Over millennia and across the world, people have used music as therapy.

This three-part series features Clinical Psychologist Professor Mark Creamer and Registered Music Therapists: Dr Jason Kenner and Dr Jennifer Bibb, as they explore the practice of music therapy.

In episode one, they offer an introduction to the field of music therapy, what it takes to practice in the field, its different forms, and how it can support different people with a variety of needs.

Liked this episode? Stay tuned for episode two where they take an in depth look at the practical applications, what happens during a music therapy session and the positive outcomes that can be expected. Follow MHPN Presents in your podcast app to be notified of future episodes.

MHPN would like to thank the Australian Music Therapy Association for their collaboration on this series.

Visit the MHPN website for episode host and guest bios, recommended resources and a self-directed CPD form.

Share your comments, questions and feedback about A Conversation About…  or any of MHPN’s podcast series here: https://mhpn.org.au/podcast-feedback/. 

In this episode of Book Club, Brisbane based psychiatrist, Associate Professor Warren Ward, and lived experience Recovery Coach, Lexi Crouch, discuss ‘The Eight Keys to Recovery from An Eating Disorder’ by Carolyn Costin and Gwen Schubert Grabb (2011); exploring the significance of the author’s brave accounts of their experiences with disordered eating.

Tune in to learn why Warren and Lexi see the authors' as ‘pioneers’ in the world of eating disorders, and the continued impact of their lived experience voice over the 10+ years since the book’s release.

Warren and Lexi share their respective practitioner and lived experience perspectives on the book’s themes, exploring the importance of stories of recovery for people living with an eating disorder; why the book inspires hope in them both, and how this ‘coach in a book’ can complement the therapeutic techniques of practitioners supporting individuals experiencing disordered eating.

Liked this episode? Stay tuned for future episodes of Book Club by following MHPN Presents.

Visit the MHPN website for episode host and guest bios, recommended resources and a self-directed CPD form.

Share your comments, questions and feedback about Book Club or any of MHPN’s podcast series here: https://mhpn.org.au/podcast-feedback/.

As the mental health impacts of climate change are becoming more widely understood, many practitioners might be considering how climate-distress impacts them both personally and professionally.

In this episode, our experts highlight the role that mental health practitioners can play to support individuals and communities experiencing climate-distress, while looking after their own wellbeing.

This is the final episode in a four-part series featuring Developmental Psychologist, Ann Sanson, Clinical Supervisor and Psychotherapist, Merle Conyer and Environmental Psychologist, Susie Burke, as they explore and explain the nexus between climate change and mental health.

Liked this episode? Stay tuned for future episodes of A Conversation About… by following MHPN Presents.

Visit the MHPN website for episode host and guest bios, recommended resources and a self-directed CPD form.
Share your comments, questions and feedback about A Conversation About… or any of MHPN’s podcast series here: https://mhpn.org.au/podcast-feedback/.

With climate-related extreme weather events becoming more prevalent, it’s no wonder the evidence shows that today’s younger generation have significant concerns about the future. How can practitioners support young people when many of them feel that ‘humanity is doomed’?

Tune in as our experts share tips and strategies for engaging and supporting young people as they navigate growing up in a world experiencing more climate-related disasters than any generation before. They’ll discuss research exploring the reactions of children and young people to the climate emergency and outline how parents and mental health providers can best respond to their needs.

This is the third episode in a four-part series featuring Developmental Psychologist, Ann Sanson, Clinical Supervisor and Psychotherapist, Merle Conyer and Environmental Psychologist, Susie Burke, as they explore and explain the nexus between climate change and mental health.

Liked this episode? Stay tuned for future episodes of A Conversation About… by following MHPN Presents.

Visit the MHPN website for episode host and guest bios, recommended resources and a self-directed CPD form.

Share your comments, questions and feedback about A Conversation About… or any of MHPN’s podcast series here: https://mhpn.org.au/podcast-feedback/.

A ‘conspiracy of silence’ around climate change might be present in any conversation, even within mental health practice. In fact, this ‘elephant in the room’ may be bigger than you realise.

Tune in as our experts share their top techniques for supporting conversations about climate distress in sessions with clients. Drawing on theories such as Attachment Theory, Polyvagal Theory, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, they demonstrate how practitioners can better understand a client’s relationship with nature and how to respond if they express distress about climate change.

This is the second episode in a four-part podcast series featuring Developmental Psychologist, Ann Sanson, Clinical Supervisor and Psychotherapist, Merle Conyer and Environmental Psychologist, Susie Burke, as they explore and explain the nexus between climate change and mental health.

Liked this episode? Stay tuned for future episodes of A Conversation About… by following MHPN Presents.

Visit the MHPN website for episode host and guest bios, recommended resources and a self-directed CPD form.

Share your comments, questions and feedback about A Conversation About… or any of MHPN’s podcast series here: https://mhpn.org.au/podcast-feedback/.

While the practical ramifications of climate-related disasters may not be a mystery to many Australian communities, the cumulative mental health impacts on individuals and community may be less obvious or well understood. In this four-part podcast series, join Developmental Psychologist, Ann Sanson, Clinical Supervisor and Psychotherapist, Merle Conyer and Environmental Psychologist, Susie Burke, as they explore and explain the nexus between climate change and mental health.

Tune in to episode one, where our host and guests discuss the latest research identifying the range of mental health impacts resulting from the global climate emergency, including helping practitioners to understand who is most at risk and how they might respond.

Liked this episode? Stay tuned for future episodes of A Conversation About… by following MHPN Presents.

Visit the MHPN website for episode host and guest bios, recommended resources and a self-directed CPD form.

Share your comments, questions and feedback about A Conversation About… or any of MHPN’s podcast series here: https://mhpn.org.au/podcast-feedback/.

The impact of social isolation and loneliness has never been more prevalent than in a post-pandemic world. Tune in as Dr J.R. Baker, CEO of Primary and Community Care Services, and Dr Rosanne Freak-Poli, life-course and social epidemiologist, discuss the impacts of experiencing social isolation and loneliness.

Combining the latest research with their own anecdotes, J.R. and Rosanne explore the importance of community and the ways in which Covid-19 altered our social landscapes and sense of connectedness. They discuss the relationship between choice and anxiety, the role of technology, and consider the wider impacts of social isolation on health.

Liked this episode? Stay tuned for future episodes of A Conversation About… by following MHPN Presents.

Visit the MHPN website for episode host and guest bios, recommended resources and a self-directed CPD form.

Share your comments, questions and feedback about A Conversation About… or any of MHPN’s podcast series here: https://mhpn.org.au/podcast-feedback/.

“I have not experienced anyone speak, write, [or] live like Audre Lorde. The things that she was saying 40 years ago are things that I feel like as a society and as a community, we are grappling with today.” – Stephanie Mendis

In this episode of MHPN Presents Book Club, social workers Stephanie Mendis and Alyssha Fooks discuss the profound impact that Audre Lorde’s book, ‘Sister Outsider’, featuring a collection of essays and speeches, has had on their personal and professional growth.

Focusing on Audre’s speech at the 1984 New York Institute for Humanities Conference ‘The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House’, both are struck by how her observations; despite being made nearly 40 years ago and in the Northern Hemisphere, remain relevant for marginalised communities within and outside of the Australian health care system.

Listen to be inspired by Stephanie and Alyssha’s passionate call to arms for a better understanding of the impact of intersectionality, racial justice, gender equality, cultural safety, the lived experience voice, and the importance of continued learning and development. 

Liked this episode? Stay tuned for future episodes of Book Club by following MHPN Presents.

Visit the MHPN website for episode host and guest bios, recommended resources and a self-directed CPD form.

Share your comments, questions and feedback about Book Club or any of MHPN’s podcast series here: https://mhpn.org.au/podcast-feedback/.

In this three-part series, Professor Mark Creamer chats with emergency medicine and psychiatry experts about mental health crises. Join Mark and his guests as they share valuable tips and strategies to effectively manage and/or avert a mental health crisis and explore how best to mitigate the negative impact they may have on practitioners.

In the third and final episode hear from Dr Jacqueline Huber, staff specialist and clinical lead for psychiatry in the emergency department at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney; and Dr Clare Skinner, President of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine.

Mark, Jacqueline and Clare discuss practitioner burnout in Australian emergency healthcare settings, including what can be done on individual and systemic levels to manage it. They explore the importance of psychological safety and the prevalence of conflict in the workplace. Our host and guests identify the potential negative impacts of conflict, as well as opportunities for deeper understanding; sharing tips to manage conflict between teams and strategies for leaders to promote psychological safety in emergency departments.

Liked this episode? Stay tuned for future episodes of A Conversation About… by following MHPN Presents.

Visit the MHPN website for episode host and guest bios, recommended resources and a self-directed CPD form.

Share your comments, questions and feedback about A Conversation About… or any of MHPN’s podcast series here: https://mhpn.org.au/podcast-feedback/. 

In this three-part series, Professor Mark Creamer chats with emergency medicine and psychiatry experts about mental health crises. Join Mark and his guests as they share valuable tips and strategies to effectively manage and/or avert a mental health crisis and explore how best to mitigate the negative impact they may have on practitioners.

In episode two, psychiatrist Dr Tad Tietze provides insight into the challenge and complexity of supporting suicidal clients. Tune in to hear Tad’s advice for practitioners in responding to suicidal presentations in their work - how to fully understand the person’s story, ask the right questions and provide support in the moment. Mark and Tad also explore the importance for practitioners to recognise and respond to their own distress responses to these challenging presentations and of collaborating with the person’s wider care team.

Liked this episode? Stay tuned for future episodes of A Conversation About… by following MHPN Presents.

Visit the MHPN website for episode host and guest bios, recommended resources and a self-directed CPD form.

Share your comments, questions and feedback about A Conversation About… or any of MHPN’s podcast series here: https://mhpn.org.au/podcast-feedback/.