Psychotherapist Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold joins Dr. Richard Louis Miller to discuss a groundbreaking psilocybin-assisted therapy study for young adults with anorexia nervosa at the University of California, San Francisco.

Together, they explore how psychedelics can help restore connection between mind, body, and community—and how true healing extends beyond the individual to include family, culture, and environment.

The study, led by UCSF’s Tripper Lab, is one of the first in the world to focus on the developing brain and the inclusion of families in psychedelic therapy. Gisele explains how this approach moves away from blame and control toward empowerment, self-awareness, and compassionate healing.

She and Richard also discuss the cultural factors that shape body image, the impact of social media, the rising rates of eating disorders since the pandemic, and why anorexia remains one of the deadliest mental health conditions.

“Recovery isn’t just gaining weight. It’s gaining yourself.” — Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold

This conversation is a powerful reminder that healing is not isolation—it’s reconnection.

Guest

Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold — Director of Facilitation for Psychedelic Therapy at the University of California, San Francisco; faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies; and researcher at the Tripper Lab, UCSF.

Key Topics

The UCSF psilocybin study for young adults (ages 18–25) with anorexia nervosa

Why including family in therapy can support long-term healing

How psilocybin-assisted therapy reduces cognitive rigidity and self-critical thought loops

Understanding anorexia beyond weight—seeing it as a disorder of identity and control

Trauma, intergenerational pain, and the importance of family systems

The role of social media in shaping self-image and body dysmorphia

How the pandemic amplified isolation and eating disorders among adolescents

Shifting from authoritarian treatment models to trauma-informed care

Why “non-directive” therapy helps patients rediscover their own motivation to heal

A new paradigm of recovery centered on autonomy, compassion, and community

Timestamps

00:00 — The importance of community and connection02:00 — Introducing Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold and the UCSF Tripper Lab03:30 — Inside the psilocybin-assisted therapy study for anorexia nervosa06:00 — Understanding anorexia as a life-threatening mental health disorder08:30 — Why the study includes diverse participants and families11:00 — The impact of anorexia on families and caregivers15:00 — Family inclusion as a healing model18:00 — Psilocybin therapy protocol and study design23:00 — The psychology of “parts work” and the path to self-integration29:00 — How psilocybin reduces rigid, self-destructive thought loops32:00 — The influence of culture, media, and pandemic isolation35:00 — Understanding suffering and motivation in eating disorders40:00 — Extending psychedelic research toward obesity and body image45:00 — How to apply for the UCSF clinical trial47:00 — Redefining success: recovery as engagement with life50:00 — Trauma-informed, patient-centered therapy54:00 — Mary Oliver’s “The Summer Day” — a poetic close on life’s preciousness

Beyond Profit: The Human Cost of Capitalism — with Dr. David McNally

Historian Dr. David McNally joins Dr. Richard Louis Miller to explore the deep relationship between capitalism, slavery, and community — and why the path forward may depend on reclaiming our capacity for cooperation and hope.

Together, they trace how capitalism evolved from feudal systems, how slavery became its brutal engine, and how modern life still reflects those same dynamics of exploitation and insecurity. They discuss the moral cost of wealth built on oppression, the erosion of academic freedom, and the possibilities for new forms of collective ownership and economic justice.

Through it all, McNally reminds us that hope is more powerful than anger and fear, and that history shows our greatest progress comes when people act together in community.

Guest:

Dr. David McNally — Cullen Distinguished Professor of History and Business at the University of Houston, and author of Slavery and Capitalism, Blood and Money, and Monsters of the Market.

Key Topics:

How capitalism emerged from feudalism through the expulsion of peasants from common lands

Why slavery was not a premodern system but central to modern global capitalism

The immense wealth generated by enslaved labor

The psychological and moral consequences of exploitation

Living paycheck to paycheck as a modern form of economic bondage

How fear and insecurity maintain systems of control

The importance of academic freedom and independent thought

Collective action as the most powerful form of resistance

Reviving the commons and exploring alternatives to capitalism

Why hope remains the foundation of social transformation

Timestamps:

00:00 — The Importance of Community and Connection02:22 — Understanding Capitalism and Its Historical Context07:20 — The Shift from Feudalism to Capitalism13:00 — Slavery in the Context of Capitalism20:11 — The Moral Dilemma of Enslavement24:07 — The Wealth Generated by Slavery24:47 — Exploring Alternatives to Capitalism29:00 — The Monopoly Game of Capitalism30:53 — The Power of Collective Action34:56 — Living Paycheck to Paycheck: A Modern Form of Slavery40:45 — The Assault on Academic Freedom50:19 — Freedom Dreams and Cultural Resistance

The Psychology of Love and Connection with Dr. Rick Hanson

Psychologist Dr. Rick Hanson joins Dr. Richard Louis Miller to explore how compassion, community, and love can rewire the human brain — and why our survival as a species may depend on it. Together, they discuss the “two wolves within us,” how positive neuroplasticity turns fleeting moments of kindness into lasting change, and what it takes to heal both personally and collectively in a divided world.

Guest: Dr. Rick Hanson – Psychologist, Senior Fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and author of Hardwiring Happiness, Resilient, and Buddha’s Brain

Key Topics:

The duality of human nature: love vs. hate

How to “feed the wolf of love” through daily practice

Positive neuroplasticity and the science of emotional rewiring

Building compassion in polarized times

Why community is essential to mental health

How wealth inequality and power distort human connection

The link between poverty and psychological suffering

Simple daily tools for calm, resilience, and empathy

The surprising role of playfulness in healing

Timestamps:

00:00 — Introduction: Humanity’s tribal nature and the need for connection02:15 — Meet Dr. Rick Hanson03:44 — The parable of the two wolves06:42 — Feeding the wolf of love vs. the wolf of hate08:07 — The power of brain science and compassion10:03 — Physical health as the foundation for mental well-being13:18 — The father-son dynamic and emotional intelligence17:04 — Keeping your “dad hat” on in relationships20:33 — How to stay in touch with the wolf of love under pressure21:33 — The longing for a better world22:05 — Rick’s top psychological tools for well-being24:38 — Getting on your own side25:38 — Taking in the good and letting it land29:18 — Linking positive experiences to old wounds34:35 — Why painful memories persist36:12 — How the media exploits our negativity bias38:33 — Vulnerability to manipulation and fear42:33 — Wealth concentration and its social consequences46:10 — From individual healing to collective action47:58 — Poverty as the biggest factor in mental health50:04 — Lessons from other nations’ social models53:14 — Why one in three adults in America isn’t registered to vote55:08 — The limits of traditional psychotherapy59:36 — What separates high responders from low responders01:02:21 — Repetition, practice, and rewiring behavior01:05:21 — Breathing as the foundation of change01:10:22 — Stop whining, start climbing: love as action

Links & Resources:

🌐 Website — rickhanson.net📘 Books — Hardwiring Happiness, Resilient, Buddha’s Brain🎧 Podcast — Being Well with Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest Hanson

The Psychology of Love and Connection with Dr. Rick Hanson

Psychologist Dr. Rick Hanson joins Dr. Richard Louis Miller to explore how compassion, community, and love can rewire the human brain — and why our survival as a species may depend on it. Together, they discuss the “two wolves within us,” how positive neuroplasticity turns fleeting moments of kindness into lasting change, and what it takes to heal both personally and collectively in a divided world.

Guest: Dr. Rick Hanson – Psychologist, Senior Fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and author of Hardwiring Happiness, Resilient, and Buddha’s Brain

Key Topics:

The duality of human nature: love vs. hate

How to “feed the wolf of love” through daily practice

Positive neuroplasticity and the science of emotional rewiring

Building compassion in polarized times

Why community is essential to mental health

How wealth inequality and power distort human connection

The link between poverty and psychological suffering

Simple daily tools for calm, resilience, and empathy

The surprising role of playfulness in healing

Timestamps:

00:00 — Introduction: Humanity’s tribal nature and the need for connection02:15 — Meet Dr. Rick Hanson03:44 — The parable of the two wolves06:42 — Feeding the wolf of love vs. the wolf of hate08:07 — The power of brain science and compassion10:03 — Physical health as the foundation for mental well-being13:18 — The father-son dynamic and emotional intelligence17:04 — Keeping your “dad hat” on in relationships20:33 — How to stay in touch with the wolf of love under pressure21:33 — The longing for a better world22:05 — Rick’s top psychological tools for well-being24:38 — Getting on your own side25:38 — Taking in the good and letting it land29:18 — Linking positive experiences to old wounds34:35 — Why painful memories persist36:12 — How the media exploits our negativity bias38:33 — Vulnerability to manipulation and fear42:33 — Wealth concentration and its social consequences46:10 — From individual healing to collective action47:58 — Poverty as the biggest factor in mental health50:04 — Lessons from other nations’ social models53:14 — Why one in three adults in America isn’t registered to vote55:08 — The limits of traditional psychotherapy59:36 — What separates high responders from low responders01:02:21 — Repetition, practice, and rewiring behavior01:05:21 — Breathing as the foundation of change01:10:22 — Stop whining, start climbing: love as action

Links & Resources:

🌐 Website — rickhanson.net📘 Books — Hardwiring Happiness, Resilient, Buddha’s Brain🎧 Podcast — Being Well with Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest Hanson

Building Community with MDMA: Charles Wininger's 20-Year Experiment

Psychotherapist Charles Wininger shares 20 years of experience leading group MDMA sessions in New York, detailed protocols for creating safe communal experiences, and his vision for a nationwide simultaneous experience to rebuild community connections.

Guest: Charles Wininger - Psychotherapist for 35 years, psychonaut for 50 years, author of "Listening to Ecstasy: The Transformative Power of MDMA"

Key Topics:

Why community is literally life or death

Complete protocols for group MDMA experiences

The "serious fun" middle way between therapy and raves

Ground rules: consent, boundaries, and safety

Why mixing substances changes everything

Couples using MDMA 2-3x weekly at micro-doses

Planning a nationwide simultaneous experience

The Fireside Project's 24/7 psychedelic support

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction - Tribal animals need community

01:01 Meet Charles Wininger

01:59 "Community is the medicine"

03:55 MDMA as the "chemical of connection"

06:22 Healing a 7-year rift between friends

10:12 Structuring safe group experiences

12:14 "Serious fun" - the middle way

13:55 Selecting participants carefully

15:02 Ground rules and safety protocols

18:45 Respecting boundaries and consent

20:50 What people fear most: safety

24:04 Creating "chill space" for solitude

25:10 No mixing substances policy

27:16 Saturday sessions with Sunday integration

29:04 Managing the "Tuesday blues"

31:33 Lowering doses with age

33:31 Coming out of the "chemical closet"

38:17 Why not mix ketamine or cannabis

40:29 Psilocybin combinations in therapy

43:03 Community ripple effects

48:09 Couples using MDMA 2-3x weekly

52:21 One day weekly for relationship

57:52 Fireside Project's free support line

01:00:40 Helicopter rides during earthquakes

01:03:38 Connect with Charles

Links:

Website: higherpurpose.community

Book: listeningtoecstasy.com

Contact: charles@higherpurpose.community

The Poem That Made a Room Full of Men Cry

Dr. Jed Diamond joins Dr. Miller for a conversation about isolation, authoritarianism, and why building community may be our only defense against tyranny. Includes the Father Earth poem by Clarissa Pinkola Estés.

Guest: Dr. Jed Diamond - Author of 17 books, men's health advocate, in the same men's group for 46 years

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction - Tribal living and community

01:33 Meet Dr. Jed Diamond

04:10 Same-sex groups and intergenerational wisdom

08:06 Isolation and loneliness since COVID

12:12 Why Jed predicted Trump's presidency in May 2016

17:21 Military on American streets

18:02 The scapegoating pattern

23:27 Father Earth poem introduction

24:22 Father Earth by Clarissa Pinkola Estés (full reading)

31:22 Depression epidemic warning

36:07 The Zen community response to violence

42:06 Jed's daily walking practice for community

44:00 The 10,000 step community walks

47:39 MenAlive.com and Jed's work

Why Marriage Is Failing America's Poor (And Making Inequality Worse)

Economist Michael Tanner reveals the marriage gap between rich and poor, why rural poverty is worse than urban, and how the collapse of traditional economies is creating a generation of unmarriageable men.

Guest: Michael Tanner - Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, author of research on marriage and poverty

Topics Discussed:

What poverty really means in America

Why Scandinavian equality comes with lower living standards

The two-class marriage system emerging in America

Why women face a "bigger gamble" in marriage than men

Rural poverty worse than urban poverty

The Arkansas Walmart layoffs and opioid crisis

Criminal justice removing 1.5 million Black men from marriage pool

Half of Fort Bragg, CA on food assistance

Timestamps:

00:01 Introduction - 72% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck

01:24 What is poverty in America?

02:36 Two definitions of poverty - subsistence vs self-sufficiency

05:08 Census Bureau's flawed poverty measurements

07:12 Real destitution affects 3-4% of population

08:18 Teachers living in cars in California

11:16 Social Darwinism vs humanistic approaches to poverty

14:54 The myth of lazy poor people

16:26 Bottom 20% have almost no social mobility

18:03 Living in a world of scarcity

19:02 Could billionaires' wealth solve poverty?

21:43 Marriage and poverty - the white paper

23:53 Why marriage helps men more than women

27:30 Marriage gap between rich and poor

31:01 Rise of single, uneducated men

33:38 Political vulnerability of disconnected men

33:54 Arkansas: Middle-class homes turned to garbage

38:37 Robotics and the future of work

43:15 Fort Bragg: 1,200 families at food bank

47:23 COVID's lasting damage to small towns

50:57 "Poverty is natural - prosperity must be created"

Resources:

Research: freopp.org/whitepapers/does-marriage-reduce-poverty/

Twitter: @TannerOnPolicy

They Feed 30 People for $90 (How Cohousing Actually Works)

Architect Charles Durrett reveals the economics and social dynamics of cohousing communities, plus Iceland's revolutionary approach to neurodiverse living where autism isn't a limitation but simply a different way of being.

Guest: Charles Durrett - Principal architect at The Cohousing Company, coined the term "cohousing" in 1985, designed 55+ communities, author of 16 books on community design

Topics Discussed:

How cohousing communities feed 30 people for $90

Why 34 houses share one lawnmower (and it works)

The first U.S. cohousing community 35 years later

Iceland's Sólheimar: 45 neurodiverse, 45 neurotypical residents

Why people with autism drown at 166x the normal rate

"Smiles per half hour" as a community metric

Breaking bread 4-5 times weekly builds community

From isolation to internationally selling artist

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction - Encouraging community for 20 years

00:59 Meet Charles Durrett - Pioneer of cohousing

01:40 The first U.S. cohousing community in Davis

02:36 What is cohousing? Six defining principles

05:00 No hierarchy, all consensus

07:28 Book came out 1988, coined "cohousing"

08:37 35 years later - how is that first community?

10:47 Copenhagen study: Majority of seniors want cohousing

13:45 Personal meetings and interpersonal sharing

15:28 Common dinners 4-5 times weekly

16:26 Cooking rotation - once a month for 20-30 people

17:10 How they feed 30 for $90

20:12 What is a neuro-inclusive community?

23:13 90 people total at Sólheimar

24:02 Started in 1930, Chuck wrote the book

26:04 "Smiles per half hour" metric

29:02 Artists who knew nothing become internationally known

32:13 Financial model for neurodiverse communities

35:12 Why they bought their own swimming pool

38:07 Final thoughts - self-determination is key

41:12 Learning to interview people with autism

Resources:

Website: cohousingco.com

Book: Neuro-Inclusive Community Design