What if being human isn’t something to fix, refine or optimise?

In this conversation, Rick sits down with Gestalt psychotherapist Katia Erokhina for a real-time, unscripted exploration of what actually helps us change and what quietly gets in the way.

Together, they talk about withdrawal and conflict, shame and self-criticism, the stories we tell ourselves and how often those stories pull us away from what’s actually alive in the moment. They explore why insight alone doesn’t always create change and why corrective experiences almost always involve another human.

This episode isn’t about tools or hacks. It’s about contact, tenderness and learning to stay with ourselves (and each other) when things get messy.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why optimisation culture misses something essential about being human

• The difference between story and lived experience

• Withdrawal, conflict and the protection underneath our patterns

• Shame, comparison and “shaming the shame”

• Why awareness doesn’t always lead to change on its own

• The role of relationship and support in real transformation

• Letting go of being “better” and staying with what’s tender

If you’re tired of turning your inner world into a self-improvement project, this conversation is an invitation to slow down and remember: humans need humans.

Find Katia:Website: https://relationalhome.com

Instagram: @relational_home

Find Rick:Website: https://www.rickwatson.com.au⁠

Instagram: @rickwatson_