Where You Left Them - The dadhugsforyoursoul Podcast

You'd expect the hardest part of a breakup to be the heartbreak. For a lot of women it's the exhaustion: the kind that sleep doesn't touch, that often arrives months after the worst is over, just when everyone expects you to be fine. Louise George works with exactly that. She joins Emma and me to talk about post-stress fatigue, why the body keeps paying for a crisis long after it's...

Helen was married for 21 years. Nine months ago she found out about the affair and she left. Everyone told her she was doing the right thing and nobody argued. What she has now is a phone she checks too often and a friend called Denise who keeps telling her things she hasn't asked to know. He isn't at the house. He isn't working. He's on somebody's sofa twenty minutes away. And Helen lies awake at...

Season 4 continues with Episode 2, an introduction to Bhavna Radia. Bhavna spent years as a divorce lawyer before moving into coaching, and she talks to us about where the early pull towards law came from, what happened when she went through her own divorce, and how she now works with women using both sides of that: the professional training and the lived experience of it. She also explains Mesher...

Did you miss us? Or didn’t you notice we’d been gone? Well, nevermind because we are back!   We are kicking off season 4 with an interesting letter from Jenny who has been dipping her toe into dating and finding it’s stirring up more than just passion….   Jenny’s concerns are common, but maybe not openly discussed. We are here to blow the lid off the idea that everything m...

Back to the familiar format of a letter from a listener - and this one is another all to common theme. This week, we hear from Helen. Helen's story has a bit of everything: financial isolation, the slow unravelling of a long marriage, infidelity, divorce, and a turn none of us saw coming. It's a story about giving yourself entirely to a life and a person, and discovering how little of it was ever...

Today we go back to basics with Harry and ask him some of the most common questions we hear a lot: - How do you know so much about mid-life women and how did you get to the point of speaking on topics that are relevant to them - What is Anxious Attachment, how do we become anxiously attached and is it changeable? - Why go No Contact - does it really work? - Somatic work: how can this help in heart...

    **Content warning: This episode includes discussion of economic abuse and a brief, non-graphic reference to domestic violence. Please listen with care and feel free to skip this episode if these topics may be difficult for you.**   Our very difficult discussion this week is anecdotal, via a friend of Harry, and deals with the complicated and painful subject of economic abuse. &n...

No letter this week - following the amazing DHFYS reset weekend we're a little tired! So we are giving you a delicate, gentle Q&A session, with some great viewer questions and opening with a gift from one of our amazing followers! Listen to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, and anywhere you get your podcasts. Watch the episode on our YouTube channel. Head to the socials (se...

Our letter this week comes from James, and it's fair to say that he is deep in the confusion and pain of a difficult relationship. Like so many of us, he just needs answers! We discuss his complicated situation, and Harry provides some suggestions for next steps. We also have a quick-fire question section and as always there is so much there which is relatable - you're never alone in this remember...

When you are as visible as fresh-from-the-BBC Harry is, people who you used to know are going to find you.... This week, Emma is delighted at Harry's momentary discomfort when an old flame gets in touch! As in all things break-up based, there's a lot to untangle and lots of questions to be answered. After we read and discuss Victoria's letter, it's quick fire questions and there's some really good...

Today we have a really interesting letter - Rob is at a point in his relationship that we don't usually get to see: he's at a decision point. His marriage is stable and he loves his wife but he feels that the spark has gone and he is experiencing some of that electricity with a work colleague. At this moment it's all in his head but he is aware that he's about to step into a world of pain if he ma...

We're back! Back to the familiar format of a letter from a listener - and this one is such a common theme: why do we give sympathy and care to those who hurt us the most! Anisha wrote in with details of a break up we all can understand: her husband left her for a woman he met at work. She dealt with the fallout from this and helped her three children come to terms with their new life, steering the...

Today we are chatting to the brilliant Lucy Meggeson. Through her podcast, membership, book, and content, Lucy challenges outdated narratives about singlehood, showing women that they don’t need a partner to live fully, passionately, and joyfully.  You can see why Harry was so keen to get her on our podcast! You can find Lucy at https://www.lucymeggeson.com/ and also on Instagram @thrivesolow...

Lisa's Story — A No Contact Update That Will Give You Hope Eight months ago, Lisa wrote to Harry at one of the lowest points of her life — 53 years old, 30 years with her partner and suddenly it was all gone. She wasn't sleeping, she couldn't stop checking his social media, and she had no idea who she was anymore. This week we revisit Lisa's story; as one of the earliest users of the No Contact Pa...

Where you left them - More Q&A & Meeting Brittney Emley We LOVED the Q&A last week and it seems you did too! This week we're going to finish that list and we also have a special guest: the wonderful, in Harry's words, "Zen Queen", Brittney Emley. Brittney provides all our incredible somatic work across the platforms and packs and will be joining us on the Reset Retreat in May. You can...

Where you left them - the Queasy Q&A This week, as Emma is unwell, we've taken the pressure off her with a 'listener Q&A' session instead of a story - from Moving on, to finding your self-worth - we cover a lot in this episode and still save some questions for next time.  As we always say, if you’re having relationship problems, going through a relationship breakup or experiencing hea...

When relationships end, there's often a lot more than feelings at stake. For many partners, women especially, there's a risk of being left in a financially precarious positition. This story, sent in by listener Sally, takes us through that journey from pure trust and love to betrayal - and then into the details of what the fallout can mean not just emotionally, but financially. She talks of her wo...

This one comes with a trigger warning - Narcissistic Abuse In this rather brutal episode, we unpack a story about a narcissist, a dog, and the subtle ways manipulation can infiltrate everyday life. Using humor, honesty, and insight, we explore how to spot controlling behavior, protect your boundaries, and reclaim your sense of agency — all while keeping your sanity intact. If you’ve ever questione...

This is an episode that many of you will relate to. A story on the intersection of menopause and manosphere, and more generally the impact of menopause on relationships. It’s raw and real, and the issues raised had Emma emotional - these issues are very familiar for so many people - we’re going to cover menopause and it’s effect on relationships on the channel and in work Harry is doing this Sprin...

In this rather saucy episode (you have been warned), we read Ariel’s story - it brings so many twists and turns you might even call it kinky,  It’s a story of hidden lives, secrets and lies. Betrayal on an almost industrial scale, and an entire infrastructure of deception and subterfuge. We talk about the awful pain of discovering two lives lived not in parallel, but awfully, painfully differ...

In this episode, we are excited to be discussing an actual voice note! So modern!  Our contributor is Mark, who shares his struggles with a tumultuous relationship marked by love bombing, sudden breakups, and the lingering pain of unresolved feelings. We discuss the inevitable emotional dysregulation that these kinds of chaotic relationships cause and how to work your way through to...

We’re back! Season 2 (that’s what the kids call it) starts with a submission from Annie – a sadly too familiar story of a toxic relationship and a woman shrinking herself so much that she is no longer recognisable, even to herself. Harry and Emma delve into the complexities of relationships, focusing on a listener's story of emotional turmoil and healing. They discuss the impact of past...

It's a bumper episode today - we've got lots to catch up on! We're incorporating some lovely comments about episode 10 (Barbecues, Birthdays, BETRAYALS! - go have a little look if you've not seen it!) We are also revisiting the question of the week AND doing a physiological sigh-along. We've got some updates for you from 3 of our favourite (so far) contributers - can you guess which ones? We talk...

In this, the last story of our first season, we meet Rosy; 43 years old, married with a family, living a nice, normal life. Except she isn’t, she’s living a lie and keeping a huge, devastating secret from her husband.  Unforgiveable confessions flow and we are left feeling horrified for him. The huge twist that follows leaves everyone in shock, betrayal comes in many forms and this time...

In our Tuesday episode we revisit Chloe - what did you think? A heartbreaking reminder of their own story for some, an exhausting display of immaturity for others. We discuss the triumphs - and gifts - of a break-up. Yes, they're really there! We discuss dating escape plans: no, not cosy weekends but how you do a runner if it's not working out! There is a definite divide between the practicalities...