Clinically Thinking

Dr Vanessa Spiller explains the history of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, offers tools to diagnose FASD and helpful pathways for Clinical Psychologists offering therapy. She explains why it is so easily overlooked in comparison with other commonly co-occurring diagnoses, and reveals FASD's alarmingly high rates of involvement with the criminal justice system.

Our guest today is Prof Tracey Wade. Dr Lisa Chantler speaks to Prof. Wade about the State of the Art and Science of Clinical Perfectionism. They discuss how it is defined, how therapists can identify traits of Clinical Perfectionism in the clinic, the history of the disorder, about the most recent CBT treatments, and what resources are available for clinicians.

Emeritus Professor Don Carveth draws on psychological wisdom from religion, philosophy, literature, as well as from empirical research and clinical practice, to understand how guilt influences our lives. Aaron Neaves explores the themes of Don’s latest book “Guilt: A Contemporary Introduction” in a wide ranging, thoughtful conversation. Together they discuss if there a biological basis for conscience; the distinction between persecutory guilt and reparative guilt; if psychopaths and narcissists have a conscience; if psychoanalysis can claim to be morally neutral; how understanding guilt changes our practice of trauma informed care, and much much more.

World leading neuroscientist, pain researcher and educator, Prof. Lorimer Moseley, discusses the complex relationship between our minds, our bodies and pain.

Professor Robyn Young from Flinders University is our guest discussing the presentation and diagnosis of Autism specifically in female clients. Our wide ranging discussion covered broader issues including Autism and the criminal justice system, changes in Autistic presentation with age, training for Autism assessments, clients who camouflage Autistic characteristics, the impact of Australia's NDIS funding on the diagnosis and assistance for Autism, and much, much more. Follow our Clinically Thinking Facebook page to find links or resources mentioned in the show.

Dr Aaron Frost with a challenge to clinicians: the path to improving client outcomes lies not in learning yet another new therapy, but in improving the way we do therapy, with consistent use of Deliberate Practice and Routine Outcome Measures.

Dr Allen Frances was chair of the task force writing the DSM-IV, but subsequently became an outspoken critic of the rapid expansion of mental health diagnoses in DSM-5, and what he sees as the over medicalisation of behaviours that fall into the normal range of human life. Dr Frances offers a US perspective on issues such as treating ADHD and Autism, the pros and cons of early diagnosis, the appropriate role of drugs in mental health, and strategies to bring public mental health care to the greatest numbers of people.

Assoc Professor Chris Lee tells Dr Sara Quinn about his career researching and treating trauma. They discuss exposure, EMDR, stabilisation, helping clients reach the "ah-hah" moment, and the importance of self-care for professionals working in this space.

This week Lisa Chantler speaks to Rachel Menzies about the impact of death anxiety in clients presenting with broader symptoms of anxiety and depression. They discuss cultural attitudes to death, CBT, Terror Management Theory and the role of Stoic philosophy in developing a healthy acceptance of death.

Cognitive Analytic Therapy integrates Psychodynamic and Cognitive Theory and is a transdiagnostic therapeutic modality that approaches psychological problems from a relational perspective. Matt Cartwright speaks with Dr Louise McCutcheon from Orygen, The Australian Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health in Melbourne. Links and more information about C.A.T. can be found on the Clinically Thinking Facebook page.

New Clinically thinking presenter Aaron Neaves meets Jonathan Shedler; author, consultant, researcher, Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and faculty member at the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. Dr Shedler firmly presents the case for the evidence base and effectiveness of Psychoanalytic Therapy.

Dr David Preece studies Alexithymia. He discusses how to use this construct in clinical settings to recognise clients who struggle to understand and process emotions, and how that in turn influences the effectiveness of therapy.

Amanda Garcia Torres and Lisa Chantler introduce us to the basics of Chairwork and discuss why this is such a powerful tool for clients who have experienced trauma. Garcia Torres has further developed her Chairwork practice to give voice to clients from marginalized communities, focusing on what she has identified as the five core problems of oppression.

In this episode Nina Cook asks how a therapist can respond to a client’s climate anxieties, when they may also be feeling the same fears. She speaks to Paul Rhodes who is a collaborative research fellow at the Sydney environment Institute. Paul has helped establish a research project with a group of school age young people to explore ways of responding to climate related distress. We also meet one of the project’s young participants to talk about how she is learning to “stay with the trouble” and reduce her feelings of powerlessness in the face of climate change.

The data is in. Australian Clinical Psychologists are working harder than ever and better than ever. But cuts to Medicare will no doubt change the mental health landscape for both practitioners and their clients. Dr Aaron Frost from Benchmark Psychology crunches the numbers in the December 2022 Medicare Better Access Initiative Report. You can read the report, or at least the executive summary at: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/collections/evaluation-of-the-better-access-initiative-final-report

Clinical Psychologist Professor Dianna Kenny discussing the ways therapists can most helpfully care for survivors of Child Sexual Abuse.

Dr Parnell is an EMDR therapist, educator and author based in the US. Her work harnesses the potential of EMDR protocols to serve the needs of each individual client and help heal deep trauma.

Clinical Psychologist and author of the book Emotional Intelligence, Dr. Daniel Goleman transformed the way the world educates children, relates to family and friends, and conducts business. The concept of EI is now taken for granted, but without it we would not have developed modern treatment modes such as Schema Therapy and DBT. His work has been twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and he has been ranked as one of the 10 most influential business thinkers by the Wall Street Journal. He speaks here to Dr Lisa Chantler.

Prof Nancy McWilliams reminds us that amongst the pool of third wave therapies, we do well not to overlook the foundational tools of Psychoanalysis to bring help to people suffering severe personality disorders

Rather than weigh down the families of kids with Psychological problems with even more medical labels, Melbourne Psychologist Andrew Fuller often likes to sum them up as "Tricky Kids" (and tricky adults too). He brings warmth, good humour and creativity to his family work, and shares his ideas in numerous books, podcasts and media appearances.