The Secret Sunday Session

Some wounds don’t come from the person everyone can see. Some pain lives in the silence of the people around it. In Episode 4 of The Disordered Series, we open up one of the most overlooked conversations in recovery and family trauma: the siblings, the fathers, and the people standing in the background who are often carrying pain too. This episode is about the ripple effect no one prepares familie...

What if the hardest part of an eating disorder isn’t what it does to your body, but what it quietly steals from your life? In Episode 3 of The Disordered Series ,  Ashlee and Kendall confront the real cost of disordered eating, the moments that never happened, the connection that was lost, and the versions of themselves that slowly disappeared under the weight of the disorder.  This is an unfilter...

In this deeply honest episode two of The Disordered Series , Ashlee and Kendall open up about what it really feels like to navigate an eating disorder from both sides of the relationship—parent and child. From unspoken fear and constant second-guessing to conflict, guilt, and emotional distance, Kendall shares the reality of “walking on eggshells” while trying to support her daughter. Ashlee refle...

Eating disorders are often called the secret illness. Hidden behind smiles, routines, and the illusion of being “fine,” many people suffer silently while the world around them sees nothing wrong. In this first episode of The Disordered Series, mother–daughter duo Ashlee and Kendall Thomas explore why eating disorders are so often invisible and misunderstood. Drawing from lived experience, they dis...

Fat phobia!, Body monitoring, *disordered eating and the ongoing discussion around relapse. In this week's episode we unpack the road to eating disorder recovery, whether it be from a diagnosis or a behaviour of concern, highlighting the importance of not only ‘getting well’, but ‘keeping well’.  S5 | EP.15 The Secret Sunday Session with Mia Findlay *Episode trigger warning - content related...

157 games as an AFL athlete. 63 matches in a Carlton jersey. At the top of his career, yet at the bottom of his mental health. Bulimia, alcohol abuse, drug misuse, and a longing to just be enough!  S5 | EP.14 The Secret Sunday Session with former AFL athlete, Brock McLean. *episode trigger warning - content related to eating disorders and disordered related behaviour.  In this week’s episode Brock...

What the influencer did you say?!!  S5 | EP.13 A special co-hosted episode with Gel Pupillo from This is Your Body Nutrition.  On this week’s episode host Ashlee Thomas and special episode co-host Gel,  collaborate to bring you the best tools, tips and lived experience stories to navigate a noisy wellness culture.   In light of their new mini series collaboration on socials, The Health Effect, thi...

“It’s about coming back to self”. Health trends, fitness fads, wellness hacks, are we on the right path to honour our health? Is our ego getting in the way? What are we running from? Do we need to sit in the pain? S5 | EP.12 The Secret Sunday Session with Sustainable Health and Fitness Educator , Belinda Norton.  On this week’s episode we talk about “health” in the media, coming back to your “true...

Parenting in the modern era... are we getting it right? Are we too soft, hard, expressive, controlling? What can we learn about the way we are parenting our children. S5 | EP.11 The Secret Sunday Session with Parent Educator, Gen Muir from Connected Parenting.  In this week’s episode we discuss the impacts of raising young people in a different 'village'. We start the conversation about...

Motherhood. Womanhood. From being a teen and idolising your mum, to being a mum and admiring your children, this week we unpack the expectation and temptations of being a mum in the 21st century.  S5 | EP.10 A unique Mother’s Day edition with Emma Tabacaru from Pippin Girl.  This episode explains what it means to “mask your child’s curiosity”, how to define a “healthy reference point” for your chi...

From Frank Green drink bottles to the latest Mecca products, chasing perfection has never been so addictive and dangerous. S5 | EP.9 The Secret Sunday Session with Asha Holland.  In this week’s episode we speak with confidence coach and body image educator, Asha Holland about the dangerous sides of striving for perfection.  Asha opens up about her past struggles with addictive perfectionism; discu...

Fractured systems, lost trust, the effects of being a first responder. How covid negatively impacted our trust in senior authority.  S5 | EP.8 The Secret Sunday Session with Michael Willing APM In this week’s episode we speak with former NSW Deputy Police Commissioner and current Fortem Australia CEO, Michael Willing APM about the pressure to be a senior officer, policing in the 21st century, rebu...

“BE ALL IN”! Strength. Confidence. Community. Empowerment. “We are building strong capable people.”  From struggling with her own body image and the pressure to be “the poster girl”, BAIFIT co-owner and health advocate, Madison Hare opens up about her journey to inspire young women to be confident within themselves. S5 | EP.7 The Secret Sunday Session with Madison Hare.  On this week’s episode we...

“Are people broken or is the system?” Mental health. Disengaged youth. Broken families. Dissociated parents. Are we doing more harm than good? When did mental health become a business? When did we lose the village raising the child? From Australian sportsperson to motivational speaker and advocate, Joe Williams opens up about his struggles to be a present dad and the effects it’s had on his family...

From Super2 Series Champion in 2022, reaching the peak of his career in his early twenties, to hitting “the bottom of his career” months later, motorsports racing driver, Declan Fraser shares the story of “bringing himself back.” S5 | EP.5 The Secret Sunday Session with Declan Fraser. On this week’s episode we unpack the challenges of pursuing your passion when opportunities are lost, the need to...

Somatics … what is it? How do we approach it? Is it just a buzz word or should we be investing in somatic education?  S5 | EP.4 The Secret Sunday Session with somatic educator and business mentor, Sarah Adele. On this week’s episode we start the conversation about somatic education, the dangers of health trends and hype words, learning to understand your body’s means of communication (mind and log...

Holistic or medical? Nature or prescription medication? Is there room for both to co-exist for one’s healing? Are we programmed to seek negativity? Can we learn to  observe our thoughts, not embody them?  S5 | EP.3 The Secret Sunday Session with mind-body medicine doctor, Michele Kambolis On this week’s episode we start the conversation about finding our natural capacity to heal, coming back to ou...

What is the fundamental human need? Is adversity inevitable? Is pain a mindset? When did we become “human doings?”… we are human beings.” After losing 12 mates to suicide, struggling with his own emotional challenges and ending up homeless, Matt Runnalls turned it all around in an effort to find a way to live a life of purpose and meaning.  S5 | EP.2 The Secret Sunday Session with Mindfull Austral...

Boxing. Bronze. “Brilliance”. Caitlin Parker became the first Australian female to win a medal in boxing at the Olympic games in 2024, and in the first episode back of The Secret Sunday Session (to kick-off Season 5), we sit down with Caitlin to hear all about it.  S5 | EP.1 The Secret Sunday Session with Caitlin Parker.  From entering a boxing gym at 11, to setting her eyes on Olympic gold 10+ ye...

A Christmas edition of The Secret Sunday Session with Lifeline Australia on how to support yourself this festive season, and how Lifeline could be your next phone call! S4 | EP.30 The Secret Sunday Session with Lifeline Australia’s Chief Research Officer, Anna Brooks.  In this episode of The Secret Sunday Session, we talk about suicide!  The causes, contributing factors, the current research and p...

10 Professional Rugby League seasons, 150+ games in an NRL jersey, three clubs, a psychology degree and one story that motivates it all.  S4 | EP.29 The Secret Sunday Session with Shaun Lane. In this episode of The Secret Sunday Session, Shaun opens up about his family’s battle to support his father who is experiencing depression.  Shaun unpacks his childhood while shinning the light on the elepha...

S4 | EP.28 The Secret Sunday Session with Matt LaFontaine. After almost losing his life to suicide during Covid, Matt has become a powerful mental health advocate and in this week’s episode for #movember, we hear the phenomenal journey that led Matt to “pull up” 3,249 times for the lives lost to suicide in Australia.  Matt shares how community, purpose and choices influence the path to discovering...

From local construction worker to Australian Olympic competitor.  S4 | EP.27 The Secret Sunday Session with Hayden Sargeant In this podcast episode we hear Hayden's incredible story as a local Rugby Union player to a big time green and gold representative at the 2024 Paris Olympics.  Hayden shares how self-belief, resilience, and doing the work (plus surfing!!) can help you achieve your dream...

The HER Series: Fighting Her with host Ashlee Thomas *During this series, “Her” is referred to as Anorexia Nervosa. The eating disorder Ashlee developed at 14.    HIGH TRIGGER WARNING ON THIS PODCAST: EATING DISORDER RELATED CONTENT DISCUSSED!!   Why I decided to fight "Her". The founding of The Secret Burden Charity. The pursuit of my advocacy work against eating disorders. The lessons...

The Secret Therapy Session: Identifying your internal system - “parts” therapy. The first of many short episodes discussing the new revelations, informative takeaways and the in-depth lessons as I navigate my way through this jungle.  From my younger self to the primary protector, my teenage self to my adult self, learning to understand all my parts within my "internal system". To rid th...