In this episode I explore the idea of how our beliefs can impact our physiology, biology, and psychology.  How the research shows the power of changing our beliefs can have on our mind and body. Tangible tools to improve our mind and body. Lastly how storytelling can impact our creativity, education, and motivation to exercise.

Changing Our Beliefs to Improve Our Physical and Mental Health

In this episode I discuss the role of storytelling in shaping our beliefs and who we are in the world and the power to overcome it. Storytelling isn’t just how we entertain—it’s how we survive, connect, and make meaning. From an evolutionary standpoint, stories helped early humans bond in larger groups, transmit wisdom, and navigate danger. Neurologically, they activate empathy circuits, mirror sensory experiences, and even synchronize brainwaves between speaker and listener. But the real power of storytelling lies in its ability to shape belief and identity. Whether it’s a nation’s founding myth, a personal trauma narrative, or a viral conspiracy theory, stories determine how we see ourselves, others, and what we think is possible. And when people reclaim authorship of their own story—especially those who’ve been marginalized or silenced—it can restore agency, reshape mental health, and catalyze collective healing. Storytelling is not just reflection—it's revolution.

The Power of Storytelling in Shaping Who We Are and Our Beliefs

In this episode I explore the use of The Biopsychosocial Model for Mental Health. I break down each component of the model exploring the validity of biological, psychological, and social interventions. I go over the research comparing this model to single treatment options. Why the US health care system has not adopted yet and future directions on how we can push it into the US health care hemisphere for adoption.

The Biopsychosocial Model for Mental Health

In this episode I discuss how we can become more resilient through different protocols. Stress resilience is the ability to maintain or quickly regain mental health during or after adversity, and it depends on how well we regulate our emotional, physiological, and cognitive responses to stress. I discuss the different brain areas related to building resiliency and different techniques one can use to improve resiliency. Memory, attention, and emotion regulation training tools to immediately improve one's resiliency. Resilience isn't a fixed trait—it's shaped by experience and can be strengthened. At the brain level, key systems involved include the hippocampus (for distinguishing safety from threat), the prefrontal cortex (for cognitive control), and the reward system (for motivation and positive emotion). Together, these systems support positive appraisal—the ability to interpret stressors as manageable or meaningful—which helps keep stress reactions in check. To improve resilience, we can train cognitive control (e.g., through mindfulness or working memory exercises), shift attention and interpretation biases (e.g., using attentional bias modification), boost reward sensitivity (e.g., through exercise, social connection, or positive experience recall), and reduce inflammation and stress-related physiological wear (e.g., with anti-inflammatory diets, good sleep, and stress inoculation). Ultimately, resilience grows when we repeatedly adapt to challenges and learn that we can handle them.

How to Improve Stress Resilience

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Gwen Adshead to explore the human nature of violent criminal offenders through the lense of a forensic psychiatrist. Dr. Gwen Adshead is a renowned forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist with over 30 years of experience working with individuals who have committed violent crimes. She has worked extensively in high-security hospitals, prisons, and mental health services, helping offenders understand the psychological factors behind their actions. Dr. Adshead has a particular interest in moral reasoning, empathy development, and the therapeutic potential for change in those society often deems irredeemable. She is the co-author of The Devil You Know: Stories of Human Cruelty and Compassion, which explores the inner lives of violent offenders through case studies, challenging traditional perceptions of "evil" and advocating for a more compassionate approach to forensic psychiatry. Her work highlights the intersection of trauma, mental illness, and criminal behavior, emphasizing the potential for rehabilitation through psychological therapy. As a lecturer, researcher, and author, she continues to influence both academic and public discussions on criminal justice, mental health, and the psychology of violence.

Inside the Minds of Violent Criminals w/ Dr. Gwen Adshead

In this episode I sit down with Karissa Johnson, PhD candidate at the University of Saskatchewan where she focuses on research supporting female athletes through self-compassion. We talk about what self-compassion research and how that translates to helping athletes. How to build confidence, overcome challenges, and so much more.

Empowering the Female Athlete w/ Karissa Johnson

In this episode I sit down with Dr. Alex Olmos and discuss the ins and outs of strength training. The mechanisms behind why we get strong. The benefits of strength training. What he has learned from his recent research and what life is like transitioning from a PhD candidate to a professor.

What it Means to be Strong, How to get Strong, and Why it Matters w/ Dr. Alex Olmos

In this episode I talk about the building blocks to create a successful strength or hypertrophy program. I go over strength training considerations of skill acquisition and how we get strong. Hypertrophy program, how we grow and the importance of progressive overload. I end with going over the psychological considerations of programming and tools to improve your awareness of the psyche.

Programming for Strength and Hypertrophy

In this episode I talk to Burkhart Hahn PhD candidate from Oklahoma State University where is specializes in research focusing on anxiety disorders. Here we talk about his own mental health and how that has made him a better therapist. Tools to better understand and cope with anxiety disorders. The anxiety disorders as a whole and the mechanism behind their function. Along with how exercise can help improve anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety Disorders and Strategies to Enhance Emotional Resilience w/ Burkhart Hahn

In this episode I sit down with 20-year Special Forces Veteran Eric Maxwell. We discuss what makes a good leader and how can one build leadership skills. How war impacts our human behavior. How has mental health changed in his 20 years of service. How to balance family life in the military and transitioning out.

Building Leadership and What War Does to Human Behavior w/ Eric Maxwell

Conversations exploring the drive to be curious. Looking into the sciences, health, philosophy, history, and great conversations with people. 

The Tony Montgomery Podcast