High On Healthy

Richard Zwicky speaks with Irin Rubin, CEO and co-founder of MamaZen and author of the MamaZen Parenting Method. Rubin addresses the modern "crisis" of maternal mental health, arguing that while childbearing is a biological process, the act of mothering in our current isolated society is far from natural.

She emphasizes the loss of the "village" and the disappearance of historical support systems, which often leaves new mothers feeling neglected and overwhelmed. Rubin advocates for a cultural shift where household responsibilities are shared by all family members and boys are raised to be active, supportive partners.

In this episode of High and Healthy, host Richard Zwicky sits down with researcher and author Michelle Burke to explore the transformative power of "joy gems"—the small, often overlooked moments that ground us in contentment. Burke distinguishes joy from short-term, externally driven happiness, defining it as an internally based skill that can be practiced and strengthened to counteract chronic stress and burnout.

Through science-backed tools like her Joy Cards, Burke explains how shifting one's awareness to appreciate simple pleasures—such as a hot cup of coffee or a sunny day—triggers a physiological release of "happy hormones" like serotonin and dopamine, which can lower blood pressure and improve heart health. By treating joy as an acquired skill rather than a fleeting mood, individuals can build emotional resilience and create a "contagious" sense of well-being that benefits not only themselves but everyone around them

Richard Zwicky is joined by Paije West and Fletcher Burdick, co-founders of ETÉREO | Center for Truth (formerly referred to as Arterio). Drawing from their lived experiences with addiction and treatment-resistant depression, they discuss their hybrid model of psychedelic healing based in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

The conversation centers on the use of iboga, a sacred root bark from the Bwiti tradition of Gabon, as a more holistic alternative to the isolated alkaloid ibogaine. West and Burdick emphasize a "doula model" of care, prioritizing medical-grade safety—including first responders and consulting cardiologists—alongside deep cultural reciprocity.

Richard Zwicky talks with Andrew "Andy" Coop, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and chair of Maryland’s Task Force on the Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances.

Coop discusses the task force's new 250-page report, which outlines a strategic vision for the legal and safe use of natural psychedelics—specifically psilocybin, DMT, and mescaline—to treat mental health conditions and chronic pain.

Coop advocates for an "ensemble approach" that doesn't wait for federal FDA approval, instead proposing a phased regulatory framework starting with medical use and eventually moving toward supervised adult use. Central to this vision is the concept of responsibility, ensuring that clinical research is rigorous and that the resulting therapies remain accessible and equitable for all residents of Maryland, rather than just the well-connected.

In this episode of High and Healthy, host Richard Zwicky sits down with medical journalist and author Jennifer Chesak to discuss her groundbreaking work, The Psilocybin Handbook for Women. The conversation dives into the fascinating intersection of psychedelics, hormonal health, and female physiology, revealing how estrogen can actually amplify the effects of psilocybin.

Chesak highlights the historical exclusion of women from medical research and explains how many are now turning to "magic mushrooms" to self-treat conditions like depression, PTSD, and endometriosis. From regulating menstrual cycles to enhancing intimacy and body image, this episode offers a compassionate and evidence-based look at how psilocybin can be a unique tool for female empowerment and healing.

Richard Zwicky speaks with North Spore founder Matt McInnis who chronicles his journey from a teenage forager to co-founding a mycology company that has pivoted from a fresh mushroom farm to a leader in cultivation products, wellness, and education.

They explored the core differences between wild (mycorrhizal, non-cultivable) and cultivated (saprophytic, like oyster and shiitake) fungi, acknowledging the profound, yet still mysterious, power and utility of mycelial networks.

Licensed therapist Jillian Amodio, author of "Nurturing the Inner Child," introduced the concept of "pleasure as therapy," advocating for contentment as the foundational goal for daily happiness over a constant pursuit of extreme joy.

The therapeutic approach emphasizes balancing opposing emotions (like love and loss) and employing mindfulness-based techniques to confront stress and trauma by becoming "comfortably uncomfortable."

Dr. Eugene Lipov, pioneer of the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) for Post-Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI), joined the "High Healthy" show to discuss trauma, mental health, and veterans.

He advocated strongly for changing the stigmatizing term PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) to PTSI, viewing it as a physiologic injury, and detailed ongoing efforts to gather public support via ptsi.com after the APA rejected the name change.

Health coach and nervous system specialist Mitch Webb, explores the profound connection between unresolved emotional trauma and physical symptoms like chronic anxiety, insomnia, and autoimmune challenges.

Drawing from personal experience, Mitch details a successful therapeutic approach that integrates both somatic ("bottom up") and cognitive ("top down") healing.

Richard Zwicky speaks with Rachel Stanton, a clinical social worker and founder of EMDR Intensives in Boston, on clinical innovation in mental health care. Stanton explains Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as a process of "memory reconciliation" that helps the adult brain integrate new information with past traumatic memories.

She clarifies that EMDR intensives are best suited for clients with some stability, not those in severe crisis. A major focus of the discussion is the critical gap in mental health education, particularly the chronic lack of training on dissociation among practitioners, which Stanton attributes to historical stigma.