmitherapy.com
Check out The Thinking Mind Blog on Substack: https://thinkingmindblog.substack.com/
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.
Give feedback here - [email protected] Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

Today Alex and special guest Tom Shkolnik discuss the 1976 film Network directed by Sidney Lumet, written by Paddy Chayefsky and starring Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, William Holden and Faye Dunaway.  
In this episode we discuss Lumet's film-making style, how Network predicted the future, the evolution of the media landscape, the impact of systems and media on how we think and behave, technology addiction, cultural stagnation and much more. 
Tom is the director of the 2012 British drama The Comedian nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2012 London film festival. He is the director of an upcoming film based on the book A Life of One's Own by psychoanalyst Marion Milner. 
Here is the link to the crowdfunding campaign for Tom's upcoming film A Life of Own's Own about psychoanalyst Marion Milner:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/qr/BWdq6L4n?utm_campaign=sharemodal&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=shortlink
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-186445029
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.
Give feedback here - [email protected] Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast

Emmy van Deurzen, one of the leading figures in existential therapy in the UK and internationally. Emmy has over fifty years’ experience as a psychotherapist, has published more than thirty books, and was the first chair of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy when it was created in 1993.
Her new book, Beginning to Live: The Art of Existential Freedom, is a guide to existential therapy. Not so much a self-help book, but, as Emmy puts it, a compass for navigating life’s difficulties. In it, she explores how we can face the fundamental questions of existence: uncertainty, meaning, freedom, mortality, and our relationships with others.
In this conversation, we discuss existential therapy, what it means to be truly free, how to face life’s difficulties without turning away from them, and how we might begin to live more courageously.
Emmy's new book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beginning-Live-Art-Existential-Freedom
Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi. Dr. Alex is a consultant psychiatrist and a UKCP registered psychotherapist in-training. Website: alexcurmitherapy.com
Check out The Thinking Mind  on Substack: https://substack.com/@thinkingmindpodcast
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.

Give feedback here - [email protected] Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcast