The Richard Nicholls Mental Health Podcast
To inspire, educate and motivate you to be the best you can be. Learn about tackling mental health problems like Anxiety and Depression as well as simple tips to understand the world better, in a down to earth and genuine way with the Best Selling Author and Psychotherapist Richard Nicholls.
Freud's Tri Part Model
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Freud had some weird ideas back in the day. But this one really has stood the test of time.
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The Problem With Nostalgia
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Nostalgia can feel lovely, can’t it? But if we’re not careful, we start thinking the past was better than it really was. This episode’s about why we do that, and how we can stop missing out on today by staring too hard at yesterday.
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Sleep
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Some specialists say we need 8 hours every night, some say we need more. In truth, there's only one person who knows how much sleep you need.
You.
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Parenting - Helicopters vs Bulldozers
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Understanding a little bit about the effects of different parenting styles can really help us understand ourselves better. As well as help us to understand others.
Let's have a peek into some of the basics shall we?
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You Are Not Anxiety
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You don’t need to be anxiety-free to live fully. You just need the right process, and a bit of patience with yourself.
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Loneliness
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I once heard someone say that if you're on your own and lonely then you obviously don't like the company you're in. And when listening to clients talk about their loneliness that really does ring true.Â
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Reframing
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Sometimes all it takes is a tiny tweak in how we talk to ourselves. You can actually have the same event but create a completely different feeling about it. It's called reframing and can shift your mindset, boost gratitude, and make everyday life feel that bit lighter.
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The Fear of Change
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Change unsettles us, even when it’s positive. So today I explore why our brains resist it and share simple, compassionate strategies to face change with confidence and resilience.
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Phenomenology
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Phenomenology is a posh word that psychologists use to mean the idea of someone's subjective and individual experience.
We could all have exactly the same experience but feel completely different about it and it's important we understand why.
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The Drama Triangle
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If you ever find yourself stuck in the same old arguments, playing out like a bad soap opera then that might be the Drama Triangle at work. Where we slip into roles of Victim, Rescuer, or Persecutor without even realising. So, today I’ll explain how the cycle works, why we get caught in it, and how to step out of the drama by choosing healthier roles instead.
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The Roles We Play
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Why do families, schools and workplaces so often create “roles” like the star, the scapegoat, the peacekeeper or the joker? In this episode we dive into systems theory, exploring how groups unconsciously assign parts to people in order to keep balance, and the cost this can have on our self-esteem and identity.
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Micro-Moments of Joy
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Happiness isn’t a destination. It’s the small, fleeting sparks that weave through ordinary days. A sip of coffee, a kind word, a favourite song on the radio. In this episode I explore how these micro-moments of joy soften life’s edges, shift our perspective, and remind us that even on tough days, good things are still here.
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The Burdens We Carry
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It's World Mental Health Day today, a good day to challenge some old beliefs that have been holding us back.
Sometimes what you think is “just how I am” is actually a hand-me-down. And when you realise that, you get to choose whether to keep something or let it go.
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Snap Out Of It
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If you’ve ever been told to “snap out of it,” you’ll know it’s rarely the magic cure the speaker thinks it is. More often than not, it feels like being told off for having feelings, like telling someone with a broken leg to just run it off.
But while we can’t flick an emotional light switch, we can influence how we feel. And that starts with understanding our state.
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Dependence and Codependence
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If your sense of self is based around helping others and it's the only place where you get your self worth from. It might be worth checking that you don't make things worse.
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Placebo & Positivity
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Today is all about why having an optimistic and positive mindset can make a big difference in our life.
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Decision Fatigue
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If you ever find yourself staring at the fridge, unable to choose what to eat. Or scrolling endlessly through Netflix, paralysed by too many options, then you may well have been experiencing decision fatigue. When our brains get overwhelmed by even the simplest choices.
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A Brick and a Purpose
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Today I'm looking into the deeply human need we have for purpose. What does it really mean to live a meaningful life? And why do we sometimes feel so lost without it?Â
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The Mind-Body Connection
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Does our mind really have the influence over us to create or prevent genuine physiological problems?
There's only one way to find out.
Today we look at some research and find out for ourselves.
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Accepting Criticism
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According to multiple studies, fear of judgement is the number one biggest fear, above dying.
The author Elbert Hubbard once wrote, "Do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing, and you'll never be criticised." And that's probably the only way to avoid criticism, isn't it?
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Trauma Re-enactment
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In short, re-enactment in response to trauma means repeating past events as a way of trying to resolve them. But until we are made aware of it we often compulsively and unconsciously make things worse for ourselves.
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Perspective
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The idea of our thoughts influencing our emotions, which influence our behaviour is regularly talked about in therapy. But often misses out the important bit in-between. Emotions and behaviour, which is our world view, our beliefs.Â
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Guided Relaxation
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Today is International Relaxation Day. So I thought I'd do something different this week for my bonus episode and guide you through a 5 minute relaxation exercise.
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Shyness
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Let's take a look at overcoming shyness, why it develops, how it holds us back, and what small steps can help people break free from it.
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Boundaries
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Most people think of boundaries as being like a physical thing as if there's a chalk outline on the ground everywhere you go and if someone steps into it it makes you upset. The thing is the only one that knows the boundary is there is you.
Today is all about why boundaries are important, how to set them and how you know if someone's crossed the line.
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Stages of Growth
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Today I want to give you a little introduction into a way of understanding emotional and psychological growth called the 7 stages of process.It gives us a compassionate, flexible way of thinking about where we are on our journey. Whether we’re stuck, shifting, or feeling fairly sorted.
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Ego States
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Carl Jung once said " those who look outside dream, those who look inside awaken." And if you've ever seen an analytical Psychotherapist you'll know what he meant.
One way of learning what makes us tick is through a concept called Ego States.
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Friendships & Boundaries
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This week, I'm reflecting on the complex, shifting nature of friendship. Why some relationships thrive, others fade, and how that’s all a natural part of life.
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Mood Boosting
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We all get those off days when our mood has dipped. But don’t worry, you’re not stuck there. In this episode, I’m sharing some friendly nudges to help shift a grumpy mood. Let’s see if we can’t turn your day around together.
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Avoidance & Anxiety
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People often think that avoidance is all about procrastination, avoiding the pain of being thought of as having done a bad job by not doing the job in the first place. And although that is avoidance it can also extend into many areas of your life.Â
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Motivation
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What's the difference between someone who has all the motivation and enthusiasm you could wish for and someone who, even though they don't have depression, still can't feel motivated? Well, in order to answer that I think it's worth looking at what motivation actually is.
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Foundations of Mental Health
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We often look at mental health as being a brain thing rather than a body thing but of course our brain is part of our body, it's an organ that needs looking after like every other organ does.
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Social Capital
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This week I'm looking at how everyday moments with others help us feel more connected. From quick chats to shared experiences, we explore what fills our social meter and what happens when it runs low. It’s a gentle reminder to reach out, notice those around us, and stay open, even when it feels easier to hide.
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Superstition
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It's Friday 13th, so today I've got a bonus episode for you about the psychology of superstition.
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Fake It Till You Make It
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Fake it till you make it sounds a little problematic and it can be, but when done properly learning to model confidence isn’t about being fraudulent, it’s about becoming a fuller, braver version of yourself.
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Brain Training & Anxiety
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Your brain has a remarkable ability to filter and remember important experiences while discarding the less significant ones. It does so by comparing new experiences with past ones and using emotional reactions to determine their importance.
Let's look at how we can train it!
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Emotional vs Rational Thinking
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Striking a balance between too much logic and too much emotion isn't easy. But with a bit of practise you can create what therapists sometimes refer to as the Wise Mind.
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Rumination
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Outside of psychology, "Rumination" is the word used for the way certain animals chew their food.
Animals with multiple stomachs are able to move food from one stomach back up to their mouth to chew it some more before swallowing it back down again ready to chew it again a bit later.
That's why we use it in psychology to mean to chew over your thoughts. Even if you swallow your thoughts down they keep coming back up for you to chew over again.
That's rumination.Â
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Why Do We Get Anxiety?
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Going back to basics today with a refresher about anxiety.
If you're new to my content this is a great place to start to learn how to deal with it.
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Triggers
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Sometimes our brains take us back in time, whether we like it or not. A smell, a sound, a certain day on the calendar can pull us into the past like we’ve put on a pair of VR goggles.
In today’s episode I'm talking about getting triggered, what that really means, and how we can gently take those goggles off and come back to the here and now.
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