The Dynamics Of Everyday Life

What’s going on for us when we feel we need to hoover up all the food on the breakfast buffet?  Are we being selfish or are there other things at play for us?  In this episode I look at hoarding and what might be the psychodynamic reasons for us taking more than we actually need. Join me as I discover that cabaret at breakfast never disappoints, there wasn’t a great banana shortage of 20...

I'm thrilled to welcome another guest to the show today, Rozalyn Willocks. Rozalyn is a Recruitment Director, career coach, mentor, and Amazon bestselling author of  Get Your Career Unstuck . She’s here to discuss career transitions and to explore why many of us remain in unfulfilling jobs. Join us as we discuss all things career related from considering what makes us stay in jobs that leave...

Just in time for Halloween I am bringing out a ghosting special.  Ghosting is a particularly unkind and unfeeling way of treating people and can be extremely difficult to come to terms with.  Not every ghost is friendly like Casper… In this episode I’m exploring what ghosting is, why it happens and what we can do about it – whether we are the ones being ghosted, or even doing t...

Freud found a huge amount of inspiration in Shakespeare’s works – so if it’s good enough for him, it’s definitely good enough for me.  This time we are delving into Hamlet to see what we can learn about narcissism.  This definitely won’t be the first time we use Hamlet as a reference point, as there’s so much in there! In this episode I explore why we might not challenge the fa...

Can we always see what is right in front of us?  We might like to tell ourselves that we can, but this is not necessarily always the case.  Despite what we might like to believe. In this episode I explore why we might be avoiding what is staring us right in the face.  We’ll need our defence mechanism bingo cards again and we’ll be meeting Barry from accounts, Micky Fl...

What does the Wizard of Oz and psychological ideas have in common?  Well, quite a bit – as long-time listeners of the show will be aware.  How can we learn about ourselves and others by thinking about Dorothy and her journey to the emerald city? In this episode I start my journey into understanding narcissism (there will be quite a few episodes!) and explore the well-known psyc...

How many times have you been sent on training at work only to spend your time wishing you were anywhere else and panicking about the to do list that’s mounting up whilst you are away from your desk? In this week’s episode I talk to Sam Lancashire, founder of Creating Lightbulb Moments about her mission to rid the world of tick box training.  Join us as we discuss the worst types of train...

Why is it that on some days we find it easy to make decisions and on others we struggle to think what to eat for dinner?  Some choices might be incredibly simple, and others leave us baffled about what to do for what seems like hours.  And why does the chocolate at the supermarket till seem to speak to us more insistently than in other places? In this episode I explore what mig...

Why do we find ourselves getting attached to scenarios more quickly than is helpful to us?  This can be an incredibly common experience for a lot of people and one that can cause us a lot of stress and of worry.  We can also feel like it’s only us that this happens to. In this episode I explore what might be going on for us when we are getting invested in situations and what we...

With so much noise in both our virtual and our real worlds how do we know who we should be listening to? Should we block it all out and listen to ourselves, or can we work out where to go to for a sounding board? In this episode I explore why just listening to ourselves might not be the most helpful thing to do.  We return to our defence mechanism bingo cards, whilst saying hello to...

I’m excited to be bringing another guest to the show today, Sarah Manley.  Sarah is a coach, mentor and an Amazon bestselling author with her book Quiet Catalyst.     Sarah joins me to talk all things related to being an introvert including where we sit on the introversion/ extroversion spectrum, and how we can thrive in our relationships with other people, and at wor...

I’m excited to be bringing another guest to the show today, Marta Checko.  Marta has an inspiring story (or stories!) to tell about how she overcame significant challenges in her life.  There’s a lot to learn about resilience, the power of not giving up and how we are stronger than we think. If you would like to get in touch with Marta and learn more about her work you can cont...

I’m delighted to welcome Tamzin Hall, neurodiversity champion and founder of The Neurodiversity Academy to the show today.  Tamzin is a leading neurodiversity consultant, trainer, and coach. She is a proud dyslexic and a #1 best-selling author. With decades of experience in leadership, learning and development, a Level 7 qualification in Coaching and Mentoring, and PCC certification, Tam...

We all love a summer holiday – or at least that’s what we are led to believe.  But what if we don’t?  In this episode we explore what might be going on for us if we are feeling a bit anxious whilst we pack the sun cream and our bikinis, ready for our trips to sunnier climes.  Are we the only ones who feel this way?  (Quick spoiler – fortunately we aren’t!)....

The yellow brick road is a fabulous analogy of the different journeys in our lives.  But how tempting could it be to take a short cut?  We all have our own personal witches that we want to avoid, but would we even do this by cutting some corners? In this episode I explore what might be going on for Dorothy and her friends as she makes her way to the emerald city.  I i...

Do we know why we do things?  What can our reasons be?  We have been told over the last few years that we should have “purpose” or know what our “why” is.  Yet sometimes that’s not so easy to do.  And how do we feel if we are the ones struggling to find out our “why” in a world that seems to respond best to those of us who seem to know? Join me as I consider...

In this episode I am exploring why we might be consciously – or unconsciously – avoiding looking in certain areas of our lives.  It won’t surprise you to learn that we will be delving back into the world of defence mechanisms.  What you might not be expecting is a nod to Melanie Klein, as well as our usual check in with Freud. My mother’s home decor gets a mention too! &nb...

Following on from a previous episode on sibling rivalry I’m delighted to introduce my next guest to the show, Natasha Rose.  As well as being an accomplished and celebrated businesswoman in a traditionally male industry (construction) Natasha is also a talented amateur actress. Natasha is starring in an upcoming version of the Jane Austen classic, Sense and Sensibility, which highlights...

We all know that feeling of “I’ll do it tomorrow” whilst being fully aware that we won’t do it tomorrow, or even the next day.  Why do we do this to ourselves?  Are we just making our lives harder for no reason?  In this episode as well as meeting our old friends rationalisation and denial we are also welcoming back the repetition compulsion.  And James Bond and...

Sibling rivalry isn’t just something that we leave at home, only to be brought out again at family events and Christmas.  The way that we learn to be in the sibling dynamic can have a profound impact on how we relate to people as we grow and develop in life.  Sibling rivalry can exist for only children too. In this episode we are not just picking up our defence mechanism bingo...

Power takes on many shapes and forms.  There is the power wielded over us by those who govern us and those who hold an authoritarian role in our lives, and there is our own personal power.  The power that is unique to us, and yet this is the one that we are often not in touch with or find it hard to hold on to.   In this episode we are picking up our defence mechanism...

There are many different reasons as to why we can’t leave a relationship, friendship or situation.  And so many times we beat ourselves up for not being strong enough.  Maybe we feel we lack confidence.  But what if it’s actually our minds trying to protect us?  What if it’s something that’s – ironically - trying to keep us safe? In this week’s episode I con...

How often do we say something and then worry that we have said the wrong thing?  Often we will then run this over and over in our minds, thinking about if we have upset other people or what we could have said instead.  We can tie ourselves up in knots about a particular conversation or event, frequently catastrophising about what people now think about us or if we have damaged...

I’m excited to welcome my next guest to the show today; Dr Jill McGarry.  Jill is a Clinical Psychologist with 28 years of NHS experience in psychological support for people with mental health issues.  She has built up a wealth of knowledge and experience at improving sleep for several client groups, including setting up a reasonable adjustment sleep apnoea clinic for Greater M...

No is a small word, so we often think we need to add extra words after it, to make a complete sentence.  But this just isn’t true.  “No” is a sentence in itself.  We often tie ourselves up in knots trying to explain our no, which defeats the point, as the clarity becomes diluted.  In this episode I’m exploring why we often feel the need to justify our “no” a...