It’s only in the last few years that I’ve really looked into intimacy and what it actually, practically, means. A lot of people use it as a by-word for sex but here’s where it gets interesting because intimacy and sex aren’t the same thing. In fact a lot of people use sex to avoid intimacy.

Stephen Blumenthal and I discuss what is and isn’t intimacy, how to know if you’ve got it and maybe, how to find it if it’s so far eluded you. Stephen is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst , accredited by the British Psychoanalytic Council. He has specialist expertise in treating people who have problems with relationships and intimacy, difficulty expressing emotions, sex addiction and compulsive use of pornography.

Make a one off donation: https://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri

Want this podcast ad free? Head over to my Substack page: https://pocketannalisa.substack.com/

Follow us on social media:

Instagram @pocketannalisa

Twitter @AnnalisaB

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri.

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

Blended families, bonus families, step families whatever you call them, joining together two or more families can be tricky. What do you call your “new” mum/dad/sibling, how do you cope with issues that may come up, what’s the delicate line between being accepting and having boundaries?

I discuss all this and more - including the positives - with psychotherapist Katherine Walker who is accredited by the UKCP and BACP and whose area of interest is blended families and helping them develop healthy bonds and attachments; so much so that she did an MA on the “psychological impact of being a member of a blended family from the perspective of the stepmother.” 

Make a one off donation: https://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri

Want this podcast ad free? Head over to my Substack page: https://pocketannalisa.substack.com/

Follow us on social media:

Instagram @pocketannalisa

Twitter @AnnalisaB

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri.

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

We are so focused on the parent/child relationship we often overlook the sibling one, even though it is often the longest lasting relationship of our lives and can divulge various insights - if you know what to look for. A good sibling relationship can support and encourage you, a bad one can have profound and long-lasting effects.

In this episode I talk to psychotherapist Nicole Addis and we discover how looking at the relationship between you and your siblings - whatever age you are.

We also learn how, by looking at your children's sibling relationship it can teach you a lot about how they feel about you; why you should never express having a favourite child and how to foster a good sibling relationship or repair a rupture.

This episode concludes Series 1.

Make a one off donation: https://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri

Want this podcast ad free? Head over to my Substack page: https://pocketannalisa.substack.com/

Follow us on social media:

Instagram @pocketannalisa

Twitter @AnnalisaB

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri.

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

I used to think of trauma in terms of war and soldiers but actually trauma can affect anyone and impact every day life. Its effects can be felt in the brain and the body.

In this episode I talk to Dr Jo Stubley, who leads the adult section of the Trauma Service at the NHS's Tavistock Centre. Find out what trauma and PTSD is and what might make some people more susceptible to it. We also talk about how trauma memories are stored in different way to normal memories and perhaps most important of all, how to recognise trauma and begin to heal.

Make a one off donation: https://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri

Want this podcast ad free? Head over to my Substack page: https://pocketannalisa.substack.com/

Follow us on social media:

Instagram @pocketannalisa

Twitter @AnnalisaB

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri.

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

We're always told relationships need work, but how do you know when yours is over or does, indeed, need working at? In this episode we look at how a good relationship should make you feel, the signs that it may be beyond repair and how to better communicate your needs. I speak to psychotherapist John Paul Davies, who specialises in relationships.

Make a one off donation: https://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri

Want this podcast ad free? Head over to my Substack page: https://pocketannalisa.substack.com/

Follow us:

Instagram @pocketannalisa

Twitter @AnnalisaB

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri.

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

This episode was a highly personal project, borne out of sitting with my dad as he was dying and realising I didn't know what to expect. I learnt that night that dying is a bit like birth, but in reverse. It's a process. Finding out about death and dying really helped me not only understand what was happening but make some sense of it. Here I speak to palliative care doctor Kathryn Mannix who has witnessed many people dying. If you think this might be scary, trust me it's actually reassuring and strangely calming.

Make a one off donation: https://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri

Want this podcast ad free? Head over to my Substack page: https://pocketannalisa.substack.com/

@pocketannalisa

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri.

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

The teenage brain goes through incredible changes during adolescence. This not only explains their behaviour but, knowing what these changes are means you can help support them or - if you are the teenager - might help you understand yourself better. Rachel and I chat about what those neurological changes are and how they manifest. I also spoke to some teenagers who give invaluable insights into how to get the best out of them, what they find challenging about adult behaviour and why they always like to start up difficult conversations when you're already busy doing something else.

Make a one off donation: https://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri

Make a one off donation: https://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri

Want this podcast ad free? Head over to my Substack page: https://pocketannalisa.substack.com/

Insta: @pocketannalisa

Twitter: @AnnalisaB

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri.

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

Listening is a skill not everyone has and yet it's so important to every day relationships - and is at the core of 99% of the problems I hear about. In this episode I talk to Chris Mills, a psychotherapist about how to be a better listener, how to be heard (and learn how I got myself heard as a child in a noisy Italian family) with exercises you can try straight after listening. 

Make a one off donation: https://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri

Want this podcast ad free? Head over to my Substack page: https://pocketannalisa.substack.com/

Follow us @pocketannalisa on Instagram 

Email your suggestions for future conversation topics to [email protected]

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri.

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

Have you ever wanted X-ray specs into human behaviour? Then this is the podcast for you. Listen to ‘brilliant, insightful and wise’ agony aunt and journalist Annalisa Barbieri, as she releases specially recorded conversations between her and the experts she’s consulted over the years, who put a life time’s learning into each conversation. Every week you can learn more about yourself and the people around you. Topics covered in series one include, ‘the art of good listening’, ‘is my relationship over or is this just a blip?’ and, you can learn just why it is that teenagers think you’re always having a go at them.

Three series a year (that's what we aim for anyway!). Series 8 launches Autumn 2024. Series 7 out now.

Instagram: @pocketannalisa

Twitter: @AnnalisaB

Email: [email protected]

Patreon: patreon.com/annalisabarbieri

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri.

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