Episodes

Bron is joined by Dr George Loram (Psychologist working in Mparntwe/Alice Springs) to explore what it’s like to work as a psychologist in very remote Australia and with Aboriginal mob. George shares how a placement during lockdown led him to stay long-term, and what surprised him most about working with Aboriginal communities. They chat about: 👉🏽 What a typical week looks like across remote clinics and private practice 👉🏻 How being a “person first and psychologist second” can transform your w...

Bron is joined by Dr Ben Searle (Organisational Psychologist) for part two of their deep dive into severe and prolonged burnout, focusing on what it actually looks like in practice and how clinicians can support recovery. This episode focuses on: 👉🏽 What cynicism really looks like in burnout and why it becomes a barrier to recovery 👉🏿 The role of moral injury and values misalignment in driving burnout 👉🏻 Practical strategies to help clients re-engage with positive experiences and shift attent...

Bron is joined by Tess Philip (psychologist and founder of Tess Philip Psychology) to chat about her provisional psychology journey and what it takes to keep going when everything feels stacked against you. They chat about: 👉🏽 Tess' experience of working across six different workplaces during her internship. 👉🏻 What workplace bullying can look like in psychology training 👉 How Tess navigated repeated setbacks and environments that left her questioning her competence and career path 👉🏾 How cre...

Bron is joined by Ben Searle (Organisational Psychologist and burnout researcher) to unpack what it really looks like to treat clients with severe burnout. Ben shares his own experience of burning out during COVID after years of researching stress, and why even doing “all the right things” didn’t lead to quick recovery. They chat about: 👉🏽 Why burnout is still poorly understood and often lacks clear treatment pathways 👉🏻 How to tell the difference between stress and severe burnout in your cli...

Bron is joined by Amy Henderson (Organisational Psychologist) to unpack psychosocial hazards in the workplace and what early-career mental health workers need to know about recognising and responding to them. They chat about: 👉 What psychosocial hazards are and how they differ from physical workplace hazards 👉🏾 Why high caseloads, isolation, and workplace bullying are common risks in mental health work 👉 The subtle warning signs that your work might be affecting your wellbeing 👉🏿 How to tell ...

Bron is joined by Vi-An Nguyen (Organisational Psychologist and Founder of An Tâm Psychology) to talk about how culture shapes both our own experiences and those of our clients, and why conversations about culture and work matter for the clients we support. They chat about: 👉🏽 Why discussions about culture and work can feel uncomfortable but necessary 👉🏾 The common workplace tensions faced by people from culturally diverse backgrounds 👉🏻 The pressure to assimilate versus staying authentic at ...

Bron is joined by Dr Catherine Hart (Clinical Psychologist and Director of Succoris Psychology) to chat about how to stay relevant and innovative as a mental health worker in a rapidly changing mental health landscape. They chat about: 👉 Why innovation in psychology often comes from necessity 👉 How small changes in systems or services can improve client care 👉 Why many clinicians want more variety than full-time one-to-one therapy 👉 Managing fear of failure and backlash from colleagues when t...

Bron is joined by Laura Lee (psychologist & sexologist) to talk about why sexual healthcare matters in therapy and how to talk about sex with clients without fear, awkwardness, or shame. They chat about: 👉 Laura's journey into sexology, beginning with noticing gaps in her own psychology training 👉🏿 Why avoiding conversations about sex can unintentionally reinforce stigma 👉🏾 Common barriers clinicians face to talking about sexual health with clients 👉🏼 The EX-PLISSIT model as a practical, cont...

Bron is joined by Dr Trisnasari Fraser (Community Psychologist and researcher) to explore how sharing music across cultures can foster connection, build community resilience, and deepen cultural humility in mental health work. We chat about: 👉🏽 Trisnasari's music-filled pathway from running a multicultural performing arts school to completing a PhD on intercultural music engagement. 👉🏻 Musicking as a social, community act that fosters belonging. 👉🏿 How music can help us hold both cultural dif...

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...

Bron is joined by Huda Al Bukhari (clinical psychologist) for an early-career listener story that spans social work, clinical psychology training, and practising across Australia and Abu Dhabi! They chat about: 👉🏽 What it was really like to move from social work into psychology, including the fear of "not making it" 👉🏻 Managing the intensity of a clinical psychology Masters, including what helped 👉🏿 Moving overseas in the middle of a Registrar program 👉🏾 What it's been like working cross-c...

Bron is joined by Claire Trevitt (psychologist and Board-approved supervisor) to unpack one of the most quietly stressful parts of early-career practice: client retention. Together, they explore why clients disengage from therapy and why it’s so often not a sign that you’re “bad at therapy.” They chat about: 👉🏽 Why ambivalence and drop-out are common (and normal) 👉🏻 How to spot readiness for change through attendance and in-session cues 👉🏿 Practical ways to slow down, check in, and keep clien...

Bron speaks with Dr Hayley D Quinn (former clinical psychologist turned anti-burnout coach) about the realities of working in mental health when you’re still finding your feet including self-doubt, emotional load, and the pressure to feel more competent than you actually feel. Hayley also shares her personal story of changing careers from clinical psychology to business coaching, and how self-compassion helped her through this enormous period of change. They chat about: 👉🏽 Early-career self-d...

Bron is joined by Beatrice Ng-Kesler (Clinical Psychologist, Schema Therapy Trainer) about working therapeutically with clients from collectivist cultures, and why Western, individualistic models don’t always translate as cleanly as we expect. They chat about: 👉🏽 How collectivist and individualist values shape therapy 👉🏻 Filial piety, family hierarchy, and unmet needs 👉🏿 Cultural safety, humility, and therapist authority 👉🏾 Working with emotional suppression in schema therapy 👉🏼 Practical way...

Bron is joined by Prunella Howard-Jay (Lived Experience Supervisor) about what lived experience workers actually do, why peer work is a discipline (not just a vibe), and how clinicians and peer workers can work together in ways that are respectful, collaborative, and grounded in human rights. They chat about: 👉🏽 What lived experience workers actually do in mental health teams 👉🏻 Why peer work is a discipline, not “just sharing a story” 👉🏿 Boundaries, scope of practice, and common misconceptio...

Bron is joined by Denver Simmons (Psychologist, Supervisor, Writer) to chat about how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has shaped not only his therapeutic work with clients over the past 18 years, but also his own career trajectory and personal life. They chat about 👉🏽 How ACT can be a guiding compass for early-career psychologists 👉🏻 Navigating the internal and external challenges of being a psychologist 👉 Figuring out professional identity 👉🏿 How Denver once left a workplace to focus...

In the final episode of the year, Bron reflects on the wins and challenges of 2025, her favourite episode this year, behind-the-scenes updates to the podcast, and a sneak peek of episodes coming up in 2026. If you've enjoyed the podcast this year, please consider buying Bron & editor Michael a virtual coffee at buymeacoffee.com/mentalwork. New episodes coming to you from January 15 2026! 🌈 LINKS Burnout Part 1 and Burnout Part 2 with Matthew Jackson THE END BITS Mental Work is the Austra...

Bron speaks with Dr Lyn O’Grady (community psychologist and suicidology researcher) about person-centred suicide prevention. Lyn shares how decades of work across communities, schools, projects and private practice shaped her understanding of suicidality and why relying solely on checklists can shut down meaningful conversations. They chat about: 👉🏽 How person-centred care differs from traditional risk assessments 👉🏻 The limits of low/medium/high suicide-risk categories 👉🏿 Using risk formulat...

Bron speaks with Dr Chrissy Antonopoulos (psychologist and founder of Beyond Bias Consulting) about her PhD research on implicit bias towards people with disability in Australia. Chrissy shares how her lived experience of blindness led her to investigate the subtle and often invisible attitudes shaping workplace decisions, clinical interactions, and public policy. They chat about: 👉🏽 The difference between explicit and implicit bias 👉🏻 The Stereotype Content Model 👉 Participant's views of peo...

Bron and guest Dr Bianca Denny unpack one of the trickiest early-career topics: professional boundaries in therapy. Together, they break down what boundaries actually mean (and don’t mean), how to navigate self-disclosure, gift-giving, ethical grey areas, and what to do when you realise a boundary has been crossed by you or a colleague. 👉 We cover: Bianca's practical framework for handling dilemmas How to distinguish boundary crossings from violations Why supervision is your best frien...

Ever felt like you’re carrying the extra weight of your identity into every supervision meeting, team huddle, or client session? That’s not “just stress.” It might be identity-based burnout. In this ep, Bron and guest Shuktika Bose unpack identity-based burnout - what it is and how to navigate it. 👉🏾 We cover: How identity-based burnout differs from general workplace burnout The emotional and nervous system toll of constantly “proving yourself” What psychological safety really ...

Bron and guest Renae Martelli explore how letting go of the tools and strategies we cling to as early-career therapists might actually make us better at our jobs. We unpack what happens when we stop trying to “do” therapy perfectly and instead tune in to the client, the context, and the process. 👉🏽 We cover: Why tools and worksheets can sometimes hold us back The shift from doing therapy to being a therapist How supervision helps refine your therapist lens Letting go of sel...

Bron and guest Claire Trevitt discuss the concepts of transference and countertransference. Bron has been eager to record this episode for two years, and it does not disappoint! Claire explains the nuances of these concepts that are essential for every mental health professional to understand. The episode covers what transference and countertransference are, why they're important in therapy, and offers practical strategies for managing them. Claire shares personal anecdotes from her extensive ps...

Bron and guest Harriet Iles chat about managing common feelings that show up alongside running a private practice early in your career, including imposter syndrome, anxiety, and overthinking. Harriet shares her valuable insights, including her personal experiences with imposter syndrome while running her own private practice. We discuss common definitions, myths, and misunderstandings about imposter syndrome, and explore practical strategies like self-compassion, peer support, and value alignmen...