Better Thinking

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Nic Newling about reducing mental health stigma and lowering the barriers of seeking help through helpful conversations. Nic Newling is an outspoken advocate for mental health, suicide prevention, and sharing personal stories. Having lived through the experience of suffering with a mood disorder throughout high school and losing his brother to suicide, he has since dedicated himself to changing the way mental illness is addressed in schools, workplaces, and communities. Nic has reached millions of people through television, live talks, radio, print, online, documentaries, and eHealth programs. He strives to make a continuing positive impact utilizing sharing and listening to encourage helpful, unscripted conversations around mental health, suicide prevention, and getting the most out of life. He has been featured on The TODAY Show, Australian Story, Huffington Post, and has shared his message through major radio stations and newspapers. He feat

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Hayley Watson about supporting the mental health of students, parents, and teachers through a practical curriculum for developing mental skills. Dr Hayley Watson is a clinical psychologist, researcher, lecturer, and program developer who is passionate about helping people find and cultivate their inner potential and inherent value. Her most recent project is a cutting-edge video-based mental health curriculum for middle and high schools being rolled out across Australia, Canada, and the US. She also delivers teacher and parent training seminars worldwide. Hayley is an expert in the field of group and school interventions, having developed and delivered youth intervention programs in Canada, the UK, Australia and the US. She has worked with non-profit organisations, private corporations, and educational systems to create and deliver programs that inspire, motivate, and unlock the potential of youth from all backgrounds and circumstances. As a

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Robb Kelly about his purpose in helping addicts and alcoholics to recover their lives from the disease of addiction. Robb Kelly, PhD is a world-renowned addiction expert who believes in treating the problem, not the symptoms. Based on his own experiences working with addicts and alcoholics over the last 20 years, combined with a PhD in psychology, and as a recovered alcoholic himself – he is a triple threat against the disease of addiction. Dr. Kelly’s philosophy may seem unconventional and unorthodox. But, they are based on extensive research and behavior studies that he conducted over the last 20 years. He pulls the disease out of his clients and empowers them to fight their disease head on. Some people have referred to him as "The Gordon Ramsay of the Addiction World" because of his direct, no-nonsense, and candid approach to recovery. He has discovered that in order to get his clients to change their thinking, they must confront t

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Martin Fisk about helping young guys reach their full potential and become the great adult men they want to be through mentoring and counselling. Martin Fisk is the Chief Executive of Menslink and joined in March 2011 after a twenty-five year career in both the private and public sectors, including nearly ten years running his own business. Since joining Menslink, he has significantly expanded the reach of Menslink’s support programs, with nearly ten times the number of young men accessing their free counselling, mentoring and group programs than at the beginning of the decade. An active campaigner  for young men, Martin speaks to schools, businesses and community groups across the region about issues facing young men, their families and communities, including family violence, gender issues, youth mental health, drugs and suicide – still the leading cause of death in men under 40. In 2012, Martin designed the award-winning Sile

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Steve Zolezzi about outdoor learnings, spirituality, symbolism, and nature as a therapeutic aid. Steve Zolezzi is a Registered Psychologist with 25 years experience in education and psychology and is a leading expert on school well-being and positive psychology practice. He consults widely both nationally and internationally in helping schools move to integrated academic and well-being excellence. Steve has been a School Psychologist since 1994, having worked with the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay, St Aloysius College, and currently as the Head of Positive Education at Knox Grammar School where he received the Knox Headmaster’s Award for Leadership in 2013.  Steve is also a Founding member of The Australasian Biofeedback Society and International School Psychologists Society.  He is a Qualified Teacher, certified Sports Psychologist and Physical Education Instructor. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/steve-zolezz

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Prof David Sloan Wilson about how human attempts to solve problems from an evolution perspective can have unintended consequences. David Sloan Wilson is an evolutionary biologist with a wide range of interests, including natural selection as a hierarchical process, the nature of intraspecific variation, the evolution of ecological communities and human evolutionary biology. He is also SUNY Distinguished Professor of Biology and Anthropology at Binghamton University. He applies evolutionary theory to all aspects of humanity in addition to the rest of life, both in his own research and as director of EvoS, a unique campus-wide evolutionary studies program that recently received NSF funding to expand into a nationwide consortium.  Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/david-sloan-wilsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Shaun O’Gorman about living a life with strength, tenacity, resilience, optimism, nurturing & generosity. Shaun O’Gorman has seen his fair share of violence and depravity throughout his life. In fact, more like many lives worth. But it has not defined the man he has become today, despite it trying its very best. Despite his parents' divorce, a violent 13-year Police career, a diagnosis of PTSD & depression, an extended battle with suicide, a bitter divorce, and a prolonged family court custody battle, he never gave in. Shaun now lives an amazing life, he has a beautiful relationship with his daughters, a fantastic loving partner, and he lives his dream career helping others and having an impact. Now he uses his experience to inspire other people to LIVE THE STRONG LIFE. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/shaun-ogorman See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Will Henshall about personalized music that can help you focus, reduce distractions, and maintain productivity when working and studying. Will Henshall has achieved notable global success both as a musical/visual artist and as a technical inventor. In 1987, he founded the British pop soul band Londonbeat and had two Billboard #1 hit records, “I’ve Been Thinking About You” (91) and “Come Back” (95). He founded Rocket Network, a Paul Allen/Cisco-funded San Francisco company, in 1995 and created the professional audio media transfer system, DigiDelivery. He sold the company to Avid/Digidesign in 2003. Focus@Will started in Los Angeles in 2011 when founders Will Henshall and John Vitale became interested in why people like to listen to music while at work and studying. Research showed 2 out of 3 of people like to listen to music while they work or study, but it’s difficult to find and manage sounds that consisten

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Hugh van Cuylenburg about finding happiness through gratitude, empathy, and mindfulness. Hugh van Cuylenburg has been working in education for more than 17 years, teaching both primary and secondary in a range of educational settings. He has completed postgraduate studies looking at resilience and wellbeing, and has developed and facilitated programs for more than a thousand schools Australia-wide.  In 2015, the National Rugby League asked Hugh to design and implement a series of comprehensive workshops at every single club in the competition. Since then, he has worked with the Australian cricket team, the Australian netball team, the Australian women’s soccer team, the Australian women's rugby league team, ten AFL teams, the Australian Olympic Committee and every soccer team in the A-League. Beyond the team environment, Hugh has worked one-on-one with individuals such as Steve Smith, Billy Slater and Dustin Martin. Outside of schools and

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Rick Hanson about overcoming the brain's negativity bias and finding more happiness, self-worth, love, and peace in life. Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a psychologist, Senior Fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and New York Times best-selling author. His books are available in 29 languages and include Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Buddha’s Brain, Just One Thing, and Mother Nurture – with 900,000 copies in English alone. He edits the Wise Brain Bulletin and has numerous audio programs. A summa cum laude graduate of UCLA and founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, he’s been an invited speaker at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centers worldwide. Dr Hanson has been a trustee of Saybrook University, served on the board of Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and was president of the board of FamilyWorks, a community agency. He began medi

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Mary Andreadis about career paths, selecting an organisation, finding a supervisor, and other pieces of advice for early career psychologists.  Nesh Nikolic is a Canberra-based clinical psychologist with over 15,000 hours of one-on-one therapy experience. He has trained in a number of therapy modes including Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Schema Therapy and he is also recognised by Medicare Australia as a qualified provider of specialist clinical psychology services. His therapeutic passion lies in utilising Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for his clients and has trained clinicians around Australia in ACT. Nesh holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology and is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), Association for Contextual Behavioural Science and Fellow of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists. Mary Andreadis is a Melbourne-based pr

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Gemma Sharp about the tremendous increase in demand for cosmetic surgery like labiaplasty, butt lifts, boob jobs, etc., and its impacts concerning body image. Dr Gemma Sharp is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Research Fellow and Clinical Psychologist. She leads the Body Image Research Group at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre (MAPrc) at Monash University in Melbourne. Her research broadly focuses on the impacts of media on body image concerns, which can lead to body image related disorders and the pursuit of cosmetic surgery. She has a particular interest in the use of novel technologies, including artificial intelligence, to assist people with body image concerns and is currently developing a conversational agent/"chatbot" together with the Butterfly Foundation. She also runs her own private clinical psychology practice, where she specialises in the treatment of body image concerns, body dysmo

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Carla Ferrari about Forensic Assessments & Reports. Carla Ferrari is the Director and Principal Forensic Psychologist of Ferrari Consulting Group and established the practice due to the growing demand for services for forensic clients, and to satisfy her interest in exploring the interface between law and psychology. Carla holds full registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia and endorsement as a Forensic Psychologist. She specializes in providing psycholegal assessments and reports for Court, having completed her Masters degree in Forensic Psychology in 2010. Carla is often required to give evidence in Court as an expert witness and has experience working with clients of diverse backgrounds requiring psychological assessment for criminal charges, family law, Victims of Crime, and for civil matters including personal injury claims, immigration, and institutional abuse. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Michael Sugrue on issues that prevent law enforcement professionals from seeking mental health services. Michael Sugrue is a retired police sergeant with the City of Walnut Creek with over 14 years of service including specialized assignments as a Field Training Officer, SIU Detective and Undercover Special Agent assigned to California Department of Justice Drug Task Force. Before becoming a police officer, Michael served 6 years in the U.S. Air Force as a Captain (Security Forces) specializing in Global Force Protection, Anti-Terrorism, Air Base Ground Defense, Nuclear Security and Law Enforcement. As a new police sergeant, Michael encountered a situation that was not only tragic and surreal but it was a call for duty that changed his life forever. Michael found himself in reckless abandon and on the verge of self-destruction until he mustered the courage to ask for help. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/michael-sugrueSee omnystudio

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Isaac Baker about using data to improve individual, team and organisational decision-making. Isaac Baker is an Applied Behavioural Scientist with a focus on understanding and creating strategies to nudge and influence organisational behaviour and improve organisational performance. He works across Mapien’s suite of services adopting a data-driven approach to inform culture diagnostics, behaviour change and improve individual, team and organisational decision-making. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/isaac-bakerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks about why bulk billed Telehealth is unsustainable and will do harm to psychology practices in Australia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Government expanded it’s Medicare-subsidised telehealth services to general practitioners and other health practitioners. Their 29 March 2020 media release states: “We are making telehealth a key weapon in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Expanding the consultation services available by telehealth is the next critical stage in the Government’s response to COVID-19.” This seems to be a great announcement from the government, but it is unsustainable for psychology practices in Australia. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/nesh-nikolic-telehealthSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To my psychology friends and colleagues,  Australia is at the beginning of Coronavirus and there is an unprecedented amount of uncertainty. Job losses, industry shutdowns, potential lockdown, and the domino effect of all these leads to possibly the hardest time for many Australians.  I urge all psychologists to share the benefits of maintaining good mental health and make themselves available for support in these times.  The reality is that in the current climate, stress, anxiety and depression will increase. If you are a psychologist you can, and should, promote your service. There is mixed messaging in the media on what will and won't shutdown, but as it stands right now psychology and all allied health businesses will remain open. Sharing the benefits of your service right now is not selfish, it is critically important to clients in need.  Much love, Nesh PS. Make sure you self care, this stress can get to us too. Episode links and video at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/nesh-nikolic-c

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Kath Koschel about her mission to achieve one million acts of kindness. Kath Koschel is a remarkable young woman who has taught herself to walk on three separate occasions, defying her medical prognosis of paralysis. An ex-professional athlete, she has broken her back twice; once while playing cricket for New South Wales and once while riding her bike training for an Iron Man after recovering from her first broken back. Kath’s life is one of inspiration, resilience and utter strength. There have been more than a few significant bumps along the way, but Kath has never let the setbacks get the better of her. With her physical and mental resilience, Kath has pulled herself through challenges that most of us could not comprehend, without letting them defy her belief that we all have the capacity to be better every day. But it’s her global movement and not for profit charity, The Kindness Factory that really lights her up. Founded in 2015 in

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Mary Andreadis about perfectionism and imposter syndrome. Nesh Nikolic is a Canberra-based clinical psychologist with over 15,000 hours of one-on-one therapy experience. He has trained in a number of therapy modes including Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Schema Therapy and he is also recognised by Medicare Australia as a qualified provider of specialist clinical psychology services. His therapeutic passion lies in utilising Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for his clients and has trained clinicians around Australia in ACT. Nesh holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology and is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), Association for Contextual Behavioural Science and Fellow of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists. Mary Andreadis is a Melbourne-based provisional psychologist. She has completed a Bachelors and Honours Degree in Psychology and

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Stefan Hofmann about process-based therapy and high-density individual data. Welcome to the future of psychology. Dr Stefan Hofmann is a clinical psychologist at the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Boston University. He is one of the foremost experts in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, especially for anxiety disorders. In collaboration with Steven C. Hayes, he has been identifying the processes that underlie effective psychological treatments. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/stefan-hofmannSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.