Better Thinking

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Arnold Bakker about work engagement, job crafting, playful work design, job stress and burnout, strengths use, and topics about work life balance. Arnold Bakker, PhD. is Full Professor at the Department of Work and Organizational Psychology at Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He is President of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology, and a fellow of the American Psychological Society. In addition, he is Adjunct Professor at Lingnan University (Hong Kong), Distinguished Visting Professor at the University of Johannesburg (South Africa), and Extraordinary Professor at North-West University (South Africa). His research interests include positive organizational behavior (e.g., job crafting, playful work design, flow and engagement at work), job demands–resources theory, burnout, work-family balance, and crossover of work-related emotions. Episode link at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/arnold-bakkerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Roy Sugarman about the role of biological perspective in psychology and how those two worlds are coming together. Dr Roy Sugarman is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society's Colleges of Clinical Neuropsychology and Clinical Psychology, member of the Royal Charter of Psychologists in the UK, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Member of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Neuropsychology and Faculty of Paediatric Neuropsychology, and a member of the American Psychological Association.  In the USA he is on the advisory boards of several USA-based entities: as Neuroscience lead with Social Health Innovations and Transhuman Inc, (Sydney and Delaware), Mind Experts International (Fla), as well as directing Applied Neuroscience in the Performance Innovation Team of EXOS (Az).  In this last capacity he served as a mindset coach with the USA National Men's Soccer Team, as well as providing support for various Olympic and Club level athletes in multiple sporting settings including the USF athletes and US Military Special Forces personnel. He served as an advisor to FC11 in Australia and Neurodynamic Vision in Atlanta USA. He is a foundation member and Head Neuroscientist for education technology company BoxMedia in the UK and USA. In his role with Social Health Innovations, he is co-creator of Be A Looper, and Looper Enterprise, two award-winning apps addressing the issue of suicide in mental health settings. With Mobecom Ltd in Sydney, he developed the neuroscience model behind LifeIQ, SeventeenHundred, Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology Club, Altius Life, FiiTR.me and related health apps.  He is the author of two acclaimed books, “Saving your life one day at a time”, and  "Client-centred coaching: A trainer and coach's guide to motivating clients" (3rd ed), the latter with commentary by PTAGlobal in the USA, now their standard textbook for training their clients in engagement skills. He is a contributor to various other works, including The Hecht Effect by Steve Hecht, and Every Day is Game Day, by Mark Verstegen and The Road to Nowhere by Allan Munn. He has had input into major corporations' corporate health including programs at IBM, Intel, Sheraton, Walgreens, Cisco, Sony, SAP, Wesfarmers, Google, Johnson and Johnson, Optum/United Health Group, Union Pacific Railroad, KFC, Qantas, Australian Rehabilitation Providers Association and others, historically including Aviva and Singapore Armed Forces, Sun Life in Manila and Orix in Japan, as well as FWD, Cigna, Ogilvy, Mazlo, Fitness First, Primal Fitness, Department of Education and the Environment, and other corporates and organisations worldwide.    Dr Sugarman's clinical work continues in traumatic brain injury, trauma, mood and anxiety, and autism spectrum disorders in children and adults, and he serves as an Adjunct Clinical Lecturer in Psychiatry at UNSW, assisting with the assessment of candidates for medicine and research into best practice in medical education.  With numerous publications, Dr Sugarman has developed an integrated approach to achieving peak performance in both body and brain, contributing to the current state of the art in both rehabilitation and peak performance circles: showcased in his books and in the well received TV series, Body and Brain Overall on OneHD and Channel 10.  His online program "The neuroscience of Peak Performance", produced by EXOS Presents in the USA, has received critical acclaim.  He has contributed to other EXOS Works presentations promoting best practice in professional coaching circles and is currently developing a novel approach to using Values-based methodology in coaching in both deprived and professional communities in the US with his colleagues at EXOS. Episode link at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/roy-sugarmanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Anthony Biglan about his book, The Nurture Effect, which offers evidence-based interventions that can prevent many of the psychological and behavioral problems that plague our society. Anthony Biglan, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist at Oregon Research Institute. He has been conducting research on the development and prevention of child and adolescent problem behavior for the past 30 years. His work has included studies of the risk and protective factors associated with tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use; high-risk sexual behavior; and antisocial behavior. He has conducted numerous experimental evaluations of interventions to prevent tobacco use both through school-based programs and community-wide interventions. And, he has evaluated interventions to prevent high-risk sexual behavior, antisocial behavior, and reading failure. In recent years, his work has shifted to more comprehensive interventions that have the potential to prevent the entire range of child and adolescent problems. He and colleagues at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences published a book summarizing the epidemiology, cost, etiology, prevention, and treatment of youth with multiple problems (Biglan et al., 2004). He is a former president of the Society for Prevention Research. He was a member of the Institute of Medicine Committee on Prevention, which released its report in 2009 documenting numerous evidence-based preventive interventions that can prevent multiple problems. As a member of Oregon’s Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission, he is helping to develop a strategic plan for implementing comprehensive evidence-based interventions throughout Oregon. Episode link at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/anthony-biglan  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Amanda Feilding about the transformative and therapeutic potential of psychedelic compounds and their clinical applications. Amanda Feilding has been called the ‘hidden hand’ behind the renaissance of psychedelic science, and her contribution to global drug policy reform has also been pivotal and widely acknowledged. Amanda was first introduced to LSD in the mid-1960s, at the height of the first wave of scientific research into psychedelics. Impressed by its capacity to initiate mystical states of consciousness and heighten creativity, she quickly recognised its transformative and therapeutic power. Inspired by her experiences, she began studying the mechanisms underlying the effects of psychedelic substances and dedicated herself to exploring ways of harnessing their potential to cure sickness and enhance wellbeing. In 1996, Amanda set up The Foundation to Further Consciousness, changing its name to the Beckley Foundation in 1998. She realised that the potential harms and benefits of cannabis and psychedelics could only be adequately assessed by developing a sound scientific understanding of their mechanisms of action. Through the Foundation, she set about using cutting-edge brain imaging technologies to examine the neurophysiological changes underlying altered states of consciousness. Her long-held aim is to further our understanding of consciousness and how changes in cerebral circulation and neuronal activity underlie the effects of various psychoactive substances, so that we can better harness their potential to improve the human condition. Episode link at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/amanda-feildingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Liam O’Donell as a guest on BrainTainment podcast about the importance of psychological flexibility. Nesh Nikolic is a Canberra-based clinical psychologist with over 15,000 hours of one-on-one therapy experience. He has trained in a number of therapy modes including Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Schema Therapy and he is also recognised by Medicare Australia as a qualified provider of specialist clinical psychology services. His therapeutic passion lies in utilising Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for his clients and has trained clinicians around Australia in ACT. Nesh holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology and is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), Association for Contextual Behavioural Science and Fellow of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists. Liam O’Donell is the founder of BrainTainment podcast that aims to make the ever-growing world of 'self-help' far more digestible and enjoyable for the masses. Liam hopes to make his content entertaining and tangible; through sharing my thoughts, and those of the guests that come on his show. You'll hear his catch-phrase quite a bit on this channel when he outlines the guidling light or mission: 'To blend Pop Culture With Personal Development'. Episode link at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/nesh-nikolic-psychological-flexibilitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Michael Carr-Gregg about the growing mental health crisis among young people in Australia and ways on how we can all address it. Dr Michael Carr-Gregg is one of Australia's highest profile psychologists, author of 14 books, broadcaster and a specialist in corporate mental health, families, parenting, children, adolescents and the use of technology for mental health. Michael works in private practice at Corporate and Personal Consulting in Melbourne. He is the Commonwealth Government representative on on the Board of the Australian Children’s Television Foundation. He is an accredited trainer for Mental Health First Aid Australia. Community Ambassador for Smiling Mind; Big Brother Big Sister; a Patron of Read the Play and a columnist for a number of publications.. Michael is the resident parenting expert on Ch 7's Sunrise as well as the top rating Morning Show with Neil Mitchell on Fairfax Radio 3AW. In 2018, Michael helped launch the Green Light to Talk mental health initiative with PWC. He has subsequently worked with Westpac and AMP on mental health in the workplace. His last book, co-written with foodie Flip Shelton is called Smart Snacks. He is has just finished 2 books for 2020 with Penguin Books one Starting Secondary School with Sharon Witt, the other Surviving Year 12 with Elly Robinson which were published in February and March 2020 respectively. Episode link at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/michael-carr-greggSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Peter Graham about the realities of retirement, the danger of boredom, and how we can prepare emotionally for retirement. Peter Graham has been involved in the financial services industry for over 50 years. Initially, his involvement was with the marketing of life insurance but he quickly moved into the financial planning area when he established one of the original Licenced Financial Advisory businesses, in Australia, which was issued with a Securities license. He was regularly called upon to give presentations at conference es and as part of training programs in the financial services industry. Peter was an early contributor in the area of superannuation and management when he established the retirement fund manager, Spectrum Retirement Plan. This plan has since been institutionalised and is now a very large and successful administrator. Episode link at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/peter-grahamSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Kaitlin Harkess about the empirical evidence of yoga and its positive effects to our mental health.  Dr. Kaitlin Harkess is a registered Clinical Psychologist and Senior Yoga Instructor who is passionate about supporting individuals to cultivate healthful and meaningful lives. Kaitlin is particularly interested in integrative psychology approaches and completed PhD research exploring the practice of yoga as a tool to support individuals experiencing chronic stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression.  Kaitlin is passionate about making tools of psychological wellbeing accessible. She runs a private psychology practice in Adelaide SA called Embodied Psychology embodiedpsychology.com.au and hosts the weekly Wisdom for Wellbeing podcast drkaitlin.com Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/kaitlin-harkessSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr John Gray about how couples can maintain and fuel the spark in their relationships during challenging times of COVID-19. Dr John Gray is the author of the most well-known and trusted relationship book of all time, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. USA Today listed his book as one of the top 10 most influential books of the last quarter century. In hardcover, it was the #1 bestselling book of the 1990s. Dr. Gray’s books are translated into approximately 45 languages in more than 100 countries and continues to be a bestseller. He has appeared repeatedly on Oprah, as well as on The Dr. Oz Show, TODAY, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, and others. He has been profiled in Time, Forbes, USA Today, and People. He was also the subject of a three-hour special hosted by Barbara Walters. Dr. Gray has written over 20 books. His most recent book is Beyond Mars and Venus. His Mars/Venus book series has forever changed the way men and women view their relationships. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/john-gray-2See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Christopher Willard about the science of mindfulness and how it rewires our brains and bodies for greater resilience. Dr. Christopher Willard (PsyD) is a psychologist and educational consultant based in Boston specializing in mindfulness. He has been practicing meditation for 20 years, and has led hundreds of workshops around the world, with invitations to more than two dozen countries. He currently serves on the board of directors at the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, and is the president of the Mindfulness in Education Network. He has presented at TEDx conferences and his thoughts have appeared in the New York Times, The Washington Post, mindful.org, and elsewhere. He is the author of Child’s Mind (2010) Growing Up Mindful (2016) Raising Resilience (2017) and eight other books for parents, professionals and children, along with six sets of cards and therapeutic games, available in more than ten languages. He teaches at Harvard Medical School. On the personal side, he enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking, reading and writing, and being a father. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/christopher-willardSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.