Does lived-experience matter in clinical work? With David Wiss, PhD, RDN, IFMCP

When we argue with other clinicians about treatment-related issues, it’s natural to focus almost exclusively on content. And when it doesn’t go well, we often attribute that to the wrongness of the other person’s position. We might accuse them of perpetuating harm, or being small-minded or out of touch with reality or science.

I would argue that process is equally, if not more, important, particularly when we’re trying to bridge ideological divides. By process, I mean how we’re relating to one another. Process is closely tied to meta-emotion: how we see emotions and the role they serve? What do we believe about the value of expressing or not expressing emotion in different contexts.

With me today is Dr. David Wiss. David has been on this podcast for two prior episodes about food addiction. I’ve read and watched some of his work and have a lot of respect for it. And in previous conversations, we’ve also bumped into some of our differences in process and in how we approach emotion and lived-experience.

In this episode, we talk through some of those differences, what they brought up for each of us, and what it is to create a container that can hold differences, not only in what we believe, but in how we communicate.

We also discuss to what extent lived-experience is valuable while in a professional role. If you’ve listened to other episodes of this podcast, you likely know that I focus a lot on people’s lived experience, with the goal of bringing people together by understanding the contexts and stories that shape our positions.

At the same time, in this conversation, David helps me understand that dogmatic overemphasis on lived-experience can also drive people apart.

David Wiss, PhD, is a researcher, mental health nutritionist and Institute of Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner (IFMCP) who bridges nutritional science and psychiatric care through comprehensive root-cause analysis. He founded Nutrition in Recovery and the Wise Mind Nutrition app, integrating cutting-edge personalized nutrition protocols into substance use disorder and eating disorder care. David’s work has been cited in National Geographic, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, and he has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications examining the complex relationships between ultra-processed food addiction, eating disorders, and mental health. As someone who witnessed firsthand how ancient wisdom can restore hope when traditional treatments fall short, David practices and trains clinicians in whole-person, integrative mental health.

Blog post from David about bridging divides: https://medium.com/@drdavidwiss/risking-belonging-how-mental-health-recovery-principles-can-heal-our-fractured-world-d7166f45748c

More on David: https://drdavidwiss.com/

More on Elka: https://cubacubcounseling.com/