# Ep347: Nurturing the Mind - Dr Nida Chenagtsang & Dr Caroline Van Damme

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/guru-viking-podcast-1161340/ep347-nurturing-the-mind-dr-nida-chenagtsang-dr-caroline-van-damme
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/guru-viking-podcast-1161340/ep347-nurturing-the-mind-dr-nida-chenagtsang-dr-caroline-van-damme.md
Podcast: [Guru Viking Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/guru-viking-podcast-1161340)
Published: 2026-02-06T14:00:19+00:00
Episode link: https://soundcloud.com/guruviking/ep347-nurturing-the-mind-dr-nida-chenagtsang-dr-caroline-van-damme
Audio file: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2260545722-guruviking-ep347-nurturing-the-mind-dr-nida-chenagtsang-dr-caroline-van-damme.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/guru-viking-podcast-1161340/episodes/ep347-nurturing-the-mind-dr-nida-chenagtsang-dr-caroline-van-damme
Duration seconds: 6212

## Resource

In this episode I host a dialogue between Buddhist teacher and doctor of Tibetan Medicine Dr Nida Chenagtsang and adult psychiatrist and family and systemic psychotherapist Dr Caroline Van Damme. Drs Nida and Caroline reflect on a half decade of collaboration in which they have explored the meeting of Western psychology and psychiatry with Tibetan medical and Buddhist models. They discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each others’ systems, consider placebo as an explanatory mechanism for traditional health systems, question the benefits of an over-therapised culture, and contrast Tibetan and European approaches to knowledge. Drs Nida and Caroline also discuss the role of traditional ideas of spirit possession in today’s clinical contexts, share anecdotes of exorcisms and psychosis, and offer their best insights and techniques to truly nurture the mind. … Link in bio. Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:04 - How did their collaboration begin? 02:38 - Dr Nida’s long standing interest in Western Psychology 06:38 - Meeting Dr Caroline 08:30 - Sowa Rigpa Counsellor Course 13:23 - The power of individualised therapy 16:14 - Reflections on Buddhist psychology and Sowa Rigpa 22:23 - Trauma and childhood conditioning 23:52 - Tibetan vs European ways of thinking 28:50 - Industrial revolution, scientism, and mind-body dualism 30:43 - Open-mindedness when working with psychotic patients 33:04 - Family therapy 36:57 - Weaknesses of Tibetan medicine 42:59 - Traditional medicine leans into placebo 45:46 - Do malevolent spirits cause psychological illnesses? 46:54 - African cultural ideas about spirits and black magic 47:40 - Do exorcisms cause further trauma? 53:12- Dr Nida reflects on the strengths of West…

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