Dr. Anna Yusim is an internationally recognized, award-winning, Board-Certified, Stanford, and Yale-educated Mind Body Spirit Concierge Psychiatrist & Executive Coach with a Private Practice in New York, California, Connecticut, and Florida. She is the best-selling author of Fulfilled: How the Science of Spirituality Can Help You Live a Happier, More Meaningful Life. As a Clinical Assistant Professor at Yale Medical School, Dr. Yusim is presently creating a Mental Health & Spirituality Center at Yale. With clients including Forbes 500 CEOs, Olympic athletes, A-list actors and actresses, and the Chairs of academic departments at top universities, Dr. Anna Yusim helps influential people achieve greater impact, purpose, and joy in their life and work.

After working as a neurobiology researcher with Dr. Robert Sapolsky Ph.D. and completing her studies at Stanford, Yale Medical School, and the NYU Psychiatry Residency Training Program, Dr. Yusim felt that something was missing from her life. In her quest to find it, she traveled, lived and worked in over 70 countries, while studying Kabbalah, learning Buddhist meditation, and working with South American shamans and Indian gurus.

Dr. Yusim has published over 150 academic articles, book chapters, scientific abstracts, book reviews, and articles for the lay public on various topics in psychiatry. A frequent contributor to CNN, Fox News, ABC, and NBC, she has been a guest on hundreds of national and international TV shows, radio programs, and podcasts.

As a highly sought-after speaker, Dr. Yusim gives keynotes for physicians and professionals all over the country and the world on topics related to mental health and spirituality, preventing burnout, physicians as meaning-makers, and resilience. For healthcare professionals, corporate leaders, and community members, she also conducts workshops to empower individuals to sharpen their intuition, cultivate authenticity, awaken self-compassion, enhance their capacity for empathy, and improve their ability to connect with others.

Website: annayusim.com

YouTube channel

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Summary and transcript of this interview

Interview recorded April 14, 2024

YouTube Video Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction and Background of Dr. Anna Yusim

00:03:35 - Defining Fulfillment

00:05:18 - Addictions and Improving Relationships

00:07:16 - Being in Flow with Life

00:09:53 - Overcoming the Impediments to Bliss

00:13:01 - The Complexity of Spiritual Ascension Processes

00:15:56 - The Importance of Professional Support in Spiritual Awakening

00:19:13 - The Challenges of Spiritual Practices in Psychiatry

00:21:36 - The Impact of COVID on Mental Health and Access to Treatment

00:24:05 - The Impact of Spirituality on Health, Addiction, and Suicide

00:26:33 - Roland Griffith's Work and Psychedelics

00:29:06 - The Birth of the Yale Mental Health and Spirituality Center

00:30:54 - Psychedelics as a Spiritual Practice

00:33:15 - Regular Use of Psychedelics and its Effects

00:35:46 - The potential dangers of nationwide legalization

00:37:58 - Integrating Body and Spirit in Psychiatry

00:40:29 - Psychics, Schizophrenics, and the Study of Voice Hearing

00:42:31 - Defining Spirituality and its Connection to Mental Health

00:44:53 - Purpose and Happiness

00:47:09 - Mass Psychology and Spirituality

00:50:06 - The Importance of Open Dialogue and Freedom of Speech

00:52:48 - The Power of Collective Healing

00:55:35 - Collective Healing for Trauma

00:57:42 - Mindfulness programs for children

01:00:03 - The Disconnect of Smartphone Addiction

01:02:35 - Safeguards for AI and the Future of Humanity

01:05:19 - Awakening or Death: Choosing Hope in Dark Times

01:07:20 - Factors for Spontaneous Remission and Overcoming Death Anxiety

01:09:36 - The Science of Miracles