Author and friend Jim Woods returns to the podcast today, to discuss his latest work, the creative process, power of story and what he's learned as an author coach. We talk about the challenges which every creative person faces, with Jim sharing some of his own story, why these happen, and how to overcome them. We also explore the dangers of pursuing our art and how we can keep our integrity whilst still creating great art to share with the world. He shares his inpsiration for his recent series ...
Jun 09, 2025•48 min•Ep. 393
Today my friend Justin return to the podcast. In this episode they talk about their advocacy and lived experiences as a bi and ace racialised person and how the developments in the USA have impacted their lived experience. We both share stories about how healthy community can help us survive through difficult times, in a world of prejudice and hate, and what healthy community should - and can - look like. Justin is a person who inspires hope in me, and I'm sure they will in you too. Check out th...
Jun 02, 2025•50 min•Ep. 391
My beloved friend Brandan Robertson returns to the podcast today to talk about his latest book, "Queer & Christian: Reclaiming the Bible, Our Faith, and Our Place at the Table". We talk about how Brandan revisited the scriptures and discovered there are several Queer saints within it, more than you'd expect. He also explored the usual "clobber" verses used against LGBTQIA community and unpacked their true contextual meaning. He shares his vision of a Biblically supported, fully inclusive, lo...
May 12, 2025•41 min•Ep. 392
This week Jenna DeWitt is back on the podcast, this time we discuss the MCU movie "The Marvels", the sequel to Captain Marvel, the MCU's leading female superhero currently. Jenna shares how this movie and the journey of the lead characters in it, have been really impact for her as a queer, asexual woman. She also talks about how the movie covers themes of grief and loss, something often found in these type of movies, and identity. This was such a fun conversation, hope you enjoy it. ***** You ca...
Apr 14, 2025•59 min•Ep. 391
This week my dear friend MJ joins us to share the story of her autism diagnosis, how she first realised she may be autistic, the process of getting her diagnosis, and how her life has changed since. This is a powerful, challenging and encouraging story.
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 390
Today I'm joined by author and speaker Alice Hewson to discuss autism in the work place. Alice talks about the challenges of being neurodivergent in the world we live in, which isn't set up for neurodivergent people, and how this can often translate into the work place. She shares her own experiences and also offers some practical ideas for both employers and neurodivergent people themselves, for how neurodivergent people can feel safe and protected in the work place. She also shares some though...
Mar 17, 2025•45 min•Ep. 389
This week, as part of a new series, Dr Amy Maschall PsyD returns to the podcast to talk about people's lived experiences with autism and in particular the experience of justice sensitivity. Dr Amy is autistic herself, and works with autistic people on a regular basis, and a qualified expert, so has a lot of both lived experience and academic knowledge of autism. She shares this with us, and talks about how autistic people can be more sensitive about injusitces, big and small, and feel them more ...
Mar 10, 2025•48 min•Ep. 388
**Trigger warning: Spiritual abuse, toxic evangelicalism, conversion therapy stories** This week I'm joined by author and activist Lucas Wilson, to discuss stories of conversion therapy, the damage done by it, and the toxic evangelical culture which gave rise to it. We talk about some of the stories shared by people in Lucas' new book "Shame Sex Attraction", their grief, trauma and how they healed from those experiences. We also discuss toxic evangelical culture, and the harm its done to the LGB...
Mar 03, 2025•47 min•Ep. 387
Today my beloved friend, embodiment coach, writer and podcaster Jamie Lee Finch returns to the show. We talk all sorts in this episode, from connectedness with our bodies, intuition and how this all connects to a wider spirituality, to grief and how we build healthy relationships with our bodies and build resilience. We also explore how the system we all rigged, in, is simply not built for the thriving of human bodies. We had such fun recording this, make sure you check it out....
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 386
The podcast returns for 2025 with a new interview with the ever inspiring author and speaker Rob Bell. Recorded just before the US election of 2024, Rob joins me to talk about his latest novel, "There's Only One Noon Yeah", the second in his new series of novels. We talk about the themes and inspirations behind the novel, how it shows us the world we live in a fresh way, and delve into grief, transitions, transformation and awareness, as well as finding joy in the creative process. It was such a...
Feb 17, 2025•53 min•Ep. 385
In this final episode of 2024, fellow Whovian Jenna DeWitt returns to the podcast to talk about a character we both love, The Doctor. In particular, we talk about a recurring theme in the show, and on this show, grief. The grief of losing companions, of people he is trying to save sometimes dying or sacrificing themselves, and above all, of him having to grieve his own death, every time he regrenerates. Even if you don't know the show, there's a lot here which can relate to various experiences o...
Dec 04, 2024•55 min•Ep. 384
Today my dear friend Cat Dean joins me to talk about astrological energy, and in particular the phenomenon of mercury retrogade, the most recent of which (at time of release) began November 25th, 2024. Cat tells us exactly what mercury retrogade is, when it happens and why, and how it impact both us and our world. We both share our own experiences of mercury retrogade and Cat explains the power and influence of astrological energy itself.
Nov 26, 2024•45 min•Ep. 383
Trigger warning: Suicide, suicidal ideation, depression ______ Today I'm joined by author and advocate Chris Morris. He shares his story about his experiences of depression, suicidal ideation. He shares his powerful and raw story of his depression and various suicide attempts. He talks about his experience in a psych ward, and how he did the work of healing, and the battles he still has. He also talks about the challenges of talking about mental health in Christian circles. Chris is a courageous...
Nov 18, 2024•43 min•Ep. 382
In this new episode, recorded pre-election 2024, Amanda Held Opelt joins me again, this time for a conversation about some major events in history & their impact on how our culture processes grief. We talk at length about the two World Wars, and how different outcomes for different nations impacted how their cultures responded to them, and how it changed their culture. We explore how one bad response from WWI may have led to WWII and how the outcomes of both may have contributed to where we ...
Nov 11, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 381
This week Virginia Spotts returns to the podcast to talk about her acting and creative career, and her experiences of trauma. We talk about the various roles and different types of characters she's played, and how these have helped her process trauma and grief. She also shares the challenges of playing certain types of characters & how she tries to seperate herself from characters she plays. She also shares how her creative journey, which includes writing as well as acting, has helped her un...
Jun 19, 2024•45 min•Ep. 380
Jenna DeWitt returns to the podcast this week to discuss Taylor Swift's latest album, the "Tortured Poets Department". We explore several of the tracks and how they relate to the deconstruction journey, living as an LGBTQI person and the experiences of grief and trauma. We look at them in the context of our own journeys and Taylor's own story, and what we can learn from them. This again is such a fun episode, and another example of how great art can connect with our stories & help our healin...
Jun 12, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 379
This week I welcome back my friend, poet and author Marla Taviano, to talk about her latest collection of poems, "Whole". "Whole" is the third in a series of 3 compliations of poetry exploring Marla's own deconstruction journey, and all the grief, doubt conflict, challenges and healing of this journey. We talk about the creative process both behind "Whole" and the series of poetry books about her journey, and how this shaped Marla herself. We also explore how creativity has helped Marla in other...
May 29, 2024•46 min•Ep. 378
Today, my friend, qualified IFS practitioner Becky Castle Miller, joins me to discuss and explore Internal Family Systems therapy, how it works, and how it can benefit us. Becky and I both shares our own experiences with this kind of therapy and we also discuss internal managers, exiles and firefighters. We explore who they are, why they exist and how they were formed - and how we can work with them to help heal our truama wounds. Becky and I also do a small demonstration of how this therapy wor...
May 21, 2024•49 min•Ep. 377
My friend Trace Bell returns to the podcast this week to have a discussion about the mysterious power of music. Together we explore how music can tap in to both our consciousness, our subsoncious and our bodies and help us somehow connect with the wider energy of the universe. We explore the mystery of how it unlocks emotions, energy and even desire, and helps us become more in tune with our bodies and our truest selves. We also talk about how certain songs or pieces of music can take on new mea...
May 09, 2024•43 min•Ep. 376
Today I talk to creators and filmmakers Ien Chi and Jon Bregel about Jon's recent documentary, the short film "I Do" which tells the grief story of a married man, from diagnosis, through loss, to grieve and finding life after death. Ien and Jon share their own experiences with creating and producing the movie, and how this exploration of grief in a creative format impacted their own perspective on grief. The both share the way their perspectives on life and death, and spirituality, and their per...
Apr 17, 2024•53 min•Ep. 375
Friend of the podcast Rob Bell returns today to discuss his new latest work, a novel, "Where'd You Park Your Spaceship? An Interplanetary Tale of Love, Loss and Bread: Book One, Welcome to Firdus." (Yes this is the title). It's an incredible novel, which explores grief, identity, toxic systems, all from the perspective of someone outside of earth learning it for the first time. Rob tells me his creative process in writing the novel, how the experience changed him, and how he discovered joy and f...
Apr 02, 2024•47 min•Ep. 374
This week my friend MJ joins me to discuss Dan Levy's movie director debut, 'Good Grief', which is available on Netflix. The movie is about a person who loses their mother and husband in the space of the year, and their grieving process which reveals a lot of secrets and surprises, and how it impacts his life. MJ and I, who both have lived experience of grief, watched it together and in this episode we share our own reflections, insights and lived experiences. We talk about the ways the movie co...
Mar 18, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 373
This week my friend Jenna DeWitt returns to discuss Taylor Swift's "1989 - Taylor's Version" which released earlier this year. Jenna shares her own experience with the album - both the new version, and the original - and what these meant for her as she explored her own identity. Then together we explore various tracks on the album and the stories behind them. We discuss how these songs and their stories, and art in general, can help us as we process issues of grief, transformation and identity. ...
Mar 13, 2024•50 min•Ep. 372
My guest today is Virginia Spotts. She is a writer, actor, fiction podcaster, and aspiring death doula. In this episode she shares her experiences of grief and how they impacted her. As a writer, actor and fiction broadcaster, she shares unique experiences of how witnessing death and going through the grieving impacted the creative aspects of her life and identity. Virginia also shares her experience of training as a death doula, helping people prepare for death. Its' a fascinating and unique in...
Feb 26, 2024•50 min•Ep. 371
Today we begin another series exploring grief on the podcast, with Andrea De Ward talking about her experiences of doing pastoral work with the dying, as chaplain of a care home. Andrea talks about how this impacted her perspectives on death and grief, as she then herself had experiences of grief and loss. She tells us how these impacted her life, her relationships and her personal/spiritual journey. Andrea's story gives us a very unique perspective on death and grief, and can help us understand...
Feb 19, 2024•44 min•Ep. 370
Today I'm joined by writer, advocate and podcast host Shari A Smith. She talks to us about her advocacy works with trauma victims and survivors, and the importance of sharing our stories. Shari shares her experiences of sharing and bearing witness to trauma and grief stories, and how its' impacted her and the people sharing those stories. She tells us how sharing stories can provide solidarity to those hearing, and a voice to those who share them, and help us in the road to healing....
Feb 05, 2024•50 min•Ep. 369
Today I'm joined by therapist Heidi Dennis, MS LPC, to discuss her new book, "Hello Anxiety", and explore a new approach to dealing with anxiety. Heidi shares how we can learn to say "hello" to our anxiety. Heidi shares what anxiety is, why it’s there and how to respond to it instead of distracting from it. She tells us how listen to our anxious feelings and work with them instead of against them, and find our way towards peace.
Jan 29, 2024•39 min•Ep. 368
This week I'm joined by activist and writer Justin Ancheta. In this episode they share their own story of discovering they were a biromantic demisexual & the prejudice they faced as a Filipino-Canadian, queer man with a stutter. They also talk about the connections between asexuality and tarot, and how discovering tarot helped them feel more at peace with their own identity, and discovering that liminal space of acceptance and belonging.
Jan 22, 2024•44 min•Ep. 367
In our first episode of 2024, my friend Cat Dean joins me for a fun conversation about being human in the changing seasons of life. We discuss how the changes in the movement of the earth can impact our lives so directly, how we process change and the grief involved, and how it can impact our connection to our own humanity, and our creative lives. We also explore how growth and healing increase connection to our bodies, and awaken us to the falseness of the systems we live in, connecting us more...
Jan 15, 2024•39 min•Ep. 366
For Grief Awareness week this week, I'm joined by Vicky McQuarrie, who works for AtaLoss Charity, a non-profit organization that signposts bereaved people to support. TW: Suicide, grief, loss of spouse _ Vicky courageously shares her stories of loss and grief, both being widowed and losing her sister in the space of a year. She shares the impact this had on her life, the rituals and practices she discovered to help her grieve well. She also discusses how her first experience of processing grief ...
Dec 06, 2023•36 min•Ep. 365
