Emerging Minds Podcast

Early relationships underpin infant mental health and lifelong wellbeing – but not all practitioners in the Australian mental health workforce feel confident in supporting infant mental health. In this episode, we’re joined by Vicky Gilroy, Director of Innovation and Research at the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV). She speaks about how iHV’s Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Champions Programme has helped support workforce development and system transformation to support children’s mental health.

In this episode, we’re joined by Amber Brock-Fabel and Dr Ben Lohmeyer, the authors of a recent study about young people’s experiences of loneliness and its connection to bullying. They discuss the implications of the study’s results for young people’s wellbeing, the importance of creating safe spaces for young people and what practitioners and families can do to best support them.

This two-part series focuses on a recent Australian study about loneliness and its relationship with young people’s experiences of bullying and undesirable social connections. In the first episode, we’re joined by youth advocate Amber Brock-Fabel and academic Dr Ben Lohmeyer, who co-designed the study with young people. They share findings from the study that redefine loneliness as being created by social dynamics within school environments, rather than stemming from isolation. Amber and Ben also discuss the process of co-designing the study; the increased incidence of loneliness for young people in Australia; and the connections between bullying, social systems and experiences of loneliness.

When adults are supported to pause, tune in and respond to an infant’s cues, they can build the strong relationships that underpin lifelong mental health and wellbeing. In this episode, Professor Andrew Whitehouse explores ways to foster connection and understanding between infants with developmental differences and their caregivers.

In this episode from the Emerging Minds Families podcast, Dr Billy Garvey (author, podcaster and developmental paediatrician) explores emotion regulation, how children build resilience and the role parents play in creating safe and supportive environments for children.

In this episode, Emerging Minds’ Phil Robinson (Founder and Chair) and Brad Morgan (Director) reflect on how our understanding of and approach to children’s mental health has changed over the past 30 years. They explore how these insights can guide us towards even greater outcomes in the years to come.

In the second episode of this two-part series, Lisa Hillan, a non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social worker, talks about her experience in working with and alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

In recognition of Perinatal Mental Health Week, Amy Mathews joins us to share wisdom gained from her lived experience of perinatal mental health struggles and her subsequent work as a peer support worker. Amy discusses how social pressure and expectations impact the transition to parenting. She also talks about what practitioners can do to support parents and perinatal mental health during this time of rapid change.

In the first episode of this two-part series, Grant Sarra, a Goreng Goreng man from Queensland, joins us to share an Aboriginal perspective on what organisational allyship looks like for individuals, teams and broader organisations.

In this episode, practitioners, researchers, parents and young people explore strategies and shifts to better support infant, child and adolescent mental health in Australia. They discuss the need for better collaboration between professionals and more integrated services; for improving mental health literacy among community members; and for shifting away from using diagnostic thresholds to determine who can access mental health support.

To mark the 200th episode of the Emerging Minds podcast, we wanted to look to the future of infant and child mental health in Australia. Practitioners, researchers, parents and young people discuss the key concerns and priorities for supporting infants’ and children’s mental health, common misconceptions about mental health and wellbeing, and systemic barriers to improving outcomes for children and families.

In this episode from our Emerging Minds Families podcast, Kirsty (Schools Coordinator, Shine SA) discusses ways to equip children with the knowledge and skills to make informed and empowered decisions about their bodies and relationships. Kirsty shares how parents can start these conversations with their children, how adults can effectively model consent, and how these conversations support children’s wellbeing.

In this podcast episode, Professor Daryl Higgins shares his research insights on child-safe organisational strategies and public health approaches to protecting children. Daryl was involved in the 2023 Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS), which showed how disturbingly common it is for children in Australia to experience abuse and neglect. Daryl shares the findings from this study and its implications for prevention and early intervention policies and practices with children and young people.

In the second episode of this two-part series, Dr Carmela Bastian talks with child protection specialists Dr Amy Bromley, Arabella Stravolemos and Chloe Henderson about their approaches to child-centred practice. The conversation explores descriptions of practice that genuinely prioritise children’s safety, emotional needs, wellbeing, voice and rights.

In the first episode of this two-part series, Dr Carmela Bastian talks with child protection specialists Dr Amy Bromley, Arabella Stravolemos and Chloe Henderson about their approaches to child-centred practice. The conversation explores descriptions of practice that genuinely prioritise children’s safety, emotional needs, wellbeing, voice and rights.

In this episode, Dana Shen speaks with Jem Stone, a practitioner with Wayapa Wuurrk, the first internationally accredited Indigenous wellness program. Wayapa Wuurrk combines earth mindfulness, narrative meditation, physical movement storytelling and earth reciprocity to create a holistic wellbeing program for children in education settings. Jem takes listeners on a unique journey of collective wellbeing, encouraging practitioners to connect themselves to nature.

In this episode, therapist Sophie McEvoy discusses her work with children who have experienced sexual abuse. Sophie describes her practice in helping children to use their own words, communication preferences and meaning-making to describe the trauma events in their lives in ways that are supportive and hopeful. She also shares her experiences in working with non-offending parents to support their children’s recovery.

Parental incarceration can have a significant impact on children’s mental health and wellbeing. In this episode, senior mental health counsellor Linh Nguyen shares how she supports incarcerated fathers to overcome barriers and build strong, lasting relationships with their children.