Share

cover art for HEALING 101: Challenging the Medical Model of Mental Health with Sami Timimi (Part 1)

Hurt to Healing

HEALING 101: Challenging the Medical Model of Mental Health with Sami Timimi (Part 1)

•

Welcome to Healing 101, and today, we're bringing you Part 1 of a two-part conversation with the extraordinary Dr. Sami Timimi—psychiatrist, author, and a powerful voice challenging mainstream ideas around mental health.


In this first half, we explore fundamental questions: What is mental health, and just as importantly, what isn’t it? Sami shares his perspective on the subjectivity of psychiatric diagnoses, the dangers of over-medicalisation, and the false binary between mental health and mental illness.


We also discuss the cultural and commercial forces shaping our definitions of distress, and how the concept of ‘normal’ might be more harmful than helpful.

Get ready to question everything you thought you knew about diagnosis, disorder, and what it means to suffer.


I highly recommend you try Bettervits for yourself, head on over to bettervits.co.uk and get 15% off your 1st order with my code PANDORA15.


If you’re struggling, consider therapy with our paid partner. Visit https://betterhelp.com/hurttohealing for a discount on your first month of therapy..


Find Sami Timimi:

Website & Resources: https://www.samitimimi.co.uk/

Read Searching for Normal: https://amzn.eu/d/fAhMxgH


Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

Instagram: instagram.com/hurttohealingpod

TikTok: tiktok.com/@hurttohealingpod

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hurt-to-healing

Substack: substack.com/@hurttohealing

Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

Instagram: instagram.com/hurttohealingpod

TikTok: tiktok.com/@hurttohealingpod

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hurt-to-healing

Substack: substack.com/@hurttohealing

Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

More episodes

View all episodes

  • Healing 101: Why We’re Getting Youth Mental Health Wrong with Will Dobud

    33:45|
    In this episode, I’m joined by Will Dobud, therapist, researcher, and author of Kids These Days, to explore why so many young people are struggling - and why more intervention doesn’t always mean better outcomes. We talk about his outdoor, solution-focused approach, the unintended harm of over-diagnosis and over-medicalisation, and why engagement, connection and doing more of what already works often matter more than labels or techniques. This conversation is grounding, challenging, and surprisingly hopeful with takeaways that apply just as much to adults as they do to kids.Read Kids These Days: https://www.kidsthesedaysbook.com/

  • The Hidden Struggle of High-Functioning Anxiety with Dr Lalitaa Suglani

    47:48|
    Today we’re talking about something that so many people silently live with: high-functioning anxiety - that feeling of looking like you’ve got it all together on the outside, while inside you’re paddling furiously just to keep afloat. I’m joined by Dr Lalitaa Suglani, psychologist and author, and we unpack why “high functioning” isn’t the same as “fine” - and how perfectionism, people-pleasing and constant doing can be a way of keeping ourselves safe, even when it’s slowly burning us out.In this conversation, Lalitaa shares the signs to look out for, how high-functioning anxiety differs from generalised anxiety, OCD and even overlaps with sensitivity and ADHD, and why so much of it comes back to self-worth, shame, and nervous system regulation. We also get into rejection sensitivity, attachment styles, and what healing actually looks like - not a sudden switch-off, but learning to come back to yourself with intention, boundaries, and self-trust.Find Lalitaa:Website: https://drlalitaa.com/Instagram: @dr.lalitaaOrder Her Book: https://drlalitaa.com/lalitaa/highfunctioninganxiety

  • HEALING 101: The Reality of Workplace Burnout and Rebuilding Wellbeing with Jamie White

    28:59|
    In today’s HEALING 101 episode, I’m joined by Jamie White, a life coach and business mentor who works closely with entrepreneurs navigating stress, burnout, and the hidden emotional costs of success.Jamie shares his own journey from early entrepreneurial success into severe burnout, and how chasing achievement to fill an internal void eventually caught up with him. We talk about why business and personal wellbeing are inseparable, the loneliness so many founders experience, and how slowing down, taking responsibility, and rebuilding self-worth from the inside out can radically change both life and work.Find Jamie:Instagram: @jamiewhiteWebsite: https://jamiewhite.com/

  • When Burnout Breaks You: Jan Gerber on Depression and Rebuilding Yourself

    41:41|
    In today’s episode, I’m joined by Jan Gerber, founder of Paracelsus Recovery in Zurich, for a deeply honest conversation about burnout, depression, and what those experiences can really feel like when they hit, often suddenly and without warning.Jan shares his own recent journey through depression, how it showed up for him, and what helped him begin to recover. We also explore Paracelsus Recovery’s highly personalised approach to mental health, why there’s rarely a single “fix,” and how healing is often more like building a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle - slowly, patiently, and differently for everyone.Find Jan:Website: https://jangerber.com/Instagram: @gerber_jan

  • HEALING 101: Caring for Your Mind Before Breaking Point with Julia Bradbury

    19:52|
    In today’s Healing 101 episode, I’m joined by Julia Bradbury for a deeply grounding conversation about what mental wellbeing really means - beyond diagnoses, labels, or the absence of anxiety and depression.We talk about balance, self-awareness, and why understanding your triggers, values and support network is just as important as managing symptoms. Julia shares powerful reflections on connection, nature, preventative health, and the mind–body link, alongside gentle, realistic ways to care for your mental and emotional health before you reach breaking point. This episode is calm, compassionate, and a reminder that wellbeing isn’t about perfection - it’s about learning how to look after yourself, consistently and kindly.Find Julia:Instagram: @juliabradburyWebsite: https://juliabradbury.com/Hack Yourself Healthy Book: https://amzn.eu/d/3yZMlBo

  • What Does It Really Mean to Feel Loved? with Harry Reis

    40:41|
    For this special Valentine’s Day episode of Hurt to Healing, I’m joined by psychologist and relationship researcher Harry Reis, co-author of How to Feel Loved, to talk about something we don’t often stop to ask: what does it actually mean to feel loved, not just by other people, but inside ourselves. Why is it that even when we’re cared for, chosen, or wanted, so many of us still struggle to believe we’re truly lovable?We get into how early experiences shape the way we show up in relationships, why being admired isn’t the same as feeling loved, and how things like vulnerability, curiosity, and everyday conversations really build connection over time. It’s an honest chat about love without the clichés - perfect for Valentine’s Day, whether you’re partnered, dating, or very much figuring it out.Buy How to Feel Loved: https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/311060/harry-reis

  • HEALING 101: Nature Prescriptions - Small Ways Nature Can Help When You’re Struggling with Alexis Johnson

    25:36|
    Welcome back to Healing 101. Today I’m joined by Alexis Johnson, Nature & Wellbeing Officer at the RSPB, and we’re talking about something I found genuinely eye-opening: nature prescriptions - a simple, supportive way for healthcare professionals (and other trusted adults) to encourage people to use nature as part of their wellbeing toolkit, without it feeling like yet another thing to “get perfect.”We unpack what nature prescriptions actually look like in practice, how they’re different from being referred into a group or service, and why nature doesn’t have to mean a countryside walk - it can be as small as noticing light moving across your wall, listening to rain at night, or spotting weeds pushing through the pavement. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, time-poor, or not remotely a “nature person,” this episode is full of low-lift ways to reconnect, reset, and feel a little more grounded.Find out more about Nature Prescriptions: https://www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/what-we-do/nature-prescriptions

  • Ore Oduba: “The First Relationship I Ever Had Was Porn”

    46:00|
    Today I’m speaking to broadcaster Ore Oduba about something many people struggle with silently: porn addiction. Ore opens up about his thirty-year journey with a honesty that is rare and incredibly powerful - how it began in childhood, how shame and secrecy kept it alive, and how it shaped his sense of self, relationships and mental health.We also talk about recovery: what it took to finally ask for help, the daily work of staying sober, and how life has opened up for him since. We touch on children’s exposure to explicit content online, why this addiction is so misunderstood, and what real change could look like. A quick note before we start - this episode includes discussion of pornography and suicidal thoughts, so please listen in whatever way feels right for you.Find Ore:Instagram: @oreodubaofficial

  • HEALING 101: When Exercise Stops Being Healthy with Margo Steines

    28:30|
    Today on Healing 101 I’m joined by writer and teacher Margo Steines for a conversation about something many people quietly struggle with: when movement stops being healthy and starts becoming consuming. Margo shares how what began as empowerment gradually tipped into something far more controlling, and we explore the emotional undercurrents that can sit beneath compulsive exercise - from perfectionism to trauma to the longing to feel “enough.” We also talk about how hard it can be to recognise the problem when the world applauds discipline and intensity, and what it looks like to rebuild a gentler relationship with your body after pushing it beyond its limits. A quick note before we begin: we do touch on eating disorders and injury, so please listen however feels safest for you.Thank you to Bare Biology for sponsoring this episode.Bare Biology is an independent, women-powered business creating high-quality supplements designed to support well-lived lives. They’re offering listeners 20% off with the code PANDORA20.Visit barebiology.com and use the code PANDORA20 at checkout. You won't regret it!Find Margo:Website: https://www.margosteines.com/Instagram: @redstateblues