Beyond Madness

Animals and Healing

The role of 'companion animals' in providing comfort for those living with mental health problems has been studied, with positive benefits demonstrated. Dogs are the most commonly used in these situations, but what about horses? In this episode, we’ll be focusing on Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) - with guests Sarah…

10 Jan 2023 58 min

Mindfulness and Self-Awareness

We live in a world of distractions. Does one need to be an adherent of a specific philosophical approach to find inner peace? Or can one access it by adopting a way of being that might contribute to improved emotional health? Could 'mindfulness' be that way? On this week’s episode,…

6 Dec 2022 1 hr 01 min

Mental Health in the Workplace

A successful business has many components. Increasingly, organisations are focusing on employee wellness, understanding that a healthy workforce is a fundamental requirement for organisational health. Whilst physical health has been an obvious priority, the importance of mental health is now more clearly understood to impact significantly on employee performance… and…

29 Nov 2022 1 hr 01 min

Burnout and Compassion Fatigue

Healers are expected to heal, always. Patients (and their families) have expectations of being healed, always. Expectations. But what if the healer is depleted emotionally, physically, burnt out, incapable of giving what is expected - compassion, as part of the healing. Who heals the healer... and what happens to the…

22 Nov 2022 1 hr 01 min

The Gut, the Brain and Mental Health

The gut and the brain are linked, and that link may be more than the gut simply sending a message to the brain after a meal to signal satisfaction. What if the gut was a brain, of sorts? What if your mental health potentially depended on your gut health… could…

15 Nov 2022 1 hr 03 min

Serotonin: What's the Fuss?

Is depression caused by a 'chemical imbalance'? Is the serotonin theory of depression valid? How do antidepressant medications work? Does 'Big Pharma' influence narratives that serve their interests... and what about the patient? We speak to Prof. Michael Berk and Prof. Colleen Aldous to find out. Plus - we learn…

8 Nov 2022 1 hr 03 min

Body Image and Aesthetic Surgery

What motivates someone to seek out cosmetic procedures? Vanity? Perceived need? Or actual need? Is feeling uncomfortable with one’s appearance not legitimate reason enough? What are the benefits, and the risks? To explore these and other issues, on this week’s episode we welcome Dr Gereth Edwards and Dorianne Weil.

1 Nov 2022 59 min

Victims and Perpetrators

South Africa has one of the highest rates of femicide in the world. We speak to the father of a victim about the tragic event, and the criminal justice system. We discuss the issue of parole for perpetrators, the 'victim offender dialogue' component of the rehabilitation process, and the impact…

25 Oct 2022 1 hr 02 min

Abortion: Whose Life Is It?

The WHO reports that 121 million pregnancies annually are unintended, further noting that 6 out of 10 unintended pregnancies end in abortion. The WHO further notes that 45% of abortions are unsafe, with a maternal death rate of unsafe abortion being between 4.7% to 13.2%. Aside from physical consequences, there…

18 Oct 2022 59 min

Traditional Healers and Healthcare

Traditional healers... who are they, what do they do, and how are they involved in the lives of many South Africans - as healers - outside of the formal medical setting? To dissect this, we are joined by Prof. Solly Rataemane and Dr Lerato Dikobe-Kalane.

11 Oct 2022 1 hr 03 min

Women’s Mental Health

Does women’s mental health differ from men’s mental health? Is gender a critical variable, and does it play a role in how mental illness expresses itself? These questions form part of our conversation for this episode, where we are joined by two psychiatrists - Prof. Soraya Seedat and Prof. Solly…

9 Aug 2022 1 hr 02 min

Depression: A Role for Ketamine?

Depression is a debilitating condition, and medication can take weeks to provide relief. Suicide is a risk, and potential consequence. Psychiatry, as a discipline, has long sought a drug that might provide rapid resolution of both depressive symptoms, as well as suicidal thoughts. Could an anaesthetic agent, ketamine, be that…

2 Aug 2022 57 min

Living with Learning Problems

Keanu Reeves, Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, and Richard Branson – what do they have in common? Success, fame… and dyslexia – a specific learning disorder. Learning disorders affect many people, with the specific problem often undiagnosed, and the person misunderstood, potentially marginalised. Joining us for this episode are Dr Wendy…

26 Jul 2022 56 min

Dreams – individual meaning or general purpose?

Have you ever woken up, profoundly disturbed by a dream and wondered what it meant? Maybe nothing... but the images linger. Maybe dreams don’t mean anything, but if they occur as part of regular sleep, surely they serve a purpose as part of normal bodily functioning? To address these questions…

19 Jul 2022 58 min

Assisted Dying

Have you ever had a loved one or friend with a chronic condition, suffering, with no prospect of recovery – and they spoke of wanting to die... wishing for an end to their suffering? What if it were legally possible to assist them, to grant their wish? To discuss the…

12 Jul 2022 58 min

Living with ADHD

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a condition associated primarily with children, but is increasingly being diagnosed in adults too. The sufferer has their own challenges to face... but what about the parents, siblings, family, spouses, partners, colleagues, peers, and teachers? How do they live or cope with the sufferer?…

5 Jul 2022 59 min

The Trauma of Loss

The loss of a loved one, friend, or even a colleague is never easy. Whether the loss is directly personal or not, it generally gives pause to reflect... for thought about that person, their life, and of course our own mortality. What if the loss was a decision taken by…

28 Jun 2022 1 hr 02 min

The Psychology of Serial Killers

What is the societal fascination for serial killers all about? Who are these people who live amongst us, undetected, going about their crimes? What does it take to track them down, identify and apprehend them? This week we speak to Dr Gérard Labuschagne - a Clinical Psychologist, Criminologist, and an…

21 Jun 2022 55 min

Youth and Social Media

As a parent, do you worry that your child is spending too much time on their smartphone or other electronic devices? Are you concerned that they are more connected electronically, than to you? Is this simply how it is developmentally, and are any concerns about the potential - or actual…

14 Jun 2022 59 min

Divorce and Child Custody

Why should a perfectly good parent inside a marriage be potentially less so, outside of the marriage? Custody seems to equate with ownership of the child or children… is this true? It often seems that the terms “child custody” and “dispute” go hand in hand. Forensic psychologists Anthony Townsend and…

7 Jun 2022 52 min