On the Couch with Psychologist Jane Enter

As we enter the end of year festive season this very last episode of the first season of our podcast series discusses the 'family'. Love them or hate them, our family remains the single most important influence in our lives – especially in the early years. But as we all know, it’s not all rosy, and it’s this time of year that everything related to our family experience rushes to the surface. It makes for a happy time for many and a challenging time for others. Who better to help us navigate our family dynamics than the wonderful Jane Enter. NOTE: Photo - Fernando on the right with his three sisters in the year they arrived in Australia in 1976.

With the holiday season upon us this episode explores happiness. What is it exactly and why do we spend so much time striving to attain it? Why is happiness important for us humans and how can we cultivate it when it remains fleeting and elusive to many of us, a lot of the time?

The small close-knit Northern New South Wales Australian town of Goonengerry remains in collective shock and sorrow following the tragic death of two twin four-year old girls. They died from smoke inhalation during a house fire in the early hours of Sunday the 7th of November 2021. In light of the devastating event, this episode delves into the varied human experiences of grief and loss – personal and collective. It’s something all of us will confront at some point in our lives. So why not talk about it? Who better to do that with than our resident psychologist Jane Enter who has deep personal experience with the topic? Jane lost her own daughter in 2013.

In this episode we take a close look at intimacy. Why do many people struggle with it, and how can we nurture it to improve our overall happiness and wellbeing? Our resident psychologist Jane Enter has some insights.

In this episode we explore death & dying - Is it the fear that drives us and the worm at the core of mental health? Why are we so uncomfortable with the thought that we will one day die, and can we ever become relaxed about it?

In this episode we take a close look at psychedelic medicine. It’s all the rage, especially here on the North Coast. We explore the touted benefits and the potential risks. More Information: Ending The Silence Around Psychedelic Therapy Abuse By Will Hall, MA, DiplPW – Mad in America September 25, 2021 www.madinamerica.com/2021/09/ending…DF2nugtIptu58A Michael Pollan’s hugely influential new book on psychedelic medicine, How to Change Your Mind michaelpollan.com/books/how-to-change-your-mind/

In this episode we discuss parenting – without judgement. There’s so much pressure to be the ‘perfect parent’ and very few appear to come through the experience without some guilt that we didn’t quite live up to society’s high expectations. This is especially the case when inevitable challenges arise in the lives of our children. We cut through the stigmas, fads and different approaches to get to the core of what constitutes healthy parenting. More Information: The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children - By Dr Shefali Tsabary www.booktopia.com.au/the-conscious-…473619388.html

In this episode we discuss a true modern epidemic – depression. We all feel sad, moody or low from time to time. But when we start experiencing these feelings intensely for long periods of time, something more serious is going on that can affect our physical and mental wellbeing. What are the signs and symptoms to look out for, and what can we do about it? More Information: www.beyondblue.org.au/ www.lifeline.org.au/ www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/

In this episode we explore what's been described as a modern day epidemic - high anxiety. But has it always been with us? Anxiety is part of our body's natural response to stress. A feeling of fear or apprehension about what's to come. The first day of school, going to a job interview, or giving a speech in front of an audience. However, for a lot of us these feelings of anxiety can become extreme and start interfering with our lives. This is when someone like our resident Psychologist Jane Enter can help. Jane explains where it comes from, how it's different today, and what we can do to manage it. More Information: www.flhealthcare.com.au/services/psychology/ theanxietyguy.com/fuck-coping-start-healing/ MUSIC: High Anxiety (1977)Theme Starring: Mel Brooks etal. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Anxiety www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GICtWmX754&t=26s

In this episode we introduce a new word to many people – ‘Liminality’ – which is a condition of our time. It’s the experience of living with uncertainty, the unknown. And the realisation that life as we used to know it will never be the same again. Sound familiar? It’s something we’re all struggling with. Our resident psychologist Jane Enter helps us unpack it all. More Infromation: www.flhealthcare.com.au/services/psychology/ theconversation.com/the-shifting-sa…minality-166903

In this epsiode we discuss sleep, which has become one of the casualties of our increased anxieties and stress in these challenging times. Our resident psychologist explains the function of sleep and why it’s so important for our mental and overall health. And how we can improve it. More Information: www.healthline.com/health/sleep-hygiene www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIr3RsUWrdo www.goodreads.com/book/show/21317164-healing-night www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ_ddPKRdEc Music by world fusion musician ATMAN: atmananda.com.au @prematmananda

In the previous episode we started a conversation on an issue that's affecting most of us right now - having loved ones and friends with completely different views to us on the COVID 19 pandemic and vaccines. It's a subject splitting families and friendships, and dividing our community - in Australia and overseas. This edition continues that discussion at a deeper level to get to the underlying heart of what's really going on.

In this very first episode we focus on having loved ones, close friends or associates with completely different views to us about the COVID 19 pandemic and vaccines. Sound familiar? It’s an issue that’s been splitting families, souring friendships, and dividing our community. Jane Enter helps us bridge that divide and find new positive ways to relate to each other that keeps us together. More Information: www.bayfm.org/shows/above-the-fray/ au.linkedin.com/in/jane-enter-20099122