In this episode of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Podcast, host Dr Daniela Borges, a general adult psychiatry registrar and secretary of the Psychiatric Trainees Committee (PTC), delves into the theme of the national trainees conference: "Next Generation in Psychiatry." With insights from key figures like the Dean of RCPysch, Professor Subodh D…

In this bumper episode to mark International Women's Day, our Presidential Leads for Women and Mental Health Dr Philippa Greenfield and Dr Catherine Durkin host a conversation with Dr Amrit Sachar, Joint Presidential Lead for Equity and Equality, and Louise Howard, Professor of Women's Mental Health at Kings College London. The conversation looks o…

Curious about what it takes to contribute to the College's vibrant community? This episode is a must-listen! Join us and Dr. Daniela Borges, a dedicated Psychiatric Trainees' Committee (PTC) Rep, as she shares the motivations behind her College role, keeping the balance between professional and College commitments, and encouraging you to contemplat…

Krystal’s therapist would prefer she not use marijuana before a session even though she thinks it would be helpful to loosen her "emotional logjam". Michael (17:02) questions his decision to be a therapist and whether he is actually helping anyone. We discuss possible burnout and steps Michael could consider before making any major career changes. …

On this episode Tess’s psychiatrist revealed a shared diagnosis in their final session, making Tess wonder if withholding information is necessary. Lilith's therapist (16:50) visited her at work, leaving her feeling confused, especially since she would like the relationship to be closer. If you have questions or feedback please send a message (voic…

On this episode a listener’s therapist hid behind a magazine after they saw each other in public. Yazmin (12:31) wonders if therapy could be helpful for the grief she’s experiencing a year after her husband died. The resource about prolonged grief at Columbia University can be found here. A listener (21:20) gave a thank you card to their therapist …

On this episode Yolanda has a question about the moments before and after a therapy session. Lindsay specifically wonders about her preference for the relationship she has with her therapist at this periphery of the therapeutic encounter Jim (18:14) worries that he may be too smart for therapy to work. Marion (25:49) wants to know if it would be we…

In honour of Black History Month, the Royal College of Psychiatrists proudly presents a special episode dedicated to celebrating the extraordinary contributions of black female psychiatrists, and delves deep into the vital issues of racism and equity within the field of psychiatry. Hosted by Dr. Uju Ugochukwu, she is joined Dr. Itai Matumbike and D…

On this episode Amalia is annoyed that her therapist asks for lots of feedback at the end of each session. Kim (12:30) wants to address the "elephant in the room" after her therapist cut off all communication between sessions without an explanation. If you have questions or feedback please send a message (voicemail or email) on our website You can …

On this episode to commemorate World Mental Health Day, Professor Mohammed Al-Uzri, one of the College's Presidential Leads, takes us on a deep dive into his work on the Global Mental Health Strategy.Av RCPsych

The College is celebrating Black History Month by exploring the relationship between Mental Health and the Arts. We've teamed up with author, poet, editor of BJPsych Muses, and psychiatrist, Dr. Dami Ajayi to create a series of content exploring the theme.For this podcast, we're delighted to introduce you to Oluwatunmise Oladapo Kuku, podcaster, li…

On this episode a listener’s therapist has started rubbing her back when she’s upset and she wonders if this is normal. Then we return to questions about vacation: A listener (9:03) is upset by their therapist’s upcoming vacation and is thinking of not going back to the office; Beth’s therapist (16:08) just got back from vacation and they’re having…

Alice and her husband see the same therapist individually and as a couple. The therapist told Alice’s husband they should get a divorce. At (12:43) a 17 year-old listener feels like there are things he can’t talk to his therapist about after she disclosed her religious identity. If you have questions or feedback please send a message (voicemail or …

Larissa was nervous during her first online therapy session with Betterhelp and wants some tips on how to be prepared for the next session. She was told the first session "is where the magic begins". An anonymous listener (16:57) has a history of stalking their therapist and has the desire to repeat those behaviors with a new therapist. They feel a…

In this podcast to celebrate Pride 2023 we speak to Dr Chris Walsh, Chair of the College's Psychiatric Trainees Committee to discuss his journey from Liverpool to Psychiatry, his creative background, and his advice to LGBTQ+ folks looking to choose psychiatry as a career.Note this is an updated version of the podcast which was reuploaded to correct…

Danny has mixed emotions about Father's Day. He’s trying to balance his needs with the demands of parenting and wants to hear more about fatherhood. He’s also curious if being psychiatrists changes our views on parenting. Michelle (34:30) is a newly minted therapist and has questions about the role of transference and countertransference in our ses…

Therese’s feelings have been hurt by her therapist but she feels invalidated each time she brings it up. Candice (15:51) feels ashamed of being in therapy and wants to be more comfortable with the idea of talking to others about it. Lila (30:40) wonders about Oprah’s advice to be your own best friend. David guesses these sentiments come out of the …

During Mental Health Awareness Week the College is raising awareness of the challenges people with serious mental illnesses, or SMIs, face, Rehabilitation psychiatry plays a crucial role in helping individuals with serious mental illnesses to achieve their full potential and lead fulfilling lives. In this podcast we hear from Dr Katie Fergus, an ex…

We have 3 listener questions. In the first question Keith wants to know how therapists determine whether a session is good or bad. Then Ellen (11:35) tries to make sense of her reaction after her therapist names something in her past as abuse. Finally, Jane (17:42) was frozen at the end of her last therapy session and wonders if it’s worth going ba…

In the first question a listener wonders why her therapist is talking about her in supervision. She's curious about what supervision is and how therapists make use of it. In the second question (23:47) a listener is concerned that she feels jealous about the client her therapist is seeing before her. Abby expresses outrage on the listener's behalf …

In the first question a listener feels slighted by her therapist's cancellation policy. We start by discussing these policies more generally. It's a little dry but the discussion gets better by 12:25 when we talk about our listener's specific situation. In the second question (17:50), someone's therapist has suggested increasing the frequency of th…

In the first question, a listener gets really nervous around her therapist and wonders if it’s even worth it. Our second question (at the 16:40 minute mark) is from someone who wonders why her therapist isn’t talking about the diagnosis on her invoice. We take a few tangents including: the perils of overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis; the limitations…

The theme for International Women's Day 2023 is 'Embrace Equity'. We conducted a 2 part podcast with Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones OBE and Dr Trudi Seneviratne OBE on the importance of equity for women in the mental health space.Av RCPsych

In the first question a listener is struggling with her boyfriend's need to crowdsource information before making any decisions--from sharing personal details of their relationship with his family to checking Reddit to find the best pasta sauce. We start by discussing the lack of boundaries in the family. At 09:45 we start offering some advice on h…

This episode is all about interpretations. We have questions from both sides of the therapy room. The first question comes from a listener who is a therapist. She wonders how to recover from the sting when an interpretation she makes doesn’t land well. The second question (18 minute mark) is from someone in therapy with a similar problem: how does …

A listener finds security in her therapist's office and wonders about the thought that goes into the decor of an office. Our second question (starting at the 16 minute mark) comes from someone longing for her therapist and is curious where this comes from and why she monitors his physical appearance and body language so closely. Finally (at minute …

Our listener in part 1 is worried because his therapist doesn't think he's trying hard enough to get better and he's afraid his treatment will end as a result. In part 2 (around 19 minutes) a listener says the antidepressant drug he is taking has helped but he struggles with accepting this newfound state as himself--that he's "under the influence."…

To celebrate our first birthday, listeners ask us about the show. Among other things, we discuss our motivation for doing a podcast, what we've learned, and the experience of having patients listen to the show. It's self-indulgent; it's filled with neuroticism. It's like having family over for the holidays. So come and celebrate with us. There's al…

In this podcast we hear from three trainees, who each talk about one way the College encourages and supports flexibility in psychiatry training. We also go into how we'll be making training even more flexible over the next five years.It was hosted by Dr Declan Hyland, our Associate Dean for Choose Psychiatry (Careers), and we heard from Dr Rachel K…

In this episode we have a listener who has a question about terminating a long-term therapy. They ask, "How do you know when you're done?" We then discuss the new Jonah Hill documentary _ Stutts _ in which Jonah profiles his psychiatrist and his approach to psychotherapy. (The Stutz discussion starts at 25:58). If you have questions or feedback ple…

What can we learn about therapy from the FX original show _The Patient_ (streaming on Hulu)? We talk about internalizing your therapist, feeling held hostage (figuratively) by a patient and taking care of people where it may be hard to mobilize empathy. We discuss some of the therapeutic interventions in the show and try to keep our quibbling about…

Our first question is from a listener who would like a hug from his therapist. Our second question comes from someone dealing with sibling conflict and a dying parent. Please submit your questions (voicemail or email message) at our website: https://www.callthepsychiatrists.com You can also interact with us on Facebook or Instagram @callthepsychiat…

In this episode a listener has a question about cheating on his therapist; our second question comes from someone who is getting tired of virtual appointments and would like to get back in the office to see her therapist in person. We discuss our experience with the pros and cons of online therapy and speculate what may be going on for our listener…

In this podcast, Dr Peter Carpenter is interviewing Dr Angela Rouncefield (a Founder Member of the College) on her involvement in the events leading to the creation of the RCPsych in the 1970s, her experiences as a trainee and new consultant at St Lawrence’s Lunatic Asylum in Bodmin, and the creation of the South West Division.…

In this episode a listener asks how to support a friend with sudden onset paranoid delusions. We discuss possible diagnoses like brief psychotic disorder and review a few different types of interventions. Please submit your questions (voicemail or email message) at our website: https://www.callthepsychiatrists.com You can also interact with us on F…

In this episode we answer 2 questions. The first listener has a question about perfectionism. Among other things, we discuss the connection between perfectionism and procrastination. Our second listener wants to know how to build trust with her therapist. We close by revisiting some previous comments about parental transference (projecting the role…

We answer 2 questions in this episode. The first listener wants to know how we choose between psychotherapy and medications in the treatment of anxiety and depression. Tangents include a recent sensationalized article about the serotonin hypothesis of depression. The second listener became angry at her therapist and worries her therapist will end t…

We have 2 listener questions. Our first listener sees the same therapist as her friend and is feeling jealous about their relationship. We explore the different sides of this triangle. The second listener has questions about the way her therapist schedules people, finding it unsettling to step into the emotional muck left by the previous person. Sh…

We answer 2 listener questions: The spouse of our first listener is insisting that they get couple's therapy and that he see an individual therapist. Our second listener feels conflicted about their therapist taking an extended vacation. Please submit your question (audio or email message) at our website: https://www.callthepsychiatrists.com You ca…

We answer 3 unrelated listener questions: what's meant by "trust the process"; how do you feel about humor in therapy; and a question about emotional growth. We would love to get your questions or feedback. Please send us an audio message or an email at our website. We're also online at Facebook and Instagram @callthepsychiatrists _____________ The…

in this podcast to celebrate Pride 2022, Head of Digital at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Peter Markham, interviews Jesse, a partnerships manager and recovery worker from The Outside Project, as well as Dr Jenny Drife, adviser to the College on homelessness.Av RCPsych

We answer 2 listener questions. The first listener has questions about the recent, unexpected death of their therapist. We're honored to share this moving story about the importance of a therapeutic relationship. The second listener wants to know what their therapist is scribbling in his notes. We talk about different types of notes and their purpo…

In the sixth and final episode of the series, Dr Shevonne Matheiken is joined by Professor Femi Oyebode and Dr Shubulade Smith to discuss their lived experiences as doctors of ethnic minorities living and working in the UK. They discuss white privilege, dealing with micro aggressions, barriers to raising issues and the role of allies in nurturing a…

We answer a listener's question about regression in therapy. We discuss adult tantrums, man flu and hanger among other things. We read a lot into the question and hopefully answer it by the end. Please send us your questions for a future show. You can submit them by email or voicemail at our website. We can also keep up on Instagram or Facebook (@c…

As part of our celebration of Mental Health Awareness Week, Dr Mani Krishnan, spoke to us about the effects of loneliness, and the impact it had on the vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.Av RCPsych

We have 2 listener questions this episode. The first listener asks how to address ruptures in a therapeutic relationship and notices they often agitate their therapist. The second listener wonders how therapists avoid becoming emotionally invested. Podcast recommended in this episode: Ask the Therapist with Sarah Rees Please send us your questions …

We answer a listener’s question about the use of psychedelic drugs in psychiatry. Mystical Experience Questionnaire (this links to a validation study; look in the appendices for the checklist) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5203697/ Albert Hoffman’s Book mentioned in the episode LSD My Problem Child: Reflections on Sacred Drugs, Mysti…

We answer 2 listener questions: An expectant father wants to know if he qualifies for therapy. The second listener wants to know if being a psychiatrist makes for awkward social interactions. Submit your question for an episode at our website: www.callthepsychiatrists.com Follow the show online at: https://www.facebook.com/callthepsychiatrists/http…

A listener wants to know if it's possible to stay in therapy for too long or if therapy can make you worse. Submit your question for an episode at our website: www.callthepsychiatrists.com Follow the show online at: https://www.facebook.com/callthepsychiatrists/ https://www.instagram.com/callthepsychiatrists/…

The wonderful Dr Katherine Kennet joins us for International Women's Day to discuss the climate crisis and the direct and negative effect this has on women and girls, especially those living in the Global South. Katherine talks on both the economic and mental health aspects of climate change and of course, what we can do in our own lives to aid the…