‘So Many Answers’ Podcast Host on Whether Mental Health Issues are Worse Today

Is our world worse off or are we simply more aware of our mental health and the support options available to us?

Sandy Oswald has a front row seat to the mental health crisis through her work as a pastor, counsellor and now as host of the 96five podcast, So Many Answers.

Sandy sat down with 96five’s Sunday Celebration host Alex Milne to share her story of how she became a counselor and the mental health challenges facing Aussies.

“My husband and I when we were in our 20s decided that we wanted to do something in the community, so we actually enrolled to be Lifeline counsellors” Sandy said.

“We ended up Senior Pastoring for 14 years so all up this year we’ve been pastoring for over 30 years and then about 10 years ago I decided that I wanted to go and get a degree and really didn’t know what.”

“I started in psychology and just wanted to understand people a little bit more… then swapped to a degree in counselling and loved every moment of it.”

Sandy started her practice, So Many Answers Counselling, in Brisbane around 3 years ago and has had to hit the ground running due to the high need for counselling services around Australia, particularly for young adults.

Is mental health more prevalent today than 20 or 30 years ago or are younger generations more open to asking for support? Sandy shared the factors she believes have led to a mental health pandemic.

“We definitely are living in a very small world because of technology so hence the smallest of our world, we hear about everything” Sandy said.

“In the Bible there’s 365 verses on fear and God says ‘do not be afraid’ so I really don’t think that it’s changed at all.

“The things that we’re scared about obviously have changed, the fears and anxieties have changed but I do think a lot of it’s because we hear 500 times more negativity than we ever used to.” Sandy Oswald – Counsellor and host of the 96five So Many Answers podcast

“I think there’s something to be said about how we filter the things we’re hearing and the same with children. Even though it’s wonderful that we have this awareness of mental health it becomes a normality to children. They think that this is something that you’re expected to have, not something that’s unusual.”

If you need support, feel free to get in touch with Sandy at So Many Answers or by seeking the support of other trained counselors.

Listen to the full interview in the player above.