How you going mate?

In this episode of the podcast I talk to Anthony Snedden, Rail enthusiast, Speedway Photographer, Self Confessed Bogan and one of the people who inspired the beginning of How You Going Mate?. We chat about a pretty wide variety of topics from living with Aspergers Syndrome, How to take a great Speedway photograph, his love of the great Kevin Bloody Wilson and how important comedy is in dealing with serious topics and how learning to laugh at himself and the things around him help Anthony manage his mental health.

This episode I had the chance to speak with Geoff Anderson. Geoff is a father of 2 teenage children who live with mental health conditions. In our chat we speak about a number of topics including the early signs that he noticed in his kids, the struggles they faced, the incredible insight they have into their conditions and the importance of a good family support network. I also talk to Geoff how his involvement in The Men's Table and how he looks after his own Mental Health!

In this episode I have a really interesting chat with Steve Sweeney about men, mental health and his many years of working with men and their mental health. We cover everything from what it means to be a man, our love of dark chocolate, Jason Momoa and The Rock, his work with men, our experiences with The Mens Table and sex and sexuality and it's role in our self care. This is an episode not to miss.

In this episode I talk to one of my favourite guests, Me. 2021 was a year unlike any other and for me and my family and presented a whole raft of new challenges. In 2007 I was diagnosed with depression. I often say that I have recovered from this diagnosis but this year was as close as I have ever felt to feeling like I was becoming depressed again. In this podcast I talk about the tools and strategies I used to manage my mental health this year including changing my mindset, keeping a routine and buying a puppy!

In this episode I talk to my friend and former collegue Michelle. Michelle is a Mum, a registered psychologist and a woman with a lived experince of a mental health issue. This is a great conversation where we talk about the stigma surrounding mental health, understanding her mental health after the birth of her first child and how that shaped her professional career, how Jessica Rowe inspired and continues to inspire her to manage her mental health and the importance of paying your bills! Dont forget you can listen on Whooshka, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Audible and whereever you listen to your podcasts.

In this episode I talk to my longtime friend and colleague, Jackie about living with Bi Polar. In this honest and eye opening discussion we talk about when Jackie first started to realise she had a mental health condition, how she came to understand it, being hospitalised (sometimes involuntarily), the incredible support she received from her husband and the role that ECT played in her recovery. Jackie continues to live and thrive with a mental health condition and I can most definately say that we have never told a story quite like Jackie's before.

In this episode I talk to Bowen Therapist and Hypnotherapist Anissa Young from Feel Young Therapy. I have known Anissa for close for 30 years now, but this is the first time I have heard her story. Anissa and I talk about everything from her experiences growing up with an abusive stepfather, to how Bowen Therapy and Hypnotherapy helped with her mental health and how she now uses these two therapies to help others. Also, don't miss the start where we tell you about our experience at a music awards show with legendary Aussie music TV guru Molly Meldrum.

In this episode I talk to Jan Clark. Jan is a mother and Grandmother who was diagnosed with Leukaemia after a trip overseas. Jan's diagnosis and treatment also happened to coincide with the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic and the birth of her 7th grandchild and if that wasn't complex enough, Jan's age meant that the treatment she needed could be more dangerous that the leukaemia itself. But this is a story of one of the strongest and most amazingly positive people you will ever meet and how that strength, positivity and the support of her family helped her to win the battle over this disease. Not only that but how it has enabled her to support others in her position.

In this episode we talk to Amy and hear her incredible story of addiction, mental health and recovery.One of the most common things we hear when we have a mental health condition is "But you have everything you could ever want. How do you have a problem?" and this was certainly the case for Amy. We talk about how she went from seemingly having the perfect life with a great job, a great apartment and all the trapping of success, to living with addiction and ultimately her journey to rehab, recovery and redemption.

In this episode I talk to the one and only Laura Zammit. We have a wide ranging conversation where we talk about everything from mentally preparing for lockdown, fake spouses, hiding behind a big personality, ADHD, attending rehab, what holding space is and the power of holding space with someone who needs it.