Have you imagined what it's like to be a judge presiding over a court? To maintain calm in the court room, absorb and synthesise complex information, listen to sometimes deeply difficult stories and make decisions that affect the lives of others- and at times our society - in critical ways? These are just some of the tasks facing our judicial officers - our judges and magistrates. They are tasks that can have a significant impact on their stress and well being. My guest for this episode of the P...
Jun 05, 2019•57 min
What do you know about therapy? Did the producers of The Sopranos get it right? And are we all a little bit mad? The answer is 'yes' according to my guests today, both highly experienced Sydney-based psychotherapists and clinical psychologists. Professor Gillian Straker and Dr Jacqui Winship join me to talk about their new book, 'The Talking Cure: Normal people, their hidden struggles and the life-changing power of therapy' in which they introduce us first to relational psychotherapy through its...
May 28, 2019•53 min
NEWS We're taking a break from regular programming for a special mini episode celebrating the winners at the 2019 Australian Podcast Awards! Australians were on tenterhooks on Saturday 18 May 2019 as we awaited news of the winners and losers. Yes we had a Federal Election but more importantly, it was the 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Mr Potential Psychology and I headed north to Sydney to join in the festivities and fun, mingle with audio royalty and learn a little more about what's great on t...
May 21, 2019•22 min
Music and our moods are intrinsically linked. We seek sad songs when we're blue, upbeat vibes to work out, maybe classical for a bit of zen. But how does this work? What happens in your brain when you listen to music? And how can you use music strategically to boost your mood and your performance? My guest today is Dr Sandra Garrido. Sandra is a pianist, a violinist, an author, a mum and researcher. She started studying law but found that she didn't really like arguing with people for a living, ...
May 14, 2019•58 min
With an increasing number of children in the western world diagnosed with life threatening food allergies, the parents of these kids can find themselves overwhelmed, and anxious, with their well being and mental health under threat. My guest for this conversation knows this from lived experience. When her third child, Caleb, was just four months old he was diagnosed with multiple food allergies. At that moment Callie Mackenzie and her family were plunged into a world in which nothing felt safe. ...
May 07, 2019•56 min
Our doctors help to keep us well, but who looks after the doctors when they're struggling with stress, exhaustion and overwhelm? My guest today is Dr Rebekah Hoffman, a GP (General Practitioner) in regional NSW, a University lecturer and a PhD candidate at the University of Wollongong. As a junior doctor Rebekah began to struggle with the effects of long hours, limited sleep and a heavy workload. Following a holiday during which she realised that she was no longer the person she wanted to be, sh...
Apr 30, 2019•57 min
Welcome back to the Potential Psychology Podcast. My guest today once specialised in psycho-oncology, the human side of cancer. In 2010 at the age of 37 she received the terrifying news that she had not one but two primary breast cancers. This became a frightening opportunity to practice what she preaches. The practitioner became the patient. Dr Jodie Fleming has recounted her story in a touching memoir, 'A Hole in My Genes' published in February 2019. In this episode we talk about: •Her book (i...
Apr 22, 2019•1 hr 7 min
We're back for Season 5 and we have some exiting news! The Potential Psychology Podcast is up for an award. I'll give you the low down in this episode. My guest for the first episode of this season is Associate Professor Brock Bastian from the University of Melbourne and we're asking the question, 'Are we getting resilience wrong?' Resilience is a hot topic right now, with programs designed to build resilience featuring on the training schedules of our schools and workplaces. But what do we real...
Apr 16, 2019•55 min
Welcome to our special event celebratory podcast episode! We are celebrating because today, March 20, is the UN's International Day of Happiness and tomorrow, March 21, is the Potential Psychology Podcast's 1st birthday! We've been sharing the science of wellbeing on the air for one whole year. Throughout our first year we've explored well being, performance, goals, parenting, health, sleep, sport. resilience, yoga, work, strengths, hope and more. Our amazing guests have educated and inspired us...
Mar 19, 2019•38 min
How does where you work affect how you feel and behave? And is there a better way to build workspaces so that we can thrive and flourish at work? These are the questions that my guest and I explore in this episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast. Dr Jacqueline Vischer is Professor Emeritus at the University of Montreal, an environmental psychologist, author, consultant and expert in how the space we work in affects the way we think, feel and behave. Jacqueline's consulting agency Buildings-I...
Mar 13, 2019•1 hr 1 min
Today we are talking about one of my favourite topics - Sleep! My guest is Dr Kate Sprecher and she is speaking to me from Colorado, in the United States, where she a is post-doctoral researcher in the Sleep and Chronobiology Lab at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Kate's passion is understanding how sleep affects our physical and mental health with her guiding question being, 'How we can get the best sleep possible?' In this conversation I ask Kate about: •The impact of sleep (or lack of it...
Mar 05, 2019•52 min
Today I am kicking off the first of a few conversations specific to well being within particular professions. My guest for this episode has spent 10 years researching why the mental health of Veterinarians has become so compromised and what can be done about it. Dr Nadine Hamilton is a psychologist who has worked with Vets in her private practice to help them develop better coping strategies and get on top of stress and psychological fatigue to avoid burnout and prevent suicide. She also works w...
Feb 27, 2019•53 min
I'm delighted to have Matthew Condie on the podcast for this episode. Matt is the kind of eclectic psychologist that I love talking to. He's held several key roles in clinical psychology including child protection, youth and adult mental health, forensic drug and alcohol, emergency psychiatric services, perinatal and infant mental health, and refugee mental health working in refugee camps overseas. But Matt also has sport in his veins and he works with athletes and as an educator in the United S...
Feb 20, 2019•57 min
Do you know how to keep your brain healthy and well as you age? That's what we're talking about in this episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast. My guest is psychologist and neuroscientist Dr Desiree Dickerson who joins me from a little Spanish town near Denia. Desiree's passion is sharing up-to-date, science-backed tools and lifestyle strategies to stay mentally sharp and improve your brain health today and for the years to come. She gives public talks on brain health and well-being and run...
Feb 12, 2019•57 min
My guest today has found a way to take the human experiences that we're often not great at talking about openly and make them accessible through story and story telling. Her name is Anna Box. She is a psychologist and story strategist and on any given day she might be working with screenwriters and actors on unpacking a character's psychology, or working with an elite sport organisation on narrative, or working with a school to bring together positive psychology with spirituality and faith based...
Feb 05, 2019•1 hr 18 min
Tired of nagging and arguing with the kids? Today's guest suggests that you flip the switch to positive for happier, healthier kids and greater harmony for the whole family. Professor Lea Waters is one of the world's leading experts on Positive Education, Positive Organizations and Strength-Based Parenting and Teaching. She's a psychologist, the president of the international positive psychology association, the Founding Director of Positive Psychology Centre at the University of Melbourne. Lea ...
Jan 29, 2019•1 hr
Has the mental health pendulum swung too far? Distress is a contentious topic. We no longer accept 'toughen up, don't cry' as the appropriate message for our kids, schools, even workplaces but my guest today argues that 'medicalising' distress and jumping too quickly to diagnoses and clinical support might not be helping either. Professor Lindsay Oades is the Director of the Centre for Positive Psychology at The Melbourne Graduate School of Education. He firmly believes that "wellbeing is everyb...
Jan 22, 2019•1 hr 5 min
With me in this episode is Dr Adrian Medhurst. Adrian is a psychologist, speaker, author and thought leader on a mission to optimise performance and wellbeing for people and organisations. He specialises in performance psychology, wellbeing science, mindfulness, innovation and emerging technology. Adrian is the author of "Meditate on This: The Science of Mindfulness" and the CEO of - Benny Button, a wellbeing and performance business. Adrian describes himself as 'dedicated to improving the lives...
Jan 15, 2019•56 min
We're back with Season 4 of the Potential Psychology Podcast! In this mini episode I give you the low-down on the up coming expert guests and topics for another insightful and inspiring 10 week listening experience. Are you ready to learn from some of the world's authorities on wellbeing, performance, parenting and mastering your mind and behaviour? Are you ready to fulfil your potential? Come listen in! I'm looking forward to sharing the season with you. If you're new to the podcast, you can ca...
Jan 09, 2019•7 min
Drowning in email? Swamped by notifications? Stressed by endless work demands? How do you disconnect in a working world that's switched on 24/7? In this episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast I talk to Dr Melissa Marot, Clinical Neuropsychologist and Organisational Psychologist about work, stress, technology and finding balance in a constantly connected world. I ask Melissa: •What happens in our brain when we're stressed? •How should we respond to stressful situations at work? •What does th...
Nov 13, 2018•59 min
It's time to talk on the podcast about work and the role that work plays in our well being. Joining me for this episode is Organisational Psychologist and well being expert Karen Gillespie from the New South Wales-based consulting firm EEK & Sense. Karen is passionate about helping us get the blend right between our work and non-work lives, meeting the daily challenges of being at our best, feeling fulfilled at work, staying physically fit and healthy and being present for the other signific...
Nov 06, 2018•51 min
This episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast is for the men and boys - and the parents and partners of men and boys. My guest is Carl Nelms, psychologist and founder of Blokes Psychology, a psychology practice in Melbourne, Australia dedicated solely to males. During his training Carl noticed that many of our therapeutic services are designed for 'therapy lovers' and those open to discussion of feelings, emotional needs and concepts like mindfulness. It was his judgement, as a psychologist, ...
Oct 30, 2018•1 hr 1 min
"This is a generation that is really struggling. It speaks to me of a lack of resilience. The bottom line is that I don't think we are preparing even the little kids or the biggest kids for adversity.'' That's my guest, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, talking about the mental health and well being of our young people - the topic of this episode's podcast discussion. Michael is one of Australia's highest profile psychologists, author of 11 books, broadcaster and a specialist in parenting, children, adol...
Oct 23, 2018•51 min
We are turning our attention to kids and young people for our next couple of episodes of the podcast and in this episode I'm talking to psychologist Rachel Colla from Merakai about helping our kids to find a sense of hope and purpose. Merakai is an educational consultancy that helps schools and organisations to lead the way in wellbeing and performance. Rachel is the Director. She is also a speaker, facilitator, Lecturer at The University of Melbourne's Centre for Positive Psychology and mum to ...
Oct 16, 2018•1 hr 1 min
We all eat but have you given much thought to why you eat what you eat? Or when you eat? Or how you eat? Have you thought about your relationship with food? My guest today is Dr Naomi Malone, from A Life Simply Lived, a rural psychology practice located in Boort, a town of just under 900 people in the Mallee District of Northern Victoria . Naomi has a specialist interest in eating psychology and the intersection between nutrition and mental health. She's fascinated by our relationship with food ...
Oct 09, 2018•43 min
Ever felt nervous before a big presentation, exam or performance? The sweaty palms? Jumpy tummy? Racing heart? Have you noticed what where your mind goes in these moments? Do worries of impending disaster or freezing at the critical moment creep in? Want to know how to manage your mind - and your nerves? Joining me for Episode 24 of the Potential Psychology Podcast is psychologist, music teacher, concert pianist and performance coach Anastasia Hronis. Anastasia is an expert performer, making her...
Oct 02, 2018•52 min
We all know what we're supposed to do achieve our study, work and life goals but we rarely do it, do we? Instead we procrastinate and worry, waste time and stress ourselves out. My guests today are co-authors of a new book, 'The Rubber Brain: A toolkit for optimising your study, work and life!' and we're talking about the emotional and motivational factors that cause us to stumble when we're pursuing our goals. Associate Professor Jacquelyn Cranney from UNSW is passionate about leading education...
Sep 25, 2018•45 min
My guest for this episode is Dee Anderson, a Performance and Wellbeing Specialist who has worked with some of the world's most successful elite athletes to assist them with transitions in their lives and their personal development. Dee is a Director of the Performance and Transition Institute. She has been a national leader in the world of University sport and the development of student athletes. She is a director of Australian University Sport, the National Rugby league Players Ass (NRLPA), the...
Sep 18, 2018•57 min
My guest today is Caroline Anderson from Performance Edge Psychology. Caroline is one of those people who seems to have hit the talent jackpot. She not only runs two successful psychology practices, she also delivers programs and workshops to athletes, sporting organisations and corporate clients on high performance and wellbeing AND she is a former Olympic athlete herself. In this episode Caroline and I discuss the role of the mind and wellbeing in peak performance. We cover: •The psychological...
Sep 11, 2018•50 min
Hi Ellen here. If this is your first time listening to the podcast, welcome! I'm your host and I'm here with this mini episode to tell you a bit about what's coming up on the podcast in Season 3. This season we have a performance theme for this upcoming season and by performance I don't mean how to perform bigger, better or faster although I know you will pick up some tips on that if that's what you're looking for. Our focus is on the individual experience of performing, whether as an athlete, a...
Sep 04, 2018•4 min
