From Psychosis to Practitioner: Marco Mateus on Surviving, Understanding, and Transforming the Mind
To get a free hypnosis consultation with David Barron visit http://NewHampshireHypnosis.com Or call (603)589-8033 In this powerful episode, David Barron sits down with Marco Mateus, a therapist from Portugal who specialises in complex psychological and emotional challenges — psychosis, paranoia, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, severe anxiety, and existential crises. But Marco's connection to this work is not merely professional. Twenty-three years ago, he experienced a three-month psychotic episode himself. Rather than letting it define his life, that experience became the foundation of a lifelong journey to understand the human mind, consciousness, and the processes behind psychological transformation. Marco shares what it was like to live inside a world where objects spoke to him, where a messy table became a chorus of voices telling their histories, and where he lost the ability to speak yet discovered he could shift his internal state from panic to joy. He describes the pivotal support he received: a German psychiatrist who offered him two paths — medication or self-treatment — and his father, a man with no formal training who intuitively used something very much like NLP and hypnosis to guide his recovery. The story of the rocket — a simple visual metaphor that dissolved a night of depression — is a testament to the power of language, imagery, and presence. The conversation explores why mainstream mental healthcare often fails people in crisis, the myth that these experiences are always diseases rather than meaningful responses to context and society, and what shamanic cultures can teach us about creating space for transformation. Marco also opens up about his training in conversational hypnosis, Ericksonian hypnosis, mesmerism, Fascination, and Social Panorama, and how his work with David Barron's books — particularly the reframing of influence and manipulation as neutral tools — has shaped his approach. Whether you're a therapist, a hypnotist, someone navigating your own mental health journey, or simply curious about the outer edges of human experience, this episode offers a rare, non-judgmental, and deeply human perspective on psychosis, recovery, and the potential that lives inside even the most frightening states of mind. Connect with Marco Mateus: 🌐 Website: www.psychosis-therapy.com/en-gb 🎙️ Portuguese-language podcast appearance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2U8MaAA3EQ&t=563s
