Just sit back & relax
April 2023
Hi Caddyshackers,
Have you ever gotten off the phone with a friend after spending an hour pulling apart a topic or situation, trying to articulate a feeling, understand its meaning and the big ‘why’ question, and then you think - I wish we recorded this chat, it was like a podcast?! Please tell me that is not just a thing we do… we do it all the time! Often while walking the dog, topics around dating, sex & relationships, referencing books, podcasts and Instagram accounts to look up once we get off the phone.
Well, this is the vibe of our On The Couch webinars.
It’s the feeling of sitting back with a cuppa, with nothing required of you. Not needing to unmute, turn the camera on or engage in the chat. In the nicest way possible - nothing is expected from you. Say goodbye to Zoom fatigue. Just enjoy the conversation of two people passionate about a topic, breaking it down and diving deep into the spaces that can sometimes be skimmed across. An hour dedicated to fully immersing yourself in a topic, learning and discovering more.
There is something about our On The Couch chats that feels intimate and personal. When hosting a guest On The Couch it has felt like we were those two friends spending an hour of ‘ahhh’ moments, ‘light bulb’ moments and ‘tell me more’ moments. There have been times were we have been so ‘in’ the conversation that we’ve forgotten that there was actually an audience in the background. Being in the audience of an On The Couch webinar, we reflect on it as being like a visual podcast, an opportunity to witness the inside of a conversation about an interesting topic. Where your questions are discussed in that ‘You Can’t Ask That’ style. You know, this TV series on ABC.
Anyway, these are a couple of our thoughts and the feedback we have received from On The Couch webinars. It’s a series we are really proud of. Since our hard pivot during The Vid back in 2020, we moved from face to face health education sessions to utilising digital tech, social marketing strategies and became more intentional about our online social media platforms to reach people. It was a big shift, as you can imagine.
What changed?
Um, a lot. But we love change, we are always growing and evolving. It’s the whole point!
There were practical benefits like reduced costs on staff travel, venue hire, catering, set up and printing resources. But there were also benefits of reaching a wider audience across NSW & even into other states as geographical boundaries as travel is no longer a barrier for attending. We even had a coupla folks dial in from across the ditch in NZ at the end of 2022. Kinda cool. Ok, really cool!
In terms of our audience reach, moving On The Couch to online has given us an increase in registrations by 60% which has led to a knock on effect increase in follow-up engagement on our social media channels. I mean we are still up against social media algorithm censorship for sexual health and sex education content (eye roll). But we keep on keeping on and putting positive content on our channels. They can’t stop us!
Wanna know some numbers? In 2018 & 2019 our face to face education sessions had an average of 14 participants attending each session. In 2020 and 2021 the webinars had an average of 55 participants registered and either attended live or watched the recording after. We think this is a pretty big increase and totally worth sharing. Did I already say we are proud of On The Couch?
At the end of 2022 we published our On The Couch webinars on our website as audio-only versions. Now, we aren’t podcast producers, like at all. It is literally the unedited zoom audio recording, no fade in music, no cropping or cutting. But it’s real, and it’s available to listen to while driving, gardening or folding laundry (where all the best podcasts are consumed).
But isn’t there a place for face-to-face?
Yep, there is!
We are still out there delivering tailored face-to-face sessions to a variety of services and priority populations.
Naomi single handedly smashed it in this space in 2022 and now that Kaitlyn is back with the team after 18 months with the Public Health Unit COVID response team, she will also be reconnecting with various small group education sessions.
Back to On The Couch
One of the best things about On The Couch has to be our diverse range of guests (obvs). We have had such a stellar line up like Dolly Doctor aka Dr Melissa Kang, the fabulous sex therapist Aleks Trkulja, the ever generous Josef Garrington from ACON and many more.
Love a good segue into featuring our guest for the upcoming On The Couch in May.
Chris Cheers is a psychologist and educator based in Melbourne, Australia. He is passionate about creating accessible, accepting and safe spaces where people become empowered to reach their life goals.
I know, our kind of person!
Through extensive training and lived experience, Chris has also developed an expertise in providing individual psychology services and workshops to artists and creatives, and the LGBTIQ+ community.
Before training as a psychologist, Chris worked for arts organisations across Australia, developing a rich understanding of the industry and a rich network of relationships with artists and arts workers. Chris brings this experience and understanding to providing specialised mental health care to clients who work in acting, music, dance, other arts workers and workers in creatives industries.
Are you wondering where you may have seen Chris before? Well, Chris enjoys making the ideas of psychology accessible through commentary and interviews in podcasts, print media and television. Most recently Chris has appeared on Reputation Rehab (ABC Australia), the ABC News, Gays are Revolting, Ink & Paint, and House Lights Up (Arts Wellbeing Collective).
Chris is an endorsed Educational and Developmental Psychologist and board-approved Supervisor. Chris has also developed an expertise and interest in sexuality and gender development, completing specialised training in supporting LGBTQI+ clients across all ages. Chris is also a member of the Australian Professional Association for Transgender Health (AusPATH) and the Australian Association of Psychologists Incorporated (AAPi).
Chris completed his undergraduate and Honours studies in Psychology at the University of Sydney before completing his Postgraduate studies in Melbourne. Chris has been university Lecturer in Psychology since 2011, and is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Alcohol and Policy Research at La Trobe University.
Impressive, we know!
We first encountered Chris attending a webinar for the University of New South Wale’s Sextember event and loved his work so much, we thought we would invite him to be our guest!
He said yes, phew!
Sorry, not sorry
Ok we have come to the end of this months blog and I have suddenly become aware that this blog may feel like a giant promo of On The Couch. Maybe it is. I’m not sorry about it! But maybe it is also about the importance of having those deeper conversations, reaching out to chat with friends in your own version of On The Couch and building some depth of knowledge around these big topics.
but wait there’s more!
Chris published a book in Feb 2023!
The New Rulebook is a practical, game-changing guide to embracing that uncertainty. It compassionately asks you to re-examine five key areas: self-care, emotions, work, body and love (all the big stuff!), and then offers radical, evidence-based solutions to improve your wellbeing. Led not by expectation, but by what you need.
Blurb from Goodreads: Take a moment and check in with how you've been feeling lately. Maybe a little tired, stressed or burnt out? All the recent upheaval and uncertainty has left many of us not only feeling exhausted, but also questioning who we are and what we want from life. Yet instead of taking the necessary time to process and answer these important questions, many of us are feeling pressured to just get back to 'normal'. But what if we want better than normal? The world has changed - we have changed - so when it comes to caring for our wellbeing, it's clear we need new rules.
I know, right!
Inspired to meet Chris online with us? Join us as we host Chris for an hour online On The Couch.
When?
On The Couch with Chris Cheers will be on from 10am to 11am, Tuesday 2nd May.
Catch you next month.
Peace, Love & Protection
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