Episodes

The Listening Commons | Sandeep Marwah × Dr. Aninda Sidhana × Scott Douglas Jacobsen Can cinema change the way we see the world—and one another? What happens when the power of cinema meets the science of the human mind and the art of meaningful conversation? In this episode of The Listening Commons, three voices from cinema, psychiatry, and international journalism come together to explore how storytelling can inspire creativity, nurture empathy, open doors for young people, and build bridges...

Can we love someone deeply without losing ourselves? Love brings us together, but healthy relationships also need space for individuality, boundaries and personal freedom. In this episode of The Listening Commons, Canadian journalist Scott Douglas Jacobsen, New York-based mental health practitioner Sapira Cahana, and Indian psychiatrist and psychosexual medicine specialist Dr. Aninda Sidhana explore what it means to love, care and connect without losing our sense of self. Together, they discu...

Beyond the Diagnosis: Two Generations of Psychiatry, Three Perspectives on Humanity Dr. Roop Sidana × Dr. Aninda Sidhana × Scott Douglas Jacobsen What can 43 years of psychiatric practice teach us about the future of mental healthcare? In this special episode of The Listening Commons, Scott Douglas Jacobsen joins Dr. Aninda Sidhana and her father, veteran psychiatrist Dr. Roop Sidana, for an intergenerational exploration of psychiatry, stigma, artificial intelligence and the enduring importan...

How do biology, culture, relationships, and gender expectations shape women’s depression—and what helps women recover? In this episode of The Listening Commons, Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Dr. Aninda Sidhana explore women’s depression across the lifespan, examining hormonal influences, psychological experiences, social pressures, and the demands of work and caregiving. Their conversation covers the neurobiology of depression, stigma, loneliness, suicide risk, resilience, emotional intelligence,...

How does women’s mental health change across the lifespan—from puberty and reproductive years to pregnancy, postpartum life and menopause? And what happens when biology meets work, caregiving, relationships, sexuality and the pressures of an increasingly digital world? In this episode of The Listening Commons, Scott Douglas Jacobsen speaks with psychiatrists Dr. Aninda Sidhana and Dr. Sugandha Gupta about the biological, psychological and social forces shaping women’s mental health at different...

Aninda Sidhana and Dr. Indu Prakash Singh on Homelessness, Feminism, and Human Dignity How do Aninda Sidhana and Dr. Indu Prakash Singh connect homelessness, feminism, mental health, and human dignity in India? Aninda Sidhana is a mental health professional, feminist advocate, ISDRC Geneva Next Generation Leader, and co-creator of The Listening Commons. Her work brings together mental health, gender, dignity, and human rights, with a particular focus on people and communities facing stigma, ex...

39 hours. 9 days. 1% survival. And somehow, the story continued. This episode of The Listening Commons is especially close to my heart. Praver Awal is not simply our guest. He is a friend—and I have witnessed parts of a journey that, at times, felt nothing short of a miracle. But Praver 2.0 is not only a story about surviving a medical crisis. It is about what comes after survival. How do you rebuild when life has changed completely? What happens to fear, identity, relationships and purpose ...

Can artificial intelligence save a life in a mental health crisis, or does the true antidote to despair lie in human connection? In this episode of the listening commons Scott Douglas Jacobsen sits down with Dr. Aninda Sidhana—Indian psychiatrist, psychosexual-medicine specialist, educator, and global mental health advocate—to explore the evolving science, cultural landscape, and systemic realities of suicide prevention. Dr. Sidhana's work focuses on dignity-centered care, women's mental healt...

How does Preethi Balasubramanian connect sustainable entrepreneurship, founder wellbeing, immigrant women’s stories, and cross-cultural identity? Preethi Balasubramanian is a Toronto-based operations strategist, entrepreneur, author, and founder of Wonder EA and Wondering Pages. With more than 15 years of international experience, she helps founders build sustainable systems, reduce operational dependence, and avoid burnout. She is the author of The Ease Equation, writes children’s books rooted...

Dr. Nimesh G. Desai on Mental Health, Psychiatry, Human Rights, and Society How does Dr. Nimesh G. Desai understand the relationship Siddhanath reflects on listening, prevention, non-judgmentalitygical science, and society? Dr. Nimesh G. Desai is an Indian psychiatrist and public mental health specialist with more than four decades of clinical, academic, institutional, and policy experience. Formerly Director of the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences in Delhi, he has worked at NI...

Dr. Kersi Chavda on Suicide Prevention, Mental Health, AI, and Media Ethics Dr. Kersi Chavda is a senior Mumbai psychiatrist with more than 35 years of clinical, academic, and advocacy experience. He serves as a consultant psychiatrist at P. D. Hinduja National Hospital, Hinduja Healthcare, and Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital. A past president of the Bombay Psychiatric Society, he has led Indian Psychiatric Society task forces on school psychiatry and LGBTQ+ mental health and contributed...

Vibhu Kashyap: From Asur to Dial 1975 — Cinema, Mental Health & the Power of Storytelling What happens when cinema meets psychology—and a story becomes more than entertainment? In this episode of The Listening Commons, filmmaker, writer, creative strategist and entertainment executive Vibhu Kashyap joins psychiatrist Dr. Aninda Sidhana and journalist Scott Douglas Jacobsen for a conversation about the extraordinary power—and responsibility—of storytelling. With a career spanning film, televis...

How can women move from being disproportionately affected by conflict to becoming central architects of peace? Patricia Elias is a French-Lebanese international lawyer, senior gender expert and humanitarian, with extensive experience in governance, rule of law, gender equality, and women’s political participation and leadership. A former UN Women Senior Advisor for the Arab States, she has worked across humanitarian and international policy settings and is the founder of Avenir Liban. Her advoc...

How do you rewrite the rules of a society with pride and empathy? We often think of mental health as a private journey, but true recovery requires a foundation of public policy. Today on The Listening Commons, we are looking at the legal architecture of care. ​We are joined by veteran psychiatrist Dr. Kersi Chavda, who has spent the last forty years at the forefront of India's mental health revolution—from structuring the first government accommodations for learning disabilities to providing th...

Franca Borgia joins psychiatrist Dr. Aninda Sidhana for a reflective conversation exploring consciousness, culture, mental health and creativity—and how identity, inner experience and the creative process shape how we understand ourselves and one another. Part of The Listening Commons, a global conversation space connecting mental health, culture, creativity and lived experience.