Press Release:
Christmas and New Year are heralded as times of cheer, good will and new beginnings, but the fact of the matter is that phone counselling services like Lifeline and Beyond Blue regularly prepare for spikes in the demand for support. Reframe Of Mind is a new podcast series that sets out to break the stigma associated with talking about mental health in a refreshingly honest format, as one listener recently wrote:
“This podcast is so brutally honest about mental health that it’s probably going to feel like the hosts stalked you your whole life, it’s that relatable.”
Welcome Change Media producers, Louise Poole and Andy Le Roy embarked on an idea to make a series that incorporated stories of lived experience, scientific research and professional discussion to explore topics around mental health. Instead of the ten-part series they originally intended, Louise and Andy were able to create a series of forty two episodes and decided to add their own stories to the voices of their guests.
“We set out wanting to put together a range of tools from people who have either lived through their own traumatic events or can offer professional commentary linked to peer-reviewed research,” Louise says, “but each of our guests had so much more to offer and it seemed natural to include our own experiences in the storyline of the series.”
Christmas and New Year can be stressful or saddening experiences for people as they are suddenly forced into argumentative situations for the sake of Christmas tradition, or possibly due to the recent loss of a significant person from their life. Three things Louise and Andy have learned over the course of producing Reframe OF Mind are:
1. Ask yourself “what’s the absolute worst case scenario?”
By checking in with the anxiety we’re feeling and exploring what the worst-case scenario is, we can determine not only the likelihood of it actually happening, but also set some contingency plans in place to help us out should the worst actually happen.
2. Support yourself with healthy boundaries
Yes, freedom of speech is a thing, but you are also entitled to disengage from conversation or debate that doesn’t make you feel comfortable. Is arguing your point over the third or fourth beer going to achieve anything other than a spike in your blood pressure? Set yourself some clear boundaries on when it’s time to slip away then go through some fire drills to practice how you will remove yourself from potentially toxic situations.
3. One small step
It doesn’t only apply to astronauts landing on the moon. When you’re feeling overwhelmed and finding it difficult to know which way to turn, identify one thing, no matter how small, that you can do to change your situation for the better. It might be as simple as giving yourself space to take some deep breaths and reset your autonomic system before you move to the next small thing later.
Andy comments, “One thing we’re really aware of is how simple statements can be co-opted and used as what Louise and I have come to recognise as toxic positivity. It’s always worth looking beneath the surface to discover the full meaning behind any statement to give it context and meaning.”
Season one of Reframe Of Mind has an impressive list of thirty-one guests from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences, all from Australia or New Zealand.
“We wanted to include as many voices as we possibly could,” Andy says, “and for those voices to be relatable from our part of the world.”
Guests for the first five episodes, available now on Apple Podcasts and all major platforms, include 2021 Queensland Australian Of The Year, Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM; Associate Professor Kimberley Norris, School of Psychological Sciences at the University Of Tasmania; Dr Lisa Saulsman, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Clinical Director with the School of Psychological Science at University of Western Australia; CEO and Founder of LAJOIE SKIN, Daphne Kapetas; and Joe Forgas AM, Scientia Professor of Psychology at the University of New South Wales.
Louise and Andy’s stories begin in the series with Louise having been assessed as severely depressed having walked away from her identity as a commercial radio host, and Andy having not long suffered the loss of his father. The season follows their journey their own challenges through depression, anxiety and grief, with honest accounts of how they felt as time progressed, and how they managed to turn things around for themselves with the information their conversations uncovered.
Louise now jokes, “It’s like every day became Therapy Tuesday. We really had a lot of exposure to our traumas and were able to sit with what troubled us honestly and find some new ways of relating. We hope our stories, along with the experiences and professional insights can offer a lifeline to anyone who feels like we did, for them to know they’re not alone.”
Louise and Andy are excited to present this incredibly honest and vulnerable series. Future guests in 2022 include 2021 NSW Young Australian Of The Year, Nathan Parker; Former Diamonds Coach, Lisa Alexander; Thankyou CEO, Daniel Flynn; and Professor Maree Teesson AC, Director of the Matilda Centre, amongst others.
Reframe Of Mind is available to listen now on all major platforms.
