Wired for Hope

About Wired for Hope

On Wired for Hope we explore the brain, behaviour, and mental health with people who have lived with brain injury and those who have studied it. I'm Dr. Jess, an NHS clinical psychologist in the UK, university lecturer, and published author, passionate about making neuroscience more accessible. We’ll explore a range of topics from sports related concussion, to feminist perspectives on disability, and mental health and identity. We’ll also shine a light on some of the latest research from around the world, in our regular feature ‘what’s new in neuroscience’. Subscribe today to join the Wired for hope podcast community and learn with me. Written and hosted by Dr. Jessica Barton Produced by Anthony Zahra (https://anthonyzahra.my.canva.site/) Music Credit: SigmaMusicArt (https://pixabay.com/users/sigmamusicart-36860929/) Wired for Hope disclaimer 1. The content shared on "Wired for Hope" is intended for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for personalised psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified mental health professional. 2. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship between you and the host, or any guest contributors. No therapeutic services are being provided via this podcast. 3. Mental health is deeply individual. If you are struggling with your mental wellbeing or have concerns about your mental health, please consult a qualified, licensed mental health professional in your local area. 4. This podcast is not intended for use in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or facing a mental health emergency, please seek immediate help by contacting emergency services or a crisis line. UK Resources Include: • Emergency Services (Police/Ambulance): Call 999 • Samaritans (Free, 24/7 Helpline): Call 116 123 • NHS 111 (Non-Emergency Medical Help): Call 111 • Contact your local Single Point of Access (SPA) for mental health referrals and support — a centralised hub in the UK for accessing local services. • Headway (https://www.headway.org.uk) – A UK charity providing resources and support for individuals affected by brain injury and their families. 5. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of information shared, the host and contributors to "Wired for Hope" disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage that may arise from the use of the podcast or reliance on its content. 🗣️ Guest Disclaimer Views expressed by guest speakers on the podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or any affiliated organisations. ⚠️ Trigger Warnings Some episodes may discuss sensitive topics such as trauma, abuse, suicide, or mental illness. Listener discretion is advised. Trigger warnings will be provided at the start of relevant episodes. 🌍 Jurisdiction Notice "Wired for Hope" is created and hosted in the United Kingdom. The content reflects psychological practices and legal considerations relevant to UK regulations. Listeners from other jurisdictions should consult local professionals for region-specific guidance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more i Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Dr. Jessica Barton

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Oct 2025

Latest episode

3 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

25 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Nov 2026

   Surviving Hidden Homelessness at 16 (Part One)

   In this episode Dr Jess meets Cynthia Kesington, Founder and CEO of She Believes She Can, a community organisation supporting women experiencing hidden homelessness, sofa surfing, and unstable housing. Cynthia shares her own story, from being asked to leave her family home at 16, just as she started college, to spending time on the street and in temporary accommodation. She describes how she kept up appearances to the outside world, and how she only later recognised what she had been through as homelessness. She explains why women’s homelessness is so often invisible, and what the council’s 56-day duty to help really means in practice. Cynthia also unpacks the concept of “intentional homelessness”, and why a home is about far more than four walls. This is Part One of a two-part conversation. Subscribe to the Wired for Hope podcast to make sure you don’t miss the next episode. Note: this episode contains discussions of homelessness, trauma, and unsafe living environments. LINKS: She Believes She Can: https://www.shebelievesshecan.org/ (https://www.shebelievesshecan.org/) StreetLink: https://thestreetlink.org.uk/ (https://thestreetlink.org.uk/) Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you catch the second episode. And join the conversation on Instagram @drjessneuropsych (https://www.instagram.com/drjessneuropsych/) Written and hosted by Dr. Jessica Barton Produced by ⁠Anthony Zahra⁠ (https://anthonyzahra.my.canva.site/) Music Credit: ⁠SigmaMusicArt⁠ (https://pixabay.com/users/sigmamusicart-36860929/) DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not intended for use in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or facing a mental health emergency, please seek immediate help by contacting emergency services or a crisis line. UK Resources Include: • Emergency Services (Police/Ambulance): Call 999 • Samaritans (Free, 24/7 Helpline): Call 116 123 • NHS 111 (Non-Emergency Medical Help): Call 111 • Contact your local Single Point of Access (SPA) for mental health referrals and support — a centralised hub in the UK for accessing local services. • ⁠Headway⁠ (https://www.headway.org.uk/) – A UK charity providing resources and support for individuals affected by brain injury and their families. Limitation of Liability While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of information shared, the host and contributors to “Wired for Hope” disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage that may arise from the use of the podcast or reliance on its content. Please see full disclaimer in the show description. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   19 Oct 2026

   Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in practice

   In part two, the conversation moves from the science of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy to its practice. Dr Henry Whitfield shares a series of powerful therapeutic exercises used during and after dosing, including a deceptively simple technique of toggling between a negative and positive self-belief that can produce rapid shifts in deeply held assumptions. Dr Rob Krause describes what low-dose trauma therapy with ketamine actually looks like in the room. They, along with Dr Mark Landreneau and Dr Jess, explore the critical importance of the integration period after dosing, the double-edged nature of neuroplasticity, and the risk of addiction. Mark offers a vivid analogy for the difference between the medical model of ketamine (numbing the wound) and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (cleaning it out). The episode closes with all three guests reflecting on what remains under-researched and what comes next, and converges on a shared conviction that group psychotherapy, with all its resonance and transformation, may be the most powerful and under-explored frontier in the field. Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you catch the second episode. And join the conversation on Instagram @drjessneuropsych (https://www.instagram.com/drjessneuropsych/) Written and hosted by Dr. Jessica Barton Produced by ⁠Anthony Zahra⁠ (https://anthonyzahra.my.canva.site/) Music Credit: ⁠SigmaMusicArt⁠ (https://pixabay.com/users/sigmamusicart-36860929/) DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not intended for use in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or facing a mental health emergency, please seek immediate help by contacting emergency services or a crisis line. UK Resources Include: • Emergency Services (Police/Ambulance): Call 999 • Samaritans (Free, 24/7 Helpline): Call 116 123 • NHS 111 (Non-Emergency Medical Help): Call 111 • Contact your local Single Point of Access (SPA) for mental health referrals and support — a centralised hub in the UK for accessing local services. • ⁠Headway⁠ (https://www.headway.org.uk/) – A UK charity providing resources and support for individuals affected by brain injury and their families. Limitation of Liability While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of information shared, the host and contributors to “Wired for Hope” disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage that may arise from the use of the podcast or reliance on its content. Please see full disclaimer in the show description. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Rewiring the brain - ketamine-assisted therapy

   In this episode of the Wired for Hope podcast, Dr Jess is joined by three expert guests to explore ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. It is a rapidly growing field sitting at the intersection of neuroscience, trauma therapy, and, as this conversation reveals, spirituality. Dr Rob Krause is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and psychedelic therapist based in Connecticut; Dr Mark Landreneau is a neurologist and neuro-intensivist who came to psychedelic medicine through his work with functional neurological disorders; and Dr Henry Whitfield is a trauma therapist, ACT practitioner, and psilocybin researcher at Maastricht University. Together they share the personal journeys that brought each of them to this work, including Rob's experience with LSD at a concert in his early twenties, Mark's encounter with the sacred, and Henry's discovery of ayahuasca. The conversation explores what ketamine-assisted psychotherapy actually is, how it works at different doses, why ego dissolution can be profoundly therapeutic, and what the neurobiology of ketamine tells us about trauma, depression, and the possibility of lasting change. This is part one of a two-part conversation. Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you catch the second episode. And join the conversation on Instagram @drjessneuropsych (https://www.instagram.com/drjessneuropsych/) Written and hosted by Dr. Jessica Barton Produced by ⁠Anthony Zahra⁠ (https://anthonyzahra.my.canva.site/) Music Credit: ⁠SigmaMusicArt⁠ (https://pixabay.com/users/sigmamusicart-36860929/) DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not intended for use in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger, experiencing suicidal thoughts, or facing a mental health emergency, please seek immediate help by contacting emergency services or a crisis line. UK Resources Include: • Emergency Services (Police/Ambulance): Call 999 • Samaritans (Free, 24/7 Helpline): Call 116 123 • NHS 111 (Non-Emergency Medical Help): Call 111 • Contact your local Single Point of Access (SPA) for mental health referrals and support — a centralised hub in the UK for accessing local services. • ⁠Headway⁠ (https://www.headway.org.uk/) – A UK charity providing resources and support for individuals affected by brain injury and their families. Limitation of Liability While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of information shared, the host and contributors to “Wired for Hope” disclaim any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage that may arise from the use of the podcast or reliance on its content. Please see full disclaimer in the show description. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

18 ratings

Contact Wired for Hope

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.