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In this solo episode, I’m exploring the psychology of comparison - why it happens, how it impacts our mental health, and what we can do to break free from it. I bring in therapy tools and insights to help you uncover how to stop measuring your worth by others’ highlight reels and start living from a place of self-acceptance. I also end with a 5 minute guided meditation to help you reconnect with your own path and rediscover a secure sense of self.

Whether you’re stuck in the comparison trap or looking for practical ways to feel more grounded and self-compassionate, this episode offers insights and tools to help you come home to who you truly are.

Show notes:

Helen’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h.e.l.e.n.m.a.r.i.e/profilecard/?igsh=MXVsZHZwcTl2Zmppdw==

My book Choose You: https://lnk.to/ChooseyouHelenMarie

Website: https://www.helenmariepsychotherapy.com/

SHOW SPONSORS:

We are incredibly grateful to our wonderful sponsors for this episode:

W-Wellness UK: https://w-wellness.co.uk/

&

SimplePractise. And listeners to this show can use the link below to get a 7 day free trial and then receive 70% off your first 4 months:

https://partners.simplepractice.com/gozqpi

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Welcome back to another solo episode of the podcast. This week, I’m exploring people-pleasing - why we do it, the roots behind it, and how it shapes our relationships and mental health.

I unpack how people-pleasing often begins as a survival strategy, why it’s so hard to break, and how it can leave us feeling exhausted, resentful, and disconnected from ourselves. I’ll guide you through practical tools for healing: learning to say no, setting boundaries, practicing self-compassion, and reconnecting with your authentic voice.

And to close, I’m sharing a 5-minute guided meditation to help you gently let go of the need to please and start acknowledging your own needs.

This episode is for anyone who is tired of feeling like they have to make everyone else happy at the cost of their own peace and needs.

Helen’s links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h.e.l.e.n.m.a.r.i.e/profilecard/?igsh=MXVsZHZwcTl2Zmppdw==

Choose You book: https://lnk.to/ChooseyouHelenMarie

Website: https://www.helenmariepsychotherapy.com/

SHOW SPONSORS:

We are incredibly grateful to our wonderful sponsors for this episode:

W-Wellness UK: https://w-wellness.co.uk/

&

SimplePractise. And listeners to this show can use the link below to get a 7 day free trial and then receive 70% off your first 4 months:

https://www.simplepractice.com/partners/helen-marie/ 

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In this episode, Dr. M (also known as @thepsychologistandme on Instagram) unpacks the psychology of attachment - how our early bonds shape the way we connect, love, and protect ourselves in adult relationships. From anxious and avoidant styles to secure attachment, we explore how these patterns show up in real life, why some relationships never feel safe, and what it takes to build lasting emotional security. Dr. M shares honest insights about why both partners must participate in creating secure attachment, plus practical tips for moving towards healthier connection - whether you’re healing a past relationship alone or working together to build healthier connection. 

This was a beautiful healing conversation with wonderful theory to help you understand attachment at a deeper level away from the pop psychology available on social media. 

Dr M’s links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepsychologistandme?igsh=MWg4YW9ja25raGFwdg==

Helen’s links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h.e.l.e.n.m.a.r.i.e/profilecard/?igsh=MXVsZHZwcTl2Zmppdw==

CHOOSE YOU book: https://lnk.to/ChooseyouHelenMarie

SHOW SPONSORS:

We are incredibly grateful to our wonderful sponsors for this episode:

W-Wellness UK: https://w-wellness.co.uk/

&

SimplePractise. And listeners to this show can use the link below to get a 7 day free trial and then receive 70% off your first 4 months:

https://www.simplepractice.com/partners/helen-marie/ 

Send us Fan Mail

This episode is generously sponsored by SimplePractise. And listeners to this show can use the link below to get a 7 day free trial and then receive 70% off your first 4 months:

https://www.simplepractice.com/partners/helen-marie/ 

In this powerful episode, I sit down with the brilliant psychotherapist Jennifer Cox, author of The Times and Sunday Times Self-Help Book of the Year 2024, to explore the urgent, often unspoken truth about women’s anger. We dive deep into the mental and physical toll of suppressed rage - how years of silencing ourselves and storing cortisol is not just exhausting, it's making us ill.

Jen brings such beautiful energy and insight to this conversation, and I loved every minute of it! I hope this episode offers you a space to begin feeling your anger, to get curious about it, and to reclaim it as part of your deeply human emotional range. 

Jen’s links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifercoxpsychotherapist?igsh=ZXA4a29mZWVtdDdu

Women Are Mad: https://www.instagram.com/womenaremad?igsh=M3FrNzhnNDFheHNi

Women Are Angry book: https://geni.us/WomenAreAngry

Helen’s links: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h.e.l.e.n.m.a.r.i.e/profilecard/?igsh=MXVsZHZwcTl2Zmppdw==

Choose You book: https://lnk.to/ChooseyouHelenMarie

Send us Fan Mail

This episode is generously sponsored by SimplePractise. And listeners to this show can use the link below to get a 7 day free trial and then receive 70% off your first 4 months:

https://www.simplepractice.com/partners/helen-marie/ 

What does it truly mean to feel “good enough”? In this heartfelt episode, we explore the deep, often invisible roots of unworthiness and the journey back to our innate wholeness. 

Mandy, now a vibrant and compassionate coach, shares her powerful story of growing up with a lingering sense of not being wanted, shaped by a caregiver who never truly saw her. Years of people-pleasing and striving to be better eventually led to nearly a decade of debilitating burnout.

Mandy has walked through the fire - trying every kind of therapy in her quest to feel worthy - and today, she shares what finally worked. Her story is a moving reminder that our feelings of inadequacy are deeply human, but they don't have to define us.

Her energy is infectious, her honesty refreshing, and her wisdom grounded in lived experience. 

You’ll leave this conversation with a deeper understanding of your own inner script, and feel inspired to begin (or continue) the journey of reconnecting with your felt sense of enoughness.

Mandy’s links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandylehto?igsh=dWI5bjQ1bG81azdi

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mandylehto?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=eba025e2-f95f-4dff-bc0b-dbf4bb59eb37

Helen’s links: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h.e.l.e.n.m.a.r.i.e/profilecard/?igsh=MXVsZHZwcTl2Zmppdw==

Helen’s book Choose You: https://lnk.to/ChooseyouHelenMarie

Book mentioned on inner critic:

Stone & Stone Embracing Your Inner Critic: Turning Your Self-Criticism into a Creative Asset

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This episode is generously sponsored by SimplePractise. And listeners to this show can use the link below to get a 7 day free trial and then receive 70% off your first 4 months:

https://www.simplepractice.com/partners/helen-marie/ 

I’m beyond thrilled to be joined in this episode by the absolutely wonderful and deeply inspiring Dr. Martha Beck - bestselling author, life coach, and one of the most insightful voices of our time. In fact, Oprah Winfrey called her “one of the smartest women I know” - I can’t help but agree!

We dive into her latest book, Beyond Anxiety, and I can honestly say that this conversation shifted something in me, and I think it will for you too.

Together, we explore why so many of us feel trapped in anxiety loops - and why trying to think our way out only gives short-term relief. 

Martha shares the latest neuroscience with her deep experience in coaching and sociology to reveal a far more hopeful path - one that taps into the creative, intuitive parts of our nervous system to bring true calm, clarity, and inspired living.

This episode is guaranteed to change the way you think about anxiety - and how to heal from it. I truly can't wait for you to hear it. Martha’s words and wisdom will stay with me for a long long while. 

Show notes:

Martha’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themarthabeck?igsh=MWdveTlyb2JsYWZmMQ==

Martha’s book - Beyond Anxiety: https://marthabeck.com/beyond-anxiety/

Helen’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h.e.l.e.n.m.a.r.i.e/profilecard/?igsh=MXVsZHZwcTl2Zmppdw==

My book Choose You: https://lnk.to/ChooseyouHelenMarie

Send us Fan Mail

This episode is generously sponsored by SimplePractise. And listeners to this show can use the link below to get a 7 day free trial and then receive 70% off your first 4 months:

https://www.simplepractice.com/partners/helen-marie/ 

In this profoundly moving episode, actress and mental health activist AnnaLynne McCord joins me to share her journey of healing from complex trauma and living with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)- a diagnosis that stems from her experiences of severe childhood sexual abuse.

Together, we explore the layers of AnnaLynne’s healing process. We talk about how an experience on set in 90210 added to the unravelling of her story - how therapy became a lifeline, how inner child work helped her begin to reconnect with fractured parts of herself, and what it truly meant to surrender to the truth of her story - not to be defined by it, but to transform through it.

We talk about what DID actually is - beyond the stigma and misunderstanding - and how it emerged as a survival response to unthinkable pain. 

AnnaLynne also opens up about the work it took to move through shame, release the need to "perform" healing, and give herself permission to feel, grieve, and ultimately reclaim her life.

She shares intimately about:
• Her childhood and the protective roles her mind developed
• The pivotal role of therapy in helping her name and integrate her experiences
• Her relationship with her inner child and the parts of her that still needed love
• The painful, nonlinear journey of healing from the past without being stuck in it
• What it has meant to come home to herself - piece by piece
• And she answers powerful listener questions with rawness and grace

This is a conversation about trauma, yes - but more than that, it’s about truth and the courage it takes to look at your own story. 

Trigger Warning:
This episode includes sensitive content around childhood sexual abuse, suicidal ideation, self-harming behaviors, and dissociation. Please take care of yourself as you listen.

Support resources:

About NAPAC - NAPAC

Guide to support options for abuse - Mind

Aurora Foundation for People Abused in Childhood - The Survivors Trust

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Did you know that over 70% of us are struggling with stress? In this powerful and uplifting conversation, Dr. Aditi joins us to unpack the difference between healthy and unhealthy stress, and how we can begin to rewire our minds and bodies to not just survive - but truly thrive.

Dr. Aditi shares openly about her own experiences with stress and how releasing the shame around it became a turning point. 

We explore the science behind the mind-body connection, what happens physiologically when we're stressed, and the incredible ways our brains can be reshaped to handle life with more calm and clarity.

We also dive into:

• The concept of toxic resilience and why pushing through isn’t always strength
• How to stay motivated to do the things we know are good for us
• What it really takes to build a sustainable healthy habit
• Why having something to look forward to is more important than we think
• And how her tools are effective even for the most change-resistant among us

Dr. Aditi’s words are a balm. You can’t fail to feel inspired, motivated, and just a little more hopeful after listening.

Dr Aditi’s book - The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body for Less Stress and More Resilience - https://www.draditi.com/the-five-resets-book?utm_campaign=button_list_ReadmybookTHE5RESETS&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=later-linkinbio

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/draditinerurkar?igsh=azd5bncxYzlzbTNy

Website: https://linkin.bio/draditi/

Helen’s links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h.e.l.e.n.m.a.r.i.e/profilecard/?igsh=MXVsZHZwcTl2Zmppdw==

Choose You book: https://lnk.to/ChooseyouHelenMarie

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In this deeply tender and honest conversation, I’m joined by psychologist and grief specialist Dr. Chloe Paidoussis-Mitchell to explore the many layers of grief and loss. Together, we define what grief truly is — not just the sorrow we feel after the passing of a loved one, but also the heartbreak that comes with life transitions, endings, and unmet hopes.

We talk about what happens in the brain and body during grief, how it affects our mental health, and why so many of our reactions are not only normal, but deeply human. From navigating the “firsts” after a loss, to wondering how long grieving is “supposed” to take, to finding your way through the fog — we gently unpack your questions and offer reflections to help you feel less alone.

Most of all, we speak to the healing power of compassion — for yourself, for others, and for the full range of emotions that grief brings.

If you’re carrying loss, or supporting someone who is, I hope you find that this episode is a soft place to land.

Chloe’s links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.chloemitchell?igsh=MXMzZWpnN2llb2p5dA==

Chloe’s book - The Loss Prescription: https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-loss-prescription-a-practical-roadmap-to-grief-recovery-dr-chloe-paidoussis-mitchell?variant=40390741590094

Helen’s links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h.e.l.e.n.m.a.r.i.e/profilecard/?igsh=MXVsZHZwcTl2Zmppdw==

Helen’s book - Choose You: https://lnk.to/ChooseyouHelenMarie

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In this week’s The Mini Edit from Episode 11,
I sit with Josh Connolly and talk about the impact of dysfunctional families. Josh so generously shares his own experience and how his journey brought him to a healing space where he now helps many others heal from the impact of growing up within dysfunction.

This is an edit of Episode 11. If you found this interesting, you may also want to listen to Part 2 of our conversation in Episode 19. I’m linking both full episodes here, where all show notes are available too:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6IY03Xy5LUww9gVCM9MJXr?si=7ekyfZkwQgeVGKkdwNuWtg

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7H19APZdAPhnLs3BaLhi2e?si=WSVt_InpR-m9NFFaFh-sgQ