30. Apple Cider Vinegar: Panel discussion about the Australian TV drama

32. Backrooms and liminal spaces

'Backrooms' is 2026 film, currently in cinemas. It is a sci-fi / horror / psychological thriller that is gripping and deeply unsettling. After watching it at the cinema this long weekend, I needed someone to discuss it with, and who better than my friend Dr Alexander De Foe. Tune in for a taster if you haven't seen the film but are curious about it. Don't worry - we let you know when to switch off to avoid spoilers. Dr Alexander De Foe [https://alexdefoe.com/] is a scholar and author based in Melbourne, Australia. Alex studies altered states of consciousness and how they can be understood within the context of cognitive psychology and philosophy of mind. He is also a university lecturer and counsellor, empowering clients during pivotal lifespan milestones, towards meaning-making and virtue-based living. Alex has over 10 years post-PhD experience in a range of research and educational roles, presently situated at Monash University [https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/alex-de-foe/] as a researcher and educator. Sensitive content warning This episode deep dives on the perceptual and mind state experience of liminal spaces and refers briefly to physical violence. Please take care while listening and if you are feeling discomfort and would benefit from some support, please reach out to your GP or contact a service like Lifeline [https://www.lifeline.org.au/]. Cite this episode MacDonald, J. B. & De Foe, A. (2026, June 8). Backrooms and liminal spaces (No. 32) [Audio podcast episode]. In Psych Attack. www.psychattack.com [https://www.psychattack.com/]   Transcript The transcript for this episode was developed using transcription software. There may be errors in the content as I do not have capacity to review for accuracy.   Acknowledgements Psych Attack is created and hosted by Dr Jasmine B. MacDonald [https://jasminebmacdonald.com.au/]. The audio for this episode was edited by Dr Jasmine B. MacDonald.

31. Project management and leadership

In this episode, I catch up with Dominique Barker (CIO) for a deep dive on project management and leadership. We discuss: 1. Dom's professional experience and project management origin story 2. Implementing real change and making it stick 3. Quantum thinking 4. Failing fast and forward 5. Harnessing executive sponsorship 6. Providing just-in-time information 7. Giving back to stakeholders 8. Doing project management in your personal life. About Dominique Barker Dominique Barker [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominique-barker-4175b33a/] is a CIO (Chief Information Officer) with deep experience in IT strategy, enterprise leadership, AI, and organisation‑wide digital transformation across complex public‑sector and university environments. In this episode Dom shares experience gleaned from leading organisation‑wide adoption of new ways of working, delivering large and small‑scale generative and agentic AI implementations, and driving major technology uplift programs. Dom is known for bringing people along on the journey. She partners closely with business executives and delivery teams to ensure technology investments achieve measurable outcomes, hit strategic targets, and deliver lasting organisational change. More from Dom * Dominique Barker on quantum thinking in the age of AI [https://publicspectrum.co/dominique-barker-on-quantum-thinking-in-the-age-of-ai/] (Online article, Public Spectrum, March 2026) * Coding, kids, and the invisible double shift of tech mums [https://channellife.com.au/story/exclusive-coding-kids-and-the-invisible-double-shift-of-tech-mums] (Online article, ChannelLife, February 2026) * Australia's AI outlook [https://moxie-insights.com/market/ai-outlook-australia-2026/] (Featured contributor, Moxie Insights, December 2025) * Rewriting Your Career Mid-Flight – Dominique Barker on the Joyful Upsides of Tech Leadership [https://techtoexec.com.au/episode-04-rewriting-your-career-mid-flight-dominique-barker-on-the-joyful-upsides-of-tech-leadership/] (Podcast episode, Tech to Exec, September 2025) Books recommended by Dom  * #noprojects: A culture of continuous value [https://www.amazon.com.au/noprojects-Culture-Continuous-Value/dp/1387941933]. By Evan Leybourn and Shane Hastie  * The #noprojects online community [https://noprojects.org/] * Bad change: 50 ways why change doesn't work and 266 tips to make it better. [https://www.amazon.com.au/Bad-Change-doesnt-things-better/dp/B0B1BL78GV]By Peter Phan and Gilbert Kruidenier * Book website [https://www.flimpstudios.com/badchange/] * The intangibles of leadership: The 10 qualities of superior executive performance. [https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0470679158] By Richard A. Davis  Cite this episode MacDonald, J. B. & Barker, D. (2026, April 29). Project management and leadership (No. 31) [Podcast episode]. In Psych Attack. www.psychattack.com [https://www.psychattack.com/] Transcript The transcript for this episode was developed using transcription software. It may contain errors.   Acknowledgements Psych Attack is created and hosted by Dr Jaz MacDonald [https://jasminebmacdonald.com.au/]. The video and audio for this episode was edited by Morgan McRae and Dr Jaz MacDonald. Special thanks to Dominique Barker for sharing your time and expertise. Related Psych Attack Episodes * Self-advocacy and professional relationships [https://www.psychattack.com/episodes/self-advocacy-and-professional-relationships] * Writing and publishing a non-fiction book [https://www.psychattack.com/episodes/26-writing-and-publishing-a-non-fiction-book] * Academic mental health [https://www.psychattack.com/episodes/academic-mental-health] Related blog posts * Self-advocacy and professional relationships. [https://jasminebmacdonald.com.au/self-advocacy-and-professional-relationships/] By Max Loomes. * Book recommendation: ‘The checklist manifesto’ by Atul Gawande. [https://jasminebmacdonald.com.au/posts] By Dr Jaz MacDonald.

Snack Attack: Why analyse fictional texts? (Ep. 30)

Snack Attacks are short segments taken from a full episode, so you can have a quick topic taster. This Snack Attack comes from episode 30 'Apple Cider Vinegar: Panel discussion about the Australian TV drama' Dr Suzie Gibson explains what we can learn about ourselves and the society we live in by analysing fictional texts. For links to related research articles and books mentioned in this Snack Attack, go to the full episode show notes.

Snack Attack: Parasocial relationships (Ep. 30)

Snack Attacks are short segments taken from a full episode, so you can have a quick topic taster. This Snack Attack comes from episode 30 'Apple Cider Vinegar: Panel discussion about the Australian TV drama' I describe what parasocial relationships are and some interesting related research findings. I also share some of my own parasocial relationships. Dr Erica McIntyre and I discuss examples of parasocial relationships in 'Apple Cider Vinegar'. For links to related research articles and books mentioned in this Snack Attack, go to the full episode show notes.

30. Apple Cider Vinegar: Panel discussion about the Australian TV drama

'Apple Cider Vinegar' is an Australian TV series that was released in 2025. It presents a dramatised version of the real world story of Belle Gibson, an Australian social media wellness influencer. In the series, Belle posts publicly about her experience of brain cancer and promotes alternative approaches to treatment to her millions of Instagram followers. And through a recipe app that was promoted by Apple called 'The Whole Pantry'. The primary conflict of the series being that Belle never had brain cancer. This episode of Psych Attack is a panel discussion between myself (Dr Jaz MacDonald), Dr Erica McIntyre, Dr Suzie Gibson, and Associate Professor Donna Bridges. Each of us brings a unique lens to our viewing of the series, informed by our own life experiences and professional expertise. The panel Dr Jaz MacDonald [https://jasminebmacdonald.com.au/]: my area of expertise is trauma exposure and reactions, as well as mental health. I have a PhD in psychology and am a trained social worker with experience in mental health assessment. I mostly spend my time doing this podcast and working at an Australian research agency, creating practice resources for practitioners supporting children and families. Dr Erica McIntyre is a psychology and public health researcher and educator [https://profiles.uts.edu.au/Erica.McIntyre], now working as an ADHD Coach and Career and Leadership Coach [https://www.ericamcintyre.com.au/]. Erica has a PhD in psychology and has also practiced as a herbalist. Her research focuses on health and wellbeing, specifically health care decision making. Dr Suzie Gibson [https://arts-ed.csu.edu.au/schools/social-work-arts/staff/profiles/teaching-and-research-staff/suzie-gibson] (PhD in literature and philosophy) is a Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Charles Sturt University. Trained in close textual analysis, Suzie surveys texts across fields and disciplines — literature, film, television and philosophy. She is interested in the ideological underpinnings of texts as well as with their aesthetic import and how it impacts upon their social and cultural meaning. Associate Professor Donna Bridges is a sociologist and a gender theorist at Charles Sturt University. Donna's research focuses primarily on gender inequality and work – specifically women integrating into male dominated fields and the barriers they encounter. This led her to an interest in sexual harassment and violence. Donna is also a creator and host for the podcast 'Conversations for a Brave New World' [https://2mce.org/podcast/16-days-of-activism-against-gender-based-violence-coercive-control-and-digital-violence-with-dr-jasmine-macdonald/] produced by the Gender Network [https://www.csu.edu.au/research/gender-network/home] at CSU. Each month, the podcast shares knowledge, scholarship and research about gender from the diverse perspectives of experts and scholars. The episode I have linked to is one where Donna interviews me (Jaz) about my team's coercive control research and practice resources. Sensitive content warning This episode refers to cancer, mental illness, and intimate partner violence. Please take care while listening and if you are feeling discomfort and would benefit from some support, please reach out to your GP or contact a service like Lifeline [https://www.lifeline.org.au/]. Content mentioned in this episode Apple Cider Vinegar [https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81637595], Netflix The Search for Instagram's Worst Con-Artist [https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81987249], Netflix Dederer, C. (2023). Monsters: What do we do with great art by bad people? [https://www.booktopia.com.au/monsters-claire-dederer/book/9781399715072.html] Sceptre. Schur, M. (2022). This sandwich is morally problematic. But it's also delicious. Can I still eat it? In How to be perfect: The correct answer to every moral question [https://www.booktopia.com.au/how-to-be-perfect-mike-schur/book/9781529421361.html?srsltid=AfmBOopupbb3gBtpIvE57qbj5fqjlIdQwgapzxThbXq4E57_G28u-E29](pp. 185-208). Quercus. Research articles on parasocial relationships Baek, Y. M., Bae, Y., & Jang, H. (2013). Social and parasocial relationships on social network sites and their differential relationships with users’ psychological well-being. [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1089/cyber.2012.0510] Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 16(7), 512-517. Balaban, D. C., Szambolics, J., & Chirică, M. (2022). Parasocial relations and social media influencers' persuasive power. Exploring the moderating role of product involvement. [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691822002463] Acta Psychologica, 230. DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103731. Bennett, L. L. (2024). Understanding parasocial relationships and the mental health impact. [https://digitalcommons.latech.edu/theses/120/] [Master's thesis, Louisiana Tech University]. Hoffner, C. A., & Bond, B. J. (2022). Parasocial relationships, social media, & well-being. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35219157/] Current Opinions in Psychology, 45. DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101306. Liebers, N., & Schramm, H. (2019). Parasocial interactions and relationships with media characters–An inventory of 60 years of research. [https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/crt/vol38/iss2/1/] Communication Research Trends, 38(2). Madison, C., & Adam, A. (2023). Perceived marginalization, social support, and mental health: The role of parasocial relationships. [https://scholar.utc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1553&context=mps]Modern Psychological Studies, 28(2). Su, B.-C., Wu, L.-W., Chang, Y.-Y.-C., & Hong, R.-H. (2021). Influencers on social media as references: Understanding the importance of parasocial relationships. [https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/19/10919] Sustainability, 13. DOI: 10.3390/su131910919 Cite this episode MacDonald, J. B., McIntyre, E., Gibson, S., & Bridges, D. (2026, March 12). Apple Cider Vinegar: Panel discussion about the Australian TV drama (No. 30) [Audio podcast episode]. In Psych Attack. www.psychattack.com [https://www.psychattack.com/]   Transcript The transcript for this episode was developed using transcription software. There may be errors in the content as I do not have capacity to review for accuracy.   Acknowledgements Psych Attack is created and hosted by Dr Jasmine B. MacDonald [https://jasminebmacdonald.com.au/]. The video and audio for this episode was edited by Morgan McRae. Special thanks to Dr Erica McIntyre, Dr Suzie Gibson, and Associate Professor Donna Bridges for sharing your time and expertise.