Therapy Works

In this episode of Therapy Works, I’m joined by chef, writer, restaurateur and MasterChef winner Thomasina Miers for a rich and honest conversation about mental health, food, family and finding your way back to yourself. Thomasina speaks openly about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in her twenties, later exploring ADHD, and the long journey of moving from shame and feeling “broken” towards self-acceptance. We talk about how cooking became a lifeline for her, not just as a career but as a deeply grounding, creative and restorative practice that helped her feel more connected to herself and the world around her.

We also explore the profound link between food and wellbeing, from the gut-brain connection to the emotional power of cooking, feeding and gathering around a table. Thomasina shares why her charity Chefs in Schools matters so much to her, how food can transform children’s health and happiness, and why agency, friendship, movement and nature all play such an important role in staying mentally well. It’s a warm, wise and energising conversation about embracing imperfection, following instinct, and learning to build a life that genuinely nourishes you.

Find Thomasina:
Website: https://www.thomasinamiers.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomasinamiers/ 

Visit Wahaca: https://www.wahaca.co.uk/

Chefs in Schools: https://chefsinschools.org.uk/ 

Supplement she recommended: Lithium Orate 

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/

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
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In this Agony Aunties episode, Julia and Emily respond to a deeply moving question from a mother whose son died suddenly at 12. Together, they explore the painful jealousy and grief that can arise when seeing other families, especially teenage boys, living out the future her son should have had. They talk about why these reactions are not something to be ashamed of, but an expression of love, loss and the life that should still be here.

They also reflect on the fear of a child disappearing from the shared family story, the loneliness of child loss, and the importance of memory, ritual and connection. This is a tender, thoughtful episode about grief in one of its most heartbreaking forms, and a reminder that even the feelings we struggle most to name can be met with understanding.

Support Links:

Grief Works App: https://www.griefworks.com/

Cruse Bereavement Support: https://www.cruse.org.uk/
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In this episode of Therapy Works, I’m joined by Rebecca Coxon — writer, journalist and documentary director, and author of the book Inconceivable. Rebecca speaks with extraordinary honesty about living with endometriosis, fertility struggles, and the many different forms abandonment can take. We talk about the shock of discovering in adulthood that the man who raised her is not her biological father, the burden of carrying a family secret, and the emotional fallout of trying to make sense of identity, shame and belonging.

Together, we explore what really makes a family, how secrecy can isolate us, and what repair can look like when difficult truths finally come into the light. Rebecca also shares the devastating experience of being left by a partner during IVF, the hope that sustained her through rock bottom, and the unexpected path that eventually led her to motherhood. It’s a rich, moving conversation about survival, love, and the many different ways families are made.

Find Rebecca:

Website: https://www.rebeccacoxon.com/
Instagram: @rebeccacoxon
Pre-order her book: https://amzn.eu/d/0an4yGSs 
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In this expert episode, Sophie is joined by Lucy Kohli - a LiBDO-trained practitioner and yoga teacher - for a refreshingly honest chat about pelvic health, libido, and what it really means to feel alive in your body again. We talk about why so many women feel disconnected from their bodies after childbirth, illness, ageing (or just… life), and how pelvic floor strength isn’t only about “leaking” - it can impact confidence, core stability, pleasure, and the way you move through the world.

Lucy explains what LiBDO actually is (think: pelvis mobility, tailbone movement, deep core engagement, and a whole lot of joy), why doing it in community can be so powerful, and how rebuilding strength can sometimes unlock much more than just physical change. If you’ve ever assumed pelvic dysfunction is “just normal now,” this episode is a hopeful, practical starting point.

Lucy’s Instagram: @libdolondonLucy’s website: www.libdolondon.comThe global LiBDO organisation (Instagram): @libdo.Eurasia
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Today I am joined by Sarah Perry, award-winning author of The Essex Serpent, Melmoth and, most recently, The Death of an Ordinary Man. Sarah speaks with lyrical honesty about the aftermath of prolonged, severe pain and how terror can become encoded in the body, narrowing life into hypervigilance. She describes how therapy helped her reframe the mind not as an enemy, but as a protector, learning to turn towards fear and shame rather than flee from them.

We also talk about dying as a stage of living, not a full stop, and the ordinary, bewildering, sometimes even tender events of a natural death. Sarah reflects on why we need a shared language for death so families are not left alone with ignorance and dread. Threaded through our conversation is her sense of grace, those unearned gifts that soften us towards gratitude, goodness and love that persists, real as hunger, even when the person is no longer in the room.

Find Sarah:

Instagram: @sarah_grace_perry

Website: https://www.sarahperry.net/

Buy Death of an Ordinary Man: https://amzn.eu/d/04C3xmYt

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/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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