Have you ever been sitting with a young person in session while their parent waits outside, unsure how much to involve them and quietly worrying about saying the wrong thing?

Working with parents alongside young people can feel daunting. Consent, confidentiality, boundaries, imposter syndrome, emotional parents and limited time can all make it feel safer to avoid parents altogether.Avoiding bringing families into the room missed crucial information and support for the young person . It can also leave families feeling excluded and unsure of how to help.

In this episode, originally recorded for the Mental Work podcast with Dr Bronwyn Milkins, I talk about how to confidently and ethically include parents in therapeutic work with young people. This is not about full family therapy. It is about thoughtful collaboration that supports the work rather than complicates it.

If you work with young people and feel unsure about how to manage parents, this episode offers reassurance, practical ideas, and a reminder that you do not need to do this perfectly to do it well.

In this episode, I talk about

• Why involving parents often feels overwhelming for clinicians

• Common fears early career practitioners have when working with families

• How to set clear boundaries around confidentiality and expectations

• Practical ways to include parents without overwhelming the work

• Shifting from fixing to holding space when emotions run high

• How collaboration with families can strengthen outcomes for young people

Contact Dr Bronwyn Milkins @ mentalworkpodcast@gmail.com

Resources:

1. Mental Work Podcast

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:

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What happens when we don’t own our stuff?

This episode of Inside Social Work, I’m joined by psychologist and researcher Dr Bronwyn Milkins to talk about something many of us encounter in our work: what happens when we avoid taking responsibility for how we show up in the work.

We explore those reactive moments. The times we avoid difficult conversations. The situations where our own history or blind spots start to shape our interactions with clients and teams. We discuss the importance of

emotional responsibility in mental health settings and why being trained in this work does not make us immune to rupture, defensiveness or being messy humans.We talk about

• Why mental health workers idealise their colleagues

• What happens when professionals avoid their own inner work

• How shame and perfectionism show up in teams

• When supervision becomes a mirror rather than a shield

• The difference between being healed and being honest

• How to recognise your triggers before they spill into the work

• Ways to bring more transparency, ownership and repair into your workplace

If this episode stirred something for you, you are not alone. We are all human in this work.

Contact Dr Bronwyn Milkins @ mentalworkpodcast@gmail.com

Resources

• Mental Work Podcast

• Brene Brown YouTube clip on blame

•📕 Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

•📕 Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

• Grow Yourself Up by Jenny Brown

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

Couples therapy can be some of the most rewarding work we do, but it can also be some of the most challenging. If you’ve ever found yourself sitting in the room thinking, am I helping or am I refereeing?, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Inside Social Work, I revisit a conversation originally recorded with Dr Bronwyn Milkins on the Mental Work Podcast, where we break down what it really looks like to work with couples without getting pulled into the crossfire.

We explore what actually happens in sessions, why structure matters, and how to navigate the emotional intensity that comes with two people bringing their pain, frustration, and hopes into the room.

Whether you’re new to couples work or trying to build more confidence, this conversation offers clear, practical guidance grounded in real clinical experience.

We explore:

• Why couples work can feel emotionally demanding
• How structure helps contain conflict
• What live conflict reveals about patterns
• How to stay steady without taking sides
• What to consider when separation is on the table

Resources:

• When should you refer an individual to couples therapy? Blog post by Marie.
• This Complex Life - Marie's podcast where she delves into the messiness of wellbeing and relationships.
• Books: Come Together by Emily Nagoski, Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel, Eight Dates by John and Julie Gottman
• Interested in couples therapy training? Gottman Therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy are common evidence-based approaches!

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