Ladies, We Need To Talk
Ladies, We Need To Talk

Ladies, We Need To Talk

ABC

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Episodes

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Ladies, We Need to Talk goes deep on the women's health and relationship issues that are setting your group chat on fire. Come hang with the fabulous Yumi Stynes as she takes a candid, non-judgemental and often hilarious look at the deeply personal stuff that's hard to bring up, even with your closest mates. You'll meet incredible experts to help you improve your wellness, manage the mental load; survive break-ups and prioritise your mental health. With sensitivity, personal stories from real women, and serious smarts, this show is for women who feel the squeeze between work, their private life, and their pelvic floor. Get in touch with episode ideas, feedback or just say hi! [email protected]

Recent Episodes

How swapping a husband for a wife made this economist better off
DEC 22, 2025
How swapping a husband for a wife made this economist better off
Dr Corrine Low says heterosexual relationships are costing women financially. And she’s got the life experience and the data to back it up.   When Corrine was married to a man and a new mum, she was the main breadwinner, shouldering the domestic load...and she was FED UP.   Corrine’s research has found that even though we’re doing more paid work than ever, women still do most of the unpaid labour at home and it’s hurting our back pocket (and our feelings).   Dr Low talks to Yumi Stynes about practical ways for women to have more equal relationships, share the mental load and connect our romantic and financial decisions.  This episode will answer questions like:  What is domestic labour?  Do women do more work at home than men?  How can we create more equal families?  How does work gender inequality impact relationships?  What is mum burn out?  What can you do to distribute the mental load fairly?  What to listen to next:   Emotional labour with Rose Hackman  Turia Pitt is a selfish woman  Mental health: Anxiety and how to beat it  Has Ozempic killed body inclusivity?  You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.   What to read next:    Why Kate chose to 'stay flat' after breast cancer surgery  How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood   What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like  The dark side of being a perfectionist   This episode contains references to gender roles, family, relationship, men, mental load, domestic labour, utility, having it all, children, parenting, child care, work life balance, mental health. 
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26 MIN
Where's my village? Esther Perel on how to build community
DEC 15, 2025
Where's my village? Esther Perel on how to build community
Esther Perel is on a mission to make us feel less alone. The world renowned psychotherapist says we've lost touch with the village but she's here to help us reconnect.  Esther chats to Yumi Stynes about how to foster a community and stop putting pressure on romantic partners to fulfil our needs. She shares her own story of seeing her parents build a village as refugees, and how she learnt to lean on her chosen people when her family needed it most.      If you’re feeling isolated or just want to bolster your community, this episode offers practical way to find and maintain your village.    This episode will answer questions like:  What is a village? How can I build a village? How does having a strong community impact romantic relationships? How did Esther Perel build a strong community? What's at stake when we don't have a village? How can we all combat loneliness? How do we ask for help? What to listen to next:   Deepa Paul on opening her marriage   Emotional labour with Rose Hackman  Relationship resuscitation — coming back from the brink  You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.   What to read next:    Building a village means showing up even when it feels hard, says Esther Perel Why Kate chose to 'stay flat' after breast cancer surgery  How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood   What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like  The dark side of being a perfectionist   This episode contains references to Esther Perel, village, community, friends, romantic relationship, marriage, resentment, therapy, couples therapy, Mating in Captivity, Where Should We Begin, personality styles, extroversion, introversion, love language.
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25 MIN
Life without boobs: Meet the women staying flat after breast cancer
DEC 8, 2025
Life without boobs: Meet the women staying flat after breast cancer
We’re told boobs are sexy! Bouncy! Nutritious food banks even! But what happens when they betray you?  Every year in Australia, around 20,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Forty per cent of those will need a mastectomy, surgery to have the breast tissue removed. Some of those women will choose not reconstruct, to stay "flat." Yumi Stynes speaks to "flatties" about their relationship with their new bodies. You'll hear from women who've had one or both breasts removed about how their decision has reshaped their sex lives and body image and how they've found hope in new forms. If you've got boobs, or know someone who does, this episode will make you question how you think about them.  Featured in this episode:  Dr Charlotte Tottman, psycho-oncologist   Useful links:  Upfront About Breast Cancer – What You Don't Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman  Breast Cancer Network Australia  So Brave Breast Cancer Charity  Mastectomy: Breast Surgery and Recovery    What to listen to next:   Will we ever have a cure for endometriosis?  Embracing imperfection was the key to Astrid’s success  Getting to the bottom of IBS  You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.     What to read next:    How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood   What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like  The dark side of being a perfectionist   Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life  This episode contains references to breast cancer, going flat, staying flat, flatties, reconstruction, surgery, chemotherapy, body image, femininity, boobs, psychology, mental health, gender. 
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27 MIN
Embracing imperfection was the key to Astrid’s success
DEC 1, 2025
Embracing imperfection was the key to Astrid’s success
When she was 16, Pub Choir's Astrid Jorgensen wanted to be a nun. So how did she end up in pubs, night after night, teaching people to sing? For years, Astrid felt like she didn't belong to the world of music. But she found her way in, on her terms. Astrid was never going to be an elite Opera singer, but in rediscovering the joy of singing for the sake of it, she invited the world to sing along too. Astrid has fused her unique talents together to create Pub Choir — the largest choir in the world. She teaches everyday punters to sing a three-part harmony, where the audience becomes the performers. Yumi Stynes sits down with Astrid for a candid conversation about the messiness of life, how she found her voice and began singing to her own tune. What to listen to next:   Turia Pitt is a selfish woman  Mental health: Anxiety and how to beat it  Will we ever have a cure for endometriosis?  You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.   What to read next: How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood   What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like  The dark side of being a perfectionist   Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life  This episode contains references to Pub Choir, Bulimia, Backstreet Boys, Cher, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Africa, Cranberries, Zombie, Dolores O’Riordan, Toto, Average at Best, music teacher, spiritual quest, religion, abusive teacher, music, audiation, sensory, senses, conducting, choir, crowd, stage.
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22 MIN
Getting to the bottom of IBS
NOV 24, 2025
Getting to the bottom of IBS
Up to one in five people have irritable bowel syndrome and women are three times as likely to be affected. From bloating, cramping, constipation and diarrhea, the symptoms can be debilitating, let alone make it hard to do up a pair of jeans!  Even though IBS is so common, there’s no cure. But there’s increasing research about the best ways to manage symptoms - from the low FODMAP diet to managing anxiety to live a better and less gassy life.   Featured in this episode:  Associate Professor Jess Biesiekierski from the University of Melbourne IBS participant study https://www.gutresearchstudy.com. What to listen to next:   Calling out wellness bullsh*t with Dr Jen Gunter  Sandwich generation — the women looking after everyone  Mental health: Overcoming depression  Mental health: Anxiety and how to beat it  You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.   What to read next:    How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood   What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like  The dark side of being a perfectionist   Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life   This episode will answer questions like:  What is IBS?  What does IBS feel like?  How do you know you have IBS?  How can you manage IBS?  Can you cure IBS?  How is the mind and gut connected?  What does stress have to do with IBS?  This episode contains references to IBS, irritable bowl syndrome, HotGirlsHaveIBS , leaky gut, pain, gut pain, faecal transplants, anxiety, mental health, therapy, microbiome, FODMAP, diet, mind gut connection.
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29 MIN