Show Notes
Closure can feel like the ultimate solution to help us heal. But is it all it's cracked up to be? Today, we learn about ambiguous loss — the type of grief that comes without closure. We know navigating uncertainty is tricky, so what practical steps can we take to process this kind of loss? A heads up, this episode touches on some heavy topics around loss and trauma. Guests: Carly DoberPsychologist Dr Pauline BossProfessor emeritus, University of MinnesotaAuthor, Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic Author, Change and Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Senior producer: James Bullen Producer: Rose Kerr Sound engineer: Roi Huberman More information: The psychology of closure — and why some need it more than others Motivated closing of the mind: "seizing" and "freezing" Beyond dogmatism: The need for closure as related to religion Need for cognitive closure, tolerance for ambiguity, and perfectionism in medical school applicants Ambiguous loss To explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
More from All In The Mind
This week, we unpack the appeal of masculinity influencers and the psychological needs they fulfil, like the need for certainty and a sense of purpose. Because interestingly, boys and men who consume manosphere content are more optimistic about their futures — but they're also more likely to struggle with their mental health. We also get advice for parents on how to talk to their kids about some of the more extreme elements of the manosphere (hint: don't lecture, lead with curiosity). Guests: Dr Zac SeidlerClinical psychologist Global Director of Research at Movember Associate Professor, Orygen, The University of Melbourne Ben Vasiliou CEO of The Man Cave More info: The State of Man on ABC iviewTo explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Five years of unpaid taxes. Homework handed in on the last day of an extension. Some people are champion procrastinators. Why? And what does task paralysis (sometimes called ADHD paralysis) have to do with it? Today: the personality traits that make you more prone to procrastination, the types of tasks we're most likely to put off, and what to do if your to-do list sends you into fight-or-flight mode. This episode first aired in August 2025. Guests: EvaHigh school student Dr Catherine HoulihanClinical psychologistSenior lecturer in clinical psychologyDirector of the UniSC Psychology ClinicUniversity of the Sunshine Coast Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Producer: Rose Kerr Senior producer: James Bullen Sound engineer: Simon Branthwaite To view the transcript for this episode, head to its original webpage. To explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Today, we're making sense of the tips, tricks and treatments that the self-help landscape has to offer. So whether you're keen to try exposure therapy, tackle your need for validation or restructure your thinking, we'll unpack the psychology so you can improve your life. Guests: Dr Jeremy StevensonClinical psychologistCo-author, The 12 Levers: The Complete Psychological Toolkit For Improving Your Life Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Senior producer: James Bullen Producer: Rose Kerr Sound engineer: Roi Huberman Related episodes: Managing your emotions so they don't manage you 'What if I'm a paedophile?' The intrusive thoughts that haunted Uma Healing from self-hatred The cognitive distortions of a high achiever Hypochondria and cyberchondria: the many ways to worry about health Facing fears and phobias
As the headlines get scarier, a neuroscientist and an English professor weigh in on some of our big questions about AI. From cognitive offloading to memory and creativity, we'll examine what AI can offer and what should be kept for human minds. Sophie Gee and Reuben Rideaux appear in Where's the AI Off Switch? on 4 October, co-presented with The University of Sydney, as part of Curious at the Sydney Opera House. Guests: Professor Sophie GeeDepartment of English, Princeton UniversityCo-director, Eleos Collaboration, University of Sydney Dr Reuben RideauxCognitive neuroscientistSenior Lecturer in the School of PsychologyUniversity of Sydney Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Senior producer: James Bullen Producer: Rose Kerr Sound engineer: Tegan Nicholls To explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Reading is good for you, but fiction has added benefits. So how does reading work in the brain? Why are stories so impactful? And why, in this era of book clubs and booktok, are literacy rates not thriving? Get your votes in for Radio National's Top 100 Books Countdown before October 1st. Guests: Professor Genevieve McArthurAustralian Centre for the Advancement of Literacy, ACUDirector of Research Translation, Dyslexia SPELD Foundation Dr Lili YuSenior Lecturer, School of Psychological SciencesMacquarie University Centre for Reading Dr Raymond MarProfessor of PsychologyYork University J.A. (Jess) StevensAuthor, A Change of Pace BecJess' partner Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Reporter/producer: Rose Kerr Senior producer: James Bullen Sound engineer: Tim Jenkins Resources: Reading Writing Hotline 1300 6 555 06 Literacy for Life Foundation Dyslexia SPELD foundation More information: More than 1 in 3 Australian adults are functionally illiterate. How can we fix this? The benefits of reading narrative fiction A chapter a day: Association of book reading with longevity What Chinese can teach us about reading Too many students have 'reading anxiety'. New research suggests it is triggered by problems in primary school Reading and associations with brain health, cognition, well-being, and mental health To explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.