For most mums, the day their kids leave feels like a victory.

You might even be planning what you'll do with all that free time. No more mountains of laundry, arguments over dinner or acting as a free taxi service.

But for many women, an empty nest isn't just freedom, it's loss. When motherhood has shaped so much of your daily life and identity, the silence can be unsettling as you move around a house that was once loud, busy and joyful.

Yumi Stynes chats with women who have navigated the grief of their changing relationships with their kids, finding a deeper connection with themselves, and a renewed sense of self.

Plus clinical psychologist Dr Victoria Miller unpacks why the empty nest can feel so lonely, and the steps you can take to fill the child free void.  

This episode will answer questions like:

• How long does empty nest grief last?
• Is empty nest syndrome real?
• What happens to a marriage after the kids move out?
• How often should I contact my adult child?
• Why am I sad my kids moved out?

What to listen to next:

Relationship resuscitation — coming back from the brink — ABC listen

Am I stuck in a sex rut? — ABC listen

Jess Mauboy steps into her boss lady era — ABC listen

What to read next:

Why these women have never had a partner 

The joys of having babies in your 40s

This episode contains references to grief, loneliness, purpose, empty nesting, leaving home, children, marriage, retirement

Jessica Mauboy was just 16 when she burst onto our screens, barefoot in the red dirt of Alice Springs, belting out Whitney Houston at her Australian Idol audition.

She may have finished runner-up, but it launched one of Australia's most enduring music careers including starring in The Sapphires and representing Australia at Eurovision in 2018.  

Despite two decades in the spotlight, fame hasn't changed Jess, and she's never lost touch with her connection to Darwin, returning between tours to reconnect with her family and culture.

Yumi Stynes sits down with Jess to talk about her Indigenous roots, the strong women who shaped her and how their influence is guiding her as she raises her daughter, Mia and steps confidently into her boss lady era.

This episode will answer questions like:

• What year was Jessica Mauboy in Australian Idol?
• Where did Jessica Mauboy grow up?
• Who does Jessica Mauboy play in The Sapphires?
• How old is Jessica Mauboy's daughter?
• What is the name of Jessica Mauboy's record label?

What to listen to next:

Relationship resuscitation — coming back from the brink — ABC listen

The ugly side of the beauty industry with Jess DeFino — ABC listen

Embracing imperfection was the key to Astrid's success — ABC listen

What to read next:

Why these women have never had a partner 

The joys of having babies in your 40s

This episode contains references to NAIDOC, Australian Idol, Jessica Mauboy, Jamally records, Bran nue dae, The Sapphires, Darwin

When we're dating someone new, the rush is electric. The pull towards sex can feel immediate, an almost magnetic urge to rip each other's clothes off.

But as the years stretch on and the demands of life ramp up, sex becomes just one more activity on a chaotic checklist; competing with the demands of chores, kids and sleep.

And when the urge does strike, it's intimacy vs. doom scrolling in bed, and somehow, the phone wins every time.

Yumi Stynes meets women who are trying to wriggle free from a sex rut and carve out time for more and better sex. Plus, sex therapist Georgia Grace shares advice on how to bring sexual intimacy back into the bedroom.

This episode will answer questions like:

• Why do people have less sex in a long-term relationship?
• Why is my partner distant?
• Can romantic relationships survive without sex?
• How can I reignite my sex life?
• Should I see a sex therapist?
• What is phubbing?

What to listen to next:

Relationship resuscitation — coming back from the brink — ABC listen

Is your attachment style messing with your love life?

One true love or many: Monogamy vs. open relationships 

What to read next:

Why these women have never had a partner 

The joys of having babies in your 40s

This episode contains references to sex, relationships, intimacy, pleasure, technoference, avoidance

Botox, vampire facials, bone smashing and now cadaver fat fillers: the beauty industry is expert in selling extreme (and painful) treatments in our endless pursuit of perfection and eternal youth.

For years, Jess DeFino worked at the heart of this machine as an assistant editor for the Kardashian family. She saw firsthand how the goalposts of beauty are constantly shifting, making it out of reach, no matter how much time, money and energy we pour in.

Now Jess is calling bullsh*t on the beauty industrial complex and the ever more bonkers methods being employed.

This episode will answer questions like:  

• What is looksmaxxing?
• How do beauty standards change over time?
• Do children need skincare?
• Is the beauty industry growing?
• What’s it like to work with the Kardashian-Jenner’s
• Why is skin care so expensive?
• Is the beauty industry designed to make you buy more?
• Can you trust skincare reviews?
• Is the beauty industry built on insecurity? 

What to listen to next:

Botox and fillers – facing up to the new normal 

How pop culture messed us up, with Sophie Gilbert

Is your attachment style messing with your love life?

One true love or many: Monogamy vs. open relationships 

What to read next:   

Why these women have never had a partner 

The joys of having babies in your 40s

This episode contains references to beauty, looksmaxxing, beauty industry, Kardashian, Jenner, Clavicular.  

We live in a sexed-up world. From chiselled fictional teenagers in steamy high school dramas to Sabrina Carpenter’s innuendos, it feels like everyone’s doing it. But what happens when adulthood arrives and you're still a virgin? 

Plenty of women haven’t had sex. Some are waiting for the right person, some are waiting for marriage, and some haven't had the opportunity.  

Virginity has gone from being something women were expected to protect to something they feel they have to explain. So how do we ditch everyone else's expectations and figure out what we actually want? Yumi Stynes speaks with women navigating adulthood without sex. 

Featured in this episode: 

• Amanda McCracken, writer on love and limerence 

This episode will answer questions like: 

• How does it feel to be an adult virgin? 
• What’s dating like as a virgin? 
• Why do some people wait to have sex? 

What to listen to next:

Building a village means showing up even when it feels hard, says Esther Perel

How swapping a husband for a wife made this economist better off

The power of one: the single ladies owning it 

Why are we exercising less than men?

What to read next:

Why these women took marriage sabbaticals — and how it went

Building a village means showing up even when it feels hard, says Esther Perel

This episode contains references to sex, sexuality, dating, relationships, virgins, religion, shame, psychology. 

This episode was originally broadcast in April 2024. (R).

Love bombing. Gaslighting. Coercive control. Narcissists can crash into your life on the charm offensive. They begin with intense affection, compliments and grand gestures. But behind that charm can be manipulation and intense criticism. In the worst cases, they control every aspect of their partner's life. 

It’s disorienting to be with a narcissist, and often people with narcissistic traits have very little insight into their behaviour. Yumi Stynes chats to women who’ve been in love with narcissists to understand what got them under their spell and why they're so difficult to leave. Plus, clinical Tamara Cavenett explores what you can do to protect your emotional state within a narcissistic relationship, and how to get out safely. 

If you need help:

1800 Respect national helpline1800 737 732

Women's Crisis Line1800 811 811

Lifeline131 114

Relationships Australia1300 364 277

This episode will answer questions like:  

• Am I in a relationship with a narcissist? 
• How do narcissists behave in romantic relationships? 
• How can you find out if your partner is a narcissist? 
• What is Narcissistic Personality Disorder? 
• How can you prepare to leave a coercive relationship? 

What to listen to next: 

Are you mum or grandma? Having a baby at 47

I love you but I hate your politics

Is your attachment style messing with your love life?

One true love or many: Monogamy vs. open relationships 

What to read next:

Why these women have never had a partner 

The joys of having babies in your 40s

Why these women took marriage sabbaticals — and how it went

This episode contains references to dating, marriage, sex, narcissist, control, coercive relationships, empathy, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, mental illness.

This episode was originally broadcast in October, 2023. (R).

For all her life, Chloe Hayden, star of Heartbreak High, has struggled to get doctors to take her health complaints seriously. And she’s not alone.  

Autistic women have poorer physical and mental health than neurotypical people. From shorter life expectancy to higher rates of suicide, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance abuse. In this episode Grace speaks to autistic women about being misunderstood and misdiagnosed and the toll this has taken on her health. She also investigates the root causes behind these co-occurring conditions and how medical and social systems can better support autistic women and girls to be healthier and live their best lives.  

Listen to more from the Autistic AF with Grace Tame series:

Either I'm autistic, or I'm a cat

Girls don't get autism

The relationship spectrum

Watch the first episode on ABC Australia YouTube.

"It can be difficult…when your approach to socialising and relationships doesn't look like what other people might expect."

There's a long-held stereotype that autistic people are not empathetic and aren't interested in relationships. The reality is that, like everyone, autistic women and girls want connection, they may just come to it in different ways. In this episode, Grace looks at how autism and relationships intersect, from friendships and partnerships to parenthood. She also explores what autistic women bring to relationships and what becomes possible when they stop pretending to be "normal"?

Listen to more from the Autistic AF with Grace Tame series:

Either I'm autistic, or I'm a cat

Girls don't get autism

The health gap no one talks about

Watch the first episode on ABC Australia YouTube.

For decades autism was thought of as a "boy thing" and girls were overlooked by science. According to research, three boys are diagnosed with autism for every girl. While experts point to genetic differences, there are other reasons why girls often go undiagnosed, including their ability to mask their autistic traits, leading to what's referred to as the "female autism invisibility cloak". In this episode, Grace meets women and gender diverse people who have been diagnosed with autism later in life or are still waiting. She also speaks to neuroscientist Dr Gina Rippon about what the latest research has to say.

Featuring The Assembly's Bethany Woodman.

Listen to more from the Autistic AF with Grace Tame series:

Either I'm autistic, or I'm a cat

The relationship spectrum

The health gap no one talks about

Watch the first episode on ABC Australia YouTube.

"It's only been in recent years that I've had a public platform and people have asked me specifically about being autistic."

In the first episode of this special four-part series, Grace Tame speaks candidly with Yumi Stynes about her experiences as an autistic woman, from feeling on the outer and being labelled "weird" to experiencing the world in "high definition".

In this exclusive interview, Grace opens up about the ways that she fought her own brain, using alcohol and masking to try and fit in. She also reveals how exploring relationships with women has been a "profound shift".

After sharing her own story, Grace takes over hosting duties for the rest of the series, speaking with experts and other autistic women to find out why so many women are misunderstood and diagnosed late.

Watch on ABC Australia YouTube