The You Project

I never know because l'll never be a dad (excluding an in-bound Golden Retriever), but I’m pretty sure I might suck at parenting. It seems super hard. Unlike like some other non-parents, l've always thought it's probably the toughest role an adult can have. This time on TYP, Child Therapist Dr. Sam Casey and I talk about the challenges of being a single parent from a theoretical, research and academic perspective, and also from the perspective of someone living it in real life - which Dr. Sam is. Until this chat, I hadn't really considered the amount of intersecting variables - psychological, emotional, physical, social, financial, legal, practical, geographic - that impact kids and families, moving from a married situation to a "two parents in different homes" situation. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know when you get immersed in a conversation with someone and the times flies? Well, that was my experience of this chat with Bobby. We covered a lot of ground and when I checked the time, our twenty-minute chat (so I thought), was almost an hour. We chatted about the "theory" of beauty ("it doesn't matter") and the real-world reality of it ("it matters"). We also talked about the need we humans have for gaining the approval of others - often from people who don't even care about us, our respective stories (Bobby and l) about not being "overly attractive" children, how confidence works, redundant and repetitive conversations (and how to avoid them), muffin guilt and lots more. Enjoy.theselfhelpantidote.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Save is back on deck chatting with us about investigative health testing (taking action before we get sick - proactive, not reactive) and the whole prevention versus diagnosis concept. That is, unpacking the "why wait till you get sick?" question. We also chat about the importance of bacteria (we're kind of full of it), “training” our immune system (it's possible - and smart), understanding what our body is saying (biofeedback) and why some people are consuming (I wish I had another word... ingesting maybe?) other people's poo. Crapsule anyone? Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm pretty sure this will be a popular episode. It was such fun, so interesting, so thought-provoking and Professor Chris is a genius (IMO), with an amazing ability to connect, tell stories and make super-interesting research and science, podcast-friendly. Among other things, we spoke about the science of the paranormal (anomalistic psychology), psychic abilities, false memories, ghosts, haunted houses, magicians, mentalists and his book 'The Science of Weird Shit! So F**king good. Enjoy. **BIO: Chris French is a British Psychologist and Professor Emeritus at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he founded the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit. He specialises in the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences - why people believe in ghosts, psychics, UFOs, astrology, and other weird and wonderful claims.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This was the first get-together of 2026 for the motorbike riding, cookie-devouring, face-punching, newly-betrothed TYP team member and the old veiny, crusty-but-hilarious (he wishes) host. We went far and wide in this chat and it was a nice blend of catch-up, reflection, story-telling and bro-science. I may have gotten a tiny bit evangelical and soap-boxy. Not sorry. EnjoySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this episode, I sit down with TYP regular David Gillespie to unpack his provocative piece - The Statin Delusion. We talk about how modern medicine increasingly treats health as a deficiency of medication, why Australia leads the world in statin prescriptions, and how shifting cholesterol goalposts have medicalised the "worried well." Gillespo challenges the assumed life-saving power of statins in healthy people, explains the surprisingly small benefits, and walks through the real metabolic, muscular, cognitive, and diabetes-related risks. It's a blunt conversation about fear, pharma, guidelines, and whether prevention has quietly become harm. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patrick and I meandered (argued, laughed, disagreed) our way through the first TYP instalment of the year. A little “how was Christmas”, a little smut and bullshit (as always), a little regulation tech-talk and a little fear mongering about the imminent demise of humanity at the hands of AI. So, business as usual. Enjoy.websitesnow.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caleb Warren is a Professor of Marketing at the University of Arizona and this was a fun chat about what makes something or someone cool, and how coolness intersects with branding, marketing, popularity, humour, culture, social desirability and more. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Catherine Houlihan is a Clinical Psychologist, Senior Lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast and the Clinic Director at the UniSC Psychology Clinic. Her area of expertise is treating and researching eating disorders and body image concerns and this was a relevant (for many), meaningful and insightful conversation. There's also one anonymous ex-fat kid who found it particularly interesting. Enjoy.@drcat.psychSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, I don't actually hate myself but according to Dr. Blaise Aguirre from Harvard Medical School (no less!), plenty of people do. Also, it's the title of his new book. Well, the whole title is "I HATE MYSELF: Overcome Self-Loathing and Realise Why You're Wrong About You." This was great chat with someone who is truly a world-renowned expert and pioneer in their field. I loved it a lot. As did Tiff. *Bio: Blaise Aguirre, MD, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist. He is specialises in, dialectical behaviour therapy as well as other treatments such as mentalisation-based treatment (MBT) for borderline personality disorder and associated conditions. Dr. Aguirre has been a staff psychiatrist at McLean Hospital since 2000 and is nationally and internationally recognised for his extensive work in the treatment of mood and personality disorders in adolescents. He lectures regularly throughout the world. Dr. Aguirre is the author or co-author of many books, including Borderline Personality Disorder in Adolescents, Mindfulness for Borderline Personality Disorder, Coping With BPD, and Fighting Back.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.