Welcome to Sound Affects Podcast – featured in NME's Podcasts for the People series. A music & mental health podcast exploring all crossovers between music and mental health: how music and sounds affect us somatically and psychologically, the songs that see us through, what drives people to music careers/a life on the road, the music industry climate, music therapy as support for mental illness, music fandom, music journalism and research in all these crossovers. I speak to well-known musicians and figures, experts, therapists, academics, researchers, authors, journalists, charities, and music fans. Each episode is an interview with a guest centred around a specific theme of music and mental health.
Sound Affects is produced, edited and hosted by me, Katerina – a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist working professionally in both the NHS and private practice. I'm also a freelance sub-editor and writer published in The Independent, The Guardian, The Times and Wellcome Collection. Before becoming a therapist, I was a Samaritan helpline listener supporting people struggling to cope with suicidal feelings, and I worked full time as a copywriter and editor for Samaritans during the time of the charity's male suicide research launch. I've worked in magazine and newspaper publishing for many years and spent a lot of time during this time speaking to musicians and creative people.
The idea for Sound Affects came while writing about and interviewing bands – I noticed a theme emerging around existential identity and just how sad some of the so-called "rock n roll" stories of excess were. I was also aware of just how much music impacts me, and in particular, specific bands and sounds. It is no secret that I'm a huge Oasis fan, and this theme features regularly in this podcast as alongside my interviews, I occasionally pause to reflect and consider what draws me to this music and how it has shaped me. When I trained as a psychotherapist, I drew together all my interests, culminating in this podcast. I often see musicians as clients for therapy, and I routinely appear in the press and radio commenting on various aspects of therapy and emotional health. I've been a guest on BBC Radio, and appeared in OK! Magazine, Psychologies, Stylist, Grazia, The Independent and more.