Carly's Couch

I'm recording this while driving to work—multitasking at its finest! I want to talk about my online course O Baby WTF because I created it to bridge a gap I felt when I became a parent. We get lots of information about birth and infant care when we're pregnant, but almost nothing about preparing for the experience of becoming a new parent. Since Lucy Jones wrote Matrescence and the term is finally...

Suna Hall is an ADHD and neurodiversity coach who works with neurodivergent teens, adults, and parents. Today she's breaking down what neurodivergence actually means—ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and more—and how coaching differs from therapy. Coaching is future-focused and finite: where you are now, where you want to be, what's getting in the way, and building skills to close that gap. Executive functi...

Dillion Phiri is a Zimbabwean-Malawian father, entrepreneur, filmmaker, and social sculptor based in Johannesburg. As founder of Creative Nestlings, he's built a Pan-African network of 100,000+ creatives. But today we're talking about how fatherhood is the foundation of everything he does. He has five kids—two biological, three inherited through his blended family—and he centers every decision aro...

I'm recording this while driving to work because I'm a busy mom. Today I want to talk about diagnosis—what it means, why we do it, and what my particular take on it is. As a clinical psychologist, I was trained in the medical model alongside psychiatrists. We learned the DSM, the diagnostic manual that classifies psychiatric conditions into discrete categories like depression, anxiety, schizophren...

Julie Robinson is an organizational psychologist who founded InVenture after her own healing journey from chronic illness. InVenture offers immersive wilderness experiences in the Karoo that support reflection and growth through embodiment, breathwork, creativity, and time in nature. What started as her personal "inner adventure" has become work that helps leaders, people in transition, and anyone...

I'm recording this on the way to my first antenatal class of 2026. I'm all for New Year's resolutions, but here's what I care about more: the quality of your relationship with yourself while working towards your goals. We set these black and white objectives without thinking about the cost. Are we already judging the old version of ourselves? Setting ourselves up for shame? I think about it like d...

Dr. Tarryn Kawalsky came on to talk about something I've been thinking about constantly since becoming a mother: the massive gap between what women experience in their bodies and what the medical system actually addresses. She's a GP, co-founder of The Ovarian Club podcast, and she spent her community service year in obstetrics and gynecology at a top South African hospital where she witnessed fir...

Terrance Mentor is a South African content creator, writer, and speaker known online as AfroDaddy. He uses humor and authenticity to share his experiences as a father, advocating for positive masculinity, diversity, and mental health awareness. He's been doing this work for 10 years, and he believes that if you want to advance motherhood, look at the fathers. When fathers are emotionally and physi...

Catriona Boffard is a clinical sexologist, psychotherapist, and sexuality researcher who hosts the podcast Asking for a Friend. She's completing her doctorate in psychotherapy and works with people facing challenges in their sexual experiences, particularly women dealing with sexual pain. I reached out to her because sexuality is such an important part of being alive, and as a therapist, I see it...

I want to talk about play and why adults need it in their lives. During COVID lockdown, I had this insight that part of our cultural depression wasn't just fear or worry, it was that we weren't enjoying ourselves enough. Since becoming a parent, I've experienced a huge sense of loss for opportunities to play, and I think many of us feel this way as adults. I have a challenge for you. Think back th...

In this episode, I’m joined by Kirsty Melmed, the woman behind Brave Mamas and a fierce advocate for real, grounded support for mothers. Kirsty brings the kind of honesty that makes you exhale. We talked about the messy middle of motherhood, the moments that break us open, and the kind of community that helps us rise again. Kirsty didn’t step into this work from theory, she lived it. After postpar...

I want to talk about what feels like the most fundamental truth about being human, and that's love. To me, therapy is love. The work I do is about aligning with what I believe is the fundamental organizing principle of humanity, that we connect to each other through love. Love is a feeling, but it's also an energy, an experience of something beyond us. What some call God or faith or mystery, I cal...

I sat down with Zakeeya Patel, actress, dancer, and storyteller, for a conversation that turned into something much deeper than I expected. Zakeeya is known for her vibrant energy on screen, but in this episode, she brings her full, unfiltered self to the couch. We spoke about how she learned to honor her intuition, navigate visibility as a woman of color in entertainment, and embrace the in-betwe...

I've been thinking about how being a psychologist and a parent at the same time is really hard. After 14 years of practice, I've heard so many stories of messed up childhoods and adults who resent their parents. Now when I'm parenting my own kids, I can almost anticipate which moments will become their therapy stories one day. That weight sits heavy. Then there's the comparison trap. My clients te...

I sat down with Claire van Dyk, an HPCSA-registered counselor working for the Western Cape Department of Health, and honestly, this conversation shook me. Claire reached out to be on the podcast because she's passionate about having uncomfortable conversations about mental health care inequality in South Africa—and we went there. We traced how colonialism and apartheid created the massive discrepa...

This micro episode explores the psychological realities of having a baby through metaphors that make sense of experiences that often feel impossible to articulate. I compare having a baby to that nightmare where you're suddenly in an exam you haven't studied for, or realize you're naked in public - that sense of being woefully unprepared despite knowing this moment would come. I dive into why two...

I'm joined by my friend Sindiso Nyoni, a renowned Zimbabwean graphic artist, illustrator, and activist whose work has been showcased from New York to Berlin. But today we're not talking about his international acclaim - we're diving deep into his experience as a hands-on father navigating an unexpected journey into primary caregiving. Sindiso shares the reality of becoming a father during COVID wh...

This micro episode is a fun experiment where I channel Bella Freud's "Fashion Neurosis" podcast to explore my own relationship with clothing and style. I dive into why fashion fascinates me as both a psychologist and a human being. I explore clothing as a form of creative expression - like collaging with objects, colors, textures, and forms. It's a sensory and sensual experience that connects us t...

In this episode, my guest is Amy Rogerson, a spiritual midwife, postpartum care provider, and creator of Mother Nurture - a woman who brings a uniquely powerful perspective to motherhood and maternal transformation. Amy describes herself as feeling "particularly feisty," and that energy radiates throughout our conversation about power, descent, and the revolutionary potential of mothers who refuse...

This micro-episode came from two therapy conversations I had that hit on the same frustrating theme: the absolutely ridiculous and contradictory standards women are expected to live by. I had to share because if you're feeling exhausted trying to meet impossible expectations, you're not alone. First, the body bind: We're told that if we're "too sexy," we're asking for danger and assault, but if we...

Disclaimer: This episode contains personal opinions and perspectives on complex geopolitical issues. These views are shared as part of an exploration of the psychological and emotional dimensions of identity, trauma, and human connection. This conversation is meant to provoke thought and empathy. Joseph Dana returns for a profound conversation about his recent piece "When But Becomes Now: The Unra...

On behalf of women everywhere, this episode is dedicated to helping men understand why over 90% of women feel dissatisfied on special occasions like Mother's Day, birthdays, and anniversaries. Drawing from my clinical practice and conversations with clients and friends, I break down the five love languages framework as a practical tool for meaningful gift-giving. This isn't about expensive present...

I'm joined by Mayuri Govender-Jonck, lawyer, transformation specialist, and creator of Breaking Brown Silence, for a deeply honest conversation about the realities of early motherhood. Eight months into her journey as a mother, Mayuri shares how becoming a parent ignited an unstoppable fire within her to never abandon herself again. We dive into her traumatic pregnancy and birth experience - from...

I'm going solo today to talk about a book that has absolutely changed my life - Lucy Jones' "Matrescence." This is the book I wish someone had told me to read before I had my first baby seven years ago. I read it on holiday like a page-turner novel, completely captivated by how it put words to experiences I'd never been able to articulate. Matrescence is like adolescence - a profound metamorphosis...

I need to tell you something that might surprise you - I'm pro-anger. When clients come to therapy saying they felt angry, I get excited because anger is information, and I want to understand what it's trying to tell us. Too many people walk into my office ashamed of their anger, wanting to "fix" it rather than understand it. In this episode, I break down my theory of the three types of anger. Fir...