Mental Health in Practice

Do you feel moral panic about the digital well-being of young people? Are you swamped by the effects of the ‘data deluge’? This digitally nutritious conversation will leave you with a sense of competence and control, ready to better support young people’s (and perhaps even your own) digital well-being. Listen in to this episode of A Conversation About Digital Well-being and Young People’s Mental H...

In this five-part series, hear about the mental health service system through the respective - and at times contrasting – lenses of clinician and lived experience experts; psychiatrist and Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Mental Health, Dr Ruth Vine; and Victoria’s inaugural Executive Director of Lived Experience, Mary O’Hagan. In the final episode of the series, Mary seeks Ruth’s perspective on s...

In this five-part series, hear about the mental health service system through the respective - and at times contrasting – lenses of clinician and lived experience experts; psychiatrist and Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Mental Health, Dr Ruth Vine; and Victoria’s inaugural Executive Director of Lived Experience, Mary O’Hagan. In the previous three episodes Ruth took the conversational lead. In e...

“Every time my pager went off, I felt like vomiting.” In this episode, clinical psychologist Professor Mark Creamer sits down with former client and volunteer firefighter, Alex, and his partner Lyn, to reflect on Alex’s experience and clinical treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Tune in to hear the couple’s journey through and beyond the cumulative impacts of Alex’s role as a Coun...

“The book talks about things that society would rather not talk about.”- Dr Nivanka De Silva Ignite your ‘personal fire’ in this episode of Book Club, featuring clinical psychologist, Dr Radhika Santhanam-Martin and psychiatric registrar Dr Nivanka De Silva - two migrant women of colour based in Melbourne - as they explore Judith Herman’s ‘Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence - From Dome...

Does mental health legislation help or hinder outcomes for people seeking help? In this five-part series, learn about the mental health service system through the respective - and at times contrasting – lenses of clinician and lived experience experts; psychiatrist and Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Mental Health, Dr Ruth Vine; and Victoria’s inaugural Executive Director of Lived Experience, Mar...

Why are peer led services central to the current reforms aimed at improving consumers’ experience of mental health services? In this five-part series, learn about the mental health service system through the respective - and at times contrasting – lenses of clinician and lived experience experts; psychiatrist and Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Mental Health, Dr Ruth Vine; and Victoria’s inaugura...

What does the first Executive Director of Lived Experience think of the current support provided to people in mental health crisis? There’s no holding back in this passionate conversation! In the first installment of this five-part series, learn about the mental health service system through the respective - and at times contrasting – lenses of clinician and lived experience experts; psychiatrist...

What inspires and sustains the work of accomplished psychiatrist Sid Block, in his ‘lifelong endeavour’ to navigate the complexities of psychiatric practice, and how it has changed over the decades? This episode of In Conversation With… features early-career psychiatrist Shuichi Suetani ‘picking the brain’ of late-career psychiatrist Sid Bloch - to discover what has supported and inspired Sid in h...

This episode looks at the value of curiosity in providing mental health support; and how it has helped Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Mental Health and psychiatrist, Dr Ruth Vine, Priseena Radha a recent graduate of mental health nursing from medical nursing, and psychologist and policy specialist Dr Sarah Cavanagh chart their careers. Ruth, Priseena and Sarah describe how they have applied thei...

In this episode of Book Club, join returning host Dr Rick Yeatman and guest Dr Paul Cammell – two Melbourne based psychiatrists – as they discuss Rick’s chosen book, ‘Handbook of Good Psychiatric Management for Borderline Personality Disorder’ (2014) by John Gunderson and Paul Links. Paul says, [On diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)] “a lot of practitioners will wonder ‘do I name i...

In this episode of Book Club, join our host Dr Rick Yeatman and his invited guest, Dr Paul Cammel - both psychiatrists, as they discuss ‘Persuasion and Healing’ (1961) by Jerome D. Frank. This seminal and highly acclaimed book is currently in its third edition - Rick and Paul share their initial responses to the book as new graduates; and their responses now, as colleagues who work together in eme...

What are the connections between different psychotherapeutic approaches? And has psychotherapy become more, or less, ‘chaotic’ since its inception as a field? In this episode, host Dr John Cooper, psychiatrist, and his guest, Professor Mark Creamer, clinical psychologist, share their views on the value of an orthodox versus an eclectic approach to psychotherapy by discussing Jerome Frank’s article...

“I’ve always been fascinated with the question – ‘do we choose the work, or does the work choose us?’ How do our experiences of loss and love influence our world?” – Christopher Hall, episode host. All of us will experience loss at some point in our lives. As professionals who work alongside others’ experiences of grief and bereavement; how do therapists’ personal experiences of loss impact the wo...

What role does formulation play in suicide risk assessment, and what is the relationship between formulation and suicide prevention? In this episode, host Dr Mary Emeleus; general practitioner and psychiatry trainee, and her guest, Associate Professor Christopher Ryan; psychiatrist, discuss the complex, charged and challenging topic of managing risk of suicide using the text, ‘Reformulating Suicid...

What does an international bestselling parenting book have to offer mental health practitioners and health professionals? More than you might think! Join host Dr Monica Moore, general practitioner and psychotherapist, and Dr Paul Grinzi, general practitioner and medical educator, as they reveal their responses to and reflections on the renowned ‘No.1 practical guide’ to parenting and family life –...

Why is it in all our best interests to understand the long-term effects of childhood adversity? To answer this question, our host Dr Johanna Lynch; a GP, enlists her trusted friend and colleague, Dr Cathy Kezelman AM; a medical practitioner and mental health consumer advocate, to the joint task of unpacking the popular book – ‘The Deepest Well: Healing the Long Term Effects of Childhood Adversity’...

This episode of ‘MHPN Presents In Conversation With…’ features psychiatrist and Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Mental Health, Dr Ruth Vine; in conversation with UK based social worker Jonathan Wells. Tune in to this ‘fire-side’ chat conducted across two different hemispheres. Listeners will hear what excites and bothers Ruth and Jonathan respectively about the mental health care systems in Austr...

This inaugural episode of ‘MHPN Presents In Conversation With…’ features psychiatrist and Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Mental Health, Dr Ruth Vine; in conversation with US based psychologist Dr Marianne Farkas. Both Ruth and Marianne have significant experience working with people who have serious and significant mental illness. Starting with the rhetorical question “What is the nexus between...

In the final episode of this series of Transitions, co-hosts Julianne Whyte (Social Worker) and Dr Monica Moore (General Practitioner) unpack metaphors, key ideas, and practical tips they’ve used in times of significant change to strengthen relationships in their respective personal and clinical lives. In order to explore how relationships change and how we in turn change with them, Monica and Jul...

Throughout our lifespan, our physical health and emotional wellbeing are constantly in flux. When we, or someone we know, are diagnosed with a major health condition – how can we begin to talk about it? Co-hosts Julianne Whyte (Social Worker) and Dr Monica Moore (General Practitioner) come together in this penultimate episode to reflect on the ideas and experiences that have given rise to differen...

What can practitioners do to support better health outcomes for patients or clients who are transgender? In this episode, co-host Dr Monica Moore (General Practitioner) talks with her invited guest, Dr Martina Gleeson (General Practitioner) who has a special interest in transgender health, about the challenges for primary care clinicians to better respond to the needs and wants of patients who pre...

In this week’s episode, join our co-host Julianne Whyte (social worker) and Matthew Povey (social worker and psychotherapist) as they discuss their experiences of supporting both individuals and local communities of the Snowy Valley Region experiencing cumulative trauma - initially brought on by a ten-year long drought and the 2019 bushfires and further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Well po...

In this episode, co-hosts Monica Moore (General Practitioner) and Julianne Whyte (Social Worker) delve into the many challenges we can encounter when facing sudden and unexpected life changes. Drawing on their combined professional and personal experiences of navigating life amidst COVID-19 lockdowns, Monica and Julianne unpack the overt and covert impacts that prolonged uncertainty can have on ou...

Transitional moments in life are unavoidable and often uncomfortable, but ultimately rewarding. In this episode, co-hosts general practitioner Dr Monica Moore and social worker Julianne Whyte resume their exploration of life transitions by considering metaphors: their use, value, and application in personal and clinical contexts when supporting people going through significant changes in life. Lis...