Inside Relationships

Mum Lucy opens-up for an in-depth discussion about what she has learnt parenting a child with autism and the relationship challenges. 

Lucy describes initially being in serious denial about Autism and what can happen when a partner is not on the same page. How to deal with your own mental health when under stress in the relationship.

What are some of the benifits of being on the Autism spectrum?

What are some of the behaviours that can break intimate relationships?

How to find your happiness and identity within the relationship?

What particular challenges can arise during relationship separation?

What is dating like after a breakup and is it anxiety-provoking chosing a partner?

This episode is all about relationships that people get into but want to exit really quickly.

Katey has approximately 17 years working with relationships and social groups, often where there is a lot of awkwardness, stress and anxiety.

David asks how do you know when someone is not right for you?Katey discusses the body reactions when meeting a person and how this can indicate that the person is not right for you.

Katey also gives suggestions around how to break-off an interaction when you suspect that the person is not right for you, particularly in what she labels narcissistic behaviour.

Katey talks about setting boundaries within relationships and how to compromise yet speak your truth.

David emphasises that how people say things to you is important in relationships and taking the time to explore each others personalities helps you get to know a person much better.

An incredibly raw and in-depth interview with intergenerational family and domestic violence survivor and researcher Jennipher McDonald. A discussion ensues around where the line could be drawn regarding what could be considered domestic violence. Jennipher focuses on exploring self and the possibility to use somatic work such as ‘Theatre for living’ for healing trauma. The team discusses how dance, theatre and other physical activities can help support a new life by focusing on the present moment.

David and hypnotherapist Helen Hart discuss how knowledge of our nervous system can help with our relationship. We are not broken, our emotional regulation system does exactly what it is meant to do! Firstly, exactly how do our childhood experiences inform our adult experiences? Understanding who we are drawn to as partners and calming our nervous system to calm the relationship. The topic of substance use was brought up as a way that some people try to manage their relationship.

David talks with Clinical Hypnotherapist Jamina Tubbing about the main attachment styles and how do we recognise them? How do our childhood attachment experiences set us up for adult relationships?

How does our attachment style affect how we engage with friends and significant others?

David and Jamina discuss the specialty area of what to do about attachment difficulties within a relationship. They explore how to change your emotional and cognitive state when you have an attachment style that is not working well for you. Also, David and Jamina talk about teamwork when attempting to change a relationship for the better and the importance of taking into consideration as many factors as we can.

Being in the industry of wedding photography (and married!), the team thought what better person to discuss commitment with than Jasmin of Whately photography!

The episode discusses ‘what does commitment really mean?’, as well as the different stages of commitment and the reasons why we commit. How seriously do people take commitment?

Also, how do we begin a conversation with our partner around commitment, especially if they are adverse to commitment?

Do we have to put in less or more as the years go by?

What are the levels some people will go to for commitment?

All these questions, answers and more.

David and Debra talk with special guest Andre about the extremes of trust required in a BDSM lifestyle.

The team break-down the concept of trust and discuss what comprises trust; including the importance of checking for ongoing consent. 

Is there such a thing as complete trust?

What happens when trust is broken and where is the line for this?

How important are limits and boundaries when it comes to trust?

How important is communication for trust?

Can emotion be an obstacle for trust?

Andre gives examples based on his experience of Polyamorous relationships and Andre shares his trust checklist.

The team is joined by Bodo Frost to discuss 'how far is too far?', self-defeating behaviour and the power of role modelling.

The question arises, do we condone violence and apologise about it afterwards? How powerful can words be compared with physical behaviour?

Once trauma triggers are recognised, what can be done to manage? Bodo gives an explanation of self-defeating behaviours including his five steps to managing self defeating behaviour. The team discusses barriers to identifying and talking about our feelings. How hard is it to express feelings? How important is dialogue in relationships to express feelings?

Special guest Russell talks about his experience and challenges after being placed in more than 30 foster homes.

David facilitates in-depth discussion around how the foster system affected Russell’s adult relationships; positive and not so good.

David discusses how you form relationships when you are removed from your parents as an infant?

How do you recognise and break the cycle of abuse when you have grown up in a difficult environment with complex trauma?

Longer term impacts on trust and not understanding love.

What happens when you can't tell people what happened to you or how you feel.

How the body processes emotion and how to address the past

The difference between suppressing feelings and expressing feelings.

How do you forgive? How important is love for healing? How do you develop trust? How do you repair broken relationships?

David and Debra have a chat with filmmaker Jeremy Mullaly of Ithaka Media about his take on on-screen relationships, including some impacts of reality TV on relationships. For the stars, questions are raised regarding whether reality TV causes trauma and how far is too far for ratings? Using the example of MAFS, the team ponders what is reality TV teaching young people about their relationships and are we normalising bad behaviour with ‘reality TV’. For parents, David talks about how to start to have a safe conversation with your family regarding what relationship behaviour that is being seen on TV.