Life Matters - Full program podcast

Are there conversations in your life that you try to avoid? And how might that be holding you back from getting what you actually want? Clinical psychologist Elisabeth Shaw says that, with the right tools, we can learn to communicate our needs and actually feel heard. Also, what do you do when your ex-mother-in-law gets in touch with some not-so-helpful life advice?

There's a small town on the west coast of Tasmania locked in a David and Goliath battle to save their last bank. Janet Lay has lived in Queenstown on Tasmania's west coast and has started a petition to keep their local bank in town. Since 2017, 36 per cent of brick and mortar bank branches have closed around regional Australia. Simon Lyons from the Regional Banking Investment Alliance asks how can...

There's no shortage of advice for the early years of parenting, but what about the other end of the journey, when your kids leave home? For some, like senior writer at Good Weekend Tim Elliott, it brings a deep sense of loss. For others, like Kate Christie, author and empty nester, it's a time to celebrate new freedoms. Where do you stand on the empty nest spectrum? The term sovereign citizen is i...

Since online gambling became widely accessible it's never been easier to spend big - and lose even bigger. It's opened up a new frontier for gambling advertising with companies offering huge sums to creators like Konrad Benjamin of Punters Politics to promote online casinos to their social media followers. Konrad and online gambling researcher Dr Mark Johnson dive into what can be done to control...

The downsides to downsizing from the family home might include leaving your friends, your GP and the neighbourhood you love. So we asked someone who has made the move, a buyers agent and the CEO of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute whether making it easier for Australians to downsize would really move the needle on the housing crisis. What would have helped you come to terms with...

Rates of perfectionism are skyrocketing, but one of the world's leading experts says you can shift the perfectionistic mindset. And, the aunties weigh in on how to respond to an out-of-the-blue package from an ex best friend.

The struggles of those stuck trying to get their loved ones into rehab, what changes to autism patients on the NDIS scheme mean for families, the ethics of lying in a memoir, and why legal language is so hard to navigate.

Wild tales from the emergency room, the legacy of Olympic housing, and why one woman ran the City2Surf topless. 

The human side of making our nation more productive, behind the pocket money gender pay gap, why our world leaders can't agree on the best way to tackle plastic pollution, and the dark side of your wellness obsession.  

The argument for electric vehicle users paying a road use charge, the ethics behind disclosing adoptees' status, and what your nightmares reveal about your health - plus, why Virgin Australia's new pets on planes policy has sparked backlash.  

In a long-term relationship, when does someone start thinking, "This isn't working anymore?" What goes on between that initial thought and the final decision that its definitely over? Investigative journalist Nicole Madigan shares insights from her book Torn: Four Women’s Stories of Why They Left – or Why They Stayed. Psychologist and psychotherapist Stephen Andrew discusses his thoughts as an exp...

As the role of pharmacists expands, there's a push to place them inside GP clinics to provide on-the-spot medication advice. Associate Professor Jean Spinks, Centre for Business and Economics of Health, University of Queensland, GP pharmacist Brooke Shelly, and Dr Michael Wright, President, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners discuss whether it could provide more efficient and effect...

Performer Todd McKenney's decades-long career on stage has reached a full circle moment. He joins the cast of the classic musical 'Cats' once again, a role he first embodied almost forty years ago where he made a pact with a friend that made him a father. What if a random interaction with a stranger ends with covert video uploaded to a social media platform? We hear from Tahnaya Smith, who was fil...

What's next for our health star rating system? And, attractive people often benefit from special treatment. So, what's the impact of "pretty privilege"? Plus, how sex ed has changed in the 50 years since the book Where Did I Come From? hit our shelves. Also, why Australia's latest star-studded international tourism campaign may not work.

Who owns the copyright... to your face? And, a new book delves into the history of Aussie fatherhood. Also, a glimpse into the life of a spy... with the former head of Australia's top espionage agency. Plus, how much does it cost you to get to work each day?

How are you connected to your family history? And in Ask Aunty, is it possible to maintain a relationship with friends who have a very different finances to you?

Everything's moving online! Where does that leave the less-tech-savvy among us? Especially... our seniors? And, caring for someone at the end of their life can be all-consuming and overwhelming. Now there's a tool to help people organise the support they need. Plus, a few years ago, we couldn't get enough of streaming... but the dial may now be swinging back towards physical media you actually own...

In hospital, gauging parents' instincts is about to be part of standard care. From the end of next month, all NSW hospitals will require staff to ask this question: "Are you worried they are getting worse?" Plus, who's a member of the We Do Not Care Club? And, a deep dive into Australia's home-grown conspiracy theories.

Australia has a proud history of taking to the streets to protest a cause... but it's getting harder. Plus, it's National Missing Persons Week and the way we talk about missing people can make it even harder for those left behind.  Also, are group chats a poor substitute for hanging out in person? And, with our national dictionary poised to close ... who's going to keep track of 'Strine?

Should everyone have the right to easily delete their social media footprint when they turn 18? And, forget the pulpit - are influencers the new missionaries? Plus, if you've ever muttered, "They don't make things like they used to," the tide may finally be turning. Also, what have you got hanging on your walls at home?