Mental Work

Bron and Jordan chat about how to know if private practice is for you, and if you are ready for this big step! We discuss the financial aspects, practical skills needed, and the importance of good work-life boundaries. Jordan shares her recent journey of moving from group to solo practice, and Bron offers her perspective from the past three years of being a solo private practitioner. Enjoy!

Guest: Jordan Turner, Educational & Developmental Psychologist Registrar

LINKS

• Jordan's private practice!
• If you loved this episode, you'll probably like these previous eps too! Starting Out in Private Practice, How Much Can You Earn in Private Practice?, When the Therapist Ends Therapy

THE END BITS

Mental Work is your companion to early-career psychology, hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins.

Love the podcast? Please rate & review on Apple and Spotify.

Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕

Sponsor the show for $2 a month on Patreon

Facebook / Instagram / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website / Apply to be a guest / Email Bron

CREDITS

Producer: Michael English

Music: Home

Disclaimer: The Mental Work podcast adheres to the APS Code of Ethics and relevant legislation. It provides educational, informational, and entertainment content. Content should not be considered a replacement for professional consultation or therapy. The Mental Work podcast is not a psychological service and being a listener or participant does not establish a therapeutic relationship.

Opinions expressed are personal and subject to change, and do not represent those of any affiliated organisation. Efforts are made to ensure accuracy, but opinions may not always align with fact. Listeners are encouraged to thoughtfully assess the information presented and report any inaccuracies or concerns via email. Further information can be found here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bron and Kate chat about the challenges and rewards of working therapeutically with children under the age of 10. 👉🏼 Kate shares her journey into child psychology 👉🏾 Innovative therapeutic techniques such as Lego therapy 👉🏿 How to maintain boundaries and confidentiality in sensitive family situations 👉 The importance of liking and understanding children 👉🏻 Practical advice for early-career psychologists interested in this area of practice.

Guest: Kate Christie, Child and Adolescent Psychologist

LINKS

• Kate's Instagram: @katechristiepsychology
• Kate's previous Mental Work episodes on Therapist Perfectionism and Surviving 'Nothing' Sessions
• YouTube clip: Dr Dan Siegel's 'Hand Model of the Brain'
• Book: Creative ways to help children manage big feelings by Dr Fiona Zandt and Dr Suzanne Barrett (I LOVE this book!)
• Books: No Drama Discipline and The Whole Brain Child by Dr Dan Siegel

THE END BITS

Mental Work is your companion to early-career psychology, hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins.

Love the podcast? Please rate & review on Apple and Spotify.

Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕

Sponsor the show for $2 a month on Patreon

Facebook / Instagram / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website / Apply to be a guest / Email Bron

CREDITS

Producer: Michael English

Music: Home

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bron and Brede chat about MUSIC THERAPY! 🎶 We discuss 👉🏽 Who music therapy can help 👉🏻 How creativity is therapeutic 👉 How to become a Registered Music Therapist 👉🏿 Common misconceptions about music therapy aaand 👉🏾 Practical advice for psychologists interested in incorporating music into their therapeutic practices.

Guest: Brede Davis, Registered Music Therapist & Co-Chair of the Australian Music Therapy Association's Culture and Diversity Advisory Group

LINKS

• Brede's Instagram: @contemporarycognition
• What is music therapy?

THE END BITS

Mental Work is your companion to early-career psychology, hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins.

Love the podcast? Please rate & review on Apple and Spotify.

Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕

Sponsor the show for $2 a month on Patreon

Facebook / Instagram / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website / Apply to be a guest / Email Bron

CREDITS

Producer: Michael English

Music: Home

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bron and Marie explore how to work effectively with teenage clients. We cover 👉🏽 The importance of getting to the root cause of behaviours like vaping or excessive phone-use 👉🏻 Managing parents' expectations 👉 Ethical complexities when working with young people 👉🏿 TikTok self-diagnosis 👉🏾 Ways to build rapport with teens. I learned HEAPS when recording this ep, and I hope you do too!

Guest: Marie Vakakis, Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW) and Family & Couples Therapist at The Therapy Hub

LINKS

• Marie's previous episodes on Family Therapy: The basics and an intro to relational dynamics and Feeling Confident Working with Parents.
• Marie's podcast "This Complex Life" where she delves into the messiness of wellbeing and relationships.
• Sign-up to Marie's professional development workshops and live events for professionals working with couples, families, and relationships.

THE END BITS

Mental Work is your companion to early-career psychology, hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins.

Love the podcast? Please rate & review on Apple and Spotify.

Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕

Sponsor the show for $2 a month on Patreon

Facebook / Instagram / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website / Apply to be a guest / Email Bron

CREDITS

Producer: Michael English

Music: Home

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bron and Rebecca explore all things joy, play, and fun! They chat about the importance of joy for sustainability in our careers, the common challenges of therapist schemas like self-sacrifice and unrelenting standards, and practical ways that therapists can bring joy into their work to keep burnout at bay. This was a delightful chat and I definitely felt ready to make more space for joy and play in my daily life by the end!

Guest: Rebecca Black, Clinical Psychologist at Nourish, Heal & Grow Psychology & Coach at Sustainable Therapists

LINKS

• Rebecca's previous episode on Building a Sustainable Career in Psychology
• Videos of dogs with big sticks: Bosco and his Big Stick Energy, Dog Wins with Big Stick, Dog Obsessed with Big Sticks 

THE END BITS

Mental Work is your companion to early-career psychology, hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins.

Love the podcast? Please rate & review on Apple and Spotify.

Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕

Sponsor the show for $2 a month on Patreon

Facebook / Instagram / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website / Apply to be a guest / Email Bron

CREDITS

Producer: Michael English

Music: Home

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bron chats with Matthew about Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and its application for folks diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). We dive into the stigma surrounding BPD and discuss how reframing BPD as a trauma response can help us to be more compassionate practitioners. Matthew explains the core components of DBT, the importance of a supportive therapeutic relationship, and his favourite DBT strategies.

Guest: Matthew Jackson, Intensively Trained DBT Psychologist.

LINKS

• Online training in DBT
• DBT Skills Training Manual for Therapists
• Neurodivergent-friendly workbook of DBT skills by Sonny Jane Wise
• Dialectical Behaviour Skills Workbook
• Research articles: A Systematic Review of the Association Between Early Childhood Trauma and Borderline Personality Disorder (2023)
• Research article: The Role of Trauma in Early Onset Borderline Personality Disorder: A Biopsychosocial Perspective (2021)
• Research article: Multiple and Interpersonal Trauma are Risk Factors for both Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder: A Systematic Review (2019)

THE END BITS

Mental Work is your companion to early-career psychology, hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins.

Love the podcast? Please rate & review on Apple and Spotify.

Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕

Sponsor the show for $2 a month on Patreon

Facebook / Instagram / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website / Apply to be a guest / Email Bron

CREDITS

Producer: Michael English

Music: Home

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Come celebrate our 100th episode with us! 🥳🥳🥳 Bron is joined by editor of the podcast, Dr Michael English, to reflect on this huge milestone and listen to clips from our favourite episodes. What was the most requested episode? The most fun episode? The most listened to episode? You'll have to listen in to find out!

(PS: I say it in the episode, but I'll say it again, thanks so much for listening 🥹 We're so glad the podcast has been helpful to so many of you. Your kind words and support mean so much 💖)

THE END BITS

Mental Work is your companion to early-career psychology, hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins.

Love the podcast? Please rate & review on Apple and Spotify.

Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕

Sponsor the show for $2 a month on Patreon

Facebook / Instagram / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website / Apply to be a guest / Email Bron

CREDITS

Producer: Michael English

Music: Home

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bron chats with Betty about her experiences of failing the National Psychology Exam. Betty shares the emotional toll of failing, the financial implications, and the struggle with shame and self-doubt it brought. We highlight the need for more open discussions about setbacks in the psychology profession and stress that failing an exam does NOT define one’s worth or capability as a psychologist. We thank and applaud Betty for vulnerably sharing her story, and hope that listeners who have not succeeded in passing the exam feel less alone - We support you! 💖 

Guest: Betty Farrell, Provisional Psychologist

LINKS

• Check out Betty's previous episodes: Coping with Challenging Feedback, and "From Special Ed Teacher to Working in Prisons"
• Previous episode: Studying for the National Psychology Exam with Amanda Moses
• Mental Work is sponsored by the Australian Association of Psychologists (AAPi) - Click here to learn more about AAPi and become a member.

THE END BITS

Mental Work is your companion to early-career psychology, hosted by Dr Bronwyn Milkins.

Love the podcast? Please rate & review on Apple and Spotify.

Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕

Facebook / Instagram / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website / Apply to be a guest / Email Bron

CREDITS

Producer: Michael English

Music: Home

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bron chats with Jordan about why she chose to work as a contractor and how she knew it was time to open her own private practice. We also unpack what you need to know if you're considering contract work, including 👉🏼 What's a fair split arrangement? 👉 How do I know if I'm a contractor or an employee? 👉🏿 The importance of understanding the financial side of contracting.

Guest: Jordan Turner, Educational & Developmental Registrar

LINKS

• Jordan's previous episodes: Working with parents and kids, and Working while pregnant
• Jordan's book of poetry!! "First time mother" 😍
• Fair Work Australia - All about independent contracting
• Fair Work Australia: "I think I could be an employee not a contractor"
• Differences between employees and contractors
• Mental Work is sponsored by the Australian Association of Psychologists (AAPi) - Click here to learn more about AAPi and become a member.

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 😎

Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee! ☕

We want your episode ideas! What aren't we talking about that early-career psychs need to know? Send it to our mailbag!

Facebook / Instagram / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website / Apply to be a guest / Email Bron

CREDITS

Producer: Michael English

Music: Home

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bron and Sherry-Lee explore the application of trauma-informed approaches, particularly Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, to eating disorders. We dive into 👉🏿 trauma-informed care 👉🏽 adapting trauma therapy for clients with eating disorders 👉 What EMDR is and how it can be used to help clients with eating disorders.

Guest: Sherry-Lee Smith - Director of the Phoenix Holistic Health Centre, Psychologist, EMDR Consultant, Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician

LINKS

• Keen to learn EMDR? There's heaps of trainers in Australia. I did my training with Graham Taylor which was fab, but have heard excellent things about training delivered by Caroline Burrows and Chris Lee
• Keen to become a credentialed eating disorder clinician? Learn more about credentialing from ANZAED here. I did my training with Kiera Buchanan from the Centre for Integrative Health and it was fantastic
• Book: Trauma-Informed Approaches to Eating Disorders edited by Andrew Seubert and Pam Virdi
• Worksheet: Neurodiversity-affirming approach to food neutrality by Lucy Smith of Exhale Psychology

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 😎

Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee! ☕

We want your episode ideas! What aren't we talking about that early-career psychs need to know? Send it to our mailbag!

Facebook / Instagram / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website / Apply to be a guest / Email Bron

CREDITS

Producer: Michael English

Music: Home

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.