Don't Get A Therapist... Yet!

Picture this: a mum steps away from her ten-month-old in a cafe for about 90 seconds. Her baby freezes, then cries hard. She comes back, picks him up, and within 15 seconds he's calm again, reaching for a toy. It might not look like much to anyone else in the room. But to a child psychotherapist, it's a perfect everyday example of one of the most important and well-proven ideas in child developmen...

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Lara Barbir, clinical psychologist, author and founder of Transcendent Therapy in California, whose book  EMDR for Depression  explores something that mainstream treatment often overlooks: the possibility that depression is not just a chemical imbalance to be managed, but an unresolved emotional wound to be healed. What if your depression is not a sign...

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Stephanie Fitzgerald, clinical and neuropsychologist, writer and passionate advocate for journaling as a mental health tool. Stephanie has been journaling for over 30 years and runs free workshops to help people get started, and in this conversation she shares more practical wisdom than most people will find in an entire book on the subject. If you have ever thou...

In this episode, I'm joined by Jodie Wellman, author, speaker and researcher in applied positive psychology, whose work is built around one of the most avoided subjects there is: the fact that we are all going to die, and what we do with that knowledge. Before you click off, this is not a morbid conversation. It is one of the most energising ones I have had on this podcast. Jodie's central argumen...

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Deborah Kissen, clinical psychologist, CEO and founder of Light on Anxiety Treatment Centers in the US, and author of several books on anxiety in children, teens and parents. This one is for any parent who has ever wondered whether their child is anxious or just being difficult, whether they're making things worse by trying to help, or whether they should have st...

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Aureen Pinto Wagner, clinical child psychologist, OCD specialist and author of the Worry Hill series, who has spent over 25 years developing child-friendly approaches to treating OCD and anxiety. If your child repeats questions you've already answered, gets stuck in rituals they find distressing, avoids things they used to manage fine, or seems trapped in a cycle...

Content warning: this episode contains discussion of sexual assault, rape, trauma, disclosure, not being believed, and the impact of perpetrators not being prosecuted. Please listen in a way that feels safe for you. You may want to pause, take breaks, or listen with someone you trust. Sexual assault does not just affect the body. It can affect a woman's entire sense of safety, identity, trust and...

Does your child know it's safe to tell you anything? If that question makes you pause, even for just a second, this episode is for you. In this deeply moving and empowering conversation, Wendy is joined by Vish Patel: podiatrist, mother of three, 12-year survivor of the justice system, and now the inspiring author of Say Something: Tell, Tell, Tell — a children's book designed to give children the...

Have you ever wondered if what you're experiencing in your relationship is normal, or something more harmful? Do you find yourself making excuses, minimising your feelings, or wondering why you keep repeating the same painful patterns? You are not alone. In this deeply revealing conversation, host Wendy Castelino is joined by Krystal Mazzola Wood, M.Ed., LMFT. A best-selling author and renowned li...

In this episode, I'm exploring a question that many people are quietly asking themselves right now: why do so many of us feel anxious, overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted, even when nothing is immediately wrong in our own lives? The honest answer is that we are living through a period of relentless background threat. The cost of living, youth unemployment, political mistrust, war, climate fears,...

If you constantly question yourself, say yes when every part of you wants to say no, or find yourself working hard to keep everyone around you comfortable at the expense of your own needs, this episode is for you. Low confidence, fragile self-esteem and people-pleasing rarely come from nowhere. They usually make sense. People-pleasing often begins as a way of staying safe. Low self-esteem often ta...

If you've found yourself doom scrolling, struggling to sleep, feeling your body tense up every time you open your phone, or noticing a creeping sense of dread that you can't quite shake, this episode is for you. And if you're someone who has experienced trauma in the past, you may be finding this period particularly hard, and there's a real psychological reason for that. War coverage affects us de...

In this episode, I'm exploring a question that sounds like it belongs in a sci-fi film, but is very much a real and growing concern: can having an AI girlfriend or boyfriend ever be therapeutic? I look at what the research actually says, because this isn't as one-sided as many people assume. For some, AI companions may reduce loneliness in the short term, lower the shame around opening up, and eve...

In this episode, I’m talking about something that sits underneath so much of what we experience as stress, anxiety, overthinking and even burnout… uncertainty.   Not knowing what’s going to happen. Not being able to guarantee an outcome. Not being sure if things will work out the way you hope. Whether it’s your relationships, your health, your finances or your future, uncertainty can feel dee...

In this episode, I’m joined by trauma therapist, author and podcast host David Polidi. David is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and co-founder of Empowered Through Compassion, a trauma-focused therapy practice he runs with his wife. David specialises in integrating Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR and Motivational Interviewing to support deep trauma healing for individuals and cou...

In this episode, I’m talking about a pattern I see often, particularly in women who appear to have everything together on the outside, but feel very different on the inside. You’re functioning. You’re meeting deadlines, replying to messages, remembering everything that needs to be done. You’re dependable, capable, and from the outside, it looks like you’re coping. But internally, you may feel exha...

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Claire Plumbly, a Clinical Psychologist, EMDR Consultant and founder of Plum Psychology. Claire is also the author of the Amazon bestseller  Burnout: How to Manage Your Nervous System Before It Manages You . Together we explore what burnout really is and why so many people find themselves overwhelmed, exhausted and struggling to keep up with the demands of mo...

Worry is one of the most common mental habits I see, yet so many people feel ashamed of it. That constant stream of “what if?” thoughts. The mental rehearsal of worst-case scenarios. The mind that refuses to switch off at bedtime or before something important. In this episode, I explain what worry actually is from a psychological perspective. Worry is not a sign that you’re broken. It’s your brain...

In this episode, I’m joined by Christina Robinson, an employee turned business owner who has been described by her peers as a natural entrepreneur. Christina is a blogger, podcaster, public speaker and multi-award winner, but what stood out most to me in our conversation is her honesty about the journey it took to get there. Christina shares how she grew up with a difficult background, left home e...

Dopamine is often talked about as if it’s the brain’s “happiness chemical”, with phrases like dopamine detox or dopamine addiction becoming increasingly popular. In this episode, I unpack what dopamine actually is, and what it really does. Dopamine isn’t the pleasure chemical. It’s a neurotransmitter involved in motivation, learning and helping the brain decide what’s worth our effort. When we und...

Why We Doomscroll and How to Break the Cycle Doomscrolling has become a familiar part of modern life, especially during times of uncertainty, stress or overwhelm. In this episode, I explore what doomscrolling actually is, why so many of us find ourselves stuck in it, and what’s happening in our brains when we can’t stop scrolling through bad news. I talk about the role of our nervous system, how f...

Trauma doesn’t just live in our thoughts and memories. It also shows up in the body, often in ways we don’t consciously recognise. In this episode, I explore how EMDR therapy and the concept of the body score can support recovery from trauma. I talk about what the body score is, how it’s used within EMDR, and why paying attention to physical sensations can be such an important part of healing. Rat...

Artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday life, and it’s starting to show up more and more in conversations about mental health - in this episode, I explore what that actually means. I talk about how AI and technology are currently being used to support mental wellbeing, including the growing use of mental health chatbots and purpose-built AI tools designed to help with things like stre...

Join CBT and EMDR therapist Wendy Castellino as she breaks down the real science behind wellness stacking. A habit that promises big mental health benefits with very little effort and a subject that is trending on social media. Wendy explains what it is, the real science behind it, why it works and why not doing it the right way makes things worse.  She shares 4 evidence-based wellness stacking st...

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Paul Grantham, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Hon Professor of Clinical Psychology, Director of SDS Seminars Ltd and an Accredited CBT Therapist. Together, they explore the science and psychology behind motivation. Paul shares practical strategies for building habits, overcoming setbacks, and understanding what truly drives us. Discover the roles of self-effi...