PTSD can turn a legal claim into something far more personal than paperwork and timelines, and this episode is about what that looks like in the real world. It’s a follow-on from our previous conversation, and I’m joined by Vanessa from MLCOA, forensic psychiatrist Dr Derek Lovell, and barrister Charlotte Campbell to talk about how PTSD shows up in legal matters and what helps people move through the process with less harm.

We get into the importance of early intervention after trauma, including the simple but powerful idea of “psychiatric first aid” and why human connection matters before symptoms harden into something more entrenched. Charlotte shares how she builds rapport with clients in a way that protects their sense of control, while still preparing them for the realities of a legal process that can feel invasive and unpredictable.

We also explore what a trauma-informed legal approach actually is, and what it is not. That includes how evidence can be tested fairly without losing empathy, why causation and pre-existing vulnerabilities complicate claims, and how concepts like the eggshell skull rule play out when psychological injury is part of the picture. If you work in personal injury, this conversation will sharpen how you think about PTSD, clients, and the responsibilities of the system.

00:00 Welcome

02:21 PTSD Recap and Context

03:26 Trauma-Informed Client Meetings

10:37 Plaintiff Participation and Agency

12:42 Testing Evidence Without Harm

15:55 Causation and Eggshell Skull

21:33 Preparing for Court Cross Examination

23:31 Complex PTSD and Somatic Symptoms

27:13 Delayed Onset PTSD Stories

29:56 Early Intervention and Employer Support

Thanks to mlcoa and our guests on today’s episode

Website: https://www.mlcoa.com.au/

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Mentioned in this episode:

mlcoa

Two people can live through the same traumatic event and walk away with completely different psychological outcomes. In this episode, I’m back in the forensic psychiatry space, looking at PTSD in the context of personal injury claims, and why it is showing up more often in the work lawyers, insurers, and clinicians are doing. I’m joined by Dr Derek Lovell, forensic psychiatrist and co-author of the PIRS used in psychiatric impairment assessment, alongside Vanessa Daniel, National Legal Manager at MLCOA, who sits at the intersection of clinical insight and medico-legal process.

We talk about what PTSD is and how surprisingly recent it is as a formal diagnosis, including the history behind its recognition and the way trauma has been described long before the label existed. Dr Lovell steps through what clinicians are actually looking for when PTSD is on the table, including the kind of stressor involved and the symptom patterns that tend to matter most. We also touch on the grey areas that often create debate in claims, including where PTSD can be confused with other post-trauma presentations.

We then move into vulnerability and recovery, including why some people are more at risk, what tends to support resilience, and what effective early intervention can look like. Vanessa and I also explore how these psychiatric realities land in the legal world, particularly around expectations, assessment, and resolution in personal injury matters. If you work with psychological injury claims, this is a grounded conversation that will sharpen the way you think about PTSD, without turning it into a checklist.

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Book a Mediation or a 15-minute Discovery call with Damien: https://www.evolveresolve.com/booking

Website: https://www.evolveresolve.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/damien-van-brunschot

YouTube: @evolveresolve

Email: damien@evolveresolve.com

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is general information only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. ©2026 mlcoa | Law, Medicine & Everything in Between.

Mentioned in this episode:

mlcoa

Will McCartney deferred his Arts/Law degree to build Habeas, a specialised legal tech startup aiming to bridge the AI trust gap in professional practice. In this conversation, he joins me to unpack why generic AI platforms fall short in high-stakes legal settings and how traditional Boolean search leaves practitioners frustrated. Will shares his personal trajectory; from starting his studies at Cambridge to shifting gears during the pandemic, and explains how he set out to create an intuitive, natural-language research tool explicitly tailored to the Australian legal system.

The core of the discussion centers on the mechanics of mitigating hallucination risks through a "search-first, inference-second" architecture that prioritises verifiable data retrieval over predictive guessing. Will details how Habeas evolved from a pure research tool into a broader legal intelligence platform capable of advanced drafting and secure analysis across active matter files. They also look closely at adoption patterns, mapping out why agile sole practitioners, barristers, and boutique litigation firms are integrating these specialised workflows much faster than traditional, slow-moving corporate structures.

Looking toward the future, the conversation addresses how artificial intelligence will inevitably disrupt the billable hour and fuel the rise of AI-native law firms. Will analyses the market implications of the recent "Anthropic moment," exploring how shifting technology moats challenge old legal tech duopolies and democratises access for smaller practices. Ultimately, this episode highlights a profound irony: as technical legal execution becomes automated, the ultimate premium in the profession will shift back to strategic judgment, niche expertise, and deep client relationships.

00:00 Introduction

03:31 The Genesis of Habeas and Solving the Search Problem

05:28 Shifting to Legal Intelligence and Advanced Drafting

07:36 Finding Product-Market Fit in the Australian Market

10:05 Demystifying AI Hallucinations and the Trust Gap

11:38 Search-First, Inference-Second System Architecture

16:14 Adoption Trends and Competitive Pressures

18:00 Building Firm Culture and New Mental Models

21:56 Disrupting the Billable Hour and Law Firm Pricing

24:46 The Premium on Soft Skills, Judgment, and Relationships

26:51 Access to Justice and the Democratization of Law

29:40 Re-architecting Court Systems and AI-Native Firms

33:03 The Anthropic Moment and Shifting Legal Tech Moats

37:38 Where to Find Will McCartney and Habeas

Guest Links:

Will McCartney:

Website: https://www.habeas.ai/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-mccartney-a1494722a/

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WORK WITH ME:

Book a Mediation or a 15-minute Discovery call with Damien: https://www.evolveresolve.com/booking

Website: https://www.evolveresolve.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/damien-van-brunschot

YouTube: @evolveresolve

Email: damien@evolveresolve.com

If you’ve ever walked into a negotiation thinking the law and the facts would do the heavy lifting, and then watched the whole thing stall anyway, this episode will feel familiar. I’m joined by Nicole Davidson, accredited mediator and negotiation trainer, to talk about why disputes don’t settle on logic alone, and what actually moves people when positions are entrenched.

Nicole brings a rare mix of commercial and human skills, with a background spanning insolvency, investment banking, learning and development, and now commercial mediation. We talk about how she found her way into mediation through Harvard grounded negotiation training, and why she believes the quality of a mediator’s questions can be the difference between a good outcome and a great one.

We also get into the common mistakes lawyers make when negotiating, including over relying on legal merit and trying to “take the emotion out of it” when emotion is often the whole point. Nicole shares the core skills she sees as non negotiable, curiosity, asking better questions, and real listening, plus why negotiation training can give lawyers a framework they can use in disputes, deals, and everyday professional conversations.

Guest Links:

Nicole Davidson:

Website: https://www.nicoledavidsonnegotiation.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-davidson-negotiation/

More From Damien:

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WORK WITH ME:

Book a Mediation or a 15-minute Discovery call with Damien: https://www.evolveresolve.com/booking

Website: https://www.evolveresolve.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/damien-van-brunschot

YouTube: @evolveresolve

Email: damien@evolveresolve.com

Most workplace issues do not start as legal problems. They start as friction, fatigue, missed cues, and someone quietly thinking, I’m trying my best here and it still isn’t working. This conversation looks at how ADHD and neurodiversity can sit underneath those moments, and what employers can do early, before it becomes formal, adversarial or avoidable damage.

I’m joined by Vanessa from mlcoa, psychiatrist Dr Tim MacDonald, and Andrew Rich, partner at Gadens, to talk about what ADHD can look like at work and why more organisations are seeking clearer guidance on diagnosis, support, and reasonable adjustments. We explore ADHD as more than a label, including the strengths and challenges that can come with it, and why the right environment can change everything. Vanessa shares what she is seeing from employers, and Dr Tim brings the clinical lens on attention, stress, and performance.

Andrew then steps through the legal landscape, including how the Disability Discrimination Act and Fair Work Act approach reasonable adjustments and why you do not always need a formal diagnosis to start doing something sensible. We also talk about practical, low-drama ways to support neurodiverse employees, and how listening, role clarity, and small adjustments can prevent issues escalating into formal disputes.

CHAPTER MARKERS

00:00 ADHD in the Workplace Panel

00:18 Why ADHD Awareness Is Rising

01:12 mlcoa Concierge Support Service

01:45 ADHD Clinical View and Neurodiversity

03:25 Employment Law Perspective on ADHD

04:08 ADHD Stigma at Work

07:28 ADHD Diagnosis vs Reasonable Adjustments

15:21 Flexible Work and Managing Workload

20:00 Privacy and Disclosure of ADHD

21:44 Psychosocial Hazards and WHS Duties

24:48 Getting Ahead of Workplace Conflict

28:23 Performance Management and Mediation

32:23 Strengths of ADHD at Work

35:05 Key Takeaways and Disclaimer

Guest Links:

Dr Tim MacDonald:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-tim-macdonald-4470ba92/

Vanessa Daniel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-d-b002496b/

Andrew Rich:

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/andrew-rich-50a84a5a

Gadens: https://www.gadens.com/

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WORK WITH ME:

Book a Mediation or a 15-minute Discovery call with Damien: https://www.evolveresolve.com/booking

Email: damien@evolveresolve.com

#mlcoa #adhd #mediation #coaching #legal #lawyer #evolveresolve

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is general information only and does not constitute legal or medical advice.

©2026 mlcoa | Law, Medicine & Everything in Between.

Mentioned in this episode:

mlcoa

ADHD is everywhere in the conversation right now, but there is still a lot of confusion about what it is, what it is not, and what good support actually looks like. I’m joined by Dr Tim MacDonald, a psychiatrist with deep academic and clinical experience, and Vanessa Daniel, National Customer and Legal Manager at mlcoa. Together we explore their collaboration, Law, Medicine and Everything in Between, and why bridging the medical and workplace worlds matters more than ever.

Dr Tim talks through how ADHD is diagnosed in practice, why more people are presenting for assessment, and the common misconceptions that show up in the current ADHD moment. We discuss the overlap with other conditions, the role of social media in shaping self diagnosis, and why medication is not a simple shortcut. If you have ever wondered why ADHD can be missed until adulthood, or why the clinical picture is rarely straightforward, this part of the conversation will give you a clearer frame.

Vanessa brings the medicolegal lens, including why ADHD assessments in workplace and legal contexts need more than a questionnaire and a quick label. We also touch on non pharmaceutical supports, the reality of managing ADHD in a high distraction world, and what this means for employers and professionals trying to do the right thing. This episode sets up the next instalment with Andrew Rich from Gadens, where we move into the practical workplace obligations and privacy issues that follow.

Guest Links:

Dr Tim MacDonald:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-tim-macdonald-4470ba92/

Vanessa Daniel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-d-b002496b/

More From Damien:

Website | LinkedIn | YouTube

WORK WITH ME:

Book a Mediation or a 15-minute Discovery call with Damien: https://www.evolveresolve.com/booking

Website: https://www.evolveresolve.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/damien-van-brunschot

YouTube: @evolveresolve

Email: damien@evolveresolve.com

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is general information only and does not constitute legal or medical advice.

©2026 mlcoa | Law, Medicine & Everything in Between.

Mentioned in this episode:

mlcoa

I sat down with Dr George Beaton, one of the sharpest minds on the future of the legal profession, to talk about what is changing and what is staying stubbornly the same. George has a rare mix of academic and commercial credibility, with a background in medicine, an MBA and PhD, senior fellow roles at the University of Melbourne’s business and law schools, and decades advising professional service firms through Beaton. He is also the author of books New Law, New Rules and Remaking Law, so he is not guessing at trends. He has been watching them form for years.

We cover the difference between Big Law and what George calls New Law, without the hype. Big Law still runs on familiar settings like hierarchy, billable hours and the partnership model, and it remains highly profitable. New Law, on the other hand, is more agile, more tech enabled, often more project based and far more willing to rethink pricing and ownership structures. We talk about what is actually driving the shift, including client expectations, business model pressure and the growing influence of technology and AI.

We also get practical about what this means for lawyers and leaders right now. George shares his view on the skills that will matter more as the market evolves, including judgment, relationships and broader life experience, not just technical competence. If you are curious about where the profession is heading and how to stay relevant without chasing every new trend, this conversation will give you a clear and grounded way to think about it.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgerbeaton/

Website: https://beatonglobal.com/

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WORK WITH ME:

Book a Mediation or a 15-minute Discovery call with Damien: https://www.evolveresolve.com/booking

Website: https://www.evolveresolve.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/damien-van-brunschot

YouTube: @evolveresolve

Email: damien@evolveresolve.com

Tania Waters is a conflict management specialist, accredited mediator, and conflict coach who has spent years in senior global roles across HR and legal services. She founded Taite in 2021 and now focuses exclusively on workplace mediation. In this conversation, we get practical about why mediation is still underused in workplaces and why bringing it in earlier, rather than after an investigation, can change the entire trajectory of a conflict.

We talk about what investigations can unintentionally do to people’s positions and emotions, especially in the classic he-said-she-said scenarios where nobody feels seen at the end of the process. Tania explains why workplace mediation is not about proving who is right or wrong. It is about sense-making, hearing each other’s experience, and working out how to move forward without ending up in the same place again. We also discuss why some organisations prefer the label facilitated conversation, and the real advantage of an external mediator, not just skill, but independence and psychological safety for the people in the room.

Finally, Tania shares a few ideas that will stick with you, including her view that conflict is data and that mediation can be a powerful leadership development tool. We also touch on the shift in expectations around psychosocial hazards, why law firms can still be surprisingly conflict-averse, and what sustainable change can look like when people actually have the conversation they have been avoiding.

CHAPTER MARKERS

00:00 Tania Waters, Workplace Mediation Specialist

01:17 Why Mediation Is Underused in HR and How to Fix It

02:45 When to Investigate vs. When to Mediate Workplace Conflict

04:39 How Mediation Shifts Perspectives and Breaks Entrenched Conflict

05:23 Mediation Is Not About Right or Wrong, It's About Sense-Making

07:35 Facilitated Conversation vs. Mediation: Why Labels Matter

12:41 The Superpower of Independent External Mediators

14:20 Personality Clash Is a Myth: The Real Root Causes of Workplace Conflict

21:00 Conflict Is Data: Using Workplace Conflict as a Leadership Tool

21:25 Mediation for Leadership Development and the REWA Conference Talk

23:08 Tania's Business Philosophy: Quality Over Scale

24:04 Workplace Mediation Specialisation and Keeping Skills Sharp

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taniawaters/

Taite Website: https://taite.com.au/

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