For Provisional Psychologists Episodes

Bron is joined by Tiffany, a licensed psychotherapist based in Switzerland, to chat about the emotional realities of starting out in therapy and what it’s like working in mental health on the other side of the world. They chat about: 👉🏽 Why personal therapy helped Tiffany become a better clinician 👉🏻 Feeling like you’re “drowning and swimming at the same time” when starting therapy work 👉 How comparison and perfectionism can fuel early-career self-doubt 👉🏼 The differences between Australian a...

Calling new psychology Masters students - this episode is for you! Bron completed the 5+1 Masters & is now completing a Master of Clinical Psychology, and Jordan completed an Educational/Developmental Masters. In this episode, we share what we wish we knew before starting our Masters and our best tips for making it through the course. We chat about: 👉🏽 Why learning matters far more than grades 👉🏻 How Masters is the safest time to try out different approaches 👉 The realities of juggling work a...

It's our first MAILBAG episode, woo hoo! 🥳 In this ep, Marie (Accredited Mental Health Social Worker) and Bron (Psychologist) answer listener questions: How should I prepare for my first ever client? When should I niche? What pay should I expect for my first job in mental health? How do I protect my mental health when working in private practice? We share a whole bunch of practical info in bite-sized responses. This was a really fun conversation and we covered A LOT! Thanks to all the listeners ...

It's a listener story! 🥳 Tess is a provisional psychologist studying her Master of Clinical Psychology and in this ep, she shares exactly what it's like including overcoming perfectionism, imposter syndrome, the value of supportive peers and supervisors, juggling study and work, and other thoughts on her journey towards full registration as a psychologist. Tess also talks about her deeply important Masters research on postpartum psychosis. Thanks Tess for this wonderful conversation and best wis...

Bron and Jordan do a deep-dive on the registrar program for psychologists -- this is the massive training program that psychologists undertake when they want to gain endorsement in an area such as clinical, counselling, or educational & developmental psychology. Jordan shares her personal experience completing the Ed & Dev Registrar program, covering topics like supervision, professional development, and building confidence as a therapist, and offer tips for navigating the program successfully. ...

Bron is joined by Karen Knight and Courtney McKee, two experienced psychologists with lived experience of blindness. We dive into 👉 their personal journey with psychology, including their passions, the challenges, and the opportunities for psychologists living with disability 👉🏽 accessibility, technology, and advocacy 👉🏿 the strengths and unique perspectives they bring to their work. The episode offers valuable advice for aspiring and early career mental health workers living with disability and...

Writing a good case report is an essential skill for mental health workers but it's a hard one to master! Annie Slater has seen so many case reports in her role as Director of the Provisional Psychologist Network and knows exactly what makes a great case report. In this ep, she describes the common mistakes she sees, essential tips, resources for improving the process, and how to make the task more manageable. If you're undertaking a placement or supervised practice where you need to write case ...

Bron chats with Betty about her experiences of failing the National Psychology Exam. Betty shares the emotional toll of failing, the financial implications, and the struggle with shame and self-doubt it brought. We highlight the need for more open discussions about setbacks in the psychology profession and stress that failing an exam does NOT define one’s worth or capability as a psychologist. We thank and applaud Betty for vulnerably sharing her story, and hope that listeners who have not succe...

Bron and Averil unpack why it is so bloody hard to find a placement as a provisional/registrar psychologist. They chat about 👉🏽 Why universities find it hard to find placements for students 👉🏻 Why public health, private practices, and NGO's find it difficult to offer placements 👉🏿 What would make it easier for organisations to offer placements 👉🏾 Tips for finding a placement and hope for the future! Guest: Dr Averil Cook (Clinical Psychologist and Director of Bodhi & Psychology) THE END BI...

Bron and Amanda unpack the tell-tale signs that you're in an unethical placement or workplace. They chat about 👉🏽 Fair pay 👉🏻 Reasonable caseloads 👉 Contractor vs employment arrangements 👉🏿 Should placements be paid? (spoiler: yes obviously) 👉🏾 Supports if you need help. Mental Work is the podcast unpacking the challenges faced by early career psychologists, so they don’t have to go it alone. Hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins. Guest: Amanda Moses, Psychologist and AAPi Early-Career Coordinator ...

The National Psychology Exam (NPE) is a big ass exam that provisional psychologists doing the 4+2 and 5+1 pathways must pass to gain full registration. On today's episode, Bron is joined by Amanda Moses (Psychologist) to unpack 👉🏼 What does the NPE assess? 👉🏾 How to prepare step-to-step 👉🏿 Top tips for sitting the NPE on the day 👉 How much time to set aside for study. Mental Work is the podcast unpacking the challenges faced by early career psychologists, so they don’t have to go it alone. Ho...

Bron is joined by experienced School Psychologist Brian Cheng to unpack how to fill in gaps in knowledge and skills following the undergrad psych degree. They unpack 👉🏽 How to relate to clients like a fellow human, not a textbook 👉🏻 The importance of reflecting on how you feel in client interactions 👉 the Medical Model vs Systemic Practice - what are they and why it's good to know about both. Mental Work is hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins, an Australian-based early career psychologist. THE END BI...

Bron is joined by Neeraja Shankar (Clinical Psychology Trainee/PhD Candidate) to unpack whether the undergraduate psychology degree really prepares us for being a new psychologist. We talk about 👉🏽 the skills needed to enter the psych workforce 👉🏻 the skills the psych bachelor degree provides 👉 Gaps in practical learning and how we can address them 👉🏿 Surviving after your undergrad degree. Mental Work is hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins, an Australian-based early career psychologist. THE END BITS ...

Bron is joined by Clinical and Forensic Psychologist Kirstin Bouse to unpack the needs of early career therapists. We talk about 👉🏽 "Maslow's hierarchy of early-career needs" 👉🏻 the basics of business that early career therapists need to understand 👉 signs you're in a crappy workplace and how to get out 👉🏿 why personal development is essential for early career therapists. Mental Work is hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins, an early-career psychologist. You can learn more about Kirstin at the Psycholo...

Many trainees are required to undertake intensive internships to get qualified. Bron unpacks the dilemma of making an internship work when it's not going so well. She talks about 👉🏽 what an ideal internship looks like for a trainee 👉🏻 what to do when you're not getting enough support in the internship 👉 internship Red Flags including doing too much unpaid preparation, lengthy and complex reports, and exploitation 👉🏿 what to do if there's a conflict between you and your internship supervisor/empl...

Trying to get qualified but don't have cash to splash? Bron unpacks the dilemma of paying for tuition, supervision, and everything else on the journey to becoming a mental health professional. She talks about 👉🏽 her experience of managing the unanticipated costs of training 👉🏻 why working for free is a no-go zone 👉 how training privileges the wealthy and able, which reduces diversity in our field 👉🏿 practical ways to reduce costs. Mental Work is hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins, an early-career psy...