Mental Work is the Australian podcast unpacking the challenges faced by early-career psychologists, so they don't have to go it alone. Hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins.
Bron and Matthew chat about career opportunities in psychology beyond the therapy chair and, if you're already a qualified psychologist, beyond completing the Registrar program. We refer to β¨shinyβ¨ new research from researchers at the University of Canberra and the Australian National University showing that the skills gained during a psychology degree are in-demand across a range of industries (hooray!). We reckon this episode is ...
Bron and Phoebe chat about how to help clients have healthy romantic relationships and develop a secure attachment style. Phoebe tells us about her additional postgrad training in relationship counselling, how therapy has been essential to her personal growth, and how she went about setting up an online group therapy program.
Guest: Phoebe Rogers, Clinical Psychologist and Women's Dating and Relationship Coach at The Relationship ...
Bron and Jordan chat about how to know if private practice is for you, and if you are ready for this big step! We discuss the financial aspects, practical skills needed, and the importance of good work-life boundaries. Jordan shares her recent journey of moving from group to solo practice, and Bron offers her perspective from the past three years of being a solo private practitioner. Enjoy!
Guest: Jordan Turner, Educational & ...
Bron and Kate chat about the challenges and rewards of working therapeutically with children under the age of 10. ππΌ Kate shares her journey into child psychology ππΎ Innovative therapeutic techniques such as Lego therapy ππΏ How to maintain boundaries and confidentiality in sensitive family situations π The importance of liking and understanding children ππ» Practical advice for early-career psychologists interested in this ...
Bron and Brede chat about MUSIC THERAPY! πΆ We discuss ππ½ Who music therapy can help ππ» How creativity is therapeutic π How to become a Registered Music Therapist ππΏ Common misconceptions about music therapy aaand ππΎ Practical advice for psychologists interested in incorporating music into their therapeutic practices.
Guest: Brede Davis, Registered Music Therapist & Co-Chair of the Australian Music Therapy Association...
Bron and Marie explore how to work effectively with teenage clients. We cover ππ½ The importance of getting to the root cause of behaviours like vaping or excessive phone-use ππ» Managing parents' expectations π Ethical complexities when working with young people ππΏ TikTok self-diagnosis ππΎ Ways to build rapport with teens. I learned HEAPS when recording this ep, and I hope you do too!
Bron and Rebecca explore all things joy, play, and fun! They chat about the importance of joy for sustainability in our careers, the common challenges of therapist schemas like self-sacrifice and unrelenting standards, and practical ways that therapists can bring joy into their work to keep burnout at bay. This was a delightful chat and I definitely felt ready to make more space for joy and play in my daily life by the end!
Bron chats with Matthew about Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and its application for folks diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). We dive into the stigma surrounding BPD and discuss how reframing BPD as a trauma response can help us to be more compassionate practitioners. Matthew explains the core components of DBT, the importance of a supportive therapeutic relationship, and his favourite DBT strategies.
Guest...
Come celebrate our 100th episode with us! π₯³π₯³π₯³ Bron is joined by editor of the podcast, Dr Michael English, to reflect on this huge milestone and listen to clips from our favourite episodes. What was the most requested episode? The most fun episode? The most listened to episode? You'll have to listen in to find out!
(PS: I say it in the episode, but I'll say it again, thanks so much for listening π₯Ή We're so glad the podcast has...
Bron chats with Betty about her experiences of failing the National Psychology Exam. Betty shares the emotional toll of failing, the financial implications, and the struggle with shame and self-doubt it brought. We highlight the need for more open discussions about setbacks in the psychology profession and stress that failing an exam does NOT define oneβs worth or capability as a psychologist. We thank and applaud Betty for vulnera...
Bron chats with Jordan about why she chose to work as a contractor and how she knew it was time to open her own private practice. We also unpack what you need to know if you're considering contract work, including ππΌ What's a fair split arrangement? π How do I know if I'm a contractor or an employee? ππΏ The importance of understanding the financial side of contracting.
Bron and Sherry-Lee explore the application of trauma-informed approaches, particularly Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, to eating disorders. We dive into ππΏ trauma-informed care ππ½ adapting trauma therapy for clients with eating disorders π What EMDR is and how it can be used to help clients with eating disorders.
Guest: Sherry-Lee Smith - Director of the Phoenix Holistic Health Centre, Psycholog...
Eating disorders are complex but don't stress, we're here to help. Bron and Harriet chat about ππΏ The critical roles that body dissatisfaction, shame, and perfectionism play in eating disorders ππΎ Treatment approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Enhanced (CBT-E) and Maudsley Family Therapy ππ» The importance of being aware of your own attitudes towards weight and shape π Why treatment plans need to be client-centre...
Bron and Daniela talk about how to ensure that therapy is culturally responsive, particularly for clients of Asian heritage. They chat about ππ½ Daniela's lived experience as a person of the Asian diaspora ππ» How culture shows up in therapy (even if we're not aware of it) π Strategies for building rapport and retaining clients who are culturally-diverse ππΏ Daniela's passion project, Project Horizon, in which she strives to ma...
You might have heard that professional associations exist for psychologists -- but what exactly do they do, and what are the benefits of joining one? Bron is joined by two Directors of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi) to chat about what professional associations do for their members, how professional associations collaborate with Government, and where psychology advocacy is headed in the future.Β
Clients often share information that hits us right in the feels: Things that are sad, traumatic, angering, devastating, and everything in between. Bron and Matthew explore how to go about actually processing the emotional impact of therapy sessions. They chat about ππ½ Ways to lessen the risk of vicarious trauma ππ» Managing the challenge of not being able to talk about client sessions with loved ones due to our ethical obligatio...
Bron and Dr Aaron Frost discuss the importance of deliberate practice in the development of psychologists. They highlight that psychologists can reliably improve their skills by collecting client data and working on the areas that are difficult (like client retention), instead of learning therapy after therapy. We talk about π What role plays should look like ππΌ Why step-by-step improvement is the goal to therapist skill develop...
Bron chats with her brother, Cameron, who is an NDIS participant and lives with cerebral palsy. They discuss his experiences, his preferences when working with psychologists, his likes and dislikes in the way people approach his disability, and how the NDIS could improve. Listen in for an insightful chat!
THE END BITS
Mental Work is your companion to early-career psychology, hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins.
Bron and Katherine demystify the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and working effectively with people with a disability. They chat about ππ½ Katherine's insights as a Behaviour Support Practitioner ππ» The importance of understanding the functional behaviour of people living with disabilities π Katherine's advocacy work within the disability sector.Β
Guest: Dr Katherine Elliston, Psychologist / Representative on the ...
Dr Bron and Dr Michael deep dive into the world of PhDs. They chat about ππ½ their very different experiences of doing a PhD ππ» How doing a PhD has helped Bron to be a better therapist π How Michael has used his PhD as a postdoctoral researcher & PhD supervisor ππΏ Tips, tricks, and considerations if you're thinking of studying a PhD.
Guest: Dr Michael English, Postdoctoral Researcher
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