Episodes

Bron and Daniela talk about how to ensure that therapy is culturally responsive, particularly for clients of Asian heritage. They chat about 👉🏽 Daniela's lived experience as a person of the Asian diaspora 👉🏻 How culture shows up in therapy (even if we're not aware of it) 👉 Strategies for building rapport and retaining clients who are culturally-diverse 👉🏿 Daniela's passion project, Project Horizon, in which she strives to make culture part of the therapy conversation. Guest: Daniela Ho Tan, C...

You might have heard that professional associations exist for psychologists -- but what exactly do they do, and what are the benefits of joining one? Bron is joined by two Directors of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi) to chat about what professional associations do for their members, how professional associations collaborate with Government, and where psychology advocacy is headed in the future. Guests: Sahra O'Doherty (AAPi President) and Carly Dober (AAPi Director). ...

Clients often share information that hits us right in the feels: Things that are sad, traumatic, angering, devastating, and everything in between. Bron and Matthew explore how to go about actually processing the emotional impact of therapy sessions. They chat about 👉🏽 Ways to lessen the risk of vicarious trauma 👉🏻 Managing the challenge of not being able to talk about client sessions with loved ones due to our ethical obligations 👉🏿 Our strategies for processing sessions. Guest: Matthew Jacks...

Bron and Dr Aaron Frost discuss the importance of deliberate practice in the development of psychologists. They highlight that psychologists can reliably improve their skills by collecting client data and working on the areas that are difficult (like client retention), instead of learning therapy after therapy. We talk about 👉 What role plays should look like 👉🏼 Why step-by-step improvement is the goal to therapist skill development 👉🏾 How to find a deliberate practice supervisor. Guest: Dr A...

Bron chats with her brother, Cameron, who is an NDIS participant and lives with cerebral palsy. They discuss his experiences, his preferences when working with psychologists, his likes and dislikes in the way people approach his disability, and how the NDIS could improve. Listen in for an insightful chat! THE END BITS Mental Work is your companion to early-career psychology, hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins. Love the podcast? Reviews really help! Leave a rating & review on Apple and Spotify. ...

Bron and Katherine demystify the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and working effectively with people with a disability. They chat about 👉🏽 Katherine's insights as a Behaviour Support Practitioner 👉🏻 The importance of understanding the functional behaviour of people living with disabilities 👉 Katherine's advocacy work within the disability sector. Guest: Dr Katherine Elliston, Psychologist / Representative on the Australian Disability Advisory Council (Tas), Deputy Community Chair ...

Dr Bron and Dr Michael deep dive into the world of PhDs. They chat about 👉🏽 their very different experiences of doing a PhD 👉🏻 How doing a PhD has helped Bron to be a better therapist 👉 How Michael has used his PhD as a postdoctoral researcher & PhD supervisor 👉🏿 Tips, tricks, and considerations if you're thinking of studying a PhD. Guest: Dr Michael English, Postdoctoral Researcher ✨ SPECIAL NEWS ✨ The Mental Work podcast has a NEW sponsor -- The Australian Association of Psychologists In...

Bron is joined by listener Nick to chat about his unique transition into psychology at a later stage of life and while he was a full-time Executive Director of HR. They chat about 👉🏽 The challenges he faced and sacrifices Nick made to study psychology 👉🏻 The importance of having a solid support system and being patient in your psychology career journey 👉 Guidance for other listeners who may be thinking of switching careers or coming into psychology from a non-psychology career 👉🏾 Nick's passion ...

Bron and Marie unpack family therapy using the hypothetical case study of the Wilson family, who are finding it hard to be in the same room without arguing, all while navigating work stress and teenage development. They chat about 👉🏽 When family therapy is appropriate 👉🏻 How to conceptualise presenting concerns in family therapy 👉 Common family therapy strategies 👉🏿 How to understand family dynamics 👉🏾 Further training and reading recommendations for budding family therapists. Guest: Marie Va...

Bron and Matthew chat about how to reclaim the joy of being a psychologist if you've lost it. They discuss 👉🏽 The factors that can lead to disillusionment for early-career psychs 👉🏻 What gives us joy in our work 👉 Matthew's journey of reclaiming joy after losing it (hint: being authentic plays a BIG part). Thanks to listener Neta for suggesting this fantastic topic! 🌈 Guest: Matthew Jackson, Psychologist LINKS Matthew's Insta - Matilda Mercury (@matildamercuryqueen) Previous episode with ...

It's our last episode for 2023! Thanks SO much for listening ❤️ Bron thought she would treat you to some uplifting content to round off the year. In this ep, Bron unpacks all the good things about being a psychologist, just in case you've forgotten how unique, valuable, and special our work is. Tune in for some good vibes and a reminder of why we do this mental work. New beaut episodes from January 11, 2024 ⭐. Until then, consider leaving us a rating & review on Apple and Spotify. And let Bro...

Bron unpacks what end-of-year burnout looks like for therapists and her 🔥 red hot 🔥strategies for preventing burnout (book your leave for next year NOW!). LINKS Comic by Gemma Correll on burnout: https://www.instagram.com/p/CbAi-OrrSBw/ THE END BITS Mental Work is your companion to early-career psychology, hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins. Love the podcast? Reviews really help! Leave a rating & review on Apple and Spotify. Keep the pod alive by joining our Patreon for $2 a month 😎 Supp...

Nervous about including parents in therapy? Wish you could run the other way when a parent asks to speak with you? Our guest today, Marie Vakakis, wants EVERY therapist to feel comfortable working with parents and families. Marie helps Bron to 👉🏽 address common anxieties that psychs have about working with parents 👉🏻 How to involve parents in therapy 👉 Common dilemmas and how to address them. Guest: Marie Vakakis, Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW) and Family & Couples Therapist, Host of Thi...

Bron unpacks saying 'goodbye' to clients when the therapist is the one who is ending the relationship. Otherwise known as 'therapist-led termination' or 'unilateral termination', this is something that all therapists will encounter when they change workplaces, take extended leave, or decide that therapy just isn't working with a particular client. Bron takes you through 👉 Ethical considerations in ending therapy 👉🏽 How to tell clients that you are ending therapy 👉🏼 How to process the ending of t...

Bron and Matthew unpack 👉🏽 Being part of the LGBTIQA+ community as a psychologist 👉🏻 The importance of being authentic inside and outside of therapy 👉 Matthew's passions outside of therapy 👉🏿 Why Matthew chose to leave the clinical psychology bridging program 😲 Guest: Matthew Jackson, Psychologist LINKS Matthew's Insta - Matilda Mercury (@matildamercuryqueen) THE END BITS Mental Work is the podcast unpacking the challenges faced by early career psychologists, so they don’t have to go ...

Bron is joined by Allison to unpack the highs and lows of Allison's journey to licensure. Allison went through some downright scary experiences as a therapist-in-training, but wanted to come on the podcast to share with you a story of hope and the lessons she has learned about 👉🏽 Burnout 👉🏻 Unethical placements 👉 The importance of supportive colleagues 👉🏿 Basic workplace needs 👉🏾 Not blaming yourself for systemic failures. Guest: Allison O'Leary, Licensed Associate Counsellor in Arizona THE EN...

Bron and Natalie unpack her 4+2 journey as a school provisional psych. They chat about 👉🏽 Natalie's transition from primary school teacher to provisional psych 👉🏻 Great things about being a psych 👉 Managing complex cases and vicarious trauma 👉🏿 Supporting LGBTIQA+ young people 👉🏾 Self-disclosure when you are neurodiverse and part of the queer community 👉🏼 Tips for case reports. Guest: Natalie Shamir, Provisional Psychologist (@thatschoolcounsellor) LINKS NSW Teacher to Psychologist Retraining...

Bron and Amanda unpack treating generalised anxiety disorder by applying two treatment approaches (CBT and Schema Therapy) to the same hypothetical case. They chat about 👉🏽 The downsides of worry and how it can become problematic for clients 👉🏻 How to set up anxiety treatment for a client using CBT and Schema 👉 Similarities and differences between CBT and Schema techniques. Guest: Amanda Moses, Psychologist and Supervisor at Amanda Moses Psychology LINKS Treating Anxiety: A Manual for Therapi...

Bron and Sahra unpack whether it's okay to be yourself on social media. They chat about 👉🏽 challenges and responsibilities that psychologists have in managing their online presence 👉🏻How to be authentic online while managing risk 👉 What clients think of their therapists' social media. Guest: Psychologist and Co-Director of Mindscape Psychology / Director of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi) LINKS Research talked about in the episode (subscription-only access): Client dis...

Bron and her guest unpack whether you can make it as a psychologist in your 20s. They chat about 👉🏽 Strengths and challenges when you're a young psychologist 👉🏻 Questions that clients may pose 👉 Our experiences and how we've navigated them 👉🏾 How to not feel like an imposter when you are a young professional. THE END BITS 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. Love the podcast...

Bron and Hayley unpack the career pathways that psychologists can take to achieve their financial goals. They chat about 👉🏽 Pros and cons of the one-to-one standard way of working 👉🏻 Hayley's career journey into 'one to many' offerings and business coaching 👉 What Hayley views as the next stage in the Psychology profession 👉🏿 How early career psychs can be part of the change! Guest: Dr Hayley Kelly, CEO and Founder of Therapists Rising / Host of the Therapists Rising podcast THE END BITS Ment...

Bron and Amanda get passionate about the deceptively simple CBT technique of behavioural activation. They unpack 👉🏽 How to maximise outcomes for clients 👉🏻 When and how to introduce behavioural activation 👉 Troubleshooting difficulties 👉🏿 Adaptations for clients with significant difficulties participating in pleasurable and mastery-focused activities. Guest: Amanda Moses, Author of Treating Depression: A Manual for Therapists and Psychologist at Amanda Moses Psychology THE END BITS Mental Work ...

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...

How experienced do you have to be to contribute to discussion about the Psychology profession? This episode is all about that imposter syndrome-y self-doubt that holds early-career psychs back from taking up space and shaping the profession. Bron and Catherine unpack 👉🏽 How to feel comfortable with taking up space 👉🏻 How to give effective feedback at work 👉 How to step into sharing opinions about the profession 👉🏿 Feeling confident about your work as a psych. Guest: Dr Catherine Hart (Clinica...