Science of the Soul amirahshah

Roisin Taylor is a personal violence counsellor who supports university students facing family violence, domestic violence and sexual abuse. Roisin is also engaged in a lot of prevention work in order to help students mitigate the risks involved when working in the sex industry as well as in domestic violence. 
In this podcast, Roisin drew attention to the importance of understanding and learning about relationships, drawing boundaries, spotting red flags, understanding personality types, reflecting on early life attachment styles and how they play out in adult relationships, and the impacts of trauma. 
 
With regards to people working in the sex industry, Roisin discussed:
- risk factors for violence and sexual abuse
- what establishing boundaries might look like
- expectations
- assertive communication 
- trauma history
- non-consensual sharing of images such as revenge porn and,
- how to manage and prevent such incidents.
 
We discussed the societal stigma, as well as the shift in societal acceptance.
We also explored:
- the psychological and mental demands of working in the industry. 
- coping mechanisms and various types of dissociation
- the different mindsets people have when entering the industry
 
Finally, we discussed domestic violence by emphasising the role of power and control, the types of abuse, the cycle of violence, various forms of abuse including multiple pregnancies and religious abuse and such. 
 
Roisin also sheds some light upon ways to support loved ones who are experiencing violence. 
 
If you or someone you care about are experiencing violence, or might be at risk, visit the links below to empower yourselves towards comprehensive care, education, safety plans, reporting and 24/7 crisis hotlines.
 
E-safety:
https://www.esafety.gov.au/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAgK2qBhCHARIsAGACuzk2sDxlKEy8OPDiyeKaUSU2IHbjCFU0DrrtPvslTDvTIGw1ngEuLQ8aAm4oEALw_wcB
 
1800RESPECT:
https://www.1800respect.org.au/
1800 737 732
 
DVConnect:
https://www.dvconnect.org/
1800 811 811
 
Men's Referral Service (Yes, men face domestic violence too. Less physical violence, more emotional and psychological violence):
https://ntv.org.au/get-help/
 

Natajsa Wagner is a trauma psychotherapist and trainer. In this episode, Natajsa talks about the different types of trauma, and shares with us how she works with trauma. Natajsa talks about ensuring that clients have a base in safety and stabilisation, before progressing into processing memories and meaning making.
We discuss various trauma-related topics such as:
- Posttraumatic growth (PTG)
- The non-linear trajectory of trauma recovery
- The differences between PTSD and CPTSD
- When corporal punishment (physical punishment such as caning, often inflicted by parents and teachers) is traumatic and when it is not
- The cultural aspect of interpreting the corporal punishment
- Attachment patterns
- The Blue Knot Foundation (National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma)
- Ego Dissolution & Identity Shifts from PTG
- Structural Dissociation and Parts Work
- Multiple Personality Disorders (DID: Dissociative Identity Disorder)
 
Check out The Blue Knot Foundation: https://blueknot.org.au/ or call them at  1300 657 380
 

Natajsa can be reached through her website and social media:


https://www.natajsawagner.com/
https://www.facebook.com/NatajsaWagnerPsychotherapy/
 
For informative and humorous content, follow her on Instagram:


https://www.instagram.com/natajsa_wagner/


 

 
 

Isiah McKimmie is a renowned couple's counsellor and sexologist in Australia. Apart from her work, Isiah also lectures, works with a crisis hotline, and writes for news.com.au's Relationship Rehab column. Isiah has multiple degrees and postgrad qualifications in the field of intimacy, and had shared some profound insights on the various challenges we face, as psychosexual beings. 
 
Our conversation touches on: 
- common concerns she encounters with clients
- mismatched desires in couples, and the emotions felt as a result
- Isiah's general 3 Tiered Approach: Connection, Communication, and Sexual Intimacy
- reluctance, anxiety, shame & taboo
- sex education & sexual exercises
- Isiah's journey into education & career in human intimacy
- sexual expectations in mature couples
- changes in sexuality over the course of our lives
- other forms of intimacy and deep relational needs
- recovering from infidelity
- relationship challenges in couple's going through IVF
 
Isiah can be reached through her website and social media: 
https://isiah-mckimmie.com
https://www.instagram.com/isiahmckimmie.sexologist/?hl=en 
 
Isiah also has a blog and podcast. Her resources are well worth checking out: 
https://isiah-mckimmie.com/blog-podcast/ 

Sharon Stern is a clinical psychologist who specialises in trauma work. Sharon talks to us about multiplicity, i.e. the different parts of ourselves. She explains how we often reduce our different selves to one self. She references literature and figure of speech to explain this idea further. 
We talk about how this translates into the therapy space. We touched on:
- Philosophically in Greek mythology
- Freud's life
- Balancing between the parts of our ourselves
- Ownership of our parts
- How our parts ensure our survival 
- Compartmentalizing & Dissociation
- The Vagus Nerve
- Experiences in Early Childhood and how that can shape our parts
 
We finally arrive to Love & Compassion as an antidote, and how therapy helps us learn to tool to integrate of the different parts of ourselves. 
If you'd like to get in touch with Sharon, you can visit her website at: 
https://www.sharonsternpsychologist.com/
Or write to her at sharon@sharonsternpsychologist.com. 
 
 

This episode introduces Mary Weru, a senior case manager working in sexual health and blood borne virus in the Northern Territory. 
Mary was a colleague from a few years ago, and she has always exuded extreme positivity and competence. She is now in the role of managing vulnerable individuals with sexually transmittable viruses, as well as campaigning for the education of these viruses. 
Through her work, she realised the intricacies and complexities of the vulnerable population and their 'resistance to treatment.'
She tells us about the challenges of the people she treats, and brings us insight into their lived experiences.
She also brings to the table a passionate discussion of how she negotiates her role, as a mediator between the medical professionals and the wellbeing of her clients. She describes the tension these two groups have towards each other.
As a result, the delicate balance between education and empathy seems to be a skill she has developed, working in this field.
Amongst all this, we also lightheartedly touch on transgender health and identity of Sister Girls in the Northern Territory. She shares anecdotes of the confusion professionals face when identifying Sister Girls for legal and medical purposes. 
Ultimately, Mary brings to home the importance of de-stigmatizing the nature of blood borne viruses, the effectiveness of the treatments of HIV and Hepatitis, developing effective family systems, and also how commonly prevalent they are in our society.
This conversation with Mary has illuminated a lot of my personal misconceptions about the reality of living with such viruses, as well as broadened my understanding on the topic. We hope this podcast will do the same for you.
Visit NTAHC and the NT Health Website for more information.
You can learn more from: 
NTAHC (Northern Territory Aids and Hepatitis Council)
https://www.ntahc.org.au/ 
ASHM
ASHM provides support to the HIV, viral hepatitis and sexual health workforce.
https://www.ashm.org.au/ 
NT Health
For professionals: https://health.nt.gov.au/professionals/centre-for-disease-control/resources-and-publications 
 
 

In this episode I’d like to share a wonderful experience I had a few weeks ago with the radio show Only human on 4zzz.
I was invited and interviewed by Dr Kim Stewart and Belle, and we talked about my PhD research in bereavement, trauma counselling for people with a refugee background, and culturally aware psychotherapy.
I talk about the Muslim population in Australia and Southeast Queensland, and the diversity in which it presents. We talk about the types of grief, the existential crises that can emerge from losing someone you love, and what support looks like. We also explored my experiences working with the humanitarian settlement program in Australia. 
I feel very privileged to have had this experience with such warm and seasoned hosts. It’s definitely different being the interviewee for a change.
So if you’re keen to know a little bit about my background, and some of my professional passions, and you have about 30 or so minutes to spare, I humbly invite you to tune in.