Dr Russell Thackeray interviews Melbourne-based clinician and BBM (Brain Benefit Movement) founder Aram Cargill, a father of nine and former musician who developed a protocol to improve self-regulation and executive function, informed by raising a daughter with level 3 autism and two sons with ADHD and publishing multiple journal papers.

They discuss ADHD diagnosis via DSM indicators, how ADHD traits vary by individual, and how ADHD-like symptoms can arise from stress, trauma, environment, and modern “base load” pressure.

Cargill differentiates ADHD and autism, describing autism as more insular and emphasising expectation management and transition “thresholds,” and explains hyperfocus and detail-noticing as strengths.

They explore higher burnout in neurodivergent people, concerns about short-form scrolling (including a child’s stutter resolving when iPads were removed), and his book “Seven Pillars of Mental Fitness,” arguing for proactive mental fitness in schools and a physiology-first lens; he outlines pillars including vision, attitude, awareness, adaptability, grit, recovery, and connectivity, and shares where to find the book and his research.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

00:27 Aram Background and BBM

01:58 What ADHD Really Is

04:01 Symptoms vs Diagnosis

07:10 ADHD and Autism Differences

08:23 Autism Expectations and Safety

12:16 Hyperfocus and Tech Careers

15:41 Burnout and Modern Stress

18:21 Social Media and Kids Brains

22:20 Why Mental Fitness Matters

27:10 Seven Pillars Overview

29:45 Physiology First Psychology

31:14 Who the Book Is For

33:51 Where to Get the Book

34:58 Find Aram and Closing

You can contact us at info@qedod.com

Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

Host Dr Russell Thackeray welcomes Fort Lauderdale–based visual artist, therapeutic arts practitioner, author, and two-time cancer survivor Nerissa Balland, who discusses her work at the intersection of creativity, resilience, and personal growth.

After being diagnosed with metastatic melanoma in 2016 while pregnant and parenting a toddler, she navigated surgeries, immunotherapy, later recurrence, chemotherapy she stopped due to low odds and side effects, and advocacy challenges including being told to terminate a pregnancy; she is now 8.5 years NED.

Balland distinguishes therapeutic arts from art therapy and reframes resilience as engaging with adversity and moving forward, focusing on process over product, identity, and what can be controlled.

She describes interviewing 100+ young mothers with cancer and her book, "Canvas of Courage," featuring 19 stories with practical “grace notes,” addressing gratitude, creativity, and how to show up for others.

00:00 Heatwave Welcome

00:48 Meet Nerissa

01:47 Art and Resilience Mission

04:07 What Visual Artist Means

05:20 Redefining Resilience

07:24 Therapeutic Arts Explained

10:24 Identity and Honest Expression

12:12 Corporate Toxicity Lessons

17:51 Control and Moving Forward

19:38 Creative Coping Stories

21:48 Melanoma Diagnosis Journey

30:14 Advocacy and Treatment Choices

32:28 Canvas of Courage Book

38:14 Where to Find Nerissa

38:57 Final Thanks and Goodbye

You can contact us at info@qedod.com

Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

Host Dr Russell Thackeray interviews Georgina Woodley in Perth, Australia about her background in big-four consulting, strategy, and 20+ years in market research, and her interest in applying personal-development “energy” concepts to organisations.

They discuss how people sense workplace culture, how individual mood and “underlying human state” affects meetings, authenticity, and leadership responsibilities to support mental wellbeing.

Woodley introduces Joy-o-meter, a measurement framework/program that assesses customer and staff experience plus the underlying human state to reveal patterns, capacity, and friction points affecting performance, loyalty, burnout risk, absenteeism, and turnover.

She argues joy is a strategic advantage linked to creativity, flow, and psychological safety, and contrasts joy measurement with satisfaction and NPS. Joy-o-meter uses succinct quantitative surveys with open-ended comments, can isolate current issues from past experiences, and is delivered flexibly via reporting, workshops, or dashboards.

Contact is via LinkedIn and joy-o-meter.com.

00:00 Summer vs Aussie Winter

01:39 Meet Georgina Woodley

02:30 What Energy Means at Work

06:19 Authenticity and Mood Responsibility

10:11 Measuring Joy with Joy-o-meter

12:59 Why Joy Drives Performance

16:36 Beyond NPS and Satisfaction

19:34 How Joy-o-meter Works in Practice

21:57 Finding Friction and Burnout Risk

26:30 Expectations and Better Signals

29:08 Where to Learn More

29:56 ROI Proof and Closing Thoughts

You can contact us at info@qedod.com

Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com