ARE WE GOOD? NEW PODCAST EXPLORES WHY RELATIONSHIPS MATTER AND WHAT GETS IN THE WAY
Relationships Australia NSW
- Relationships Australia NSW has launched *Are We Good?*, a six-part podcast hosted by journalist Marina Pliatsikas, exploring why human connection matters for health and wellbeing, and what can make it difficult.
- The podcast features guests including social researcher Hugh Mackay, AI expert Professor Toby Walsh, loneliness researcher Professor Michelle Lim, and psychotherapist Marryam Chehelnabi, with new episodes released every Friday until 4 December 2026.
- Topics covered across the series include loneliness in a digital world, AI companionship, relationship skills, family estrangement, and how to repair relationships after conflict.
- The podcast is part of RANSW's *Connection Is Protection* campaign, which draws on a nationally representative survey of 1,012 Australians and a review of more than 100 studies, highlighting the role of relationships in mental health.
- RANSW research found that only one in three Australians learnt how to handle difficult conversations whilst growing up, underscoring what CEO Elisabeth Shaw describes as a need to take relationship wellbeing far more seriously.
30 October 2026
ARE WE GOOD? NEW PODCAST EXPLORES WHY RELATIONSHIPS MATTER AND WHAT GETS IN THE WAY
- Six-part series explores how relationships shape our health and wellbeing, and why connection isn't always easy
- Guests include social researcher Hugh Mackay, AI expert Professor Toby Walsh, loneliness researcher Professor Michelle Lim, evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin and psychotherapist Marryam Chehelnabi, host of SBS’s Couples Therapy
- Hosted by journalist Marina Pliatsikas, with new episodes every Friday
- Part of Connection Is Protection, the Relationships Australia NSW campaign launched for Mental Health Month
SYDNEY, 30 October 2026: Relationships Australia NSW (RANSW) has launched Are We Good?, a six-part podcast about why connection matters so much to our wellbeing, and what sometimes gets in the way. Episode 1 is out today at relationshipsnsw.org.au/podcast.
Drawing on more than 75 years of experience supporting people through relationship challenges, RANSW has created a series that brings together its own clinical expertise with leading researchers, practitioners and people with lived experience.
Hosted by journalist Marina Pliatsikas, the conversations explore everything from loneliness in a digital world and the rise of AI companionship to the relationship skills we were never taught, family estrangement and what it takes to repair relationships when things go wrong.
“Relationships are one of the biggest influences on our health and wellbeing, yet most of us are left to figure them out for ourselves. Our research found that only one in three Australians learnt how to handle difficult conversations growing up. That's a significant gap when you consider how much our relationships shape our lives,” said Elisabeth Shaw, CEO of Relationships Australia NSW.
“We know that relationships can be our greatest source of strength, but they can also be incredibly challenging. We created Are We Good? to bring together what we've learnt from decades of working with people, alongside research and lived experience, to have conversations that everyone can benefit from.”
Shaped by the questions Australians are asking
The podcast draws on years of audience feedback and the experiences of RANSW’s counsellors, mediators and caseworkers, who work with people navigating relationship challenges every day.
“We hear from people trying to navigate complicated relationships, whether that's with a partner, family member, friend or even themselves,” Ms Pliatsikas said. “There are no simple answers, but there's a lot we can learn from each other.”
The series also builds on RANSW’s Connection Is Protection research, released at the start of Mental Health Month. Based on a nationally representative YouGov survey of 1,012 Australians and a review of more than 100 studies, the research highlights the importance of relationships to health and wellbeing, and the barriers that can make connection difficult.
“We've spent decades talking about the importance of diet, exercise and sleep, but relationships deserve just as much attention,” Ms Shaw said. “Strong, healthy relationships don't always happen by chance. They take understanding, effort and sometimes support. We need to take relationship wellbeing far more seriously.”
“One of the things that struck me was just how much our relationships are shaped by the world around us,” Ms Pliatsikas said. “We talk about connection as though it's entirely up to individuals, but our communities, workplaces and even the way our cities are designed can make it harder than it needs to be.”
The episodes
- Episode 1, Connection Is Protection (30 October): What if our relationships are just as important to our health as diet, sleep and exercise?
- Episode 2, Feeling Lonely in a Full Life (6 November): How can we be more connected than ever, yet still feel so alone?
- Episode 3, No One Taught Us How to Do This (13 November): Why are we expected to just know how to handle a difficult conversation, set boundaries or build a healthy relationship?
- Episode 4, Why We Tell AI Before We Tell Each Other (20 November): Why talking to a chatbot can feel easier than opening up to another person, and where an over-reliance on AI can backfire.
- Episode 5, When the Bond Breaks (27 November): Why relationships break down, what makes reconciliation possible, and how we decide whether to keep trying or let go.
- Episode 6, Repair After Rupture (4 December): Why apologising can be so hard, what accountability looks like, and how we rebuild trust.
Listen to Are We Good?
Are We Good? is available at relationshipsnsw.org.au/podcast and on major podcast platforms, including:
New episodes will be released every Friday until 4 December 2026.
ENDS
Notes for editors
Early support is not right for every situation. Where there is coercion, abuse or violence, safety comes first and specialist support is needed. Anyone worried about their safety can contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
Featured guests
Hugh Mackay: Social researcher, psychologist and bestselling author
Dr Anna Machin: Evolutionary anthropologist and author specialising in the science of human connection
Daniel Mancuso: Co-founder of Yiayia Next Door
Aunty Julie Wilson: Ngyiampaa and Barkindji woman and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Practice Specialist at Relationships Australia NSW
Professor Michelle Lim: Clinical psychologist, loneliness researcher and CEO of Ending Loneliness Together
Ros Thomas: Journalist and creator of The Loneliness Project
Milly Rose Bannister: Mental health advocate and founder and CEO of youth mental health charity ALLKND
Simone Heng: Human connection specialist and author of Let’s Talk About Loneliness
Ben Vasiliou: CEO of The Man Cave, a preventative mental health charity working with boys and young men
Dee Salmin: Host of triple j’s The Hook Up and author
Dr Justin Coulson: Parenting expert, psychologist and author
Dr Raquel Peel: Relationship researcher at Central Queensland University, specialising in intimacy and relationship sabotage
Professor Toby Walsh: Chief Scientist at UNSW’s AI Institute and leading artificial intelligence researcher
Dr Becca Bland: Founder and CEO of Stand Alone, an organisation supporting people experiencing family estrangement
Marryam Chehelnabi: Psychotherapist and host of SBS’s Couples Therapy
Elisabeth Shaw: Clinical psychologist and CEO of Relationships Australia NSW
About us:
About the host
Marina Pliatsikas is a Sydney-based writer and journalist with a background in marketing and communications. Through her work with Relationships Australia NSW and her broader experience in storytelling and media, she’s spent years exploring the complexities of human connection, and the relationships and experiences that shape our lives.
About Connection Is Protection
Connection Is Protection is the Relationships Australia NSW public awareness campaign launched on 1 October 2026 for Mental Health Month. It draws on a review of 110 Australian and international studies and a nationally representative YouGov survey of 1,012 Australian adults. Read the Connection Is Protection report or visit relationshipsnsw.org.au/connection.
About Relationships Australia NSW
For more than 75 years, Relationships Australia NSW has supported people to build and maintain safe, healthy relationships. It works with individuals, couples, families and communities across NSW, providing counselling, mediation, relationship education and other specialist services.
Contact details:
Media contact
Susan Redden Makatoa, 0403 870 383, [email protected].
Marina Pliatsikas and Elisabeth Shaw are available for interview. Host and guest images and podcast artwork are available on request.
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Are We Good? podcast artwork
