The New Rulebook Resources
Thanks for making your way here I hope the resources below offer a pathway for what ever support your need right now. These resources are designed to suit people living in Australia (support pathways and phonelines for other countries can be found here)
The page is separated into 5 parts:
Immediate support (24/7 phone and online chat)
Online mental health programs
Starting points for finding a mental health professional
Resources related to the New Rulebook including podcasts, websites and readings. I plan on updating this section regularly so feel free to send any resources you think might be helpful to chris@chrischeers.com
Reference list for each section in the book with links so you can access the books and resources
1. Immediate Support Services
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help now, call triple zero (000).
Other supports for immediate mental health support in Australia include:
Beyond Blue: Online or 1300 22 4636 (24/7). Trained counsellors available to support you right now and online resources.
Lifeline: Online or 13 11 14 (24/7): Trained counsellors offering crisis support and suicide prevention.
Suicide Call Back Service: Online or 1300 659 467 (24/7). Telephone and online counselling to people considering suicide or worried about someone.
1800 Respect: Online or 1800 737 732 (24/7): confidential phone and online counselling to support people impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence and abuse.
Griefline: Online or 1300 845 745 (6am to 12am AEDT): supports anyone experiencing grief, facing any type of loss, providing access to free telephone and online support services and resources.
Support Act: Online or 1800 959 500 (24/7): free, confidential counselling service that is available to anyone working in Australian music (all genres), or the performing Arts, who needs to talk to someone about any aspect of their wellbeing.
Rainbow Door/Switchboard Victoria: Online or 1800 729 367 (10am – 6pm, everyday).
QLife: Online or 1800 184 527 (3pm - midnight, everyday).
Both Rainbow Door and QLife provide peer-driven support services, counselling and referral for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender diverse, intersex, queer and asexual (LGBTIQA+) people, their families, allies and communities.
With Respect: Online or 1800 LGBTIQ (1800 542 847). See website for times. With Respect provides support, telecounselling and referral for those in the LGBTIQ community experiencing difficulty in their relationships, including family and intimate partner violence. Also provides resources, tips and advice on having and maintaining healthy relationships.
Mensline: Online or 1300 78 99 78 (24/7): Telephone and online counselling service offering support for Australian men.
Open Arms: Online or 1800 011 046 (24/7): provides free and confidential counselling to anyone who has served at least one day in the Australia Defence Force, and their families.
Kids Helpline: Online or 1800 55 1800 (24/7): Australia’s only free (even from a mobile), confidential online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. Qualified counsellors at Kids Helpline are available via WebChat, phone or email anytime and for any reason.
2. Online Mental Health Programs
Finding a psychologist or therapist is not the only way to do therapy. A range of online programs are now available that offer free, effective, and evidence-based programs for stress, anxiety and depression. i’d suggest checking out E-Mental Health Practice, a great wesbite which links to a range of digital mental health services. Some specific programs I’d suggest checking out include MindSpot, This Way Up, MyCompass , MoodMission and MoodGYM.
3. Starting Points to find a Mental Health Practitioner.
A trusted GP is often the best starting point for someone seeking professional mental health support. A GP can diagnose mental health conditions, talk to you about treatment options and prescribe medication, refer you to another mental health professional such as a psychologist and write a mental health treatment plan so you can get Medicare rebates (see Health Direct and Reach Out for information about mental health treatment plans) .
However it good to know that the GP is not the only place you can go for support. There area range of different types of mental health professionals who offer support (see Beyond Blue for a great summary). Below are a few paths to start your own search for the right type of professional and right type of person that works for you:
Starting places to find a psychologist, counsellors or other mental health professional:
The Australian Association of Psychologist Inc. and Australian Psychological Society are the two main organisations that registered Psychologists can choose to join in Australia. Both offer “Find a Psychologist” sections of their websites which allow you to search for a psychologist by location, age, gender, and area of expertise.
Psychology Today is a private company that many psychologist and other therapists are listed on. You can also use this website to search according to factors such as location, area of expertise and many other factors.
Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia also offers Find A Therapist search function to help prospective clients or their carers or family members find a registered Counsellor or Psychotherapist.
Victorian Inclusive Practitioners List offers a list of therapists working with diverse populations (including LGBTIQA+) and with lived experience.
4. Further Reading, Podcasts and Resources
Audiobook PDF
We have had some trouble making the PDF resource that should come with the Audiobook to be available on all platforms. So until it is all fixed, if you are searching for the PDF resource that comes with the Audiobook, it can be found here.
Mindfulness, Meditation and Wellbeing Apps
Hey Lemonade - Wellbeing app designed to circuit break everyday stress. Backed by science, built with psychologists (including me!) and written (and voiced) by the best Australia has to offer.
Smiling Mind – Free evidence-based mindfulness app
Insight Timer – Free app for sleep, anxiety and stress
Kirstin Neff – Self-compassion meditations
Tara Brach – Guided meditations
Podcasts
Fearne Cotton talks to incredible people about life, love, loss, and everything in between as she reveals what happiness means to them.
Hugh van Cuylenburg (founder of The Resilience Project), Josh van Cuylenburg and comedian Ryan Shelton chat with a variety of interesting people who bravely share their struggles and imperfections, and we all learn some valuable takeaways we can apply to our own imperfect lives.
Conversations that unlock the deeply human part of who we are, so that we can live, love, parent, and lead with more courage and heart. Features conversations with some of the key authors referenced and quotes in The New Rulebook including episodes with Emily and Amelia Nagoski (authors of Burnout), Susan David (author of Emotional Agility), Sonya Renee Taylor (author of The Body is Not an Apology), and Esther Perel (author of Mating in Captivity).
Conversations with change-catalysts, culture-shifters, and more than a few troublemakers who are innovating, creating, and daring to lead.
Dan Harris is a fidgety, skeptical journalist who had a panic attack on live national television, which led him to try something he otherwise never would have considered: meditation. He went on to write the bestselling book, 10% Happier. On this show, Dan talks with eminent meditation teachers, top scientists, and even the odd celebrity.
Intimate conversations about getting unwell - and getting better - with Bryony Gordon. From household names to ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
Unseeable forces control human behaviour and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Invisibilia—Latin for invisible things—fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently.
Takes the stories of real people who’ve gone through hell and it doesn’t pull any punches in the process.
The Hilarious World of Depression
A series of frank, moving, and, yes, funny conversations with top comedians who have dealt with depression and other mental health challenges.
Peabody award-winning conversations to live with. Wisdom to replenish and orient in this wild ride of a time to be alive.
Podcasts exploring different insights into mental health through personal experiences and expert opinions.
ABC weekly podcast exploring the mind, brain and behaviour — focused n expert opinion, research and lived experience.
5. References
Foreword
1 Tolle, E. (2005). A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. Dutton/Penguin Group.
2 Rilke, R.M. (2016). Letters to a Young Poet. Penguin Classics.
Self-care
3 Lorde, A. (2017). A Burst of Light: and Other Essays. Ixia Press.
4 Cambridge University. (n.d.). Individualism. Cambridge Dictionary. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/individualism
5 American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Mortality salience. APA Dictionary. https://dictionary.apa.org/mortality-salience
6 Yalom, I. (2003). The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients. Piatkus.
7 Yalom, I. (2009). Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death. John Wiley & Sons Inc.
8 Dudgeon, P., Milroy, H., & Walker, R. (2014). Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice. Telethon Institute for Child Health Research/Kulunga Research Network in association with the University of Western Australia. https://www.telethonkids.org.au/globalassets/media/documents/aboriginal-health/working-together-second-edition/working-together-aboriginal-and-wellbeing-2014.pdf
9 Kurzgesagt. (2017). Optimistic nihilism. https://kurzgesagt.org/portfolio/optimistic-nihilism
Emotions
10 David, S. (2016). Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life. Avery/Penguin Random House, 2016.
11 David, S. Emotional Agility.
12 Brown, B. (2021). Atlas of the Heart. Avery/Penguin Random House.
13 Harvard Medical School. (2020). Understanding the stress response. Harvard Health Publishing. www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response
14 Nagoski, E. & Nagoski, A. (2020). Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. Random House.
15 Porges, S. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation. WW Norton & Company.
16 Porges, S. The Polyvagal Theory.
17 David, S. Emotional Agility.
18 Porges, S. The Polyvagal Theory.
19 Leighton-Dore, S. (2021). Artist website. https://www.sadmanstudio.com/shop
Work
20 Hayes, S., Strosahl, K., & Wilson, K. (2016). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Process and Practice of Mindful Change (2nd edition). The Guilford Press.
21 Harris, R. (2021). The Happiness Trap (2nd edition). Exisle Publishing.
22 Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The How of Happiness: A Practical Guide to Getting the Life You Want. Penguin Books.
23 Huta, V., & Waterman, A. (2014). Eudaimonia and its Distinction from Hedonia: Developing a classification and terminology for understanding conceptual and operational definitions. Journal of Happiness Studies. 15, 1425–1456. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-9485-0
24 Schwartz, B. (2004). The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less. Harper Perennial.
25 Schwartz, B. The Paradox of Choice.
26 Huta, V., & Waterman, A. Eudaimonia and its Distinction from Hedonia.
27 Ellis, A. (1988). How to Stubbornly Refuse to Make Yourself Miserable About Anything – Yes, Anything! Lyle Stuart, Inc.
28 Arntz, A., & Jacob, G. (2012). Schema Therapy in Practice: An Introductory Guide to the Schema Mode Approach. Wiley.
29 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2020). Indigenous Health and Wellbeing. www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/indigenous-health-and-wellbeing
30 LGBTIQ+ Health Australia. (2021). Snapshot of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Statistics for LGBTIQ+ People. www.lgbtiqhealth.org.au/statistics
31 Meyer, I.H. (2003). Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 674–697. doi:10.1037/0033- 2909.129.5.674
32 Gilbert, P. (2022). Compassion Focused Therapy: Clinical Practice and Applications. Routledge.
33 Frankl, V. (1984). Man’s Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy. Touchstone.
Love
34 Baumeister, R., & Leary. M. (1995). The Need to Belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivator. Psychological Bulletin,
117(3), 497–529, https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497
35 Eisenberger, N. (2012). The Pain of Social Disconnection: Examining the shared neural underpinnings of physical and social pain. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 13, 421–434, https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3231
36 Owens, A. (2021). Tell Me All I Need to Know About Oxytocin. Psycom. www.psycom.net/oxytocin
37 Owens, A. Tell Me All I Need to Know About Oxytocin.
38 Perel, E. (2007). Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence. Harper Collins.
39 Manning, W.D., Fettro, M.N., & Lamidi, E. (2014). Child Wellbeing in Same-Sex Parent Families: Review of research prepared for American Sociological Association amicus brief. Population Research and Policy Review, 33, 485–502. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11113-014-9329-6
40 Dunbar, R. (2022). Friends: Understanding the Power of Our Most Important Relationships. Little Brown.
41 Dunbar, R. (2022). Friends.
42 Johnson, S. (2011). Hold Me Tight: Your Guide to the Most Successful Approach to Building Loving Relationships. Little Brown.
43 Fern, J. (2020). Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy. Thorntree Press.
44 Fern, J. Polysecure.
45 Brown, B. Atlas of the Heart.
46 Parker, P. (2018). The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters. Riverhead Books.
47 bell hooks. (2000). All About Love: New Visions. William Morrow.
48 Porges, S. The Polyvagal Theory.
49 Perel, E. Mating in Captivity.
50 Nagoski, E. (2021). Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life. Simon & Schuster.
Body
51 Moncrieff, J., Cooper, R.E., Stockmann, T. et al. (2022). The Serotonin Theory of Depression: A systematic umbrella review of the evidence.
Molecular Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01661-0
52 Kvam, S. et al. (2016). Exercise as a Treatment for Depression: A meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders. 202, 67-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.03.063
53 Lessard, L.M., & Puhl, R.M. (2021). Adolescents’ Exposure to and Experiences of Weight Stigma During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Paediatric Psychology, 46(8), 950–959. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsab071
54 Tomiyama, A.J., Carr, D., Granberg, E.M., Major, B., Robinson, E., Sutin, A.R., & Brewis, A. (2018). How and Why Weight Stigma Drives the Obesity ‘Epidemic’ and Harms Health. BMC Med, 16(1), 123. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-018-1116-5
55 Zhu, X., Smith, R.A., & Buteau, E. (2022). A Meta-analysis of Weight Stigma and Health Behaviors. Stigma and Health, 7(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000352
56 Pearl, R.L., & Puhl, R.M. (2018). Weight Bias Internalization and Health: A systematic review. Obesity Reviews, 19, 1141–1163. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12701.
57 Australian Professional Association of Transgender Health. (2021). AusPATH: Public Statement on Gender Affirming Healthcare. https://auspath.org.au/2021/06/26/auspath-public-statement-on-gender-affirming-healthcare-including-for-trans-youth/
58 Haupt, A. (2022). You don’t have to love or hate your body. Here’s how to adopt ‘body neutrality’. Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/02/25/body-neutrality-definition/
59 Hersey, T. The Nap Ministry. https://thenapministry.wordpress.com
60 Nagoski, E. Come as You Are.
61 Taylor, S.R. (2021). The Body is Not an Apology, Second Edition: The Power of Radical Self-Love. Berrett-Koehler.
62 Taylor, S.R. The Body is Not an Apology.
63 Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2020). Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Dietary Approach. St Martin’s Press.
