Mental Work

Bronwyn Milkins

Mental Work is the podcast about working in mental health for psychologists, with an early-career focus. Hosted by Psychologist Dr Bronwyn Milkins.

  1. 6 days ago

    Beyond the DSM: Intro to the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (with Claire Trevitt)

    Bron is joined by Claire Trevitt (Psychologist) to explore the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (PDM), which is one diagnostic alternative to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (the DSM). Claire explains how the PDM uses the same diagnostic categories as the DSM but adds depth around personality and subjective experience, which can give mental health workers a different perspectives on their clients' experiences. They chat about:👉🏽 Personality styles versus personality disorders, and the PDM’s spectrum👉🏻 Using the PDM to guide treatment planning👉 How the PDM names expected countertransference responses, including for clients presenting with post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder👉🏿 Practical first steps for early-career clinicians who want to access and use the PDM Guest: Claire Trevitt, Psychologist and Board-Approved Supervisor LINKS Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual, Third Edition (PDM-3), edited by Vittorio Lingiardi and Nancy McWilliams Tip: check whether your AAPi or APS membership gives you library access to the PDM The Growing Therapist (Claire’s website) The Growing Therapist Podcast THE END BITS Mental Work is the podcast for psychologists about the realities of working in mental health, with an early-career focus. Hosted by psychologist/researcher Dr Bronwyn Milkins. Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕🍵 Have a question, episode idea or just want to say hi? DM Bron on Instagram, leave a comment on the Spotify episode, or email mentalworkpodcast@gmail.com Apply to be a guest / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website CREDITS Producer: Michael English Music: Home Commitment: Mental Work believes in an inclusive and diverse mental health workforce. We honour the strength, resilience, and invaluable contributions of mental health workers with lived experiences of mental illness, disability, neurodivergence, LGBTIQA+ identities, and diverse culture and language. We recognise our First Nations colleagues as Traditional Custodians of the land and pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. Mental Work is recorded on unceded Whadjuk Noongar boodja. Disclaimer: Mental Work provides informational content. Mental Work is not a psychological service and being a listener or guest does not establish a therapeutic relationship. Content should not be considered a replacement for professional consultation or therapy. All views expressed are personal, subject to change, and do not represent those of any affiliated employer, service, or organisation past or present. Efforts are made to ensure accuracy, but opinions may not always align with fact. Listeners are encouraged to thoughtfully assess the information presented and report any inaccuracies or concerns via email. Further information can be found here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Beyond the DSM: Intro to the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (with Claire Trevitt)
  2. 7 Oct

    Young kids and a psychology career? Tips from a psychologist and mum of five (with Fiona Mann)

    Bron is joined by Fiona Mann (Clinical Psychologist and Board-Approved Supervisor) to chat about balancing parenting young children with building a career in psychology. Fiona shares how she fell pregnant halfway through her clinical Masters, worked through her registrar program with twins on the way, and now works in a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), plus what she has learnt about flexibility, boundaries and redefining success. They chat about:👉🏽 Going through Masters, placements and registrar training with young children👉🏻 Overwhelm, sick kids and blurred boundaries between work and home👉 Answering a listener question about hours, childcare and not feeling alone👉🏿 Managing NICU work while parenting Thank you for generously sharing your experiences Fiona, it was a pleasure to have you on! 😊✨ Guest: Fiona Mann, Clinical Psychologist and Board-Approved Supervisor LINKS Email Fiona (she is open to supervision enquiries or an email exchange about this topic)! THE END BITS Mental Work is the podcast for psychologists about the realities of working in mental health, with an early-career focus. Hosted by psychologist/researcher Dr Bronwyn Milkins. Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕🍵 Have a question, episode idea or just want to say hi? DM Bron on Instagram, leave a comment on the Spotify episode, or email mentalworkpodcast@gmail.com Apply to be a guest / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website CREDITS Producer: Michael English Music: Home Commitment: Mental Work believes in an inclusive and diverse mental health workforce. We honour the strength, resilience, and invaluable contributions of mental health workers with lived experiences of mental illness, disability, neurodivergence, LGBTIQA+ identities, and diverse culture and language. We recognise our First Nations colleagues as Traditional Custodians of the land and pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. Mental Work is recorded on unceded Whadjuk Noongar boodja. Disclaimer: Mental Work provides informational content. Mental Work is not a psychological service and being a listener or guest does not establish a therapeutic relationship. Content should not be considered a replacement for professional consultation or therapy. All views expressed are personal, subject to change, and do not represent those of any affiliated employer, service, or organisation past or present. Efforts are made to ensure accuracy, but opinions may not always align with fact. Listeners are encouraged to thoughtfully assess the information presented and report any inaccuracies or concerns via email. Further information can be found here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Young kids and a psychology career? Tips from a psychologist and mum of five (with Fiona Mann)
  3. 30 Sept

    Neurodiversity-affirming therapy for ADHD: Practical tips for psychologists (with Jordan Turner)

    Bron is joined by Jordan Turner (Educational and Developmental Psychologist) to unpack how to work well with clients who have ADHD. Both are ADHDers themselves and passionate about delivering neurodiversity-affirming, helpful therapy for ADHD clients. They chat about:👉🏽 What ADHD is, why the DSM criteria only tell part of the story, and where executive functioning fits👉🏻 Assessment pathways, and how to tell ADHD apart from anxiety and depression👉 The core principles of neurodiversity-affirming practice👉🏿 Practical in-session tips, plus CBT, ACT and DBT approaches that may resonate and be helpful for ADHDers Guest: Jordan Turner - Educational and Developmental Psychologist LINKS Mental Work episode: What's it like being a neurodivergent therapist? (with Jordan Turner) Smart but Scattered book series, by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare The Neurodivergent Friendly Workbook of DBT Skills, by Sonny Jane Wise THE END BITS Mental Work is the podcast for psychologists about the realities of working in mental health, with an early-career focus. Hosted by psychologist/researcher Dr Bronwyn Milkins. Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕🍵 Have a question, episode idea or just want to say hi? DM Bron on Instagram, leave a comment on the Spotify episode, or email mentalworkpodcast@gmail.com Apply to be a guest / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website CREDITS Producer: Michael English Music: Home Commitment: Mental Work believes in an inclusive and diverse mental health workforce. We honour the strength, resilience, and invaluable contributions of mental health workers with lived experiences of mental illness, disability, neurodivergence, LGBTIQA+ identities, and diverse culture and language. We recognise our First Nations colleagues as Traditional Custodians of the land and pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. Mental Work is recorded on unceded Whadjuk Noongar boodja. Disclaimer: Mental Work provides informational content. Mental Work is not a psychological service and being a listener or guest does not establish a therapeutic relationship. Content should not be considered a replacement for professional consultation or therapy. All views expressed are personal, subject to change, and do not represent those of any affiliated employer, service, or organisation past or present. Efforts are made to ensure accuracy, but opinions may not always align with fact. Listeners are encouraged to thoughtfully assess the information presented and report any inaccuracies or concerns via email. Further information can be found here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Neurodiversity-affirming therapy for ADHD: Practical tips for psychologists (with Jordan Turner)
  4. 23 Sept

    Psychologist myths and facts: Do we have favourite clients? Is the therapeutic relationship enough? (with Matthew Jackson)

    Bron is joined by Matthew Jackson (Psychologist) to unpack psychologist myths and facts, quickfire style. Bron presents the myths (which Matthew has not heard before!) and Matthew weighs in, from whether therapists secretly judge clients to whether you can only take clients as far as you've gone yourself. They chat about:👉🏽 Judging clients and having favourite clients👉🏻 Does charging a fee for therapy mean you don't care?👉 Feeling lost in sessions and whether the therapeutic relationship is enough👉🏿 Do you need to be smarter than your clients to do good therapy? Guest: Matthew Jackson, Psychologist and Board-Approved Supervisor LINKS Matt's Insta for Matilda Mercury THE END BITS Mental Work is the podcast for psychologists about the realities of working in mental health, with an early-career focus. Hosted by psychologist/researcher Dr Bronwyn Milkins. Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕🍵 Have a question, episode idea or just want to say hi? DM Bron on Instagram, leave a comment on the Spotify episode, or email mentalworkpodcast@gmail.com Apply to be a guest / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website CREDITS Producer: Michael English Music: Home Commitment: Mental Work believes in an inclusive and diverse mental health workforce. We honour the strength, resilience, and invaluable contributions of mental health workers with lived experiences of mental illness, disability, neurodivergence, LGBTIQA+ identities, and diverse culture and language. We recognise our First Nations colleagues as Traditional Custodians of the land and pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. Mental Work is recorded on unceded Whadjuk Noongar boodja. Disclaimer: Mental Work provides informational content. Mental Work is not a psychological service and being a listener or guest does not establish a therapeutic relationship. Content should not be considered a replacement for professional consultation or therapy. All views expressed are personal, subject to change, and do not represent those of any affiliated employer, service, or organisation past or present. Efforts are made to ensure accuracy, but opinions may not always align with fact. Listeners are encouraged to thoughtfully assess the information presented and report any inaccuracies or concerns via email. Further information can be found here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Psychologist myths and facts: Do we have favourite clients? Is the therapeutic relationship enough? (with Matthew Jackson)
  5. 16 Sept

    Working well with couples who stonewall, withdraw, and shut down (with Marie Vakakis)

    Bron is joined by Marie Vakakis (Mental Health Social Worker and couples therapist) to chat about working with couples who stonewall, withdraw, and shut down. Marie unpacks the Gottman Method's "Four Horsemen" and shares exactly what to say and do when a couple's session starts to unravel. I found the episode really helpful for individual work, too! They chat about:👉🏽 The Four Horsemen: Criticism, Defensiveness, Contempt and Stonewalling👉🏻 The specific antidotes to each pattern, including the "I feel, when, I need" formula👉 How to recognise nervous system overwhelm and pause a session safely👉🏿 Common mistakes early-career clinicians make starting out in couples work Guest: Marie Vakakis, Accredited mental health social worker and couples therapist LINKS Marie's practice - The Therapy Hub Marie's podcast - Inside Social Work podcast Marie's other podcast - This Complex Life podcast Marie's website Marie on LinkedIn The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman Fight Right by John and Julie Gottman Marie's previous Mental Work episode on couples work THE END BITS Mental Work is the podcast for psychologists about the realities of working in mental health, with an early-career focus. Hosted by psychologist/researcher Dr Bronwyn Milkins. Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕🍵 Have a question, episode idea or just want to say hi? DM Bron on Instagram, leave a comment on the Spotify episode, or email mentalworkpodcast@gmail.com Apply to be a guest / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website CREDITS Producer: Michael English Music: Home Commitment: Mental Work believes in an inclusive and diverse mental health workforce. We honour the strength, resilience, and invaluable contributions of mental health workers with lived experiences of mental illness, disability, neurodivergence, LGBTIQA+ identities, and diverse culture and language. We recognise our First Nations colleagues as Traditional Custodians of the land and pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. Mental Work is recorded on unceded Whadjuk Noongar boodja. Disclaimer: Mental Work provides informational content. Mental Work is not a psychological service and being a listener or guest does not establish a therapeutic relationship. Content should not be considered a replacement for professional consultation or therapy. All views expressed are personal, subject to change, and do not represent those of any affiliated employer, service, or organisation past or present. Efforts are made to ensure accuracy, but opinions may not always align with fact. Listeners are encouraged to thoughtfully assess the information presented and report any inaccuracies or concerns via email. Further information can be found here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Working well with couples who stonewall, withdraw, and shut down (with Marie Vakakis)
  6. 9 Sept

    Understanding and identifying coercive control (with Krasi Kirova)

    Bron is joined by Krasi Kirova (Clinical Psychologist) to chat about identifying coercive control in the therapy room. Krasi shares her own '3Ds' framework, built from years of clinical work, to help clinicians name abuse that doesn't always look obvious. They chat about:👉🏽 Krasi's '3Ds' framework: Disrespect, Disempowerment and Distortion👉🏻 Why coercive control is so often missed by psychologists👉 The concept of "perspecticide" and how abusers distort reality👉🏿 Practical questions to ask clients who might be experiencing it Guest: Krasi Kirova, Clinical psychologist LINKS Learn more with Krasi! She has an online course for psychologists & mental health practitioners on recognising coercive control, available here. Krasi's website DV Alert training - Free training on domestic abuse in Australia Safe and Equal (formerly Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria) Safe and Together Institute See What You Made Me Do by Jess Hill - Highly recommended book! Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancroft Laura Richards - Resources including the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour Based Violence (DASH 2009-2025) Risk Identification, Assessment and Management Model Emma Katz's Substack on decoding coercive control Ramani Durvasula THE END BITS Mental Work is the podcast for psychologists about the realities of working in mental health, with an early-career focus. Hosted by psychologist/researcher Dr Bronwyn Milkins. Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕🍵 Have a question, episode idea or just want to say hi? DM Bron on Instagram, leave a comment on the Spotify episode, or email mentalworkpodcast@gmail.com Apply to be a guest / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website CREDITS Producer: Michael English Music: Home Commitment: Mental Work believes in an inclusive and diverse mental health workforce. We honour the strength, resilience, and invaluable contributions of mental health workers with lived experiences of mental illness, disability, neurodivergence, LGBTIQA+ identities, and diverse culture and language. We recognise our First Nations colleagues as Traditional Custodians of the land and pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. Mental Work is recorded on unceded Whadjuk Noongar boodja. Disclaimer: Mental Work provides informational content. Mental Work is not a psychological service and being a listener or guest does not establish a therapeutic relationship. Content should not be considered a replacement for professional consultation or therapy. All views expressed are personal, subject to change, and do not represent those of any affiliated employer, service, or organisation past or present. Efforts are made to ensure accuracy, but opinions may not always align with fact. Listeners are encouraged to thoughtfully assess the information presented and report any inaccuracies or concerns via email. Further information can be found here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Understanding and identifying coercive control (with Krasi Kirova)
  7. 2 Sept

    Decolonising your practice: Small steps toward anti-oppressive therapy (with Mish Kumar-Jonson)

    Bron is joined by Mish Kumar-Jonson (Mental Health Social Worker and Chair of the Iceberg Foundation) about bringing anti-oppressive and anti-colonial practice into therapy. Mish shares how their own experience of migration and community shaped a lifelong commitment to supporting LGBTIQASBP+, neurodivergent, and BIPOC communities, and supporting mental health practitioners to unlearn colonial norms in their work. They chat about:👉🏽 How pathologising language and power imbalances show up in everyday therapy👉🏻 Why "neutral" therapy is never actually neutral👉 Practical ways to name structural causes of distress with clients👉🏿 How to sustain joy and community support while doing this work long term Guest: Mish Kumar-Jonson, Mental Health Social Worker and EMDR Consultant LINKS Iceberg Foundation Mish's practice: Niram EMDR and Trauma Counselling Mish on LinkedIn Mish on Instagram THE END BITS Mental Work is the podcast for psychologists about the realities of working in mental health, with an early-career focus. Hosted by psychologist/researcher Dr Bronwyn Milkins. Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕🍵 Have a question, episode idea or just want to say hi? DM Bron on Instagram, leave a comment on the Spotify episode, or email mentalworkpodcast@gmail.com Apply to be a guest / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website CREDITS Producer: Michael English Music: Home Commitment: Mental Work believes in an inclusive and diverse mental health workforce. We honour the strength, resilience, and invaluable contributions of mental health workers with lived experiences of mental illness, disability, neurodivergence, LGBTIQA+ identities, and diverse culture and language. We recognise our First Nations colleagues as Traditional Custodians of the land and pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. Mental Work is recorded on unceded Whadjuk Noongar boodja. Disclaimer: Mental Work provides informational content. Mental Work is not a psychological service and being a listener or guest does not establish a therapeutic relationship. Content should not be considered a replacement for professional consultation or therapy. All views expressed are personal, subject to change, and do not represent those of any affiliated employer, service, or organisation past or present. Efforts are made to ensure accuracy, but opinions may not always align with fact. Listeners are encouraged to thoughtfully assess the information presented and report any inaccuracies or concerns via email. Further information can be found here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Decolonising your practice: Small steps toward anti-oppressive therapy (with Mish Kumar-Jonson)
  8. 26 Aug

    What does a school psychologist do? (with Renae Martelli)

    Bron is joined by Renae Martelli (psychologist, Board-approved supervisor, and former school psychologist) to unpack what school psychology really involves. Renae shares how the role differs from private practice, why the work is more varied than most people expect, and how to figure out if being a school psychologist is for you.  They chat about:👉 What a typical school psychologist's day actually looks like👉 How to get into school psychology and what qualifications you need👉 Navigating multiple relationships and confidentiality within schools👉 The personality traits that suit (or don't suit) school psychology Guest: Renae Martelli, Psychologist at Think Feel Grow and Board-Approved Supervisor LINKS Renae's private practice, Think Feel Grow Renae's Instagram Renae's LinkedIn THE END BITS Mental Work is the podcast for psychologists about the realities of working in mental health, with an early-career focus. Hosted by psychologist/researcher Dr Bronwyn Milkins. Support the show by buying me a virtual coffee ☕🍵 Have a question, episode idea or just want to say hi? DM Bron on Instagram, leave a comment on the Spotify episode, or email mentalworkpodcast@gmail.com Apply to be a guest / YouTube (with captions & transcript) / Website CREDITS Producer: Michael English Music: Home Commitment: Mental Work believes in an inclusive and diverse mental health workforce. We honour the strength, resilience, and invaluable contributions of mental health workers with lived experiences of mental illness, disability, neurodivergence, LGBTIQA+ identities, and diverse culture and language. We recognise our First Nations colleagues as Traditional Custodians of the land and pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. Mental Work is recorded on unceded Whadjuk Noongar boodja. Disclaimer: Mental Work provides informational content. Mental Work is not a psychological service and being a listener or guest does not establish a therapeutic relationship. Content should not be considered a replacement for professional consultation or therapy. All views expressed are personal, subject to change, and do not represent those of any affiliated employer, service, or organisation past or present. Efforts are made to ensure accuracy, but opinions may not always align with fact. Listeners are encouraged to thoughtfully assess the information presented and report any inaccuracies or concerns via email. Further information can be found here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    What does a school psychologist do? (with Renae Martelli)
4.9
out of 5
53 Ratings

About

Mental Work is the podcast about working in mental health for psychologists, with an early-career focus. Hosted by Psychologist Dr Bronwyn Milkins.

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