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Being Human with Lisa Oake
Being Human with Lisa Oake episodes
- How Schema Therapy Can Help You Break Free of Repeating Patterns
If you’ve tried traditional therapy but still find yourself repeating the same patterns, you need to understand Schema Therapy. It expands upon CBT and other therapies to fix the life traps that were wired into you decades ago.
In this episode of the Being Human Podcast, Lisa sits down with Mahima Didwania, a clinical psychologist and certified Schema Therapist at The Other Clinic in Singapore (https://theotherclinic.sg).
We explore why childhood survival tactics can create adult roadblocks like repeatedly dating the same type of person, burnout, poor boundaries or resentment.
In this video, you will learn:
- What is Schema Therapy and how it differs from CBT.
- Schemas (Lifetraps) that control our behavior.
- Why we repeat toxic patterns or work-related burnout.
- How to strengthen your "Healthy Adult" mode to re-parent your inner child.
16 min - Ex-CNN International Anchor: The 4-Second Trick to Instant Confidence
Nervous about your next media interview? Former CNNI & CNBC anchor And Co-Host of the Saturday Mornings Show on Singapore's Money FM, Glenn van Zutphen reveals the insider secrets that will transform you from anxious executive to confident media spokesperson.
In this episode of the Being Human Podcast, Glenn shares battle-tested strategies from decades of interviewing CEOs, founders, and business leaders on live television and radio. Whether you're preparing for CNBC, Bloomberg, a conference panel, or an unexpected "door stop" interview, this guide will help you nail it.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
✅ The 4-second rule that eliminates interview anxiety
✅ Why the "inverse pyramid" style makes executives sound like pros✅ How to handle unexpected media interviews at conferences✅ The authenticity secret that makes great interviews unforgettable✅ Pre-interview questions that give you control of the conversation✅ How to reframe nerves as excitement (the Olympic athlete trick)Perfect for: C-suite executives, startup founders, corporate spokespeople, business leaders preparing for media appearances, PR professionals coaching executives, anyone representing their brand on TV, radio, podcasts, or panels.
Glenn Vanzuten is co-host of Money FM's Saturday Morning Show in Singapore and former anchor at CNN and CNBC. He's interviewed thousands of business leaders and knows exactly what separates amateur interviews from career-defining moments.
Stop worrying about making mistakes on camera. Start mastering the art of authentic, impactful media interviews.
Contact Glenn van Zutphen
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennvanzutphen/https://www.vanmediagroup.comInstagram: glenn_van_zutphenExamples of great story-telling mentioned by Glenn during the podcast:
https://omny.fm/shows/moneyfm-saturday-morning-show/saturday-mornings-danelle-tan
https://omny.fm/shows/moneyfm-saturday-morning-show/saturday-mornings-bhutans-pm-on-gross-national-happiness-global-peace-a-mindfulness-city-for-the-future
#MediaTraining #ExecutiveInterview #PublicSpeaking #LeadershipSkills #CorporateCommunications #MediaInterview #BusinessPodcast #CNBCInterview #CEOInterview #ProfessionalDevelopment
23 min - The Grief of Job Loss_ David Kessler on Identity and Meaning
Job loss is rarely just about income. For many professionals, it represents a profound loss of identity, purpose, and belonging — and it can trigger real grief.
In this conversation, David Kessler, founder of Grief.com and author of Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief, explains why job loss can be experienced as genuine grief, why the pain often feels disproportionate, and why high-achieving professionals are especially vulnerable after losing work.
Speaking with Lisa Oake, executive counsellor and former CNBC Asia anchor, David explores:
- Why job loss often feels like identity loss
- How grief after redundancy differs from other forms of loss
- Why people feel pressure to “move on” too quickly
- How grief affects decision-making after job loss
- The role of meaning in rebuilding after professional disruption
This conversation is especially relevant for executives, leaders, and professionals navigating redundancy, career transitions, layoffs, or unexpected job loss.
Resources Mentioned
David Kessler — Grief.com
https://grief.comTalk to Grief Expert David Kessler’s AI — here to help, 24/7.
https://grief.com/ai/Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501192736About the Host Lisa Oake is an executive counsellor and former CNBC Asia anchor who works with high-performing professionals on confidence, communication, and psychological resilience.
https://www.executivecounselling.com
13 min - Why High Performers Turn to Food — A Psychologist Explains
If you work in a high-pressure job and find yourself turning to food at night to cope, you are not alone. In this episode of Being Human, clinical psychologist Annelise Lai, founder of The Soma Psychology Clinic in Singapore, explains why binge eating and emotional eating are far more common among high performers than most people realise.
As a former CNBC anchor, I understand this personally. When I was presenting live every morning at 3 a.m., I often coped with stress by eating at the end of the day. I believed I “deserved it,” but like many executives, I didn’t understand the deeper psychological and physiological reasons behind the behaviour.
In this conversation, Annelise breaks down:
- why high achievers binge eat even when they’re disciplined in every other area of life
- the nervous system response that drives stress eating
- how identity, perfectionism, and overwork fuel the cycle
- the “high-functioning trap” executives fall into
- how childhood patterns and parentification show up in adult coping mechanisms
- why binge eating is not a lack of willpower — it is a survival strategy your body learned to feel safe
- three evidence-based techniques to break the cycle in a healthy, sustainable way
If you’re a professional, founder, or leader who struggles with performance pressure — and the late-night eating that often comes with it — this conversation will help you understand what’s really happening and what to do next.
Key themes: executive stress, emotional eating, binge eating disorder, high-functioning coping, nervous system regulation, identity and success, leadership wellbeing, high achievers, workplace mental health.
Featuring: Annelise Lai, Clinical Psychologist Founder, The Soma Psychology Clinic, Singapore
Website: www.somapsychologyclinic.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annelise-lai-00002789/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelise_psychologist/
For more videos on executive mental health, watch the Being Human playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvKPPM2_lagxk51mJpg0zjoz_ASHb8zLw
32 min - Why Hari Krishnan Walked Away from Safety to Build an AI Healthcare Startup
What really happens when a high-profile CEO walks away from a $1.5B listed company to start over as a founder?
In this episode of Being Human, Hari Krishnan — former CEO & MD of PropertyGuru Group and now Co-Founder & CEO of AI health startup Genie Health — talks candidly about the emotional roller coaster of leaving a prestigious role, building again from scratch, and why health and balance matter more than ever in midlife.
We discuss:
- why he left a wildly successful CEO job to start Genie Health
- how AI and integrated health data can give people more agency over their wellbeing
- the hidden physical and emotional cost of executive life
- the difference between testing your limits as an athlete vs as a leader
- why founders must separate self-worth from net worth
- what younger entrepreneurs consistently underestimate about the journey
- how to pursue ambition without losing your values, relationships, or health
If you’ve ever wondered whether to leave a stable, prestigious role to build something more meaningful — or how to stay healthy and grounded while leading at the highest level — this conversation is for you.
35 min - How Breast Cancer Sideswipes Women’s Careers — and Their Marriages
Breast cancer doesn’t just affect a woman’s health — it disrupts her entire life. In this interview, Dr Angela Tan, a leading sexual wellness doctor in Singapore, explains how treatment can sideswipe professional women by forcing them into early menopause at the height of their careers.
The impact is deep and often hidden:- sudden hormonal changes that affect confidence, focus, and performance
- career setbacks during a woman’s most productive years
- strain on marriages and long-term relationships
- emotional challenges around identity, intimacy, and self-worth
- grieving the life they had before diagnosis
Dr Tan shares what women, partners, and employers need to understand about the emotional, physical, and relational cost of cancer treatment — and what support truly looks like when a woman’s career, wellbeing, and marriage are all affected at once.
A powerful conversation for anyone navigating survivorship, caring for a partner, or working with women facing breast cancer.
Connect with Dr. Angela Tan
www.reiwahealth.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-angela-tan/
https://www.instagram.com/drangelatan/
15 min - Why Men Hide Their Pain Behind Anger
Canadian counsellor Bill Jeffery explains why depression in men is often disguised as anger, irritation, outbursts, withdrawal, and emotional shutdowns — and why so many men - and their partners - don’t recognise it for what it is.
We break down:
- Why male depression rarely looks like sadness
- How boys are conditioned to suppress emotions
- Why anger becomes a socially “acceptable” outlet
- How partners can spot the early signs
- What support actually works for high-functioning men
If you are a high achiever, a partner of one, or someone supporting men’s mental health, this interview will change how you see anger forever.
Subscribe for more interviews on executive mental health, performance, and resilience.
Connect with Bill Jeffery:
www.Lonelyman.ca
www.billjeffery.com
www.cmhanl.ca/harbour-strong
Here's the link to Bill's recording, Lonely Man:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmhdTpp6hqk
30 min - The Real Reason You Feel Lost and Depressed
In this episode of Being Human, Lisa Oake speaks with former journalist turned therapist Matthew Hussey about the hidden emotional cost of the digital age — and how technology, capitalism, and trauma have quietly reshaped our capacity to connect. From the “rage economy” of social media to the quiet work of healing through therapy, this episode is a meditation on what it means to stay human in a time of constant noise and emotional mining. In this episode: - The rise of the “emotional extraction” economy - How algorithms feed outrage and loneliness - How trauma impacts trust and relationships - Why slowing down and connecting with others might be the most radical act left A conversation for anyone who’s ever felt overwhelmed by the modern world — and wondered if there’s still room for empathy, reflection, and meaning.
1 hr 5 min - The State of Intimacy: Psychodynamic Sexual Therapist Dr. Richard Lim on Modern Desire.
In this episode of Being Human, Lisa Oake talks with psychodynamic sexual therapist Dr. Richard Lim of The Relational Counselling Studio about intimacy in modern relationships.
In this episode:
- Inside the therapy room; the real story on modern intimacy and relationships.
- Low male sexual desire is more common than you think.
- How your family of origin impacts your current relationships.
- Overcoming the impact of trauma and PTSD on desire.
- How couples move past infidelity and start their relationships anew.
- Advice for dealing with physical limitations and performance anxiety in the bedroom.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
04:58 The Myth of Male Sexual Desire
10:30 When the Attraction is Gone
23:15 The Impact of Family of Origin
38:00 PTSD and Trauma
52:18 Getting Over Infidelity
01:04:30 Performance Anxiety
To learn more about Dr. Richard Lim or to make an appointment, visit his website: https://www.therelational.com/
You can contact Lisa at:
LinkedIn – Lisa Oake | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaoake/
1 hr 14 min - Finding Enough: Andrew Hallam on Money, Mortality & Meaning
What if financial success doesn’t automatically lead to happiness?
In this episode of Being Human, Lisa Oake speaks with Andrew Hallam — bestselling author of Millionaire Teacher and Balance. Andrew retired in his 30s, not to stop working, but to start living.
They explore the emotional side of money: how comparison can quietly erode joy, why “enough” is so hard to define, and what it really means to live a rich life — in every sense of the word.
From surviving cancer to living nomadically with his wife, Andrew shares the lessons that shaped his philosophy on wealth, mortality, and meaning.
In this thoughtful dialogue, Andrew and Lisa discuss:
- Why chasing wealth can erode happiness
- The “four-legged table” of a balanced life: purpose, health, relationships, and money
- What his cancer diagnosis taught him about time and gratitude
- The hidden cost of comparison and social media
- How cultural norms shape our financial behavior
- Teaching kids about money through modeling, not preaching
- Why the best investment might be your next hour of peace
📘 Learn more about Andrew’s book Balance here: https://andrewhallam.com/balance/
Follow Lisa for more interviews on leadership, media training, and living with purpose:
LinkedIn – Lisa Oake | https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaoake/
43 min
About Being Human with Lisa Oake
From the publisher's feed
Being Human with Lisa Oake is a podcast about the inner lives of professionals. You’ll find deep conversations about mental health, executive presence, purpose, relationships, and…
the pressures leaders face. If you’re a professional, founder, or leader who wants to grow both internally and externally, you’re in the right place. To contact Lisa, visit www.oakemedia.com.