The Doctors Will See You Now

If a fortune-teller told 19-year-old Debbie that she’d one day become a professor of purpose and impact, she’d have asked for a refund. A tragedy led her family to the Kabballah Centre – years before Madonna and other celebs joined it – where she grew up in a cult-like atmosphere until she managed to escape under threat of an arranged marriage. Higher education and volunteering transformed Debbie’s life, and she has since devoted her entire career to studying the pro-social behaviour of individuals and companies. Today, she is an awarded and well-published professor of business management and the MBA Director at Macquarie University, Australia. With over sixty academic articles, four books and a TED talk, she dedicates her teaching, research, and knowledge to creating impact and enabling others to find meaningfulness and purpose.

Martine Kropkowski is a writer and researcher based in Brisbane. She teaches professional and creative writing at The University of Queensland, where she also investigates conspiracy theories and high-demand groups as part of her PhD. Martine writes essays on literature and culture, and her debut novel Everywhere We Look is out in November 2024 with Ultimo Press.

Dr Ahona Guha is a clinical and forensic psychologist. Her first book, Reclaim: understanding complex trauma and those who abuse was published by Scribe Publications in 2023. She works with victims of abuse and trauma, and clients with a range of other difficulties — such as anxiety, depression, perfectionism, burn-out, and relationship problems. She also works with perpetrators of harmful behaviours to assess risk, and provides treatment to reduce the risk they pose to others. She writes widely for the media on matters related to mental health, health, social justice, and equity. Her work has appeared in The Age, The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, Breathe Magazine, SBS, and ABC. You can find out more about her work at www.ahonaguha.com.

Paul Biegler is a journalist, academic, and former doctor specialising in emergency medicine. His health and science writing has been published in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Good Weekend, The Australian Financial Review, Cosmos, New Philosopher, and Arena, and he is the author of The Ethical Treatment of Depression, which won the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Research in Ethics.