Compassion in a T-Shirt

In this episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, I sit down with Dr Kate Lucre — a remarkable psychotherapist, group specialist, climber, and author of Compassion Focused Group Psychotherapy. Kate shares how she works with people often labelled “too difficult” or “untreatable”, offering hope and healing to those at the edges of therapeutic opportunity. We talk about how her lifelong love of drama, acti...

In this episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, I sit down with Dr Emma Seppälä—clinical psychologist, researcher, and author of Sovereign: Reclaim Your Freedom, Energy, and Power in a Time of Distraction, Uncertainty, and Chaos. Emma’s work offers such a powerful and timely message: that even in the midst of modern chaos and overwhelm, we can reclaim a deep sense of inner freedom. In our conversation...

"The shame is not for survivors to carry." [From the archive, this episode first aired on YouTube on 11 April 2021.] Dr Lisa McLean is a psychologist in private practice at Ocean Psychology, Sunshine Coast, Australia who provides support to adults across a wide range of mental health and other life concerns. Lisa offers a safe, warm, and compassionate space where clients are empowered to create po...

In this special episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, I sit down with Chris Winson, the heart and soul behind the beloved #365DaysOfCompassion initiative. For over eight years, Chris has cultivated a digital refuge for those drawn to compassion-focused ideas—sharing daily posts, uplifting articles, music, memes, and his beautifully curated monthly reflections. What began as a hashtag on Twitter blos...

Professor Darcy L Harris currently works at Kings University College/Western University in the Department of Thanatology. Darcy does research in Grief, Bereavement, Non-Death Loss and Grief, and Compassion-based approaches in care settings. She has written and taught extensively in the field, and is doing some wonderful initiatives to integrate grief work with compassion focused therapy. TIMESTAMP...

In this deeply moving episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, I reconnect with my old friend and colleague, Glynn Chambers—a psychologist based in Bendigo, Australia—who shares his raw and personal journey through cancer. Glynn speaks with honesty, insight, and even humour about his diagnosis, the emotional rollercoaster that followed, and what it means to live with uncertainty. He reflects on how he’...

What if compassion has always been with us—quietly guiding humanity through every age? In this video essay, I take you on a journey through time, exploring how compassion, kindness, and helpfulness have been understood and expressed by some of the world’s most influential thinkers, spiritual teachers, psychologists, and storytellers. From Aristotle and Confucius to Julian of Norwich and the Dalai...

In this episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, I have the great pleasure of speaking with Dr Sarah Bowen—clinical psychologist, Associate Professor at Pacific University in Oregon, and one of the co-developers of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP). I first met Sarah back in 2011 at the Joshua Tree Retreat Centre during an MBRP facilitator training. That experience had a lasting impact on me—...

What happens when a groundbreaking psychological resource is reimagined for the ears and hearts of new mothers? In this heartfelt episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, Dr. Stan Steindl explores the intersection of psychology, creativity, and compassion with three remarkable women: Michelle Cree, author of The Compassionate Mind Approach to Postnatal Depression; Ashleigh McLellan, the driving force b...

"I'm trying to help people connect with their caring part, their caring motivation. 'I want to try this because it is going to help me, or help me to be with others,' rather than, 'I need to get rid of my anxiety.'" Elli Tholouli is a psychologist specializing in compassion focused therapy and compassionate mind training at www.compassioncentre.gr in Athens, Greece. She is an active member of the...

In this heartfelt and enlightening conversation, I sit down with Dr Michaela Swee—a board-certified clinical psychologist, clinical investigator at McLean Hospital, and faculty member at Harvard Medical School. Michaela brings together deep scientific insight, clinical wisdom, and a personal story of transformation: from aspiring actress to a leader in trauma-informed, compassion-focused care. We...

Colleen Marshall, LMFT, is Vice President of Clinical Care at Two Chairs, an organisation "building a world where everyone has access to exceptional mental health care." They provide therapy in-person and virtually in California, Florida, and Washington State, USA. Colleen is also a longstanding member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), having served leadership roles as p...

What does it really mean to be someone good to talk to? In this heartfelt and insightful episode, I sit down with Helen Mentha—clinical psychologist, specialist trainer, and author of Someone Good to Talk To. With decades of experience across mental health, addiction, healthcare, and corporate leadership, Helen shares her wisdom on what makes conversations truly healing and transformational. We ex...

As a follow on from last Friday's episode with Dr Lolly Hernandez about the psychological effects of boarding school, today's episode features a conversation with Dr Karen Bluth first published on YouTube on 26 April 2024. Karen Bluth, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A seasoned classroom educator, Dr. Bluth is now o...

In this episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, I sit down with clinical psychologist Dr Lolly Hernandez to explore the profound and often hidden psychological legacy of boarding school. Drawing on her powerful research involving over 600 adult participants, Lolly shares insights into how boarding school experiences shape compassion, self-criticism, and attachment well into adulthood. Together, we unp...

"What happened to me and how can I put myself back together again?” This episode is taken from Parts 1 and 2 YouTube videos published in June/July 2021. Deirdre Fay, MSW, LICSW, integrates trauma and attachment theory with yoga and meditation in embodiment. She is the founder of the Becoming Safely Embodied Skills, maintains a private practice working with individuals and groups, and presents arou...

Can compassion be moved? In this episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, I sit down with Adam Lacey — a Counselling Psychologist and accredited T’ai Chi Chih teacher from Oxfordshire, UK — to explore a truly embodied path to compassion. T’ai Chi Chih is a gentle, mindful movement practice designed to cultivate Chi (intrinsic energy) and nurture wellbeing. But more than that, as Adam beautifully explai...

In this episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, first aired on YouTube on 9 October 2022, I interview Jamie Woodhouse from Sentientism.info and the Sentientism Podcast. From his website: "Sentientism is a philosophy or worldview – a way of thinking about what’s real and what matters. Sentientists use evidence and reason to work out what to believe in, so don’t hold supernatural beliefs. Sentientists a...

What if compassion wasn’t just a personal virtue, but the foundation of our politics, institutions, and societies? In this powerful and timely conversation, I speak with Matt Hawkins, CEO of the Global Compassion Coalition and co-founder of Compassion in Politics, about reimagining our world through the lens of compassion. Together, we explore what it means to embed empathy, fairness, and care int...

Dr Ruth Ann Harpur is a Clinical Psychologist specialising in relationships and issues of narcissism, and helping people and couples to develop compassionate, strong relationships with themselves and each other. She is passionate about how important relationships are in how we navigate the demands and challenges of life, with people often repeating familiar patterns in relationships that may not s...

What does it really mean to live well and be well? In this inspiring episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, I sit down with Sarah Ann Macklin—registered nutritional scientist, health journalist, founder of the Be Well Collective, and host of the acclaimed podcast Live Well Be Well . Sarah brings science and compassion together in a powerful and refreshingly human way. We explore her personal journey...

What does it mean to live a brave, strong, and fulfilled life? In this inspiring episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, I'm joined by the dynamic duo Kathryn Wiseman—former GP turned soulful life coach—and Aly Layt, neurocoach and founder of Bbrave Bstrong. Together, we explore what it takes to step into your values, face fear with courage, and create a life filled with intention and authenticity. He...

In this video, I experience the practice of therapeutic humour under the kind and wise guidance of Mallori DeSalle and Dr Lodge McCammon. They demonstrate some warm up exercises, therapeutic exercises, and we have a lot of laughs! It was also interesting to consider how therapeutic humour might relate to compassion and self-compassion, as well as in the practice of compassion focused therapy (CFT)...

Can data help us become more self-compassionate? In this thought-provoking episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, I sit down with Clinical Psychologist and NovoPsych co-founder Dr. Ben Buchanan to explore how psychometric tools—yes, those questionnaires we can sometimes overlook—can actually deepen our understanding of self-compassion. Together, we unpack five surprising ways these tools can uncover...

Dr Tobyn Bell is a psychotherapist, trainer, supervisor and researcher specialising in compassion focused therapy (CFT) and especially the application of chairwork in CFT. In this conversation we discuss Tobyn's journey into CFT, chairwork and how it can be applied to CFT, the research he is doing, and some practical examples, anecdotes and tips along the way. This was a very inspiring conversatio...