How do you practice a holistic approach to the management of anxiety? How might your mood benefit from incorporating lifestyle and psych-spiritual practices? Taking a whole-person, personalized approach to health can lead to feeling better understood and our lives enhanced. In today’s episode of Your Life in Process, Diana and holistic psychiatrist Dr. Ellen Vora discuss how to take an integrative approach to balancing your body, emotions, mind, and spirit.

About Ellen Vora

Ellen Vora, M.D., is a holistic psychiatrist, acupuncturist, yoga teacher, and author of The Anatomy of Anxiety (2022). She takes a functional medicine approach to mental health—considering the whole person and addressing imbalance at the root. Dr. Vora received her B.A. from Yale University and her M.D. from Columbia University, and she is board-certified in psychiatry and integrative holistic medicine. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

Key Takeaways

We are whole people and our approach to good mental health care must include every aspect of who we are.

• Especially for women, paying attention to our bodies (e.g., gut microbiome) or the natural cycle of hormones allows us to live within our rhythm rather than fight it.
• Trust yourself – beginning a practice to test out what can improve your mental health with lifestyle changes can give you personalized feedback about what works for you.

Related Resources

• Download Your Daily Practice for this episode
• Find out what kind of Striver you are and get your free Skillful Striving Toolkit
• Take Diana’s Online, On-demand Course on Foundations of ACT
• Check out Diana’s ACT course on Insight Timer!
• Watch Diana Hill’s YouTube Channel
• Link to my IG Live with Dr. Vora
• Gut-Brain Axis – How the Microbiome Influences Anxiety and Depression
• Effects of regulating intestinal microbiota on anxiety symptoms: A systematic review
• Sociocultural Perspective on Medical Gaslighting Article
• Listen to Diana Discuss Neurohacking with Elizabeth Ricker
• Visit: Lightfully Behavioral Health
• Write a Review on podchaser.com

Diana’s Events

• Reserve your spot in Diana’s Reset and Restore Retreat in Costa Rica in 2023!
• Sign up for Diana’s From Striving to Thriving Summit!
• See Diana at an upcoming event

Connecting With Diana

Thank you for listening to Your Life in Process! Subscribe to the podcast for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts. If you have any questions or feedback you can contact Diana by email podcast@yourlifeinprocess.com or leave Diana an audio message at (805) 457-2776. Follow Diana at YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.

Thank you to the team Craig, Angela Stubbs, Ashley Hiatt, and Abby Diehl. Thank you to Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Remember when you become psychologically flexible, you become free.

Episode Segments

• [00:00] Introduction
• [00:24] Sponsor: Lightfully Behavioral Health
• [01:25] A Listener Review
• [05:08] About Dr. Ellen Vora
• [06:10] Anxiety As A Sign Of Being Out Of Balance
• [08:54] Dr. Vora’s Journey To Holistic Psychiatry
• [11:38] The Balance Of Psychiatric Medication And Holistic Approaches
• [14:11] False Anxiety Versus True Anxiety
• [16:35] Why Does The Gut Microbiome Impact Our Mood?
• [25:15] The Role Of Hormones And Anxiety
• [32:19] How To Give Back To The Podcast
• [33:01] What Is True Anxiety?
• [37:28] The Role Of Self In Anxiety
• [38:41] The Role Of Meditation And Psychedelics In Anxiety
• [48:44] How To Find An Integrative Psychiatrist
• [50:54] Key Takeaways
• [52:16] Your Daily Practice
• [54:17] Connect With The Podcast