Well, hello anxiety with Dr Jodi Richardson

This is part two of a two part series on school refusal with the Founder of the School Refusal Clinic in Melbourne, John Chellew. John is a world leader in the treatment of school refusal and has so much compassion for the challenges it brings for children, teens and their parents, carers and schools. His work with young people is supported by his therapy dog Max and the clever way he meets young...

School refusal is a tremendous challenge for kids, teenagers, their families and their schools. Often misunderstood, it’s not usually a matter of not wanting to go to school; most want to be back in the classroom with their friends; they just feel so overwhelmed that they can’t. Anxiety is one of the challenges that often underpins the overwhelming discomfort that accompanies walking through the s...

The agonisising pain of loss is so hard to live with; it’s common to armour up and to try to protect ourselves from ever experiencing that type of hurt ever again. This is the experience of Jenny Wynter after losing her mum at the tender age of five. Jenny spent the next 30 years bracing herself from more loss but, eventually, in the face of losing her other mum, her nan; she realised just how muc...

Nightime fears in children affect the whole family. While they’re developmental to a point, so many children, and even teens, feel anxious and frightened in bed alone and will do all they can to avoid that happening. Fears of intruders, monsters, shadows or something bad happening to their parent/s are just some of the reasons underlying the anxiety that shows up at bedtime. In this episode child...

Our time here is limited, that’s not news to anyone of us but it’s not something we often, or like to, think about. Understandably, it’s painful to contemplate not being around but what’s arguably more painful, is going through each day, over years and years, and not doing the things that are important. The things that might scare us, but also light us up. Standing up for what we believe in, and b...

Difficult thoughts, worry and distressing thinking can be very much a part of the anxiety package that makes life miserable at times. While we can’t control what we think, or change what we think, we can change our relationship with what we think using a number of different strategies. In this episode I share a range of ideas that facilitate the process of putting distance between who we are and w...

A change in perspective can transform the way we view the inevitable hurdles and curve balls life throws our way. This episode is jam packed with insights and ideas that can help us all think differently about our challenges, where we are versus where we want to be, sacrifices, discomfort, social anxiety, the power of music and giving. Carly Taylor Website Carly Taylor Instagram Carly Taylor Faceb...

Anxiety has a way of pulling us back, telling us ‘no’, saying ‘stop’ or spilling over and holding us down before we even get a chance to think about what we really want. It’s because our brain is working hard to keep us safe, and yet, these signals keep our world small. They stop us from doing what matters; sometimes in huge ways, sometimes in ways that are small but significant. However anxiety g...

The sudden onset of anxiety, OCD behaviours, tics (including blinking, shrugging, snorting, throat clearing), changes in handwriting and bedwetting are tell-tale signs of a relatively unknown disease known as PANS/PANDAS - and occur in the wake of (and sometimes months after) an infection, often strep throat. On average one in 200 children will be affected but, among the medical fraternity, it’s n...

Social anxiety is so hard to live with and while we all feel socially anxious at times, for many, it closes in the walls of life, impacts personal and professional opportunities and gets in the way of connection. But it doesn’t have to. Really it doesn’t. This episode is choc full of insights, understanding and practical ideas - and what makes my guest Dr Ellen Hendriksen extra special is that she...

I put it to you that you that you’ll learn more about alcohol in this 45 minute episode than you will have learned over your whole life. And much of what you learn may surprise you. Please let me know if I’m wrong. As a Grey Area Drinking Coach and Speaker, Sarah Rusbatch is passionate about alcohol and rightly, she asks why so much of what we need to know about alcohol, to make informed decisions...

After listening to this episode you’ll feel so much better equipped and more confident responding to and supporting the young people in your life when anxiety shows up and life’s curve balls come at them. That said, so much of what @marievakakis shares is transferable into all of our relationships. Founder of @ thetherapyhubcounselling Marie is dedicated to supporting adults to have better relatio...

Exploring the limits of his own potential is what ultimately brought Dr Adrian Medhurst to the wonderful work he does now as a Thought Leader in Performance Psychology, wellbeing science, stress mastery, mindfulness, behavioural change, and innovation. In this episode Adrian tells us exactly what stress is, how the perspective we take when it comes to stress changes our experience of it, and pract...

I get it, change can be hard. And when it comes to anxiety, starting something new, doing things differently, adopting a new routine or habit, well; it can feel a bit overwhelming. That’s why, in this episode, I talk you through the notion that knowing more isn’t enough, and how important it is that we take action if want things to change. That’s what we want, yes? I invite you to choose one insig...

Skin picking is surprisingly common, yet very few people who struggle with this condition seek help. In this episode I share my experiences with skin picking from childhood to now as well as insights for listeners to watch out for (or reflect on) when it’s most likely to begin, who it’s most likely to affect, why tackling skin picking isn’t a matter of will and importantly, practical suggestions t...

The experience of my guest for this episodes shines through this entire conversation. Jacqui Cousins, founder of Nursing the Mind, shares with us insights about the importance of, and what to expect when it comes to learning Mental Health First Aid; navigating the maze that is securing the right kind of mental health support from the right places at the right time; finding the right counsellor or...

This episode touches on suicide, if you or someone you know needs help please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. Shockingly, the number of Australian men who die by suicide every year is nearly double the national road toll. While many men seek help, some men’s mental health challenges go unrecognised for a very long time. A handful of contributing factors, like genetics, past trauma and upbringing are...

Attention is the key that unlocks the door of education and yet, it’s a precious resource that’s often not well understood, harnessed, or both. It’s particularly influenced by anxiety, which is a challenge in school communities everywhere. In this episode Dr Shyam Barr, an educational leader, consultant and researcher, shares powerful insights into metacognition, attention regulation and practical...

In this very special anniversary episode I share my hopes for what every single person who lives with anxiety (or cares for someone who does) should know and understand to live a more meaningful, connected, purposeful and happier life where anxiety comes along for the ride. This episode is a summary of key insights, messages, understanding and empowering skills from the first year of ‘Well, hello...

Snoring, sheet stealing, temperature preferences, shift work, young kids under the covers, different chronotypes. These are just some of the ways our sleep can be affected. Who we share the bed with most can have a profound impact on our sleep which has powerful knock on effects for our mood, or mental health, our physical health and even our longevity. In this episode sleep doctor, Dr Wendy Troxe...

As both a clinical psychologist and parent of an autistic daughter, the wonderful Chloe Porter shines a light on anxiety and autism in a way few could. We know that anxiety tends to go hand-in-hand with children with autism and our conversation for this episode helps explain why. Importantly, Chloe shares what parents can do to look after themselves, help minimise the likelihood of anxiety in thei...

Anxiety and eating disorders tend to go hand-in-hand. In fact, two thirds of people with an eating disorder also have an anxiety disorder which is why this conversation with clinical psychologist Dr Emma Black is so important. In this conversation Emma explains the link between eating disorders and anxiety, the different types of eating disorders, why living with an eating disorder is so hard, wha...

Women rush, all the time and it’s affecting our mental and physical health. Why do we do it? The answer may surprise you. In this episode the wonderful Dr Libby unpacks Rushing Woman’s Syndrome with her trademark compassion, scientific insights and practical advice. We talked about the stress response, which fuel (glucose or fat) the body uses preferentially depending on the state of our nervous s...

When it comes to medication for anxiety, or any mental health condition, it can be difficult to make a decision that feels right. Enter Dr Warren Kane, a psychiatrist who only prescribes anxiety medication as needed, and cares deeply about spending time with patients to genuinely understand their needs and how he can help. In this episode Dr Kane answers every question I can think of that a person...

As awful and debilitating as anxiety can feel sometimes, it actually can’t hurt us. We don’t have to like how it feels but the more we reject our anxiety and struggle with it when it shows up, the bigger it grows. In this episode I talk about where anxiety comes from, why it feels the way it does and 5 practical strategies that will help you become more accepting of anxiety and more able to step f...