Harden Up (And Other Unhelpful Advice) Mon, 04 May 2026 18:21:02 +1000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2574738 en-au © 2026 Harden Up (And Other Unhelpful Advice) yes 45ebe155-b3d7-5e1d-a77e-102c56a87b92 melissa@mindsetabilities.com.au Melissa Harries and Thomas Pulleine episodic true A review of self help books and products from two completely different angles:  the psychologist and the ex-infantry soldier. 


Melissa Harries is a masters qualified registered psychologist with over 20 years experience working with people under stress including the military, emergency services and the NRL. She has a practice in Newcastle NSW where she helps both individuals and workplaces to build resilience. 


Tommy Pulleine is a mental health trainer who served as an Infantry soldier for 17 years including deployments to Iraq, East Timor and the Solomon Islands. Tommy has experience as a mental health instructor for TAFE NSW, Open Arms and Mindset Training. He is passionate about peer led interventions for workplaces and community groups that de-institutionalise mental health support.   


Book smart meets street smart. They dont always agree on what is helpful, but then thats what makes the discussion interesting. 

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Melissa Harries and Thomas Pulleine melissa@mindsetabilities.com.au https://storage.buzzsprout.com/s7342pjdrh05a4upwo36u54lw0fl?.jpg Harden Up (And Other Unhelpful Advice) Ep 8: Reviewing Mental Health First Aid Ep 8: Reviewing Mental Health First Aid Send us Fan Mail

Tommy and Mel review Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) a certified course that Tommy delivers for Mindset Training. This 2 day workshop is often ran by workplaces who want to improve mental health but does it do that? 

]]> Send us Fan Mail

Tommy and Mel review Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) a certified course that Tommy delivers for Mindset Training. This 2 day workshop is often ran by workplaces who want to improve mental health but does it do that? 

]]> Melissa Harries and Thomas Pulleine Buzzsprout-19119765 Mon, 04 May 2026 18:00:00 +1000 1727 full false Ep 7: Reviewing The Resilience Project by Hugh Van Cuylenburg Ep 7: Reviewing The Resilience Project by Hugh Van Cuylenburg Send us Fan Mail

This is the first in our Reviewing Resilience series and coming in hot with Hugh Van Cuylenburg's The Resilience Project which has been a popular program for schools in NSW as well as the NRL. 

The dual factor model of mental health that explains the difference between mental illness and wellbeing/resilience/positive mental health can be found here: https://mindsettraining.com.au/resources/

Have you participated in the Resilience Project at your school or workplace? What did you think? 

]]> Send us Fan Mail

This is the first in our Reviewing Resilience series and coming in hot with Hugh Van Cuylenburg's The Resilience Project which has been a popular program for schools in NSW as well as the NRL. 

The dual factor model of mental health that explains the difference between mental illness and wellbeing/resilience/positive mental health can be found here: https://mindsettraining.com.au/resources/

Have you participated in the Resilience Project at your school or workplace? What did you think? 

]]> Melissa Harries and Thomas Pulleine Buzzsprout-18934178 Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +1100 1914 full false Episode 6: Reviewing Atomic Habits by James Clear Episode 6: Reviewing Atomic Habits by James Clear Send us Fan Mail

Tommy and  Mel review the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, a digestible collection of evidence informed strategies to make small changes to your daily habits. 

To access the free resources like Habit Tracking and Habit Stacking use this link:

https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits/resources

]]> Send us Fan Mail

Tommy and  Mel review the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, a digestible collection of evidence informed strategies to make small changes to your daily habits. 

To access the free resources like Habit Tracking and Habit Stacking use this link:

https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits/resources

]]> Melissa Harries and Thomas Pulleine Buzzsprout-18699213 Wed, 18 Feb 2026 01:00:00 +1100 2052 1 6 full false Ep 4: Reviewing Timor Awakening (veteran wellbeing course) Ep 4: Reviewing Timor Awakening (veteran wellbeing course) Send us Fan Mail

In this episode Tommy talks about his experience on the veteran wellbeing intensive he attended called Timor Awakening, a peer led residential education program that teaches veterans how to improve a range of wellbeing skills. 

]]> Send us Fan Mail

In this episode Tommy talks about his experience on the veteran wellbeing intensive he attended called Timor Awakening, a peer led residential education program that teaches veterans how to improve a range of wellbeing skills. 

]]> Melissa Harries and Thomas Pulleine Buzzsprout-18537821 Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +1100 1608 1 4 full false Ep 2: Reviewing the Tech Diet For Your Child and Teen by Mark Marshal Ep 2: Reviewing the Tech Diet For Your Child and Teen by Mark Marshal Send us Fan Mail

In this episode Tommy and Mel discuss educational book by Australian Psychologist Brad Marshal The Tech Diet for Your Child and Teen. This book was super helpful for parents to "reclaim your kid's childhood and your family's sanity" 

 

]]> Send us Fan Mail

In this episode Tommy and Mel discuss educational book by Australian Psychologist Brad Marshal The Tech Diet for Your Child and Teen. This book was super helpful for parents to "reclaim your kid's childhood and your family's sanity" 

 

]]> Melissa Harries and Thomas Pulleine Buzzsprout-18537820 Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +1100 2061 1 2 full false Ep 3: Reviewing Neurodiversity and the Myth of Normal (Audible Original lecture series) Ep 3: Reviewing Neurodiversity and the Myth of Normal (Audible Original lecture series) Send us Fan Mail

This episode reviews the 6 part Audible Original lecture series Neurodiversity and the Myth of Normal by Dr Kyler Shumway and Dr Daniel Wendler. This is a bite sized piece of education at only two and a half hours long which provides quite a few nuggets of gold.    

]]> Send us Fan Mail

This episode reviews the 6 part Audible Original lecture series Neurodiversity and the Myth of Normal by Dr Kyler Shumway and Dr Daniel Wendler. This is a bite sized piece of education at only two and a half hours long which provides quite a few nuggets of gold.    

]]> Melissa Harries and Thomas Pulleine Buzzsprout-18537794 Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +1100 1557 1 3 full false Ep 1: Reviewing Everything is Fucked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson Ep 1: Reviewing Everything is Fucked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson Send us Fan Mail

In the first recorded episode of Harden Up (and Other Unhelpful Advice) Mel and Tommy discuss the merits (and otherwise) of the popular self help book Everything is Fucked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson. 

]]> Send us Fan Mail

In the first recorded episode of Harden Up (and Other Unhelpful Advice) Mel and Tommy discuss the merits (and otherwise) of the popular self help book Everything is Fucked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson. 

]]> Melissa Harries and Thomas Pulleine Buzzsprout-18537649 Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +1100 2299 1 1 full false Ep 5: Reviewing The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins Ep 5: Reviewing The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Harden Up (and other unhelpful advice) Mel and Tommy discuss the hugely popular Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. Does it tell you to harden up? Yep, a little. Does it tell you how to harden up? Not so much. Look, its not all bad but there are gaping wide holes that arent very helpful. 

]]> Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Harden Up (and other unhelpful advice) Mel and Tommy discuss the hugely popular Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. Does it tell you to harden up? Yep, a little. Does it tell you how to harden up? Not so much. Look, its not all bad but there are gaping wide holes that arent very helpful. 

]]> Melissa Harries and Thomas Pulleine Buzzsprout-18536695 Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +1100 2299 1 5 full false