Conversations

Angela Hamilton was raised by a tyrannical father, who terrorised his family. Decades later, she found out the truth about what he'd done during WWII

How a shy Mormon girl named Sharon became Poh Ling Yeow (R)

Australia through the eyes of The New York Times Australia bureau chief, Damien Cave

Chasing the back beat and adventures in wide open spaces, Rob remains essentially the same as the boy he was (R)

After treating a patient named Anna, Sharonne Zaks saw the power relationship with her patients differently. She developed a new branch of dentistry to help care for survivors of sexual assaultSharonne Zaks grew up in a family of dentists, and when she too became a dentist, she developed an empathetic relationship with her patients, never judging them even if they'd avoided the dentist for years.After some years, a patient named Anna profoundly changed Sharonne's understanding of a patient's experience in the dentist's chair.She realised that for those who've been through a sexual assault or trauma, the extreme powerlessness of being treated at the dentist can be highly triggering.Sharonne undertook study into the area, and began a new regime to treat survivors in her own practice.She then began explaining what she'd found about the power dynamic between dentist and patient, to her own profession.Further informationWatch Sharonne's video about finding a dentist you can trustSee all Sharonne's videosTo binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Eight stories exploring the pleasures and perils of water

Barrie unearths a family wartime secret after fifty years (R)

Alex Landragin was born into a champagne-making family in the French village of Verzenay. When he was five, his family began a new life in Australia. Then a freak accident changed everything.

Esther is a therapist who spent years studying intimacy, monogamy and sexuality. She became the world's most well-known expert on modern loveWhen Esther was a teenager she was voraciously curious about human behaviour.She thought she'd become a journalist or a translator, but instead she grew up to become the world's most famous contemporary psychotherapist.Esther became known around the world after the release of her podcast "Where Should We Begin?" in which she counsels real-life couples who are on the brink of marital breakdown.In her sessions she's often exploring the tension between the need for security in a relationship, and the need for some distance and a sense of adventure, to keep the spark alive.Esther says when you choose a partner you choose a story, and by doing so, you're often recruited for a part you never expected to play.Further informationThe State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity is published by Yellow Kite BooksListen to the podcast Where Should We Begin?To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

The story of family bonds so strong that one couple gave their child to another, to be raised in a country far away