On today’s Healing 101, I’m chatting with Pearl Lowe, who was recently diagnosed with ADHD - something that finally helped so many pieces of her life fall into place. Pearl talks openly about the signs she’d been living with for years: the chronic scattiness, impulsive decisions, the “hundred tabs open” feeling, and the unfiltered honesty that sometimes got her into trouble long before she understood why.

We dig into how ADHD can look completely different in women, how it played into her past addiction and impulsivity, and the huge shift that came with finally getting a diagnosis. Pearl shares the practical things she does daily to support her brain - from sleep and food to boundaries and gut instinct - and why she believes so many women deserve to be assessed sooner.

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In today’s episode, I’m joined by psychotherapist and author Kathleen Saxton, whose new book My Parent the Peacock dives deep into one of the most confusing dynamics out there: narcissistic parents. We talk about what a narcissist actually is – beyond the buzzword – and the difference between someone with a few narcissistic traits and someone with a full clinical disorder.

We explore how growing up with a narcissistic parent can shape your anxiety, confidence, relationships and sense of identity, and why so many people only realise the impact years or even decades later. Kathleen breaks down gaslighting, trauma bonds, why setting boundaries feels so hard, and how you can start reconnecting with your “true self” after years of confusion or self-doubt. If you’ve ever felt like you were walking on eggshells around a parent, or never quite knew where you stood, this episode is for you.

Find Kathleen:

Instagram: @clinicwithk

Buy Kathleen's Book: https://amzn.eu/d/8ydnlw8

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On today’s Healing 101, I’m sitting down with psychiatrist and author Alastair Santhouse, and we’re diving into a surprisingly tricky question: what do we actually mean when we talk about “normal” mental health? It’s one of those phrases we all use, but when you look a little closer, it gets messy fast.

Alastair and I chat about why “normal” can feel so loaded, how it shapes the way we think about ourselves, and why it matters when deciding whether someone genuinely needs help or is simply having a very human reaction to life. We also touch on diagnoses, the rise in labels, and how to make sense of your mental health without falling into the trap of self-pathologising. It’s a short, honest conversation that hopefully leaves you feeling a bit clearer - and a bit kinder toward yourself.

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In today’s episode, I’m joined by Professor Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and author of the newly published Dealing With Feeling, to untangle one of the big questions: what actually are emotions - and how are they different from feelings, moods, or just “being in a state”? We talk about why there’s no such thing as a “bad” emotion, how emotions act as data rather than problems to get rid of, and wh

y so many of us - especially in places like the UK - were raised to “keep calm and carry on” instead of learning how to work with what we feel.

Marc walks us through his simple RULER framework, why labelling your emotions properly can completely change how you cope, and the practical tools we can all use to regulate our moods without repressing or overindulging them. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “too emotional,” “not emotional enough,” or just confused about what’s going on inside, this conversation will give you language, clarity and a far kinder way of understanding yourself.

Find Professor Marc Brackett:

Website: https://marcbrackett.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marc.brackett/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@marcbrackett

Buy his book, Dealing with Feeling: https://marcbrackett.com/dealing-with-feeling/

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr Chloe Saunders, a clinician and researcher specialising in functional somatic symptoms and the mind–body connection. We explore what it means when your body begins to talk and medicine doesn’t always find the answer - fatigue, pain, gut issues and other flare-ups that don’t quite show up on scans.

Dr Saunders helps us understand why these symptoms are real, even when traditional tests are normal, how our stress response lives in the body long before our mind catches up, and why paying too much attention - or too little - to bodily signals can both perpetuate the problem.

This is a conversation about finding that middle ground: rebuilding trust in your body, calming its alarm system, and discovering practical ways to bring physiological rest back into your life.

If you’ve ever been told “everything looks fine” yet something still doesn’t feel right, this episode might help you hear what your body is trying to say and how to listen.

Find Chloe:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-saunders-410a9b203/

Bodysymptoms: https://bodysymptoms.org/

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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Today I’m joined by the brilliant Annalie Howling - a performance coach, trauma specialist and author whose story is honestly fascinating. She opens up about hitting complete burnout at 29, when life looked perfect from the outside but felt totally wrong on the inside. As she puts it, she wasn’t intolerant to gluten… she was intolerant to her life.

We talk about how childhood shame and perfectionism can follow us into adulthood, how that shows up in things like anxiety and people-pleasing, and what it really means to start showing up as your authentic self. It’s such an open, powerful chat and I think a lot of you will really relate to this one.

Find Annalie:

Website: https://annaliehowling.com/

Book: https://annaliehowling.com/unapologetic/

Instagram: @annaliehowling

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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In this Healing 101 bonus episode, I’m joined again by Mariko Bangerter, regression therapist and healer, to explore how accessing the subconscious mind can unlock deep and lasting change.

We talk about how our earliest memories - even ones we don’t consciously recall - can shape our adult behaviours, and why true healing often requires working beyond logic and into the subconscious. Mariko also shares some incredible case studies from her practice, from releasing birth trauma to transforming relationship patterns. It’s a fascinating look into the power of regression therapy and what can happen when we reconnect with the parts of ourselves we’ve long forgotten.

Find Mariko:

Instagram: @mindsetting.by.mariko

Website: https://www.mindsetting.co.uk/

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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Today I’m chatting to Ro Mitchell, who so many of you will know from TikTok for speaking really openly about anorexia, ADHD and recovery and doing it in a way that actually makes you feel less mad and less alone.

Ro talks about developing an eating disorder at 14, getting really good at hiding it, going into CAMHS and then hospital, and what it actually took to choose recovery for herself - not for her parents, not for school, not to avoid being sectioned. We get into body checking, covering mirrors, exercise addiction, the pressure of being “the girl with the eating disorder,” and the really messy bit of recovery where you hate your changing body but you still don’t want to go back.

It’s practical and I think it will be a lifeline for anyone stuck in that “one foot in, one foot out” stage.

Find Ro:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@romitchell?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RoMitchell

Instagram: @romitchell

Read her book, How to Talk to Yourself: https://amzn.eu/d/7jvtSKP

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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In this Healing 101 bonus episode I’m joined by Jonny Miller, nervous system educator and host of The Inner Frontier podcast. Jonny’s work was forged in something unbearably human: the loss of his fiancée, Sophie, to suicide in 2017. We talk about how grief completely dismantled the life he thought he was going to live, and how by actually letting the grief move through him instead of armouring up - he discovered a kind of raw aliveness and tenderness he’d never accessed before.

From there we get into what he now teaches: nervous system mastery. Jonny breaks down why so many of us are living slightly frozen, slightly overwhelmed, slightly braced and how building skills in interoception, self-regulation, and emotional fluidity can change the way we grieve, love, work and relate. It’s a really grounded, hopeful conversation about turning devastation into capacity.

Find Jonny:

Website: https://www.jonnymiller.co/

Nervous System Mastery: https://www.nsmastery.com/

Podcast: https://theinnerfrontier.com/

Stateshift App: https://www.stateshift.app/

Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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Today I’m joined by Pearl Lowe - singer, designer and author, who’s just brought out her gorgeous new book, Faded Glamour in the City. Pearl’s story is incredible: from a dreamy but chaotic London childhood to teenage rebellion, addiction, undiagnosed ADHD, motherhood at 18, and then a total reinvention - getting sober, moving to Somerset, and finding peace in creativity and slower living.

We talk about the impulsiveness and perfectionism that come with ADHD, how self-medicating became a coping mechanism, and why getting a diagnosis later in life helped her finally make sense of it all.

Find Pearl:

Instagram: @pearllowe

Website: https://www.pearllowe.co.uk/

Buy Faded Glamour in the City: https://www.pearllowe.co.uk/products/faded-glamour-in-the-city

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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Today’s Healing 101 is a conversation with Kate Oliver - chartered psychologist, executive coach, and co-author (with her brother, Toby) of the brilliant book Rise and Shine.

If, like me, mornings can feel wobbly because of that 4am worry spiral, this one’s for you. Kate has spent 35 years helping people show up better at work and in life, and she shares how a tough period of anxiety (and perimenopause) led her to rethink the very first minutes of the day.

We talk about simple, realistic shifts - like thinking about what you do before you touch your phone, how to set an alarm you don’t dread, and tiny practices you can stack in five to ten minutes. No 5am club, no ice bath required. Kate’s SHINE approach is flexible, humane, and honestly… it works.

Find Kate:

Website: https://www.koconsulting.co/rise-and-shine

Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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Today I’m joined by journalist Anna Wolfe - who’s funny, frank and gloriously unfiltered and we go deep on eating disorders and addiction. We talk about the binge–restrict cycle, the shame that keeps you stuck, sobriety, and the messy, non-linear reality of recovery. So much of what Anna shared resonated with me personally, which is why I found this conversation so interesting - and, honestly, hopeful.

Anna’s also just launched her brilliantly titled podcast, How to Get Wet When You’re Dry, and you’ll hear exactly why her voice cuts through. Quick heads-up: we discuss eating disorders, addiction and related struggles. Please listen in whatever way feels safe for you, and please contact Shout if you’re in need of support.

Find Anna:

Website: https://www.annawolfewriting.com/

Podcast: https://www.howtogetwetwhenyouredry.com/

Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

Instagram: instagram.com/hurttohealingpod

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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Today we’re talking about everyday anxiety, overwhelm, and that loud inner critic that tells you you’re not doing enough. I’m joined by psychotherapist and author Anna Mathur, who’s brilliant at making mental health feel doable in real life. Anna shares simple ways to steady your nervous system (think a 60-second reset), how to swap “shoulds” for choices, set kinder boundaries without guilt, and build tiny pockets of rest into busy days. We also touch on the difference between normal worry and anxiety, what “good enough” really looks like, and when it’s time to reach out for help.

Find Anna:

Instagram: @annamathur

Website: https://www.annamathur.com/

Buy her book: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/462726/the-good-decision-diary-by-mathur-anna/9780241707227

Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

Instagram: instagram.com/hurttohealingpod

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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Today I’m joined by consultant psychiatrist and author Alastair Santhouse to ask a big question: what counts as “normal” mental health? We explore the difference between everyday ups and downs and problems that really stop you living your life, and how labels can both open doors to support and stick in unhelpful ways. We talk about why ADHD and autism diagnoses seem to be rising, how Alastair assesses people by looking at their whole life (not just checklists), and the simple difference between psychiatrists and psychologists. We also touch on the growth in antidepressant use and the risk of turning social pain - like loneliness or money stress - into medical illness. Finally, we unpack how words like “trauma,” “OCD,” and “narcissist” get thrown around online, and why precision matters. This isn’t personal medical advice - please speak to your GP if you’re concerned.

Find Alastair:

Website: https://www.alastairsanthouse.com/

Books: https://www.alastairsanthouse.com/author

Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

Instagram: instagram.com/hurttohealingpod

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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On today’s Healing 101 we’re talking about something that can hide in plain sight: exercise addiction. We’re taught that “more is better”, but when movement slides from choice to compulsion, the thing that helps us can start to hurt us - physically, mentally, and socially. To unpack that paradox, I’m joined by Dr. Martin Turner, Reader in Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University. Martin looks at the beliefs that drive our behaviour - why “I have to train” feels so powerful - and he shares a simple way to test those thoughts, plus how REBT (Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy) can help us move from rigid rules to real flexibility. In a few minutes you’ll learn how to spot the line between healthy training and over-reliance, and a small step you can try tomorrow. If this brings anything up for you or you feel like you might need some help, please reach out to someone you trust or your GP.

Find Martin:

https://www.mmu.ac.uk/staff/profile/dr-martin-james-turner

Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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Today I’m joined by the brilliant journalist Harriet Walker. You may know her work from The Times newspaper, and perhaps you read her article about attending a psilocybin retreat. In this conversation, Harriet opens up about what drew her there - the low hum of anxiety, the mental load of motherhood, and that constant striving so many of us feel but rarely admit.

We explore her experience on the retreat, the moments of deep release and revelation, and the shift that followed - softer relationships, a gentler inner voice, and the realisation that ‘all I want is what I’ve got.’ Harriet speaks with such honesty about matrescence, boundaries, and what healing now means to her.

Find Harriet:

Instagram: @_harrywalker1

Harriet's Articles: https://www.thetimes.com/profile/harriet-walker

Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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Hi everyone, and welcome to this Healing 101 bonus episode with the wonderful Bryony Gordon.

If you’ve already listened to my longer conversation with Bryony earlier this week, you’ll know just how honest and generous she is when it comes to talking about mental health and especially her experience of living with OCD.

In this shorter episode, I wanted to go a little deeper into some of the practical sides of recovery - how naming your OCD can help you separate from it, why humour can be a surprisingly powerful tool, and what healthy rituals actually look like when you’re trying to break free from the ones that keep you stuck.

Bryony also shares her three daily tools for managing OCD.

If the first episode was the bigger picture, this is the gentle follow-up - a moment to pause, reflect, and remember that healing often starts with awareness.

Find support for OCD with OCD Action: https://ocdaction.org.uk/

Find Bryony:

Instagram: @bryonygordon

Books: https://www.headline.co.uk/contributor/bryony-gordon/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-life-of-bryony/id1763828544

Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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Today’s episode is a really special one with the brilliant Bryony Gordon, who’s been such a powerful voice in changing how we understand OCD.

Bryony’s honesty about her experience - from intrusive thoughts to the shapeshifting ways OCD can attach itself to what we love most - has helped so many people feel seen. She’s written, spoken and lived her story with such courage and humour, and I was genuinely moved to sit down with her for this conversation.

As someone who also lives with OCD - I even named mine Penelope after this recording (which sounds far too polite for the chaos she causes) - I know how comforting it is to hear someone speak so openly about what it’s really like inside that spiral, and how recovery isn’t about silence, but about learning to live alongside the noise.

We talk about everything from perfectionism and self-acceptance to the sheer resilience it takes to keep showing up in the world.

Find support for OCD with OCD Action: https://ocdaction.org.uk/

Find Bryony:

Instagram: @bryonygordon

Books: https://www.headline.co.uk/contributor/bryony-gordon/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-life-of-bryony/id1763828544

Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

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TikTok: tiktok.com/@hurttohealingpod

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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If you found Tuesday’s main episode with Kimberley Nixon interesting, I wanted to share a bonus Healing 101 with her too.

This is a short, practical companion about what actually helps when a spike hits. We talk about moving from retreat to reach-out, turning the lights on shame, dropping the rope in that tug-of-war with your mind, and the tiny wins that count on the hardest days. Kimberley also shares what friends and family can do that supports recovery without feeding the OCD.

No jargon, no spoilers - just clear, doable ideas you can carry into your day. It was so refreshing to speak to someone who really gets it.

If you or someone you love is struggling, you can find help and community at ocdaction.org.uk or through their helpline.

Let’s start changing the conversation about OCD - one honest story at a time.

Find Kimberley:

Instagram: @realkimberleynixon

Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

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TikTok: tiktok.com/@hurttohealingpod

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

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To mark OCD Awareness Week - something very close to my heart - I’m talking with actor Kimberley Nixon on today’s episode.

This isn’t the “tidy house” stereotype. We’re talking about the real OCD: the disorder of doubt. Intrusive thoughts you don’t choose. Compulsions people can’t see.

Kimberley shares her experience of peri- and postnatal OCD after her son was born - the fear, the shame, and what actually helps.

For me, it was so refreshing to speak to someone who just gets it. We cover why reassurance keeps you stuck, how ERP can help, and the tiny, doable steps that start to bring your life back.

If you’re in the thick of it - or love someone who is - I hope this makes you feel less alone and a lot more hopeful.

If you or someone you love is struggling, you can find help and community at ocdaction.org.uk or through their helpline.

Let’s start changing the conversation about OCD - one honest story at a time.

Find Kimberley:

Instagram: @realkimberleynixon

Stay Connected with Hurt to Healing:

Instagram: instagram.com/hurttohealingpod

TikTok: tiktok.com/@hurttohealingpod

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hurt-to-healing

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Website: hurttohealing.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.