All In The Mind

Cosmetic procedures aren't reserved for celebrities anymore - they're becoming more and more accessible for every day people.  So if we're able to alter our looks or avoid the appearance of aging altogether, what impact does this have on our psychology? Today, we examine how changing our faces might change how we see each other. Please note, this episode includes some discussion of body image and...

Politics, war, abortion, gun control — why do some topics make us so outraged? One theory is that our preoccupation with preventing harm is to blame. So today, we examine how humans developed morality, why we differ in what we consider right and wrong, and how that drives us to moral outrage. And after all of that, we'll find out how to have better conversations with people you disagree with (even...

In the last couple of weeks, a lot of people have been getting excited about space exploration thanks to Artemis II. So this week, we revisit an episode from our archives all about life as an astronaut and the psychological impacts of long distance space travel.  And if you enjoy this episode, check out Artemis Explained, a podcast from the Science Friction team, following the Artemis II mission....

Welcome back to All in the Mind's little sister: Mind Hacks.  In this episode, we're joined by developmental paediatrician and co-host of Pop Culture Parenting, Dr Billy Garvey. From self compassion to channelling anger into advocacy, Billy shares his own strategies for managing bad days. On Mind Hacks, we're bringing you bonus content with special guests, featuring rapid fire questions about thei...

How can I help my child with anxiety? What's the deal with sleep training? Are we supposed to ignore tantrums? This week, we've invited developmental paediatrician Dr Billy Garvey back on All in the Mind for a mailbag episode. We'll unpack your parenting dilemmas which cover questions about kids of all ages, from the littlest of newborns right through to teenagers.  So whether you're a parent, aun...

This week we're talking about something intimate… and sometimes taboo: masturbation. From self-love, to disordered behaviour and back again, we explore how our perceptions of masturbation have changed over the course of history and why it's still linked to shame and confusion for some. Also, why do humans (and other animals) masturbate in the first place? Just a heads up, if the topic didn't give...

Welcome back to All in the Mind's little sister: Mind Hacks. In this episode, health journalist and author Casey Beros on managing your inner critic, balancing competing appetites for more and less in life, and filtering out the external voices to chart your own course in life. Each week on Mind Hacks, we're bringing you bonus content with special guests, featuring rapid fire questions about their...

When Casey Beros' dad was diagnosed with mesothelioma, she knew her entire world would change.  More than three million Australians are carers — a role people are often thrust into without any kind of map. So based on her own experience, Casey wrote one. On All in the Mind this week, what it takes to be a carer for a loved one. How to get through the tough conversations and difficult moments — fro...

How do you grieve a dying parent you're estranged from? Do cheaters ever change? People say love should feel 'easy', is that true? Psychotherapist Esther Perel is back on All in the Mind, answering your questions about heartbreak, loss, and love in this extra special mailbag episode. We've got questions on how to reconnect with estranged siblings, what to do when global conflicts impact personal r...

Welcome back to All in the Mind's little sister: Mind Hacks. In this episode, cognitive neuroscientist Joel Pearson tells us how he manages his own stress (clue: it involves saunas!) Each week on Mind Hacks, we're bringing you bonus content with special guests, featuring rapid fire questions about their mental health tips and pet peeves. It's like a psychology version of eff, marry kill! We're goi...

Social media gave us brain rot; will AI give us cognitive atrophy? How can we possibly learn to cope with the sheer amount of uncertainty and change heading our way? Cognitive neuroscientist Joel Pearson is back on the show, two years after his mega popular appearance in our episode titled "Scarier than killer robots": why your mind isn't ready for AI .In this episode we cover the potential long-t...

Introducing All in the Mind's little sister: Mind Hacks. Each week, we'll bring you bonus content with special guests, featuring rapid fire questions about their mental health tips and pet peeves. It's like a psychology version of eff, marry kill! Kicking off our first episode is none other than Esther Perel. What mental health advice would she avoid at all costs? We're going to test this format o...

Psychotherapist and relationship expert Esther Perel has had a lot of 'firsts' over her four decade-long career — counselling her first polyamorous relationship, or her first gay couple navigating surrogacy. Now, she's just done her first session with a man and his AI 'girlfriend'… Did she struggle to take this ‘couple’ seriously? What kind of love can someone really form with a chatbot? And why w...

Developmental paediatrician Dr Billy Garvey is returning to All in the Mind and we'd love to ask him your questions! Billy is an expert on kids' mental health — last time he was on the show we discussed what's really going on with kids who are labelled "bad"; including insecure attachment, separation anxiety and emotional difficulties.  He co-hosts Pop Culture Parenting and is the author of Ten th...

The siren has sounded. The scores are even. A footy player has one final chance to kick an easy goal to get his team into the finals. He's right in front of the goals. He lines up. Kicks. Misses. The pressure of such a moment was phenomenal, and the player choked under it. So what happens in the brain during such intense periods? Why can some people remain calm while others can't handle it? This e...

40 years ago, NASA experienced one of its most devastating disasters. The Challenger space shuttle disintegrated just 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven crew members. How had this happened? And did the culture of NASA have anything to do with it? In this episode, we dig into a concept called 'normalisation of deviance', which has been touted as an explanation for this incident, as well as...

Renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel is coming to All in the Mind! And we'd love to ask her some of your questions. Esther Perel is an internationally recognised couples therapist. You might know her as the author of Mating in Captivity and The State of Affairs . Family, sex, intimacy, friendship, betrayal - Esther covers it all.  So if you have any thorny relationship questions you'd like to ask...

Slow walkers. Unmelted cheese in a toastie. Bad formatting in documents.  If these small annoyances make you weirdly mad, you're not alone (in fact, you're human). But when little pet peeves add up, they can contribute much bigger problems like chronic stress. So what can you do about it? Today: why small annoyances have such an outsized impact; why judging yourself doesn't help; and how elements...

When Blake's dad died by suicide, it came as a complete shock. Overwhelming grief, combined with confusion and guilt — it uprooted his life. The loss made him rethink his own mental health, and eventually, channel that into the community — fundraising and taking on three world records. Today, we're talking about suicide bereavement; how it can affect family and friends, its long lasting impacts on...

Simon considers himself a calm, conscientious, conflict-avoidant type of person. But in the car, his personality flips — and it scares him. It can be hard to admit, but many of us do experience road rage. So what is it about being in the driver's seat that makes us so quick to anger? And does the type of car a person drives have anything to do with their propensity for aggression? Today, we're tal...

Over years of practice, clinical psychologist Dr Mary Anderson started to notice a peculiar pattern across her many clients. Despite being impressive high achievers on the outside, inside they were struggling with burnout, imposter syndrome, anxiety and self-criticism. So she set out to develop a guide for these high achievers. A framework to support their success ... without sacrificing their men...

Many of us have felt self loathing at some point in our lives — maybe when you've failed at an important task at work, or lost an important relationship. But some people hate themselves all the time — their inner monologue is a constant drumbeat of self-criticism and self-loathing.  Where does this kind of all-encompassing self-hate come from? And is there a way to unlearn it? We speak to psychiat...

Be honest, how many times have you checked your notifications in the last hour? Or opened a new, totally unrelated tab? Or stopped what you're doing even though you really need to do it? Distractions are everywhere. And whether they're self-imposed or coming from our environment, it can be hard to focus. Today, we explore the ramifications of our rapidly shrinking attention spans, debunk some myth...

Have you ever experienced "the ick"? It's that sudden, visceral feeling of being put off by someone you're dating. Maybe it's their hat, a hobby or even the way they laugh. Stories of the ick are prolific online, but it leaves us with a question - what causes it?  To separate red flags from disgust, we get into the psychology of the ick - why you might feel icky, if it should be a deal breaker, an...

Developmental paediatrician Dr Billy Garvey has seen a lot of kids with behavioural issue over the years, and there are ten things he wishes all parents understood about their kids mental health. From insecure attachment to separation anxiety to emotional difficulties – he gives us the low down on why kids get labelled ‘bad’ – and what’s really going on (usually). You can catch up on more episodes...