Grief isn’t just about death. It’s the identity you lose when your role changes, the body you don’t recognise after illness, the relationship that quietly ends, the career you outgrow. In this honest, human conversation, psychotherapist Bonnie Grotjahn and I unpack the unspoken losses busy women carry while trying to keep everyone else happy.

We cover:

• The many forms of grief we’re not taught to name (health, identity, relationships, work)
• Why “I should be fine by now” keeps you stuck — and what to do instead
• Mixed emotions: feeling relief and sadness, love and anger
• Practical, nervous-system-soothing tools for the days you’re overwhelmed
• How to ask for (and accept) support without feeling guilty
• Ways to show up for a friend in grief without fixing or faffing

This one’s for you if you’re spinning plates at work and at home, and you’re tired of pretending you’re “ok” when you’re anything but. You’re not broken. You’re human. Let’s give your experience a name, some space, and a few grounded steps forward.

Gentle note: We talk candidly about loss and bereavement. Take care of yourself and pause if you need to.

Bonnie's links:

• Free reflective workbook/toolkit, Staying Strong in the Face of Grief: A Resilience-Building Toolkit https://subscribepage.io/griefresiliencetoolkit
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-grotjahn-1383901b/
• Website is here https://boatherapy.weebly.com/
• The book Bonnie mentioned was by Frances Weller, The Wild Edge of Sorrow, beautifully written including about how grief needs to be done not in isolation but in community.

If this helped, share it with a friend who needs gentleness today.

Want calm, clarity and confidence while you get life done? Get in touch using the links below. 

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingWomensLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

Welcome to 2026 — the unhurried edition. January, for me, is for hunkering down: blankets, films and honest reflection. In this episode, I share how I review 2025 (what worked, what I’m grateful for) and why tiny, conscious shifts beat big dramatic overhauls. We explore faith in uncertain times (yes, the real-life stuff with Johnny’s job), how your primitive brain resists change, and the skills that let you manage your mind and emotions without white-knuckling it.

I’m calling in 20 new 1:1 clients this year — women who know there’s more for them and are ready to learn how to create it, without the rush or the guilt.

We cover:

• Reflection before resolutions
• Conscious change → unconscious ease
• Courage over comfort (for real life, not Instagram)
• When therapy/CBT helped… but you still feel stuck
• What coaching actually does

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingWomensLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

Feeling pulled in a thousand directions, lists multiplying, brain whirring? This honest, no-fluff episode is your permission slip to ditch the perfectionism and choose what actually matters. I share three simple, doable practices to help you enjoy Christmas (and your life) a whole lot more: be present, be the best version of you, and be kind to yourself.

In this episode

• Presence over presents: How to redirect a busy brain back to the moment (again and again) so your people feel you with them.
• The best version of you: Why unconditional love sometimes sounds like “no”, and how to set boundaries without the guilt or drama.
• Self-kindness: Talking to yourself like you talk to your best mate, making choices your future self will thank you for, and dropping the optional extra stress when things aren’t “perfect”.

You’ll learn

• Practical scripts to bring your attention back—gently, without judgement.
• What to do when you’ve said yes but don’t really want to (resentment is not festive).
• How to hold space for tougher emotions at Christmas—sadness, anxiety, disappointment—without piling on shame.
• A kinder way to handle “imperfections” (overcooked spuds, missing items, imperfect tables… no one’s dying; it’s fine).

Try this this week

1. Pick one daily moment to practise presence (meal, film, walk). When your mind wanders: “Thanks, brain—back to here.”
2. Decide one loving boundary in advance and stick to it.
3. Choose one kind thought you’ll say to yourself on repeat.

I’m fully switching off over the holidays—no email, no socials—and I’d love you to try the same. The world will keep turning. I’ll see you on the other side in 2026. Have the calmest, kindest, most present Christmas you can practise. 🎄

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingWomensLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

This week I’m joined by my friend and fellow coach, Patrick Fox—men’s life and sober coach— for an honest, practical conversation about emotions, sobriety, and why “feeling it” is the fastest way through. 

Patrick shares his journey to eight years alcohol-free, how identity shifts start small (hello, One Year No Beer), and the somatic tools from Compassionate Inquiry that help you let emotions move without buying into the old “I’m not good enough” script.

We dig into urges, shame, and that rinse-repeat cycle, plus how to model healthy emotional processing for our kids and partners. Expect zero fluff, lots of compassion, and plenty you can try today—especially if you’re a busy woman juggling work, family and the constant pressure to keep everyone happy.

You’ll learn:

• A simpler way to process feelings: feel it without believing it
• Quick somatic check-ins to get out of your head and into your body
• How small commitments become lasting identity shifts
• Why curiosity and compassion beat self-judgement every time

🎧 Bonus: I’ll share a recording of my own CI session with Patrick so you can see the process in action. Check it out after this episode. 

Links: 

Patrick’s website - https://www.patrickjfox.com/about

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thealcoholrethinkpodcast/

Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickjamesfox/

Search The Alcohol Rethink podcast. 

If this episode helps, please follow, rate and share it with a friend who needs it.

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingWomensLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

In this bonus podcast episode, I'm sharing with you the Compassionate Inquiry session I had with Patrick Fox in the hope that it encourages you to try give it a go with your emotions. 

This will make more sense if you've listened to interview I did with Patrick in Podcast Episode #94.

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingWomensLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

This week I’m joined by Abi Porter from Hillis & Porter Financial Planning for a real, stigma-free chat about money that actually helps in everyday life—not just on a spreadsheet. We get into the emotional side of money (safety, shame, guilt and those old family “stories”), why the gender pay gap compounds over time, and what that means for women’s pensions and choices later on. Most importantly, we share simple, doable steps to feel safer and more in control—right now.

In this episode:

• The compounding effect of the gender pay & pension gaps (and why it’s not your fault)
• Money as emotional safety: why “I should know this by now” keeps you stuck
• Small steps that work: open the letter, log into the pension, look at cashflow—kindly
• Conversations that matter: with partners (e.g. pension contributions during mat leave) and employers (flexible work without losing progression)
• How to align money with your values so it funds the life you actually want

About Abi
Abi Porter is a financial planner who helps families, business owners and individuals build lives they love—using money as a tool, not the goal.

Take the next tiny step
If this brought stuff up for you, you’re not alone. Start with one gentle action today, and if you want support, book a clarity call with me. Share this with a friend who needs a kinder money chat.

Here are Abi's links

Website: https://partnership.sjp.co.uk/hillisandporterfp/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abi-porterhandpfp94?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abi_the.financial.planner?igsh=MWdjd2R2aGs5NnlyMg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingWomensLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

Car Chats with Jonny: Part 2 🚗🎙️

Back in the car with Jonny — same honest chat, fresh takeaways.

This week: simple shifts, better boundaries, and dropping the guilt so you can actually breathe.

If you loved Part 1, you’ll enjoy this one too — practical, relatable, and zero BS.

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingWomensLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

I’m doing something a little different this week (and next) on the podcast.

When Jonny Bevan (my husband) and I are on a long drive, we end up having the best, no-BS conversations about work, parenting, marriage, and the messyness of real life. So we decided to hit record.

Every now and then, you’ll get to ride along with us — unfiltered, practical, and properly useful.

Here's the first one...

Buckle up and let’s drive.

We hope you enjoy! 

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingWomensLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

What if the way you interpret things is the lever that changes everything at home? In this lighthearted conversation with relationship coach Naomi Stonier, we unpack how choosing your meaning—moment by moment—can shift a marriage from tense and reactive to grounded and loving. Naomi shares her own story (including nine rounds of IVF) and how doing the work herself changed the dynamic for everyone around her. 

We dig into:

• Influence vs control — you can’t control your partner, but you can influence the relationship when you lead with love, not judgement. 
• The emotional pause — noticing big feelings without letting them drive the bus; responding instead of reacting. 
• Stable ambiguity — why staying stuck feels “safer” and how to choose your discomfort to create real change. 
• Get specific about needs — e.g. “more hugs”, and dropping unhelpful “rules” that make love harder to receive. 
• One person can shift a couple — go first, and let the data of your results guide the next step. 
• Coaching vs therapy — why coaching can fast-track the lessons so they compound for life. 

Questions we keep coming back to:

• What am I finding difficult? What do I need? What do I want?
• What would love do here? (and yes, sometimes love says “no”). 

If you’re a busy, big-hearted woman juggling work, family and the mental load—and you’re done with white-knuckling your way through your relationship—this episode will give you practical, no-fluff tools you can use today. 

Connect with Naomi: https://naomistonier.com/ (book a free chat) — she’s also on LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook. 

https://youtube.com/@naomistoniercoaching?si=h92TY1XhpAXWVy5j

https://www.facebook.com/naomi.stonier.7547

https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-stonier/

If this helped, please follow, rate and share with a friend who needs a loving nudge. And if you want support applying this in your real life, you can always book a consult with me. Let’s make space for the relationship—and the life—you actually want.

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingWomensLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

Feeling precious? Me too. In this real, unedited chat (recorded on Halloween—yes, with the blow-up dinosaur costume is on the sofa), I share a life update and a lesson I want every woman to learn: how to stop negative self-talk—aka the “bitch talk”—and create emotional safety on the days you feel precious.

This week I talk about navigating grief after a client’s sudden passing, period vulnerability, and the big leap my husband and I have taken into self-employment. Underneath it all is the skill that changes everything: speaking to yourself with kindness. You’ll hear how I name my primal brain “Sue,” why telling your body “I’m safe, nothing has gone wrong” works, and how to practice compassionate self-talk without fluff or fakery.

In this episode:

Why feeling vulnerable isn’t a problem (and what your nervous system actually needs)

The evolutionary reason negative emotions feel urgent—and how to calm them

“Bitch talk” vs. kind self-coaching: same words, different intention

Simple, no-BS steps to stop the inner critic in real time

How practising self-kindness helps you hold other people’s emotions, too

Try this today:
Catch the first nasty sentence in your head and interrupt it: “Uh-uh-uh, we don’t do that anymore. I’m learning to be kind to myself.” Then place a hand on your chest and tell your body: “I’m safe.”

If you’re ready to build calm, confidence and emotional resilience—with loving, no-bullshit support—get in touch. I’d love to help.

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingWomensLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach