Therapy Works

Julia Samuel

Bestselling author and psychotherapist, Julia Samuel, invites us into her therapy room as she talks to both known and unknown voices about some of life’s biggest challenges.

Therapy Works is full of therapeutic conversations which may contain difficult emotions but those that can paradoxically bring light, in all its form.

Listeners will hear what the guests have learnt, failed to learn and how they have grown through their experience. At the end of each episode, Julia reflects on her session with her two psychotherapist daughters who will share their thoughts on the conversation. You’ll quickly discover that not all therapists agree on everything!

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271 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes271

Newest first

Friday · 15 min
Agony Aunties: Why Do I Keep Sabotaging Myself?
This week, the Agony Aunties answer a question that so many of us will recognise: why is it so hard to make the changes we desperately want to make? From skipping the exercise class you've already paid for to using food, smoking or spending as a way to cope, Julia, Sophie and Emily explore the hidden roots of self-sabotage, shame and the belief that we're incapable of change. Together, they discuss how our childhood experiences shape our sense of agency, why self-compassion is the key to breaking old patterns, and practical ways to begin building a kinder relationship with yourself—one small step at a time. Resources mentioned: Learn more about Jan Winhall's work on attachment, trauma and the nervous system: https://janwinhall.com • • Find out more about Internal Family Systems (IFS): https://ifs-institute.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 24 · 17 min
Agony Aunties: Why Do I Feel So Lonely?
In this week's Agony Aunties episode, Julia, Emily and Sophie answer a heartfelt question from a listener who feels deeply lonely despite appearing successful on the outside. Together, they explore why being truly known can feel so frightening, how fear of vulnerability keeps us disconnected, and why meaningful relationships begin with allowing ourselves to be seen. They discuss the difference between loneliness and connection, the stories we tell ourselves about being a burden, and share practical ways to build deeper, more authentic relationships. If you've ever worried you'll end up alone or struggled to let people in, this conversation is for you. Resources mentioned in this episode: Brené Brown – The Power of Vulnerability (TED Talk) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 22 · 44 min
BONUS: Manon Lagrève on The Confidence to Be Yourself
This week, Julia is joined by cook, bestselling author and content creator Manon Lagrève for a heartfelt conversation about confidence, family and the values that truly sustain us. Together they explore imposter syndrome, social media comparison, motherhood and why genuine confidence comes not from perfection, but from staying connected to who we really are. They also discuss the importance of everyday rituals, the joy of gathering around the table, and how caring for ourselves can strengthen our sense of self. This special bonus episode is supported by Code8, whose philosophy that confidence comes from authenticity rather than imitation provides a fitting backdrop to a conversation about self-worth, connection and living with intention. Visit Code8: https://codeeight.com/ Follow Code8 on Instagram: @code8beauty Follow Manon: @manonlagreve More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - www.griefworks.com/therapy Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 17 · 17 min
Agony Aunties: Relationship Anxiety - Am I Overthinking or Is Something Wrong?
This week on Agony Aunties, they answer a listener's heartfelt question about what happens when a relationship begins to feel different. After two and a half years together, her boyfriend seems less affectionate, leaving her questioning whether this is simply the natural evolution of long-term love or a sign that something deeper has changed. The Agony Aunties explore why we so often create stories in our minds before having the conversation we most need to have, how old attachment patterns can shape our fears in relationships, and why vulnerability - not mind-reading - is the key to real intimacy. They also share practical tools from Esther Perel, the Gottmans and Terry Real on bids for connection, love languages, and how to have difficult conversations with warmth rather than blame. If you've ever found yourself analysing texts, worrying you've become 'too much', or wondering how to reconnect with your partner, this episode is for you. Send us your Agony Aunties questions: jsamuelpod@gmail.com Or message Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: ⁠⁠https://juliasamuel.substack.com/⁠⁠ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - ⁠⁠www.griefworks.com/therapy⁠⁠ Follow Julia on Instagram: ⁠⁠@juliasamuelmbe⁠⁠ for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: ⁠⁠The Samuel Therapy Practice⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 10 · 16 min
Agony Aunties: Why Do I Feel So Lonely After Having a Baby?
In this episode of Agony Aunties, Julia, Emily and Sophie answer a heartfelt question from a listener who feels isolated after moving away from the city to start a family. Together they explore the unexpected loneliness of early motherhood, the lasting impact of childhood experiences on our sense of belonging, why we often protect the people we love by hiding our own struggles, and how small acts of vulnerability can help us rebuild connection. They share gentle reminders that meaningful friendships take time, asking for support is a strength, and feeling lonely doesn't mean you're alone. Send us your Agony Aunties questions: jsamuelpod@gmail.com Or message Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: ⁠⁠https://juliasamuel.substack.com/⁠⁠ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - ⁠⁠www.griefworks.com/therapy⁠⁠ Follow Julia on Instagram: ⁠⁠@juliasamuelmbe⁠⁠ for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: ⁠⁠The Samuel Therapy Practice⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 3 · 14 min
Agony Aunties: Caring for a Difficult Parent
This episode of Agony Aunties tackles the emotional complexity of caring for an ageing parent when the relationship has always been difficult. Emily and Sophie respond to a listener whose 89-year-old mother’s declining health has reignited painful childhood wounds, sibling conflict, and feelings of duty, resentment, and guilt. Together, they explore how old family dynamics resurface during times of crisis, the importance of setting boundaries, slowing down reactive communication, and seeking support through therapy, community, or practical caregiving tools. Their compassionate conversation is a reminder that it's possible to care for someone while also protecting yourself and that navigating these difficult moments with kindness, both towards others and yourself, is enough. Podcast mentioned in the episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/do-i-know-you-understanding-dementia/id1896564566 Follow the podcast: @doiknowyoupodcast Send us your Agony Aunties questions: jsamuelpod@gmail.com Or message Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: ⁠⁠https://juliasamuel.substack.com/⁠⁠ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - ⁠⁠www.griefworks.com/therapy⁠⁠ Follow Julia on Instagram: ⁠⁠@juliasamuelmbe⁠⁠ for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: ⁠⁠The Samuel Therapy Practice⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 26 · 15 min
Agony Aunties: How to Survive the Summer Holidays
The Agony Aunties are back, answering a listener's question about the pressures of parenting through the long summer holidays. Together, Sophie and Emily explore the guilt so many parents feel when they can't provide the picture-perfect summer they see elsewhere, why boredom may be far more valuable than we think, and how to help teenagers develop resilience, creativity and independence. They discuss the trap of comparison, the emotional challenge of watching your children struggle, and why being present and connected matters far more than keeping them constantly entertained. Send us your Agony Aunties questions: jsamuelpod@gmail.com Or message Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: ⁠⁠https://juliasamuel.substack.com/⁠⁠ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - ⁠⁠www.griefworks.com/therapy⁠⁠ Follow Julia on Instagram: ⁠⁠@juliasamuelmbe⁠⁠ for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: ⁠⁠The Samuel Therapy Practice⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 19 · 16 min
Agony Aunties: Why Am I Never Good Enough?
This week on Agony Aunties, Julia, Emily and Sophie respond to a listener who has recently graduated but is struggling to feel proud of their achievement. Despite earning a good degree, comparisons with a high-achieving sibling and the pressure of perceived family expectations have left them feeling flat and unable to celebrate their success. Together, they explore the impact of comparison, perfectionism and internalised expectations, sharing practical tools for building self-worth, challenging critical inner voices and learning to recognise that being "good enough" is often more than enough. Send us your Agony Aunties questions: jsamuelpod@gmail.com Or message Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: ⁠⁠https://juliasamuel.substack.com/⁠⁠ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - ⁠⁠www.griefworks.com/therapy⁠⁠ Follow Julia on Instagram: ⁠⁠@juliasamuelmbe⁠⁠ for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: ⁠⁠The Samuel Therapy Practice⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 12 · 15 min
Agony Aunties: I Bottle Everything Up Until I Explode
This week on Agony Aunties, they respond to a listener who avoids difficult conversations until their feelings spill out in anger or tears. Together, they explore why conflict can feel so threatening, how our childhood experiences shape the way we handle disagreement, and why keeping the peace often comes at the cost of our own needs. From conflict-avoidant partners to family dynamics, boundaries and people-pleasing, Julia, Emily and Sophie share honest reflections on their own experiences and offer practical tools for expressing yourself before resentment takes hold. If you've ever struggled to speak up, worried about upsetting people, or found yourself bottling things up until you explode, this episode is for you. Send us your Agony Aunties questions: jsamuelpod@gmail.com Or message Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: ⁠⁠https://juliasamuel.substack.com/⁠⁠ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - ⁠⁠www.griefworks.com/therapy⁠⁠ Follow Julia on Instagram: ⁠⁠@juliasamuelmbe⁠⁠ for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: ⁠⁠The Samuel Therapy Practice⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 5 · 16 min
Agony Aunties: My Husband Is Always On His Phone. How Do We Reconnect?
This week on Agony Aunties, the girls tackle a listener dilemma that will feel familiar to many couples: what happens when you're sharing a sofa but no longer feeling emotionally connected? As one listener opens up about feeling lonely in her marriage while her husband spends most evenings on his phone, Sophie, Emily and Julia explore why technology can so easily replace meaningful connection, and how resentment can quietly build when our emotional needs go unmet. Together, they discuss practical ways to reconnect, from changing how difficult conversations are approached to creating small rituals of connection, shared experiences and moments of laughter. They also explore the stories we tell ourselves when we feel ignored or rejected, and why understanding what's really happening beneath the surface can be the first step towards finding each other again. Send us your Agony Aunties questions: jsamuelpod@gmail.com Or message Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: ⁠https://juliasamuel.substack.com/⁠ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - ⁠www.griefworks.com/therapy⁠ Follow Julia on Instagram: ⁠@juliasamuelmbe⁠ for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: ⁠The Samuel Therapy Practice⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 29 · 13 min
Agony Aunties: Feeling Overwhelmed by the World?
In this week’s Agony Aunties episode, Julia and her daughters respond to a listener struggling with the overwhelming anxiety of living in a world shaped by climate crisis, political unrest, social media overload, and constant bad news. Together, they explore how to stay compassionate and informed without becoming emotionally consumed — discussing everything from nervous system regulation and information boundaries to collective hope, small acts of kindness, community, rest, joy, and the importance of staying grounded in the present moment. This is a conversation for anyone feeling the weight of the world right now. Resources & References Mentioned Rebecca Solnit — author and activist Active Hope by Joanna Macy & Chris Johnstone Action for Happiness Therapist Uncensored Podcast Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown Send us your Agony Aunties questions: jsamuelpod@gmail.com Or message Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - www.griefworks.com/therapy Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 22 · 48 min
Celebration Day: Megan Jones on Grief, Loss and the Parents Who Shaped Her
In this episode, I speak with England rugby captain Megan Jones about grief, pressure, identity and what it means to keep going when life changes completely. Megan shares the experience of losing both of her parents within six months, growing up alongside her mother’s addiction, and how rugby, journaling and the people around her have helped her carry both pain and love at the same time. Ahead of Celebration Day on Monday 25th May, a day that invites us all to raise a glass and remember someone we love and miss, Megan reflects on the small everyday moments she still holds onto most: cups of tea with her dad, car journeys, stories, laughter and feeling fully accepted by her parents. We talk about vulnerability, belonging, leadership and why the people we lose continue to shape who we are long after they’re gone. Join in the celebrations and celebrate someone this Monday 25th May: https://www.celebrationday.com/ Follow Meg on Instagram: @thanksmeg More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - www.griefworks.com/therapy Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 20 · 56 min
How to Make Life Happier with Mark Williamson (BONUS EP)
In this episode of Therapy Works, Julia is joined by Mark Williamson, co-founder and director of Action for Happiness and author of the number one bestselling book Make Life Happier. Together, they explore what happiness really means, not as a perfect destination, but as a direction of travel shaped by agency, relationships, kindness, purpose and the small actions we take each day. Mark reflects on his own journey from outward success and inner struggle to discovering the deep connection between mental and physical health. He and Julia discuss why self-care and care for others must go hand in hand, how old patterns shape our relationships, why kindness benefits both giver and receiver, and how slowing down can help us notice the ordinary moments that make life meaningful. Buy his book: https://amzn.eu/d/03sTolwL More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - www.griefworks.com/therapy Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 15 · 13 min
Agony Aunties: When Your Adult Child Won’t Move Out
This week, our Agony Aunties tackle a dilemma that is becoming the "new normal" for many: the 30-something child who simply won’t fly the nest. When a listener writes in feeling a mix of deep love and growing resentment toward her 33-year-old son, the team explores how to transition from a parent-child dynamic to a boundary-led adult relationship. From discussing the "maturation crisis" among young men to the financial realities of modern housing, they offer a toolkit for having the "big talk" without it sounding like a rejection. It’s a thoughtful look at why multigenerational living doesn't have to be a failure - it just needs a serious reorientation of expectations and a naming of the "silent things" in the room. Send in your question to jsamuelpod@gmail.com More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - www.griefworks.com/therapy Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 13 · 48 min
Arit Anderson On Parkinson’s, Chelsea Flower Show And The Healing Power Of Gardens
In this episode of Therapy Works, I’m joined by garden designer, writer and Gardeners’ World presenter Arit Anderson to talk about the deeply personal story behind her Chelsea Flower Show garden for Parkinson’s UK. Arit shares how her sister’s Parkinson’s diagnosis inspired the garden, and how she hopes it will raise awareness, understanding and support for those living with the condition. We also explore the healing power of gardens, nature and colour, and how planting, movement and simply being outside can offer hope, grounding and renewal. This is a moving conversation about family, resilience, creativity, and how even in the face of illness, a garden can become a place of beauty, connection and possibility. Find out more about Parkinson’s UK: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/ More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - www.griefworks.com/therapy Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 8 · 11 min
Agony Aunties: Why Do I Feel So Alone in My Grief?
In this Agony Aunties episode, Emily, Sophie and Julia respond to a moving question from a listener navigating grief after the loss of her husband, and the added pain of feeling let down by her siblings. Together, they explore the loneliness that can follow bereavement, why family members often struggle to show up in the way we need, and how unspoken expectations, old family dynamics and fear around grief can create distance. They reflect on how to communicate needs more clearly, make sense of disappointment, and gently find support beyond your immediate family when it’s not available in the way you hoped. More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - www.griefworks.com/therapy Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 6 · 59 min
Helen Fielding on Grief, Bridget Jones and Being Loved As You Are (LIVE)
In this special bonus episode of Therapy Works, recorded live, I’m joined by the wonderful Helen Fielding - journalist, novelist, and creator of the iconic Bridget Jones. Together we explore the challenge of writing about grief, the death of Mark Darcy, and the tender, complicated reality of supporting children through loss, while still allowing space for laughter, mess, and life. Helen speaks with such honesty, wit and wisdom about creativity, motherhood, humour, and the very human gap between who we feel we should be and who we really are. It is a moving and funny conversation about being loved “just as you are”, and about how stories can help us feel less alone. Find Helen:  Instagram: @helenfielding More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - www.griefworks.com/therapy Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 1 · 13 min
Agony Aunties: How to Help Your Teen With Exam Stress and Anxiety
In this episode, the Agony Aunties respond to a parent struggling to support their son through GCSE exam stress, offering a compassionate reminder that while exams can feel overwhelming, the most powerful thing a parent can provide is connection—not solutions. The Agony Aunties explore how to open supportive, pressure-free conversations, encourage collaboration rather than control, and gently help teenagers manage anxiety by breaking things into smaller, more manageable chunks. They also highlight the importance of honesty around parental expectations, the value of rest and self-care (balanced with realism about teenage habits), and reassuring both parent and child that even worst-case scenarios are not the end of the road. Above all, the Agony Aunties emphasise that feeling understood and not alone is often the greatest stabiliser during stressful times—and that, ultimately, exams will pass. More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - www.griefworks.com/therapy Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
April 29 · 51 min
EXPERT EPISODE: Amir Levine on How to Build Secure Love
In this episode, I speak with psychiatrist, neuroscientist and author Amir Levine about his new book Secure, and how we can move towards more secure attachment in our relationships. Amir explains why attachment is not a fixed label, but something far more flexible and alive, shaped by the people and environments around us. We explore the biology of connection, why exclusion can feel like physical pain, and how our ancient need for safety and belonging still drives so much of our behaviour today. We also talk about how change happens through the small, everyday interactions that either deepen insecurity or help us build trust. Amir shares his CARRP framework, consistency, availability, responsiveness, reliability and predictability, and how these qualities can create a more secure life. Together we reflect on anxious and avoidant patterns, the protest-regret cycle, dating, loneliness, friendship, secure villages and how, especially in an uncertain world, our relationships can become the shield that helps us endure. Buy his book 'Secure: Rewire Your Attachment Style and Transform Your Relationships, Health and Happiness': https://amzn.eu/d/05fucNjI Find Amir: https://amirlevinemd.com/ More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - www.griefworks.com/therapy Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
April 24 · 14 min
Agony Aunties: Coping with Financial Anxiety in Uncertain Times
The Agony Aunties respond to a heartfelt question from a listener struggling with ongoing financial stress following COVID and the rising cost of living. They explore how money anxiety taps into deep feelings of uncertainty, lack of control, and shame, and why these pressures can ripple into sleep, relationships, and family dynamics. The Agony Aunties gently reframe the experience, encouraging self-compassion over self-blame, and highlighting how external factors - like global instability and economic shifts - play a significant role. Alongside emotional support, they offer practical guidance: balancing worry with moments of gratitude, having open and honest conversations to reduce shame, seeking connection and shared experiences, and taking small, manageable financial steps to regain a sense of agency. This episode is a compassionate reminder that you’re not alone, that this is hard, and that support - both emotional and practical - is available. More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Download the Grief Works app here: https://www.griefworks.com/ Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices