In this final episode of season 2, Susie and Dr Steve talk resilience - what it means and how to tap into it - and review favourite tips for resilience from some of 2020's best episodes. Includes Steve's five top tips for finding equilibrium during a pandemic. 

Are you the slave of your emotions, or the master? And if slave, what can you do about it? Guest Judy Herreen speaks about mindfulness, NLP, ACT and how she used her mind to recover from a terrible time. Plus Susie puts the cross back in cross-trainer and Steve mourns the plethora of TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms) in therapy. 

Is your body telling you things have to change? Can illness, stress or depression be cured by health, fitness or yoga? Steve and Susie meet Jane Mallick, who broke, mended herself and is now living the life she always dreamt of – with added compost.

Language is powerful - but is it so powerful that it must be policed? We hear from an expert who's written the book on balancing freedom and control in language. We chat about JK Rowling and Steve tells us his position vis-a-vis the Nazis (he's against) and why even so they should still be allowed to speak. Best of all - no one says 'political correctness gone mad'!

If how we perceive reality relies on the language we use, then the books we read matter. A lot. Susie and Dr Steve talk to university professor (and good egg) Beth Driscoll. Is Fifty Shades of Grey better than Jane Austen - better to read, better for you, better in general? Does reading foster empathy and help us relate or is it 'just' entertainment? And is it a good thing that cheap kids' books are for sale in discount department stores? Take a break from your Christmas reading with this episode of the Bloom Podcast.

It’s Christmas! A time of joy and togetherness. But what about when it isn’t? Families, gift giving and alcohol can be a recipe for a difficult time. Join Susie, Dr Steve and very special guest Santa to find out how to make it through the festive season with your spirits and mental health intact.

How do smart, self-aware people get drawn into difficult and dangerous situations, such as cults and scams? Hear the amazing story of Sue and Gordon, an ordinary couple who became enmeshed in a cult and very nearly lost everything, including their home, each other and their children.

Can money buy happiness, and how much is enough? And the ordinary, extraordinary story of a man who turned a corner… and in an instant his financial world fell to pieces. Guest Royce Kurmelovs illuminates our relationship with mortgages, debt and the financial system.

 What goes on inside other people's heads? Steve's daughter Rowena has synaesthesia, and describes what it's like when words and music have colours. Not to be outdone, Steve talks about aphantasia, which is the weird head he lives with! We chat about perception and inner worlds and the order in which you put on your shoes and socks.

Divorce: breaking up is hard, and when there are kids involved it can be hell for everyone. Lucy Mannering wished there had been a guide – so, with her sister (going through the same thing at the same time), she wrote it. Top tips on getting through emotionally and legally, and making sure you are the sane parent.