Dr Nathan MacArthur is a grief counsellor, researcher, and the founder of Sydney Grief Counselling. His work centres on helping people navigate the many shapes and seasons of grief — from bereavement and relationship loss to the quieter, less spoken-about forms of grief we carry throughout our lives. Nathan’s approach blends clinical insight with deep humanity, offering gentle, evidence-informed support to individuals, families, and carers, including kinship and foster carers who are often holding complex layers of loss in their homes.

In this episode, Nathan and Megan explore what grief really is, not just the pain that follows a death, but the grief tied to identity, missed possibilities, ruptured relationships, and the changes we didn’t choose. Nathan shares his research into adult grief experiences and the ways we can better understand the physical, emotional, and relational impacts of loss. They talk about how grief shows up for children, the importance of clear and honest language, and what adults can do to support the young people in their lives as they make sense of their own losses.

This conversation invites us to think about grief as a universal human experience, something we will all encounter, and something we can learn to navigate with more gentleness and courage. Nathan reminds us that grief is not something to fix, but something to honour. Whether you’re supporting others, moving through your own loss, caring for children in complex circumstances, or wanting to feel more confident having conversations about death, grief, and change, this episode offers insight, reassurance, and compassion.

You can find more about Nathan and his work here.

Host: Megan Corcoran, Wagtail Institute

Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. If you would like to work with Megan, head to our website or send an email: megan@megancorcoran.com.au

Music by Kabbilistic Village https://kabbalisticvillage.com/

Content warning: This episode includes discussion of childhood violence, self-harm, and suicidal ideation, which may be distressing for some listeners. Support services are listed below.

Aaron Stark is a writer, speaker, and mental health advocate best known for his viral TED Talk, “I Was Almost a School Shooter.” His story has reached millions of people around the world, offering a raw, honest look at how pain, neglect, and rejection can push a young person to the edge — and how a simple act of kindness can pull them back.

In this episode, Aaron and Megan talk about the early years that shaped his story — growing up surrounded by violence, instability, and homelessness — and the point where he began to lose hope in himself and the world around him. Aaron speaks openly about the moment he planned to commit an act of violence, and the unexpected friendship that changed everything. They discuss what true connection looks like for young people in crisis, the role of compassion in preventing harm, and why we must offer love to those who seem to need it the least.

This episode is confronting, moving, and ultimately full of hope. Aaron’s story reminds us that prevention begins with presence, and that a small act of kindness can quite literally save a life.

Help and Support:

If you or someone you know needs support, here are some resources available in Australia:

• 1800RESPECT – 24/7 national support for sexual assault, domestic, and family violence. Call 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800respect.org.au.

• • Lifeline – Crisis support and suicide prevention. Call 13 11 14 or visit www.lifeline.org.au.

  • Beyond Blue – Mental health support for anxiety, depression, and emotional distress. Call 1300 22 4636 or visit www.beyondblue.org.au.

  • Kids Helpline – Free, confidential support for young people (ages 5-25). Call 1800 55 1800 or visit www.kidshelpline.com.au.

  • Blue Knot Foundation – Support for adult survivors of childhood trauma. Call 1300 657 380 or visit www.blueknot.org.au.

  Please take care while listening, and reach out for support if needed.

  If you are outside of Australia, please reach out to your local services for support.

  
  

  You can contact Aaron via his email address: aaronstarkauthor@gmail.com

  
  

  Host: Megan Corcoran, Wagtail Institute

  Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. If you would like to work with Megan, head to our website or send an email: megan@megancorcoran.com.au

  
  

  Wagtail Institute on instagram

  Music by Kabbilistic Village https://kabbalisticvillage.com/

  
  

  
  

  
  

Benjamin Perks is a global child-rights advocate, educator, and author of Trauma Proof. Working for the UN in New York, he campaigns on human rights and child development and serves as a Senior Fellow at the Jubilee Centre, University of Birmingham, and an associate member of the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford. Today, he joins the podcast in a personal capacity as an author to discuss his research and vision for prevention.

In this conversation, Benjamin and Megan unpack what a true public-health approach to trauma prevention looks like. They explore the science of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), the economic and moral arguments for investing early, and why prevention must be treated as a social and policy priority—not an afterthought.

Benjamin outlines the layers of prevention—primary, secondary, and tertiary—and shares examples of how communities can be strengthened before harm occurs. He also reflects on his own childhood in care and a powerful realisation at a global conference on attachment theory, where he recognised that the research being discussed was describing his lived experience.

Benjamin also speaks about the teacher who changed the trajectory of his life, illustrating how one trusted adult can alter a child’s sense of worth and future. This episode is both systemic and deeply human—a reminder that when societies invest in children, connection, and care, the return is not only economic but generational.

You can order your copy of Trauma Proof here.

You can follow Benjamin's work on LinkedIn here.

Host: Megan Corcoran, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wagtail Institute⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Wagtail Institute empowers schools and complex settings to become trauma-informed wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive. We work alongside leaders, educators, and practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing. If you would like to work with Megan, head to our website or send an email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megan@megancorcoran.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wagtail Institute on instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠The Wag Tales walkout songs playlist can be found here.⁠⁠

Music by Kabbilistic Village ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://kabbalisticvillage.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠