All In The Mind

Psychotherapist and relationship expert Esther Perel has had a lot of 'firsts' over her four decade-long career — counselling her first polyamorous relationship, or her first gay couple navigating surrogacy. Now, she's just done her first session with a man and his AI 'girlfriend'…
Did she struggle to take this ‘couple’ seriously? What kind of love can someone really form with a chatbot? And why would someone bring their AI partner to a relationship therapy session in the first place?This week, renowned psychotherapist, author, and speaker Esther Perel reflects on what’s changed in the decades she's worked as a relationship therapist; whether AI can be a helpful tool for therapy; and why we might be better off conceptualising AI companions as ‘transitional objects’ instead. Plus, join us in a few week's time for a very special mailbag episode with Esther, featuring your questions!
Guest:
Esther PerelPsychotherapist and couples therapistAuthor, The State of Affairs and Mating in CaptivityHost, Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel
Credits:
Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar
Senior producer: James Bullen
Producer: Rose Kerr
Sound engineers: Harvey O'Sullivan and Emrys Cronin
You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.

Developmental paediatrician Dr Billy Garvey is returning to All in the Mind and we'd love to ask him your questions!
Billy is an expert on kids' mental health — last time he was on the show we discussed what's really going on with kids who are labelled "bad"; including insecure attachment, separation anxiety and emotional difficulties. 
He co-hosts Pop Culture Parenting and is the author of Ten things I wish you knew about your child's mental health.
So if you have any questions you'd like to put to Billy, send them to [email protected] and include "question for Dr Billy Garvey" in the subject line.
And if you're looking for inspiration, you can find Dr Billy Garvey's previous episode here.
Thanks!
 - Sana and the All in the Mind team

The siren has sounded. The scores are even. A footy player has one final chance to kick an easy goal to get his team into the finals.
He's right in front of the goals. He lines up. Kicks. Misses. The pressure of such a moment was phenomenal, and the player choked under it.
So what happens in the brain during such intense periods? Why can some people remain calm while others can't handle it?
This episode first aired in July 2024.
Guests:
Caroline AndersonPerformance psychologistLead psychologist for the Paris 2024 Australian Olympic Team
Dr Chris MesagnoSenior lecturer in sport and exercise psychology, Victoria University
Louise PotterFootballer and Darebin Falcons legend
Mary SpillaneClinical psychologist
Credits:
Presenter: Sana Qadar
Reporter/Producer: Belinda Smith
Producer: Rose Kerr, Petria Ladgrove
Sound engineer: Russell Stapleton
To view the transcript for this episode, head to its original webpage.
You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.

40 years ago, NASA experienced one of its most devastating disasters.
The Challenger space shuttle disintegrated just 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven crew members.
How had this happened? And did the culture of NASA have anything to do with it?
In this episode, we dig into a concept called 'normalisation of deviance', which has been touted as an explanation for this incident, as well as the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster and a clinical drug trial that left six people in intensive care.
So what is 'normalisation of deviance'? How does it happen? And given its potential for harm, is there anything we can do to prevent it?
If you enjoyed this episode, check out the latest season of Science Friction, The Challenger Disaster (which is also produced by our senior producer James Bullen!)
Guests:
Dr Nejc SedlarLecturer, University of Aberdeen
Professor Sidney DekkerProfessor, Griffith University
Credits:
Presenter: Sana Qadar
Senior producer: James Bullen
Additional reporting/production: Fiona Pepper
Producer: Rose Kerr
Sound engineer: Roi Huberman
You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.
More information:
A qualitative systematic review on the application of the normalization of deviance phenomenon within high-risk industries.
Sidney Dekker — Drift into Failure.
Challenger: the disaster five people saw coming.
The Challenger Legacy — Science Friction.
Has NASA learned anything from the Challenger disaster?
When to trust your gut instinct, and when to ignore it
A deviation from standard design? Clinical trials, research ethics committees, and the regulatory co-construction of organizational deviance

Renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel is coming to All in the Mind! And we'd love to ask her some of your questions.
Esther Perel is an internationally recognised couples therapist. You might know her as the author of Mating in Captivity and The State of Affairs. Family, sex, intimacy, friendship, betrayal - Esther covers it all. 
So if you have any thorny relationship questions you'd like to ask her, send them to [email protected] and include "question for Esther Perel" in the subject line.
Thanks!