Science of the Soul

A Biblical Counsellor’s Take on Humanity, Suffering, Healing and Meaning (Part 1)

This is an in-depth two-part podcast with Padre Chris Perona, a Biblical Counsellor. Padre Perona has had a colourful journey where his passions have not only led him to ministerial work for 15 years, but also through a career in nursing and advertising somewhere in between.

 

In this podcast, he shares his holistic approach of counselling from a spiritual framework, namely from a creationist paradigm. He candidly draws on his He also explains the difference between ministerial work and counselling, where he introduces the Freudian idea that a psychotherapist is in fact, a secular pastor.

 

Throughout Part 1, we discuss our perspectives on humanity, spiritual love, grief and pain, healing, injustice, hope, and meaning. By interpreting Psalm 77, Padre Perona extrapolates how core aspects of religion, aids in reframing life’s experience, which can cradle the mental health of believers.

 

We further address the philosophical standpoint of religion on mental health in terms of creating meaning for the ubiquitous suffering, therefore bolstering existential crises.

 

Towards the end of the hour, we address his perspectives of Yin & Yang and Karma alongside the Biblical understandings of Good & Evil.

 

Finally, we find ourselves on the topic of being ‘born again’, and it brought me to realise how this belief can undeniably mitigate intrapsychic distress.

 

Books referenced in the podcast:

The Question of Lay Analysis (Freud, 1969).

Man's Search for Meaning (Frankl, 1946).

Conversation with a Buddhist Travelling Nurse: Ego, Fear, and Love

Scott Andrews is a travelling nurse and a practising Buddhist for over a decade. Together, we delve deeply into ways of approaching fear, the nuances of using 'will' and bravado versus love and acceptance.

"If you can empower yourself with the ability to feel love... that doesn't consume any energy at all, in fact it generates energy."

We go further extrapolating elements of compassion in approaching fear, namely compassion to a part of the self- and this is where I realise the link with psychotherapy and 'parts' work.

We also unpack concepts involving the ego, intellect, and how wisdom prevails when we allow it to. We literally break down the mental processes involved, to learn or unlearn the approaches towards embracing (not so much confronting) our fears.

Creative Arts Therapy, Traumawork, and Altruistic Professional Development

Sanja Stojcic is a Holistic Therapist. She runs the College of Conscious Living where she engages with the Creative Arts towards professional AND personal growth. Issues around personal transformation, embodied traumas, parental contamination, building trust within a closed group, authenticity, and altruism were explored during this warm, humorous, yet heartfelt conversation. Tune in to learn more about the fundamental ideas and structure behind working with 1) the realisation, 2) the expression and, 3) the healing of embodied traumas.

Visit https://collegeofconsciousliving.com/ for more information.

The Uncertainty of Working from Home: Corporate Perspective

Asilah Shah is a consultant at a financial learning company. She shares with us her take on mental health from: An employee's experience AND an organization's perspective, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss factors around retention, retrenchment, coping mechanisms, lifestyle changes, and employee tracking systems. We also discuss the shifts in organizational culture from a dehumanizing stance early on in the pandemic, towards a more humanizing approach in 2021, by paying more attention to employee wellbeing such as incorporating in-house counselling services.

The Pursuit of Purpose vs Happiness: An Entrepreneur's Guide

Will Chan, is the Director of Marketing of Top Rock Productions, and is also a counsellor. His career in mental health started early in life, and he was heavily involved with St Vincent's Hospital as a clinician. In this podcast, he shares his journey as an entrepreneur, whereby he discussed why his primary motivation has always been centred on meaning and purpose.

Will Chan talks about how his second career path evolved from starting as a novice photographer, to videography and marketing productions. He gives insightful tips on keeping on the path towards success, when to keep pushing, and when to redirect your focus when starting out as an entrepreneur.

You can find Will Chan and his team of creatives @ https://toprockproductions.com/ or;

follow him on Instagram to check out his work @ https://www.instagram.com/will.captures.photography/ 

 

The resources discussed in this podcast are:

The Greater Good Science Centre @ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/ 

Hector & The Search for Happiness (by François Lelord)

Mental Health Awareness in the Entertainment Industry

Members from Behind the Scenes Community, have invited me to discuss mental health concerns pertaining to the entertainment industry in Australia. This light-hearted discussion was hosted by Tristan Braines, and facilitated by Will Chan, a Marketing Director who is also a mental health Clinician, and a dear friend of mine. Other members include the talented Director Taysha McFarland, and Actress Cynthia Pritchard. Please excuse the violent keyboard activity in the recording, I would like to believe that someone in the group was passionately taking notes about mental health!

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) & Counselling

Pokarlla Kiara is a counsellor with a special interest counselling individuals on the Autism Spectrum. Pokarlla recently learnt that she is also on the spectrum. She shares her reflections and personal experiences as a counsellor with ASD, counselling individuals with ASD. Definitely a unique and enlightening conversation. Check out Pokarlla's practice, Marama Counselling at https://www.maramacounselling.com/. 

Shitty Lessons in Life

An impromptu podcast which began with an encounter with bird shit. This soon spiralled towards contemplating gratitude, how to reap the benefits of it, and the neuroscience behind it. 

The Third Culture Kid (TCK)

Exploring the lives of TCKs from a mental health perspective with psychotherapist, Marium Akhund. Marium Akhund identifies as a TCK herself, and is based in London. We talk about the lifestyle of TCKs, how they make sense of their place in society, and mental health issues surrounding them. Marium also shares unique insight into the lives of TCKs, as well as her current research on TCKs in Saudi Arabia. 

Conversations with a Speech Pathologist

Exploring the mental health scene with speech pathologist, Kane Casson.