Episodes

Do you feel like you'll never be a 'good enough' therapist? Do you over-prepare for sessions, or procrastinate on reports? You might be a perfectionist. Today on Mental Work, Bron is joined by Kate Christie (Psychologist in schools and private practice) to unpack perfectionism among therapists. They touch on 👉🏽 The role that perfectionism plays in burnout 👉🏻 How perfectionism shows up in the therapy room 👉 The benefits of perfectionism 👉🏿 Practical tips for reducing the downsides of perfectionis...

Today on Mental Work, Bron is joined by Nicole Young (Educational and Developmental Psychologist) to unpack everything diagnosis and assessment. They touch on 👉🏽 What are the benefits of diagnosis? 👉🏻 Getting comfortable with *not* taking on every assessment referral 👉 Managing client expectations with diagnosis 👉🏾 The importance of adequate training and practice in assessments. Mental Work is the podcast unpacking the challenges faced by early career psychologists, so they don’t have to go it ...

Today on Mental Work, Bron is joined by Sahra O'Doherty (Psychologist and Director of AAPi) to unpack the dilemma of 'What can I wear to work?' They touch on 👉🏽 What does it mean when a supervisor directs you to 'Dress Professionally'? 👉🏻 How our ideas of 'professionalism' may exclude psychs with diverse body shapes/sizes and cultural diversity 👉 All the taboos! Tattoos, coloured hair, piercings, and bright clothes. Mental Work is the podcast unpacking the challenges faced by early career psy...

We've been taught that clients are supposed to enter therapy, get better, and then graciously leave therapy... but what about all those clients who *don't* get better? Today on Mental Work, Bron is joined by Brian Cheng (Psychologist) to unpack the dilemma of what to do when client's don't get better in therapy. They unpack 👉🏽 What accounts for change in therapy (the 'common factors' model) 👉🏻 Practical ways you can get 'unstuck' with complex clients in therapy 👉 How to take care of yourself whe...

Today on Mental Work, Bron is joined by Betty Farrell (Provisional Psychologist) to unpack how to cope with confusing, ambiguous, and sometimes mean feedback from supervisors. We chat about 👉🏽 How to cope with feedback in the moment 👉🏻 How to not ruminate endlessly 👉 Growth vs fixed mindset 👉🏿 Tough feedback experiences we've had and how we've gracefully and not-so-gracefully dealt with them. Mental Work is the podcast unpacking the challenges faced by early career psychologists, so they don’...

The journey to registration should be straight-forward, right... right? Today on Mental Work, Bron is joined by Rebecca Harris (early-career Psychologist) to share the ups and downs, twists and turns of her pathway to registration and provide handy tips that she learned along the way 😎. We touch on 👉🏽 Working rurally 👉🏻 Leaving unsupportive internships 👉 Transferable skills 👉🏿 Why lowering the pressure on yourself to get registration ASAP really helps to get through. Mental Work is the podcast ...

Bron is joined by Dr Catherine Hart (Clinical Psychologist, Board Approved Supervisor) to unpack five tricky supervision dilemmas we've received from listeners. We touch on 👉🏽 What is the purpose of supervision? 👉🏻 What if your supervisor doesn't seem interested in supervising you? 👉 What if your supervisor is jealous of you? 👉🏿 What if your supervisor is also your workplace manager? Mental Work is the podcast unpacking the challenges faced by early career psychologists, so they don’t have to...

Bron is joined by Carly Dober (Psychologist, Director of AAPi) to unpack the taboo world of getting therapy as a therapist. We talk about 👉🏽 Does getting therapy mean you're not suited to the profession? 👉🏻 Does psych training get in the way of being helped by therapy 👉 How personal therapy informs us as professionals 👉🏿 Practical tips for getting therapy (finding a psych, getting a mental health plan). Mental Work is the podcast unpacking the challenges faced by early career psychologists, s...

Did you know: Australia is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) countries in the world. Yep! 3 in 10 were born overseas, and 1 in 5 speak a language other than English at home. People from CALD backgrounds are at risk of poorer health outcomes compared to other Aussies, so it's real important that us psychs know the ins and outs of working with this population. Today on Mental Work, Bron is joined by Neeraja Shankar (Clinical Psychology Trainee/PhD Candidate) to unpack wh...

Bron is joined by James Clarke (Clinical psychologist/PhD candidate) to unpack emotional labour. Get ready for a huge dose of validation as James confirms that delivering therapy is not just 'tea and biscuits' - it's REALLY hard work! They chat about 👉🏽 The unique emotional labour that psychologists undertake👉🏻 Strategies to manage emotional labour in session 👉 How to decompress outside of sessions 👉🏿 Why we are self-compassion converts. Mental Work is the podcast unpacking the challenges fac...

When was the last time you had a decent break from clinical work? We all need breaks, but many of us struggle with the practicalities of doing so. In this ep, Bron unpacks 👉🏽 What a good break looks like vs a bad break 👉🏻 How many breaks to take each year 👉 How long to break for 👉🏿 Tips on how to prepare for a break. Mental Work is hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins, an Australian-based early career psychologist. THE END BITS Thanks for listening. Mental Work is the podcast unpacking the challenges ...

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 Dr Ines Pandzic (PhD, Clin Psych Registrar) to unpack how to manage being a parent alongside the intense training required to become a psychologist. They chat about 👉🏽 Ines' experience of having a baby during her Masters program 👉🏻 What worked for Ines in juggling study, placement, and parenting 👉 Recommendations for early career psychs considering a family in the future. Thanks to listener Claire for this episode suggestion! Mental Work is hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins, an Aust...

Bron is joined by Dr Averil Cook (Clinical Psychologist) to unpack the dilemma of how to actually be culturally competent in the therapy space. They talk about 👉🏽 What cultural competence is and why it's essential for early career psychs 👉🏻 How to go about gaining competence in this area, especially with Indigenous Australians 👉 'Decolonising' psychology 👉🏿 Do's and don'ts for cultural competence. Mental Work is hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins, an Australian-based early career psychologist. T...

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 unpacks the common dilemma of ending sessions on time (like, everyone struggles with this one!). She talks about: 👉🏽 Excellent reasons to end sessions on time 👉🏻 Client-related reasons sessions go over and what to do 👉🏿 Practitioner-related reasons sessions go over and what to do Mental Work is hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins, an Australian-based early career psychologist. The clock I use in sessions The free app I used to use to keep time (great if you share an office!) THE END BITS Than...

Bron is joined by psychologist Eloise Tomkins to unpack how to return to mental health work after experiencing burnout. They chat about: 👉🏽 What burnout is & its impact on early-career psychs 👉🏻 Recovering from burnout 👉 How paying attention to dissatisfaction and interests led Eloise to want to see clients who are looking to grow but aren't necessarily unwell Mental Work is hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins, an Australian-based early career psychologist. Connect with Eloise on Insta: https://ww...

Bron is joined by psychologist and AAPi director Carly Dober to unpack the challenge of workplace exploitation. They discuss 👉🏽 How to recognise exploitation using Carly's experiences 👉🏻 Characteristics that increase early career psychs' vulnerability to exploitation 👉 What to do if you are unsure about an offer or workplace. Mental Work is hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins, an Australian-based early career psychologist. THE END BITS Thanks for listening. Mental Work is the podcast unpacking th...

Bron is joined again by Sahra O'Doherty, psychologist and director for the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPI), to unpack the issues facing the psychology profession in Australia with a special focus (as always) on the ones facing early-career psychologists that need to be talked about. We unpack 👉🏽 the two-tier system and its consequences for the profession and our clients 👉🏻 the shitty-ness of unpaid internships and necessity of a liveable wage for early-career psychs 👉 Our hope...

Bron is joined by Provisional Psychologist Betty to unpack her psychologist journey: the highs, the lows, what's helped, what hasn't helped, and how she's getting by in this challenging phase in one piece amidst some significant life upheavals. Betty is an insightful and inspiring individual who I reckon you will love listening to! Mental Work is hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins, an early-career psychologist. Do you have an early-career story 🤩? Are you an Australian early-career psychologist ...

Psychology has traditionally focused on diagnosing mental distress in individuals, but with issues like climate change, racial injustice, and inequitable access to healthcare having an undeniable impact on the mental wellbeing of communities, how can early-career psychs update our professional identities? Today, Bron is joined by Sahra O'Doherty, psychologist and director for the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi) to unpack developing a professional identity around social justice...

Bron is joined by Psychologist Belinda Radnidge to unpack what to do when you've worked your butt off to get qualified only to discover that doing therapy all day isn't actually your jam. In this reassuring ep Belinda and Bron discuss 👉🏽 signs that client-facing work really isn't for you vs you're experiencing a confidence dip 👉🏻 career alternatives in psychology (there's heaps!) 👉 how to get started down a different career pathway. Mental Work is hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins, an early-career p...

Bron is joined by Clinical Psychologist Dr Catherine Hart to unpack contracting work. Our popular Season 1 ep with Catherine focused on what contractors can expect salary-wise, and this time around we are focusing on how to work out whether your contracting arrangement is more like an employee relationship, why this matters, and what to do if you suspect your working arrangement isn't all that fair to you at all. Mental Work is hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins, an early-career psychologist. LI...

Bron is joined by Psychologist Ceara Rickard to unpack how to manage sudden illness when you also have an active therapy caseload. We talk about 👉🏽 Ceara's personal experiences with illness 👉🏻 How Ceara navigated disclosure with her clients 👉 What helped Ceara the most during the early stages of diagnosis and treatment 👉🏿 What her job looks like now. Mental Work is hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins, an early-career psychologist. Learn more about Ceara and connect with her here: https://www.linkedin...