The Good Enough Psychiatrist

Connection and Mental Health: Psychiatry, Relationships, and What Keeps Us Going | Season 1 Premiere

In this season opener of The Good Enough Psychiatrist, we explore connection, the idea of a holding environment, and what keeps us grounded through the demands of psychiatry and everyday life. What does it mean to feel held—by our work, our relationships, and the world around us? In this episode, we reflect on how connection sustains us through the emotional realities of psychiatry training and life more broadly. We move between the personal, professional, and societal, exploring what reminds us of what truly matters when things feel uncertain or overwhelming. We discuss how connectedness shows up across different areas of life, including relationships, family, work, hobbies, grief, mental health, and being part of a larger community. This conversation sets the tone for the podcast: an honest, human look at psychiatry, training, and the experience of caring for others. Future episodes will expand on these themes through conversations with guests and deeper reflections on meaning, relationships, and the human side of medicine. Follow The Good Enough Psychiatrist for ongoing conversations about psychiatry, mental health, and connection.

Why We Chose Psychiatry | Introducing The Good Enough Psychiatrist

In the first episode of The Good Enough Psychiatrist, two psychiatry residents reflect on why they chose psychiatry and why they felt compelled to start this podcast. They discuss the emotional complexity of psychiatric training, the tension between being a clinician and being human, and the unspoken experiences that come with residency. This conversation sets the tone for a podcast focused not just on psychiatric knowledge, but on the lived experience of practicing psychiatry. Welcome to The Good Enough Psychiatrist. In this introductory episode, Chris and Ross share the story behind the podcast and explore what drew them to psychiatry. They discuss the fascinating question of human behavior, the power of therapeutic relationships, and the diverse tools psychiatrists use to help patients—from psychotherapy and medications to advocacy and neuromodulation. They also explore something that is rarely talked about openly: the emotional underbelly of psychiatric training. Residency can bring uncertainty, self-doubt, awe, and ethical tension—especially when navigating involuntary treatment, patient autonomy, and the responsibilities of clinical care. Throughout the conversation, they introduce the “good enough” framework—an idea rooted in being present, responsive, and emotionally available rather than striving for impossible perfection. This episode sets the foundation for the podcast: honest conversations about psychiatry, training, and the human side of medicine. Arrival Fallacy in Medical Education https://students-residents.aamc.org/medical-student-well-being/arrival-fallacy-medical-education-and-pursuit-happiness [https://students-residents.aamc.org/medical-student-well-being/arrival-fallacy-medical-education-and-pursuit-happiness] Future episodes will include: * Personal stories from psychiatric training * Conversations about the emotional experience of practicing psychiatry * Interviews with mentors, co-residents, and leaders in the field * Discussions of clinical topics through a humanistic lens * Occasional deep dives into psychiatric research and theory Have a question, story, or topic you'd like us to discuss? We’d love to hear from you. Reach out and be part of the conversation. Email us at TheGoodEnoughPsychiatrist@gmail.com. Also available on Apple Music and Substack.