On The Couch

People are not the problem, the problem is the problem. Maddy sits with mental health social worker Danyelle Mei Kaplan and massage therapist Egan Magee. They spend time sharing their coordinates of belonging and explore autonomy and dignity over their own fields of existence. A powerful conversation collating thoughts on collective holding, mutual aid and healing centered approaches. Working within the LGBTQ2IA+ community, they dream of helping people heal their relationships with themselves and others to create systemic change and liberate each other. A thought-provoking episode full of depth, this is one not to miss. 

This episode was recorded in June 2024 

CONTENT WARNINGS: This episode references sexual, physical and emotional trauma

Read transcript here

Check out our webpage for more information

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Recommendations

Co-Culture Communication & Magkasama 

References

Lean Manaema from Co-Culture Communication 

Magkasama 

Neurodivergent 

Diaspora 

LGBTQ2IA+ 

POC Queerness 

Victoria Cruz at the Anti-Violence Project  

Rebecca Howe 

Radical love 

Sekneh Hamoud Beckett 

Vikki Reynolds 

Centrelink 

White saviour 

Inclusive Therapists 

Internal family systems  

Trauma informed practice 

Healing centered engagements 

Not On Our Backs – Vikki Reynolds 

Emergent strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown

Abolition is love by Marcus Syrus Ware

Biomimicry 

Mutual aid YouTube video 

Mutual aid by Dean Spade

Mia Mingus 

Tian Zhang

Manifesto for Radical Care ( or How To Be Human in the Arts)

The Value of Experiential Learning and Lived Experience with an OT Training 

Sweatshop

Povo 

Gleebooks 

Caddyshack Project What We're Reading 

Caddyshack Project Goodreads profile 

Credits

Host: Maddy Stratten

Guest: Danyelle Mei Kaplan & Egan Magee 

Producers: Maddy Stratten & Winnie Adamson 

Music: Little Pastries Instrumental (descript) 

NSW Health social media community guidelines

Have you ever wanted to know more about sexological bodywork? Together, Naomi and Stella Topaz from Abundant Body talk through the wheel of consent and the somatic therapy approach of sexological bodywork and how it varies from other types of therapy and sexology. Stella reveals the inside of a sexological bodywork session and walks us through how she works with compassion and gratitude.  

This episode was recorded in March 2024 

CONTENT WARNINGS: This episode references sexual, physical and emotional trauma

Read transcript here

Check out our webpage for more information

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Recommendations 

Comfortable in my skin  & More than a body  

References

Institute of Somatic Sexology 

Wheel of Consent by School of Consent 

Urban Tantra Professional Training Progam 

Barbara Carellas

Dossie Easton

BDSM

Scar Tissue Remediation 

Ellen Heed

Abundant Body 

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) 

Credits

Host: Naomi Viret

Guest: Stella Topaz

Producers: Maddy Stratten & Winnie Adamson 

Music: Little Pastries Instrumental (descript) 

NSW Health social media community guidelines

Spend some time and listen to an honest and open conversation about medical consent, consent culture, TransHealth, queer and disability healthcare with Axel Nathaniel Rose. Axel shares with Naomi his lived experience as a queer, transgender, and disabled man, reflecting on the life-long impacts of when medical consent is not given. An empowering episode challenging necessary system change and inspiring individual advocacy. 

This episode was recorded in February 2024.  

CONTENT WARNINGS: This episode references medical abuse, explicit transphobia, sexual violence, and transphobic and misogynistic public policy.

Read transcript here

Check out our webpage for more information

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Recommendations

The Pronoun Lowdown & Ask: Building Consent Culture 

References

University of New South Wales

The C-Word (Learning Consent Blog)

Learning Consent 

Liz Kelly (Continuum of Sexual Violence) 

Kitty Stryker

Ask: Building Consent Culture  

Carol Queen

Laurie Penny

Nevo Zisin 

Quinn Eades 

They Thought It Was An Obsession Article

Trans Broken Arm Syndrome 

UNSW Interview (Accessible Healthcare for the Trans and Gender Diverse Community)

TransHub

ACON

Disability Discrimination Act 1992

Sex Discrimination Act 1984 

International Transgender Day of Visibility

The Gender Centre

The Albion Centre 

On The Couch Caddyshack Project discussions 

Sage @sagescrittore (Ursula Le Guin Quote) 

Credits

Host: Naomi Viret

Guest: Axel-Nathaniel Rose

Producers: Maddy Stratten & Winnie Adamson 

Music: Little Pastries Instrumental (descript) 

NSW Health social media community guidelines

How can we include pleasure in the consent conversation? Listen as founder of Learning Consent Dr Joy Townsend goes beyond the traditional definition of consent and discusses effective role modelling and consent culture in todays society. Learning Consent delivers comprehensive relationships, sexuality and consent education programs for educational institutions and organisations. Joy shares with Naomi her passion for helping young people to catch a vision for how great communicative, connected and pleasurable sex can be.

This episode was recorded in March 2023

CONTENT WARNINGS: This episode references sexual assault and sexual violence  

Read transcript here

Check out our webpage for more information

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Recommendations

Welcome to Consent , Teaching Consent & 1800Respect 

References

Learning Consent 

Joy’s PHD “Her sexual self: A narrative investigation of young women’s sexual subjectives” 

Marie-Pierre Cleret 

UNESCO International technical guidance on sexuality education 

Comprehensive Consent Sarah Casper 

French Philosopher – communicative approach to consent 

Bad sex vs sexual violence blog 

Laurie Penny 

Secondary School Survey  

Liz Kelly’s Continuum of sexual violence 

Professor Michael Flood 

Porn literacy curriculum 

Betty Dodson 

National Student Safety Survey 

Credits

Host: Naomi Viret

Guest: Joy Townsend

Producers: Maddy Stratten & Winnie Adamson 

Music: Little Pastries Instrumental (descript) 

NSW Health social media community guidelines

Naomi is joined by Maggie Smith, a Clinical Nurse Consultant from the T150 clinic at the Albion Centre in Sydney. T150 is an innovative specialist HIV and Sexual Health Service providing holistic care for the transgender and gender diverse community in a dedicated clinical space. Maggie provides clinical insight into TransHealth and unpacks the importance of community advocacy in ensuring accessible healthcare for the trans and non-binary community.  

This episode was recorded in August 2023

Read transcript here

Check out our webpage for more information

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Recommendations

T150 & He She They 

References

Albion Centre 

Australian Professional Association for Transgender Health (AUSPATH) 

Australian Sexual Health and HIV Nurses Association (ASHHNA) 

The Gender Centre 

Brotherboys and Sistergirls 

First Nations People 

Cervical Screening (Pap Smear)

Transgender Definition 

Dr Melissa Kelly 

World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) 

Maple Leaf House 

Binary and Non-Binary 

ACON 

Pre-Exposure prophylaxis - PrEP 

Gender affirming health care - Transhealth 

Reassignment surgery 

Cis 

Pronouns 

Medicare 

Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme  

Reandron 

Decanoate 

ERMS 

IMS 

Blood Borne Viruses precautions 

MDA National 

Risk of Regret 

Credits

Host: Naomi Viret

Guest: Maggie Smith

Producers: Maddy Stratten & Winnie Adamson 

Music: Little Pastries Instrumental (descript) 

NSW Health social media community guidelines

Join Maddy as she sits down with Ruiqi Fan, a clinical nurse specialist working at the Sydney Sexual Health Clinic. Ruiqi talks about being an international student to now working with international students in a clinical setting, providing insight into the experience. Listen as we better understand why having multilingual nurses and interpreters is important in delivering sexual health services for the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities in Australia.

This episode was recorded in June 2023 

Read transcript here

Check out our webpage for more information

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Recommendations

The International Students Health Hub & Sydney Sexual Health Centre 

References

Sydney Sexual Health Centre 

International Student Health Hub 

RMB – Chinese Yuan currency 

The Guardian 

The Daily Telegraph 

CPR training 

Vaginal douching 

Sexual Health Infolink 

Australian Healthcare System 

Provincial – China health/hospital cover 

Medicare 

ACON 

Multicultural HIV and Hepatitis Service 

Translating and Interpreting services 

PrEP campaign – ending HIV 

Caddyshack Project Instagram 

Caddyshack Project Facebook 

Credits

Host: Maddy Stratten

Guest: Ruiqi Fan

Producers: Maddy Stratten & Winnie Adamson 

Music: Little Pastries Instrumental (descript)

NSW Health social media community guidelines

How can we treat ourselves with kindness when unexpected emotions arise? Naomi sits down with psychologist Chris Cheers and reflects on the mental health impacts of lockdown on the queer and creative community. His book, The New Rulebook is a practical game changing guide to embracing uncertainty offering radical, evidence-based solutions to improve wellbeing. Providing individual psychology services and workshops to artists and creatives, and the LGBTQIA+ community, Chris is passionate about creating accessible, accepting and safe spaces.

This episode was recorded in May 2023

Read transcript here

Check out our webpage for more information

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Recommendations    

 The New Rulebook & QLife 

References   

Emotional Agility Susan David 

Acceptance commitment therapy 

Viktor Frankl Man’s search for meaning 

Friends by Robin Dunbar

Credits 

Host: Naomi Viret   

Guest: Chris Cheers 

Producers: Maddy Stratten & Winnie Adamson 

Music: Little Pastries Instrumental (descript) 

NSW Health social media community guidelines

Maddy catches up with Kirli Saunders and dives into the importance of language, decolonization, feminism and queer space. Kirli is a proud Gunai Woman and award-winning multidisciplinary creator and consultant. Awarded NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year in 2020, Kirli is an experienced speaker and facilitator advocating for the environment, gender, racial equality and LGBTIQA+ rights. In this episode Kirli shares her passion for continuing connection to Country and reads a powerful poem called Based On Us from her book Returning.

This episode was recorded in October 2022

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are advised that this episode contains the name of and discussion around a deceased person. This episode may contain words, descriptions and terms which may be culturally sensitive and reflect the views of those at the period in which the content was created. 

Read transcript here

Check out our webpage for more information

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Recommendations

AIATSIS, Kindred & Returning

References

Vale Aunty Velma Mulcahy  

Cyanotype 

Joyce Saunders

The Incredible Freedom Machines 

Matt Otley 

Bec Young 

Red Room Poetry 

Tamryn Bennett 

Jo Featherstone 

Kirli Saunders Consulting 

Bindi 

Kindred 

Returning 

Going Home Play 

Department of Education on language 

United Nations Indigenous Decades of Language 

Brotherboys and Sistergirls 

Uluru Statement 

Griffith Review Dr Lilly Brown and Genevieve Grieves 

Raise the Age 

Alok 

Heartbreak High  

Tony Birch The White Girl 

Melissa Lucashenko 

Ellen Van Neerven 

Jazz Money 

Florence Given 

The Front Left  

Gang of Youths 

Frontier War Stories 

Horror Show 

Based On Us – Poem from Returning 

Credits

Host: Maddy Stratten

Guest: Kirli Saunders 

Producers: Maddy Stratten & Winnie Adamson 

Music: Little Pastries Instrumental (descript) 

NSW Health social media community guidelines

Curious about sexology and the difference between a sex therapist, body therapist, sex coach and sex worker? Maddy chats with Aleks from The Pleasure Centre to explore why an individual or couple may seek sex therapy. Offering a safe and inclusive place, Aleks' practice is guided by multiple evidence-based therapeutic approaches. Hear about the Sex Buffet and Queering Sex concepts and how to put pleasure and desire on the menu. 

This episode was recorded in September 2022

CONTENT WARNINGS: This episode references sexual trauma  

Read transcript here

Check out our webpage for more information

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Recommendations

The Pleasure Centre & The Science of Sex 

References  

Tanya Koens 

Matt Tilley 

PLISSIT model 

Polyvagal Theory by Stephen Porges 

Sapiens 

Schitts Creek 

Credits

Host: Maddy Stratten

Guests: Aleks Trkjula 

Producers: Maddy Stratten & Winnie Adamson   

Music:  Little Pastries Instrumental (descript) 

NSW Health social media community guidelines

Join Maddy in conversation with Frances Turner from Nurse Nettie, answering the most commonly asked sexual and reproductive health questions by young people. Nurse Nettie is an online service that provides qualified sexual health information to young people living in New South Wales, Australia. Fran provides a glimpse behind the curtain of how the team approach answering questions without judgement, making health information accessible and inclusive. 

This episode was recorded in June 2022

Read transcript here

Check out our webpage for more information

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Recommendations

Nurse Nettie & Sexual Health Infolink (SHIL) 

References

Nurse Nettie 

NSW Health Play Safe 

Pronouns 

Sexual Health Infolink 

LGBTIQA+ community 

Labia Library  

FemFresh 

NSW Health 

Caddyshack Project 

Medicare Card 

Herpes 

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) 

Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs) 

Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) 

Sexual Health Clinics 

Aboriginal Medical Services 

Child Protection Units 

Mandatory Reporting Guidelines (MRG) 

Can I get an STI from that? 

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) 

Cervical Screening (Pap Smear)

Diethylstilboestrol (DES)

Premature ejaculation 

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) 

Citalopram 

Credits

Host: Maddy Stratten

Guests: Frances Turner from Nurse Nettie

Producers: Maddy Stratten & Winnie Adamson   

Music:   Little Pastries Instrumental (descript) 

NSW Health social media community guidelines