Conversations

The matriarch of La Mama on life in and out of Melbourne’s beloved theatre

Dulcie Markham was one of the most notorious characters of Sydney in the 1930s, but many of her lovers met a grisly end

Lynne Kelly became a senior memory champion after she began researching ancient ways of transforming landscapes, objects and the human body into 'memory palaces.'

In the dying days of the Vietnam War, hundreds of orphans were airlifted from Saigon to safety. Ian Shaw tells the story of two Australian women at the heart of Operation Babylift

Demystifying the art of talk therapy and the complex relationship between therapist and patientPsychotherapy, also known as 'the talking cure', is based on a profound and usually ongoing connection between a person and their therapist.This type of work, often dealing with long buried events or feelings, can be transformative for patients.Gill Straker has a lifetime of experience as a psychotherapist, in Australia and in her birthplace, South Africa.Her work counselling victims of brutality and trauma during the apartheid regime was fundamental to her ongoing practice.At the heart of every successful therapeutic session, says Gill, is a willingness to be present, open, and to learn from each other.She encourages people to include the health of their minds as well as their bodies, when looking to improve their wellbeing.Further informationThe Talking Cure by Professor Gillian Straker and Dr Jacqui Winship is published by MacmillanGill is a clinical professor in the School of Psychology at Sydney UniversityTo 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.

Tony became an actor against his mother's wishes. Three decades later, he won the part of a lifetime (R)

Travelling the world in pursuit of language and exploring its uses, abuses and transformation

Sally Young unearthed a culture of 'dog does not eat dog' as she wrote a history of Australia's newspaper barons

Gina Perry uncovers the strange story behind a controversial psychological experiment (R)

Dog whisperer Guy Hull on remarkable dogs, from life-saving kangaroo dogs to plane-flying Alsatians (R)