Supporting Guide · Listening List
Best Podcasts on Integrative & Functional Mental Health (2026)
← All guides · By the Willow & Stone team · Updated September 2026
Key Takeaways
- Very few podcasts are only about “functional psychiatry,” so this list covers integrative, holistic, metabolic and lifestyle approaches to mental health more broadly.
- Every show here released a new episode in 2026. We checked the hosts and their credentials on each show’s own page.
- Hosts range from psychiatrists and physicians to a neuroscientist and a science journalist. Credentials matter when a show gives health advice.
- Listing a show is not an endorsement of every claim made on it. We note where a show sells products or where guests go beyond the evidence.
- Never change a medication because of something you heard on a podcast. Bring it to your prescriber instead.
Podcasts are one of the most popular ways people learn about root-cause and whole-person approaches to mental health. They are also a place where solid science and overconfident claims can sit side by side. This list gathers ten shows that are active in 2026 and that regularly cover nutrition, metabolism, sleep, stress, trauma and the brain. For each one, we explain who hosts it, what it is good for, and what to be careful about.
A note on scope: when we searched for shows about “functional psychiatry” specifically, we found only a handful. So we widened the list to integrative and functional mental health. That includes shows on nutritional and metabolic psychiatry, lifestyle medicine and skills-based approaches to mood. Shows are listed in no particular order.
We left off a few popular shows. In some cases the host promotes diagnostic methods that mainstream psychiatry does not support, or discourages psychiatric medication as a rule. In others, the show has stopped publishing new episodes.
1. Holistic Psychiatry Podcast
Host: Courtney Snyder, MD · psychiatrist
Hosted by Courtney Snyder, MD, a psychiatrist who describes her practice as holistic, functional and environmental. It is one of the few shows that explicitly sits at the intersection of psychiatry and functional medicine. Its tagline promises to demystify “root causes of brain symptoms,” and episodes cover topics such as gut health, inflammation, environmental exposures and trauma.
This is a good pick if you want a psychiatrist’s perspective on functional ideas, told in plain language.
Caveat: Some guest topics, such as mold toxicity and chronic Lyme as drivers of psychiatric symptoms, are areas where the evidence is contested. Listen critically and discuss anything you want to try with your own clinician.
2. Metabolic Mind
Host: Bret Scher, MD · Baszucki Group
Produced by the Baszucki Group and hosted by cardiologist Bret Scher, MD, Metabolic Mind looks at the connection between metabolism and brain health. It focuses on metabolic interventions, especially ketogenic therapy, for serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and major depression. Guests include psychiatrists and researchers working in the field.
It is the go-to show if you want to follow the emerging field of metabolic psychiatry as it develops.
Caveat: Research on ketogenic therapy for psychiatric conditions is early. For example, a 2024 Stanford pilot study was small and had no control group. A ketogenic diet is a medical intervention that can affect how some medications work and should be supervised. The show itself says it is not a reason to stop medication. Some recent episodes also cover cardiology rather than mental health.
3. Joy Lab
Hosts: Henry Emmons, MD & Aimee Prasek, PhD
Joy Lab pairs integrative psychiatrist Henry Emmons, MD, with positive-psychology researcher Aimee Prasek, PhD. Episodes teach practical skills for depression, anxiety and burnout, drawn from mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and positive psychology, along with nutrition and lifestyle.
The tone is warm and practical, and episodes often end with something you can try that week. It is a good fit for listeners who want tools more than theory.
Caveat: The show is connected to Joy Lab’s paid programs. The podcast is free, but expect occasional mentions of courses.
4. Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast
Host: David Puder, MD · psychiatrist
Psychiatrist David Puder, MD, hosts deep, well-referenced episodes on psychotherapy, neuroscience and psychiatry. Recurring themes include diet and exercise for mental health, trauma and the therapeutic relationship. Many episodes are written for clinicians and offer continuing education credit, but motivated patients can follow them too.
It is more conventional than integrative. We include it as a counterweight: it shows how evidence on lifestyle and mental health is weighed by a practicing psychiatrist.
5. Pathways to Well-Being
Institute for Functional Medicine · host: Kelechi Uduhiri, MD
The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), the best-known training organization in the field, publishes this show. According to its podcast listing, IFM Director of Medical Education Kelechi Uduhiri, MD, is its new host. Episodes feature clinicians discussing functional-medicine approaches to topics such as the gut-brain axis, women’s health, nutrition and chronic illness.
Mental health comes up only in some episodes, but it is the most direct window into how functional medicine is taught to clinicians. New episodes come out roughly every month or two.
Caveat: IFM trains and certifies practitioners, so the show presents the functional-medicine model favorably. Its certification is a private credential, not a medical license.
6. Feel Better, Live More
Host: Dr Rangan Chatterjee · UK family physician
Dr Rangan Chatterjee is a family doctor (a GP) in the UK. His long-running show covers lifestyle medicine: sleep, stress, food, movement and relationships, and how each affects mood. Guests range from psychiatrists and psychologists to nutrition and sleep researchers.
It is a good general-audience introduction to the idea that daily habits and mental health are connected, without much hype.
Caveat: The show is based in the UK, so references to services and guidelines may not apply in the US.
7. Your Brain On
Hosts: Drs. Ayesha & Dean Sherzai · neurologists
Neurologists Ayesha and Dean Sherzai host this successor to their earlier Brain Health Revolution podcast. Episodes explain how everyday things, such as sleep, stress, meditation, exercise, food and technology, affect the brain, and also cover conditions such as ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
It is useful for listeners interested in the overlap between brain health and mental health. Episodes come out less often than on some other shows.
8. The Dr. Hyman Show
Host: Mark Hyman, MD · family physician (formerly The Doctor’s Farmacy)
Mark Hyman, MD, is one of the best-known voices in functional medicine. His show, renamed from The Doctor’s Farmacy, publishes frequently and covers nutrition, metabolic health, aging and chronic disease, with regular episodes on brain health, depression and anxiety.
It is useful for understanding the functional-medicine worldview and the ideas many patients bring to integrative appointments.
Caveat: Dr. Hyman sells supplements and co-founded a commercial lab-testing company, and many episodes promote products or tests. Some claims made on the show go beyond what research supports. Ask your clinician before acting on any supplement or testing recommendation.
9. The Genius Life
Host: Max Lugavere · science journalist (not a clinician)
Max Lugavere is a science journalist and author who writes about food and brain health. On his interview show, he talks with researchers, physicians and other guests about nutrition, cognition, mood and lifestyle.
It is an accessible way to hear from researchers you might not otherwise come across.
Caveat: The host is not a medical professional, and the show carries sponsor and product ties. Treat it as a wellness conversation, not clinical guidance.
10. Huberman Lab
Host: Andrew Huberman, PhD · Stanford neuroscientist
Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, PhD, hosts long episodes on the biology behind sleep, stress, focus, mood and motivation. Some of the most useful episodes are interviews with psychiatrists and psychologists on depression, ADHD, trauma and anxiety.
It is best used selectively: choose episodes featuring clinical experts on the topic you care about, rather than listening to everything.
Caveat: The show has been criticized in the press for overstating early findings, and it carries heavy supplement sponsorship. Dr. Huberman is a research scientist, not a physician. Please don’t self-prescribe supplement protocols from the show.
How to listen to health podcasts wisely
MedlinePlus suggests a few questions for judging any health information. Who is behind it? What is their expertise? Is the information based on evidence? Is someone trying to sell you something? Those questions work well for podcasts too. Pay attention to whether a claim comes from a randomized trial, a small pilot study, an animal study or a personal story. On many shows, all four are presented in the same confident tone.
A useful habit is to keep a running note of ideas you want to raise at your next appointment, rather than acting on them right away. That is especially important for supplements, restrictive diets and anything involving your medication. Never start, stop or change a prescription without talking to your prescriber.
From listening to a plan
Podcasts can help you learn the vocabulary: inflammation, the gut-brain axis, blood sugar, hormones. Turning those ideas into a plan that fits you takes an evaluation. At Willow & Stone, integrative telehealth visits look at labs, sleep, nutrition and stress alongside symptoms and medication, for patients in Texas, New Mexico, Florida, Alaska, Arizona and Colorado.
Common Questions
Is there a podcast just about functional psychiatry?
Very few. The Holistic Psychiatry Podcast, hosted by psychiatrist Courtney Snyder, MD, comes closest. Most other shows cover functional or integrative mental health as part of a broader health focus.
Are podcast hosts on this list doctors?
Some are. The hosts include psychiatrists (Courtney Snyder, Henry Emmons, David Puder), a cardiologist, family physicians, neurologists and a neuroscientist with a PhD. One is a science journalist. We list each host’s credentials above.
Can I follow a podcast’s supplement or diet advice?
Talk to your clinician first. Supplements and diets such as ketogenic therapy can interact with medications and health conditions. Never stop or change a prescription based on a podcast.
Why did you leave out some popular shows?
We left out shows that promote diagnostic methods not supported by mainstream psychiatry, discourage psychiatric medication as a rule, or have stopped publishing.
Sources
- MedlinePlus: Evaluating Health Information
- NCCIH: Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a Name?
- NCCIH: Using Dietary Supplements Wisely
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