The Victoria Penfold Podcast

Endings are a natural part of life, but that doesn’t make them easy. Some endings are chosen, while others happen outside our control. They can be expected or sudden, and sometimes they leave us without the conversations or closure we wanted. In this solo episode, I explore: 🔚 The different types of endings we experience ⚖️ Why endings can bring grief, relief, fear and freedom at the same time 🧠...

Change can be something we choose, something that happens outside our control or a mixture of both. It can also feel exciting, frightening and uncomfortable—all at the same time. In this solo episode, I explore: 🔄 The different types of change we experience 🧠 What happens in the brain when change feels exciting or threatening ⚖️ How acceptance and excitement can coexist with disappointment 🚪 Wh...

CAN MUSCLE BUILD CONFIDENCE? In this episode of the WholeyFit Podcast, I’m joined by bodybuilding coach Dan Wilburn to explore what preparing for a bodybuilding competition really involves—physically and mentally. We discuss: 🏋️ How bodybuilding preparation is tailored to the individual 🧠 Mental health, eating-disorder history and knowing who may not be suited to competing 🥗 Competition preparat...

How to Discover Your Core Values & Create a Life That Feels Like Yours Have you ever felt like the life you're living doesn't quite reflect who you really are? Sometimes, we make decisions based on values we've inherited from our family, culture or life experiences, rather than the values we've consciously chosen for ourselves. In this episode of the Victoria Penfold Podcast, I explore what co...

Many women feel like they're doing everything "right" but still don't feel like themselves. So why is that? In this episode of the Victoria Penfold Podcast, I'm joined by Personal Trainer Lynn Winkle, who has a particular interest in women's health and training older adults. Together, we explore how exercise can support women through the different stages of life, the importance of strength trainin...

Have you ever wondered why you overeat, lose your appetite, forget to eat, or find yourself eating to please other people? What if the answer isn't a lack of willpower, but your nervous system trying to protect you? In this episode of the Victoria Penfold Podcast, I explore the four natural nervous system responses—fight, flight, freeze and fawn—and how each one can influence the way we think abou...

Dyslexia and Systems In this episode, I explore the relationship between systems and dyslexia , and how understanding both can help us better understand ourselves and others. What is a system? A system is a group of connected parts that influence one another and work together as a whole. Examples include: • Family systems • Business systems • School systems • Religious systems • Sports teams We ca...

How to Grow Old Well – Lessons from 98 Years of Life (with My Grandad) In this week's podcast, I am joined by someone very special — my grandad. At 98 years old, he has lived through war, rationing, huge social change, and nearly a century of life. Despite recently recovering from a heart attack and two strokes, he continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience, independence, and strength. In this...

Mirror Neurons – How Your Environment Shapes You In this podcast I explore mirror neurons and how the people and environments around us influence the way we think, feel, and behave. Mirror neurons are brain cells that activate when we perform an action and when we observe someone else performing the same action. For example: • If someone smiles, we often find ourselves smiling back. • If someone y...

Living with Borderline Personality Disorder – A Personal Conversation (with Thomas) In this week’s podcast I’m joined by someone very close to me—my younger brother, Thomas. This conversation is a deeply personal one. Together, we speak openly about Thomas’s experience of living with Borderline Personality Disorder—from his diagnosis, to how he experiences the world, and what daily life can look l...

Family Systems Today I am talking about family systems and how understanding your family system can help you identify and understand your own personal patterns. What is a family system? A connected group where each person affects and is affected by everyone else. It sees the family as a whole system, like a network, with patterns, roles, and relationships. Roles: Each person usually takes on a rol...

Circadian Rhythms – How to Work With Your Body, Not Against It In this episode, we explore circadian rhythms—what they are, and how they quietly shape your energy, sleep, mood, and overall wellbeing. As a therapist, my work focuses on the body—how to stay in it, regulate it, and truly listen to it. Alongside talking therapy, I integrate nutrition and movement, because healing isn’t just mental—it’...

Patterns, Blueprints & Healing the Unconscious - Are We Pre-Programmed? In this episode, we explore patterns and blueprints—how they shape the way we think, feel, and behave, often without us even realising. Are we pre-programmed for the life we’re here to live? Or can we change our path? Using the analogy of the acorn and the oak tree, this conversation looks at the idea that we each carry an...

Building a Sustainable Life & Business – Leading with Vision (with Samantha Phillips) In this week’s podcast I’m joined by Samantha Phillips , founder of How to Arcanum , a serial entrepreneur, and a mentor supporting visionary women. Samantha’s work sits at the intersection of leadership development and business architecture , helping women build sustainable, long-term success. Through her si...

Roles Within the Family – The Patterns We Learn & How to Transform Them In this podcast I explore family roles — the patterns of behaviour and responsibility that we adopt within our family systems, often without even realising. These roles are not who we truly are. They are adaptations — ways we learned to survive, belong, and protect the system we grew up in. When a family experiences stress...

Private vs State Education – What Parents Need to Know (with Ben James) In this week’s podcast I’m joined by Ben James , a teacher with over 10 years’ experience across both state and private education. Ben is currently teaching history and politics in a leading North London school , and in this conversation we explore the realities of the education system — from both a teacher’s and a parent’s pe...

Feelings – How to Understand, Identify & Express Your Feelings and Emotions In this podcast I explore feelings — what they are, why they matter, and how learning to understand them can support deeper healing, self-awareness, and emotional freedom. Feelings are messages from within . They guide us towards what needs to be seen, understood, and healed. They are essential for both self-regulation...

Climate Calm – Healing the Nervous System in a Changing World (with Helen Draper) In this week’s podcast I’m joined by Helen Draper — a climate and sustainability leader, neuroscience coach, yoga teacher, and author. Together we explore the connection between the nervous system, personal wellbeing, and the wider world we are living in . Helen shares her personal story of becoming unwell, where her...

RED-S – Are You Eating Enough? Understanding Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport In this podcast I explore RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) — a condition that occurs when the body does not receive enough energy from food to support both daily life and physical activity. Many people assume this only affects elite athletes, but RED-S can affect anyone who is training regularly or living a...

How to Build a Healthy Plate – Simple Nutrition for Energy, Balance & Wellbeing In this video I explore how to build meals that truly support your body — simple, practical nutrition principles that help you feel energised, balanced, and well in everyday life. Our body is not separate from who we are. It is the vehicle through which we live our life . Whether you already know what your life’s w...

Ego Defences – The Hidden Patterns That Protect You (and Block You) In this video I explore ego defences — the unconscious psychological strategies we develop to protect ourselves from emotional pain, fear, shame, and vulnerability. Ego defences distort reality, not because we are doing something wrong, but because the mind is trying to keep us safe. They reduce anxiety that rises from feelings or...

Attachment Style – The 4 Patterns That Shape How You Relate In this video I explore the four attachment styles and why the way we attach in early life becomes the emotional template for how we connect, trust, and relate to others as adults. Our relationship with our primary caregiver — mother, father, or early guardian — shapes the nervous system, our sense of safety, and our beliefs about whether...

Body in Therapy – Nutrition and Exercise to Access the Soul In this video I explore why the body matters in therapy — not as an add-on, but as an essential part of healing, nervous system regulation, and uncovering the inner compass that guides your life. Therapy too often lives in the mind, the talk, the story — while the body, where trauma, memory, wisdom and joy are held, gets left in the shado...

Habits and Why They Are Important in Therapy, Mind, Body, and Soul In this podcast, we discuss Habits , and why they matter so much for mental, physical, emotional and soul-level wellbeing. Habits are hard to break — whether they are good or bad. The good news is that we can change them to healthy ones. People who appear to have strong discipline or self-control haven’t necessarily got more willpo...

Body Types & Why Yours Matters Understanding your body type is important because it affects your therapy, nutrition, exercise, emotional regulation, and spiritual flow. We are all designed differently for a reason. When you do what your body is designed to do, everything becomes easier: consistency, enjoyment, healing, and balance. There are three main body types: Ectomorph Lean, tall frames w...