Mental As Anyone

Interview with Mental Health Advocate Rae Bonney. Rae is involved in lots of varied roles and organisations, including Integrated Wellbeing Specialist with HR Consultancy, Who Group, being an ambassador for beyondblue, involvement with their Heads Up workplace program (check out www.headsup.org.au), being a passionate Men’s Rights Advocate, and a fabulous Producer and Presenter on Radio 94.1FM 3WBC. Rae is also a qualified, practicing counsellor who manages her life, living with anxiety and depression. We discuss: Rae’s views on the lack of support regarding human rights for men, getting started in radio as a guest on Ken Lyon’s show, the complex issue of domestic violence and taking an integrated approach to the issue, the importance of the feminist movement, parental alienation for men in custody situations, creating environments that best support people and how they are feeling, the importance of getting away from labels, Rae’s experiences of anxiety and depression, taking responsibility for your mental h

Interview with the compassionate and courageous Kate McPhee, who is a General Psychologist with a Masters in Psychology.  Kate works in both an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and in her own private practice called The Very Small Clinic which operates in the inner suburbs of Melbourne (www.theverysmallclinic.com). We discuss: How Kate found the field of Psychology, taking her time with studies, aversion to statistics and diagnoses, advice for Psychology students, the balance between heart-open and self-protection, daily yoga, love of French Earl Grey, her love of the people and learning a lot from clients, the adages of near enough is good enough and don’t let perfect be the enemy of good, swimming vs running, Kate’s shame story, the importance of empathy and connection, the magical mark of 40 minutes for strong emotions to pass, Brené Brown’s video on sympathy vs empathy (brenebrown.com) and The Power of Vulnerability TED Talk, the need for shame, Kate’s super power, and her message to connect and find a w

Interview with the open and authentic Honor Newman. Honor is a Psychologist who specialises in women’s emotional health.  Honor works in her own established private practice and writes programs for women in the areas of post-natal depression and perfectionism. She has also written a book titled The Perfectionist Within (available on Amazon) and runs womens groups in the Melbourne CBD and in Upwey (for more information feel free to contact Honor on 0433 374 031 or at honor@honornewman.com). We discuss: The different types of work Honor has done in the field, the genesis of her women’s health work, the challenge of the lack of business training in psychology courses, enjoyment from seeing people grow to their full potential, belief in the possibility of healing, a peep into methods of addressing perfectionism, how Honor's group therapy works and associated benefits, how Honor’s interest in psychology developed, being proactive about seeking help herself, the importance of persistence if you don't meet the right

Interview with Psychologist Natalie Haider.  Nat’s experience has spanned a wide range of roles in the Psychology field, including Sports Psychology, Occupational Psychology, and Organisational Psychology, as well as lecturing, EAP work, clinical settings and more. Natalie currently works as a Learning  Development Consultant at a Sydney University, where she designs and delivers workshops to high performing researchers, and as a Clinician in a private practice. We discuss: The similarities between high performing researchers and athletes, interest in figuring out what makes people tick, psychology being the key to many career doors, the challenge of affordable access to counselling, being mindful of being a “rescuer”, conflicts of interest and informed consent, representing the profession while off duty, love of working with people, being mindful of language and the effect of words/labels about mental health, the continuum of mental health, Natalie’s preferred self-care activities, quote: you can’t give from

Interview with Dr Tony Mowbray.  Tony is a General Psychologist who has a PhD, which involved research into test anxiety, how to measure it and how to reduce it utilising online techniques.  Tony is currently working at Monash University, coordinating the online Graduate Diploma of Psychology. We discuss: The ins and outs of Tony’s job and how he got into Psychology, the work of Ellen Langer and concept of mind over matter, age experiments, the challenge of being patient in regard to clients’ capacity for change, Carol Dweck and fixed or growth mindsets, Parkinson’s Law, appreciation of being paid to do mindfulness, addressing apprehensions about the online environment, the increasing prevalence of gamification, issues that kids face growing up with social media, Tony’s super power, Philosopher’s Notes by Brian Johnson, and Tony’s message of making time to do the essential things.

Interview with Melbourne Counsellor, Sherri Laurie.  Sherri has a Diploma of Counselling and a Degree in Psychology, and prefers delivering short-term solution-focused therapy with a Person-Centred approach. We discuss: Preventative counselling, “walk and talk” therapy, the shift from the Recruitment field to Counselling, Sherri’s preference for people-focused work, self-paced study with AIPC (Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors), regulations in the Counselling profession, decision-making around Psychology Honours, the challenges of studying statistics and the business/marketing side of the job, the concept of “normal” being different for everyone, not worrying about what others think of you, NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and everyone having their own map of the world, the power of words and visualisation, the Calm app, Sherri’s super power, mnemonic memory devices and “chemo brain”, and Sherri’s messages to seek help if you need it, and don’t give up if you don’t click with the first Counse

Interview with Sydney Musician and Podcaster, Andy Dowling.  Andy is a member of metal band LORD (www.lord.net.au). Andy is also a podcaster: check out The Andy Social Podcast (www.andysocial.net), where he interviews musicians and other equally interesting people to discuss their views on life. We discuss: Clarity of thought and staying in the moment, acceptance and mindfulness, life hacks and time tactics, the benefits of tuning in to your body, communication and active listening, the ego of musicians, a novel way to overcome stage fright, the psychology of musicians, appreciation for open-mic comedians, being the king of tangents, mental tenacity and memory devices, Bert Kreischer’s machine story, Andy’s super power, the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), and Andy’s message to be more present and mindful with other people, and to respect others’ opinions.

Interview with Skruins from the Skruins and Co Breakfast Show podcast, which is a Melbourne based podcast full of funny segments and witty observations, and aims to find the funny in people’s lives. Check it out on iTunes, Shae from MAA was on episode 143.  We discuss: The highly anticipated Aqua Donut ride, the origin of Skruins, neuroticism and anxiety, questioning life choices while stuck in traffic, worry about narcissism, potential diagnoses, punk music as an outlet, how seeing your partner as a loveable idiot can be beneficial, learning languages, why Skruins hates real estate agents, Skruins’ Mum’s theory on having kids, super powers, terrible pick up lines, being good at winging it, controlling our narrative via social media, imagining what anxiety feels like, the only reason we should have guns in Australia, being toilet shy, and Skruins’ message of being kind to the people you love, and trust that others are doing the best they can.

Interview with the animated and affable Ashley Fils-Aime, who has been performing comedy for 20 years, and has lived in Melbourne for 3 years.  We discuss: The subjectivity of mental health, anxiety about flying and frogs, dealing with his phobia, spider stories, comfort factors while flying, the Fearless Flyers course, the heroism of hairdressers, being mindful of what you feed your brain, views on music, the power of thinking positively, comedy via hologram, Ashley’s super power, natural vs normal and wanting vs choosing, the power of words, and Ashley’s messages: don’t be too hard on yourself, don’t compare yourself to others, and try not to need anything so you can be set free.

Interview with the lovely Perth Comedian with a Canadian accent, Tor Snyder.  Tor has been performing for 4 years and runs the Fremantle Comedy Factory, which was voted best comedy room by Perth comedians in 2016.  She recently performed in the Perth Comedy Road Trip at the MICF, a show which incorporated sketch, comedy and improv. Tor also runs comedy workshops, and she's totally swipe right-able. We discuss: the challenge of understanding mental health issues, learning about communication from an early relationship, the pros and cons of drinking, philosophy of Just Go Out And Have Fun, the transition in her comedy, the Dating Naked show with Mitchell Tinley, being comfortable with herself, the ups and downs of the dating world and falling in love, the biological clock, the subjectivity of attractiveness, opening doors of opportunity, Tor’s super powers, lying vs improvising, and Tor’s message about the importance of talking about your issues and being honest.

Interview with Dunkeld Comedian Ben Gaylard, who has been performing for 2 years and made it to the state final of RAW this year (well done Ben!). We discuss: The impact of a recent suicide on the local community, the ups and downs of life with mental health issues, depression getting the better of people who complete suicide, mental health support in the country, Ben’s sexual assault at the age of 21, Ben’s views on the court system, choosing to move to the country, the need to live life to the full, self-care activities, practicing comedy on cows, dealing with thoughts of self-harm, Ben’s super power, Teddy Roosevelt being the universal trivia answer, and Ben’s message to reach out and talk to someone if you’re feeling suicidal.

Interview with Melbourne Comedian Martin Samuel Dunlop.  Go see Martin and his buddy Bec Petraitis perform their MICF show called Burn The Witches, running at the Butterfly Club from 14 to 24 April. Also check out Martin's list work online at www.nihilisticles.com We discuss: The high prevalence of anxiety and depression, getting stuck in negative cycles, writing for theatre and Channel 31, comedy as an identity and motivator, Martin’s experience of therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), pros and cons of medication, fear of being perceived as boring or self-important, the complexity of playing multiple characters in the one show, the ups and downs of comedy and the perils of wallowing in a bad performance, Martin's website, the best joke, views on the Bourke Street Tragedy and the Sydney Siege, psychopaths and personality disorders and murderers, revising the DSM and the Bible, identity issues, end of life counselling for Trump, dealing with death and people living in God Mode, Atheism and Karma, Ma

Interview with the creative and candid Sofie Prints, who has been performing comedy for about 5 years, and has two MICF shows this year: Mary’s Abortion, Sofie’s Choice: The Death Of A God (from 29 March to 9 April at Station 59) and the murder mystery spoof play called And Then There Were Not As Many (from 10-22 April at Highlander).  Go check them out if you can! We discuss: Mental health issues being the new norm, stories of family mental health, scepticism about diagnoses, being a difficult teen, sharing her grandmother’s name, grandparents being prisoners of war in the Dutch East Indies, her grandmother’s eccentricities and family emotional abuse, growing up in regional NSW, Beef Week celebrations, her primary school principal now being in prison, COW FM, faking amnesia to escape to the city, difficulty making friends, getting kicked out of the school reunion, not-so-fond memories of Brisbane, living across the road from Bill Bailey, gradually getting into comedy, studying Art Therapy and Fine Arts, come

Interview with Geelong Comedian Jake Budge, who has been performing for about 3 years. Late last year Jake reached the accomplishment if 100 comedy gigs (and at time of interview he was sitting at 118 gigs).  Catch Jake hosting and performing a comedy gig on 16th March at the Unwined Wine Bar. Possibly while wearing an animal costume! We discuss: comedy being a way to express himself, patches of depression, being bullied, studying Aged Care, support from close friends, short film about disabilities leading to NDIS work, balancing the day job with late nights of comedy, growing up with a disability, going to Germany as a teen, dealing with negative emotions, Jake’s journey into comedy, views on stage craft and performance, getting out of your comfort zone to grow as a comedian, Jake’s super power, the inclusiveness of the comedy community, and Jake’s message to believe in yourself and never give up.

Interview with Adelaide Comedian Georgie Carroll, who very graciously made time for a chat during her flying visit to Melbourne a couple of weeks ago.  Georgie started comedy about 6 years ago, and now travels all over Australia to perform.  Georgie has a 2017 MICF show called Gauze And Affect, which you can see at Fort Delta from 28th March to 8th April. We discuss: How Georgie got started in comedy, the origins of her comedy festival show, the martyrdom of nurses, the lack of mental health support in Australia, kids with anxiety, episodic nature of depression or anxiety, restrictions on hospital patients, problems with ice, patients presenting with hopelessness, improvements in the Adelaide health system, lack of funding for “unfashionable disorders”, Melbourne moving the homeless, The Melbourne Look, having a strong sense of adventure, assimilating into Australian culture, having a happiness barometer, swimming in the sea on NYE to gather perspective, preparing for her kids to enter teenage years, Georgie’

Interview with Sean Bedlam, who is a Melbourne Comedian and Political Activist.  Sean is currently doing his comedy via social media, and has a video series called The Furore coming out soon. We discuss: The love of performing vs reality of performing, being informed to inform others, having a breakdown in his 20s, the limits of mental health support provided by Centrelink, classism and mental health treatment, Sean’s sunstroke episode, self-care by stopping what he’s doing, choosing not to fight negative thoughts, acting on things in his control, the problem of paranoia about what others are thinking, family issues, receiving the message that sadness is weakness, reconnecting with his Mum later in life, having to let people go and managing guilt, challenges from childhood and from growing up in a war service area, secrecy/violence/suicides/shut-downs, enjoyment from pointing out injustices, having the gift of the gab, showbiz people always trying to fit in, emerging signs of fascism, some dos and don’ts of s

Interview with Cherie Smith, who started comedy about 2 years ago as a way to meet people after moving to Melbourne. You will often find Cherie at open-mic rooms or the Comic’s Lounge, and she appeared on the ABC’s Hard Quiz last year. Cherie also co-runs the Comedy Women’s Association room every 3rd to 4th Tuesday in Footscray – follow the page on Facebook for upcoming dates. We discuss: the pros and cons of taking a redundancy package, burn out, feminism and making a point with her comedy, awareness of triggers, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, situational mental health issues, running her own race, the ebb and flow of emotions, acting in accordance with values, workplace injury and emotional abuse, handling suicidal thoughts, the benefits of counselling, not apologising for tears, hating vulnerability, the 7 habits of highly effective people and the circle of influence, Facebook misery and hope, confirmation bias, the Mr Rogers meme, the benefits of healthy eating and exercise, love of Tai Chi, comedy

Interview with Comedian Sharon Andrews, who started comedy pretty much by accident a couple of years ago at Aireys Pub.  Sharon now performs regularly in Melbourne, and also co-runs the Red Door comedy room in Geelong (on the first Thursday of the month) for the Surf Coast community as well as visitors from Melbourne.  You can catch Sharon’s first solo show in May at the Butterfly Club – it’s called People With Glass Dildos Shouldn’t Throw Stones. We discuss: Sharon’s academic approach to start comedy, her fear of public speaking but being up for the challenge, being diagnosed with depression 12 years ago, consciously considering how to actively look after her mental health, teething problems with anti-depressants, the absence of information about how to come off anti-depressants, research and views on medication, the issue of people tending to stay on anti-depressants for the long-term, the contested view of prescribing anti-depressants with people expressing suicidality, awareness of protective factors, lis

Interview with Classical Musician Ben Turner.  Ben is a Bass Trombonist who lives in Berlin, and we crossed paths recently as Ben is visiting his hometown of Melbourne.  Ben has a podcast discussing all things mental health, called Double Depresso, and we did a double recording: You can listen to Ben on MAA here, and Shae’s Double Depresso interview will be out soon.  We discuss: Berlin being still under construction, orchestras and other musical work, worry from projecting forward, problems with Perfectionism & the Imposter Syndrome, the “I’m not enough” story, the frog in boiling water analogy (sorry frog fans!), reflecting on rock bottoms, drugs & alcohol in classical music, the bigger picture perspective, views on having only one teacher, positive feedback and accepting praise, the myth of pursuing happiness, being present and enjoying the journey, Ben's super power and his general message of the importance of connecting to others.

Interview with the open and authentic JC Clapham, who has been performing comedy since January this year.  He jumped right in with the RAW competition, and then performed a solid 50-minute Melbourne Fringe show in September titled Humpty Dumpty Daddy.  JC also appeared on MAA’s current favourite TV show, Hard Quiz, a couple of weeks ago.   You can catch JC at the Adelaide Fringe from 13-18 March, and at the 2017 MICF with two shows (a refined Humpty Dumpty Daddy, and a second show titled I’m A Futurist And Even I Don’t Know What That Means). We discuss: Major life events from mid-2016, support from the Beyond Blue phone line, reflections on oversharing about mental health, changes with work, family background and Dad’s suicide when JC was aged 16, reflections on the relationship with his Dad, sharing mental health issues on social media and messages of support from around the world, healthy sharing of emotions with his children, professional and personal self-care, stew ingredients, recent appreciation of quo