Conversations: Psychology & Relationships

Conversations
Conversations
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The world's greatest minds in therapy, emotional intelligence and addiction sit down for a Conversation with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski; including Esther Perel (Where Do We Begin), Glennon Doyle (We Can Do Hard Things) and Dr. Gabor Maté (The Myth of Normal).  In this collection of episodes, we’ve reached back into the rich Conversations archive to curate a selection of episodes where our guests speak about lived experiences with trauma and healing, identity, neurodiversity, anxiety and depression, navigating difficult relationships, psychopaths and sociopaths, and finding happiness and hope.  Hear even more great episodes of Conversations with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski in the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

  1. Sep 14

    Healing intergenerational trauma and epigenetics—the children of the Third Reich

    Catrine Clay with the story of the children of Nazi perpetrators and Holocaust survivors came together under extraordinary circumstances to come to terms with their dark past. In the early 1990s, historian and author Catrine Clay was working at the BBC, making a documentary about a woman named Renate. Renate had been born in Germany in 1941, and grew up in the postwar years as the sole child of a single mother. When Renate asked her mother about her missing father, she was told he had been an important general in the German forces, who had been imprisoned by the Russians. But that wasn't the truth. Renate's father was actually a Nazi war criminal of the highest rank, and she had been conceived as part of an experiment to produce Aryan children for the German fatherland. Catrine and Renate travelled through Germany and Eastern Europe to find the truth about her father and the home she'd been born into. Eventually, they go to Israel, where Renate comes face to face with the children of Holocaust survivors.  There, they bond over their shared attempts to find a way forward, out of the silences and hidden fears of their parents' dark pasts. Children of the Third Reich: Three pasts three futures is published by Hachette. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison It explores World War II, history, family trauma, intergenerational trauma, holocaust survivors, Aryan super-race, experiments on humans, genetic experiments, SS soldiers, the body keeps the score, Epigenetics, psychology, suicide, mental health, mental illness, healing, Jewish history, reconciliation, German history, Nazis, reckoning with the past, family secrets, absent fathers, Israel, Palestine, forgiveness, humanity, Hitler, war criminal, war crimes. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

  2. Jun 10

    Algorithms, accountability and the 'manosphere'—empowering men to be the solution

    Clinical psychologist and men's mental health researcher Zac Seidler on how boys are being fed increasingly inflammatory content online, and what men can do IRL to offer a version of masculinity that is healthy and vulnerable, instead of hard and dangerous. Many young men are taking a journey on the internet right now which starts with inoffensive self-improvement videos on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, but quickly becomes something else entirely. Young guys are searching the internet for fitness, grooming or relationship advice, looking for self-esteem and self-discipline.  The algorithm then tries to sustain their attention by offering them more inflammatory and more dangerous content, presented by influencers with cigars and sunglasses, who give them an ideology that blames women for all of their problems. This is the loose digital ecosystem that has been named the 'manosphere', and it's leading people to wonder what exactly is going on with men that they're being drawn into a dark place and ideology that completely alienates them from women and from real life experience. Zac Seidler is a clinical psychologist and the director of research at Movember, the men's mental health charity, and he is particularly interested in men's issues. Zac has conducted some world-first research into this online world, asking the questions 'What need is this content meeting?', and how can men be empowered to pull themselves, their sons and their mates out of this dangerous cycle. Keep up to date with the research Zac is doing via Movember, the leading charity changing the face of men's health. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer was Eliza Kirsch. It explores manhood, masculinity, toxic masculinity, sons, fatherhood, men's mental health, men's suicide rates, depression, Andrew Tate, Jordan Peterson, Myron Gaines, Rollo, Joe Rogan, social media algorithms, Instagram, chronically online, touch grass, grief, death, sex and relationships, isolation, vulnerability, how to talk openly about mental health struggles, men and boys, mothers and sons, Looksmaxxing, Clavicular, becoming a father, marriage, love, husbands, how to be a better man, empathetic accountability, Breadtube, Contrapoints, Hbomberguy, and PhilosophyTube. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

  3. May 11

    Moana Hope on a life spent caring for others and re-learning how to love

    Former AFLW star Moana Hope has spent her life caring for others, including her dying father and her beloved sister Vinny, who has an intellectual disability. It wasn't until Mo was in her 30s that she realised she needed to learn how to love herself. Content Warning: this episode of Conversations contains discussion of childhood abuse, domestic violence and suicidal ideation. Moana Hope grew up with 13 siblings in a two-bedroom housing commission home in Melbourne's north west. As a little girl, she played football with the boys and then with grown women, and in her 20s she took on full-time caring responsibilities for two of her nephews, as well as her sister, who lives with an intellectual disability. This backstory, along with her natural talent for the game and charisma off the field, helped Mo stand out as a star of the women's game when the AFLW was launched in 2017. Mo was a marquee player for Collingwood in the women's debut season. But she retired earlier than she had planned to. Post-AFLW, Mo had a lot of time to think about herself outside of football, and about the chaos and violence that was normalised in her childhood home. But it wasn't until Mo became a mother herself, that she fully reckoned with her understanding of love. Mo shares intimate snippets from her life on Instagram. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch. It explores AFL, the Pies, Melbourne, Glenroy, Maori heritage, Cancer, death, grief, caring, queerness, footy, Hawthorne, women's sports, cricket, mother daughter relationships, mother father relationships, personal work, therapy, inner child work, sisterhood, engineering, female business owners, motherhood, sons and mothers, violence, abuse, financial abuse, Essendon, GWS, Richmond, Adelaide. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

  4. May 6

    Lessons in living, grief and love from the Lebanese Civil War

    Antoun Issa grew up quietly aware of a profound grief in his mother's eyes. As an adult, after living and working in the Middle East, he finally knew how to ask her about surviving the Lebanese Civil War. Antoun is a journalist who grew up in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, after his parents had escaped the civil war in Lebanon in the 1970s. Growing up in Craigieburn as the baby of the family, Antoun was particularly close with his mother. He was always conscious of a deep sadness in his mother's eyes, but was wary of asking her too many questions. As an adult, Antoun went to live and work in Lebanon. There, in the Middle East, where he worked as a journalist, Antoun saw firsthand what happens when the trajectory of human life is interrupted by conflict and violence. Upon returning home to Australia, he was finally ready to ask his mother about the source of her quiet and enduring grief, and what came out of her was a remarkable story of true love, true loss and resilience. Upon returning home to Australia, he was finally ready to ask his mother about the source of her quiet and enduring grief, and what came out of her was a remarkable story of true love, true loss and resilience. REBIRTH: A Love Story from the Depths of War is published by Hachette. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch. It explores the Middle East, War, Conflict, Beiruit, Israel, PLO, Palestine, United States, civil war, conflict, refugees, religious conflict, Lebanese Christians, Sunni Muslims, Shia Muslims, Mountains, Maronite Christians, politics and religion, proxy wars, Iran, Iraq, Arab-Isreali, Saudi, Cold War, Arab Cold War, Taif Agreement, political power, relationship, origin story, writing, books, memoir, novel, survival, death, violence, sliding doors. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

  5. Apr 10

    Spotting the psychopaths, sadists and narcissists in our lives and how to get rid of them

    Toxic people are around us in our workplaces, our families and our dating lives. Research psychologist Leanne ten Brinke is here to tell you how to spot them, and get rid of them from your orbit. Leanne ten Brinke is a research psychologist whose special area of expertise is what she calls 'dark personality types'. These are particularly cruel, malicious, manipulative people who lack empathy, people who are psychopaths, narcissists or sadists. Psychologists estimate than one per cent of any population shows serious levels of psychopathy. They walk among us in our workplaces and in our relationships, they could be an gaslighting partner, a narcissistic parent or a colleague who's a bully. There are also more serious cases, like abusive husbands or murderous mothers. Leanne also makes the point that any one of us is capable of losing our moral bearings or enabling malicious people by cheering them on, hiring them or voting them into office. But there are ways to resist them, and make your own life the better for it. Poisonous People: psychopathy, narcissism, manipulation, sadism: how to resist them and improve your life is published by Simon & Schuster Australia. This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores toxic relationships, is my partner a narcissist, what to do about my narcissist mother, what to do about my toxic boss, how many psychopaths are there, sadism, serial killers, morality, amorality, Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, sociopath, Patric Gagne, anti-social personality disorders, thriller, scammers, dating world, escaping abuse, peaceful living, finding peace. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

  6. 07/03/2025

    When a sea change collides with messy midlife

    For journalist Kate Halfpenny, moving to a beachside town during Melbourne's lockdowns seemed like the perfect way to unwind and escape her huge mortgage. Then she had to contend with the triple whammy of perimenopause, her husband's alcoholism and distance from family and friends. For the first time in her life, Kate had an empty house, no job commitments and no city life to distract her. She was able to indulge daily in her love of boogie boarding and surf-side walks with her dog, Maggie. One day at the beach, Kate saw her elderly father struggling in the surf. Kate's husband Chris was in the water next to him, but was acting strangely and couldn’t manage to haul him out of the dangerous water. That evening, Chris confessed his alcoholism to Kate and the couple faced the inevitable decisions they would have to navigate, together and apart. Further information Boogie Wonderland is published by Affirm Press. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. Find out more about the Conversations Live National Tour on the ABC website. This episode of Conversations deals with good divorce, Melbourne covid lockdowns, seachange, addiction, alcoholism, supporting an alcoholic, women in media, perimenopause, midlife, being alone, boogie boarding and relationships.

  7. 05/13/2025

    Situationships, risks and growing pains — Jemma Sbeg on surviving your 20s

    From relationships and loneliness, to indecision and burnout, Jemma Sbeg is your guide to navigating your 20s, and looking back on that decade with a new perspective. When Jemma Sbeg started recording a podcast in the back of her Subaru about her quarter life crisis, she had no idea just how many people she would reach. But other people her age were desperate for guidance through their 20s - a decade a lot of us romanticise before we get there, and after we leave. It's a decade of massive growth for humans, when we make big decisions about relationships, careers and our own identities, but Jemma felt like she had no idea HOW to make the right choices. She had studied psychology at university, and so looked to psychological research papers to help her and her friends navigate attraction, heartbreak, friendship, imposter syndrome, career anxiety, burn out, mental health and living a happy life. Jemma's biggest lesson is realising while time is finite, we do have so much of it to "figure it out", and chances are you'll still be working many things out in your 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. Person in Progress: A Roadmap to the Psychology of Your 20s is published by Hachette Australia. Jemma's podcast is called The Psychology of your 20s. If you liked this episode of Conversations, you might also enjoy listening to Doctor Hilton Koppe on his experience of PTSD, journalist Ros Thomas on her research into loneliness or psychologist Dr Tracy Westerman on psychology in remote Australia. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversation podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities. This episode of Conversations explores psychology, podcasts, research, books, writing, anxiety, TikTok, social media, ADHD, self-diagnosis, growing up, how to survive your 20s, stay at home dads, heartbreak, mortality, death anxiety, social anxiety, university, what to study, how to get over heartbreak, first loves, building a career in media.

  8. 03/26/2025

    Loneliness — it's not only you

    Loneliness is a universal experience, for each of us at some point in our lives. Journalist Ros Thomas travelled the world to investigate, and find the antidote.  To binge even more great episodes of the 'Conversation podcast' with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities. Ros spent a year travelling around the world to research something all of us have experienced — loneliness. She met an old man who had learned to thrive through crushing grief with the help of a small, desktop robot. Ros visited a share house in Sweden where pensioners live with young asylum seekers, who care for each other like grandparents and grandchildren. And she explored her own early and devastating experience of loneliness — when her father abandoned the family when Ros was a tiny child. This episode of Conversations touches on loneliness, isolation, being a friend, social connection, community modern history, life story, fatherhood, absent fathers, personal stories, family dynamics, fathers, solutions to loneliness, the loneliness epidemic, Churchill Fellowship and connection.

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About

The world's greatest minds in therapy, emotional intelligence and addiction sit down for a Conversation with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski; including Esther Perel (Where Do We Begin), Glennon Doyle (We Can Do Hard Things) and Dr. Gabor Maté (The Myth of Normal).  In this collection of episodes, we’ve reached back into the rich Conversations archive to curate a selection of episodes where our guests speak about lived experiences with trauma and healing, identity, neurodiversity, anxiety and depression, navigating difficult relationships, psychopaths and sociopaths, and finding happiness and hope.  Hear even more great episodes of Conversations with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski in the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

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