Mental Health

On 1 Feb the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announced that - from the 1st July 2023 - the medical use of MDMA and Psilocybin will be rescheduled from Schedule 9 (prohibited substances) to Schedule 8 (controlled medicines) of the Poisons Standard. This will enable authorised psychiatrists to prescribe these substances for treatment-resistant depression and treatment resistant post-traumatic stress disorder. Today we speak with Peter Hunt who is not your conventional mental health practitioner. Peter is in fact a career investment banker with 35 years of experience as a banker. He has advised local and multi-national companies and governments in Australia.  The reason why we’re speaking with Peter is also an active philanthropist involved in funding, developing and scaling social sector organisations with the goal to create a better and fairer world.  Specifically, Peter is the Chairman of Mind Medicine Australia which he established with his wife, Tania de Jong, in 2018. Mind Medicine Australia supports clinical research and works towards regulatory-approved and evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies.   In our conversation today we explore a course that Mind Medicine Australia has developed to help train the next generation of clinicians. Peter shares his views on the applications of MDMA and psychedelic assisted therapy as well as some of his own personal journey.   You can connect with Mind Medicine Australia via their website mindmedicineaustralia.org.au

Dr Stephen Bright is a clinically trained psychologist and senior lecturer on addiction at Edith Cowan University. Dr. Bright is the director of PRISM, the Psychedelic Research in Science and Medicine organisation which is a not for profit, independent research charity developing medical and legal processes for the application of psychedelic medicines for improved well being in Australia.   In this conversation Dr. Stephen shares an update on the research for MDMA and psylicybin in the US and Australia, some of the results of the studies, the reactions from the clinical community, regulators and the public as well as Dr. Bright’s view on how psychedelic assisted therapy will come to play a role in clinical practice.   Some websites we discussed: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ is the platform to find out which studies are running https://www.prism.org.au/prismsresearch/ is a summary of research and PRISM’s website You can connect with Dr. Bright here: s.bright@ecu.edu.au   The drug-harm chart by Prof David Nutt has been summarised well here: https://www.businessinsider.com/chart-drugs-that-cause-the-most-harm-2013-9   The original paper from Prof David Nutt was published in the Lancet and can be found here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/47635105_Nutt_DJ_King_LA_Phillips_LD_Drug_harms_in_the_UK_a_multicriteria_decision_analysis_Lancet_376_1558-1565

Today we’re speaking with Dr. Tracey Sletten, a senior research fellow from the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health at Monash University.   Dr. Sletten is an expert on sleep and in our conversation we do a deep dive into how shift work affects sleep and how to improve sleep as much as possible while still working as a shift worker.   If you’d like to connect with Dr. Tracey or her team you can do so via tracey.sletten@monash.edu or on twitter @tracey_sletten

At 16 Emma attempted suicide and was left paralyzed. Now, at 21, Emma is a passionate mental health advocate. She take us on a journey of what led up to her attempt and her thought processes immediately before, during and after and ultimately her recovery. Emma reflects on meaningful ways in which to reach out and support someone that may be at risk. She now uses her story as a powerful instrument to support others.   Emma’s story is particularly relevant this week as it’s suicide prevention week.   You can reach out to Emma’s team as well as finding out how to watch her incredible documentary My Ascension here: https://www.myascension.us/   For emergency support contact: 13 11 14 in Australia for Lifeline, a crisis support and suicide prevention service 1800 273 8255 in the USA for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline

Today we continue speaking with Professor Sean Drummond, a Cognitive Neuroscientist and Clinical Psychologist at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health at Monash University. In part 2 of our conversation, we explore the relationship between poor sleep and mental illnesses - how one can be caused by the other. We talk about cognitive based therapy for insomnia (CBTI), the current gold standard for the treatment of poor sleep, medication for insomnia and the role that it has in treatment. Finally we circle around to the resources available to help people with poor sleep, and some tips to achieve better quality sleep. Resources: The Australasian Sleep Association (offers a list of providers) https://www.sleep.org.au/ The Sleep Health Foundation https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/sean-drummond

Today we’re speaking with Professor Sean Drummond, a sleep expert, Cognitive Neuroscientist and Clinical Psychologist at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health at Monash University. We have split this conversation into 2 parts, in this, part 1 we cover the mechanics of sleep, how much sleep do we need, how much we actually get, the price for insufficient sleep, Sleep patterns, Caffeine and alcohol and how they impact sleep, Insomnia and sleep apnoea. We touch on 4 key things that you can do to improve your sleep.

Today we’re speaking with Dr. Jarrod White, a Clinical Psychologist working in private practice at The Viewpoint clinic in Caulfield Melbourne. During Dr. White's research he had the opportunity to conduct face to face interviews with holocaust survivors and Sudanese genocide survivors. During our conversation, Dr. White shares some of his research and the key themes of how trauma is processed and expressed differently within different cultures.  

Today we speak with Professor Paul Fitzgerald who has been involved in the development, evaluation and clinical implementation of new treatments for mental health disorders for 2 decades. He pioneered the use of TMS in Australia and is internationally renowned as a leader in the field of brain stimulation and device based treatments in psychiatry. In our conversation we discuss what TMS is, the mechanisms of how we believe it works, we discuss how it’s administered, side effects, it’s efficacy and the costs and funding available in Australia. This conversation was recorded in November of 2021, since this time the Australian government has added TMS to the  rebate scheme as Prof. Fitzgerald mentioned. Professor Paul Fitzgerald has been the Director of Epworth Centre for Innovation in Mental Health (ECIMH) but is currently in the process of transitioning to a role as Director of the School of Medicine and Psychology at ANU through which you can connect with him. You can find a list of TMS relevant publications by Prof Fitzgerald on his website at paulbfitzgerald.com/

Today we talk to Phil Armstrong, CEO of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), about the ethics of client patient dynamics and what happens when a clinician develops romantic feelings towards their client or visa versa. Phil, as the head of the ACA, is in the perfect position to provide some guidance and boundaries on these sorts of ethical questions. As you’ll hear from our conversation, Phil draws on his own clinical experience as well as that of their 7000 members.

We’ll be taking a break over December and Jan and will post our next podcast in Feb. Thank you for your support and for tuning into conversations about mental health. We hope these conversations have sparked your curiosity and have given you new insights into your own lives and of those close to you. We wish you a safe festive season, take care of yourself and we’ll see you in 2022.

What is the difference between a counsellor and a psychotherapist? Today we’re speaking with Dr. Di Stow, the President of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) who will explain this in detail. PACFA is a leading national peak body and professional association for counsellors and psychotherapists in Australia with over 4500 members nationwide and as one of the leaders of this organisation, Dr. Stow is well placed to explore the similarities and differences between these two mental health professionals.   Dr. Di runs her own private counselling practice in Hobart, Tasmania, working a lot with grief and loss, anxiety and depression, and many other issues.   Links: https://www.aihw.gov.au/suicide-self-harm-monitoring/data/suspected-deaths-by-suicide/data-from-suicide-registers

Today we speak with Dr Zac Seidler who is a clinical psychologist, researcher and leading men’s mental health expert. Zac currently holds dual roles as Director of Mental Health Training at Movember and Research Fellow with Orygen at the University of Melbourne. We speak about men’s mental health, masculinity, the idea of toxic masculinity, how men relate to seeking support and help, the role of men in relationships and society, consent, and the Movember movement and support out there for men. At the time of release (November), many men are in the full swing of supporting men's health awareness by growing out their mustaches. If you are keen to get on board it’s not too late to start your mo. Head over to movember.com to get the details.   Resources: https://www.zacseidler.com/ (Zac’s training program for clinicians) https://familyman.movember.com/ (Resources for young fathers) https://meninmind.movember.com/  https://au.movember.com/ Mo-Conversations – A podcast by Movember on all things man-related https://mensshed.org/

Dr. Gery Karantzas, is an Associate Professor and Director of the Science of Adult Relationships (SoAR) Laboratory at Deakin University and is one of Australia’s leading relationships experts. Prof Gery has edited and authored over 100 publications including a handbook and co-authored text on relationships. Gery writes for the Conversation and Psychology Today, and is regularly contacted by the media to discuss all matters on relationships. He is also the founder of Relationship Science Online, a website that curates and delivers the science of relationships to target the needs of relationship counsellors and the general public. In this conversation we explore the impact of COVID and lockdowns on couples and the Vulnerability, Stress Adaptation Model of relationships. We also discuss some of the most common types of conflict patterns experienced couples and how to improve the ways in which couples fight so that they deal with conflict in more constructive ways. Prof Gery offers lots of roleplay style scenarios and gives great insights into some things to say, different ways to approach difficult conversations as well as pointing listeners to some great resources. You can find Dr. Gery as well as much of his writing for the Conversation, Psychology Today and helpful insights on relationships at www.relationshipscienceonline.com To find out more about the Science of Adult Relationships (SoAR) Laboratory at Deakin University, go to: www.scienceofadultrelationships.org The article that Ruan and Dr. Gery refer to: https://theconversation.com/love-lockdown-the-pandemic-has-put-pressure-on-many-relationships-but-heres-how-to-tell-if-yours-will-survive-135824 Dr. Gery referred to the work by Professor Andrew Christensen (UCLA), specifically Professor Christensen’s co-development of Integrative Behavioural Couples Therapy( IBCT). He and his former student Professor Brian Doss (University of Miami) have developed an online couple program based on IBCT, the “OURRelationship Program” – a program to help couples become unstuck from their core relationship issues.  To find out more about the OURRelationship Program go to: www.ourrelationship.com

Today we speak with Dr. Ranjani Utpala, the Clinical Director of The Butterfly Foundation. Dr. Ranjani Utpala a clinical psychologist specialised in working with eating disorders over the course of her career in the public and private sectors. The Butterfly Foundation is the national charity for all Australians impacted by eating disorders and body image issues, and for the families, friends and communities who support them. Butterfly operates a National Helpline that includes support over the phone, via email and online, reaching 20,000 people each year. The Helpline is staffed by trained counsellors experienced in assisting with eating disorders and body image issues. https://butterfly.org.au 131 450   https://edfa.org.au/ Free online course for those supporting someone with an eating disorder: https://insideoutinstitute.org.au/resource-library/supported National Eating Disorder Collaboration for publications, journals, fact sheets and infographics https://nedc.com.au/ Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders for supervision and training for clinicians  https://www.anzaed.org.au/

We take a deep dive in Personality Disorder, specifically looking at Borderline Personality Disorder. We speak with Prof. Andrew Chanen, a psychiatrist, head of Personality Disorder Research and Director of Clinical Programs and Services at Orygen and a Professorial Fellow at the Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne. He is a Board Director of NEABPD Australia and a past President of ISSPD (International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders). Some resources discussed were: https://www.bpdaustralia.org/ https://www.orygen.org.au/Training/Resources/Borderline-personality-disorder

Today we speak with 'Lucy' (not her real name) about her journey of living with, and managing, a mother with borderline and bipolar. We look at the impact a serious mental illness can have on family members. It’s a raw, real and honest chat.   For emergency support contact: 000 for police, ambulance or fire services  13 11 14 for Lifeline, a crisis support and suicide prevention service for all Australians 1300 726 306 Perinatal Anxiety and Depression (PANDA) National Helpline 1800 642 066 Centre for Grief and Bereavement 1800 250 015 Alcohol and Drug Support Line 1800 858 858 National Gambling Help Line 1300 22 46 36 Beyond Blue

Prof James Ogloff is a University Distinguished Professor of Forensic Behavioural Science and Director at the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science at Swinburne University of Technology. In this chat we deep dive into the dark and complex world of psychopaths. We look at what a psychopath is, how they are made, how the tests for psychopathy work and psychopathy in criminal contexts. Prof. Ogloff reflects on some of his clinical and personal experience of working with a broad spectrum of psychopaths over his long career.   Prof. Ogloff is also Executive Director of Psychological Services and Research at Forensicare and a Fellow of the Canadian, American and Australian psychological societies. Professor Ogloff has worked in clinical and forensic psychology in a variety of settings for more than 35 years, publishing 18 books and more than 300 scholarly articles and book chapters. He has conducted assessments for courts and has given evidence in all Australian jurisdictions. In 2015, Professor Ogloff was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, recognised for significant service to education and to the law as a forensic psychologist, academic, researcher and practitioner. Some resources that Prof. Ogloff has recommended can be found at www.talklink.com.au/podcast They include: Conceptualizing Psychopathy: An overview by Theodoros Papagathonikou Psychopathy/antisocial personality disorder conundrum by Prof James Ogloff

Amber Rules is the co-founder and director at Rough Patch - one of the few brick and mortar mental health social enterprises in Australia. Amber is a psychotherapist and a supervisor for other clinicians. She is a passionate about subsidising the cost of mental health for those that need it most.   You can find Amber here: https://talklink.com.au/psychotherapist/amber-rules Rough Patch’s socials are @roughpatchcounselling https://www.roughpatchcounselling.com/about-us

Prof David Coghill is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who holds the Chair of Developmental Mental Health at the University of Melbourne. Professor Coghill has a particular interest in ADHD, disruptive behaviours and psychopharmacology (the study of the use of medications in treating mental disorders). In this conversation we cover what ADHD / ADD is, how it's diagnosed, the difference between child and adult cases and the difference between how males vs females express their ADHD. We talk about how it's treated, the medication and what it means to have ADHD.   Resources https://www.additudemag.com/ a great resource with loads of good info https://aadpa.com.au/  - the official Australian ADHD page, lots of very authoritative information The paper with all of the charts that Prof Coghill refers to can be found at www.talklink.com.au/podcast The organisation that organised the ADHD Conference is: www.myspecialchildonline.com  

Emma Cholakians is a psychologist and director of a private practice in Melbourne, Australia (Couples Therapy) that specialises in relationship counselling and therapy. We discuss couples therapy as a specific treatment type, what is involved, the costs and level of buy-in required from each person. We also do a deep dive into cheating and what some of the themes are that Emma has observed in her clinical practice.   You can find Emma at: https://couplestherapymelbourne.com.au   For emergency support contact: 000 for police, ambulance or fire services  13 11 14 for Lifeline, a crisis support and suicide prevention service for all Australians 1300 726 306 Perinatal Anxiety and Depression (PANDA) National Helpline 1800 642 066 Centre for Grief and Bereavement 1800 250 015 Alcohol and Drug Support Line 1800 858 858 National Gambling Help Line 1300 22 46 36 Beyond Blue