Better Thinking

In this episode of Better Thinking , Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Ruth Wells about mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings: what she learnt working alongside Syrian mental health practitioners, why context, rights and displacement matter as much as what happens inside someone's head, and what "walking alongside rather than trying to fix" looks like in practice. They talk abo...

In this episode of Better Thinking , Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Nancy Pachana about healthy ageing, finding purpose and well-being in later life, and navigating the transition into retirement. Professor Nancy A. Pachana is a clinical geropsychologist, neuropsychologist and Professor of Clinical Geropsychology in the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland. She is Program Lead...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Damien Stewart about the impact of intergenerational trauma, how traumatic experiences can influence subsequent generations, and what this means for mental health and wellbeing. As well as an elite level athlete, Damien resigned from a 20-year career as a police Officer in 2012 to pursue a career in psychology. Damien completed two maste...

In this episode of Better Thinking , Nesh Nikolic speaks with Niklas Törneke about understanding human behaviour through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Relational Frame Theory, and the practical use of language and metaphor in psychological change. Niklas Törneke is a Swedish psychiatrist, psychotherapist and a peer-reviewed ACT trainer. He has written a series of books on how to apply behavio...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Ella Moeck about how emotions shape the way people remember the past, think about the future, and respond to uncertainty. Dr Ella Moeck is a Lecturer in Psychology at Adelaide University who researches the intersection between cognitive and social psychology. Ella completed her PhD in 2019 at Flinders University before spending a few...

In this episode of Better Thinking , Nesh Nikolic speaks with Stacey Parker about how jobs and careers can be designed to maximise wellbeing, motivation, and performance, and what psychological principles can help create healthier and more fulfilling working lives. Associate Professor Stacey Parker is an organisational psychologist and academic for the School of Psychology, University of Queenslan...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Jennifer Hudson about the factors that shape children’s emotional health and how we can improve support and services for children experiencing anxiety and other emotional disorders. Professor Jennifer Hudson has made distinguished contributions to the scientific understanding and clinical treatment of anxiety disorders in child...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Eden Robertson about the psychosocial needs of families affected by rare disease and how lived experience can drive better, more compassionate healthcare. Dr Eden Robertson is a Sydney‑based behavioural scientist specialising in understanding and addressing the psychosocial needs of children and families navigating complex, rare disea...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Simon Rosenbaum about the intersection of physical activity and mental health, and how movement can play a powerful role in improving psychological wellbeing. Simon is an academic exercise physiologist with a focus on populations exposed to trauma and social disadvantage. Simon has published over 300 peer-reviewed publications...

Listen on Apple Podcasts  and  Spotify In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr James Morandini about advancing research across gender identity, gender dysphoria, sexual orientation, and the mental health challenges connected to these areas. James Morandini is a clinical psychologist and researcher whose clinical and research work focuses on matters of gender dysphoria/ident...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Lou Lasprugato about ACT within the therapeutic relationship, including process-based functional assessment and shaping psychological flexibility. Lou Lasprugato is a psychotherapist and internationally recognized trainer in the field of psychology. He is a Peer-Reviewed Trainer in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with the Associa...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Philip Batterham about advancing more efficient and precise methods for assessing suicidality and mental disorders. Philip Batterham is a Professor and Co-Head at the Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. Phil is a research leader in improving access to evidence-based supp...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Donel Martin about new and innovative approaches to improving cognition, with a focus on brain stimulation technologies. Dr Donel Martin is a clinical academic researcher based at the Black Dog Institute and University of New South Wales and practicing Senior Clinical Neuropsychologist. He has a Ph. D in psychology and a Masters in Cl...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr. Jerry Rosenbaum anxiety disorders, depression, and how psychedelics change the brain — and what this could mean for the future of psychiatry. Dr. Jerry Rosenbaum is the Stanley Cobb Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and former Chair of the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Department, where he led one of the n...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Robert Whitaker about how the disease model of mental illness emerged, what evidence it was built on, and why it may not be as scientifically grounded as many believe. Robert Whitaker is an American journalist and author who has won numerous awards as a journalist covering medicine and science, including the George Polk Award for Medical...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Dianna Kenny about understanding gender dysphoria in young people and the complexities surrounding their care and wellbeing. Dr Dianna T. Kenny is an experienced psychologist in Sydney who offers a range of services including individual adult psychotherapy, child, adolescent, couple, and family therapy, mediation and family dis...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Arthur Thomas Ware about fostering long, happy, and purposeful years in retirement, and how psychology can help us create meaning beyond work. Arthur Thomas Ware (He prefers to be called, Tom) will be turning ninety in April next year. He was born in the U.K. and came to Australia as a “Ten Pound Pom” in 1951. From that year he had a var...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Paul Rhodes about moving beyond individual psychology to explore systemic thinking, family therapy, eco-psychology, and affect theory. Professor Paul Rhodes is a clinical psychology academic and at The University of Sydney where he teaches family therapy, community-based approaches to mental health and a new lived experience co-designed...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Zoltán Sarnyai about his recent randomized controlled trial on ketogenic metabolic therapy for serious mental illness and the broader implications of this emerging field for the future of psychiatric treatment. Professor Zoltán Sarnyai, Director of the Margaret Roderick Centre for Mental health Research at James Cook University...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Lucy Johnstone about the Power Threat Meaning Framework and how it offers an alternative to traditional psychiatric diagnoses by focusing on power, threat, and meaning in people’s lives. Dr Lucy Johnstone is a consultant clinical psychologist, author of 'Users and abusers of psychiatry' (3rd edition Routledge 2021) and ‘A straight-talkin...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Gordon Parker AO about the gut–brain connection and how it could transform our understanding and treatment of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. Professor Gordon Parker AO is Scientia Professor of Psychiatry, UNSW, was Founder of the Black Dog Institute, Head of the UNSW School of Psychiatry, Director of th...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Matt Bernstein about the emerging field of metabolic psychiatry and how metabolism, nutrition, and lifestyle factors influence mental health. Dr. Matt Bernstein is a respected clinical psychiatrist for more than 20 years. He is also Accord’s chief executive officer and one of the leading voices in the emerging field of metabolic psych...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Joanna Moncrieff about her latest book: Chemically Imbalanced: The Making and Unmaking of The Serotonin Myth. Dr Joanna Moncrieff is a practising psychiatrist, part-time academic, and author with a deep interest in the history, philosophy, and politics of psychiatry. Her work focuses particularly on the use, misuse, and misrepresentat...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Associate Professor Jacqueline Anderson about the long-term impact of traumatic brain injuries and how they affect cognition, identity, and daily life. Jacqueline Anderson, PhD , is an Associate Professor in Clinical Neuropsychology in the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences. She is also the Convenor of the School’s flagship postg...

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr. David Healy about how psychotropic drugs and clinical trials have influenced the way we understand mental health and the broader impact these developments have had on society. David Healy, a professor in the Department of Family Medicine in McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, is a doctor, psychiatrist, psychopharmacologist, scien...