Brainwaves

On today's show Lucy, Marni and Rebecca reviewed mindfulness mobile phone applications. Each reviewer tried a different app for three weeks prior to the show. Reviews were mixed and some had a better experience than others. Apps reviewed: Smiling Mind, Calm and Stop, Breathe & Think.

On tonight's show Rebecca and Alannah had the pleasure of interviewing Melanie Scott who is the founder and president of K9's 4 Valour. Talking about her own experience and how her dog Paddington helps her, Melanie informed us about PTSD, First Responders and the role of PTSD Service Dogs. For more information on the charity K9's 4 Valour please follow the links:https://www.k9s4valour.org/https://...

On tonight's show Allanah, Lucy and Rebecca discussed their opinions regarding the viewing of the film To The Bone. The drama is based on a young women's experience with anorexia. The film has been deemed controversial due to the content and the way it is targeted at a young audience. SPOILER ALERT!! - This audio does contain mentions of intregal plot points which may spoil the viewing pleasure fo...

On this week's episode of Brainwaves, the team talks to Dr Jo Robinson, head of Suicide Prevention Research at Orygen. Their newly released report, "Raising the bar for youth suicide prevention", calls for an overhaul of the current suicide prevention policies in light of the increasing suicide rates in young Australians. We talk to Jo about her research, the various factors contributing to youth...

This week on Brainwaves the team talks to art therapist Emma Finch about her upcoming art exhibition, 'The Black Dog: Shadows & Light'. If you're interested in getting involved you can register your artwork or enquire by contacting Emma by phone at 0415 278 580 or email her at epfinch64@gmail.com. The closing date for registration is on the 22nd of September, so if you're intersted in getting invo...

On Today's show we interviewed Elle Morrison who is the Wellways Helpline Coordinator. The Wellways Helpline provides information to people experiencing mental illness as well as family and friends. The Helpline is operated during the week and the hours have been extended! Wellways will now be taking calls from 9AM till 9PM Monday-Friday.  Please call 1300 111 500 for support. For more information...

In this episode we interview Brainwaves team member Terri. Terri recently returned from London, where she presented her lived experience of mental illness, at the House Of Lords. In this interview, Terri discusess what led her to this opportunity and the response she had from her audience. Content in this interview mentions childhood sexual abuse and trauma. If you require any further support, ple...

This week on Brainwaves we spoke to Doctor Moira Junge who is a sleep psychologist from the Sleep Health Foundation who has worked in the sleep disorder field for 15 years. This week Sleep Awareness Week is from the 3rd of July till the 9th of July. Better Sleep = smarter, safer workplaces. To find out more about the Sleep Health Foundation head to thier website.

In recognition of NAIDOC Week, this week on Brainwaves the team talks to Niamh Whitford, a young Nyulnyul woman who grew up in Nyoongar country. Niamh works with students at a college assiting them with their mental health, and also assists in the prison system with Indigenous inmates integrating them into society. We talk about community attidudes towards Indigenous incarceration, NAIDOC Week and...

On Brainwaves this week, the team talks to Kate Strohm, director of Siblings Australia. Her organisation is devoted to improving the resources available for siblings of individuals who live with mental illness or disability. To find out more about the organisation and to access resources, head to siblingsaustralia.org.au.

This week on Brainwaves Dr Paul Fearne a published poet and philospher spoke to the team about his own lived experience of schizophrenia and how this shaped his poetry and his publications. If you are interested to know more about Paul Fearne and his work you can head to this link. 

You guessed it, this week's episode of Brainwaves is dedicated to Radiothon. This week we introduce some new volunteers to our family and talk to some long time team members to find out the reasons behind why they've hopped on board, and why they're passionate about mental health and Brainwaves. This year Brainwaves is aiming towards raising $1000. You can still donate by either calling 9419 8377...

This week on Brainwaves, the team has a panel dicussion about mental health and the impact it can have on relationships. The team discusses their personal experiences and struggles when it comes to maintaining relationships, when should you disclose mental health issues, and how to be a friend while struggling with mental illness. Warning: this episode contains, lightheartedness, touching and insp...

This week on the show, the team talks to Nataly Bovopoulos, CEO of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Australia. MHFA aims to bridge the gaps left in traditional first aid courses, and to teach others how to provide support for those in a mental health crisis. We talk about the courses MHFA Australia provides, the improvement of mental health literacy in Australia and the importance of training everyd...

This week on Brainwaves, the team talks to art student Elana Grunberg, who is currently an artist in residency at the Bundoora Art Centre. Elana has a lived experience of complex-PTSD and is very interested in breaking down the stigmas of mental health through art. Elana's artworks can be found at the Bundoora Nebula Residency Program until June 4th. She will also be at the Bundoora Homestead Art...

1 in 5 employees is likely to be experiencing a mental health condition at any given time. This week on Brainwaves, the team talks to Nick Arvanitis, head of Research and Resource Development at beyondblue. We chat about beyondblue's new Heads Up initiative, which promotes mentally healthy workplaces for both employers and employees. For more information about Heads Up, you can visit www.headsup.o...

This week on Brainwaves, the team talks to Mark Grant, clinical psychologist and chronic pain expert. Mark is a strong advocate for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) as a method for dealing with both physical and metal pain, including chronic pain and PTSD. We talk about various advances in pain management, how EMDR can be used, and the future of mental health care including an...

On today's episode of Brainwaves, we talk to Ela Simon, co-author of The Bipolar Express. Written with her daughter Natasha, the book describes the “rollercoaster of mania and depression” as experienced by mother and daughter. We talk about what it's like to care for a child with a mental illness, and also about her experience of writing a novel with her daughter and how the journey brought them t...

This week on Brainwaves, we discuss the highly criticised Netflix series "13 Reasons Why". The show has come under immense media scrutiny for its portrayal of mental health and suicide. We discuss the parts of the show that don't sit well with us, and express our thoughts on comments from strangers on the internet and mental health organisations as well. This episode of Brainwaves contains major s...

On this week's Brainwaves we talk to Evan Bichara, Consumer Advocate for the Victorian Transcultural Psychiatry Unit. Evan is a long time mental health advocate and has worked across Australia in the field utilising his personal lived experience and his Greek-Egyptian background. We talk about the role that culture plays in mental illness and the ways in which our communities can shape our experie...

This week on Brainwaves, volunteer Rebecca bravely talks about her experience of self harm and her journey through recovery. Rebecca describes her seven-year long progress and the various methods that helped her along the way. This episode of Brainwaves discusses self harm. Please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Wellways' Helpline on 1300 111 500 for support.

World Bipolar Day was celebrated last week on Thursday the 30th of March. To honour the day, Brainwaves spoke to Nicci Wall of This Is My Reality on her lived experience of bipolar disorder. We talk about some of the turning points in Nicci's recovery, the damaging stigmatisation of the disorder, and how advocacy has helped shape her view of the world. For more information, please visit Bipolar Li...

On today's show the Brainwaves teams talks to Alex Mills from the Opening Doors Leadership Program. The program helps promote community involvement and decreases social isolation leading to poor physical and mental wellbeing. To find out more information on Opening Doors you can visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/The-Opening-Doors-Leadership-Program-143923135691631/ or you can...

This week on Brainwaves, we reconnect with Carlo Laruccia, a passionate mental health and wellbeing advocate. Early last year we interviewed Carlo about his lived experience of mental illness, which you can listen to here. Today, we talk about his recovery and the skills he has developed along the way.

This week on Brainwaves, the team discusses the newly released film "Split". The movie has come under criticism for its negative portrayal of Dissociative Identity Disorder and mental health in general. We discuss some of the themes in the movie and the implications of stigma in the film industry. This podcast does contain spoilers for the movie, and also mentions some heavily distressing issues i...