This week on PEP Talks with Eric, I sit down with psychotherapist and disruptor Dustin Dean to explore the hidden roots of burnout, trauma, and belief systems—and how we can rewire them for joy, clarity, and wholeness.
From his non-traditional path into healthcare to launching MindMaxED Institute, Dustin’s story is one of resilience, raw honesty, and reimagining what it means to heal. Together, we dig into:
* 🔥 Why burnout isn’t about doing too much—it’s about losing yourself in the process
* 🧠 How subconscious beliefs shape our daily reality (and how to reprogram them)
* 🌱 Moving from survival mode to joy optimization
* 💡 Why your worth isn’t tied to your work—and how reclaiming this truth changes everything
If you’ve ever felt trapped in old systems, identities, or expectations—this conversation will spark something new.
🎧 Tune in wherever you get your podcasts—and let’s keep building a culture where providers, leaders, and humans can burn bright instead of burn out.
About Dustin Dean
Dustin Dean, PMHNP-BC is a nationally recognized Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, brain fitness expert, and co-founder of MindMaxED Institute. With over 24 years in healthcare—including roles as a prescriber, psychotherapist, professor of mental health nursing, and executive mental wellness coach—Dustin is known for pioneering practical, solution-focused strategies to help individuals process life through power and potential rather than pain and the past.
He is also the creator of the Dean of Zen AI, a 24/7 brain fitness coaching bot that delivers in 60 seconds personalized solutions that would typically take 60 minutes in a traditional coaching session. A frequent podcast guest, Dustin is passionate about helping professionals and students reclaim their joy, sharpen their focus, and thrive with purpose.
Dustin lives in Minnesota with his wife Rashida, a Somali-American life coach and his business partner, and their son Ilyas, a soon-to-be Computer Science graduate.
🌐 Website: mindmaxed.com📧 Email: [email protected]🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dustin-the-dean-of-zen
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