Mental Wellness Insights

Richard Zwicky speaks with Laura Ramos, founder of Redefine Wellness and Treatment, to explore the often-overlooked mental health struggles of high-achieving individuals. Ramos discusses how many successful professionals use productivity as a coping mechanism, trading emotional and spiritual connection for external validation and wealth—a state she identifies as being "emotionally bankrupt." The conversation delves into

Therapist and practice owner William Schroeder of Just Mind Counseling, Austin, TX joins host Richard Zwicky to explore the transformative yet complex role of AI in mental health. While AI shows promise in streamlining practice infrastructure—such as handling insurance compliance and claims—Schroeder warns against the "robo-apocalypse" of replacing human therapists with chatbots. They highlight the

Richard Zwicky talks with Dr. Christine Moutier, Chief Medical Officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), explore the overlap between AI chatbots and mental health crisis intervention. As more people in distress turn to AI for immediate help, Dr. Moutier distinguishes between purpose-built mental health LLMs and broad-use platforms, where AFSP is focusing

Richard Zwicky and licensed professional counselor Eileen Borski discuss the critical question of whether the brain can learn safety again after experiencing trauma, such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and intergenerational trauma. Borski explains that many symptoms, like anxiety or a racing heart, are "flashing yellow lights" indicating a chronically disregulated nervous system, not a

Richard Zwicky welcomes practicing therapist Phil Macleod, founder of Thought Reader, discuss the risks of over-relying on generic AI for mental health and decision-making, which Macleod calls "chat AI confusion syndrome". The central concern is that AI, which is fallible and often confirms a user's existing biases with "false confidence," encourages people to outsource their

Richard Zwicky and licensed therapist Erin Pash discuss the responsible integration of AI into mental health care, exploring how this emerging technology can enhance—but not replace—human connection in therapy.  Pash advocates for therapists to embrace AI and establish personalized "guard rails" for clients using tools between sessions. When used correctly, AI can be a powerful tool

Richard Zwicky interviews therapist Alissa Allen to explore the often-misunderstood concept of high-functioning depression. Allen describes this condition as a "high-performance mask" where individuals appear successful and overflow with social and professional commitments while internally battling chronic stress, emotional numbness, and exhaustion. Drawing from her background in neurotheology and Chinese medicine, Allen emphasizes the importance

In this episode of High on Healthy, Richard Zwicky and Dr. Sulagna Misra explore the complex intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare. Dr. Misra highlights the tension between AI's potential for efficiency—such as robotic surgery and data collection—and the critical risks of losing the human relationship essential to healing. They delve into the dangers of