Other than being a Clinical Psychologist (with a child specialisation), Dr James van Cuylenburg is not only Hugh and Josh’s cousin, but in Hugh’s opinion, he’s the greatest piano player in the world - which provides zero context for this incredible episode.

James covers so much in this 90 minutes that it’s almost impossible to sum up here. Everything from the development of our kids today, screentime issues, the cost of ambition, the importance of self-compassion and James’s own experiences with bullying and how it motivated him to study psychology. Among MANY other topics.

This episode is not just about kids. It’s about the human experience and why we should all acknowledge and love our “wonky bricks” and make the most of our short time on this floating ball we call earth. PRESS PLAY ALREADY!

To learn more about James's work, or book into see him or another psychologist at Engage One on One, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3MV947W

To learn more about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3MVgNTC

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you do when you’re stressed? Watch the telly? Scroll the innuhnet? Fix yourself a stiff VB on the rocks?

We all feel stressed and burned out from time to time. It’s unfortunately a reality of life. But double-unfortunately, most of us don’t know how to correctly deal with it. And that’s why Dr Emily is here to help!

In this extremely practical episode, Dr Emily explains the science behind WHY we get stressed. But more importantly, she tells us what we can do to alleviate the stress and WHY it will work.

And why does she know all these things? Because she’s a… [to be sung] PSYCHOLOGIST!!!

To listen to Kate Reid's Imperfects episode, follow these links: (pt1) https://bit.ly/45wqwqQ & (pt2) https://bit.ly/3BQFAlz

For book recommendation, 'Burnout, The secret to solving the stress cycle', by Emily & Amelia Nagoski, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3IGQZrY

For book recommendation  'The Joy of Movement' by Kelly McGonigal, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3ODdzoU

For app recommendation, 'One Sec', follow this link: https://one-sec.app/

For book recommendation, 'Mans Search for Meaning' by Victor E Frankl, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3BSddDq

For further reading on The Polyvagal Theory, follow this link https://rb.gy/23wtb

The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might remember Penny Moodie from her first appearance on The Imperfects when she talked about her own experience with OCD. Link below if you don’t! Well, Penny is back to talk about something else; her marriage with Hugh. Or, more specifically, and far less click-baity, the mental load in her marriage with Hugh.

“The mental load” is the cognitive effort that’s required to juggle the often invisible labour of running a household. Something that Penny noticed was becoming too much for her to handle.

In this unique episode, Hugh and Penny talk about how they dealt with this, and in doing so give us the rare opportunity to hear a real married couple talk about their real issues. All while Ryan and Josh pretend to not be on Team Penny. If you or your partner is struggling with the very real issue of mental overload, this episode is probably for you.

To learn more about Fair Play, the book, the cards and Eve Rodsky's work, follow this link: https://bit.ly/45uLCFS

To watch Bluey episode The Pool, mentioned in this episode, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3MSORzF

To read more about how breast feeding equates to a full time work load, follow this link: https://bit.ly/45sLkPR

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you live in Sydney, you probably know Wippa. He’s on NOVA every morning with Fitzy and Kate Ritchie (or 6-7pm in the rest of the country), but he's also a veteran of Australian radio, having been on air for 20 years, making his start in Port Augusta before moving to Perth, then Melbourne and now Sydney.

Wippa and Ryan have been great friends for a long time. They even co-hosted the NOVA drive show for two years with Monty Dimond in 2009 and 2010. During this time, Wippa went through one of the darkest periods of his life and leant on Ryan for support. Wippa talks about that time in this episode - how he got through it and the positives he takes out of it all these years later.

But if it’s not Wippa’s extreme vulnerability that will stay with you after this episode, it’s the truly bizarre but incredible gift that he surprises Ryan with at the end. Wow.


To watch Wippa sing 'The Confrontation' from Les Miserables with Hugh Jackman, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3BVhcPH

This episode contains a conversation which mentions depression and suicidal thoughts. If this feels like it is too much for you to listen to right now, you may want to skip this one and come back another time.

If are worried about someone you know, need to talk to someone bereaved by suicide, or want to start a discussion about suicide prevention in your family or community, Conversations Matter is a practical online resource to support safe and effective discussions about suicide, to access, please follow this link: https://bit.ly/3Wx9tAO

The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all want to be successful. But what is ‘success’? And what if we’ve been thinking about it in the wrong way?

Enter Kemi Nekvapil… back for the second time on The Imperfects!

Kemi has worked in the wellness industry for 25 years and holistic leadership for 10 years. She is a mother, a wife, an endurance athlete, a gardener, an author with three books, and a certified Dare To Lead facilitator having trained personally with the one and only Brené Brown!

In this Academy of Imperfection, Kemi joins Hugh, Ryan and Josh to talk all about finding TRUE success - which… surprise, surprise… has nothing to do with your achievements or your salary.

To listen to Kemi's first Imperfects episode, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3BT7VaY

To listen to Kemi's new Audible Original podcast, Power Talks with Kemi Nekvapil, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3ovvun1

To learn more about what Kemi does, and to purchase her book, 'Power, A Woman's Guide to Living and Leading Without Apology', follow this link: https://bit.ly/45sFDBt

To listen to Will McMahon Imperfects episode, mentioned in this episode follow this link: https://bit.ly/3MyMa4U

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is Pt2 of our chat with award-winning chef and owner of Melbourne restaurant, Attica. Go back and listen to Pt 1 if you haven’t yet. It’s a doozy. As the second part, this is a double-doozy… or a... twoozy… I guess.

In this episode, Ben explains how he managed to build empathy amongst the staff at Attica through something he created called Staff Speeches. He also shares a harrowing bullying story from his childhood when his mother saved him from certain catastrophe, and finally Ben opens up for the first time publicly about his challenging journey with body image.

As one of the most respected and celebrated chefs in the world, we’re very grateful that we were able to sit down with Ben like this. He left a very positive impression on all 3 of us, for very different reasons. Thanks Ben.

To learn more about Attica and to book, follow this link: https://bit.ly/4386LUP

To listen to our episode on how to write a gratitude letter, follow this link: https://bit.ly/45GtpVT

To learn more about the mountain bike riding trip that Hugh, Ben and Hamish went on, visit Blue Darby Pods Ride Tasmania or follow this link: https://bit.ly/3IEs1tg

This episode contains a graphic description of bullying experienced by our guest at a young age. If this feels like it is too much for you to listen to right now, you may want to skip this one and come back another time.

If you or someone you know is experiencing body image issues or an eating disorder, The Butterfly Foundation is a fantastic resource and support. Please follow this link: butterfly.org.au

For family and carer support please contact Eating Disorders Families Australia, or follow this link: edfa.org.au

The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Originally from New Zealand, Ben Shewry is the head chef and owner of Melbourne-based restaurant Attica - the highly respected restaurant that has been included in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants numerous times.

Ben’s chat with Hugh, Ryan and Josh was so big and so special, it needed to be split across 2 big and special episodes.

In this first big and special part, they talk about what makes Attica such a unique place, how he approaches his work, and how he deals with the anxiety that arose from his divorce.
But, what is sprinkled across everything Ben does, is his unwavering commitment to excellence and his adoration of change.

To learn more about Attica and to book, follow this link: https://bit.ly/4386LUP

For book recommendation, Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain, follow this link: https://bit.ly/43hC7rC

To watch the trailer for 'The Menu' movie, that ben mentions in the episode, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3BPYEQC

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve spent about four and a half years on this podcast telling you why we’re all imperfect. But on this episode, Dr Emily actually explains why trying to be PERFECT is… well… really bad. And not only why it’s really bad, but why perfectionism’s mere existence is stealing all the good from our lives.

Take it away Dr Emily……… PSYCHOLOGIST!

To learn more about Lynn Lyon's work around anxiety and perfectionism, follow this link: https://www.lynnlyons.com/

To hear Josh's first VulnerabiliTea House, where he talks about "the notebook" and why he struggles to write music now, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3OsQVj2

The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you don’t know comedy sketch group Aunty Donna, then take a moment, open your local internet browser and watch their incredible stuff for a bit (some of it is linked below). Then come back and listen to this episode with Aunty Donna's, Broden Kelly.

In this Vulnerabilitea House, Broden talks about his own and Aunty Donna’s creative process, and how it’s evolved over the years while working together on stage and on the telly. But at the heart of this conversation, is Broden’s vulnerability in regards to his anger - how it affected his life and work, and what he did to get on top of it, before it got on top of him.

To watch Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe on iview, follow this link: https://bit.ly/450zgVE

To watch Aunty Donna's Real Estate Agents video, that is mentioned in the podcast, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3nTvEV4

To Listen to Broden's podcast, The Footy with Broden Kelly, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3pv8S6

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emma Murray is the high-performance mindset coach for the Richmond Football Club and Mum to four children.

As the founder of High-Performance Mindfulness - a company that uses mindfulness, psychology and meditation to help people perform at their best - Emma works with elite athletes, corporate executives, students and actors.

In this very practical and vulnerable episode, Emma explains how high-performance mindfulness has not only helped her clients, but also helped her when in 2016, her son Will (13 at the time) sustained a spinal cord injury that left him in a wheelchair for life.


To learn more about Emma Murray and High Performance Mindfulness, follow this link: https://www.highperformancemindfulness.com.au/

For book recommendation, The Mindful Athlete  by George Mumford, follow this link: https://bit.ly/417XF8R

For book recommendation, Sacred Hoops by Phil Jackson, follow this linkhttps://bit.ly/3pcXL1L

To listen to Emma's son Will on The Dyl and Friends podcast, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3NGoGgD

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.