Grief is a universal experience, but one that we navigate alone. It's also one of the most-requested topics for me to cover here at the Wellbeing Lab. So, for the final episode of Season 2 I talk with Andy Langford about grief and bereavement. Andy has worked in this field for over twenty years and is the Clinical Director at the charity Cruse. They help people with bereavement support, information and campaigning and you can find out more about their work here. This is a big topic and there are...
Aug 08, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Ooh I'm excited to get into this week's topic. It's quite a complicated subject, but it's one of my favourites to discuss... codependency. When I learnt about codependency it was a lightbulb moment and I hope you glean some useful information from it. My guest is counselling psychologist Dr Jane Halsall who has a special interest in addiction. We mention a few resources in the episode: You can find Melody Beattie's 'Codependent No More' here Pia Mellody's 'Facing Codependence' can be found at th...
Aug 01, 2023•38 min•Season 2Ep. 19
This week I welcome back the excellent Jo Stubley. She's a Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy at the Tavistock Clinic and an expert on trauma, so I invited her back to talk to me about complex post-traumatic stress disorder. We talk about diagnosis, treatment, some of the problems around the naming of these experiences and of course have a few jokes along the way. During the conversation Jo mentions a paper looking at neurotransmitters and depression. You can read that here . She also talk...
Jul 25, 2023•41 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Do you find it easy to express yourself? If so, how do you like to do it? This week I'm talking to art psychotherapist Charlotte Daley. She works predominantly with children and young people, helping them interpret and express their emotions whilst they create a piece of art. It's a form of therapy that I've benefitted from in the past, so I wanted to bring it to you and discuss some of the theory behind it. So off I went to Crystal Palace in London to meet Charlotte and make some artwork. Follo...
Jul 18, 2023•40 min•Season 2Ep. 17
This week's episode came from a chance meeting in the sunshine. Each year I attend the Chelsea Flower Show with my mum and this summer one of the gardens was made in partnership with a charity. It's called the Centre for Mental Health and their aim is to reduce mental health inequalities by building research evidence to create fairer mental health policy. I got chatting to Andy Bell , the Chief Executive, and decided to invite him onto the podcast because so much of the work the charity does tie...
Jul 11, 2023•32 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Nobody's perfect*, but striving for perfection can get us into mental health troubles and affect our day-to-day lives. My guest, Thomas Curran , is the world's leading expert on perfectionism and in his book The Perfection Trap , he shares his personal experience of how impossibly high expectations stand in the way of happiness, health, and success. He also talks about why this is a growing problem and what we can do about it. If this episode hits home for you, please share your thoughts, feelin...
Jul 04, 2023•40 min•Season 2Ep. 15
How do you perceive hypnosis? Do you fully fathom your subconscious? Well, I'm so excited to bring you this episode because I start to understand those questions and many more. My guest is the hypnotherapist Jessica Boston and she really helped me get to grips with what hypnosis is, how it works and how it can be used to help us move forward if we're struggling with a problem. We also dispel some myths and we laugh along the way too. You can find out more about Jessica on her website by clicking...
Jun 27, 2023•38 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Today's topic is one of my favourites to discuss and I explain why with my guest Sarah Calvert. She's a psychotherapist who specialises in psychosexual therapy and relationships. We get deep into the common problems with communication between two people, why we slip into these habits and what we can do about it. Sarah kindly came up with an invitation for you to try if you want to improve your communication, which you can find on her website by clicking here . Please let me know what the results...
Jun 20, 2023•33 min•Season 2Ep. 13
How do you feel when you spend time in nature? Have you ever hugged a tree? We all know it's supposed to do us good, so I went forest bathing to find out just what nature can do for our mental health. My guests are Gary and Olga Evans from The Forest Bathing Institute . They're two very dedicated people and they have a lot of knowledge about the science behind forest bathing. I had a really lovely time and I'd love to know your experiences with nature. Here's how you can get in touch with the La...
Jun 13, 2023•43 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Another hotly requested topic for you this week. It's Borderline Personality Disorder, explained and explored by the wonderful Dr Chetna Kang. Dr Chetna makes her return to the Wellbeing Lab to delve into the causes of BPD, the symptoms, the treatments and the misconceptions. If you're looking for information on Marsha M. Linehan, the developer of dialectical behaviour therapy mentioned in the episode, you can find her handouts and worksheets here , plus her memoir, Building A Life Worth Living,...
Jun 05, 2023•41 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Shame can be one of the most painful and difficult emotions to deal with and most of the time, when it arises, we don't even deserve to feel it! It's a complex topic so I called in Dr June Tangney to discuss it with me because she's been working in the field of moral emotions for decades. We talk about what moral emotions are, the difference between shame and guilt and the ways in which society's expectations can sometimes cause us to feel shame. As always, let me know about your experiences. Yo...
May 30, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Countless people all over the world swear by the ancient practice of acupuncture, where very fine needles are inserted at certain sites in the body for therapeutic or preventative purposes. I've had acupuncture many times and I find it very clarifying. In this episode I speak to Gerad Kite , a Five Element acupuncture master who runs a clinic and a training school in London. He talks about the origins of acupuncture, the philosophy behind Five Element and how acupuncture is best utilised. And, y...
May 23, 2023•35 min•Season 2Ep. 9
I'm getting scientific this week! I'm delving into the world of epigenetics, which is the study of how our behaviours and environment can cause changes that affect the way our genes work. It's a relatively new field, so I called up the wonderful Dr Chloe Wong to give me the latest. Dr Chloe is a senior lecturer in epigenetics and she works at the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience within King's College London . One of...
May 16, 2023•29 min•Season 2Ep. 8
We all know that exercise is good for us and, usually, makes us feel better, but why? In this episode I learn about the science of what happens when we exercise, how technology can aid our exercise efforts and that everything I thought I knew about endorphins is wrong. My guest is Dr Joseph Firth, a UKRI research fellow at Manchester University, who researches physical health and lifestyle interventions for improving mental health. Please let me know what you thought of the episode. Here's all t...
May 09, 2023•33 min•Season 2Ep. 7
In this episode I learn about Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, a very severe form of premenstrual syndrome which causes extreme emotional and physical symptoms. My guest is the wonderfully funny Annika Waheed, who is an educator, a patient expert in PMDD and an advocate for those who have it. You can follow her on Instagram @Hormonesandheartache Please take care whilst listening to this episode as it contains a conversation about suicide. As always, let me know what you think about this episode,...
May 02, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Self-love can be a difficult goal to achieve and self-hatred isn't a desirable state to be in, so where is the middle ground? Well, acceptance is the antidote to self-hatred, according to The School of Life's book on the subject . I dig into this idea with Sarah Stein Lubrano from The School of Life , discussing the roles of expectations, compassion and friendship, plus we go off on a short tangent about the German philosopher Theodor W. Adorno. I'd love to hear from you if anything you've heard...
Apr 25, 2023•38 min•Season 2Ep. 5
I've heard people describe the gut as the second brain and if it's important to look after the health of our brain, is it also important to look after our gut health too? Who better to ask than Professor Tim Spector, the epidemiologist and science writer who knows everything there is to know about our guts and the important microbes that live within them. He told me about the link to our immune system, the value of health supplements and the role nutrition plays in keeping our gut microbiome hea...
Apr 18, 2023•42 min•Season 2Ep. 4
In this week's episode I'm talking about adult-diagnosed ADHD. It's something I've been hearing a lot about recently, so I wanted to find out what it's like to get an ADHD diagnosis as an adult and how that can effect your life going forward. My guest is the amazing Vivienne Isebor. She's the founder of ADHD Babes , as well as being a psychotherapist and a singer... and she's very funny. The Wellbeing Lab team always read all the correspondence that comes in, so please get in touch if you have a...
Apr 11, 2023•38 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Is there a better job title than neuropsychopharmacologist? I think not and today I'm lucky enough to speak to one. His name is Professor David Nutt and he's an expert on the use of psychedelic drugs to treat things like depression, addiction and anxiety. We cover a lot of ground and get into some deep questions as we explore a very interesting area of study. If you're looking for more information on David's forthcoming book 'Psychedelics' you can find it here . As always, let me know what you t...
Apr 04, 2023•33 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Welcome! The hiatus has come to an end, dear listener. I'm back with a fresh batch of episodes of The Wellbeing Lab and the season begins with a biggie. I'm unpacking confidence. How to get it, how to keep it and why it might be lacking in the first place. Many of you have been in touch asking me to cover this, so I settled down for a chat with psychotherapist and Sunday Times bestselling author Anna Mathur, whose book ' Know Your Worth ' asks the hard questions about why we feel the way we do. ...
Mar 28, 2023•32 min•Season 2Ep. 1
We've reached the final episode of Season 1 and I've saved one of my favourite topics 'til last. In this episode I explore the world of attachment with research scientist Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk. Dr. Suzanne's research begins with tiny babies, but she says our attachment styles can affect us into adulthood. It's fascinating stuff. If you want to learn more, you can read up on attachment on Dr. Suzanne's website . All being well, we'll be back with Season 2 soon, so make sure you're subscribed to the ...
Jul 26, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 20
I'm trying out yoga therapy this week with the wonderful Colleen Lally. I went along to a session with Colleen to find out how yoga therapy differs from the yoga I'm used to and to discover who it helps. I describe the session later in the episode, but first you'll hear my chat with Colleen which we recorded a few days after our first meeting. You can find out all about the Recovery Wellness Collective on their website . Colleen recommends these resources if you're looking for support around the...
Jul 19, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 19
How do you feel when you think about your finances? Does it bring up difficult emotions? Money can be a hard thing to talk about and is often closely linked to our mental health. I decided to dig into the common issues that link money and mental health with Helen Undy, who's the Chief Executive of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute. If you'd like to access any of the helpful resources Helen mentioned in the interview, you can find them here . If you have personal experience of mental h...
Jul 12, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 18
This week I'm diving deep into the complex world of abandonment with the psychotherapist and abandonment expert Susan Anderson. We talk about the universal experience of abandonment fear, why it affects some of us more than others, and the work we can do to overcome it. If you're looking for further information on abandonment, you can find out about Susan's books and events on her website . The book I mentioned was Healing the Shame That Binds You by John Bradshaw . Please let me know what you t...
Jul 05, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Cold water swimming has exploded in popularity in recent years and many people say taking a chilly dip helps with their mental health, so I thought I'd try it out. Now, I have to come clean and tell you that, although I was swimming outdoors in a lake, my swim wouldn't officially be classed as a cold water swim because the water was actually quite warm... but I still felt many benefits and I squealed when getting into the water. My guest is Simon Kerslake who's the volunteer secretary for the Ou...
Jun 28, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In episode 15 I learn about the world of Chronic Pain, a condition that affects far more people than I realised. My guest is Dr Alan Fayaz, a consultant in pain medicine at University College London Hospital. He guides me through the science behind why we feel pain, explains what's happening when someone experiences chronic pain and educates me on the most up to date research in the field. If you're looking for further reading or information on Chronic Pain, Dr Alan suggests looking at this page...
Jun 21, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 15
At the Wellbeing Lab this week I discuss eating disorders with Dr Omara Naseem. She's a counselling psychologist and a specialist in treating eating disorders. I came to this topic with great curiosity but knowing very little and I left having learnt a lot. We don't use any descriptive language in this episode, but if you feel like this may be a triggering topic please proceed with caution. As ever, I'd love to know what you think. You can get in touch with the lab via the links below Instagram ...
Jun 14, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 14
This week I experience Reiki for the first time. "What's Reiki?" I hear you ask. Well, my guest Sushma Sagar, who is a Reiki Master and founder of The Calmery, tells me all about the healing and energy practice in this episode, plus you'll also hear what happened when I went along and tested it out for myself. You can find out more about Sushma via her website and this is her book Find Your Flow . As always, let me know about your experiences with Reiki. You can contact the lab on the links belo...
Jun 07, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 13
This week's episode takes a deep dive into the world of narcissism. Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Chetna Kang tells me about the spectrum of narcissistic traits, what to expect if you're in a relationship with a narcissist and how the disorder can be treated. It's a big topic and we could have talked for hours. As always, let me know what you think about this episode, or any other. You can contact the lab on the links below: Instagram , Facebook , Twitter or Email: [email protected] You...
May 31, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Is there a good way to have an argument? My guest Ian Leslie thinks so. In order to better understand conflict, he spent time with hostage negotiators, interrogators and all kinds of people who have difficult conversations for a living. In this episode he tells me about what he learnt and how we can use some of the techniques to communicate better in our own relationships. I'd love to know what you think. You can contact the lab on the links below: Instagram @thewellbeinglabpodcast Facebook @the...
May 24, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 11
