THRIVING MINDS PODCAST

🎧 Thriving Minds with Professor Selena Bartlett welcomes Dr. Bruce Greyson, a pioneering psychiatrist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia, for a profoundly moving and scientifically grounded conversation on near-death experiences (NDEs) and the nature of consciousness. In this episode, Dr. Greyson reflects on his 40 years of research, the development of the Greyson NDE Scale, and his acclaimed book After, which ex...

Can you be both a scientist and a mystic? In this extraordinary episode, Professor Selena Bartlett speaks with Dr. Anona Blackwell — a Lancet-published academic, former consultant physician, and author of From Medic to Mystic — about the turning point where evidence-based medicine no longer had all the answers.

Raised in rural poverty in Wales and rising to the heights of British medical academia, Dr. Blackwell quietly navigated a p...

In the rush to do more, fix more, and be more, we often forget the simplest truth:

Sometimes what we need isn’t another push… It’s a hand to hold. A moment to breathe. A reminder that we belong.

When I sat down recently with Amanda Cooke—poet, writer, and creator of Reunion Songs—what unfolded wasn’t just an interview. It was a reconnection. A weaving back into something ancient and alive. Something that...

When we visit the doctor, we routinely measure blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, weight, and heart rate.  For years, we’ve known that early life experiences—especially stress and adversity—leave long-lasting marks on the nervous system. But we rarely stop to ask: How can we see those marks?

That’s where the eye comes in.

 Why the Eye Reveals the Brain

The corneal nerve plexus is a dense network of sensory nerves at the front of th...

SEEN is a groundbreaking feature-length documentary—and now a powerful podcast companion—that explores the untold story of how healing our own childhood wounds can transform the way we parent. At the heart of this series lies a bold and hopeful message: when parents confront and rewire their own coping mechanisms, it doesn't just change their lives—it reshapes their children's developing brains.

Through raw, unfiltered con...

📌 Key Insight:
Modern parenting often prioritises convenience and safety over challenge and growth. But kids need opportunities to struggle, try, fail, and try again to build the emotional muscles they’ll need for life.

“We’re putting 3-year-olds on iPads but not letting them zip up their coats.” – Nicole Runyon

Let’s flip the script—and raise a generation built on connection, competence, and confidence...

Anthony England, Director of Innovation at Pymble Ladies’ College, discusses a bold grassroots initiative to reclaim childhood from the grip of digital addiction. With screen time skyrocketing and mental health declining, Anthony and his team took action—rolling out over 800 custom-managed smartphones designed to grow with students, limit harmful content, and foster real-world connection.

Pymble has chosen a new and courageous path—...

‘Parents who are so worried about offending others by setting boundaries for their kids make it so easy for me to offend” :  Relayed from repeat offender to Feather Berkower, expert in parenting safe children.

 In an era where information is at our fingertips, one of the most critical skills for parents and educators in 2024 is empowering our children to navigate their world safely, especially when it comes to protecting them from s...

In this episode, we dive into the revolutionary ideas of developmental psychologist Peter Gray, author of Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life. Gray challenges conventional education by making a bold case for self-directed, play-based learning – or "unschooling" – as the best path to prepare kids for a rapidly changing world.

Draw...

Stop Stuffing the Duck with Mary Hewitt

In this insightful episode of Unlocking Childhood, Mary Hewitt unpacks the idea of "Stop Stuffing the Duck"—a powerful metaphor for how we often overload children with expectations, information, and stress. Mary explores how society's approach to childhood can inadvertently suffocate natural curiosity and resilience, rather than nurturing it.

Drawing on the groundbreaking ACEs To...

“Wired for Good: The Intersection of Neuroscience, Connection, and Success”
🎙️ Live from the Shand Taylor Lawyers Ladies Function for IWD 2025

This special International Women’s Day episode explores the fascinating intersection of neuroscience, connection, and success—how our brains are wired for good and what that means for leadership, resilience, and well-being.

Recorded live at the Shand Taylor Lawyers Ladies Function for IW...

Empower, Nurture, Flourish – ECLD 2025 Keynote

Standing on the stage at Optus Stadium, in Perth looking out at 700 passionate educators, leaders, and changemakers, there was an undeniable energy in the room, with a shared commitment to shaping the minds and hearts of future generations. This was more than a conference; it was a movement.

Delivering the ECLD 2025 keynote was a privilege. The impact of early childhood educators cannot ...

In a world that often asks us to conform, it takes immense courage to show up as our true selves. Rudi Landmann embodies bravery, stepping forward with authenticity, heart, and a commitment to being seen.

As part of the 2025 Why People Are Good Inside movement, we welcome Rudi into our bubble of love and support—where kindness, understanding, and connection pave the way for real change.

Being truly seen isn’t just about visibility; i...

Why Are People Good Inside? A Valentine’s Week Reflection

Have you ever sat back and wondered why everything functions despite the avalanche of news suggesting it is falling apart?

I’ve watched everyday people helping others—lifting grocery bags for a stranger, steadying an elderly person’s walker on a staircase, retrieving a lost toy that slipped from a parent's grasp. I've seen nurses and assistants speaking gently to a y...

Guy MacGillivray on Sugar and Mental Health – Our Most Downloaded Episode Ever!

This episode is a game-changer!  Our conversation with Guy MacGillivray has become the top episode of all time—and for good reason.

Guy is a psychologist and social worker in Port Lincoln, a devoted father of three, and a passionate advocate for people with disabilities. But his journey into understanding sugar and mental health started with a personal re...

Who shaped your understanding of financial independence? Let’s continue the conversation in the comments. When my sister and I were about 10 years old, my mum, June Hocart, often said, "My job is to make you financially independent." At the time, we didn’t fully grasp what she meant. But as we grew older, we saw how she lived those words—studying by torchlight under the sheets in her dormitory to become a nurse, later run...

In this episode, Yush Sztalkoper shares her transformative journey as a parent raising neurodiverse and twice-exceptional children—kids who are both gifted and experience challenges such as ADHD or dysregulated behaviours. 

By replacing screen time with enriching activities like reading, outdoor play, and family board games. Within two weeks, her children exhibited reduced impulsivity and became more autonomous, underscoring the pow...

"When I ask 16-21 year olds what they wish their parents had known about social media, they say, number one, don’t give us phones and social media too young." 

- Children's Commissioner for England, Rachel De Souza 

As the first smartphone generation hits adulthood, they are reflecting on their lost wonder years, a precious period of their lives they can never get back. Too many of them regret a childhood wasted on scr...

In this episode, we dive into the growing wave of lawsuits being filed against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, Tik Tok by parents and guardians concerned about the mental and physical harm these platforms are causing younger users. Research indicates a troubling rise in social media addiction among teens, leading to severe mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, self-harm, eating ...