#1219 Sami Timimi: A New Approach to Understanding Mental Health, Distress and Neurodiversity
RECORDED ON NOVEMBER 27th 2025.
Dr. Sami Timimi is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. He is also an experienced Psychotherapist. He is also an author who writes from a critical psychiatry perspective on topics relating to mental health and he has published over a hundred and fifty articles and tens of chapters on many subjects including childhood, psychotherapy, behavioral disorders and cross-cultural psychiatry. He has authored 7 books including Searching for Normal: A New Approach to Understanding Mental Health, Distress and Neurodiversity.
In this episode, we focus on Searching for Normal. We start by discussing what mental health is, when are experiences symptoms, and what “normal” is. We talk about why there are so many more people receiving mental disorder diagnoses. We discuss the impact of neoliberal capitalism and politics on people’s lives. Finally, we talk about the future of psychiatry.
Time Links:
Intro
What is mental health?
When are experiences symptoms?
What is “normal”?
Why are there so many more people receiving mental disorder diagnoses?
The impact of neoliberal capitalism on people’s lives
The future of psychiatry
Follow Dr. Timimi’s work!
Follow Dr. Timimi’s work:
Website: https://www.samitimimi.co.uk/
Searching for Normal: https://tinyurl.com/ym58c97z
Twitter handle: @stimimi