A Bunch of Therapists

This episode contains discussion around burnout, anxiety, workplace stress, redundancy, and career transitions.

Join us for an inspiring and honest conversation with corporate executive coach and mentor James Gellatley as he shares his transformative journey from a successful 25-year career in the City to discovering his true calling after burnout and redundancy.

This thought-provoking discussion explores how personal crisis can lead to profound self-discovery, and why vulnerability and self-awareness are essential for genuine wellbeing and leadership.

Hosted by:
Michaela McCarthy (Founder of The Awareness Centre, The Awareness Centre Training School, and Creator and Host of A Bunch of Therapists Podcast. Senior BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and Influential Leader) and Dipti Solanki (Therapist, Coach and Consultant, Mental Health Trainer and Founder of Grief Matters 4 All CIC).

In this compelling episode, James openly shares:
• His 25-year career trajectory in banking, rising to senior level at Credit Suisse
• The hidden cost of outward success and the burden of maintaining a professional image
• Struggling with burnout whilst hiding health challenges from colleagues and clients
• Experiencing long Covid symptoms and the impact on his wellbeing
• The fear of vulnerability damaging his reputation in the corporate world
• How Credit Suisse's collapse became an unexpected turning point
• Facing redundancy, financial responsibilities and loss of identity
• Enrolling in a Foundation Course in Counselling at the Awareness Centre
• The transformative power of personal therapy and self-reflection
• Retraining as an Executive and Teams Coach
• Using decades of banking experience to help others find happiness and productivity
• Breaking free from workaholism and rediscovering purpose
• Living in the here and now and reconnecting with personal needs

This essential conversation offers hope and practical insights for anyone struggling with burnout, workplace anxiety, perfectionism, or searching for greater meaning in their career and life.

Key Topics Discussed:
• The psychology of burnout in high-pressure corporate environments
• Maintaining a facade of success whilst struggling internally
• The impact of long Covid on mental and physical wellbeing
• Fear of vulnerability in professional settings
• Career identity and loss of purpose following redundancy
• Therapy as a catalyst for career transformation
• Transitioning from corporate executive to executive coach
• Reconnecting with personal values and needs
• Breaking patterns of overwork and self-neglect
• Male vulnerability and emotional honesty in the workplace
• Finding authentic purpose beyond job titles and status
• Mindfulness and living in the present moment

🎬 Watch full episodes of A Bunch of Therapists on our YouTube channel
🎧 A Bunch of Therapists is available on all major podcast platforms
🗓️ New episodes every Thursday
Follow A Bunch of Therapists on Social Media:
YouTube: @ABunchofTherapistsTV
TikTok: @a.bunch.of.therapists
Instagram: @abunchoftherapists
Facebook: A Bunch of Therapists
LinkedIn: A Bunch of Therapists

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

This episode contains discussion around ADHD, cultural expectations, gender inequality, relationship breakdown, depression, and career transitions.

Join us for an inspiring and honest conversation with counsellor and former DJ Joy Zheng as she shares her transformative journey from struggling with self-worth in a society that valued boys over girls, to building a thriving private practice in London.

This compelling discussion explores how overcoming cultural expectations, navigating ADHD, and embracing therapy can lead to profound personal reinvention and professional fulfilment.

Hosted by:
Michaela McCarthy (Founder of The Awareness Centre, The Awareness Centre Training School, and Creator and Host of A Bunch of Therapists Podcast. Senior BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and Influential Leader) and Dipti Solanki (Therapist, Coach & Consultant, Mental Health Trainer and Founder of Grief Matters 4 All CIC).

In this compelling episode, Joy openly shares:
• Growing up in China and internalising messages about her worth as a girl
• Being diagnosed with ADHD and struggling through school
• Finding creative escape through music and the DJ scene
• Building a successful career as a DJ in Shanghai
• Meeting her husband through the music industry and moving to London
• The devastating impact of relationship breakdown and lost dreams
• Experiencing depression and feeling lost after separation
• A pivotal conversation that sparked her interest in therapy
• Training as a therapist whilst managing ADHD and learning in English
• Overcoming academic and group work challenges
• Building and growing her private practice in London
• Redefining self-worth beyond societal and relationship expectations
• Creating a new life on her own terms

This essential conversation offers valuable insights for anyone struggling with self-worth, navigating ADHD, recovering from relationship loss, or considering a career transition into therapy.

Key Topics Discussed:
• Cultural gender expectations and internalised feelings of inadequacy
• ADHD in school settings and the lack of support
• Using creativity as a coping mechanism
• Career building and finding your place in the world
• Relationship breakdown and grief
• Depression and the journey towards recovery
• The transformative power of therapy
• Training as a therapist with ADHD and language barriers
• Redefining identity after major life changes
• Building a successful private practice
• Self-worth beyond external validation

🎬 Watch full episodes of A Bunch of Therapists on our YouTube channel
🎧 A Bunch of Therapists is available on all major podcast platforms
🗓️ New episodes every Thursday
Follow A Bunch of Therapists on Social Media:
YouTube: @ABunchofTherapistsTV
TikTok: @a.bunch.of.therapists
Instagram: @abunchoftherapists
Facebook: A Bunch of Therapists
LinkedIn: A Bunch of Therapists

#TherapyUK #ADHD #SelfWorth #CulturalExpectations #RelationshipHealing #CareerTransition #DepressionAwareness #TherapyTraining #MentalHealthUK #PersonalGrowth

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

This episode contains discussion around relationship breakdown, low self-esteem, vulnerable young people, gang involvement, and creative therapy approaches.

🎧 Join us for an inspiring and deeply personal conversation with Child, Adolescent and Family Therapist ShediYah HatNebMaoo as she shares her unconventional journey from struggling in a turbulent relationship with low self-esteem to becoming a compassionate therapist who helps vulnerable young people imagine new possibilities for their lives.

This honest discussion explores how therapy can transform our confidence and self-belief, and why creative, person-centred approaches are so powerful when working with young people facing difficult circumstances.

Hosted by:
Michaela McCarthy (Founder of The Awareness Centre, The Awareness Centre Training School, and Creator and Host of A Bunch of Therapists Podcast. Senior BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and Influential Leader) and Dipti Solanki (Therapist, Coach and Consultant, Mental Health Trainer and Founder of Grief Matters 4 All CIC).

In this compelling episode, ShediYah openly shares:
• Her unconventional journey into therapy as a young mother
• Struggling in a turbulent relationship with low self-esteem
• Being encouraged to try therapy by her partner's probation officer
• Feeling unsafe leaving her children with someone else
• Finding a therapist who allowed her to bring her children along
• How therapy helped her rebuild her confidence
• Contemplating a career change whilst raising young children
• Spending 4 years volunteering before committing to training as a counsellor
• Working with children and young people, many of whom are vulnerable
• Supporting young people with experience of gangs
• Using gentle, person-centred approaches in her work
• Incorporating creative therapy and dreamwork into her practice
• Helping young people to 'imagine something else for themselves'
• Her role as a lecturer and Clinical Supervisor

This essential conversation offers valuable insights for anyone working with vulnerable young people, navigating difficult relationships, or interested in creative therapeutic approaches.

🔍 Key Topics Discussed:
• Seeking help whilst managing childcare responsibilities
• The impact of turbulent relationships on self-esteem and confidence
• Therapy as a catalyst for personal transformation
• The power of person-centred approaches
• Creative therapy and dreamwork with young people
• Supporting vulnerable young people and those affected by gangs
• Building hope and possibility with young people facing adversity
• The journey from client to therapist
• Volunteering and career transitions
• Clinical supervision and training others
• Reimagining futures for young people in difficult circumstances

🎬 Watch full episodes of A Bunch of Therapists on our YouTube channel
🎧 A Bunch of Therapists is available on all major podcast platforms
🗓️ New episodes every Thursday

Follow A Bunch of Therapists on Social Media:
YouTube: @ABunchofTherapistsTV
TikTok: @a.bunch.of.therapists
Instagram: @abunchoftherapists
Facebook: A Bunch of Therapists
LinkedIn: A Bunch of Therapists

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

This episode contains discussion around child loss, cancer, bereavement, grief, family resilience, and rebuilding after tragedy.

🎧 Join us for a deeply moving and inspirational conversation with psychotherapist Charlotte Allocca as she shares her extraordinary journey through unimaginable loss, from the devastating diagnosis of her daughter Rose's rare bone cancer to rebuilding her life and finding profound purpose through helping others navigate grief.
This gripping and honest discussion explores how loss can transform us, and why finding the right support and community is essential for healing after bereavement.

Hosted by:
Michaela McCarthy (Founder of The Awareness Centre, The Awareness Centre Training School, and Creator and Host of A Bunch of Therapists Podcast. Senior BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and Influential Leader) and Dipti Solanki (Therapist, Coach and Consultant, Mental Health Trainer and Founder of Grief Matters 4 All CIC).

In this compelling episode, Charlotte openly shares:
• Becoming a mother in her late 20s filled with anxiety and self-doubt
• How she embraced motherhood with confidence by the time her daughter Rose was born
• The shock of Rose's diagnosis with a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer
• Two years of hospital visits, surgeries and intensive treatment
• Witnessing her daughter's remarkable resilience throughout her illness
• The moment doctors declared nothing more could be done
• Rose passing away at home aged 8
• The profound grief and loss that followed
• Facing additional difficult challenges whilst trying to rebuild her family's life
• Struggling to find the right therapeutic help during her bereavement
• Finding solace in volunteering for a bereavement charity
• The decision to train as a therapist herself
• Running a private practice in London and the Isle of Wight
• Using her experience to support others through loss and grief

This essential conversation offers invaluable guidance for anyone navigating child loss, bereavement, grief recovery, or seeking to rebuild their life after tragedy.

🔍 Key Topics Discussed:
• The journey into motherhood and early parenting anxieties
• Childhood resilience and coping with serious illness
• The impact of child loss on families
• Navigating grief and bereavement after losing a child
• Finding appropriate therapeutic support during loss
• The role of community and bereavement charities
• Rebuilding family life after tragedy
• Training as a therapist following personal loss
• Using personal experience to support grieving clients
• Finding purpose and meaning after loss
• The healing power of helping others

🎬 Watch full episodes of A Bunch of Therapists on our YouTube channel
🎧 A Bunch of Therapists is available on all major podcast platforms
🗓️ New episodes every Thursday

Follow A Bunch of Therapists on Social Media:
YouTube: @ABunchofTherapistsTV
TikTok: @a.bunch.of.therapists
Instagram: @abunchoftherapists
Facebook: A Bunch of Therapists
LinkedIn: A Bunch of Therapists

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

This episode contains discussion around ADHD, overwork, male vulnerability, family trauma, ancestral trauma, and career transitions.

🎧 Join us for a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation with Gestalt psychotherapist Simon Jacobs as he shares his remarkable journey from building a highly successful advertising business to discovering his true calling in therapy, uncovering how childhood competitiveness and hidden family trauma shaped his adult struggles with overwork and perfectionism.

This honest and inspiring discussion explores how becoming a father can trigger profound personal transformation, and why understanding ancestral trauma is essential for breaking free from inherited patterns of behaviour.

Hosted by:
Michaela McCarthy (Founder of The Awareness Centre, The Awareness Centre Training School, and Creator and Host of A Bunch of Therapists Podcast. Senior BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and Influential Leader) and Dipti Solanki (Therapist, Coach and Consultant, Mental Health Trainer and Founder of Grief Matters 4 All CIC).

In this compelling episode, Simon openly shares:
• Growing up as an artistic child with a high-achieving mother
• Struggling at school because of his ADHD
• Finding solace and expression through creativity
• Building a highly successful career in the advertising industry
• Being encouraged to be competitive from childhood
• Overworking and obsessing over failures in his business
• The overwhelming pressures of work, relationships and fatherhood
• His transformative experience seeking help from a therapist
• Making the bold decision to pivot careers within weeks
• Beginning his own therapy training and leaving advertising behind
• Running a successful private practice and long-running men's therapy group
• Becoming a facilitator in Family Constellations therapy
• Addressing ancestral trauma and difficult family dynamics
• Breaking down barriers around male vulnerability

This essential conversation offers valuable insights for anyone struggling with overwork, competitiveness, ADHD, or the pressures of balancing career success with family life and personal wellbeing.

🔍 Key Topics Discussed:
• Living and thriving with ADHD
• The impact of high-achieving parents on childhood development
• Competitiveness and perfectionism in business
• Overwork, burnout and obsessing over failure
• Male vulnerability and seeking help
• The transformative power of fatherhood
• Career transitions from corporate success to therapeutic practice
• Men's therapy groups and creating safe spaces for vulnerability
• Family Constellations therapy and ancestral trauma
• How hidden family dynamics affect present-day behaviour
• Breaking free from inherited patterns and family trauma
• Using creativity as a coping mechanism and form of expression

🎬 Watch full episodes of A Bunch of Therapists on our YouTube channel
🎧 A Bunch of Therapists is available on all major podcast platforms
🗓️ New episodes every Thursday

Follow A Bunch of Therapists on Social Media:
YouTube: @ABunchofTherapistsTV
TikTok: @a.bunch.of.therapists
Instagram: @abunchoftherapists
Facebook: A Bunch of Therapists
LinkedIn: A Bunch of Therapists

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

This episode contains discussion around family relationship breakdown, young people's mental health (including self-harm and suicide ideation), body-based therapy approaches, and post-pandemic challenges.

🎧 Join us for an insightful and compassionate conversation with Gestalt psychotherapist, trainer and supervisor Jo Small as she shares her journey from growing up in a northern town before mental health was widely discussed to becoming a specialist in body-based therapy and working extensively with young people.
This essential discussion explores how our bodies communicate what words cannot, and why understanding the physical language of emotions is crucial for healing troubled relationships and supporting young people in today's challenging world.

Hosted by:
Michaela McCarthy (Founder of The Awareness Centre, The Awareness Centre Training School, and Creator and Host of A Bunch of Therapists Podcast. Senior BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and Influential Leader) and Dipti Solanki (Therapist, Coach and Consultant, Mental Health Trainer and Founder of Grief Matters 4 All CIC).

In this compelling episode, Jo openly shares:
• Growing up in a northern town before mental health was widely discussed
• How she would have benefitted from therapy during her parents' relationship breakup
• Her transformative experience working with a Gestalt therapist
• Using specific techniques to repair troubled relationships, particularly with her father
• Training as a Gestalt therapist, trainer and supervisor
• Working extensively with the body to understand emotional communication
• How gesture, posture and physical feelings reveal what clients are experiencing
• Her work in schools supporting young people's mental health
• How challenging life has become for children and teenagers post-pandemic
• The impact of social media on young people's wellbeing
• Recognising and interpreting the language our bodies speak

This essential conversation offers valuable guidance for anyone curious about body-based therapeutic approaches, working with young people, or understanding how thoughts and feelings manifest physically.

🔍 Key Topics Discussed:
• The importance of mental health support during family breakdown
• Gestalt therapy techniques for repairing damaged relationships
• How the body communicates emotions through gesture and posture
• Working therapeutically with physical feelings and sensations
• Young people's mental health in schools
• The post-pandemic impact on children and teenagers
• Social media's effect on young people's wellbeing
• Body-based approaches to therapy and healing
• Training and supervising in Gestalt therapy
• Recognising what your body is telling you about your emotional state

Chapters:

00:00 From Difficult Childhood to Becoming a Therapist
02:36 Addressing Self-Harm and Post-Pandemic Challenges in Schools 08:50 The Here and Now: Awareness and Relational Patterns
14:57 Using Gestalt to Repair a Difficult Father Relationship
18:28 How Embodied Practice Reveals Emotions and Anxieties
26:18 Marathons, Authenticity, and Social Media's Impact
30:22 The Value of Self-Disclosure in Podcast Conversations

🎬 Watch full episodes of A Bunch of Therapists on our YouTube channel
🎧 A Bunch of Therapists is available on all major podcast platforms
🗓️ New episodes every Thursday

Follow A Bunch of Therapists on Social Media:
YouTube: @ABunchofTherapistsTV
TikTok: @a.bunch.of.therapists
Instagram: @abunchoftherapists
Facebook: A Bunch of Therapists
LinkedIn: A Bunch of Therapists

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

This episode contains discussion around anxiety, depression, male vulnerability, and pandemic mental health experiences.

Join us for a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation with counsellor, business-owner and economist Sorin Floti as he shares his unconventional journey from post-communist Romania to becoming a therapist in London, sparked by his own mental health struggles during the pandemic.

This inspiring discussion explores how personal crisis can lead to profound career transformation, and why understanding our own mental health challenges is often the first step towards helping others.

Hosted by:
Michaela McCarthy (Founder of The Awareness Centre, The Awareness Centre Training School, and Creator and Host of A Bunch of Therapists Podcast. Senior BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and Influential Leader) and Dipti Solanki (Therapist, Coach and Consultant, Mental Health Trainer and Founder of Grief Matters 4 All CIC).

In this compelling episode, Sorin openly shares:
• Growing up in post-communist Romania and moving to the US for university
• Working towards a Masters Degree when Covid disrupted everything
• Being removed from usual routines and coping mechanisms during the pandemic
• Experiencing anxiety and depression for the first time
• His transformative experience with phone therapy and a skilful practitioner
• How therapy helped him manage his mental health during lockdown
• Recognising the potential for a counselling career through his own healing
• Balancing his practice in London with work as a business-owner and economist
• The challenges of overachieving and self-criticism
• Breaking down barriers around male vulnerability
• Why men often struggle to seek help and express emotions

This essential conversation offers valuable insights for anyone who has experienced pandemic mental health challenges, career transitions, or struggles with perfectionism and self-criticism.

Key Topics Discussed:
• The mental health impact of pandemic disruption and isolation
• How personal therapy experiences can inspire career changes
• Overachieving, perfectionism and the pressure to succeed
• Self-criticism and developing self-compassion
• Male vulnerability and breaking down emotional barriers
• Why men find it difficult to seek mental health support
• Balancing multiple careers and finding your calling
• The transformative power of skilled therapeutic intervention
• Cultural perspectives on mental health and therapy
• From client to practitioner: using personal experience professionally

🎬 Watch full episodes of A Bunch of Therapists on our YouTube channel
🎧 A Bunch of Therapists is available on all major podcast platforms
🗓️ New episodes every Thursday
Follow A Bunch of Therapists on Social Media:
YouTube: @ABunchofTherapistsTV
TikTok: @a.bunch.of.therapists
Instagram: @abunchoftherapists
Facebook: A Bunch of Therapists
LinkedIn: A Bunch of Therapists

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

This episode contains discussion around nomadic childhood experiences, career transitions, therapy training, and alternative therapeutic approaches.

Join us for an inspiring and wide-ranging conversation with psychotherapist, executive coach and businessman Ben McKie as he shares his remarkable journey from the music business to founding innovative therapeutic projects that blend Eastern wisdom with Western psychological practice.

This thought-provoking discussion explores how following your calling can lead to unexpected paths, and why stepping outside traditional frameworks can create profound opportunities for healing and growth.

Hosted by:
Michaela McCarthy (Founder of The Awareness Centre, The Awareness Centre Training School, and Creator and Host of A Bunch of Therapists Podcast. Senior BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and Influential Leader) and Dipti Solanki (Therapist, Coach and Consultant, Mental Health Trainer and Founder of Grief Matters 4 All CIC). 

In this compelling episode, Ben openly shares:
• How his nomadic childhood shaped his worldview and approach to life
• His journey into therapy as a young father working in the music business
• The pivotal moment of turning down a lucrative job to follow his therapeutic calling
• Building and running a successful private practice for several years
• Growing frustrated with traditional therapeutic approaches and seeking alternatives
• Founding innovative projects that integrate Eastern wisdom with Western psychology
• Juggling private client work with desert retreats in Egypt
• Developing social impact projects across the UK
• The lies we tell ourselves and how to recognise them
• What really happens when we courageously leave our comfort zone
• Why doubt can actually become our greatest ally in personal growth

This essential conversation offers profound insights for anyone questioning conventional paths, seeking deeper meaning in their work, or curious about innovative approaches to healing and personal development.

Key Topics Discussed:
• The impact of nomadic childhood experiences on adult perspectives
• Career transitions and following your authentic calling
• Integrating Eastern wisdom with Western therapeutic practice
• Building alternative therapeutic frameworks outside traditional models
• The role of doubt in personal and professional growth
• Creating meaningful work that aligns with your values
• Desert retreats and experiential therapeutic approaches
• Social impact projects and community healing
• Recognising and challenging the lies we tell ourselves
• The transformative power of leaving your comfort zone

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:40 Why Ben went into therapy 
05:00 Believing fabricated stories about yourself that are different from the truth 
06:45 Growing up in different countries
08:03 Ben’s Dad who was a monk 
10:44 Setting up desert retreats 
14:45 Sitting in an Oasis
15:36 The beginning of the desert retreats
19:35 The transformation that happens in the desert
20:43 Therapy alone isn’t enough
21:55 Eastern philosophy, medicine and wisdom
23:00 Returning from the desert and working online 
27:20 Working in the music industry 
28:38 Ben’s career change 
30:00 Pushing against authority 
31:25 The newer generation coming to therapy 
32:54 Ben’s values as a therapist and being brave 
33:51 The Greater Good Consultancy 
38:00 Exposing ourselves to other ways of seeing and being 
39:28 Ben’s final message 
39:54 Outro

🎬 Watch full episodes of A Bunch of Therapists on our YouTube channel
🎧 A Bunch of Therapists is available on all major podcast platforms
🗓️ New episodes every Thursday
Follow A Bunch of Therapists on Social Media:
YouTube: @ABunchofTherapistsTV
TikTok: @a.bunch.of.therapists
Instagram: @abunchoftherapists
Facebook: A Bunch of Therapists
LinkedIn: A Bunch of Therapists

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

This episode contains discussion around boarding school experiences, grief, attachment trauma, addiction, and toxic relationships.

🎧 Join us for a profound and insightful conversation with Counselling Psychologist Dr Jane Halsall as she shares her transformative journey from career change to specialising in grief and attachment, uncovering how early boarding school experiences shaped her ability to trust and form meaningful relationships.

This honest and enlightening discussion explores how personal therapy can reveal hidden trauma, and why understanding our attachment patterns is crucial for breaking free from toxic relationship cycles.

Hosted by:
Michaela McCarthy (Founder of The Awareness Centre, The Awareness Centre Training School, and Creator and Host of A Bunch of Therapists Podcast. Senior BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and Influential Leader) and Dipti Solanki (Therapist, Coach and Consultant, Mental Health Trainer and Founder of Grief Matters 4 All CIC).

In this compelling episode, Dr Halsall openly shares:
• Her mid-twenties career pivot from her original path to studying Psychology
• Training in Addiction Counselling and working at a women-only rehab facility
• How witnessing trauma in others revealed her own unresolved issues
• The profound impact of boarding school on her ability to trust and form relationships
• Using personal therapy to understand her own attachment patterns
• Specialising in grief and attachment as a Counselling Psychologist
• Working with clients who struggle to form and maintain relationships
• The psychology behind toxic relationships and why they're so difficult to escape
• The art of sitting with yourself and developing self-awareness
• Practical insights for breaking destructive relationship patterns

This essential conversation offers valuable guidance for anyone struggling with relationship difficulties, trust issues, or the lasting effects of early separation and institutional experiences.

🔍 Key Topics Discussed:
• The long-term psychological impact of boarding school experiences
• How early separation affects adult attachment and relationships
• Recognising and addressing unresolved trauma through therapy
• Understanding the psychology of toxic relationships
• Why we repeatedly find ourselves in harmful relationship patterns
• The role of grief in attachment and relationship healing
• Developing the capacity to sit with difficult emotions
• Career transitions and finding your therapeutic calling
• Using personal experience to inform professional specialisation
• Practical strategies for building healthier relationship patterns

Chapters:
00:00 Intro 
01:03 How Jane found herself in the world of therapy 
02:36 Jane’s placement in a women’s only rehab centre
05:01 Treatment centres being geared towards men 
05:44 Jane’s own challenges surfacing 
08:10 Jane’s experience at boarding school
10:30 Struggling to fit in, bullying and feeling isolated
11:40 Attachment Style and being ‘hard’ in relationships
12:50 Is everyone traumatised?
13:40 The traits of being traumatised
15:34 Feeling guilty about being privileged and traumatised
16:26 How Jane’s family and friends viewed her going to therapy 
17:56 What Jane has learnt from the world of therapy 
18:34 Grief and the different types of loss
21:30 Is phone use and social media problematic?
22:35 How working with grief has changed Jane as a person and as a single parent 
24:26 Toxic relationships and the subtle changes 
26:30 Attachment styles 
28:16 Family trauma and recreating patterns
32:04 Jane’s final message to viewers and listeners
33:30 Outro 

🎬 Watch full episodes of A Bunch of Therapists on our YouTube channel
🎧 A Bunch of Therapists is available on all major podcast platforms
🗓️ New episodes every Thursday
Follow A Bunch of Therapists on Social Media:
YouTube: @ABunchofTherapistsTV
TikTok: @a.bunch.of.therapists
Instagram: @abunchoftherapists
Facebook: A Bunch of Therapists
LinkedIn: A Bunch of Therapists

#TherapyUK #AttachmentTherapy #ToxicRelationships #BoardingSchoolTrauma #GriefTherapy #CounsellingPsychology #RelationshipTherapy #MentalHealthUK #TherapyTraining

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

This episode contains discussion around childhood bullying and stammering.

🎧 Join us for an extraordinary conversation with Professor Windy Dryden, one of the most influential figures in modern psychotherapy, as he shares his remarkable 50-year journey from a bullied schoolboy with a stammer to becoming a pioneering force in CBT and creator of revolutionary ONEplus therapy.

This fascinating and wide-ranging discussion explores how personal adversity sparked a lifelong passion for understanding human psychology, leading to groundbreaking contributions that have shaped therapeutic practice worldwide.

Hosted by:
Michaela McCarthy (Founder of The Awareness Centre, The Awareness Centre Training School, and Creator and Host of A Bunch of Therapists Podcast. Senior BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and Influential Leader) and Dipti Solanki (Therapist, Coach and Consultant, Mental Health Trainer and Founder of Grief Matters 4 All CIC).

In this compelling episode, Professor Dryden openly shares:
• How childhood bullying and stammering ignited his interest in feelings and motivations
• His transformative experience on a kibbutz in Israel
• The early development and evolution of CBT as a therapeutic approach
• Creating ONEplus therapy - a revolutionary single-session therapeutic method
• His prolific writing career spanning 290 books on psychotherapy
• The crucial difference between self-esteem and self-acceptance
• Tackling procrastination through innovative 'anti-crastination' techniques
• What can realistically be achieved in just one therapy session
• Insights from five decades at the forefront of therapeutic innovation

This essential conversation offers invaluable insights for therapists, students, and anyone interested in the evolution of modern psychotherapy and the power of turning personal challenges into professional purpose.

🔍 Key Topics Discussed:
• The origins of CBT and its development over the decades
• How personal adversity can fuel professional innovation
• ONEplus therapy and single-session therapeutic interventions
• Self-acceptance versus self-esteem in therapeutic practice
• Procrastination and practical strategies for overcoming it
• The academic journey from personal struggle to professorship
• Writing and sharing knowledge across 290 published works
• What makes therapy effective in different timeframes
• The evolution of psychotherapeutic approaches over 50 years

Chapters:
00:00 Guest Introduction
01:10 How Windy got into the world of psychology through having a stammer 
03:09 Windy’s father's relationship with money and deciding Windy’s career
04:00 Dropping out of University and going to Israel to a Kibbutz
04:40 Returning to University and beginning his career as a therapist 
08:35 Rational Emotive Psychotherapy
09:58 Windy’s career progression
11:28 Windy’s experience at Goldsmiths and being turned down for lecturing jobs 
14:10 Windy’s stammer
15:15 Going to America for CBT training 
19:14 Rational Emotive Psychotherapy being ‘wiped out’ in the UK
20:25 Writing 290 books 
22:46 Single session therapy
30:53 Windy’s current writing 
31:46 Building a relationship with a client during single session therapy

37:27 Windy’s thoughts on the NHS’ first contact being an assessment

38:12 Windy’s one piece of advice for listeners

39:02 Outro 

🎬 Watch full episodes of A Bunch of Therapists on our YouTube channel
🎧 A Bunch of Therapists is available on all major podcast platforms
🗓️ New episodes every Thursday
Follow A Bunch of Therapists on Social Media:
YouTube: @ABunchofTherapistsTV
TikTok: @a.bunch.of.therapists
Instagram: @abunchoftherapists
Facebook: A Bunch of Therapists
LinkedIn: A Bunch of Therapists

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