Chris and Rowan discuss the topic of mentors and how having a mentor can benefit our mental health. This episode begins a short series of episodes that focus on the theme of what we can do for our mental health outside of therapy.

Chris and Rowan look at the topic of effective therapy and try and unpack exactly what makes effective therapy. What makes a therapist a good therapist and what responsibility does the client have in the relationship?

Chris and Rowan continue the topic of mentalisation and cover some of the top exercises from therapy that can help us improve our ability to mentalise and get along better with those around us.

Chris and Rowan discuss the topic of mentalisation, which relates to our understanding of our own and other people’s thoughts, feelings and intentions that underlie our reactions and behaviour. Mentalising involves a capacity to view ourselves from the perspective of others, appreciating and accepting that we can all see the world somewhat differently. Improving our capacity to mentalise can greatly enhance our relationships and improve our well-being.

Chris and Rowan discuss the topic of emotional intelligence in the context of children. It can be helpful to speak about emotional intelligence in the simplified terms we do with children. This episode is packed full of strategies for parents to help their children manage their emotions and adults who want to understand emotional intelligence better.

Chris and Rowan discuss the topic of emotional intelligence and how improving our emotional intelligence can improve many aspects of our life. Plus, we talk about some strategies for improving our emotional intelligence.

Chris and Rowan ask whether there is any psychological benefit from complaining. We look at how to find the balance between the positive benefits that come from expressing our grievances and the harm it can do to our mental health if we get stuck with negative thinking.

Chris and Rowan discuss the idea of a breakdown and how we can use this seemingly negative opportunity to grow.
We look at metanoia, a Greek term that has been written about for thousands of years including by Swiss Psychologist Carl Jung who connected the ancient philosophical idea to modern psychology.
Metanoia relates to the distress that can come from having our deeper beliefs challenged, but also the opportunity that can come from recognising a need for change.

Following on from last week's episode about the midlife crisis, Chris and Rowan discuss the topic of a late midlife crisis, where these feelings can reemerge in our 50's. We also look at other life stages that can involve a sense of discomfort relating to a sense of time running out and what we can do if we confront these feelings.

Chris and Rowan discuss the topic of a midlife crisis. We look at what a midlife crisis is, why it happens, what we can do if we find ourselves experiencing these feelings and the positive side of dealing with a midlife crisis.