On behalf of Cairnmillar, we're sharing a brief update with our listeners.

Since launching How's That Working For You? in October last year, we've had the pleasure of exploring what it means to be therapy curious—asking questions, reflecting on our experiences, and learning from the people and stories we've shared along the way. We'd like to sincerely thank everyone who has listened, subscribed, shared an episode, or joined us on this journey. Your support has helped our podcast community continue to grow, and we're incredibly grateful. In the spirit of being therapy curious, we're taking a moment to pause and reflect. We're incredibly encouraged by the response to the podcast and grateful for the insights, ideas, and reflections that have been shared with us along the way. In response, we're taking some time to thoughtfully plan for the future of How's That Working For You? and explore how we can build on what's resonated most with our community. This short pause will give us the opportunity to shape future episodes in a way that reflects the enthusiasm and feedback we've received, while continuing to create meaningful conversations that support and inspire our listeners. Thank you again for your support, curiosity, and engagement since we launched. We've loved being part of these conversations with you.

For now, we'll leave you with one final question: How's that working for us? It's a question we're taking some time to explore, and we thank you for being part of that journey. Thank you for listening, and stay tuned for our return.

Season 2 Episode 1 Show Notes Meera Atkinson

In this episode of How’s That Working For You?, host Dr Zoe Krupka speaks with writer, poet, trauma scholar, and long-time friend Meera Atkinson about trauma, memory, healing, and the complex relationship between personal experience and broader social systems.

Drawing on Meera’s acclaimed hybrid memoir Traumata, the conversation explores how trauma is lived in the body, shaped by relationships, and reproduced across generations. Together, Zoe and Meera examine the challenge of telling the truth of traumatic experience while also making sense of what neuroscience, psychology, feminism, and trauma scholarship can teach us about its enduring impacts.

Reflecting on their own lived experiences, they discuss the limitations of treatment, the realities of recovery, and why simplistic narratives of healing often fail to capture the ongoing nature of living with trauma. The conversation also explores the role of patriarchy in shaping individual and collective suffering, and why trauma must be understood not only as a personal experience but as a social and cultural phenomenon.

Meera brings insights from decades of research and writing on transgenerational trauma, literary testimony, and the ways traumatic histories continue to reverberate through families, communities, and institutions. Together, Zoe and Meera consider what becomes possible when we move beyond individualised understandings of trauma and embrace more systemic, relational, and compassionate ways of making sense of suffering.

Don't miss this thoughtful and deeply moving conversation on trauma, resilience, storytelling, and the transformative power of bearing witness.

About Our Host Dr Zoe Krupka

https://www.cairnmillar.org.au/staff/dr-zoe-krupka/

About Our Guest Meera Atkinson

Meera Atkinson is a writer, poet, and trauma scholar whose work explores the intersections of trauma, memory, identity, gender, and social justice. She is the author of the acclaimed memoir Traumata Traumata | UQP (University of Queensland Press), which combines personal narrative, trauma theory, neuroscience, and feminist critique to examine the enduring impacts of childhood trauma and the social structures that perpetuate it. She is also the author of The Poetics of Transgenerational Trauma. Her essays, poetry, fiction, and scholarly work have been widely published in Australia and internationally.

Meera’s forthcoming poetry collection, Some Letters Take a Lifetime, explores traumatic growth, memory, and transformation and is scheduled for publication by Upswell Publishing in 2027.

Website: https://www.meeraatkinson.com/

Recommended Reading

Traumata by Meera Atkinson

https://www.uqp.com.au/books/traumata

The Cairnmillar Institute

For more information about our organisation, the services we offer, and how to donate, visit our website at www.cairnmillar.org.au.

Coming up next

Stay tuned for more inspiring conversations as we explore diverse aspects of wellbeing, mental health, and therapeutic practice. Thank you for joining us on the How’s That Working For You? podcast.

Take care out there.

Disclaimer: This podcast is a space for open conversations, but it's important to remember that what you're hearing are the personal experiences and thoughts of our host and guests. While we're here to share insights, please don't take any of this as medical advice. If you have concerns about your mental health or wellbeing, please seek support from a qualified healthcare professional. This episode was recorded in 2026.

In this episode of How’s That Working For You?, host Dr Zoe Krupka speaks with counsellor, psychotherapist, educator, author and CMI Alumni Rebecca (Bec) Harris about the role of lived experience in therapeutic practice.

Together, they explore what we mean by “lived experience,” why some forms of self-disclosure are more accepted than others, and how therapists navigate the complex intersection of professional expertise and personal experience. Bec reflects on her work with young people, neurodivergent clients and LGBTIQA+ communities, sharing insights into the ways authenticity, compassion, and connection can deepen therapeutic relationships.

The conversation also examines the ethics of therapist self-disclosure, the place of lived experience within psychology and psychotherapy, and how practitioners can thoughtfully balance professional boundaries with genuine human connection.

Don't miss this thoughtful discussion on trauma-informed practice, identity, and what it means to bring our whole selves into therapeutic work.

https://www.cairnmillar.org.au/staff/dr-zoe-krupka/

Rebecca Harris is a counsellor, psychotherapist, education consultant, and author with more than 20 years’ experience and has a private practice. She is the founder of Embedding Wellbeing, where she supports children, adults, families, schools, and organisations through trauma-informed approaches to wellbeing and mental health.

Rebecca is recognised for her leadership in trauma-informed practice in education and is the author of Safe to Learn: Embedding Trauma-Informed Student Wellbeing Practices (Amba Press).

https://embeddingwellbeing.com.au

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-harris-8311a6260/

https://www.instagram.com/embedding_wellbeing/

For more information about our organisation, the services we offer, and how to donate, visit our website at www.cairnmillar.org.au.

Stay tuned for more inspiring conversations as we explore diverse aspects of wellbeing, mental health, and therapeutic practice. Thank you for joining us on the How’s That Working For You? podcast.

Take care out there.

Disclaimer: This podcast is a space for open conversations, but it's important to remember that what you're hearing are the personal experiences and thoughts of our host and guests. While we're here to share insights, please don't take any of this as medical advice. If you have concerns about your mental health or wellbeing, please seek support from a qualified healthcare professional. This episode was recorded in 2026.