Better Thinking

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Devon Polaschek about research and treatment of high-risk violent offenders in prisons and on parole. Devon Polaschek is a forensic clinical psychologist, professor of psychology, and Joint Director of the New Zealand Institute for Security and Crime Science at the University of Waikato. She studies high-risk violent offenders in prisons and on parole and has done research that found intensive psychological treatment and early release on parole was more effective at reducing reoffending among high-risk prisoners than serving out full prison sentences. In the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours, Polaschek was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to criminal psychology. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/devon-polaschekSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Janelle Colquhoun about her incredible life before and after blindness. Her “I'm Blind, Whatever!” attitude is contagious and inspiring! At age 10, Janelle Colquhoun was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, which she ignored as she pursued her passion to be on stage. During school she took music, dance and drama lessons, performed in choirs, stage shows, dance revues and played trumpet in concert and jazz bands before winning a scholarship to study opera at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. At the end of expo Janelle accepted a full-time contract with the Australian Opera, where a highlight was singing in a trio with Dame Joan Sutherland in her Farewell Season. Two years and many successful singing competitions later, Janelle moved to Europe where she sang with the Oper Frankfurt until aged 29 she went blind from the complications of diabetes. She moved back to Brisbane and between many more diabetes-related health issues including stomach cancer, 3 years of dialysis, a heart attack, a kidney-pancreas transplant, and since being immunosuppressed a chronic lung infection, her ongoing professional performances continued with singing the High Priestess in Michael Edgley’s stadium production of Aida, singing the Four Last Songs with the Brisbane Sinfonia, and being a principal in the Access Arts / IHOS Opera experimental opera ‘The Divine Kiss’. Janelle has recorded 3 solo CDs and has appeared as singer, speaker, workshop facilitator and media spokesperson throughout Australia and in Paris, Bermuda, Seoul, Chicago, Montreal, Switzerland, Dubai, London, Auckland, Berlin, New Delhi, Singapore and Kathmandu. In 1999 Janelle established Salubrious Productions, an entertainment and production agency specialising in representing professional artists with disability. She has produced over 1400 mainstream and disability stream events including concerts, art exhibitions, pantomimes, cabarets and a film. She has held innumerable contracts with the Brisbane City Council including the classical and world music lunchtime concert series 2002-2015, and the Children’s and Music Library Series 2002-2012. Janelle is the convener of Sisters in Crime Queensland and has sat on 24 NGO and government committees including the peer panels of the Brisbane City Council, Arts Queensland and Australia Council. Currently she sits on five state and federal health committees as a consumer representative. Although Janelle had never previously been interested in sports, in 2017 she took up blind archery and in 2019 became the Australian Indoor and Outdoor Blind archery Champion and record holder for both. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/janelle-colquhounSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Edward Watkins on his research in effective treatment of mood disorders, depression and rumination. Edward Watkins is Professor of Experimental and Applied Clinical Psychology and Director of Research for Professional Doctorates at the University of Exeter, UK. He is a clinical psychologist currently working as a researcher, teacher and clinical practitioner within the Mood Disorders Centre in the UK, which is a partnership between the University of Exeter and Devon Partnership NHS Trust. In 2004, Professor Watkins was awarded the British Psychological Society's May Davidson Award. This award is for “a clinical psychologist who has made an outstanding contribution to the development of clinical psychology within the first 10 years of his/her work as a qualified clinical psychologist. The contribution may be through clinical research or other professional work. It should be innovative and of an order sufficient to become widely recognised as an important development in British clinical psychology”. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/edward-watkinsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Kevin Polk about the the ACT Matrix and its application in both individual and clinical settings. Kevin Polk, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and creator of the ACT Matrix. He spent approximately 17,000 hours simplifying Acceptance and Commitment Therapy down to the two lines of the matrix, which is now used across the United States and internationally. Individuals, therapists and hospitals use the ACT Matrix to improve communication and solve conflicts. Kevin also co-hosts The Art of Being podcast with good friend, and fellow psychologist, Phil Tenaglia. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/kevin-polkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Erika Penney on the research and treatment of Narcissistic & Borderline Personality Disorder in psychology. Dr Erika Penney is a lecturer, clinical psychologist, and external placement coordinator with the master of clinical psychology program at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). She has particular interests in complex trauma, developmental trauma, stigma, and personality disorders. She has taught at a number of leading universities on personality disorders and has published papers in the areas of anxiety, stigma, and personality. In addition to her work at UTS, Erika is a Board Approved Supervisor and supervises clinical psychologists who have particular interests in Schema Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, personality disorders, and trauma. In 2016 Erika founded the Foresight Psychology practice in Sydney which continues today under new leadership with a team of passionate psychologists dedicated to effective practice and trauma-informed care. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/erika-penneySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Graeme Cowan about how small, and often overlooked, rituals can make a significant impact in personal and professional life. In his early career, Graeme Cowan worked in senior leadership positions with Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and AT Kearney. Then in 2000 began a 5-year episode of depression that his psychiatrist described as the worst he had ever treated. He emerged from this crisis with a different view about how we can increase our resilience, mood and performance. Graeme is the author of 4 books including the internationally acclaimed Back from the Brink, which has a testimonial from the former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. These days you will find Graeme working with leaders and teams to be more caring, resilient and growth-oriented though his workshops and presentation. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/graeme-cowanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Alan Castel about his new book, Better with Age: The Psychology of Successful Aging, and the many myths and paradoxes about the aging process. Alan Castel is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He studies learning, memory, and aging, and is interested in how people can selectively remember important information. He received his PhD from the University of Toronto, did a fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis, and has been at UCLA since 2006. He lectures internationally to people of all ages, and has received several teaching awards. His work has been featured in the New York Times and Time Magazine. His new book is entitled Better with Age: The Psychology of Successful Aging. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/alan-castelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Senior Sergeant Daryl Elliot Green about his horrific experience of being ambushed on duty and shot in the face at close range, the dark years that followed and his path to recovery. At 3:50am on 1 May 2000, in a dark Brisbane cul-de-sac, Senior Sergeant Daryl Elliot Green and his colleagues were ambushed by a gun wielding neighbour and shot numerous times. Daryl was shot in the face at close range and again in the arm. From this horrific experience, Daryl learned what most people don't have to: how to be resilient in the face of extreme circumstances. The legacy of Daryl’s shooting was a harrowing ten-year road to recovery despite being honoured with the Queensland Police Service’s highest accolade for bravery, the Valour Award, and a Group Bravery Citation from the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove. Today, Daryl shares powerful life lessons through his TWICE SHOT talks, workshops and programs. He speaks on resilience, courageous conversations, leadership and brave decisions. He also talks passionately, and from personal experience, about mental health and post-traumatic stress. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/daryl-elliot-greenSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Mary Andreadis about emotional intelligence and how it can impact us in the workplace, relationships and personal decision-making. 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. Mary Andreadis is a Melbourne-based provisional psychologist. She has completed a Bachelors and Honours Degree in Psychology and is completing a Masters Degree in this field to become a qualified psychologist. Mary has worked as a mental health community support worker, counsellor and facilitated monthly anxiety support groups. Alongside all of this, she also writes a blog at MindIntertwined.com. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/nesh-nikolic-emotional-intelligence See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Benjamin Habib about how a panic attack on live television became a turning point in his personal battle with anxiety. Dr Benjamin Habib is a Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Ben is an internationally published scholar with a current research interest in intersections between grassroots sustainability and regeneration projects, environmental movements and international climate politics. Previously he as researched the political economy of North Korea’s nuclear program, East Asian security, and international politics of climate change. Episode links at https://neshnikolic.com/podcast/benjamin-habibSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.