Clear the air

Clearhead
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  • MENTAL HEALTH

Hosted by Dr Angela Lim, Clearhead co-founder and medical doctor, Clear the Air is a mental health and wellbeing podcast covering those experiences in your life or questions you have that you feel too vulnerable to share with those around you. We speak with experts to share the science behind what you’re experiencing and explore the answers to those questions. Together we get real and raw on the existential questions covering mental health and wellbeing that have puzzled humans for millennia. Follow the podcast to get notified as we drop new episodes monthly. Clearhead is an innovative employee wellbeing platform with a social mission to ensure personalised mental health and wellbeing support is accessible to everyone. Making it easier for you to build self-awareness and be guided to either digital self-help tools or book therapy on the Clearhead platform when and where you need it. Have a burning question about mental health that you want us to answer? Email us at contact@myclearhead.com, or visit our website: www.myclearhead.com

  1. 40 - Healing from Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) with Dr. Jan Ewing

    JAN 27

    40 - Healing from Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) with Dr. Jan Ewing

    Trauma can take many forms, from single shocking events affecting a whole community to deeply personal experiences that unfold over time during childhood. We’ll explore how different types of trauma, such as traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more can negatively impact our behaviour, relationships, and resilience later in life. Understanding how it affects us can be one of the first steps toward recovery. In this episode, we will uncover what really happens to the brain and body after trauma and what evidence-based interventions that help people rebuild their lives looks like in practice. Our guest today is Dr Jan Ewing is a highly respected Clinical Neuropsychologist and Clinical Psychologist with over 40 years of experience specialising in trauma, brain injury, and complex psychological disorders. As a Fellow for the Australian Psychological Society, the Australian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment and the International Society for the Study of Trauma & Dissociation (ISSTD), Jan is recognised internationally for her expertise in understanding how trauma impacts the brain and behaviour. She has trained thousands of mental health professionals across Australia and served for more than 15 years as an educator at the University of Queensland. Jan also sits on the advisory panel for the Blue Knot Foundation, supporting adult survivors of childhood abuse. In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions. 00:00 - Intro 2:30 - How Jan became an expert in trauma recovery? 3:35 - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Trauma definitions. 6:30 - What happens to the brain during a traumatic event? 12:00 - How training helps with choosing whether to fight, flight, freeze or faint to survive during a traumatic event? 15:15 - When is it safe for the brain to re-regulate? 17:30 - What are PTSD symptoms? 21:40 - How long does it take to re-regulate the brain? 25:15 - What can we do to support someone after a traumatic event? 29:30 - What is the “window of tolerance” and how does it determine how easily you are triggered by trauma? 32:20 - What is a body memory, and how is it present even when you have amnesia of the trauma? 36:00 - The 3 phases of trauma processing that are part of recovery. 40:45 - How to identify someone has a history of trauma and how to best support them? 46:50 - How to help someone increase their window of tolerance? 48:45 - The different types of trauma. 51:00 - The difference between stress and trauma. 52:10 - Is full recovery possible after a traumatic event? 55:50 - Why is EMDR considered best practice for treating trauma? 59:00 - The role of shame in trauma. 1:01.15 - How can we tackle shame in order to speed up recovery? 1:03.40 - Why avoidance is the biggest barrier to trauma recovery? 1:04.30 - What is Jan’s one wellbeing practice? Learn more about Jan https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-ewing-7865712a/ Learn more about Clearhead https://www.myclearhead.com/ Distribution Tags: mental-health PTSD Trauma recovery

    1h 6m
  2. 39 - The Social Paradox: Connection vs Autonomy with Professor Bill Von Hippel

    12/16/2025

    39 - The Social Paradox: Connection vs Autonomy with Professor Bill Von Hippel

    Despite living in a world filled with freedom, convenience, and choice, many of us still feel unhappy, lonely, and unfulfilled. Why is that, and what can evolutionary psychology teach us about who we are, where we come from, and what makes us happy? This episode explores how our most basic psychological needs, for connection and for autonomy, shape the way we think, feel, and relate to others. In today’s world, these two needs can sometimes conflict with each other, and this social paradox can have a real impact on our wellbeing.We’ll also discuss how the “social leap” our distant ancestors made from the rainforest to the savannah created a new kind of social intelligence, and how they coped with stressful situations. By understanding how our history plays out in the modern environment, we can shape our lives in ways that help us feel more content, more connected, and better able to manage negative emotions. Bill's biography: Our guest today is Bill Von Hippel. After a three-decade career as a psychology professor in the United States and Australia, Bill now writes books and conducts research, publishing over 150 academic articles across a range of psychological topics. His work has been cited over fifteen thousand times in academic literature and widely reported in the media, including The New York Times ‘100 Ideas of the Year’, The Economist, The Australian and more. Bill has been a guest on numerous podcasts, including The Joe Rogan Experience, Diary of a CEO, and Modern Wisdom with Chris Williamson. Bill’s first book, The Social Leap, has been translated into a dozen different languages and received the annual Book Prize from the world’s foremost social psychology society. 00:00 - Intro 02:40 - How Bill became an expert in evolutionary psychology. 03:50 - Evolutionary psychology definition. 05:35 - How deterministic are our genes in shaping our life outcomes? 08:00 - Has our mind evolved to be fit for the modern world or is there an evolutionary mismatch? 10:10 - Types of evolutionary mismatch - Miswanting and Misfeeling. 13:20 - Our main source of unhappiness is the conflict between our needs for connection and autonomy in our relationships. 16:00 - Should we retrain our brains to need less connection, or focus on meeting our connection needs to be happier? 19:10 - Why do successful people still feel lonely and dissatisfied in life? 20:30 - The definition of autonomy in the context of evolutionary psychology. 23:40 - The definition of success. 25:55 - Why do we often feel regret in a world full of choice? 29:25 - How do we limit regret and what is the best way to meet our need for autonomy? 32:10 - Why satificers are happier than maximisers? 34:30 - Why self-control is more about avoiding temptation than resisting temptation? 38:15 - Why, when we get what we want (autonomy), do we lose what we need (connection)? 42:05 - Why we should always optimise for connection over autonomy? 43:45 - Why remote work makes people less happy and less effective at work? 46:45 - Why it is also important to have a phone free policy at work and at schools? 47:45 - Should we legislate phone free policy or return to work policy? 48:45 - Are there people who will need autonomy more than connection? 51:30 - What can you do to make it easy to meet your connection needs in your daily life? 54:00 - How to reframe a threat as a challenge to reduce stress in your life? 57:10 - What is the goal of life? 57:50 - What is Bill’s one wellbeing practice?  Learn more about Bill https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-von-hippel/ Learn more about Clearhead https://www.myclearhead.com/

    1 hr
  3. 38 - Chronic Pain Management: Beyond Pills with Dr Claire Ashton James

    11/27/2025

    38 - Chronic Pain Management: Beyond Pills with Dr Claire Ashton James

    For most of us, pain subsides fairly quickly as we recover from injury. For some, however, pain persists, making it challenging to return to our normal, full-functioning capacity. In some cases, chronic pain may develop due to stress, or even for unexplained reasons. However, due to the stigma and unconscious bias, individuals can feel too ashamed to ask for support or when they do, made to feel invalidated in their experience of chronic pain. The research shows that recovery and resilience are deeply social processes, and meaningful support can change someone’s ability to cope with pain. Claire's biography: Our guest today is Dr. Claire Ashton-James a social psychologist and Associate Professor of Pain Management at The University of Sydney Medical School. Her work uncovers how social relationships influence the experience of pain and vice versa. Her research advocates for the integration of social “treatments” into the management of chronic pain, so that people have the best chance of returning to full capacity and avoid relying solely on pain medications or therapy.  00:00 - Intro 02:10 - How Claire became a social psychologist focused on pain management 04:20 - Definitions of chronic pain and acute pain 09:00 - Common misconceptions about people with chronic pain 12:30 - What Claire did differently after learning about these misconceptions 14:25 - How to support people in your life with chronic pain 16:45 - What workplaces can do to support employees with chronic pain 21:10 - Why social support is a key part of chronic pain management 22:25 - What someone with chronic pain can do if they don’t have a supportive social circle 29:15 - Are peer support groups helpful or harmful for pain management? 33:20 - When social connection can have a negative impact 34:25 - The unconscious biases health professionals may have against chronic pain patients 39:25 - What chronic pain patients can do when they experience invalidation from health professionals 41:55 - How to approach supporting someone struggling with chronic pain 44:05 - Acknowledging that chronic pain can cause social withdrawal 45:05 - What to do if pain prevents you from maintaining social connections 46:10 - Claire’s one wellbeing practice Learn more about Claire https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-ashton-james-b271368a/ Learn more about Clearhead https://www.myclearhead.com/

    47 min
  4. 37: Relational Leadership: How to Lead Beyond Yourself with Moira Mallon

    10/28/2025

    37: Relational Leadership: How to Lead Beyond Yourself with Moira Mallon

    What if leadership wasn’t just about authority, decisions, or overseeing tasks done, but about developing powerful interpersonal relationships to inspire and influence? In this episode, we will explore how Relational Leadership focuses on cultivating trust and connection. We’ll share practical tips on how to build meaningful relationships and navigate complexity, thus transforming our effectiveness as leaders. Learn how to cultivate leadership that is both empathetic while maintaining a standard of high performance and accountability in your team. Moira's biography: Moira Mallon is an expert in seeing beneath the surface and getting to the heart of the problem, which often in organisations is all about people and the dynamics they have with each other. Moira is a certified coach with the International Coaching Federation and for over 20 years has coached hundreds of leaders, including those leading the Christchurch’s post-earthquake rebuild. Her coaching is informed by systemic thinking, emotional development, and transformative tools like The Leadership Circle and a practice in Gestalt Psychotherapy. Whether she’s coaching CEOs, senior executives or rising leaders, Moira brings a fierce belief in the power of human potential. In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions: 00:00 - Intro 02:25 - How Moira became a leadership coach focused on leadership development 04:00 - What the emotional experience of leadership means 05:35 - Defining relational leadership 07:55 - How leaders can prioritise connection over control to create psychological safety 10:15 - The physiology behind helpful and unhelpful coping strategies during times of change 13:50 - How leaders can develop presence within an organisation 16:35 - The two key questions to ask when building connections with your team 18:25 - The importance of emotional control and consistency 20:35 - Managing the tension between employee performance and connection 23:10 - What separates leaders who build trust from those who don’t 26:10 - Modelling authentic leadership and resilience in high-pressure environments 29:10 - Influencing up - creating positive change when a leader lacks self-awareness 32:50 - How to intentionally build connection and trust in hybrid or remote teams 36:15 - How leaders can explore the emotional needs behind employee performance issues 39:00 - What defines a great workplace culture 42:00 - Is it bad culture if you’re clear about high workloads and long hours? 45:30 - How often leaders should communicate during periods of change 48:45 - The influence of indigenous practices on relational leadership 51:00 - How to respect boundaries when building deeper connections 52:45 - Why empathetic conversation is the first step toward relational leadership 55:10 - Moira’s one wellbeing practice

    57 min
  5. 36: Unpacking Common Mental Health Challenges HR & Leaders Encounter

    10/01/2025

    36: Unpacking Common Mental Health Challenges HR & Leaders Encounter

    Historically, the unspoken organisational culture meant that your personal issues and any mental health challenges you are experiencing were expected to stay at home. Today, it is increasingly accepted for employees to be more open about their mental health and wellbeing needs in the workplace. However, with the increasing prevalence and severity of mental illness in the community, this presents new challenges for HR and managers to know how to navigate these conversations empathetically while maintaining a focus on the organisation’s performance. Barry biography: In today’s episode, we want to focus on our HR audience, and so we have invited special guest host HR professional Lisa Young, who will be interviewing Clearhead’s clinical lead and clinical psychologist Barry Kirker, together they will unpack all the complexity surrounding employee mental health. Barry has 30 years’ experience working with individual clients and organisations across New Zealand and Australia. He undertakes complex mental health assessments, including fitness for work, forensic, and compensation/mental injury assessments, with a thorough understanding of both the clinical and legal aspects involved. In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions. 00:00 – Introduction 01:50 – Lisa introduction 03:50 – Barry introduction 05:30 – What is being covered 08:40 – Definition of mental health 10:00 – What to do when an employee self discloses their mental health challenges to you 13:55 – What to do if you don’t feel equipped to have the conversation? 14:30 – Are there things you shouldn’t say 17:45 – How to assess the safety risk of someone who discloses they have suicidal thoughts 22:00 – What if you can feel your own emotions taking over 23:00 – When to seek professional help 24:00 – How to tell if someone needs more support 25:20 – What to do when you notice someone struggling with their mental health 28:05 – Should you bring up performance issues in a mental health conversation 29:50 – What if the person lacks insight and is dismissive of your concerns 33:50 – Why it’s important to be proactive in having the mental health conversation 34:25 – When an employee blames their mental health at a performance or disciplinary meeting 39:20 – How do you know if a mental health disclosure is genuine 42:00 – What to do when an employee says a performance improvement process negatively impacted their mental health 45:00 – When should you breach the confidentiality of what an employee shared with you 47:00 – How do you deal with the subsequent loss of employee trust 49:40 – How do HR practice self-care and set boundaries on the mental load of supporting others 54:10 – Barry and Lisa’s final takeaway Learn more about our guest host Lisa Young: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-young-exceedhr/ Helpful resources: Resource 1: Meeting Crisis with Care. How HR Can Navigate Mental Health Challenges https://www.myclearhead.com/blog/meeting-crisis-with-care-how-hr-can-navigate-mental-health-challenges/ Resource 2: Mental Heatlh Conversations: Guidance for Leaders: https://www.myclearhead.com/blog/mental-health-conversations-guidance-for-leaders/ Resource 3: Frameworks to Support Difficult Conversations at work: https://www.myclearhead.com/blog/frameworks-to-support-difficult-conversations-at-work/ Learn more about Clearhead https://www.myclearhead.com/

    59 min
  6. 35: Beyond 'Fine': Shifting from Surviving to Thriving with Dr Suzy Green

    09/23/2025

    35: Beyond 'Fine': Shifting from Surviving to Thriving with Dr Suzy Green

    “Fine” is the most frequently logged mood on the Clearhead platform, yet it often masks a deeper sense of stress, disconnection, or simply going through the motions. We often answer "I'm fine" without truly reflecting on how we're doing, especially when we're stuck in survival mode.  In this episode, we explore what it really means to move beyond "fine." Unpacking the shift from surviving to thriving, drawing on the science of positive psychology to offer practical tools for building resilience and mental wellbeing, both in life and at work. Suzy biography: Dr Suzy Green is a Clinical Psychologist and Founder & CEO of The Positivity Institute, an organisation dedicated to the research and application of the science of optimal human functioning in organisations and schools. She is a leader in Coaching Psychology and Positive Psychology and published over twenty peer-reviewed journal articles. She lectures at University of Sydney and is a fellow at Australia’s Black Dog Institute and has worked with many large organisations such as ANZ, Fitbit, Nivea, Officeworks and more. In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions: 00:00 - Introduction 02:20 - How Suzy is using the lessons she’s learnt to deal with recent losses in her life. 04:30 - Defining thriving vs surviving when there are multiple life challenges. 10:50 - What is a “normal” proportion of thriving vs surviving? 15:45 - The power of therapy in helping with processing grief. 17:30 - The importance of removing stigma from therapy. 18:45 - What is the difference between coaching and therapy? 22:45 - What should you do if someone says they are fine but you can see they are struggling? 27:00 - What are the steps to take if you are struggling? 31:30 - How does Acceptance and Commitment Therapy help one build the right mindset? 36:20 - Why is it hard to change our mindset? 39:15 - Are employers doing enough to help employees thrive at work?  44:20 - A real-world example of an organisation embedding positive psychology in the workplace.  47:45 - How we can use flow theory and self-reflection to find balance between wellbeing and performance? 53:20 - What is Suzy’s one wellbeing practice? Learn more about Suzy:  https://thepositivityinstitute.com.au/ Helpful Resources:  Steven Covey’s Circles of Control:  https://positivepsychology.com/circles-of-influence/ The Serenity Prayer:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenity_Prayer  Dr. Kristin Neff: https://self-compassion.org/  Clearhead’s Blog on ISO 45003:  https://www.myclearhead.com/blog/what-is-iso-45003/  Social and Emotional Contagion Theory: https://positivepsychology.com/emotional-contagion/  Finding Purpose Tool: https://www.myclearhead.com/en-au/finding-purpose  Jon Kabat-Zinn:  https://jonkabat-zinn.com/  Learn more about Clearhead https://www.myclearhead.com/

    56 min
  7. 34: Developing Critical Thinkers with Steve Pearlman

    08/26/2025

    34: Developing Critical Thinkers with Steve Pearlman

    In an age overwhelmed by information, opinion, and polarization, the ability to think critically isn't just useful, it's essential. In this episode, we will learn how we can develop strategies to think critically and make smarter decisions, what it means to challenge assumptions, expose common thinking traps, and offer immediately usable strategies for clearer, more effective reasoning in everyday life. Steve’s biography: Steve Pearlman, Ph.D., is arguably the world’s foremost critical thinking expert. After founding the United States’ first academic department solely focused on researching critical thinking and how to teach people to do it, Steve subsequently shared his methods at educational institutions, conferences, and businesses. He is frequently featured in national and international media, and he’s the author of America’s Critical Thinking Crisis: The Failure and Promise of Education. In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions:  00:00 – Introduction 02:00 – Steve’s journey to becoming an expert in critical thinking 04:00 – Critical thinking definition and how it is taught 07:00 – What are default modes of how our brain functions 10:00 – How to maintain critical thinking when there is an overload of information 12:30 – How to assess whether a source of information is credible 15:00 – How to ask the right question when you don’t know what you don’t know 17:15 – Why reassessing the information and refining your initial question is key in critical thinking 18:00 – Why critical thinking does not always need to take a lot of time 19:30 – How to teach kids critical thinking by prioritising reasoning over authority (parenting example) 25:30 – Why intellectual humility is the solution when two people are in disagreement 29:30 – How to deal with someone who is rejecting reason and facts due to polarization in politics 33:10 – Is it possible to maintain critical thinking in the context of time pressures 35:15 – What training programs are available to develop critical thinking skills 37:20 – Example of how leaders remove critical thinking at meetings 39:45 – Example of how leaders can create an environment that fosters critical thinking 42:35 – Can people maintain critical thinking when experiencing burnout 45:30 – What resources are available to move from threat to a challenge that you can meet 48:20 – How to deal with a person who is not receptive to your thinking 51:10 – Why asking questions can cause someone to become defensive 53:20 – Ways to foster critical thinking in virtual meetings 55:15 – How to assess if someone has critical thinking skills 57:45 – How to constructively handle naysayers in discussions 59:50 – One tip to develop critical thinking skills 01:00:55 – What is Steve’s one wellbeing practice Learn more about the Critical Thinking Institute:  https://www.thectinstitute.com/ Learn more about Clearhead https://www.myclearhead.com/

    1h 2m
  8. 33: Understanding Autism in the Workplace with Larah and Chanelle

    07/21/2025

    33: Understanding Autism in the Workplace with Larah and Chanelle

    As workplaces strive to become more inclusive, Autistic people are often misunderstood. However, when empowered they brings a unique perspectives and strengths that can greatly enrich a team. In today’s episode we will hear from an autistic person, Chanelle, share their lived experiences and from Larah what are the practical tools a workplace can implement to better support autistic individuals effectively —from recruitment all the way through to everyday communication and collaboration.  Autism NZ’s biography: Larah van der Meer: Larah is the Research and Advocacy Manager at Autism NZ. She is also an Adjunct Research Fellow at Victoria University of Wellington. Larah is passionate about inclusion and making a positive difference to the autistic and autism communities, both at an individual level and in creating systemic change.  Chanelle Moriah: Chanelle is neurodivergent (autistic, dyslexic and ADHD, along with pathological demand avoidance). She works as a Research and Advocacy Advisor and has written and illustrated two books on neurodivergence, one of which was listed for the New Zealand Book Awards. Chanelle was diagnosed in adulthood and is very passionate about creating more inclusive and understanding communities In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions. 00:00 - Intro 02:45 - What is autism 03:45 - Understanding the autism spectrum 05:50 - How to determine the level of support someone needs 07:50 - Autistic people vs person with autism which is the right term to use 09:50 - Strengths based vs deficit based terminology 10:50 - What are the differences between an autistic person and a neurotypical person 12:00 - What are the barriers to getting a formal diagnosis 15:00 - Should people disclose their diagnosis with their employers 16:40 - What are signs a workplace is safe to disclose 17:45 - What should be on an employee checklist of accommodation 21:30 - How to deal with an inflexible workplace 24:00 - What are the barriers preventing employment of autistic people 28:15 - What are the changes to a recruitment process to make it more inclusive 32:00 - What are the benefits workplaces see when they are inclusive of neurodiverse employees 34:25 - How do you deal with conflict that can arise from diverse teams 38:15 - What do managers need to learn about their autistic employee 4115 - What actions can be hurtful to an autistic person 42:30 - What resources are available to support workplaces to create inclusive practices 44:50 - How do you support individuals who are masking their autism 47:10 - How can performance reviews be more inclusive 49:25 - Should workplace set up support groups for neurodivergent employees? 50:45 - How can employers prevent an autistic employee from experiencing burnout  53:00 - what is Larah and Chanelle’s one wellbeing practice Learn more about Autism NZ https://autismnz.org.nz/  Learn more about Clearhead https://www.myclearhead.com/

    54 min
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About

Hosted by Dr Angela Lim, Clearhead co-founder and medical doctor, Clear the Air is a mental health and wellbeing podcast covering those experiences in your life or questions you have that you feel too vulnerable to share with those around you. We speak with experts to share the science behind what you’re experiencing and explore the answers to those questions. Together we get real and raw on the existential questions covering mental health and wellbeing that have puzzled humans for millennia. Follow the podcast to get notified as we drop new episodes monthly. Clearhead is an innovative employee wellbeing platform with a social mission to ensure personalised mental health and wellbeing support is accessible to everyone. Making it easier for you to build self-awareness and be guided to either digital self-help tools or book therapy on the Clearhead platform when and where you need it. Have a burning question about mental health that you want us to answer? Email us at contact@myclearhead.com, or visit our website: www.myclearhead.com

Information

  • Creator
    Clearhead
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Clearhead
  • Show Website
    Clear the air