How do films and TV shows shape the way we think about mental health? From harmful stereotypes to ethical storytelling, representation on screen has real consequences for stigma, care, and justice.

In this episode, Aurora introduces the Fanon Test for Mental Health Representation in Media — a new tool inspired by the Bechdel Test, grounded in intersectional and decolonial psychology, and designed to hold our screens accountable.

Tune in to learn why representation is public health, what the five Fanon Scales are, and how your favourite films might measure up.

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Di Michele, D.; Guizzo, F.; Canale, N.; Fasoli, F.; Carotta, F.; Pollini, A.; Cadinu, M. (2023). #SexyBodyPositive: When Sexualization Does Not Undermine Young Women’s Body Image. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 991. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20020991

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In this month's guided relaxation practice, Aurora leads you through a Loving-Kindness Meditation (metta). This ancient practice, now backed by modern psychology, helps us cultivate compassion for ourselves, our loved ones, people we struggle with, and ultimately all beings.

Research shows that regular practice can reduce stress, quiet the inner critic, strengthen resilience, and even improve physical wellbeing. Together, we’ll explore how a few simple phrases can open the heart, build empathy, and create a greater sense of connection in daily life.

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Fredrickson, B.L., Cohn, M.A., Coffey, K.A., Pek, J., & Finkel, S.M. (2008). Open hearts build lives: positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(5), pp. 1045-1062 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013262

Hutcherson, C. A., Seppala, E. M., & Gross, J. J. (2008). Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion, 8(5), 720–724 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013237

Kabat-Zinn, J. (n.d.). Mindfulness meditation, CD series 3. Available at: http://mindfulnesshamilton.ca/meditation-scripts

Kearney, D.J., Malte, C.A., McManus, C., Martinez, M.E., Felleman, B., Simpson, T.L. (2013). Loving-kindness meditation for posttraumatic stress disorder: a pilot study. Journal of Trauma Stress, 26(4), pp. 426-34 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.21832

Le Nguyen, K.D., Lin, J., Algoe, S.B., Brantley, M.M., Kim, S.L., Brantley, J., Salzberg, S., & Fredrickson, B.L. (2019). Loving-kindness meditation slows biological aging in novices: Evidence from a 12-week randomized controlled trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 108, pp. 20-27 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.05.020

Nash, J. (2019). What Is Loving-Kindness Meditation? Positive Psychology [online]. Available at: https://positivepsychology.com/loving-kindness-meditation/

Shahar, B., Szsepsenwol, O., Zilcha-Mano, S., Haim, N., Zamir, O., Levi-Yeshuvi, S., & Levit-Binnun, N. (2015). A wait-list randomized controlled trial of loving-kindness meditation programme for self-criticism. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 22(4), pp. 346-56 [online]. Available at: htps://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.1893

Sharpio, S., & Carlson, L. (2009). The Art and Science of Mindfulness: Integrating Mindfulness into Psychology and the Helping Professions. American Psychological Association.

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⚠ Content note: This episode discusses suicide, and references factors contributing to suicide, including mental illness, trauma, violence, and poverty. If you’re unable to engage with these topics right now, you are welcome to skip this episode or come back to it when you feel better resourced.

On this World Suicide Prevention Day, we explore the real stories behind the statistics. Suicide is never about one thing — it's shaped by pain, pressure, stigma, and systems that make it hard to ask for help. In this episode, we unpack the myths, talk honestly about why suicide happens, and share how we can respond with compassion and support.

☎ South Africa: Call SADAG’s Suicide Helpline at 0800 567 567 (24/7). 

🌈 If this episode resonates, please share it, rate the show, and send us your thoughts. Together we can break the silence and change the narrative.

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Brown, A.(2024). Suicide Prevention Handbook. Intersectional Psychology.

International Association for Suicide Prevention. (2025). Change the Narrative - World Suicide Prevention Day 10 September [online]. IASP. Available at: https://www.iasp.info/wspd/theme/

Mkhwanazi, S., Sikweyiya, Y., & Gibbs, A. (2025). Exploratory analysis of risk factors for suicidal ideation among young men in urban informal settlements in Durban, South Africa: A cross-sectional study. SSM - Mental Health, 7, 100417 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100417

Mngoma, N.F., & Ayonrinde, O.A. (2023). Mental distress and substance use among rural Black South African youth who are not in employment, education or training (NEET). The International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 69(3), 532–542 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/00207640221114252

Shoib, S., Amanda, T.W., Saeed, F., Ransing, R., Bhandari, S.S., Armiya'u, A.Y., Gürcan, A., & Chandradasa, M. (2023). Association Between Loneliness and Suicidal Behaviour: A Scoping Review. Turk Psikiyatri Derg, 34(2), 125-132 [online]. Available at: hhtp://doi.org/10.5080/u27080

World Health Organization. (2025) Suicide [online]. [25 March 2025]. WHO. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide

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⚠ Content note: This episode references anti-gender movements and the concepts of hate crimes and hate speech. If you’re unable to engage with these topics right now, you are welcome to skip this episode or come back to it when you feel better resourced.  

From troll farms to toxic platforms, anti-gender movements are pushing disinformation and harassment harder than ever. The result? Real harm to queer lives and mental health. But resistance is possible — and joy is non-negotiable.

In this episode of Intersectional Psychology, Aurora chats with Clinical Psychologist Pierre Brouard about the digital battlefield we’re living in and how to survive it with your sanity intact.

FREE Download of PATHSA's Brief Guide to Dealing with Anti-Trans Disinformation and Intimidation: 

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Whether you’re a health provider facing harassment, a trans or gender-diverse person navigating toxic platforms, or simply an ally wanting to do better online, this conversation is a survival guide for the age of disinfo.

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This episode is a special guided relaxation practice — a Tree Meditation designed to help you release stress, ease anxiety, and reconnect with a sense of safety and grounding. Drawing on polyvagal-informed and relational approaches, this practice invites you to settle into your body, release tension, and gently root yourself like a tree — steady, strong, and supported.

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⚠️ Important note: Some guided meditation practices may not be suitable for people with dissociative conditions. If you are uncertain whether this practice is right for you, please consult your mental healthcare provider before listening.

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Cavé, J. (2025) Integrative Brain-Based Approach. Impact Therapy Training.

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Content note: This episode discusses misogynistic and queermisic legislation, language, and movements. If you’re unable to engage with these topics right now, you are welcome to skip this episode or come back to it when you feel better resourced.  

What do glossy pamphlets, moral panic, and abstinence-only sex ed have in common? They’re all part of the U.S. Christian Right’s campaign to export “pro-family” politics to Africa — and it’s causing real harm. In this episode, we expose how conservative religious groups from the Global North are funding anti-LGBTQIA+ laws, sabotaging reproductive rights, and co-opting decolonial language to disguise a new kind of moral imperialism.

Sociology postdoctoral researcher and author Haley McEwen joins us to discuss the USA and African pro-family movements. We dig into who these groups are, how they operate, and what it takes to resist their growing influence — all through a trans-inclusive, African-centred lens.

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📗 https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-46653-3

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McEwen, H. (2023) The U.S. Christian Right and Pro-Family Politics in 21st Century Africa. Palgrave Macmillan.

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Content note: This episode references transphobic arguments and objections to gender-affirming health care (GAHC) in our discussion and explanation of the guidelines for GAHC. If you’re unable to engage with these topics right now, you are welcome to skip this episode or come back to it when you feel better resourced. 

In this powerful follow-up, host Aurora Brown and Dr Anastacia Tomson, MD, dive deeper into the complexities of gender-affirming healthcare in South Africa. They tackle systemic barriers, debunk pervasive myths, and explore how institutions — from clinics to workplaces — can truly support trans and gender-diverse (TGD) communities. Dr Tomson’s insights blend clinical expertise with lived experience, offering actionable steps towards dignity-centered care.

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Tomson, A., McLachlan, C., Wattrus, C., Adams, K., Addinall, R., Bothma, R., Jankelowitz, L., Kotze, E., Luvuno, Z., Madlala, N., Matyila, S., Padavatan, A., Pillay, M., Rakumakoe, M., Tomson-Myburgh, M., Venter, W., & de Vries, E. (2021). Southern African HIV Clinicians Society gender-affirming healthcare guideline for South Africa. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine, 22(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhivmed.v22i1.1299

McKinney, A. Among the Stars, no piano edit. ZapSplat. https://www.zapsplat.com/music/among-the-stars-no-piano-soothing-ambient-choir-portrays-panoramic-space-good-for-landscapes/ 

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Content note: This episode discusses transphobic objections to gender-affirming health care (GAHC) in our explanation of the guidelines for GAHC. If you’re unable to engage with these topics right now, you are welcome to skip this episode or come back to it when you feel better resourced. 

What if the evidence does exist — and it’s just being willfully ignored?

In this episode, clinical psychologist and PsySSA SGD executive member Thembisile Dlamini joins us to unpack the Practice Guidelines for Psychology Professionals Working with Sexually and Gender-Diverse People (2nd edition). These groundbreaking guidelines, published by the Psychological Society of South Africa and the African LGBTQIA+ Human Rights Project, are the only comprehensive, evidence-based mental health guidelines of their kind on the African continent. Together, we explore the real research behind gender-affirming care, the values that underpin the guidelines, and the very deliberate misinformation being spread by anti-trans movements.

We also discuss the role of psychology professionals in countering stigma, upholding self-determination, supporting diverse family structures, and advocating for social justice. If you’re a mental health practitioner, an LGBTQIA+ ally, or someone navigating your own identity, this conversation is for you. Thembisile brings warmth, insight, and clarity to a subject that is too often clouded by fearmongering and bad-faith debate. Spoiler: the evidence is real, the guidelines are robust, and gender-affirming care is mental health care.

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Psychological Society of South Africa. (2025). Practice Guidelines For Psychology Professionals Working With Sexually And Gender-Diverse People. Johannesburg: Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA).

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Content note: This episode references transphobic arguments and objections to gender-affirming health care (GAHC) in our discussion and explanation of the guidelines for GAHC. If you’re unable to engage with these topics right now, you are welcome to skip this episode or come back to it when you feel better resourced. 

This episode kicks off a multi-part series on the health of trans and gender-diverse (TGD) communities in South Africa. Dr Anastacia Tomson — medical doctor, activist, and lead author of South Africa's groundbreaking gender-affirming healthcare guidelines — joins us to dispel myths, clarify misconceptions, and highlight the life-saving importance of evidence-based, compassionate care.

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00:00:00 Land acknowledgement

00:00:28 Title credits

00:00:43 Health disclaimer

00:01:38 Welcome and introduction

00:05:11 About the work of Dr Anastacia Tomson

00:11:16 The real values underpinning gender-affirming health care (GAHC)

00:19:27 The actual access to GAHC

00:23:32 Gender-inclusive language 101

00:27:01 Non-medical gender-affirming practices

00:33:23 What is hormone therapy actually?

00:41:38 What is gender-affirming surgery actually?

00:50:59 A future for everyone

00:56:17 End credits

Tomson, A., McLachlan, C., Wattrus, C., Adams, K., Addinall, R., Bothma, R., Jankelowitz, L., Kotze, E., Luvuno, Z., Madlala, N., Matyila, S., Padavatan, A., Pillay, M., Rakumakoe, M., Tomson-Myburgh, M., Venter, W., & de Vries, E. (2021). Southern African HIV Clinicians Society gender-affirming healthcare guideline for South Africa. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhivmed.v22i1.1299 

Tomson, A. (2020). Always Anastacia. Jeppestown: Jonathan Ball Publishers.

McKinney, A. Among the Stars, no piano edit. ZapSplat. https://www.zapsplat.com/music/among-the-stars-no-piano-soothing-ambient-choir-portrays-panoramic-space-good-for-landscapes/

Miles, D. Shades of Orange. ZapSplat. https://www.zapsplat.com/music/shades-of-orange-a-serene-relaxing-warm-ambient-piece-with-slow-mellow-chords-perfect-for-relaxation-meditation-etc/

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