This week on Double A Chattery, we’re joined by Dr Richard “Harry” Harris, the anaesthetist and cave diver who helped rescue the 12 Thai boys and their coach in 2018. Harry talks through what was really happening in those crucial days, why he initially didn’t want to sedate the boys, how he made a decision when there was no good option, and what it’s like to hold that level of responsibility underwater and in medicine.

We also zoom out to everyday life: why Harry says he’s not a risk-taker but a risk manager, why so many of us misjudge danger, and whether we’ve become too risk-averse as a society. He and Anita compare notes on how we learn to cope with failure, build resilience, and teach young people to take healthy risks. Harry also opens up about life after decompression sickness and his new passion for underwater filmmaking.

 

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The Double A Chattery podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor/patient relationship is formed and this podcast is no substitute for professional psychological or other medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  The use of information in this podcast is at the listener’s own risk.  Listeners should seek the help of their health care professionals for any medical conditions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're talking about feminism, power, and what it means to live – and work – alongside men in 2025.

After a huge emotional response to last week’s conversation with end-of-life vet Dr Lissi Kennedy, Amanda and Anita read some beautiful listener stories about saying goodbye to beloved pets, and the strange comfort (and guilt) that lingers years later.

Then they shift gears into a very different kind of raw nerve: a New York Times piece originally headlined “Did Women Ruin the Workforce?” Anita has actually listened to the podcast behind it – and she’s furious. They unpack ideas of “toxic femininity,” the conservative backlash to feminism, and why women are still being blamed for “ruining” everything from golf to marriage.

 

AUDIO GRAB**- Mia Findlay- Recovery Coach and Founder of Beyond Body-  gives her take on a woman saying she wants to “dismantle the whole feminist movement”

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This week on Double A Chattery, we're opening up about one of the hardest love stories we live — loving an ageing pet.

We're joined by Dr Alicia (Lissi) Kennedy, an end-of-life veterinarian and founder of Cherished Pets, who calls herself a “social-hearted vet”. Lissi talks about the grace of ageing pets, why the human–animal bond has grown so intense, and what a good death for a pet can look like. She explains her guiding principles for “when it’s time”, the role of euthanasia, how to involve children, and why aftercare and ritual (ashes, candles, small ceremonies) matter so much.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of pet death, euthanasia and grief. Please listen gently.

https://www.cherishedpetcare.com.au/

 

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This week on Double A Chattery, we’re unwrapping the strange, funny and revealing world of gift-giving. From the science of why some presents miss the mark to the social minefield of re-gifting, we talk about what our gifts really say about us. 

 

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The Double A Chattery podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor/patient relationship is formed and this podcast is no substitute for professional psychological or other medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  The use of information in this podcast is at the listener’s own risk.  Listeners should seek the help of their health care professionals for any medical conditions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We sit down with Dr Sharonne Zaks AM, a Melbourne-based dentist internationally recognised for pioneering trauma-informed dental care.

Sharonne explains how the dental chair—one of the most vulnerable places a person can be—can re-trigger memories for survivors of trauma. Her work has transformed how dentists think about trust, consent, and patient empowerment, leading to the Australian Dental Council adopting trauma-informed care into all dental training.

Want to learn more about Sharonne's work? Go to zaksdental.com.au

 

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The Double A Chattery podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor/patient relationship is formed and this podcast is no substitute for professional psychological or other medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  The use of information in this podcast is at the listener’s own risk.  Listeners should seek the help of their health care professionals for any medical conditions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who are we now, five years after COVID first shut the world down?

From lockdown memories to hybrid work, empty campuses and vanishing “weak ties,” the conversation explores what we’ve gained, and what we’ve lost, since 2020.

Amanda recalls driving to work with a permission slip as an “essential” broadcaster, while Anita reflects on the chaos of moving her clinical teaching and therapy sessions online. They discuss:

• How lockdowns reshaped teaching, work, and home life

• Why we may never return to full campus or office culture

• The collapse in vaccination rates and rising distrust in science

• The new culture of “boundaries” and why saying yes still matters

• Whether convenience has replaced connection—and what that means for friendship and community

 

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The Double A Chattery podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor/patient relationship is formed and this podcast is no substitute for professional psychological or other medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  The use of information in this podcast is at the listener’s own risk.  Listeners should seek the help of their health care professionals for any medical conditions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're welcoming back two very special guests, Melanie and her daughter Jess, who first joined the show earlier this year to share their story in the lead-up to Melanie donating a kidney to Jess.

Now, they’re back to tell us what happened next.

When we last heard from them, Jess had just been diagnosed with stage-five renal failure at age 27, with her kidneys functioning at only 4%. Since then, she’s undergone a successful transplant, with her mum’s kidney, and both women have come through the experience with new perspectives on life, health, and gratitude.

Want to donate to Jess's fundraiser? https://fundraise.kidney.org.au/fundraisers/JessKeepinitRenal

 

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The Double A Chattery podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor/patient relationship is formed and this podcast is no substitute for professional psychological or other medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  The use of information in this podcast is at the listener’s own risk.  Listeners should seek the help of their health care professionals for any medical conditions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're celebrating100 episodes of Double A Chattery — a milestone that feels both like yesterday and a lifetime in the making. In this special “Ask Us Anything” edition, we answer your questions that range from the heartfelt to the hilarious: how our friendship began (hint: it involves a kilt and ballroom dancing), what we've learned about privacy and vulnerability, and why feedback hits us each very differently.  

 

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The Double A Chattery podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor/patient relationship is formed and this podcast is no substitute for professional psychological or other medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  The use of information in this podcast is at the listener’s own risk.  Listeners should seek the help of their health care professionals for any medical conditions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode asks the age-old question: do opposites attract? From clown dating sites to engineering students meeting nurses, we unpack why we’re drawn to difference, and why it doesn’t always last.

 

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The Double A Chattery podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor/patient relationship is formed and this podcast is no substitute for professional psychological or other medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  The use of information in this podcast is at the listener’s own risk.  Listeners should seek the help of their health care professionals for any medical conditions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore the fascinating and fraught world of “bad” words that have been reclaimed over time. Starting with audience feedback on our interview with former neo-Nazi Jeff Schoep, we move from a tale of a doomed cross-stitch kit into a discussion of words, and look at how insults can be re-owned with power while others still sting.

 

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The Double A Chattery podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor/patient relationship is formed and this podcast is no substitute for professional psychological or other medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  The use of information in this podcast is at the listener’s own risk.  Listeners should seek the help of their health care professionals for any medical conditions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.