The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast
The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast explores the powerful connection between mind and body, blending nutritional psychology, psychological tools and inspiring conversations with health experts. Join Senior Psychologist Sophia Dawson to discover how nourishing your body can transform your mental health and help you live a more balanced, fulfilling life.
Episodes
"I Want My Life Back": OCD, Reassurance Traps & the Treatment That's Changing Lives with Clinical Psychologist Ben Sedley #17
Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍Dr Ben Sedley is a clinical psychologist in Wellington, New Zealand, with over 20 years of experience using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) across primary care and community mental health in both New Zealand and London. He's the co-founder of ACT Wellington, the author of three books (Stuff That Sucks, Stuff That's Loud, and the
No Longer Over the Counter Because They Work: Micronutrients, Mental Health & the Fight to Be Heard with Professor Julia Rucklidge #16
Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍I've been waiting to record this one for a very long time. Professor Julia Rucklidge is the Director of Te Puna Toiora, the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab at the University of Canterbury, a clinical psychologist, a researcher of more than 30 years, co-author of The Better Brain, and my PhD supervisor. Getting to learn from her is on
Understanding OCD: Intrusive Thoughts, Compulsions & the Misconceptions That Keep People Silent with Sophia Dawson #15
Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍I'm flying solo this week for an episode I've wanted to record for a long time. I've worked with clients with OCD for a number of years, and I've seen firsthand how earth-shattering and debilitating this disorder can be. It's also the focus of my PhD research, which is now in the data analysis phase, and while the literatu
Coco Pops, Up & Go and the Great Food Pyramid Con: What We’ve Got Wrong with Prof Grant Schofield #14
Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍This one is a real treat for me, because my guest today is one of my fabulous PhD supervisors, Professor Grant Schofield. Grant is one of New Zealand's best-known public health scientists, a researcher, and the co-founder and Chief Science Officer of PREKURE. He's also the author of five best-selling books, with his newest, Choose Your H
Myth-Busting the Wellness Trends with Steph Pearson #13
Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍I’m back with one of my favourite people to talk all things nutrition with, my fab friend and colleague Steph Pearson. The wellness space is LOUD right now. Every other week social media decides whether protein, soy, fasting or ashwagandha is the thing that’s going to fix us or finish us off. So, Steph and I asked our communities what they actuall
Nourish, Don't Punish: Rethinking Food Restriction with Emma Wylie #12
Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍Today's episode began the way the best ones do: as a conversation Emma Wylie and I kept having over voice message, until we knew we had to bring it to the podcast. Emma is back with us, and this time we're talking about our relationship with food, eating, body shape and weight, and what happens when the pursuit of "healthy" sta
Rosa Power of Two Raw Sisters: RED-S, Eating Disorder Recovery, and Rebuilding Trust with Food and Body #11
Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍Today I'm joined by the wonderful Rosa Power, the other half of Two Raw Sisters, the New Zealand food and wellbeing brand she co-founded with her sister Margo. Together they've built five bestselling cookbooks, a podcast, cooking workshops around the country, and an app with hundreds of recipes that takes the overwhelm out of whole-food
Margo Flanagan of Two Raw Sisters: Chronic Illness, Identity, and How Food Became Part of Her Healing #10
Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍Today's conversation is one I have been so excited to share with you - and it genuinely did not disappoint. I'm joined by the incredible Margo Flanagan, co-founder of Two Raw Sisters, the New Zealand food and wellbeing brand she built alongside her sister Rosa. Together they've created five bestselling cookbooks, a podcast, cooking
Say Their Name: Six Ways to Support Someone You Love Through Grief with Sophia Dawson #9
Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍Today's episode is a little different for me (and definitely my most candid). It's a solo one, recorded from a place I truly never imagined I'd be speaking from. Very recently, I lost somebody very close to me, unexpectedly and far, far too soon. And in the weeks since, I have been so deeply held by the most incredible, intentional
ADHD, Food & The Whole-Body Connection with Dr Miguel Toribio-Mateas #8
Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍Today’s conversation is one that feels both deeply important and incredibly needed, and I feel so excited about sharing with you! I’m joined by the incredible Dr Miguel Toribio-Mateas — a clinical neuroscientist, nutrition and mental health researcher, and author of ADHD Body and Mind — whose work brings together neuroscience, nutrition, and lived
Burnout, Hormones & Mental Health: What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You (And What to Do About It) with Francesca Lyon #7
Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast 🤍Today’s conversation is one I feel so deeply passionate about, because it speaks to something I see every single day in my clinical work… women feeling confused, overwhelmed, and often disconnected from what is actually happening in their bodies.I’m joined by the incredible Francesca Lyon, a degree-qualified and registered naturopath and Medical H
Nourishing the Gut for a Healthier Mind with Dr Brad Leech #6
In this jam-packed episode, I sit down with the incredibly insightful Dr. Brad to unpack one of the most powerful (yet often overlooked) relationships in the body: the gut-brain connection.Together, we explore how what we eat, and how we live, can deeply influence our mental health, mood, and emotional resilience.We explore:The gut-brain axis: what it is, how it works, and why it mattersHow stress
Why Chasing Happiness is Keeping You Stuck with Sophia Dawson #5
We've been taught that happiness is the goal. But what if that idea is the very thing that’s making us feel stuck, anxious, or like we’re constantly falling short?If you’ve ever wondered why you’re still not happy, even when you're ‘ticking the boxes’... this one’s for you my guys!This episode is here to shake up the belief that we should always be chasing happiness… and offers a far mor
Navigating Anxiety: A Holistic Approach with Nutritionist Naturopath Steph Pearson #4
Welcome back to The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast !Today’s conversation is an absolute gem, and I can’t wait for you all to tune in. I’m joined by the incredible Steph Pearson, a qualified naturopath and nutritionist, and together we take a deep dive into anxiety - not just as a psychological phenomenon, but as a whole-body experience.We unpack what it really means to nourish the nervous system fr
From Labels to Your Plate: Understanding Ultra-Processed Foods with Sophia Dawson #3
In this solo episode, I take a deep dive into the sneaky world of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) - what they are, how they impact our mind and body, and why it’s not about fear or shame, but rather about awareness.I explore:What ultra-processed foods actually are (hint: they’re not just lollies and chips)The link between UPFs and our mental health - especially symptoms like anxiety and low moodHow t
Eating with Ease - Overcoming Challenging Food Relationships with Emma Wylie #2
In this episode, I sit down with the wonderful Emma Wylie, Nutritionist and Founder of Elo Wellbeing, and all-round gem of a human.Emma shares her deeply personal story of navigating a challenging relationship with food, and how that experience became the spark that lit the fire for her work in the nutrition world. That same journey eventually led to the creation of Eating with Ease - our collabor
The Journey of a WHOLEistic Psychologist with Sophia Dawson #1
In this candid solo episode, I share the story behind WHOLEistic Psychology starting you from where it all began - what made me want to become a psychologist, university lecture halls, prison cells (yes, really), and significant gut health issues... right through to building my business to where it is today.This one’s for anyone who’s curious about my journey, psychology students and psychologists
Introducing The WHOLEistic Psychology Podcast
Join Senior Psychologist Sophia Dawson on the WHOLEistic Psychology podcast, where evidence-based psychology meets the science of nutrition and lifestyle medicine.Discover how our minds and bodies are inextricably linked and learn from leading experts, nutritionists, and psychologists. Whether you're here to learn, feel inspired, or understand yourself on a deeper level, this podcast is your
