In this Season 2 opening episode of Mind Triumph, Aleks welcomes Yasaman Madanikia (she/her), RCC, PsyD Candidate, Clinical Director and founder of Expressions Counselling.

This conversation explores how culture, immigration, trauma, and perfectionism shape the Inner Talker — and how healing begins when we meet ourselves with curiosity instead of judgment.

Yasaman shares insights from her personal journey and clinical work, offering a grounded, compassionate lens on trauma, leadership, and culturally informed healing.

🌿 About Yasaman Madanikia

Registered Clinical Counsellor | PsyD Candidate | Clinical Director

Website: https://expressionscounselling.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/expressionscounsellingteam

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@expressionspsychology

YouTube: Expressions Counselling

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• Instagram: ⁠@mindtriumph⁠

• YouTube: ⁠Mind Triumph on YouTube⁠

• TikTok: ⁠@mindtriumph_official

🎧 Listen to Mind Triumph on Spotify

What happens when someone at the top finally slows down and listens inward?

In this milestone episode, CEO Mike Cook opens up about the invisible pressure of leadership, anxiety behind success, and the Inner Talker that quietly drives high performers harder and harder.

This is not a story about quitting ambition — it’s about changing your relationship with it.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The hidden anxiety many leaders carry in silence

• How the Inner Talker shows up as pressure, perfectionism, and self-demand

• Why success doesn’t quiet the mind — and often amplifies it

• The shift from constant striving to grounded presence

• What real leadership looks like when awareness enters the picture

This episode is especially powerful for high achievers, leaders, and anyone who feels “successful on the outside, restless on the inside.”

🌿 Learn more about BCALM:

• Website: https://bcalm.ca

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🎧 Listen on Spotify | 🎥 Watch on YouTube

🔗 Links in bio & highlights

What happens when someone spends three decades sitting with the human mind — not trying to fix it, but truly understanding it?

In this profound episode, Dr. Gordon Reid brings over 30 years of clinical psychology experience into a deeply human conversation about anxiety, awareness, and the Inner Talker — the voice in our heads that so often shapes our suffering.

Together, we explore:

• How the Inner Talker develops and why it feels so convincing

• Anxiety through the lens of awareness, not pathology

• What decades of clinical work reveal about healing

• The difference between managing thoughts and waking up from them

• Why presence matters more than technique

This is a grounding, spacious conversation for anyone who feels trapped in their mind and is ready for a deeper understanding of what it means to be aware.

🌿 Learn more about Dr. Gordon Reid:

• Website: https://drgordonreid.com/

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• Instagram: @mindtriumph

• YouTube: Mind Triumph

• TikTok: @mindtriumph_official

What if the voice in your head isn’t something to fight… but something to understand?

In this thoughtful and grounding episode, Counsellor Nicole McEwen invites us to soften our relationship with the Inner Talker. Instead of resisting thoughts or trying to silence them, Nicole explores the power of curiosity — learning to meet the mind with a gentle “maybe, maybe not.”

Together, we explore:

• Why the Inner Talker often begins as a form of protection

• How trauma, anxiety, and early experiences shape our inner voice

• The role of curiosity in calming the nervous system

• Why fighting thoughts can actually make them louder

• How neuroplasticity gives us real agency to change our inner world

This conversation is especially powerful for anyone who feels stuck in self-criticism, anxiety, or mental loops — and is ready for a more compassionate path forward.

🌿 Connect with Nicole McEwen:

• Website: https://www.attunedup.com/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AttunedUp/

🌿 Follow Mind Triumph:

• Instagram: @mindtriumph

• YouTube: Mind Triumph

• TikTok: @mindtriumph_official

What if the loudest battles men face… happen entirely inside their own minds?

In this powerful episode, Counsellor Michael takes us deep into the emotional world of men — exploring mental health, sexuality, identity, somatic healing, and the Inner Talker that quietly shapes everything from relationships to self-worth.

We explore:

• Why men suffer in silence — and how to break that pattern

• How sexuality becomes tied to identity, shame, and performance

• What somatic therapy reveals about buried emotion

• How childhood wounds shape adult masculinity

• Michael’s own story — from monkhood to men’s mental health

• How to speak to the Talker with compassion, not fear

This episode is raw, honest, and full of breakthroughs for anyone who has ever struggled with self-worth, intimacy, or the voice inside that says you’re not enough.

🌿 Follow Mind Triumph:

• Instagram: @mindtriumph

• YouTube: Mind Triumph

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What if the loudest thoughts in your mind… aren’t actually yours?

In this episode, Dr. Eric Ochs — Registered Psychologist specializing in anxiety, OCD, and thought-based disorders — explains the psychology behind the Inner Talker: how it forms, why it becomes so dominant, and how to separate your true self from the noise in your head.

✨ Inside this conversation:

• Why humans experience anxiety the way we do

• How OCD creates loops of fear and checking

• The origin of intrusive thoughts

• The difference between YOU and your mental chatter

• Science-backed practices for grounding, presence, and clarity

Eric brings decades of professional experience and personal wisdom to this episode — making complex psychology feel clear, relatable, and deeply calming.

🌿 Connect with Dr. Ochs:

https://www.ochspsychology.com/

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• Instagram: @mindtriumph

• YouTube: Mind Triumph on YouTube

• TikTok: @mindtriumph_official

What if your inner voice isn’t you, but a pattern you learned in pain?

Counsellor Tessa Bantock joins us to explore the connection between trauma, emotional safety, and the voice we carry inside our heads.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How trauma shapes the Inner Talker

• The path to reconnecting with your true self

• Practical ways to restore trust in yourself

• The role of somatic awareness and presence

Tessa brings a compassionate, grounded presence to the conversation — one that invites reflection, healing, and self-compassion.

🌿 Connect with Tessa:

• Instagram: @virtual_connect_counselling 

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• Instagram: @mindtriumph

• YouTube: Mind Triumph on YouTube

• TikTok: @mindtriumph_official

What happens when the voice inside your head becomes louder than the one in your heart?

In this moving episode, musician Layla opens up about the silent war she fought with her inner critic — the Talker — and how it silenced not just her creativity but her sense of self. Through her journey of emotional collapse, self-abandonment, and eventual reconnection, Layla shares how music, somatic work, and radical honesty brought her home again.

✨ A must-listen for creatives, feelers, and anyone who’s ever lost their spark — and wants it back.

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💛 Connect with Layla on Instagram:

@laylavaugeoismusic

This heart-centered episode with trauma-informed Counsellor Carmen explores how the Talker is shaped by pain — and how we can return to our truth.

We talk about:

• Childhood trauma and identity

• The Four Pillars of Healing

• Secondary trauma & boundaries

• Reclaiming your voice through presence

• Why safe therapeutic spaces matter more than ever

📌 CONNECT WITH CARMEN:

• Website: www.everallwellness.ca

• YouTube: @carmenscounsellingcollective

• Instagram: @carmeneverall

• Facebook: carmen.everall.9

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What happens when your thoughts aren’t just loud — but cruel?

In this raw and moving episode, hairstylist Miranda shares her story of childhood trauma, emotional abuse, and the relentless voice in her head that told her she wasn’t enough. From surviving deep pain to reclaiming her voice through therapy and presence, this conversation is about what it really means to heal.

Her journey is a powerful reminder: the Talker can be silenced — and you are not your thoughts.

✨ Want to connect with Miranda?

Follow her at @hairby.mirandabrooks

🎧 Listen now on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0upY7YOFwTVRpoUNgriZlF

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