Why does doing what you love sometimes leave you exhausted, stuck, or questioning your identity?

In this episode of Inside Social Work, I speak with Dr Bronwyn Milkins, psychologist and host of the Mental Work podcast, about why the dream job ideal doesn’t always lead to happiness. We explore how hustle culture, guilt and overidentification with our jobs contribute to burnout, and what it actually looks like to reclaim space outside work.

Whether you're a therapist, educator or any kind of helping professional, this episode is for anyone who’s ever felt like work became too much of their identity.

Key takeaways:

• Why the dream job ideal can create internal pressure
• What happens when you’re praised for over-functioning
• The role of guilt in keeping people stuck in burnout
• How boundaries and rest protect your wellbeing
• Why it’s hard to separate identity from profession
• What sustainable success could look like instead
• How to shift your values without losing your sense of purpose

Contact Dr Bronwyn Milkins here at mentalworkpodcast@gmail.com

Resources:

• Mental Work Podcast
• Inside Social Work
• The Therapy Hub
• Career Guide

If this episode hit close to home, share it with a friend or colleague who might be carrying the same weight.

Got something you'd like to hear on the podcast?

🎙️ Got a question or something on your mind? Send it through. You can write it or email a voice memo to contact@marievakakis.com.au, and it might be featured in a future episode of Inside Social Work.

Your curiosity could help shape a conversation that resonates with the wider community.

Want to be a guest? Submit a speaker request here

http://marievakakis.com.au/be-a-podcast-guest/

Got an anonymous question? Submit it here:

https://forms.gle/wg7Lk61xde9Lge976

Do you ever feel like you need to have all the answers in the first few sessions? Maybe you’ve wondered if your client is silently asking themselves, is this going to help?

In this episode of Inside Social Work, I chat with Dr Bronwyn Milkins from the Mental Work podcast about the pressures, pacing, and expectations that sit inside the first three sessions of therapy. We unpack what actually helps clients stay engaged and why slowing down can sometimes be the most helpful thing we do.

This conversation is honest, practical, and filled with reflections for early career therapists and anyone supporting people through the first steps of therapy.

• Why the first three sessions can feel like they carry extra pressure for both clients and therapists
• What actually helps people stay in therapy
• The power of making the therapy process visible
• Why clarity, structure, and customer service really matter
• How scripts and checklists can guide, not restrict, the work
• Why slowing down is sometimes the most effective thing we can do
• The importance of culture, lived experience, and meaningful engagement
• Practical ways to check in, offer choice, and build trust

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love for you to share it with your colleagues or anyone supporting people in their early therapy sessions. You can also explore more resources and on-demand training via the website. Thanks for listening to Inside Social Work.

Contact Dr Bronwyn Milkins @ mentalworkpodcast@gmail.com

• On-Demand Training: Enhancing Clinical Outcomes in the First Three Sessions
• Mental Work Podcast

👉 Learn more about my on-demand course: Enhance Clinical Outcomes in the First Three Sessions: https://marievakakis.com.au/courses/enhancing-clinical-outcomes-in-the-first-three-sessions/

Got something you'd like to hear on the podcast?

🎙️ Got a question or something on your mind? Send it through. You can write it or email a voice memo to contact@marievakakis.com.au, and it might be featured in a future episode of Inside Social Work.

Your curiosity could help shape a conversation that resonates with the wider community.

Want to be a guest? Submit a speaker request here

http://marievakakis.com.au/be-a-podcast-guest/

Got an anonymous question? Submit it here:

https://forms.gle/wg7Lk61xde9Lge976

What if the therapist you were seeing just got it?

What if you didn’t have to explain your cultural background, your lived experience, or the reasons you approach life the way you do?

In this episode of Inside Social Work, I sat down with Tham Fuyana, Social Worker, Family Therapist and Educator, to talk about what it’s like navigating therapy as a BIPOC client.

BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and people/ person of colour

While I'm not a person of colour and can’t speak from lived experience, I shared reflections from my perspective as a therapist and acknowledged the limits of my own experience, while making space for this important conversation.

Tham shares powerful insights from their lived experience as a person of colour and as a therapist, reflecting on how this shapes their work and the way they connect with clients.

Tham talks about the experience of searching for a BIPOC therapist, the invisible barriers to accessing mental health care, and why representation and understanding matter in the therapy room. They reflect on what it means to be truly seen, and the challenges many people of colour face when navigating mental health services.

Key things discussed

• What it means to seek a BIPOC therapist and why it matters
• How intersectionality shapes the therapy experience
• Barriers to accessing mental health care for people of colour
• The emotional weight of having to always explain your story
• Why some people feel safer being vulnerable with someone who "gets it"
• How representation can impact trust and connection in therapy
• The complexity of navigating multiple identities in multicultural Australia
• Practical ways to find the right therapist for you

Resources

Therapy Hub: https://www.thetherapyhub.com.au

Got something you'd like to hear on the podcast?

🎙️ Got a question or something on your mind? Send it through. You can write it or email a voice memo to contact@marievakakis.com.au, and it might be featured in a future episode of Inside Social Work.

Your curiosity could help shape a conversation that resonates with the wider community.

Want to be a guest? Submit a speaker request here

http://marievakakis.com.au/be-a-podcast-guest/

Got an anonymous question? Submit it here:

https://forms.gle/wg7Lk61xde9Lge976