Melinda McKeown at the Nan Tien Temple, which she visits regularly. Photo: Supplied.
Melinda McKeown is blending modern counselling with Buddhist wisdom for her unique new mental health podcast, “Let’s Talk About…”, providing gentle and judgement-free guidance through some of life’s tough topics.
Drawing from her background as a counsellor and Buddhist practitioner, Melinda has created a podcast designed to feel like mini counselling sessions.
Each episode tackles difficult topics often left unspoken, including pet grief and loss, perinatal mental health, domestic violence, and compassion fatigue for the caring industry.
“I want this to be a place where we can talk about the things that people don’t want to talk about or don’t feel like they can because they feel judged,” she said.
“Let’s talk about it in a safe place where you’re never, ever going to be judged.”
With her counselling work specialising in anxiety and emotional wellbeing, the podcast is a space where she brings together what she’s learned professionally and personally to support people in a gentle, real and relatable way.
She said the idea for it was born out of a few things, one of them being frustration.
“As a counsellor, I kept meeting people who were struggling and not getting the support or results they needed from the traditional mental health system and it was costing them a fortune,” she said.
“The other one was my personal experience, as someone who’s been through a journey with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and I always say, the big one, the ‘not enoughness’.
“And finally, it came from the knowledge that healing doesn’t have to be clinical or complicated. Sometimes, it’s about being heard, feeling safe, and being reminded that you’re not broken.”
Melinda said the podcast blended a modern therapeutic approach with Buddhist philosophy, creating a space that would give listeners a chance to pause and gain practical tools for everyday situations.
“I feel like it’s really an extension of my work as a counsellor,” she said.
“As I started to learn Buddhism for my own wellbeing, I started injecting it into my counselling sessions, and I got really nice feedback and results from it, because it’s very gentle. Its basis is in kindness and compassion.
“I thought, there’s not really anything else out there like this, where each episode is designed to feel like a little mini counselling session.”
She said it was the passing of her “rock” — her dad — in 1996 that first led her down the path of Buddhism.
“If I didn’t have a great day, he was always that very kind voice of reason,” she said.
“So when I lost him, I was 24 … I felt very lost in this world. Nothing seemed quite stable anymore, without that rock that I had in my dad.
“I just happened to see the Dalai Lama and some of his entourage on TV, and I looked at them and thought, wow, it’s almost like I could feel that energy — like they were just floating through life, not letting things bother them.
“From there, I started going to the temple and learning to meditate and be mindful.”
She said she was now a regular at the Nan Tien Temple in Unanderra, feeling blessed to live close to what is considered one of the largest Buddhist temples in the Southern Hemisphere.
Already attracting hundreds of listeners in just a few weeks, Melinda hopes to build a community around the podcast and invite guests to share their lived experiences with mental illness.
“My short-term goal is to grow the podcast to reach more people who might be suffering quietly — especially those who feel like they’ve tried everything but nothing’s worked,” she said.
“The good thing about the podcast episodes are they’re free, so it’s like free counselling.”
She said in the long term she planned to launch a Meet Me At The Temple YouTube series, and to host in-person events.
Listen to the Let’s Talk About… podcast.
If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact:
Lifeline’s 24-hour crisis support line – 13 11 14
