In my introduction to the show, I respond to the fact that as a result of current affairs, and in response to news bulletins and social media posts, many of us are feeling heightened emotions such as fear, anger, frustration, anxiety and depression.

Drawing on my own experience as a cancer patient during the pandemic, which had a detrimental effect on my own mental health, I share some of the lessons I learned thanks to discovering a form of therapy called Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), a close cousin of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with which far more people are familiar.

To be specific, I focus on a brilliant book by psychotherapist Daniel Fryer called The Four thoughts that F*ck You Up …and how to fix them. This book really helped me to get a grip on my emottions at a time when a combination of the trauma of being diagnosed with cancer, and the treatment prescribed for me, really payed havoc and affected not only me, but also my relationships. I relate how my experience showed how the techniques of REBT were extremely helpful – and they might help you too.

The main section of the show is given over to my interview with the fantastic Georgina Bruce, who not only has a lively account here on Substack, but has also won awards for her short and otherworldly fiction (her White Rabbit won the British Fantasy Best Short Fiction Award in 2017), as well as being a screenwriter and teacher. Her approach is ‘bold as brass’ and forthright, but perhaps most of all she is extremely intelligent, funny and a great talker – ideal as a podcast guest! In a wide-ranging discussion, we cover her decision to become a writer, her creative process, some of the regrets she’s had along the way and some of her experiences dealing with the writing community compared to other creative pursuits.

Finally, my Relaxation on the Beach short, guided meditation continues to theme from the introduction, encouraging you to release rumination about the past and anxiety about the future and focus entirely on the here and now.

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Resources

REBT at the Albert Ellis Institute

Daniel Fryer’s website

The British Fantasy Awards

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