The Weekend University

In this episode, Niall speaks with Professor Marc Lewis and Cece Sykes about addiction, Internal Family Systems therapy, and the neuroscience of behavioural change.

Professor Lewis is a neuroscientist and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, specialising in developmental psychology and addiction. He is the author of “Memoirs of an Addicted Brain” and “The Biology of Desire”.

Cece is a clinical psychologist with over four decades of experience supporting trauma survivors and people with addiction. She is the author of “Internal Family Systems Therapy for Addictions”.

In this discussion, they explore:

— Why addiction is best seen as an adaptive response to emotional difficulty rather than a disease

— How the polarization between critical and escape-seeking parts maintains addictive patterns

— The neuroscience behind why parts emerge in specific moments and contexts

— Why bringing compassion, rather than judgment, to addictive behaviours creates the conditions for change

— How Internal Family Systems therapy helps people access their capacity for self-regulation

And more.

You can learn more about Professor Lewis at https://memoirsofanaddictedbrain.com and Cece at https://www.cecesykeslcsw.com.

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Prof Marc Lewis, PhD is a neuroscientist, professor, bestselling author, and one of the world’s leading experts on the neuroscience of addiction. In his academic work, he has authored or co-authored more than fifty journal articles, and for many years was a professor of developmental psychology at the University of Toronto and then Radboud University (Netherlands) before retiring.

For the last decade, he has focused on making his work more accessible to a wider audience through books for lay readers, pop science articles, public talks, and interviews. He is the author of two bestselling books on addiction: “Memoirs of an Addicted Brain” and “The Biology of Desire”, a book which Dr Gabor Mate argues “effectively refutes the disease model of addiction.” He is currently practicing psychotherapy as a clinical psychologist in Toronto, working with clients with addictive problems and other difficulties.

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Cece Sykes, LCSW, ACSW; IFS Senior Trainer, US and international. Contributed to Levels 1 and 2 IFS training manuals and teaches L1 as well as L2 Trauma and Addiction. Cece has over thirty years of clinical experience working with individuals, couples and families, specializing in work with the effects of trauma and addiction. Her chapter on compassionate approaches to addictive process appears in IFS: Innovations and Elaborations, 2016, Routledge. Cece also has special interests in spiritual practices intersecting with therapy and in the impact of psychotherapy upon the life of the therapist and she lectures, consults and leads workshops on all of these topics. Cece lives and works in the city of Chicago.

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Interview Links:

Interview Links:

— Professor Lewis’ website: https://memoirsofanaddictedbrain.com

— Professor Lewis’ books: https://amzn.to/4rIga10

— Cece’s website: https://www.cecesykeslcsw.com

— Cece’s book: https://amzn.to/4btvzfm

In this episode, Niall speaks with Caroline Myss, a five-time New York Times bestselling author and internationally recognised teacher in human consciousness and medical intuition.

Caroline has spent decades exploring the relationship between biography, consciousness, and the patterns that shape human experience. Her work brings together mystical theology, archetypal psychology, and the question of how intention and choice influence health and personal transformation.

In this conversation, they explore:

— Why human development may move from the love of power to the power of love

— How the symbolic realm shapes physical reality

— The role of archetypes as impersonal patterns that organise human consciousness

— Why intention, rather than action, determines the consequence of our choices

— How guidance from the non-physical realm operates in moments of genuine need

And more.

You can learn more about Caroline’s work and courses at https://myss.com.

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Caroline Myss is a five-time New York Times bestselling author and internationally renowned speaker in the fields of human consciousness, spirituality and mysticism, health, energy medicine, and the science of medical intuition. Caroline established her own educational institute in 2003, CMED (Caroline Myss Education), which offers a diverse array of programs devoted to personal development and draws students from all over the world.

Caroline then pursued her interest in the language of symbols, myths, and archetypes, conducting research that enabled her to profile an individual’s “Sacred Contract,” a complex of 12 archetypal patterns that reflect in mythic language the agreements the soul made prior to birth. Based on this work, Caroline released “Sacred Contracts”, which became her third New York Times bestseller.

Caroline followed with two more New York Times bestsellers, “Invisible Acts of Power” in 2004 and “Entering the Castle” in 2007. Caroline’s interest in mysticism and the nature of mystical consciousness only deepened following the writing of Entering the Castle. She pursued her interest in the nature of grace, the consciousness of the soul and the mystical phenomenon of healing that transcends reason in “Defy Gravity”, released in October 2009. In 2020, Caroline released a book on prayer, including 100 of her personal prayers, “Intimate Conversations with the Divine”.

In addition to her written work, Caroline has produced more than one hundred audio/visual products on subjects that include healing, spirituality, personal development, and the study of archetypes.

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Interview Links:

— Caroline’s website: https://myss.com

— Caroline’s books: https://amzn.to/4rZIa0X

— Caroline’s online courses: https://myss.com/online-courses

— Caroline’s live workshops: https://myss.com/in-depth-experiences

In this episode, Niall speaks with Dr. Kevin Tracey, a neurosurgeon, inventor, researcher, and author of “The Great Nerve”, who leads the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research.

Dr. Tracey's research has shown how the vagus nerve connects the brain and immune system, controlling inflammation in the body. His work has led to FDA-approved treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and may help with depression, PTSD, and other inflammatory conditions.

In this conversation, they explore:

— How the vagus nerve acts as a biological “brake” for inflammation

— The potential of bioelectronic medicine to treat inflammatory diseases without immunosuppression

— The story of Kelly Owens, whose life was transformed by vagus nerve stimulation

— Why inflammation may underlie many modern diseases

— The future of precision medicine using targeted nerve stimulation

And more.

You can learn more about Dr. Tracey's work through his book “The Great Nerve”, or at X at x.com/KevinJTraceyMD.

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Kevin J. Tracey is president and CEO of, and the Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research; professor of Molecular Medicine and Neurosurgery at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell; and Executive Vice President, Research, at Northwell Health. A leader in the scientific fields of inflammation and bioelectronic medicine, his contributions include discovery and molecular mapping of neural circuits controlling immunity.

Dr. Tracey received his BS in chemistry, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Boston College in 1979, and his MD from Boston University in 1983. He trained in neurosurgery from 1983 to 1992 at the New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center and was a guest investigator at the Rockefeller University before moving in 1992 to the Feinstein Institutes. There he directs the Laboratory of Biomedical Science and was appointed president and CEO in 2005.

An inventor of more than 120 United States patents and author of more than 400 scientific publications, he cofounded the Global Sepsis Alliance, a non-profit organization supporting the efforts of more than 1 million sepsis caregivers in over 70 countries. Dr. Tracey is the author of Fatal Sequence (Dana Press) and delivers lectures nationally and internationally on inflammation, sepsis, the neuroscience of immunity, and bioelectronic medicine.

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Interview Link:

— Dr. Tracey’s X: http://x.com/KevinJTraceyMD

In this episode, Niall speaks with Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, a cognitive scientist, humanistic psychologist, and author of “Rise Above”.

Scott has spent his career redefining human potential and helping people overcome limiting beliefs. Despite being placed in special education as a child due to an auditory learning disability, he earned his PhD and is now one of the most cited psychologists in the world.

In this conversation, they explore:

— The difference between being a victim and having a victim mindset

— Why vulnerable narcissism can block self-actualisation

— How the stories we tell ourselves shape our potential

— The value of shifting from “why” questions to “what” questions

— Scott’s approach to self-actualisation coaching and connecting to your core self

And more.

You can learn more about Scott’s work at https://scottbarrykaufman.com.

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Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman is a psychologist, coach, professor, keynote speaker, and best-selling author who is passionate about helping all kinds of minds live a creative, fulfilling, and self-actualized life. His early educational experiences made him realize the deep reservoir of untapped potential of students, including bright and creative children who have been diagnosed with a learning disability. Dr. Kaufman is among the top 1% most cited scientists in the world for his research on intelligence and creativity.

Dr. Kaufman is a professor of psychology at Columbia University and director of the Center for Human Potential. He hosts The Psychology Podcast which has received over 30 million downloads and is widely considered among the top psychology podcasts in the world. He is also a regular keynote speaker. If you’d like him to speak at one of your events, you can make a request here.

Dr. Kaufman’s writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Scientific American, Psychology Today, and Harvard Business Review, and he is the author and editor of 11 books. In his most recent book Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential, his explores the limiting beliefs and widespread anxiety that puts us in boxes, lowers our expectations, and holds us back in our lives.

In addition to teaching at Columbia, Dr. Kaufman has also been a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and NYU. Dr. Kaufman received a B.S. in psychology and human computer interaction from Carnegie Mellon, an M. Phil in experimental psychology from the University of Cambridge under a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, and a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Yale University (see his dissertation Beyond General Intelligence: The Dual-Process Theory of Human Intelligence). He is founder of Self-Actualization Coaching, receiving his formal coaching training from Positive Acorn. He is also an Honorary Principal Fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Wellbeing Science.

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Interview Links:

— Dr. Kaufman's website: https://scottbarrykaufman.com/

— Dr. Kaufman's book: https://amzn.to/4rvXC4C

In this episode, Niall speaks with Yannick Jacob, an existential coach, philosopher, and educator with over 15 years of coaching experience.

Yannick helps people explore the deeper philosophical questions behind everyday life. His approach blends existential philosophy with practical coaching to develop what he calls “existential resilience.”

In this conversation, they explore:

— How big existential questions are always at work beneath the surface of our lives

— How building “existential resilience” helps us face life’s inevitable challenges

— Why avoiding depth and complexity may feel comfortable but leaves us unprepared

— The value of coaching as a space to courageously face yourself

— How presence is something AI can never truly replicate in coaching relationships

And more.

You can learn more about Yannick’s work at https://www.coachingandmediation.net
or explore his resources for coaches at https://rocketsupervision.com.

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Yannick Jacob is an existential life and leadership coach, coach-trainer & supervisor, positive psychologist, and mediator whose work combines existential philosophy, positive psychology, and leadership development. He has led academic programs (including being Programme Leader of the MSc Coaching Psychology at University of East London), designs and trains ICF-accredited courses and supervises coaches globally. His focus is on helping individuals re-think what success, happiness, and purpose look like, through coaching, supervision, and philosophical reflection. You can learn more at https://www.coachingandmediation.net.

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Interview Links:

— Yannick’s website: https://www.coachingandmediation.net

— Resources for coaches at https://rocketsupervision.com.