Thriving Minds Podcast Deep Dive: Building a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Team Hosted by Professor Selena Bartlett
Expert: Feather Berkower, Author of Off Limits: A Parent’s Guide to Keeping Kids Safe from Sexual Abuse

The top 5 things to keep children safe in the digital age.

Feather challenges the outdated belief that children should be responsible for protecting themselves. Instead, she empowers adults to take charge by building what she calls a “Prevention Team.” This team includes everyone in your child’s world—teachers, coaches, grandparents, babysitters—and sets clear boundaries and safety rules that deter potential offenders before they ever gain access.

It is the small, brave conversations that can make a lifelong difference. From teaching kids the difference between secrets and surprises, to addressing online grooming and exposure to pornography, Feather shows how open, honest, and continuous dialogue is the most powerful protection tool we have.

Top 5 Takeaways for Parents

1. Adults are responsible, not children, for preventing abuse.
2. Talk, talk, talk—and don’t stop talking about body safety.
3. Build your Prevention Team by having explicit boundary conversations with anyone who cares for your child.
4. Discomfort is protective—feeling awkward now prevents trauma later.
5. Use practical tools like Off Limits and Feather’s Conversation Starter Cards to begin these vital discussions today.

This episode will leave you informed, empowered, and ready to create a safer world for children—one conversation at a time.

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Learn more at www.profselenabartlett.com

Neuroscience now shows us that human connection changes the brain.

Walking high above the forest floor on the Valley of the Giants Treetop Walk in Western Australia, I felt what real strength looks like.

The giant tingle trees reach for the light, but their power doesn’t come from standing alone. Under the soil, their roots and fungi form a living web, sharing water, nutrients, and information. Each tree depends on the health of the whole forest.

That is what thriving organisations do too.

Leadership as Connection

After that walk, I gave a presentation at the Optus Stadium to early childhood educators, as part of the Child Australia conference. They reminded me that leadership isn’t about control. It’s about creating the right conditions for others to grow.

They help children learn through safety, play, and connection. They build trust first, then learning follows.

It’s the same in every organisation. When people feel safe, supported, and seen, they do their best work.

Leadership is no different. It’s not about control, it’s about connection. When people feel seen and supported, they bring their best ideas forward. When leaders make space for visibility, empathy, and trust, the whole system begins to flow.

A healthy organisation works like an ecosystem: it doesn’t rely on one strong trunk, but on many connected roots.

Leaders who create these conditions don’t need to push growth, it happens naturally. Like the forest, their teams become alive with creativity and flow.

When people feel seen, their stress circuits quiet down, and the brain’s higher networks — for creativity, empathy, and problem-solving turn on. That’s how safety becomes innovation.

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Creating Conditions for Flow

Walking among those ancient trees reminded me that growth doesn’t come from control. You can’t force a tree to grow, and you can only create the right light, water, and soil.

Leadership works the same way. Our role is to build the conditions where people feel trusted and visible. When they do, they begin to synchronise, share ideas, and thrive together.

This happens in great conversations, in creative teams, and in organisations where leaders listen more than they direct. The result? Collective intelligence. Decisions become faster, ideas flow freely, and people feel energised rather than exhausted. Most importantly people feel free to say where there are problems and why the idea might fail.

Boundaries protect us. But being seen transforms us.

Read Visible: Rewiring Your Brain for Love, Resilience, and the Courage to Be Seen

https://www.amazon.com.au/VISIBLE-Rewiring-Brain-Resilience-Courage/dp/0999099744

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Today on Thriving Minds, I’m sharing a special replay of my conversation with Dr. Renee White on her Science of Motherhood podcast, where we explored what I wish I knew then—now that I know this—about screens, resilience, and protecting our kids’ mental health in the digital age.

Screens are part of everyday life, but learning how to manage them while protecting our children’s mental health can feel like an uphill battle. In this candid conversation, Professor Selena Bartlett shares the lessons she wishes she knew earlier as a parent—now backed by decades of neuroscience research into stress, resilience, and brain plasticity.

You’ll hear practical, science-informed strategies to help you:

• Set and hold screen time boundaries (without constant battles)
• Support your child’s resilience through the power of neuroplasticity
• Understand how technology impacts kids’ mental health
• Reduce family stress and strengthen connection
• Make everyday changes that protect wellbeing

This isn’t about removing technology altogether—it’s about using it mindfully, while safeguarding what matters most: your child’s mental health and your family’s connection.

Resources & Links

• Follow Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_
  
  
• Learn more about The Science of Motherhood and Fill Your Cup services

🌿 Connect with Professor Selena Bartlett:

• Website: profselenabartlett.com
  
  
• Instagram: @prof_selena_bartlett
  
  
• Explore more at womenrise.com.au
  
  

If this replay sparks an “I wish I knew that earlier” moment for you, share it with another parent navigating the same challenges—and subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes of Thriving Minds.

Support the show

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Learn more at www.profselenabartlett.com

“The brain wave is not just a scientific object—it’s a cultural one.” – Dr. Caitlin Shure

What is a brain wave? How “brain waves” became a metaphor for mind control, telepathy, and spiritual resonance. That’s the question we explore in one of the most surprising and thought-provoking episodes of the Thriving Minds podcast to date—with science journalist and technologist Dr. Caitlin Shure, whose PhD work traced the strange cultural journey of the brainwave from telepathy and spiritualism to modern neurotech and wellness wearables. Link to Episode #202: Brainwaves, Culture, and the Future of Healing.

It turns out this simple question—"What is a brain wave?"—unlocks a much deeper one:

A deceptively simple question—yet one that opens a portal into 150+ years of science, culture, and imagination.

The Rise (and Risk) of Neuroscience/Brain-Based Everything
Today, brainwaves are everywhere—from EEG sleep trackers and meditation headbands to marketing slogans and Instagram therapists. And yet:

• Most people don’t know what a brain wave is
• Many companies use “neuroscience” language without scientific rigour
• Consumers are caught between hope, hype, and helplessness

Caitlin and I discussed how this confusion reflects a crisis in our time: 

👉 A loss of trust in science

👉 The exploitation of wellness culture

👉 The seductive myth that the mind can be “optimized” or “uploaded”

 👉 And a growing yearning for something beyond both clinical reductionism and magical thinking

💡 Why This Matters Now
As someone who has studied the brain for three decades, I’ve seen how easily science can become siloed—or exploited. I've also seen how desperately people are searching for hope, healing, and clarity in an overwhelming world.

We’re overstimulated, overtired, and often overpromised.

But there's a way forward. And it’s not at either extreme.

🔄 The Middle Way is emerging as a necessary path. One that honours science and soul. Logic and lived experience. Data and deep feeling. This is how we build real health systems—ones that don’t just treat symptoms, but restore agency, belonging, and meaning.

🔗 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

Have you ever used neurotech? Do you think science is losing (or gaining) trust in your community? What does a “Middle Way” look like in your work?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation in the comments or on LinkedIn

#Neuroscience #ThrivingMinds #ScienceCommunication #MiddleWay #EEG #BrainWaves #Healing #BrainHealth #WellnessCulture #Neuroplasticity #ScienceMeetsSoul #CaitlinShure #SelenaBartlett #TeamFlow #Syntony #Neurotech #HealthLiteracy

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For most of my career in neuroscience, I believed the brain alone governed who we are—shaped by genetics, evolution, and early life experiences. I trusted in the power of brain imaging and genomics to reveal the answers. But after decades spent mapping neural circuits, a deeper truth emerged:

We are not isolated minds in skulls. We are wired to connect.

In this episode, I explore the revolutionary science of interbrain synchrony—how our brains light up in rhythm with others when we’re emotionally attuned, collaborating, or solving problems together. Thanks to researchers like Dr. Joy Hirsch, we now understand our ability to thrive may not reside solely in the brain, but between us.

As AI disrupts our workplaces and rewires our attention, we’re increasingly disconnected—from ourselves, each other, and our natural states of flow. But what if we could reclaim connection? What if the edge we need in this uncertain age isn’t more speed or knowledge, but more synchrony?

Drawing parallels from nature—like how fish shoal and school to protect, move, and thrive together—I share a new vision for leadership and learning: designing environments where team flow becomes the norm, not the exception.

This episode is an invitation to rethink intelligence, leadership, and the future of work—through the lens of relational neuroscience.

🔍 Topics covered:

• The neuroscience of interbrain synchrony
• Team flow vs. solo productivity
• How evolution and environment shape intelligence
• Why social intelligence is now our greatest asset
• Practical strategies for designing synchrony in your team
• The mindset shift we need in the AI era

🎧 Tune in to learn how to turn overwhelm into alignment—and why fish don’t swim alone, and neither should we.

#TeamFlow #Neuroscience #InterbrainSynchrony #Leadership #AIandHumanity #Synchrony #MindsetShift #FutureOfWork #PodcastEpisode #SocialBrain

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🎧 Thriving Minds with Professor Selena Bartlett welcomes Dr. Bruce Greyson, a pioneering psychiatrist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia, for a profoundly moving and scientifically grounded conversation on near-death experiences (NDEs) and the nature of consciousness. In this episode, Dr. Greyson reflects on his 40 years of research, the development of the Greyson NDE Scale, and his acclaimed book After, which explores what NDEs reveal about the mind, death, and what might lie beyond.

Together, they delve into the profound stories from Dr. Greyson’s clinical career, including verifiable accounts of consciousness during clinical death, and how these findings challenge the long-held assumption that the brain is the sole source of awareness. Dr. Greyson also shares how studying NDEs transformed his own scientific beliefs, why materialism may not offer all the answers, and how this research can reshape mental health, medical training, and how we approach grief, dying, and healing.

This is a conversation at the frontier of science and mystery, offering hope, humility, and a glimpse at the next revolution in understanding the human mind.

📘 After by Dr. Bruce Greyson is available now.

https://www.amazon.com.au/After-Doctor-Explores-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/1250263034
 🎙️ Learn more at [Thriving Minds Podcast].

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Can you be both a scientist and a mystic? In this extraordinary episode, Professor Selena Bartlett speaks with Dr. Anona Blackwell — a Lancet-published academic, former consultant physician, and author of From Medic to Mystic — about the turning point where evidence-based medicine no longer had all the answers.

Raised in rural poverty in Wales and rising to the heights of British medical academia, Dr. Blackwell quietly navigated a parallel world of intuitive experiences, energy healing, and psychic insight. For decades, she kept this side hidden. Now, at 75, she’s sharing it all — and helping rewire our understanding of medicine and healing.

In this conversation, we explore:

·       The moments science couldn’t explain — and why she couldn’t ignore them

·       How trauma, intuition, and healing intersect in clinical settings

·       The courage it takes to speak about the unseen in a sceptical world

·       Why the future of medicine must integrate both body and energy, logic and intuition

Dr. Blackwell’s story challenges the idea that you must choose between science and spirit. Instead, she shows us that healing lives at the intersection of both.

Her memoir, From Medic to Mystic, is available now.

https://www.amazon.com/Medic-Mystic-Academic-Physicians-Paranormal/dp/1068511001

Listen and discover what it really means to rewire medicine.

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In the rush to do more, fix more, and be more, we often forget the simplest truth:

When I sat down recently with Amanda Cooke—poet, writer, and creator of Reunion Songs—what unfolded wasn’t just an interview. It was a reconnection. A weaving back into something ancient and alive. Something that felt less like conversation and more like song.

A song that belongs to all of us.

Amanda Cook is a writer, poet and songwriter who grew up wild on Yuggera Turrbal country (Brisbane) and spent much of her adult life in cities far from home. After 25 years away, including six years in the middle of nowhere, she found herself back near where she began—realising that living wildly is not about escaping, but about remembering and reclaiming the life she longs for.

Her writing is rooted in everyday freedom, sacredness, mysticism and practical animism. Through poetry and personal essays, Amanda explores what it means to belong—to ourselves, to each other and to the greater web of life. When she is not writing, Amanda is close to home with her family, immersed in books, art, nature, music, poetry or dancing—anything that reconnects her inner and outer wildness.

The Beauty of Remembering

Amanda describes her book not in chapters, but in song cycles. Because the poems didn’t arrive in a straight line, they emerged like ripples. Whispers. Threads in the greater tapestry of the natural world—the web of life—calling her back to herself.

“The name Reunion Songs came from the joy of remembering. Remembering that I belong—not just to myself, but to the Earth, to others, to everything I thought I had lost.”

This isn’t just poetic language. It’s a biological truth. We now know through neuroscience that connection rewires the brain. That being seen, supported, and attuned to can restore nervous system balance. Being in nature, or even just thinking about it promotes a sense of calm.

Amanda’s poem Restoration Song captures this beautifully:

Take off your shoes now, you here in this body— the body of the Earth rising up to meet you, saying yes. This is where you belong. It’s never too late to remember what you’ve been waiting for.

What if healing is not something to achieve, but something to allow? What if it’s already here—beneath your feet, within your breath, in the rhythm of your heartbeat?

For Educators, Carers & Everyone Holding It Together

If you’re someone working on the frontlines—whether in a classroom, clinic, kitchen, or courtroom—this message is for you. You don’t need to push harder. You need a moment of grace. Amanda’s work in youth justice and my own work in neuroscience agree: people are not machines. We are relational, rhythmic beings. And we heal through connection, not perfection. Let Amanda’s words hold you, even if just for a moment:

“You’re doing a great job. What you do matters. Let yourself be held too.”

If you’re longing for a softer, wiser way to walk through this life, here’s where to begin:

• Listen to Amanda’s episode 
• Read her poetry collection Reunion Songs (Amazon or ask your local shop)
• You can buy the book www.amandacooke.com 
•  Subscribe to her Substack: Alchemy in Between
• Substack link:https://amandacooke.substack.com/amandacooke.substack.com 

Step outside. Take off your shoes. Let the Earth say yes to you again.

Support the show

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Learn more at www.profselenabartlett.com

When we visit the doctor, we routinely measure blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, weight, and heart rate.  For years, we’ve known that early life experiences—especially stress and adversity—leave long-lasting marks on the nervous system. But we rarely stop to ask: How can we see those marks?

That’s where the eye comes in.

 Why the Eye Reveals the Brain

The corneal nerve plexus is a dense network of sensory nerves at the front of the eye.
 It’s part of the peripheral nervous system, which connects directly to the brain.

Emerging research shows that these corneal nerves reflect the state of the broader nervous system, including:

• Stress load
• Inflammatory markers
• Neurodegenerative changes

In other words:
 When we look at the eye, we’re not just seeing vision structures—we’re seeing a living map of how the brain and body have been shaped over time.

I had the fortunate opportunity to do study leave at UC Berkeley in the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, a research project with Drs Katie Edwards and Luisa Holguin Colorado  and Kerri Gillepie at QUT and Dr Suzanne Fleiszig  and Dr David Evans at UC Berkeley.

Why Isn’t Nervous System Analysis Routine?

Here’s the bigger question.

When we visit the doctor, we routinely measure blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, weight, and heart rate.
 But the nervous system—the control center of our entire body—is rarely assessed in standard care.

Why?

We know that chronic stress increases risk for mental illness, metabolic disease, cardiovascular conditions, and cognitive decline. We know that early life stress reshapes neural pathways and immune responses.
 Yet we lack accessible, affordable, and scalable tools to routinely check the health of the nervous system.

That’s what makes the eye so exciting. It offers a non-invasive, real-time window into nervous system health—and a chance to shift medicine toward prevention and early detection, rather than just reacting to crisis.

In this episode we discuss:

• How the eye reveals hidden stress
• What we’re learning about the links between early life adversity and neural health
• Why public engagement is critical as we develop these new tools

This is a conversation not just for scientists, but for everyone who cares about mental health, brain health, and the future of healthcare. I’d love to hear what excites or concerns you about this emerging field. When we truly see how early life shapes the brain, we can no longer treat people as just symptoms or diagnoses.

It opens a new kind of care:
 Asking what happened to you? not just what’s wrong?
Making nervous system health part of routine care
Prioritising prevention, resilience, and healing

By measuring the hidden imprints of experience, we can design treatments that help rewire the brain, not just manage symptoms.

This isn’t just science. It’s a transformation in how we care for people.

Let’s build that future, together.

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SEEN is a groundbreaking feature-length documentary—and now a powerful podcast companion—that explores the untold story of how healing our own childhood wounds can transform the way we parent. At the heart of this series lies a bold and hopeful message: when parents confront and rewire their own coping mechanisms, it doesn't just change their lives—it reshapes their children's developing brains.

Through raw, unfiltered conversations with real parents, experts, and neuroscientists, SEEN uncovers the science behind trauma, attachment, and emotional regulation. This isn’t just another parenting podcast. It’s a deeply personal, scientifically grounded journey into how healing ourselves can create ripple effects for generations to come.

Whether you're a parent, caregiver, educator, or simply curious about how our pasts shape our futures, SEEN offers a roadmap to emotional liberation, stronger family connections, and a new vision of what’s possible.

Join us as we illuminate the path forward—one story, one breakthrough, one brain at a time.

Hailey Bartholomew is an award-winning director, writer, and cinematographer known for her emotionally resonant storytelling and distinctive visual style. With a passion for capturing the extraordinary in the everyday, her work blends vulnerability, beauty, and authenticity in a way that leaves a lasting impact.

As Director of Seen the Film (2025), a groundbreaking documentary exploring the neuroscience of parenting and personal healing, as well as Ageless (2023), and My Happy Heart (2019). As the founder of creative studio You Can’t Be Serious, Hailey is committed to making work with heart—projects that move people, spark conversations, and create change.

Hailey’s films reflect her deep belief in the power of real stories, told with honesty and care. Whether behind the camera or leading a creative team, her work continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.

Connect with Hailey here:

https://youcantbeserious.com.au/about/

#SEENtheFilm

#DocumentaryWithHeart

#StorytellingThatMatters

#BehindTheScenes

#IndependentFilm

#FilmWithPurpose

#WomenInFilm

#DirectorSpotlight

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