Mental Work

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 h...

Come celebrate our 100th episode with us! 🥳🥳🥳 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 listenin...

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 one’s worth or capability as a psychologist. We...

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 👉🏼 What's a fair split arrangement? 👉 How do I know if I'm a contractor or an employee? 👉🏿 The importance of understanding the financial side of contracting. Guest: Jordan Turner, E...

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 👉🏿 trauma-informed care 👉🏽 adapting trauma therapy for clients with eating disorders 👉 What EMDR is and how it can be used to help clients with eating disorders. Guest: Sherry-Lee Smith - Director of the Phoenix...

Eating disorders are complex but don't stress, we're here to help. Bron and Harriet chat about 👉🏿 The critical roles that body dissatisfaction, shame, and perfectionism play in eating disorders 👉🏾 Treatment approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Enhanced (CBT-E) and Maudsley Family Therapy 👉🏻 The importance of being aware of your own attitudes towards weight and shape 👉 Why treat...

Bron and Daniela talk about how to ensure that therapy is culturally responsive, particularly for clients of Asian heritage. They chat about 👉🏽 Daniela's lived experience as a person of the Asian diaspora 👉🏻 How culture shows up in therapy (even if we're not aware of it) 👉 Strategies for building rapport and retaining clients who are culturally-diverse 👉🏿 Daniela's passion project, Project...

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 h...

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 👉🏽 Ways to lessen the risk of vicarious trauma 👉🏻 Managing the challenge of not being able to talk about client sessions with love...

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 👉 What role plays should look like 👉🏼 Why step-by-step improvement is...

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 M...

Bron and Katherine demystify the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and working effectively with people with a disability. They chat about 👉🏽 Katherine's insights as a Behaviour Support Practitioner 👉🏻 The importance of understanding the functional behaviour of people living with disabilities 👉 Katherine's advocacy work within the disability sector.  Guest: Dr Katherine Elliston , Ps...

Dr Bron and Dr Michael deep dive into the world of PhDs. They chat about 👉🏽 their very different experiences of doing a PhD 👉🏻 How doing a PhD has helped Bron to be a better therapist 👉 How Michael has used his PhD as a postdoctoral researcher & PhD supervisor 👉🏿 Tips, tricks, and considerations if you're thinking of studying a PhD. Guest: Dr Michael English , Postdoctoral Researcher ✨...

Bron is joined by listener Nick to chat about his unique transition into psychology at a later stage of life and while he was a full-time Executive Director of HR. They chat about 👉🏽 The challenges he faced and sacrifices Nick made to study psychology 👉🏻 The importance of having a solid support system and being patient in your psychology career journey 👉  Guidance for other listeners who may...

Bron and Marie unpack family therapy using the hypothetical case study of the Wilson family, who are finding it hard to be in the same room without arguing, all while navigating work stress and teenage development. They chat about 👉🏽 When family therapy is appropriate 👉🏻 How to conceptualise presenting concerns in family therapy 👉 Common family therapy strategies 👉🏿 How to understand family...

Happy New Year Mental Workers, and welcome back a new season of the Mental Work podcast - it's great to be back! 🥳⭐ In this ep, Bron and Matthew chat about how to reclaim the joy of being a psychologist if you've lost it. They discuss 👉🏽 The factors that can lead to disillusionment for early-career psychs 👉🏻 What gives us joy in our work 👉 Matthew's journey of reclaiming joy after losing it...

It's our last episode for 2023! Thanks SO much for listening ❤️ Bron thought she would treat you to some uplifting content to round off the year. In this ep, Bron unpacks all the good things about being a psychologist, just in case you've forgotten how unique, valuable, and special our work is. Tune in for some good vibes and a reminder of why we do this mental work. New beaut episodes from Januar...

Bron unpacks what end-of-year burnout looks like for therapists and her 🔥 red hot 🔥strategies for preventing burnout (book your leave for next year NOW!).  LINKS Comic by Gemma Correll on burnout: https://www.instagram.com/p/CbAi-OrrSBw/ THE END BITS Mental Work is your companion to early-career psychology, hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins . Love the podcast? Reviews really help! Leave a rating &amp...

Nervous about including parents in therapy? Wish you could run the other way when a parent asks to speak with you? Our guest today, Marie Vakakis, wants EVERY therapist to feel comfortable working with parents and families. Marie helps Bron to 👉🏽 address common anxieties that psychs have about working with parents 👉🏻 How to involve parents in therapy 👉 Common dilemmas and how to address them....

Bron unpacks saying 'goodbye' to clients when the therapist is the one who is ending the relationship. Otherwise known as 'therapist-led termination' or 'unilateral termination', this is something that all therapists will encounter when they change workplaces, take extended leave, or decide that therapy just isn't working with a particular client. Bron takes you through 👉 Ethical considerations i...

Bron and Matthew unpack 👉🏽 Being part of the LGBTIQA+ community as a psychologist 👉🏻 The importance of being authentic inside and outside of therapy 👉 Matthew's passions outside of therapy 👉🏿 Why Matthew chose to leave the clinical psychology bridging program 😲  Guest: Matthew Jackson , Psychologist LINKS Matthew's Insta - Matilda Mercury (@matildamercuryqueen) THE END BITS Mental Work is...

Bron is joined by Allison to unpack the highs and lows of Allison's journey to licensure. Allison went through some downright scary experiences as a therapist-in-training, but wanted to come on the podcast to share with you a story of hope and the lessons she has learned about 👉🏽 Burnout 👉🏻 Unethical placements 👉 The importance of supportive colleagues 👉🏿 Basic workplace needs 👉🏾 Not blam...

Bron and Natalie unpack her 4+2 journey as a school provisional psych. They chat about 👉🏽 Natalie's transition from primary school teacher to provisional psych 👉🏻 Great things about being a psych 👉 Managing complex cases and vicarious trauma 👉🏿 Supporting LGBTIQA+ young people 👉🏾 Self-disclosure when you are neurodiverse and part of the queer community 👉🏼 Tips for case reports. Guest: N...

Bron and Amanda unpack treating generalised anxiety disorder by applying two treatment approaches (CBT and Schema Therapy) to the same hypothetical case. They chat about 👉🏽 The downsides of worry and how it can become problematic for clients 👉🏻 How to set up anxiety treatment for a client using CBT and Schema 👉 Similarities and differences between CBT and Schema techniques.  Guest: Amanda Mos...

Bron and Sahra unpack whether it's okay to be yourself on social media. They chat about 👉🏽 challenges and responsibilities that psychologists have in managing their online presence 👉🏻How to be authentic online while managing risk 👉 What clients think of their therapists' social media. Guest: Psychologist and Co-Director of Mindscape Psychology / Director of the Australian Association of Psych...