Don't Get A Therapist... Yet!

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Paul Grantham, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Hon Professor of Clinical Psychology, Director of SDS Seminars Ltd and an Accredited CBT Therapist. Together, they explore the science and psychology behind motivation.

Paul shares practical strategies for building habits, overcoming setbacks, and understanding what truly drives us. Discover the roles of self-efficacy, rituals, and technology in creating lasting change, and learn how to turn motivation into meaningful action.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Most people know what they need to do to make the changes they want, but they rarely know how...

In this episode, Wendy today is talking about positive psychology. She explains how to go from understanding the theory to rewiring your brain to actually take in and notice more positive emotions. She also talks, in detail, about ACT. An amazing therapy that fits in very well with positive psychology.

Wendy shares several very easy to use ways to use positive psychology to rewire your mind, so that you can enjoy a fuller, happier life. Things you can do to help you to refuse to live your life in the negative.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

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In this episode, Wendy is joined by health and performance coach Byron Munford for a fast-paced, honest chat about modern masculinity, finding purpose, building resilience, and boosting your wellbeing—body and mind.

Over the past 17 years Byron has helped 100s of people to transform their lives, so this episode is packed with insights on relationships, mental health, mindset, the impact of social media, and why daily exercise matters.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

If you haven't found your purpose or your passion what's driving you in life, there's a lot higher risk of you losing your wa...

In this episode, Wendy talks about something virtually everyone experiences - intrusive thoughts. Those sudden, unwanted ideas, images or even urges that pop into your mind and make you think, why on earth did I just think that? If you've ever had a thought that shocked you or didn't fit your values, you're not broken and you're definitely not alone.

By the end of this episode, you'll know what intrusive thoughts are, why they feel so sticky and evidence-based ways to manage them using tools from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and...

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Mel Harris, the UK’s original Weight Management Mentor and founder of the KIO Method. Twenty-one years ago, Mel lost 90 kilos and has kept it off, which is unusual - 76% of bariatric surgery patients gradually regain their lost weight.

Together, Wendy and Mel unpack the complicated emotional, physical, and mental realities of life after major weight loss. They cover the stigma of obesity, the ups and downs of surgery and medication, the everyday battles with body image and identity and the dangers of the way weight loss drugs are being ma...

In this episode, Wendy tackles the sensitive, but vital subject of childhood sexual abuse. She explains what this type of abuse does to a person over time and why it is so hard for victims to tell others and seek help. Wendy also shares which therapies are effective, how to reach the point where you feel able to seek help and exactly where to find the right services for you.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Often, childhood sexual abuse involves someone the child knows.

Grooming, secrecy, fear of not being believed or hurting the family unit...

Today, Wendy is joined by anxiety specialist and therapist Jennifer Roblin from Better Your Life. Together, they explore the roots of anxiety, why it’s on the rise in our modern world, which therapies work best, and share practical, short, science-backed exercises you can use to re-set your nervous system and overcome anxiety.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Anxiety holds the majority of people back. But everybody can take back control.

Anxiety is a natural response that keeps us safe.

When constant worry and overthinking starts to interfere with daily life, it becomes a di...

In this episode, Wendy who is an accredited CBT and EMDR therapist, talks about a controversial subject – whether a mental health diagnosis is helpful or harmful for the patient.

The short answer is – it can be both. A diagnosis can fast-track access to appropriate care, provide a shared language for treatment, and validate personal experiences. However, it can also lead to stigma, mislabelling, and too narrow a treatment focus. That is why diagnosis is only a starting point. It needs to be paired with a personalized, compassionate understanding and a flexible treatment plan tailored to the individual’s uniq...

Today, Wendy is joined by award-winning entrepreneur Winnie Akadjo the founder of Aeli Health, a startup that is working to make it easier for therapists to extend better continuity of care to clients between therapy sessions. Winnie helps practitioners to provide their patients with tailored coping strategies and mechanisms they can use to process the emotions that come up during the average 168 hours between sessions.

Winnie experienced a lot of trauma and developed Complex PTSD. She shares her journey, including healing through Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), how her faith helped, and how her experience motivated her to...

In this episode, Wendy talks about a therapy called Act, which stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Wendy looks at some evidence-based ACT techniques and shares easy skills you can develop to diffuse yourself from unhelpful thoughts.

Disclaimer - this is just an educational podcast. It's not a substitute for therapy. If you're struggling or in crisis, please reach out to your GP or your local mental health services.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Some days are sunny, some days are stormy. ACT doesn't encourage you to try to control the weather. It teaches you how...

In this episode, Wendy talks about mindfulness, including how you can benefit from incorporating it into your life and exactly how to do that. As a CBT therapist she has already helped many people to do this and also practices it herself.

Explore the proven benefits of mindfulness by trying Wendy´s simple guided exercises. She includes body scans, mindful movement and savouring pleasant moments – no incense required. Whether you’re new to mindfulness or looking to deepen your practice, this episode offers accessible tips and gentle wisdom to help you respond to life with greater calm, curio...

Today, Wendy is joined by Anna Guildford, who for 25+ years has worked as a mental health nurse, systematic practitioner, DBT therapist, supervisor and coach. Anna now also runs her own private coaching practice.

She specialises in helping parents with children who have emotional or MH related difficulties. Instead of only focusing on the child, Anna sees the power of creating space and time for parents to really think; about themselves, their families, their emotions and their own identity. As a trained systemic practitioner (family therapy approach) she draws on her clinical background to offer a bespoke approach. <...

In this episode, Wendy explores writing for therapy, and how putting pen to paper can help you process an upsetting event or to feel more grounded or to be able to move forward in your life. So, I'm going to go through a step-by-step process to write about a difficult experience and then how to reframe what has happened so that the pain is less, and also how to use affirmations that really work for you. She also shares tools to use if you hit writer's block.

Writing about painful memories can stir very strong f...

In this episode of "Don't Get a Therapist Yet," Wendy explores trauma and its impact on mental health. Learn about three powerful therapeutic techniques - Narrative Exposure Therapy, EMDR, and Visualization - that can help you process traumatic memories, reduce distress, and reclaim your emotional well-being. Whether you've experienced childhood abuse, bullying, accidents, or other challenging life events, this podcast offers insights into healing, understanding your experiences, and developing compassionate self-support strategies. Discover how trauma therapy can help you transform painful memories, improve sleep, and build emotional resilience.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The goal is to move...

Today, Wendy is joined by Lara Barnes, founder of Brain Development UK, who provides parents with a pathway to healing the behavioural and learning symptoms of their Autistic, Dyslexic, ADHD, Dyspraxic child, which builds the foundation of the brain.

These children may have missed key milestones in their development before the age of 12 months. Lara assesses and teaches parents primitive reflexes and how to use the sensory systems of vibration, smell, coloured lenses and sound to change the nervous system and to correct the foundational problem. Through her podcast, Lara shares parenting success stories, expert insights, how...

In this episode, Wendy takes a look at something that many people have direct experience of – childhood bullying. So many people, when adults, are still suffering from the traumatic effects of being bullied as a child or teenager. It´s very common. Wendy shares the details of the kinds of therapies that can help adults deal with the traumatic effects of childhood bullying. As well as several self-help strategies you can use without a therapist to help yourself.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Compassion-focused therapy is particularly effective.

Learn to self soothe. It helps to dampen dow...

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Donna Laine, an award-winning entrepreneur and author of “The Remembering Technique”. A transformative and effortless technique Donna use to manifest her dreams, achieve her deepest desires, overcome fears and create the life she wanted. Over the years, Donna has helped many others to do the same.

You will be stunned by how simple and easy The Remembering Technique is to use.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

You can choose your next thought - you are in control.

Left to its own devices, your mind plays things over and...

Today, Wendy is joined by Jo-Anne Kelleher, a Sports and High-Performance Psychologist who helps ambitious ADHD minds unlock elite level success. As a child, Anne struggled badly at school, she was told she'd never do anything because her English was so bad. Anne shares how she realised she had ADHD, needed to learn differently and when she did that became a successful entrepreneur.

She shared dozens of tips that anyone with ADHD can use to immediately improve their performance.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

People with ADHD suffer more from self-doubt and rejection sensitivity. But with...

In this episode, Wendy gets honest about what it means to be a modern woman in today's world. Can we really have it all despite having to walk the tightrope of life. A life that sees most women trying to balance the competing demands of children, their partner, elderly family members, work and society's expectations of them.

Wendy looks at the negative effect this has on women´s physical, emotional and mental health. Before sharing more than a dozen ways to better manage and cope with the demands that modern life puts on women.

In this episode, Wendy takes a look at burnout, in particular at how it is impacting the young. She clarifies what burnout is, how to identify it, and what research tells us about why it is becoming more prevalent amongst the young. Importantly, Wendy shares 20 simple to implement but powerful techniques anyone can use to recognise the early signs of burnout, get ahead of it and keep themselves free of burnout no matter what is going on in their life.

Wendy packs a lot of helpful information into this episode but shares even more advice in her...

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Kieran Kevan a social media strategist and fitness coach to discuss the impact social media is having on masculinity and mental health. Together, they also examine the issue of toxic masculinity, its various interpretations and the impact it is having on men´s ability to recognise when they are vulnerable and need help, then seek that help.

Kieran shares how unrealistic social media standards are having a negative impact on men´s self-perception, which can fuel toxic masculinity, lead to steroid use and mental health issues.

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In this solo episode, Wendy focuses on resilience. She explains what it is, the different ways it helps your mental and emotional health and how developing resilience makes it much easier to navigate the ups and downs of life.

Wendy shares 10 strategies that anyone can use to build up their resilience.  Each one is highly practical, easy to understand, and most are simple enough for you to start using immediately.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

For this episode, Wendy welcomes the inspiring Lisa Quait  - The Real Woman Coach. She shares her personal journey through therapy, midlife, bodybuilding, and entrepreneurship.

Lisa explains how therapy helped her heal old wounds, blend families, and find purpose in empowering other women to rewrite their own next chapters. She also shares the details of a fantastic coaching opportunity.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Kam Harris who after experiencing the benefits of EMDR decided to leave the fashion industry and become an EMDR therapist. She is also a master hypnotherapist as well as a mum and wife. Kam explains exactly how EMDR works and how you can use it every day to keep your mind healthy and in balance.

She also explains how hypnotherapy works and when it is beneficial.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Today, Wendy is joined by Michelle Rowlinson, a senior physiotherapist and menopause wellbeing practitioner. She is a best-selling author and creator of the BALANCE™ method which individuals, GPs and organisations successfully use to effectively manage menopause and improve quality of life.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Today, Wendy is joined by Dr. Hannah Gilbert, a psychotherapist who has a particular interest in the connection between belief and mental health. They discuss her work with the Compassionate Mind Foundation, which promotes Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT). CFT integrates psychotherapeutic models and mindfulness practices, emphasizing self-compassion and understanding how the brain works. 

Hannah explains how CFT addresses self-criticism, shame, and trauma, why it is effective for treating anxiety and depression and why it works so well for the young.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Matt Hussey a journalist and a psychotherapist in private practice, podcaster and author. Matt and Wendy discuss how simply assigning a label to someone or their condition confines who they think they are and can disengage them from their recovery, the way labelling impacts how society functions, and why therapists need to challenge the way mental health conditions are defined.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Andy Baker, an amazing person that does amazing things. He is a behavioural specialist with 19+ years’ experience, author, public speaker, trainer, educator, business mentor, parenting mentor, podcast host and more. Over the years he has worked with children, adults, people with learning disabilities and does a lot of work in the dementia field.

Working across so many different demographics and health issues made Andy realise that there was a common thread running through all of it. This inspired him to develop a six-stage framework that could be used to...

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Michelle Hoffman, a Stanford University social scientist and best-selling author. Today, she and Wendy discuss her journey from enjoying a fulfilling life with her husband to becoming a single parent when he sadly died. 

Michelle shares several of the strategies she used to enable herself and her children to cope with grief, such as inviting emotions in, putting in place a strong support network and building new memories. Her book, "Life Worth Living," offers practical guidance for widows and single parents, but its lessons are applicable to anyone facing significant l...

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Ousha Demello, a former business lecturer with over 15 years in education, who transformed her life through entrepreneurship. Doing so after suffering in a marriage where emotional abuse and mental torture from her husband and his family was a daily occurrence. 

Ousha explains how ignoring her gut feelings led to her bad marriage and how she freed herself, moved forward and thrived. She shares a powerful exercise anyone can do if they find themselves in a similar situation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Wendy is joined by clinical psychologist, author, trainer and researcher Dr Chris Irons, who helps people find new ways to understand and tackle their distress. Dr Irons is a big advocate of Compassion Focus Therapy (CFT).

He outlines what CFT is, why it is so effective and how to use it.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Today, Wendy is joined by clinical psychologist Dr Natalie Stott. Her main clients are doctors, nurses, physios and those who care for others. She is EMDR trained but mainly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help her clients deal with work related stress, burnout, perfectionism and a range of other issues.

Dr Stott explains how ACT works. Including providing an in-depth example of how it can be used to enable people to better tolerate uncertainty. She also shares a simple exercise that anyone can start using immediately.

KEY TAK...

Today, Wendy is joined by Dr Monika Wieliczko, a licensed clinical psychologist who specialises in grief, trauma and loss. She shares how losing her husband to bowel cancer inspired her to create the "Grief MOT," a first aid course for grief, to help individuals understand their grieving journey and found the online therapeutic community -  A Guide to After Life.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Grief affects cognitive, emotional and physiological functions, as well as relationships and your perception of the world.

There are differences between grief, loss, and bereavement.

Grief is a process, b...

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Jess White the amazing entrepreneur behind Yogi Tribe and the Spark Business Network. Jess has been practising yoga for 25 years and teaching it for 10. 

She also works to bring a yoga spirit to business. Jess runs Spark networking events that bring business owners and would-be entrepreneurs together from diverse backgrounds and industries to spark ideas, inspiration, partnerships and more. They are known locally as the High Vibe Tribe. To achieve this, Jess encourages everyone to tap into the power of using yoga principles in all aspects of life, including protecting t...

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Dr. Sally Conway, a clinical psychologist, coach for highly sensitive people, and a qualified EMDR practitioner. Sally, who is herself highly sensitive, explains why HSPs are very prone to people pleasing to the extent that they neglect themselves and why even relatively small stressors can easily overwhelm them. 

Sally shares techniques highly sensitive people can use to protect their energy and restore balance to their lives, so they can stop feeling overwhelmed and enjoy life more. She also explains how to access the free guide she has written to help H...

Wendy has the pleasure of welcoming Alejandro Argüelles Bullón from Gazing Red2Blue, a dedicated mental health advocate, who has also suffered from anxiety.

Alejandro and Wendy discuss why anxiety in men is underdiagnosed, the differences between how men and women process anxiety and which therapies work best for most men. They also discuss dealing with anxiety performance and the use of medications to treat mental health issues.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The genders experience anxiety differently.

Anxiety in men is still being under diagnosed. 

Men respond well to men...

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Caroline Van Diest a senior EMDR trainer and CBT therapist who also uses techniques from IFS and ACT. She explains how EMDR helps people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress from their past that are influencing their nervous system.

Using examples Caroline demystifies EMDR and explains why it works so well and is also effective for neurodivergent individuals.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Today, Wendy welcomes Esther Wiskerke, originally from The Netherlands, with a diverse background of working across continents and sectors. Esther has called London home for nearly 20 years and completed her MSc at King’s College in 2015. She is now a Visiting Fellow at London Metropolitan University. As the Founding Director of Symbiosia, her work reflects a fresh vision for conflict resolution and corporate wellness. 

They explore her approach to fostering understanding and collaboration in these polarised times.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Today, Wendy is joined by Dr Amber Johnston, a neuropsychologist and Director of Healthy Mind Psychology. She helps people whose brains have been injured to adapt to life after injury. To either fully rehabilitate or if that is not possible to adapt to changes in their behaviour, personality and cognition.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Today, Wendy is joined by Dr Sonia Ahmed a counselling psychologist and EMDR therapist who specialises in trauma and South Asian mental health needs. Currently, her focus is on domestic abuse and honour-based abuse such as forced marriages. She also provides online South Asian mental health training for other mental health professionals.

Sonia explains how being sandwiched between two cultures creates personal dilemmas. As does running the risk of shaming your family and/or being ostracised if you do not live in a certain way e.g. agree to an arranged marriage or continue to live with...