Dr. Amador's LEAP™ Podcasts
In this episode of Look Again: Mental Illness Re-examined, we explore anosognosia, a neurological symptom that affects a person’s ability to recognize their own illness. Host Faydra Aldridge introduces conversations with clinical psychologist Dr. Xavier Amador, author of I’m Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help, and documentary filmmaker Frank Kosa. Together, they unpack what anosognosia really is, why it’s often misunderstood, and how approaches like the LEAP method can help families and clinicians build trust and support recovery.
In this episode of SMI Spotlight, Dr Xavier Amador sits down with three nurses from New York City’s SCOUT (Subway Co-Response Outreach Team) program — a unique initiative that brings mental health expertise directly into the NYC subway system. These clinicians meet people with severe mental illness (SMI) where they are, building trust underground, offering compassionate care, and helping individuals access treatment when they need it.
In this episode, guest host Rachel Star Withers, who lives with schizophrenia, speaks with Dr. Xavier Amador, Founder and President of the LEAP Institute and author of the bestseller “I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help!” Together, they unpack what anosognosia is, why it prevents so many people from accepting help, and how loved ones can build trust and connection instead of conflict.
Dr. Amador recently sat down with Brenda Zane, host of Hopestream, a podcast for parents navigating the complexities of having a child misusing substances and struggling with mental health. They covered a lot of ground, and we’re happy to share the episode with you. You can find Hopestream on all major podcast apps (Apple, Google, Spotify, etc.) or click here to go straight to the episode. Enjoy!
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This is the podcast series that will capture the odysseys of those with the most feared illnesses of our time: bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, and severe depression. Unique and astonishing, the stories are nuanced, detailed, and empathic.
Xavier was a senior in college when he got a panicked call from his brother. This was his closest brother, his older brother whom he deeply admired, and he was telling Xavier that he had killed their dad. It would take Xavier nearly a decade to truly repair his relationship with his brother, though not for the reasons you would expect. But in the process, what he discovered would change the entire approach to schizophrenia for him, and then millions of others.
In this interview with Jennifer Cohen, Dr. Amador discusses the communication tools he has developed for assisting people with serious mental illnesses accept treatment, especially those patients who lack insight into their symptoms and disease, the ethics of overriding autonomy, the best ways to share information with clinicians while respecting confidentiality, and meeting the rising rates of mental illness in the US.
In today’s episode of SMI Spotlight, Dr. Xavier Amador is joined by Dr. Marketa Wills, CEO and Medical Director of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Dr. Wills discusses her career journey, leading her to enter the field of psychiatry and administration. She covers her vision for the upcoming advocacy from the APA, emphasizing the need to decriminalize mental illness. To achieve this decriminalization, she discusses the need for more tools and legal mechanisms to provide treatment for individuals with severe mental illness who may be unable to see their own need for medical intervention. She also speaks to how the APA advocates to address the shortage of psychiatrists nationwide.
“What do I do when my loved one doesn’t recognize they have a mental health challenge?” It can be one of the most difficult and painful aspects of the mental illness journey – to know there is support available and yet a family member cannot see that they need help.
Schizophrenia in the Family. How do we cope? How can we help? We each have adult sons with schizophrenia and have written acclaimed books about it. We say it like it is, to help families, practitioners and those with SMI (serious mental illness) feel less alone…and learn. Randye Kaye, Mindy Greiling, Miriam Feldman…and guests.