women and children

The first shelter in Australia for women and children escaping violent partners opened in Sydney in 1974.

Two very different writers explore the dynamics of family and violence: Tony Birch in a 1960s working class, Catholic family and Christos Tsiolkas in middle-aged gay relationships.

Tune in to the second episode in this two-part series as Sabin Fernbacher and Louise Newman build on their previous conversation and explore in more depth, the complex inter-relationship between family violence and mental health; and trauma and mental health. 

Join them as they identify the potential significant social, developmental and mental health costs on adults, families, children and, in fact, communities that experience trauma. Hear as they describe diagnosis as a form of ‘shorthand’ and how diagnosis, in and of itself, doesn’t describe how the experience of trauma, poor attachment, repetition of dysfunctional maladaptive relationships, complex trauma and/or relational trauma has impacted.

From their extensive clinical experience working with women and children who have suffered from the persistent effects of family violence, Sabin and Louise explore the importance of sensitive enquiry about family violence; how compassionate questions mitigate blaming and labelling, shifting the focus away from ‘what is wrong with this person?’ to ‘what happened to them?’; providing a much richer perspective. 

They provide practical tips and strategies about when to ask and how to craft questions which will elicit responses which actually help clinicians to understand.

This episode is a must-listen for mental health professionals looking to better understand the impact of family violence on mental health.

Liked this episode? Stay tuned for future episodes of A Conversation About… by following MHPN Presents.

Visit the MHPN website for episode host and guest bios, recommended resources and a self-directed CPD form.

Share your comments, questions and feedback about A Conversation About…, or any of MHPN’s podcast series here: https://bit.ly/3d6nFea.

In this two-part series of A Conversation About… join Sabin Fernbacher and Louise Newman, peers and experts in this area as they share their insights into the complex nature and prevalence of family violence and its impact on Australian women, children and their mental health.

Listen as they traverse the challenges of the field – the chicken and egg of intervention (What came first, the experience of family violence or the mental illness?) to the limitations of merely diagnosing and treating the mental illness.

From gaslighting to coercive control, Sabin and Louise share what they have learnt from their extensive experience working clinically with women and children who have suffered the persistent mental health challenges linked with family violence.

Guest and host leave no stone unturned as they delve into the unique challenges and triumphs of their work, as well as the critical role mental health professionals play in providing trauma-informed care.

Liked this episode? Stay tuned for future episodes of A Conversation About… by following MHPN Presents.

Visit the MHPN website for episode host and guest bios, recommended resources and a self-directed CPD form.

Share your comments, questions and feedback about A Conversation About…, or any of MHPN’s podcast series here: https://bit.ly/3d6nFea.

In this series, we are hearing direct from survivors of abuse. Today's show we hear from Diem Mooney. Diem is a male survivor of abuse, from a relationship which lasted seven years. Diem found the courage to get out, with his young son, in 2019, we will hear about how Diem rebuilt his life and the advice he offers to others in the same situation.

"I process for a long time.  I'm not anxious about what is, or if there is, something else.  It's the joy of what is it, next!"

A comment from an Instagram follower about homelessness in the South Bronx sparked this episode. What does homelessness look like in our community? How many NYC children spend their nights in shelters because their single-parent households can't afford rent? We find that the face of homelessness in the South Bronx is not the one we had imagined.