Potential Psychology

"Australian men over 85 have the highest rate of suicide in the country"Wellbeing in older adults. It's a conversation we don't often have, but we need to. My guest today is Dr Julie Bajic-Smith, an aged care psychology consultant and mentor, and she is passionate about the need to shape a better future for everyone in aged care.For five years Julie travelled to aged care homes and facilities to provide treatment and face-to-face intervention for the elderly. Her career took a turn when she kept hearing the same thing from her patients - I'm not getting the right emotional support from my caregivers. It's not that caregivers didn't care. They just didn't have the skills, knowledge and confidence to provide emotional as well as physical support and care to their clients.Julie set about changing this. Today she provides education to aged care workplaces, support to families and mentoring to clinicians who share her vision of greater wellbeing, reduced isolation and better mental health for older people.In this

Imagine controlling the world directly with your mind. That was my guest's dream - and she and colleagues brought that dream to life.Ariel Garten has a fascinating and eclectic background in psychotherapy, art, fashion design, neuroscience, technology and start ups. She is a co-Founder of Interaxon, the developers of Muse, a brain sensing headband that translates your mental activity into the guiding sounds of weather to help you find focused calm. Busy mind? Stormy weather. Calm mind? Peaceful weather.Ariel has lived a life without limitations. Her curiosity has led her to pursue bold, audacious goals within a broader quest to have a positive impact on humanity. In this conversation Ariel and I talk about: •Interaxon's project to create mind powered light installations across Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympics •How she came to be the CEO of a technology start up that started in a basement •Muse - the brain sensing meditation headband. How it works, how it helps and my experience making the birds chirp •The

How does a psychologist become a psychologist? What does the training involve? How long does it take? And could YOU last the distance?In this episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast I'm joined by Glen Tanner, a recently registered Clinical Psychologist and we're talking about life in the early years of this fascinating career.Glen and I discuss: •The path to become a psychologist in 2019. (Did you know that it takes 8 years?) •What led Glen to psychology as his second career? •Why he chose clinical psychology as his area of specialty •The rigours and challenges of eight years of study •The competitive nature of the training and registration process •His tips for current and impending students •Where he hopes to take his career and make his mark.Glen's passion for his work and profession shines through in this informative and enjoyable conversation. A must listen for all trainee and wannabe psychologists.For a full transcript, guest profile, expert tips and the resources mentioned in this episode, visit p

If you could upgrade yourself to 'You Version 2.0' what would that look like? Who would you be? What would you do? And how would you get there?Our guest for this episode is pursuing these very questions in a year long adventure in brain hacking. James Garrett, psychologist, former academic, entrepreneur and fellow podcaster has embarked on The Deep Change Project in 2019, exploring neuro technology, neuroplasticity and personal change to uncover the very best of James Garrett Version 2.0James has been a guest on the show before. He's a great conversationalist, very knowledgeable and always keen to share his personal insights and experiences.In this episode James and I discuss: •The Deep Change Project and his attempt to rewire his brain in 2019 •New brain technology and the second cognitive revolution •The neurotech that James has tested including direct brain stimulation, trackers, meditation devices and vibration tools for stress reduction. •Making the choice: Do you create the future or be subject to it? •

My first ever SOLO episode and we're talking motivation. Where does it come from? How do we create it in ourselves and others? And why is everything you know or think about motivation wrong?Motivation is one of my favourite topics. I have two public workshops coming up in Ballarat exploring Six Simple Steps to an Engaged, Motivated Team, which I've cheekily subtitled 'Why everything you know about motivation is wrong'. Both workshops have now sold out I've had several people ask if I'm planning to run more or run them in different locations - which sadly I'm not right now - but I did think maybe I should share the tips here on the podcast as then no-one misses out?So that's what we're doing in this episode. Just you and me delving into motivation and why everything you know about motivation is wrong!Tune in to discover: •The myths of motivation and where they come from •Why rewards and punishment are counter productive •Psychology's best kept motivation secret •The three needs that drive our motivation •5 top

I have been talking to several clients recently about productivity, attention, focus, our expectations of ourselves and the feelings that come along with juggling all of the things - work, parenting, health, self-care, friendships, family, goals and plans. Worry, overwhelm, frustration and impatience are recurring themes. So I thought it timely to revisit a conversation that has helped me with all of these things. In Season 2 of the Potential Psychology Podcast I interviewed James Garrett, the founder and CEO of Brain By Design - a US-based organisation that teaches strategies for getting more from your mind. About JamesJames is a psychologist, a former academic, co-founder of a highly successful social venture and now host of The Deep Change Podcast. In this episode we discuss the science behind: •Why your focus and attention is like a battery that requires recharging. •How to get more done by working less •How to use your mind to start on difficult or unpleasant tasks •The importance of taking breaks for yo

Join me behind the scenes at the IPPA 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology in Melbourne, AustraliaIf you follow Potential Psychology on social media you might have seen me out and about with my portable recorder, Potential shirt and matching red headphones at the International Positive Psychology Association's 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology in July 2019.The World Congress was a four day event at which world's positive psychology, happiness and wellbeing experts descended on Melbourne, put their collective heads together and explored and shared the most mind-blowing quantity (and quality!) of research and knowledge on what helps us all to thrive and flourish.There were great thinkers and speakers, research presentations, exhibitors, well being adventures, conversations, global perspectives and over 1000 people in attendance and and I've captured as much as I can to share with you in this episode of the podcast.Join me as we: •Race around Melbourne, well being adventure-style with Associate Prof

'If the 5 trillion spiders in the Netherlands took to eating humans rather than insects, they'd consume all Dutch people in just three days.' Not a nice thought, especially if you have a spider phobia but that was the Tweet that led me to today's guest and our discussion of phobias.My guest is Dr Celin Gelgec, a clinical psychologist based in Melbourne, who specialises in anxiety and all of the different ways in which it manifests and challenges us, including phobias! Celin is a Senior Clinical Psychologist & the Director of the Melbourne Wellbeing Clinic. She works with children, adolescents, and adults who experience Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and anxiety disorders, as well as secondary depression.In this episode Celin and I talk about phobias but we also venture into her favourite topic, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.My questions to Celin... •What are phobias? •Do we all have them? •What causes them? •Are some phobias innate? Or do we learn them? •When do they become more than harmless? •What are th

Imagine this. You're 20 years old and a newly minted teacher with sole responsibility for a small rural primary school and the nine students who attend each day. It's your ninth day at work and although it starts in the same way as days one to eight, it will end very differently - with you and your nine students chained and captive in a remote camp site.This is the true (crime) story of my guest, Rob Hunter. We're exploring what happened on that day 42 years ago and the impact that it has had on teacher and students.Rob and I talk about: •The incredible events of February 14 and 15, 1977 in Gippsland, Victoria •The after effects of drama and trauma •How times have changed when it comes to our approach to understanding and dealing with traumatic events •Gratitude, forgiveness and resilience as tools for recovery and growth •Rob's conversations with high school students and using his story to help them understand and access theirs •Rob's new book - Day 9 at Woreen: Kidnapped with Nine ChildrenListen in to hear

'It's 'digital heroin': How screens turn kids into psychotic junkies' That was the NY Post headline that sent the internet into meltdown in 2016. The article went on to state that 'your kid's brain on Minecraft looks like a brain on drugs' and every parent who has ever experienced a pang of guilt watching their child immersed in a screen-based game felt that guilt engulf them.But is it true? Are video and screen-based games as terrifying as the headlines suggest?In this episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast I'm talking to Peter Gray, Research Professor of Psychology at Boston College. Peter is the author of both a widely used introductory psychology textbook, Psychology which is now in its seventh edition and Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for LifePeter writes a popular blog for Psychology Today entitled "Freedom to Learn". He is frequently invited to speak to groups of educators, parents, and researchers about ch

We're doing something a little different on the podcast today. For the first time, we are revisiting a past episode. In fact it's episode two of the podcast - my interview with parenting and e-safety expert Martine Oglethorpe from The Modern Parent.Have you noticed a resurgence of interest in the mainstream media lately in video games and their impact on kids?Specifically, the instances and issues surrounding video gaming as an addiction or disorder?In late May of 2019 the World Health Organisation officially recognized "gaming disorder" as a mental health condition - adding the disorder to the International Classification of Diseases, or the ICD-11, the organisation's official diagnostic manual.Screen time, video games and internet gaming are confusing topics. Everyone has an opinion. Parents feel guilt and uncertainty. 'Screen time' creates a huge amount of conflict within families. I wonder whether the conflict, anxiety and stress around internet games and screen time does more harm that the screens themse

Have you imagined what it's like to be a judge presiding over a court? To maintain calm in the court room, absorb and synthesise complex information, listen to sometimes deeply difficult stories and make decisions that affect the lives of others- and at times our society - in critical ways?These are just some of the tasks facing our judicial officers - our judges and magistrates. They are tasks that can have a significant impact on their stress and well being.My guest for this episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast is Carly Schrever. Carly is the Judicial Wellbeing Advisor for the Judicial College of Victoria, a current PhD Candidate and researcher at the University of Melbourne, a lawyer, a psychologist and mum to three year old twin boys. She's a busy woman.Carly had worked with the Courts for sometime as a Judicial Educator when she commenced her Masters of Clinical Psychology. She had a conversation with the then Chief Judge of the County Court of Victoria - Michael Rozenes - who had identified the n

What do you know about therapy?Did the producers of The Sopranos get it right? And are we all a little bit mad?The answer is 'yes' according to my guests today, both highly experienced Sydney-based psychotherapists and clinical psychologists.Professor Gillian Straker and Dr Jacqui Winship join me to talk about their new book, 'The Talking Cure: Normal people, their hidden struggles and the life-changing power of therapy' in which they introduce us first to relational psychotherapy through its depiction in The Sopranos, and then to their clients, fictional amalgams of real-life cases. They explain the relationship between the therapist and the patient as the essence of successful therapy and reveal how the art of talking and listening helps us to understand deep-seated issues that profoundly influence who we are in the world.In this fascinating conversation we explore: •Psychotherapy - What is it? And how does it differ from other forms of therapy or counselling? •Why being human is to be a little bit mad - an

NEWS We're taking a break from regular programming for a special mini episode celebrating the winners at the 2019 Australian Podcast Awards!Australians were on tenterhooks on Saturday 18 May 2019 as we awaited news of the winners and losers. Yes we had a Federal Election but more importantly, it was the 2019 Australian Podcast Awards.Mr Potential Psychology and I headed north to Sydney to join in the festivities and fun, mingle with audio royalty and learn a little more about what's great on the Australian podcast scene.Listen in to discover my pick of the winners, who I'm listening to right now to live, learn, laugh and flourish, and whether the Potential Psychology Podcast walked away with a gong.For more details visit potential.com.au/podcast or join us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/potentialpsychology/message To hear more, visit potentialpsychology.substack.com

Music and our moods are intrinsically linked. We seek sad songs when we're blue, upbeat vibes to work out, maybe classical for a bit of zen. But how does this work? What happens in your brain when you listen to music? And how can you use music strategically to boost your mood and your performance? My guest today is Dr Sandra Garrido. Sandra is a pianist, a violinist, an author, a mum and researcher. She started studying law but found that she didn't really like arguing with people for a living, so she returned to University to study music and psychology and this has been the foundation of her career ever since. At present Sandra is an NHMRC-ARC Dementia Research Fellow at the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development at Western Sydney University, exploring mood regulation using music and how we might use music to improve the quality of life in people with mild dementia.In our podcast chat, Sandra and I explore: •Why music is important to humans •The role music plays in our physiological, cognitive,

With an increasing number of children in the western world diagnosed with life threatening food allergies, the parents of these kids can find themselves overwhelmed, and anxious, with their well being and mental health under threat.My guest for this conversation knows this from lived experience. When her third child, Caleb, was just four months old he was diagnosed with multiple food allergies. At that moment Callie Mackenzie and her family were plunged into a world in which nothing felt safe.Callie was overwhelmed by the responsibility of feeding her family in the face of multiple allergies. The thought of leaving Caleb in someone else's care, starting preschool or school seemed unimaginable and much of the joy was drained from food and the life surrounding it.In this episode Callie, a trained medical doctor, shares some of what she has learned in the three years since. We discuss: •Current understanding within the medical community of the causes of food allergies •The social isolation that comes with a chil

Our doctors help to keep us well, but who looks after the doctors when they're struggling with stress, exhaustion and overwhelm?My guest today is Dr Rebekah Hoffman, a GP (General Practitioner) in regional NSW, a University lecturer and a PhD candidate at the University of Wollongong. As a junior doctor Rebekah began to struggle with the effects of long hours, limited sleep and a heavy workload. Following a holiday during which she realised that she was no longer the person she wanted to be, she changed the trajectory of her career and began to research the effects of stress and burnout on her fellow junior doctors.In this conversation Rebekah explains: •The challenging nature of work as an early career doctor - the hours, the workload and the expectations •The social and technological changes that make medicine today a vastly more complex field than it once was •The psychology of a junior doctor - the expectations of self that both drive and sometimes thwart those who pursue the profession •Her research into

Welcome back to the Potential Psychology Podcast.My guest today once specialised in psycho-oncology, the human side of cancer. In 2010 at the age of 37 she received the terrifying news that she had not one but two primary breast cancers. This became a frightening opportunity to practice what she preaches. The practitioner became the patient.Dr Jodie Fleming has recounted her story in a touching memoir, 'A Hole in My Genes' published in February 2019. In this episode we talk about: •Her book (it made me cry - and laugh!) •Death anxiety and survivor guilt •What she has learnt about living with a cancer diagnosis as a psychologist, a survivor, a partner, a daughter, a granddaughter, a sibling and a friend •How to reframe even life's toughest moments and thrive through cancer •Jodie's tips for supporting someone through cancerRarely have I met someone so positive, so resilient and so open as Jodie. This is a wonderful conversation and an opportunity for us all to learn about an experience that touches so many.Joi

We're back for Season 5 and we have some exiting news! The Potential Psychology Podcast is up for an award. I'll give you the low down in this episode.My guest for the first episode of this season is Associate Professor Brock Bastian from the University of Melbourne and we're asking the question, 'Are we getting resilience wrong?' Resilience is a hot topic right now, with programs designed to build resilience featuring on the training schedules of our schools and workplaces. But what do we really know about resilience from a scientific perspective? Can we build it? And how?In this episode Brock and I explore: •What we do and don't know about resilience from a scientific perspective •Why we often get resilience wrong •Why we need risk and vulnerability to develop our resilience - and our kids' resilience! •Resilience as a dynamic and developable process, and •How to build a challenge mindset.About my guestBrock Bastian is a researcher, a practitioner, and and the author of The Other Side of Happiness: Embracin

Welcome to our special event celebratory podcast episode! We are celebrating because today, March 20, is the UN's International Day of Happiness and tomorrow, March 21, is the Potential Psychology Podcast's 1st birthday! We've been sharing the science of wellbeing on the air for one whole year. Throughout our first year we've explored well being, performance, goals, parenting, health, sleep, sport. resilience, yoga, work, strengths, hope and more.Our amazing guests have educated and inspired us in so many topics relating to happiness but do you know what I've realised? I've realised that in 12 months and 39 episodes we've never asked the question, 'What is happiness? And how do we get more of it?This are the questions we answer in today's episode. What's more, I've got our listeners and past guests involved!Listen to our audience's and guests' messages about what makes them happy as they help me to answer the questions: •What does the science say about happiness? What is it? What isn't it? And how do you find