Humaning with Rick Watson

Most of us know we need to slow down, we feel it and yet something keeps us moving anyway. This episode is an honest look at what's actually behind that. Not a list of tips or a lecture about self care. Just bite-sized conversation about why staying busy can feel so much safer than stopping and what might be quietly sitting underneath it. Rick shares a story from a client who came in burnt out...

In a world shaped by social media addiction, rapidly advancing AI and growing economic uncertainty, staying genuinely connected to yourself has never been harder (or more important). In this solo episode, Rick gets honest about the forces pulling us away from our own humanness: the addictive design of short-form content and infinite scroll, the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, and the way...

Most of us don’t realise how much of our life is built around one quiet belief: “ I’m not enough .” In this conversation with Jack Chivers, we unpack the performer pattern - the part of us that learned to earn love, approval and belonging through being impressive, capable or strong. For a while, that strategy works. It builds careers, it builds reputations and it even builds identity. But over tim...

What if being human isn’t something to fix, refine or optimise? In this conversation, Rick sits down with Gestalt psychotherapist Katia Erokhina for a real-time, unscripted exploration of what actually helps us change and what quietly gets in the way. Together, they talk about withdrawal and conflict, shame and self-criticism, the stories we tell ourselves and how often those stories pull us away...

In this solo episode of Humaning , Rick kicks off 2026 with an honest check-in after a technology-free camping break. He reflects on the tension between control and uncertainty, why our repeating patterns make so much sense and how real change often begins with acceptance rather than self-rejection. Drawing on personal experience, client work and men’s circle reflections, Rick explores what happen...

This episode is a little different. Jo and I sat down on the couch at the end of a massive year - no script, no structure, just two humans reflecting on what 2025 actually felt like. What unfolded was honest, imperfect and surprisingly satisfying. Together we explore: The truth of hitting an end-of-year energy wall Why we skipped recording earlier this week and chose connection over content The “r...

In this episode of Humaning , I sit down with Bec Corterling - a business owner, mum and long-time friend of Jo’s - for a conversation that goes far deeper than clothes, content or running a boutique. We talk about the quiet exhaustion that builds from showing up every day for 12 years, the pressure of being “the strong one” and the loneliness that can sit underneath a life that looks full on the...

What happens when you stop rehearsing who you think you should be and start showing up as who you are? In this episode, I sit down with Bronte Walker , a fellow Gestalt therapy student, musician, facilitator and all-round legend to explore what it really takes to find your voice and speak up for who you are - even when it feels risky. Bronte shares his story of coming out , transitioning and learn...

In this solo episode, Rick introduces a new format — a space to be curious about a single theme and reflect on how it shows up in your own life. This week, he explores the tension between being content with what is and still wanting to grow. How do we stay grounded in enoughness while staying open to possibility? And what role does this play is keeping burnout at bay? Drawing from his work in men’...

When life throws a curveball, it’s easy to talk about it after the fact — once the dust settles and the lessons land. But this conversation happens right in the middle of it. My mate John Williams is in week five of cancer treatment and he sat down with me to share what it’s really like to live through something hard. We talk about control, surrender, the gap between expectation and reality and ho...

For years Pete Tansley was chasing it — the business, the hustle, the status, the approval. Underneath it all? A chip on his shoulder, the need to make his dad proud and a nice-guy mask that left him exhausted. In this conversation we unpack the messy middle: rushing deals to look successful, bottoming out financially and emotionally, the wake-up calls that came through therapy, divorce and reconn...

What if your inner critic wasn’t the enemy… but the spark you needed to grow? In this episode, Melanie Briony is back on the couch with me for round two. We talk about the messy dance between self-doubt and self-kindness, why mistakes aren’t really “wrong" and how breathwork and nervous system awareness can shift the way we show up in everyday life. It’s equal parts raw, practical and even a bit f...

Barney’s story is one a lot of men will recognise — pushing through pain, numbing with alcohol and holding it all together on the outside while quietly falling apart inside. In this conversation, he shares the journey from living in a freeze state and repeating the harsh patterns of his past, to finding breathwork, forgiveness and a new way of showing up as a dad, husband and human. We cover the m...

Our life has been a bit of a shit-show over the past 4-6 weeks, but it feels like we're coming out the other side. In this episode we share our stories of pushing too hard and then realising that (in different ways) we are actually way out of alignment. Fear, scarcity and expectation all played weird roles in this one but in this very human episode, we share what it looks like to come back to...

In this heartfelt conversation, Rick sits down with Gestalt therapist-in-training Kellie Glab to explore what it really means to live a life outside the expected script. From choosing not to have children to navigating loneliness, self-compassion, and the deep need to belong, Kellie shares vulnerably about her personal journey of embracing difference. Together, they unpack how Gestalt therapy has...

Clancy Simkins joins me for a raw, hilarious and unexpectedly moving conversation about all the messy parts of life — burnout, cancer, parenting, control and the endless dance between falling apart and holding it together. We talk about permission to stop, black humour as a survival skill and the lifelong challenge of accepting ourselves (especially when our default is to fix, rescue or over-funct...

In this episode, therapist and men’s group facilitator Linzey Biester joins me to talk about what it really means to show up — for ourselves and our relationships. We unpack the old patterns men often carry (like ghosting, people-pleasing and self-blame) and explore how slowing down, building awareness and learning to feel can change everything. We cover the power of men’s work, therapy without th...

In this conversation, I reconnect with Toni Mackay—an old friend from 30 years ago who’s now navigating life with stage four bowel cancer. Toni shares what it’s like to live in 12-week cycles between scans, how her diagnosis has shifted her priorities, and why she still chooses joy, connection, and the occasional cheeky glass of champagne. We talk about control, independence, the challenge of aski...

What if the way you’ve been holding it all together is the very thing keeping you stuck? In this episode, I sit down with Scott Ellis to talk about what happens when we stop running on autopilot and start facing the things we’ve been avoiding — grief, uncertainty and the deeper questions of who we really are. Scott shares his raw and honest journey through loss, identity shift and emotional reconn...

In this episode, I sit down with Darci Charlie Dee – yoga teacher, retreat facilitator and fellow Gestalt therapy student – for a raw and reflective chat about the messiness of being human. We talk about the quiet pressure to appear steady, the ways we mask our chaos with productivity or smiles and what it takes to actually let ourselves be seen – mid-process, not just once we’ve pulled it all tog...

In this raw and unfiltered solo episode, I dive deep into the lived experience of being stuck—what it looks like across different parts of life (work, relationships, health, creativity), how it messes with your mind and what it might actually be trying to offer you. I unpack the sneaky benefits of stuckness, the emotional undercurrents that come with it (hello shame, fear and guilt) and the quiet...

In this episode of Humaning , I sit down with my old friend Paul Holland to talk about what it really means to live an adventurous life — not just the kind with planes and race cars (though he’s got those too), but the inner kind. The kind where you keep showing up, even when the path isn’t clear. Paul shares his recent move to a dream home on an acre in Canungra — a big milestone after years of r...

In this follow-up episode with Katia Erokhina we revisit a conversation that never made it to air (thanks, tech gremlins). Ironically — or maybe perfectly — that first recording was all about imperfection, letting go of control and embracing the messiness of being human. So we leaned into the redo and what emerged was deeper, more spacious and somehow even more alive. Katia shares her journey from...

In this first Tell Me More episode, Rick and Jo dive into the well-intentioned mess of FRACing —that’s Fixing, Rescuing, Advice-giving, and Caretaking. It’s the stuff we all do when we really care about someone… and yet, it often gets in the way of true connection. We explore the emotional drivers behind each one, share some honest personal examples, and reflect on what it takes to shift from help...

Chris Slater normally prefers to stay out of the limelight, but behind his private persona is a compelling story . In this episode, Chris and I talk about the internal chaos that was bubbling away as he tried to build his chiro practise. The combination of control, anger and co-dependency was created some real-life "challenges" and he then realised he was turning to alcohol to numb the k...