Brainwaves

Part 2 of a panel discussion led by Mary o'Hagen, Director of Lived Experience at Wellways, on the shared role we play in building a more compassionate mental health system. The panellists of this discussion include Giancarlo de Vera, Maria Katsonis, and Associate Professor Harry Hill. 

Part 1 of a panel discussion led by Mary o'Hagen, Director of Lived Experience at Wellways, on the shared role we play in building a more compassionate mental health system. The panellists of this discussion include Giancarlo de Vera, Maria Katsonis, and Associate Professor Harry Hill. 

Last month, we held our 24th Annual Woodcock Lecture in Melbourne. The evening brought together mental health advocates, peer workers, clinicians, and people with lived experience around a central theme: how to centre dignity and humanity in the mental health system. This episode will feature keynote speaker, Giancarlo de Vera the CEO of BEING, as they discuss the loss of close friends and 'the sl...

Last month, we held our 24th Annual Woodcock Lecture in Melbourne. The evening brought together mental health advocates, peer workers, clinicians, and people with lived experience around a central theme: how to centre dignity and humanity in the mental health system. Today, on our radio show Brainwaves, we share part one of three, that combined, feature the opening, keynote speech and panel discus...

Professional Music Therapist, Carrie Henschell, has worked in social services, community and the health sector for more than a decade. Her portfolio includes mental health, brain injury rehabilitation, disability services, youth homelessness and refugee settlement services. Carrie's approach is grounded in trauma-informed care and techniques include: music making and song writing.

Bestselling author, Jennifer Scoullar joins Brainwaves to talk about her new novel ‘Wild Horses’ — and the powerful role animals, nature, and storytelling can play in supporting mental wellbeing.

Megan Del Borello is the founder of We Are Emersyn and The We Are Emersyn Foundation. Megan knows first-hand how challenging being a women founder is. It’s this reason that she is changing the narrative on women founders and creating an ecosystem for them to be supported and thrive.

Michael and Janelle are life partners who have undergone various challenges, mainly learning how to live with Michael's brain injury and cognitive failures. Through Michael's recovery, he found he was drawn to others with similar stories and realised he wanted to document these interactions. This is how the RoadzofLife documentary was born. The Youtube channel with the same name has gained 550 tho...

Following more than a decade of military service as a Critical Care Nurse, Nadine Muller became a high-performance coach, mentor and international best-selling author. In her book ‘A Reason to Rise’ she shares her journey of overcoming immense personal and family adversity. Nadine is today’s guest on our radio show Brainwaves, where she will discuss her struggles and how she rose above them.

Content warning: This episode contains topics relating to sexual abuse and can be activating for some. Blue Knot Foundation is a national scentre for complex trauma. Blue Knot advocates for and provides support to people who have experience of complex trauma, and those who support them. Join the president of the Blue Knot Foundation Dr Cathy Kezelman and host Mark as they discuss the impacts of co...

Content warning: This episode contains topics relating to sexual abuse and can be activating for some. Blue Knot Foundation is a national scentre for complex trauma. Blue Knot advocates for and provides support to people who have experience of complex trauma, and those who support them. Join lived experience embassador for Blue Knot Sue and host Mark Eastwood as they discuss Sue's lived experience...

Content warning: This episode contains topics relating to suicide and can be activating for some. Castlemaine Safe Space is a community led, non-clinical, inclusive, and comfortable sanctuary. It is a space for people who are experiencing distress or suicidality. Everyone is welcome to attend the space, and no referral or appointments are necessary. Join founder Rachel Stewart and host Ananya Shar...

In this episode Jasmine McLennan interviews Hannah Bloxigde about her experience with chronic Migraine and other disabilities such as Endometriosis. Hannah explains how her disabilties interact and effect her mental health. She also talks about her complex trauma, including incarceration and addiction. She now works as a disability model and is learning content creation. She is a gender diverse pe...

Join host Ananya Sharma as she talks to Amy Bodossian about all things being an artist and performer living with OCD. This episode discusses Amy's love for performance and how she navaigates her OCD whilst being in the public eye. Amy's show 'In Bed with Amy and Friends' is part of Melbourne Fringe festival, and is a cabaret style-performance with a healthy serving of wackiness. The show will run...

Join host Flic Manning as she chats with author and therapist Jana Firestone about her latest book. Jana, a therapist who has worked with homicide cases, sudden deaths, and Black Saturday bushfire survivors, often shares her insights on moving forward after loss and the innate strength we all possess. With 18 years of experience working with families and young people, Jana brings a unique perspect...

Antek Benedyka is a social worker who uses his own experiences with mental health to inform his work. This is the first part of a 2 part series where we discuss the work he does with refugees in Australia, his own mental health journey and how this has led him to wanting to improve the lives of the young people he works with now.  

“I definitely have anxiety, and probably just naming it felt really good because I’ve probably had it all my life. I’ve just never known what it was, known what it feels like,” says singer and songwriter, and disabled musician advocate, @MusicElizaHull. Eliza performed ‘Running Underwater’, her first song about being disabled on ABC’s Q&A. She is an award-winning artist with music featured on inte...

Mark talks to artist, author, and publisher, Annie Huang about zines and the role they have played in their mental health journey. 

This week on Brainwaves we will be airing part of of the Woodcock Public Lecture, proudly presented by Wellways in May this year. As this week is Naidoc week we have taken part 1 to be alol about the poignont Welcome to Country by Stacie Piper, who is a proud Wurrundjeri, Djadjawarrung and Ngurai Illum-Wurrung woman, and Djirri Djirri Dancer. At the end of the epsode there is a little bit of what...

Jasmine welcomes Mark and Ananya, the newest additions to our Brainwaves crew. They discuss their views on stigma around mental health and how it is most times a 'silent struggle'. Each of them provides their take on what solidarity can look like in regard to mental health, and how getting the right support can be transformational.  

Jasmine McLennan talks to Archie Beetle, founder and director of Queer Town, an Australian-based startup delivering LGBTIQA+ inclusion and allyship training in workplaces throughout Australia and beyond. Archie discusses the mental health challenges that face queer, trans and gender diverse people, his own mental health challenges, the misconceptions people have about the queer community and some...

Poet and artist Stephen Hull has had a interest in the war ever since his grandfather told him stories of what it was like to serve in world war II. Wanting the answer the question 'why do we march for Anzac Day and why do we still remember?' he shares his poem about Gallipoli and the ongoing and devestating effects of war, including the effect on our mental health. 

Tonight on Brainwaves Suzie Leach will chat to our guest Orion Kelly - That Autistic Guy. Based in Victoria, Orion is proudly autistic, and an author, advocate and actor. He hosts the podcast 'My Friend Autism - and is all about validation and support for Autistic people and their loved ones. Today he will discuss autism, and his work in the media including his own autistic focused YouTube channel...

Yves Rees, a writer, historian, podcaster and trans advocate talks candidly about the highs and lows of their own trans journey and the challenges that other trans and gender diverse people experience. It is an unfortunate fact that trans and gender diverse people are much more likely to attempt suicide than the general population. Yves explores why this is true and provides some suggestions for t...

 Evan, Brainwaves producer, talks about his journey with mental health, beginning with a spiritual awakening that turned his world upside down. He describes the challenges of medication, stigma, and maintainging relationships whilst going through a mental health crisis and the importance of taking your life back into your own hands.