The Rural Psychologist

Send us Fan Mail My big questions today is:  What happens to the mental health and wellbeing of whole rural communities when governments make decisions that negatively impact them? High-quality government support acts as a buffer by fostering institutional trust and interpersonal trust, which in turn reduces mental distress.  Conversely, when citizens perceive government interventions as inadequat...

Send us Fan Mail Chantal takes the opportunity to record a speech she gave at a rural women's event recently when she was asked to remind rural women that their communities are only as strong as they are...  And if your are waiting…Coaching Episode #3 will be out soon…

Send us Fan Mail What possesses someone with a full life — a thriving psychology practice, three teenage daughters, and a farm far from any university — to take on a PhD at 48? In this episode, I share an honest, grounded account of what it’s really like to undertake a doctorate while living remotely, juggling family and work, and learning to persist without daily academic contact. Guided by the J...

Send us Fan Mail Are you a rural business struggling to fill job vacancies, or a mother who wants to go back to work but can’t find childcare? Then this interview is well worth a listen. This Interview is a fascinating insight into how Goondiwindi-based social enterprise entrepreneur, Angela Cochrane is solving the problem of childcare shortages to help rural businesses meet their productivity goa...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chantal provides advice for health professionals on how not to burn out; and then (at about the 10min mark for those who want to skip my don't burn out advice for health professionals and get straight to the good stuff!) has a great chat with two highly regarded mental health professionals who have lived and worked in rural Australia for a couple of decades....

Send us Fan Mail Sarah Crosthwaite, Dairy Farmer, Nuffield Scholar, and Social Worker has just completed a tour around the globe as part of the Nuffield Scholarship in an effort to understand what's behind the mental health crisis among farmers worldwide.  I was both enlightened and intrigued by Sarah's insights into the pressures that create mental health issues for farmers around the w...

Send us Fan Mail Rural Women Leading: Annabelle Hickson creator of Galah Magazine - a runaway success in the cutthroat world of media, on self-belief, failing fast & succeeding beyond our wildest imaginations. What will Galah Magazine creator-editor, Annabelle Hickson, do next? A mother of three, a farmer’s wife, a natural-born entrepreneur who lives down the country road from me on a pecan fa...

Send us Fan Mail Rural Women Leading #3: Claire Osborn Booth, one of rural Australia's principal Out-of-the-Box Thought Leaders Guerie solicitor, farmer, property developer, board director and formidable engineer of community well-being, Clare Osborn Booth talks about the 'enoughness' of being a mum, honoring the family unit, tax law (an obvious connection...) and how to develop der...

Send us Fan Mail What is it really like to manage depression while living in the bush? This is the raw and honest tale of Lisa Jeitz and her journey to manage her depression while living, working and wrangling a young family on a farm in Western Australia.  Thank you to Lisa for telling her story so that she can help others to find the language and courage to ask for help.

Send us Fan Mail Rural Women Leading #1: Catherine Velisha - Managing Director of $30mil horticulture business talks about what gets her out of bed each day and how even the most successful people have to manage their mental health. Catherine Velisha is a third-generation owner of Velisha Farms, a horticulture business located in Werribee South Victoria – the Velisha family has been involved in th...

Send us Fan Mail Remember when the town's newspaper set the tone for a community? Each week we would wait to see who was on the front page and what event had flung them into the limelight. Who was the best footballer in the town and who was the local hero; which kids were going to grow up and be rocket scientists, and which had grown up to graffiti the toilets. Everything that had happened an...

Send us Fan Mail "You either walk inside your story and own it, or you stand outside and hustle for your worthiness" Brene Brown Coaching Ep #1 Setting yourself up for a successful mindset in the new year Be sure to get on the front foot for the new year by listening to this episode and doing the important exercise that Chantal talks about for setting yourself up with a great mindset to...

Send us Fan Mail Coaching Ep #2 Finding life direction, setting goals and being motivated in 2024 Listen in to this episode, the second coaching episode for The Rural Psychologist podcast to learn the best way to go about setting goals for the new year to ensure you stay motivated  and enthusiastic right through to point where you achieve what you set out to do.

Send us Fan Mail Rural Women Leading #4: The original entrepreneur - Jane Campbell of Barambah Organics on the value of making sure people feel included, showing up with a smile on your face, and how she takes care of her mental health https://mananapastoral.com.au/ Long before it was trendy to be entrepreneurial in agriculture, Jane Campbell and her husband Ian, lead the way in setting up a pheno...

Send us Fan Mail Coaching ep #3: What do I think is the most important skill for life satisfaction? Assertiveness. Listen to how to cultivate a mindset that grows this powerful communication skill today. Being able to say no, asserting yourself and asking for your needs to be met are all part of good self care which means good mental health. For tips and ideas on how to be more assertive listen to...