The EAP Counsellor

Episode 52: Grief Talks: The Conversations We All Need

Today on the podcast I'm joined by Katrina Shaw - grief educator, counsellor, and the founder of Grief Talks. Katrina is passionate about making conversations around grief more compassionate, accessible, and real, whether that's in workplaces, schools, or communities.
Katrina Shaw is determined to showcase that talking about the ‘hard stuff’ doesn’t have to be a scary or sombre experience. Her passion and advocacy as a grief specialist in particular, is shaped by much of her own life with the death of her mum as a teen and more recently navigating infertility, recurrent miscarriage and motherhood. With a diploma of counselling, she gently blends storytelling and evidence-informed strategies to ensure audiences leave with tangible and effective tools for their own belt. 
Starting as the first appointed ambassador for Child Bereavement UK back in 2015, Katrina naturally progressed to become founder of Grief Talks Education and is regularly termed the ‘grief-girl’ for her community contributions and awareness efforts. From working with primary school aged children to sharing knowledge with business leaders and their teams, her ability to break down barriers and adapt to a variety of audiences allows her to create spaces of vulnerability, connection and most of all, hope. 
 

Burnout, Boundaries & Behaviour: A Psychologist's Take on Healthy Workplaces

Welcome to Episode number 51 of The EAP Counsellor Podcast. Today I'm thrilled to be joined by Lynsey Byrom, a Clinical Psychologist with over 15 years of experience supporting people and workplaces to build healthier lives and cultures.
Lynsey has worked across defense, law, finance, health, and corporate sectors, and offers everything from one-on-one therapy to large scale psychoeducational workshops and seminars.
She's deeply passionate about helping people live rich, full, and meaningful lives while navigating stress, pain, and pressure - and she has a beautiful way of making mental health practical, human, and workplace-relevant.
Lynsey is based in Geelong, Victoria, and can be contacted via her website - www.lynseybyrom.com.au
 

Episode #50: Why Mental Health First Aid Belongs in Every Workplace

Welcome back to another episode of theeapcounsellor – the podcast that explores real conversations around workplace wellbeing, leadership, and support that works.
Today’s episode is a special one – we're joining the celebration of 25 years of Mental Health First Aid by exploring the “Why” behind it all. Why people choose to become Mental Health First Aiders, why it’s more than just a course, and why it’s essential in Australian workplaces right now.
I’m joined by the brilliant Leah Veenhuizen, a Registered Nurse and qualified Mental Health First Aid facilitator who brings over 15 years of healthcare experience and a deep commitment to breaking down stigma. Leah also hosts the community radio show Just a Thought, where she continues to create safe spaces for mental health conversations.
In this episode, Leah shares her own "why", what makes MHFA different, and how workplaces can step up to support their people in meaningful ways. 
To find out more and get in touch with Leah Veenhuizen - Go to her website - https://www.leahv.com.au/
 

Episode 49 - Digital Boundaries & Better Wellbeing: A conversation with Tom Clark from Ctrl Your Scroll

Tom is the founder of Ctrl Your Scroll, a company and movement dedicated to helping people build healthier digital habits, improve their wellbeing, and feel good about logging off.
This is a MUST-LISTEN podcast episode. Listen to Tom's personal realisation that his digital habits were impacting his wellbeing and how he turned his own experience into something powerful that now supports others in workplaces, schools and clubs.
Tom is open, honest, full of research and information, and loves to give practical tips to learn how to CTRL YOUR SCROLL.
To find out more and get in contact with Tom - go to his website - www.ctrlyourscroll.com.au

Episode 48 - The Backbone of Wellness: A Conversation with Dr Mick Rowe

Dr Mick Rowe is a Chiropractor and Founder of Grove Chiropractic in Ocean Grove, Victoria. Mick has a passion for holistic, natural healthcare, that acknowledges the body's inbuilt cleverness.
Dr Mick's own introduction to Chiropractic Care was a sore back. Mick injured himself playing tennis as a teenager and couldn't play the sport he loved. Coincidentally his tennis coach was also a Chiropractor, who he saw following his injury, and who helped him get back on the court!
A few memorable things stood out to Dr Mick from his first visit as a client of Chiropractic Care. His chiropractor assessed his body holistically. He wasn't solely concerned with treating his symptoms, but addressing the underlying cause of his back pain to prevent it! He was introduced to the very obvious, but previously unquestioned truth, that his body was clever and could heal itself!
It is with pleasure that I introduce Dr Mick to The EAP Counsellor podcast. He is inspiring to listen too, a fabulous Chiropractor, and a genuinely great person!
To get in touch with Dr Mick go to his website - www.grovechiro.com.au
 

Episode 47 - The Land of Nod!

Did you know that 40% of Australian's struggle to get the recommended amount of 7-9 hours of sleep per night?
That's almost half of us!
Recent studies have named SLEEP the first pillar of health, and that makes so much sense. Without adequate sleep, coupled with poor sleep quality, people are struggling through their days, and suffering the consequences.
In today's podcast, Lou chats to Amy Huebner of AH Sleep Specialists about the very important topic of sleep, the importance of sleep, the impact of poor sleep on our everyday lives, including our work day, and how AH Sleep Specialists are helping the sleep hygiene of Australian employees.
To find out more about Amy and AH Sleep Specialists, go to her website www.ahsleepspecialists.com.au
 

Meet Karen Bishop-Hubert - An EAP Counsellor (niched in Grief & Loss) with Industry & Workplace Wellbeing Experience

Getting to Know Karen Bishop-Hubert:
As a valued member of The Team Approach, Karen Bishop-Hubert brings extensive experience and a compassionate, supportive approach to her work. Lou sat down with Karen to delve deeper into her journey, her philosophy, her niched area of counselling, and her approach to leadership and team wellbeing.

Mission Possible: Spreading Wellbeing to the Masses!

In this special episode we are kicking off a heartwarming mission to help as many people as we can between now and Christmas! (And don't worry, we're in this for the long game - we won't stop come New Year's!)
Every day we get to help people navigate life's ups and downs, and we just LOVE IT! Whether you know someone going through a tough divorce, a child dealing with school anxiety, a family struggling to make ends meet, a carer juggling multiple roles, or an employee whose performance is affected by personal issues - our aim is to support and uplift!
Ready to make an impact? Press play and let's get started.

Episode 44 - Authentic Impact - Special Guest Interview - Welcome Grant Melrose

In today's episode, Lou welcomes a special guest to the podcast, Grant Melrose. Grant is the founder of Authentic Minds, based in Warwick, who is on a mission to help over 10,000 people in rural, regional and remote communities of Australia. Grant is all about helping people to reach their full potential and has a vision to build a resilient and non-judgemental community of people that understand everyone carries their own beliefs and perspectives.
If you are looking for a Personal Growth Coach, or a workshop facilitator that has lived experience and possesses an extensive skill set in the Australian Agriculture and Agribusiness Leadership community, then Grant Melrose is that man.
Grant has a depth and breadth of experience, and overcoming his own personal challenges of how to deal with stress, shows that we can only really change ourselves.
Some words to describe Episode 44 of the podcast are; authentic, real, raw, vulnerability, growth, lived experience, and totally impactful!
Listen in to Lou and Grant's conversation and take note of the strategies, ideas and suggestions around mental health, wellbeing, personal growth, coaching, and of course workplace wellbeing.
To find out more about Grant and to get in touch with him -   
Email - info@authenticminds.com.au
Website - www.authenticminds.com.au
Instagram - @theauthenticminds
 

Episode 43 - Behind the Scenes at The Team Approach

Today's podcast episode gives listeners a brief, behind the scenes, look of a typical day for Lou, Director of The Team Approach.
As you will hear Lou's days are interesting, inspiring, varied and meaningful! EAP Counselling Appointments form part of every day, as do Wellbeing Strategy sessions, Leadership Coaching, and writing and delivering Educational Workshops on a range of Wellbeing Topics.
Does your workplace have a Wellbeing Strategy?