The Relationship Maze

Send us Fan Mail Are you aware of your attachment style in relationships? Do you know what activates you into feeling insecure in a relationship? Knowing your attachment style will be hugely beneficial in understanding how you relate to other people. In this episode we consider whether your mindset is determined by your attachment style. We ask whether an insecure attachment style is more likely t...

Send us Fan Mail Do you believe in the idea that love is either there or it isn't? Do you think that your partner is either meant to be for you or not? Do you worry that a partner who is not always as perfect as you want them to be may not be the right partner for you? In today's episode we discuss how your mindset influences your thinking about relationships and dating. The notion of mi...

Send us Fan Mail Understanding the structure of your brain helps you and your partner to understand what happens when you are in a state of high emotional expression, e.g. when angry or feeling under attack. We briefly discuss the three main regions of the brain: the brainstem, the limbic area and the cortex by using Daniel Siegel's highly visual hand model of the brain. When we feel threaten...

Send us Fan Mail Do you suspect that you or someone you know may be in a relationship with a partner who is narcissistic? Narcissism is a personality disorder. A narcissist has an excessive need for admiration, a distorted view of their own importance and a complete lack of empathy. If you are in a relationship with a narcissist your relationship will be toxic. In today's episode Angela talks...

Send us Fan Mail Do you frequently feel that you are the only person around who is constantly giving? Do you struggle with actually taking in compliments when they are given to you? Or do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed when there is too much attention coming your way? In today's episode we discuss the importance of giving and and receiving love in a balanced way. We look at the complex...

Send us Fan Mail How self aware are you? Do you know what makes you tick? Self awareness is key to building successful relationships: it helps you to distinguish between yourself and others, to understand why you might have certain perspectives and beliefs and most importantly it is the springboard to making changes in your life if necessary. In today's episodes we explore why knowing yoursel...

Send us Fan Mail Are you aware of the way that you give and receive love? Are you confident in your way of loving? And do you notice your emotions, thoughts and behaviours when loving someone else? In today's episode we consider where our notions of love come from. We all tell ourselves stories about love which inform our expectations, hopes and desires. These stories are told by our parents,...

Send us Fan Mail Do you ever wonder why you behave the way you do in different situations? Do you get into stuck patterns - repeating the same behaviour even if it doesn't serve you well? Whether we realise it or not, we are all influenced by our past experiences. Our early memories influence how we show up, how we interact with other people and what triggers the way we react. Exploring these...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we discuss the underlying reasons for getting into arguments, how you may experience the argument, your conflict style and what can be done to argue more effectively with your partner or others. What do you you consider to be an argument? Is is when someone shout at you or do you think you are in conflict if the other person has a different opinion? The way we view...

Send us Fan Mail Do you or your partner often worry about lots of things to the extent that it significantly impacts your life? Does anxiety affect your relationships? In today's episode we talk about generalised anxiety: what it is, how it manifests, what might have caused it, how different therapeutic approaches think of and address anxiety and what might be done about it. We briefly consid...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode we consider how you know whether you are dating the right kind of partner for you. Dating can be a very challenging. You might have dated for quite some time already, met a number of people or are still waiting for the 'the one'. We consider how you might want to go about dating and what signs to look out for that tell you that you have met someon...

Send us Fan Mail How do you know that you are loved? Do you need your partner to tell you that you are loved or do you prefer to receive a box of finely crafted chocolates? Are you aware of your partner's preferred way of receiving your love? Today we talk about the 5 love languages described by Dr Chapman in his bestselling book of the same title: words of affirmation, receiving gifts, physi...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode we discuss the some of the underlying relationship dynamics that contribute to making it very difficult for an abused partner to leave the relationship. The reasons for someone to stay in an abusive relationship are complex and manifold. In this episode we explore how an understanding of attachment theory can help to understand why an abused partner struggl...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode we are talking about effective, verbal communication in relationships. While there are many ways of expressing love and care most relationship experts would agree that talking effectively to each other is crucial in any form of relationship. We discuss how to set the scene for effective communication, how not to communicate and what you will need to address...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we're exploring nine of the most commonly rated relationship issues that people experience and the steps you can take to address these issues. You may experience one or more of these issues at different times in your relationship. We'll explore these issues and also strategies to help you overcome them. The biggest challenges people tend to face in relat...

Send us Fan Mail Social anxiety can be a problem for most people at some point in their lives. When it comes to dating, social anxiety can be the biggest hurdle to overcome when you are trying to find a relationship. Social anxiety makes even creating a dating profile, let alone meeting someone nerve wracking. In relationships, social anxiety can cause problems when one person finds social situati...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we are exploring the seven different concepts of love described by the ancient Greeks. We often think about love in the context of romance, but there are many types of love including the love you have for a friend or family member, love in the sense of loyalty, passionate love and self love. The seven terms for love used by the ancient Greeks can help us gain deep...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I'm talking with Lowri Turner. If you have ever tried to lose weight, or been on crash diets and ended up putting on more weight than before, then this episode will help you understand about effective and long lasting ways to sustain weight loss. Weight loss is difficult or impossible to maintain purely through restrictive dieting. Having a balanced approach...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode Angela talks about the different stages that romantic relationships go through. Relationships change over time and each stage of the relationship offers developmental opportunities. Can you identify where you currently are? Or can you work out which stage you usually get to in your relationships?  While each relationship is different there are usually disti...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode our guest is Dr Nash Popovic, who will be discussing love and relationships. Dr Nash Popovic is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of East London. He is also the author of Personal Synthesis, arguably the most comprehensive personal development source on the web. You can find there how to deal with emotions, how to make sound decisions...

Send us Fan Mail There is often confusion in people's mind about what it means to be assertive; often there is an underlying assumption that assertiveness equals aggressiveness. In today's episode we define what we mean by being assertive: expressing your rights, feelings and thoughts without violating the rights of others. We can all be assertive in some situations and less so in others...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode we consider the skills that are needed to develop long lasting, fulfilling relationships. When people are asked about their wishes for a good relationship they usually talk about being supported, loved and feeling content and happy. However, often it is not clear what skills are required to create these fulfilling relationships. We are not taught in school...

Send us Fan Mail Are you always concerned about getting it right for other people, frequently to the detriment of yourself? In today's episode we look at the signs that show you that your driver in life and in relationships might be to please others. We discuss the underlying thinking of a people-pleaser and the root causes that get people into the idea that they need to please all the time....

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode Tom explains what insights we can gain from Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), in particular when it comes to stress and anxiety. Unlike other therapies where the focus is on regulating difficult emotions, ACT is not concerned with telling us how we can manage these feelings better but with allowing for these feelings to be present. Rather than tryi...

Send us Fan Mail Following our last podcast episode which has been exceedingly popular, we decided to delve further into stress and the polyvagal system. The focus of our session today in on connection with other people. When we are feeling stressed we struggle with being close to other people. Being connected to others on the other hand can help us with managing stress. Polyvagal Theory offers us...