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,” Elisabeth Shaw, CEO of Relationships Australia NSW commented “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.”
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 commented. “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 commented . “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 commented . “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.