Challenge Your Guilt

In this episode of Challenge Your Guilt , I’m joined by writer Caro Giles, author of Twelve Moons and Unschooled , for a deeply honest conversation about motherhood, care, shame, identity and what happens when families no longer fit neatly within the systems designed to support them. Caro is a single mother of four daughters, two of whom are autistic and unable to access mainstream education. In t...

In this powerful episode of Challenge Your Guilt , I’m joined by the brilliant Tamu Thomas - somatic coach, speaker, founder of the Live Three Sixty brand and author of Women Who Work Too Much . Together, we explore one of the biggest lies modern women have been sold: that being a “good” woman, and especially a “good” mother, means being endlessly busy, endlessly giving and endlessly available. Ta...

In this episode, I’m joined by award-winning science journalist and author Melissa Hogenboom to explore maternal guilt through a powerful lens: biology, psychology, and culture. Melissa’s work has deeply influenced my own thinking, and in this conversation, we unpack one of the most important truths about modern motherhood: Much of what we experience as “personal failure” is, in fact, systemic des...

What if the problem isn’t you… but the rules you’ve been living by? In this powerful and deeply validating conversation, I’m joined by psychotherapeutic counsellor and coach Becky Selbie (also known as Motherway), to unpack one of the most important - and overlooked - drivers of maternal guilt: the invisible rulebook. Because when you become a mother, you don’t start from scratch. You inherit a co...

In this episode, I’m joined by conscious parenting coach and somatic practitioner Emily Hughes from Finding Flow Parenting. When we first spoke, she said something that stopped me in my tracks: “I see far less guilt in parents… and far more shame.” Not “I did something wrong” - but “Something is wrong with me.” And that distinction matters more than we realise. Because shame doesn’t just sit at th...

In this episode of Challenge Your Guilt , I’m joined by Clare Willetts - gender equality consultant, founder of Not Only Pink and Blue, and former advertising and brand leader. Through Not Only Pink and Blue , Clare works with businesses, schools and organisations to challenge gender stereotypes and create more equitable cultures - from the playground to the boardroom. Clare’s work sits at the pow...

In this episode, I’m joined by Esther Amira-Opie , a natural therapist and women’s health practitioner, for a deeply honest and compassionate conversation about maternal guilt, health anxiety, burnout, and learning to listen to our bodies as mothers. Esther shares her own journey from corporate healthcare into holistic practice, including how postnatal depletion, stress, and a pre-diabetes diagnos...

In this episode of Challenge Your Guilt , I’m joined by Lauren Currie OBE - social entrepreneur, author, activist and founder of Upfront, a global movement supporting women and marginalised genders to build confidence, take up space and feel braver together. I’ve admired Lauren’s work for a long time, because so much of what she explores - confidence, visibility, shame, shrinking and self-censorsh...

What if laughter isn’t just a coping mechanism for motherhood - but a quiet act of resistance against guilt and shame? In this episode of Challenge Your Guilt I'm joined by comedian, actor and creator of the much-loved Instagram account @thefunnymummyuk , Alyssa Kyria. Known for her razor-sharp parodies and unfiltered honesty, Alyssa shares the story behind her work, her experiences of matern...

In this rich & energising conversation, I'm joined by writer, multi-award-winning blogger & long-time flexible working campaigner Vicki Broadbent - known to many as @honestmum - whose digital career began after leaving her role as a screenwriter & TV director when motherhood collided with an inflexible industry. The author of Mumboss and Greek Myths, Folk Tales & Legends , Vic...

In this episode, I'm joined by Siobhan Strode - writer, campaigner, business owner, and mother of three - for a raw, wide-ranging conversation about the evolving nature of mum guilt and what it means to raise children in a world that can feel increasingly fractured. Together we explore: How guilt shifts across the seasons of motherhood - from toddler tantrums and TV time to teenage independen...

Why do mothers feel guilty no matter what we do? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Sophie Brock – sociologist, motherhood studies expert, and one of the biggest influences on my own work – to explore how maternal guilt isn’t a personal flaw but a product of the world we’re swimming in. Sophie introduces her powerful Fish Tank of Motherhood model, explains the roots of the Perfect Mother Myth , and...

What if your career could fit within school hours instead of forcing you to choose between work and family? In this conversation, I’m joined by Amy Grilli , co-founder of The Five Hour Club , a platform that connects parents with meaningful professional roles that fit between the school run. Amy shares how her own identity crisis at the school gates led her to create a community and job board that...

Welcome to the very first episode of Challenge Your Guilt!  I couldn’t imagine a better guest to start this journey with than Anna Mathur — psychotherapist, bestselling author, mother, and someone whose words on guilt have shaped my own work. In this episode we explore: Why mothers so often believe we’re the problem — and how to flip that script. How to ask, “Have I actually done anything wrong?”...