We’re excited to welcome you to Mind Meets Medicine, a curiosity-led podcast where mental health meets science through open, balanced conversation.
Hosted by mental health therapist Kaila Hattis, LMFT, and board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Sir Melancon, MD. this show connects clinical practice with real human experience to explore how mental health and medicine impacts everyday life.
Diagnosing Depression: Kaila and Dr. Sir break down where ordinary sadness ends and clinical depression begins. They walk through the markers (sleep, appetite, motivation, hopelessness, etc.) and the distorted "fun-house mirror" thinking depression creates. They cover what depression actually looks like in the room. They review the many types of depression (seasonal, postpartum, psychotic, older-adult), how to assess safety risk, and the medical and psychiatric conditions that can mimic...
25 Aug 2026
Understanding Therapy for OCD: ERP, ACT, iCBT
Kaila and Dr. Sir talk with Dr. Lorraine, founder of Choice Point Counseling, about the fine line between OCD and generalized anxiety, hidden "mental compulsions," and why response prevention matters more than exposure alone. Dr. Lorraine shares her own history with panic disorder, walks through treating harm OCD and health anxiety, and explains how ACT and values-based work help clients tolerate discomfort instead of avoiding it. They dig into medication stigma, family accommodation, and why...
18 Aug 2026
OCD & Anxiety in Children with Dr. Justin Mohatt
Understanding OCD in Kids and Teens: A Conversation with Dr. Justin Mohatt "OCD is really good at finding the weak link." In this episode, Kaila and Dr. Sir talk with Harvard-trained child psychiatrist Dr. Justin Mohatt, a national voice on psychopharmacology in children and behavioral health design architecture for children's hospitals. We open on the broader crisis of youth social disconnection before diving in. We explore how OCD differs from OCPD and casual "I'm so OCD" talk. Dr....
11 Aug 2026
Hormones & Medications for Gender Affirming Care: Dr. Cassy Friedrich
Gender-affirming care is life saving care. In this episode of Mind Meets Medicine, Kaila and Dr. Sir welcome Dr. Cassy Friedrich—a double board-certified family medicine and psychiatry physician who has spent their career providing gender-affirming care, from student-run free clinics at UC Davis to directing a gender-affirming care program across dozens of Planned Parenthood clinics. Dr. Friedrich walks through what this care actually involves: creating welcoming clinical environments, respe...
4 Aug 2026
Gender, Neurodivergence, and ADHD with Sean Garcia, LMFT
"Their gender is their gender... we just legitimize it medically and psychologically for them to receive care, but they're not attached to the diagnosis. They get attached to themselves." In this episode, Kaila and Dr. Sir sit down with Sean Garcia, LMFT, a South Bay therapist specializing in gender-affirming care and neurodivergence. We open by talking honestly about the weight clinicians are carrying right now — political shifts, legal rollbacks on trans healthcare, and the unique isolation...
28 Jul 2026
ADHD Breakdown with Carrie Ritsema
In this episode, Kayla and Dr. Sir sit down with Carrie Ritsema, RN, MSN, PMHNP-BC, a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with 20+ years in the field and co-founder of Manresa Wellness in Santa Cruz. Carrie brings a fascinating career path from El Salvador to the Bay Area, integrating primary care and psychiatry long before it was standard practice. We dig into what a real ADHD evaluation actually looks like: why symptom checkers and TikTok quizzes can't replace a ful...
21 Jul 2026
Sex Therapy with Dominique Oster, LMFT, CST
In this episode of Mind Meets Medicine, Dr. Sir and Kaila sit down with Dominique Oster, LMFT, certified sex therapist, for one of the most candid and clinically rich conversations. Dominique runs a private practice in Santa Cruz, CA, and works with individuals and couples navigating sexuality, trauma, queerness, and relational complexity. She also teaches in LGBTQ counseling programs and works as a therapist for therapists. 00:00 Intro & Meet Dominique Oster 02:56 From HR to Sex Therapy...
14 Jul 2026
Exploring Ethical Non-Monogamy in Couples Therapy
In this episode of Mind Meets Medicine, Dr. Sir and Kaila are joined by their colleague and friend Dr. Shereen Mohsen, psychologist, founder and CEO of Relucent Psychology Group, and one of the most thoughtful clinicians working at the intersection of attachment, trauma, and relational complexity. Together, they dive into ethical non-monogamy, polyamory, open relationships, and what couples work in this space actually looks like from the inside. 00:00 Intro & Meet Dr. Shereen Mohsen 06:2...
7 Jul 2026
The Impact of AI on Therapy and Medicine
In this episode, we open up an honest conversation about how AI is reshaping mental health and medicine. We discuss a range of topics from clinical documentation and patient care to the bigger question of what happens when people start replacing therapy with a chatbot. AI as a Clinical Tool AI-powered documentation and scribing have been genuinely transformative for many clinicians. HIPAA-compliant AI scribes can cut note-writing time and reduce end-of-day cognitive load. The key ethical r...
16 Apr 2026
Rethinking the Postpartum Experience with Dana Ramsey, CNM
Certified nurse midwife Dana Ramsey is back on Mind Meets Medicine. In part two of our conversation with Dana, founder of Nurture Women’s Health & Fertility in Santa Cruz, we go deep on what perinatal and postpartum mental health care actually looks and feels like. • Why prenatal visits dropped from 13 to 6 during COVID • The hormonal freefall after delivery — and why it mimics menopause • Breastfeeding pressure, formula guilt, and the psychology behind...
3 Apr 2026
Life Beyond the Bump: Healing Out Loud w/Erin Murray
Healing isn’t linear — and nobody knows that better than the women postpartum. In Part 2 of our conversation with Erin Murray, we go deep about what postpartum recovery looks like when the hard feelings don’t go away on their own, what it means to rebuild your sense of self after becoming a mother, and why reaching out to a professional might be the most important thing you do. Erin walks us through what the healing process really looks like as we grief our previous life and precious sense...
23 Mar 2026
Navigating Postpartum Mental Health with Erin Murray
Erin Murray is a licensed therapist specializing in teens, adults, couples, and families — known for her warm, down-to-earth approach that makes even the hardest conversations feel safe. In this episode, she joins us to talk about one of the most overlooked and misunderstood periods of a woman’s life: postpartum mental health. Erin helps us understand the real mental health impacts of pregnancy and parenthood — the ones that often go unspoken — and why it’s time we start taking them seriousl...
9 Mar 2026
Multidisciplinary Care: The Future of Integrated Mental & Medical Health
What happens when medical care and mental health stop operating in silos? In this episode of Mind Meets Medicine, we unpack the real-world impact of multidisciplinary care — and why collaboration between psychiatrists, therapists, physicians, and social workers is critical to better patient outcomes. From hospital systems to private practice, today’s healthcare landscape demands integrated care. But training pathways, billing structures, and cultural differences between specialties still crea...
17 Feb 2026
Human Connection with Dr Adam Dorsay: The Antidote to Loneliness
Dr. Adam Dorsay—aka EnthusiAdam—is a longtime friend, bestselling author, renowned psychologist, and exceptional podcast host. His podcast, SuperPsyched, spans over 300 episodes and features some of the most respected voices in mental health today. We’re lucky to have his brilliant mind with us this week. In this episode, we explore how connection—whether formed early in life or built in adulthood—shapes the way we think, grow, and even experience something as intangible as luck. Follow Dr ...
4 Feb 2026
"The Athletes Inner World" Sports Psychology with Dr. Lauren Lowe
In this Mind Meets Medicine episode, we’re joined by Dr. Lauren Lowe, sports psychologist from the University of San Francisco. She breaks down how the stress of competition, constant travel, and life as a high-level athlete shape both your mind and body. We explore how mental resilience builds alongside physical performance, and how understanding the psychology behind pressure can transform both your athletic game and your overall well-being. If you want to know what it truly takes to ...
27 Jan 2026
The Athlete’s Inner World: Sports Psychiatry & Mental Performance | Dr. Charles Bay
On this episode of Mind Meets Medicine, we welcome sports psychiatrist Dr. Charles Bay for a deep dive into how athletes navigate mental performance in today’s rapidly changing world. From the influence of technology and the rise of gambling-related pressure to the realities of modern competition, we unpack the psychological challenges athletes face on and off the field. We also explore how psychology and medication intersect with an athlete’s physique, schedule, and level of play—whether pr...
13 Jan 2026
Navigating Perimenopause & Menopause | Dana Ramsey
Menopause and perimenopause are often treated like checkboxes on a timeline-- On this episode of Mind Meets Medicine, we sit down with Dana Ramsey, founder of Nurture Women’s Health, for a deeply thoughtful conversation that reframes how we look at hormonal transitions, symptoms, and care. Dana shares her philosophy on why symptoms aren’t random or something to silence, but meaningful signals from the body asking for attention. We explore the gaps between conventional medicine and lived exper...
6 Jan 2026
Success on a "Timeline"
Welcome to Episode 2 of Mind Meets Medicine! In this episode, we dive into that all-too-familiar feeling of being in the wrong place at the wrong time in life—both professionally and personally. Dr. Sir and Kaila share their insights from both their careers and personal journeys, exploring what it means to find—or miss—your timing in today’s world. They tackle how we define success and what kind of timeline we really need when it comes to thriving in our own unique way. Episodes dropping on T...
29 Dec 2025
Introductions and Intentions
Hello and WELCOME to Mind Meets Medicine-- a curiosity led podcast where mental health meets science though open and balanced conversation. On today's episode we're so excited to introduce the show and its hosts, Kaila and Sir. We hope you have as much fun as we're having!
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