In this episode I speak with Estefana, a seasoned trauma therapist and the Director of Clinical Training at ARISE Alliance Institute with a steadfast commitment to compassionate mental health care tailored to communities in need, developing and implementing training curricula in Critical Memory Integration (CMI™) to bolster trauma-informed and PTSD treatment practices. With over two decades in mental health, spanning roles from behavioural health technician to medical and residential social work, she now also practices at Lighthouse Psychiatry and TMS in Gilbert, Arizona, supporting clinical care and psychedelic research. 

Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:

• Arise Alliance - https://arisealliance.org/

• Shade Tree Academy - https://asashadetreeacademy.org/

• Lighthouse Psychiatry - https://lighthousepsychiatry.com/

• Estefana’s book ‘The Secret to Life’ - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43201519-the-secret-to-life

This episode's transcript can be viewed here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13QccEZm9N677rPEXPRgw5O64f0YR9OAuCrDrZWmVSTk/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Selva, a psychiatric social worker based in Chennai, India. He works as an Employment Coordinator at the Indian Schizophrenia Research Foundation and his focus is on helping individuals with lived experience of mental illness in their recovery, independence, and social inclusion through supported employment.

Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:

• Schizophrenia Research Foundation India - https://scarfindia.org/

This episode's transcript can be viewed here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hy3_7eoZZqEQKTdQHjqJoyC55mJns7uuFKNz21VKUCI/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Victory, who has over eleven years of experience in the NGO sector in Nepal and is currently pursuing her PhD. She has worked extensively on issues such as mental health, anti-trafficking, gender equality, community development in slum areas, youth empowerment, and the prevention of commercial sexual exploitation of children and her expertise spans program design, proposal writing, monitoring and evaluation, capacity building, and policy advocacy. 

Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:

• New SADLE Fair Trade Group - https://fairtradegroupnepal.org/member/new-sadle

This episode's transcript can be viewed here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VlTwm5J1Hxt5tr4YVAE2RMXaKowCDNgMgg7uOxBQ-Wg/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Matt, who in addition to being a registered social worker, is also a certified mental performance consultant, podcast host and co-founder of Southwest Counselling Services in Ontario, Canada. He is passionate about utilising a variety of tools including EMDR, Emotion Focused Therapy, Sport Psychology and Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy to help individuals, couples and families lead healthy and fulfilling lives. 

Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:

• Southwest Counselling Services - https://swcounselling.ca/

• Social Work Me podcast - https://www.facebook.com/SocialWorkMe/

• Wade Wilson’s The Mentor Magazine - https://thementormagazine.substack.com/about

• Alliance of Social Workers in Sports - https://www.aswis.org/

• Association of Applied Sports Psychology - https://appliedsportpsych.org/

• Canadian Sports Psych Association - https://www.cspa-acps.com/

• Mindful Men podcast - https://mindfulmen.com.au/podcast/

This episode's transcript can be viewed here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YqOatfUpDK8yHda4eXKIGYRty1UaydYnkm5Fg1NQJbs/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Santa, an early career social worker from Laos with paid and volunteer experience for the Red Cross, and the UN, as well as working with migrants to support them to build their skills and experience to gain meaningful employment. Santa has a passion for human rights, humanitarian aid, social protection and research.

Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:

• STELLA social enterprise - https://launchthestella.wordpress.com/what-we-do/

• UNFPA (United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency) - https://lao.unfpa.org/en

• Lao Civil Society Organizations Platform - https://laocso.org/

This episode's transcript can be viewed here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vyx-g3-Q60mZz0UiL1gf-WpFr9E1pXaCyf02FNFPv04/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

Social Work Spotlight is going international! I'm taking you all with me on my long service leave. Join me on a journey around the world as I speak exclusively with social workers from outside Australia on my travels for the next 12 months. My next three episodes will feature social workers based in Laos, Canada and Nepal, and I can’t wait to share these different perspectives with you. Keep a look out for the first of these episodes to drop on August 30.

In this episode I speak with Dylan, who currently supervises a team of Support Coordinators spanning across South East Queensland. With experience in Child Safety, NDIS Social Work and Pastoral Ministry, Dylan takes a holistic approach to working with people, incorporating feminist theory and humanistic theory in his work.

Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:

• Choosing Change - https://www.choosingchange.com.au/

• Circle of Security parenting program - http://www.circleofsecurityparentingprogram.com.au/

• Summary of Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed - https://bookbrief.io/books/pedagogy-of-the-oppressed-paulo-freire/summary

• Jan Fook’s ‘Social Work: A Critical Approach to Practice’ - https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/social-work/book260992

• Janet Hagberg and ‘The Critical Journey’ - http://www.janethagberg.com/critical-journey-book.html

• Moral Injury and the Humanities: Interdisciplinary Perspectives - https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781003281122/moral-injury-humanities-andrew-cohen-kathryn-mcclymond

This episode's transcript can be viewed here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qFcXba9ZZJPYcdCI0CFEAWQxkGx8m8vBW9ws4ADl3fE/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Carol, a dedicated and trauma-informed therapeutic social worker with a degree also in Criminal & Community Justice. As the child of immigrant parents, Carol's upbringing instilled a deep understanding of the systemic barriers many individuals face, as well as the importance of empathy, empowerment, community care and social justice. Carol is highly experienced in Domestic and Family Violence, Out of Home Care, Child and Adolescent Mental Health and in upskilling and empowering social workers and other helping professionals through clinical supervision and training, and is also a trained facilitator in Circle of Security, Tuning into Kids, Westmead Feelings Program and Black Box parenting program. 

Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:

• Got It program- https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/mentalhealth/resources/Pages/got-it-guidelines.aspx

• Australian Parenting website - https://raisingchildren.net.au/

• Emerging Minds resource for social workers - https://emergingminds.com.au/

• Gabor Maté; Hungarian-Canadian physician - books, podcast, interviews - https://drgabormate.com/

• WDVCAS-  https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/about-us/our-partners/womens-domestic-violence-court-advocacy-program

• Tuning in to Kids program - https://tuningintokids.org.au/

• Parenting Stress Index - https://www.parinc.com/products/PSI-4

• Circle of Security parenting program - http://www.circleofsecurityparentingprogram.com.au/

This episode's transcript can be viewed here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g_hpCeXKkOCq0chzlT9NXiHkGRJuFVOtHjWxxyJiTdM/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Celesty, a registered social worker and music educator committed to intersectional practice. With experience across domestic violence, refugee support, and community development, she centres healing, autonomy, and relational care. As a queer, neurodivergent professional with South Indian heritage, Celesty draws from ancestral resilience, person-centred frameworks, and creative pedagogy to walk alongside those impacted by systemic violence. Her work is grounded in cultural humility, lived accountability, and the belief that everyone deserves dignity and not discipline.

Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:

• It’s Going to be OK podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/0pqULMk8JpPYwgNvRdQuQn?si=d17dc110a58845be&nd=1&dlsi=48bda940e1f046f6

• The Great Indian Kitchen film - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-55919305

• Gaycation TV series - https://www.vicetv.com/en_us/show/gaycation

• Bangalore’s Human Library article - https://lbb.in/bangalore/human-library-bangalore/

• A Migrant’s Story at Randwick Council - https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/library/creative-hub/library-exhibitions/migrant-story-2014

This episode's transcript can be viewed here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oifPuHrd1QANUFS-phmfp88xy5XUgOdmbSUIUxi4S40/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.

In this episode I speak with Charlotte, the Program Manager of a youth crisis refuge and outreach program in Sydney. She has been in the housing and homelessness sector for the past five years and has also worked in men’s domestic and family violence and community outreach roles. 

Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:

• Y Foundations - https://www.yfoundations.org.au/

• Inner Sydney Voice training - https://innersydneyvoice.org.au/news-events/training/

• See What You Made Me Do by Jess Hill - https://www.jesshill.net/home/see-what-you-made-me-do/

• The Oasis and Life After the Oasis documentary films - https://www.jesshill.net/home/see-what-you-made-me-do/

• Safe Home TV series - https://www.sbs.com.au/whats-on/article/sbs-thriller-safe-home-coming-may-11/kajyykajz

• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training - https://asisttraining.com.au/

• Brené Brown - https://brenebrown.com/about/

• Vikki Reynolds - https://vikkireynolds.ca/

This episode's transcript can be viewed here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15AteoPDMJGW6IrwXT15GCJ2hS5zkSy54-156bexnrlY/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks to Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com for our theme music.