Therapy Works

In this episode, I speak with psychiatrist, neuroscientist and author Amir Levine about his new book Secure, and how we can move towards more secure attachment in our relationships. Amir explains why attachment is not a fixed label, but something far more flexible and alive, shaped by the people and environments around us. We explore the biology of connection, why exclusion can feel like physical pain, and how our ancient need for safety and belonging still drives so much of our behaviour today.We also talk about how change happens through the small, everyday interactions that either deepen insecurity or help us build trust. Amir shares his CARRP framework, consistency, availability, responsiveness, reliability and predictability, and how these qualities can create a more secure life. Together we reflect on anxious and avoidant patterns, the protest-regret cycle, dating, loneliness, friendship, secure villages and how, especially in an uncertain world, our relationships can become the shield that helps us endure. Buy his book 'Secure: Rewire Your Attachment Style and Transform Your Relationships, Health and Happiness': https://amzn.eu/d/05fucNjI Find Amir: https://amirlevinemd.com/ More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - www.griefworks.com/therapy Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Agony Aunties respond to a heartfelt question from a listener struggling with ongoing financial stress following COVID and the rising cost of living. They explore how money anxiety taps into deep feelings of uncertainty, lack of control, and shame, and why these pressures can ripple into sleep, relationships, and family dynamics. The Agony Aunties gently reframe the experience, encouraging self-compassion over self-blame, and highlighting how external factors - like global instability and economic shifts - play a significant role. Alongside emotional support, they offer practical guidance: balancing worry with moments of gratitude, having open and honest conversations to reduce shame, seeking connection and shared experiences, and taking small, manageable financial steps to regain a sense of agency. This episode is a compassionate reminder that you’re not alone, that this is hard, and that support - both emotional and practical - is available. More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Download the Grief Works app here: https://www.griefworks.com/  Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, I’m joined by the wonderful Liz Earle, entrepreneur, author and passionate advocate for women’s wellbeing, to talk about her powerful new book, How To Age. Together we explore what it really means to age well, and how midlife can become a time not of decline, but of renewal. Liz shares her own experience of turning 60, navigating divorce, loneliness and hormonal change, and how she found her way to feeling stronger, fitter and happier than she did in her forties and fifties.We also talk about the science behind ageing in a way that feels accessible and hopeful, from hormones and mitochondria to sunlight, movement, purpose and connection. At the heart of this conversation is Liz’s rallying cry that it is never too late to make meaningful changes, and my own belief that we need to give ourselves far more permission to prioritise our health, our joy and our sense of self. It is a conversation full of wisdom, encouragement and practical hope. Buy Liz’s book (out 23rd April): https://amzn.eu/d/0h4HNpXT More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Download the Grief Works app here: https://www.griefworks.com/  Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, the Agony Aunties respond to a listener facing multiple bereavements, a late ADHD diagnosis, and ongoing anxiety, leaving her unsure how to understand what she’s feeling or what support she needs. They explore how grief, trauma, and ADHD symptoms often overlap, suggesting it’s more helpful to focus on regulating the nervous system than trying to separate causes. They discuss the importance of connection, updating coping strategies when they stop working, and creating gentle daily structure to ease overwhelm. Above all, they encourage allowing the messiness of grief and embracing this uncertain “in-between” space with compassion and patience. More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Download the Grief Works app here: https://www.griefworks.com/  Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, I sit down with Michael Morpurgo to talk about loss, memory and the quiet, often unspoken truths that shape a life. He speaks so movingly about growing older and the particular pain of outliving those you love, and how grief doesn’t disappear but changes form over time. We explore the hidden fractures of his childhood, the silence around family secrets, and the lasting imprint of war, alongside the threads of loneliness, love and belonging that run through both his life and his writing. What stayed with me most is Michael’s profound belief in the power of story to help us make sense of ourselves and the generations that came before us. We talk about the enduring strength of his marriage to Clare, the emotional roots of his work, and his deep connection to people, animals and the natural world. It’s a gentle, wise and very human conversation about resilience, repair and what it really means to be remembered well. Buy his book ‘Funny Thing About Getting Older’: https://amzn.eu/d/00DwvcXB  More from Therapy Works: Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/ Download the Grief Works app here: https://www.griefworks.com/  Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations. If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices