Therapy Works

In this episode, I’m joined by psychologist Joanna King for a moving conversation about what it means to care for a parent with young onset Alzheimer’s while also raising young children of your own. Joanna speaks with extraordinary honesty about the death of her father, the slow and painful loss of the mother she knew, and the emotional complexity of being caught in that in-between space of loving, grieving, resenting, protecting and carrying on. We talk about anticipatory grief, sibling dynamics, guilt, anger, boundaries, and the particular loneliness of feeling that life has split into before and after.

What stayed with me most was Joanna’s openness about the reality of “sandwich caring” and how disorientating it can be when the person who once anchored you no longer knows who you are. This is a conversation about dementia, but it is also about love, identity, duty, and the cost of holding too much for too long. Joanna also shares the thinking behind her forthcoming podcast, Do I Know You?, which aims to help people feel less alone in the experience of dementia, and to offer more understanding, information and support.

Helpful UK resources:If you are going through something similar, these may be useful places to start:Dementia UK offers specialist dementia support through its Admiral Nurses, including a free helpline on 0800 888 6678 and young onset dementia information and support services.Alzheimer’s Society has a Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456, information on young onset dementia, and a directory to find local support near you.Alzheimer’s Research UK also has information and support for carers and a Dementia Research Infoline on 0300 111 5111.

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
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In this moving conversation, I talk to Julia Bradbury about the emotional aftermath of cancer, the pressure to keep going, and the hidden ways busyness can stop us feeling. We explore her new book Hack Yourself Healthy, the difference between reacting and responding, and why true wellness has to include our emotional lives as much as our physical health.

Julia Bradbury also reflects on childhood bullying, family trauma, motherhood, and the resilience she has discovered through both illness and adventure. It’s a thoughtful, honest episode about slowing down, looking inward, and finding healthier ways to live, cope and heal.

Find Julia Bradbury: Book: ⁠Hack Yourself HealthyInstagram: ⁠@juliabradbury⁠

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

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In this episode, Emily Samuel is joined by author, journalist and digital strategist Dolly Jones to talk about her brilliant new book Leaving the Ladder Down and the messy, moving, often unspoken reality of motherhood and work. We talk about what happens when you return to work after having children and feel as though you’re expected to carry on as if nothing has changed, the silence and awkwardness that can surround parenting in professional spaces, and the guilt, identity shifts and impossible standards so many women carry. It’s a conversation about ambition, care, friendship, asking for help, and why we need to make the workplace a more human place for parents.

Find Dolly:

Instagram: @dolly_jones

Buy her book: https://amzn.eu/d/0fCSUaR0

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This week, I am joined by Jon Fox for a deeply moving conversation about a love that was "robbed" of its time. After both surviving cancer, Jon and Katie found a profound connection online, only for Katie to tragically pass away at just 28 years old, mere months into their relationship. Jon opens up about the unique "injustice" of grieving a future that had barely begun and the complexity of navigating his own chronic health struggles alongside this heartbreak.

We explore the practical and psychological tools Jon uses to process his "acute" grief—from his private nightly rituals of talking to Katie to his intellectual approach as a "learner" of his own sorrow. It is a powerful testament to the idea that the depth of our pain is a direct reflection of the depth of our love, and that a bond does not end at death, but becomes a vital, internalised part of who we are.

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: https://www.thesamueltherapypractice.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Agony Aunties respond to a listener grappling with how to talk to their children about the deeply unsettling news of the current war involving Iran - something many families are hearing about daily, often in fragments through headlines, playground conversations, or social media. With reports of airstrikes, civilian casualties, and even children affected by the conflict, they explore how to strike that delicate balance between honesty and reassurance, helping children feel safe without shutting down their curiosity or empathy. The conversation unpacks how children’s questions about war are often really questions about their own safety, and offers practical, compassionate ways to respond - tailored to different ages and anxiety levels. They also reflect on how both children and adults can become overwhelmed by frightening news, sharing grounding tools, language, and resources to help families regulate together. Ultimately, it’s a thoughtful and timely guide to navigating big, scary global events in a way that keeps connection, safety, and empathy at the heart of family life.Helpful Resources:

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network - https://www.nctsn.org/Unicef - https://www.unicef.org/iran/enBooks:What is War? For younger children: https://amzn.eu/d/08A0FoL7Help! I've Got an Alarm Bell Going Off in My Head!: How Panic, Anxiety and Stress Affect Your Body - https://amzn.eu/d/02Y5rEBL
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