Would you like your life to be less focused on others’ reactions and more informed by your own principles? Would you like to stop feeling responsible for the experiences of others? This week I talk to therapist and author Dr Kathleen Smith about how to stop pleasing other people, find your authentic self, and, in the process, become less anxious and develop richer relationships. We cover: Identifying relationship patterns that keep you stuck.  Relying less on praise and approval from others.  Building a solid sense of self in anxious times.  Building more authentic and rewarding relationships.  Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: What is your anxiety language? AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Read Kathleen Smith’s new book True to You: A Therapist’s Guide to Stop Pleasing Others and Start Being Yourself  Read Kathleen Smith’s other books, Everything Isn't Terrible: Conquer Your Insecurities, Interrupt Your Anxiety, and Finally Calm Down and The Fangirl Life: A Guide to All the Feels and Learning How to Deal. Read and/or subscribe to Kathleen Smith’s Substack, The Anxious Overachiever Take a look at Kathleen Smith’s website  Follow Kathleen Smith on Twitter @fangirltherapy and on Facebook @kathleensmithwrites Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

We all think of infidelity as something that happens to someone else. When betrayal enters our own safe universe, it comes as a terrible shock. Many couples confronting infidelity end up re-examining just about everything in their lives: not just their marriage, but their work, their relationships with family and friends, and how they find meaning and fulfilment. Sometimes it can even be these couples who end up with the strongest partnerships of all. Caroline Madden, PhD is a Los Angeles based pro-marriage therapist who specializes in helping marriages recover after infidelity. Caroline is the author of several relationship books including: "Fool Me Once: Should I Take Back My Cheating Husband?" and "After a Good Man Cheats: How to Rebuild Trust & Intimacy With Your Wife” and “Blindsided by His Betrayal”.  In this classic episode, Caroline and Andrew draw on decades of shared experience working with couples affected by infidelity. They talk through the complex, painful process of rebuilding after the discovery of betrayal.  Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Three things Caroline Madden knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Listen to Caroline’s book Blindsided by Betrayal on Audible, and take a look at her other books, Fool Me Once: Should I Take Back My Cheating Husband? and After a Good Man Cheats: How to Rebuild Trust & Intimacy With Your Wife Find out more about Caroline’s work with infidelity survivors on her website Follow Caroline on Twitter  Read Andrew’s books on infidelity recovery: Why Did I Ever Cheat? Help Your Partner (and Yourself) Recover From Your Affair How Can I Ever Trust You Again? Infidelity: From Discovery to Recovery in Seven Steps I Can’t Get Over My Partner’s Affair: 50 Questions About Recovering from Extreme Betrayal and the Long-Term Impact of Infidelity Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

People who have near-death experiences or who survive medically-induced comas report back disturbing and beautiful experiences. Some encounter ultra-vivid nightmares, while others undergo a deep, spiritual oneness with the universe or say they have glimpsed the afterlife. Journalist and author Alan Pearce and his wife, Beverly Pearce, are the authors of Coma and Near-Death Experience: The Beautiful, Disturbing, and Dangerous World of the Unconscious. In this episode Andrew and Alan discuss some of the extraordinary states of expanded consciousness that arise during comas, both positive and negative. They explore some of the alternatives to medically-induced coma that are safer for treating critically ill patients and kinder for the patients and their families. Alan Pearce is a journalist, broadcaster, former BBC correspondent, and author of several books. He has contributed to numerous publications, from Time Magazine to The Sunday Times of London. He lives in Nouvelle Aquitaine, France. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Taking a forty-day dark retreat. Three things Alan Pearce knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Buy Alan Pearce’s book Coma and Near-Death Experience: The Beautiful, Disturbing, and Dangerous World of the Unconscious  Visit Alan Pearce’s website  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

The Meaningful Life Classic Episode: Richard Paterson on “No More Overthinking”. Do you struggle to sleep, your mind buzzing with worries about the future? Do you compare yourself to others and find yourself always coming up short? This week’s episode is all about ditching overthinking and seeking happiness that ISN’T determined by external circumstances.  Richard Paterson, my guest this week, has trained throughout his life to quiet the thinking mind and unearth “ a treasure trove of uncaused peace, joy, love and perfect contentment waiting to be discovered—your true Self”. Richard spent much of his twenties and thirties training in Indian ashrams, learning from spiritual masters about meditation and the causes of human suffering. He is trained in techniques of mindfulness and has taken vows as a monk. Richard has travelled the world teaching meditation and mindfulness and is the author of several books.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Take a look at Richard Paterson’s website Read Richard’s books Kick the Thinking Habit  and Awaken the Happy You Read Andrew’s advice on keeping a journal of your life and emotions.  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier: Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

If you’re feeling “stuck” in your relationships, asking new kinds of questions can be a powerful way forward. This week Andrew talks with filmmaker and author Topaz Adizes about starting conversations that lead to a deeper, more authentic connection. Andrew and Topaz discuss Topaz’s new book, 12 Questions for Love, and highlight the importance of: Cultivating genuine curiosity. Asking open-ended questions. The “connective question”, which draws both the asker and the responder into a shared experience.  Creating the right space to ask deeper questions.  The difference between a question with an agenda, and a question with an intention. Topaz Adizes is an Emmy Award-winning writer, director, and experience design architect. He is an Edmund Hillary fellow and Sundance/Skoll stories of change fellow. His works have been selected to Cannes, Sundance, IDFA, and SXSW; featured in New Yorker magazine, Vanity Fair, and the New York Times; and have garnered an Emmy for new approaches to documentary and Two World Press photo awards for immersive storytelling and interactive documentary. He is currently the founder and executive director of the experience design studio The Skin Deep. Topaz studied philosophy at UC Berkeley and Oxford University. He speaks four languages, and currently lives in Mexico with his wife and two children.  Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Three things Topaz Adizes knows to be true. How To Be More Vulnerable. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  For more about The Skin Deep, visit TheSkinDeep.com.  To learn more about Topaz Adizes and his work, visit TopazAdizes.com. Follow Topaz Adizes and The Skin Deep on Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube and Facebook. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall and on Substack at The Meaningful Life. 

The Meaningful Life Classic Episode: TRACEY COX on Great Sex After 50 No-one would deny sex is important to a meaningful life, but what that looks like changes as we age. In this first episode of The Meaningful Life, international sex therapist and Daily Mail columnist Tracey Cox discusses her book Great Sex Starts at 50: How to Age-Proof Your Libido.  While wild, lustful sex can certainly be a unique and special life experience, the sex that brings us meaning is different. It’s the sex that lasts past the orgasm, to include that afterglow as you lie together or even just make each other a post-coital cup of tea. It’s about building a sexual relationship that is not solely focused on orgasm.  Meaningful sex is also sex that the two of you work on - after twenty years you probably won’t want to rip each other’s clothes off, but you CAN plan time to devote to each other, to try new things and create desire. Trying new things is something the majority of couples never do - but it’s a simple recipe for exciting, meaningful sex, and Tracey and Andrew have plenty of tips on where to start. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Three things Tracey Cox knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things. Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools. Buy Great Sex Starts at 50: How to Age-Proof Your Libido by Tracey Cox Get the advice you need on your sex life from Tracey Cox. Listen to Tracey Cox and Kelsey Chittick’s SexTok podcast  Follow Tracey Cox on social media: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter/X. Put the spark back in your relationship with Andrew’s book Have The Sex You Want https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/have-the-sex-you-want-a-couples-guide-to-getting-back-the-spark/ Read Andrew’s advice on what to do if your partner says the passion is gone Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall and on Substack at The Meaningful Life. 

Grief is a painful and confusing journey. Often, the culture encourages us to “move on”, squashing our grief down so that those around us are comfortable.  This week Andrew talks to author and grief coach Shelby Forsythia. They discuss: Whether grief can turn “toxic” Coping with other people’s responses Living with grief as your companion Creating grief rituals Different causes of grief - death, divorce, infidelity, loss of identity.  Shelby Forsythia is a grief coach, author, and podcast host. In 2020, she founded Life After Loss Academy, an online course and community that has helped dozens of grievers grow and find their way after death, divorce, diagnosis, and other major life transitions. Following her mother’s death in 2013, Shelby began calling herself a “student of grief” and now devotes her days to reading, writing, and speaking about loss. Through a combination of mindfulness tools and intuitive, open-ended questions, she guides her clients to welcome grief as a teacher and create meaningful lives that honour and include the heartbreaks they’ve faced. Her work has been featured in Huffington Post, Bustle, and The Oprah Magazine. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing. How to grieve the person you used to be. Three things Shelby Forsythia knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Visit Shelby Forsythia’s website  Follow Shelby Forsythia on social media Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall and on Substack at The Meaningful Life.

Are you successful in the eyes of family and friends, but still feel empty and a little lost? Is there a nagging voice telling you that your life could have been bigger?  Dr Esther Zeledon had scaled the heights of career success as a scientist and international diplomat, but suffered from a strong sense that things weren’t right. She left behind a successful career to become a life coach, author, speaker and workshop facilitator centred on the mission of helping others create their “limitless life”. Andrew and Esther discuss: Esther’s personal journey  Overcoming negative voices Defining the meaning of success Finding clarity on your next steps.  Dr. Esther Zeledón embodies the resilient spirit of a Latina immigrant. Her rich and diverse background has been the cornerstone of her trailblazing work as a life coach, speaker, workshop facilitator, former international diplomat, and scientist. With a commitment to inclusivity, Dr. Zeledón has transformed the lives of thousands worldwide, bridging gaps across communities, corporations, and countries. Dr. Zeledón's book, "Creating Your Limitless Life," blends her personal memoir and life-changing method and follows her journey from paycheck-to-paycheck to creating her limitless life. Through her work, she lives her purpose of elevating people and organisations to shatter limits and trailblaze. Subscriber Content This Week   If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Coping with the fear of being judged. Three things Esther Zeledon knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Dr Esther Zeledon’s book, Creating Your Limitless Life: On Your Terms. Visit Dr Esther Zeledon's website Follow Dr Esther Zeledon on Instagram @be.act.change Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall and on Substack at The Meaningful Life.

Grandparents love to spoil their grandchildren and make them happy, whereas as a parent, you take your responsibility for your children’s health and wellbeing seriously. This, together with different experiences of what childhood means, can be a recipe for anxiety and conflict. In this episode, parenting expert Sue Atkins talks with Andrew about how to have positive conversations with your in-laws. Andrew and Sue cover: When to start a conversation. Recognising the value of grandparents’ input. Discussing where shared values might lie. Finding balance and seeing the bigger picture. What to do if your in-laws just won’t observe your boundaries. Sue Atkins has over 35 years experience as a parenting coach and Deputy Headteacher, and has raised two children of her own. She is the Parenting Expert for ITV’s ‘This Morning’, BBC Radio, Disney Junior, Good Morning Britain and India’s Parenting World Magazine.  Sue has a B.Ed (Hons) Degree and is a qualified Life Coach. She is also an NLP Master Practitioner & Trainer taught by Dr Richard Bandler & Paul McKenna. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Support yourself and your child through change. Three things Sue Atkins knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Visit Sue Atkins’ website.  Follow Sue Atkins on Instagram @sueatkinsparentingexpert, on Twitter/X @SueAtkins and on Facebook @SueAtkinsTheParentingExpert. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall and on Substack at The Meaningful Life.

Parents like to feel they are independent individuals making their own decisions, but in reality parenting is hugely influenced by our own experiences of childhood.  In this classic early episode, Andrew and therapist and author Philippa Perry talk about how we are “links in a chain", and why it is important for parents to recognise that and ensure their own links are shaped to the needs of their children.  Philippa Perry is a psychotherapist and author of several books, including The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will be Glad That You Did) and How To Stay Sane. She has also presented a number of documentaries, is Red Magazine’s agony aunt, and writes for numerous British publications. Philippa has also starred alongside her husband Grayson Perry in the recent Channel 4 series, Grayson’s Art Club. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Three things Philippa Perry knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things https://andrewgmarshall.com/download/  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Read Philippa Perry’s book The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will be Glad That You Did) Read Philippa’s advice column in Red Magazine Follow Philippa on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram  Read The Orchid and the Dandelion: Why Sensitive Children Face Challenges and How All Can Thrive by W Thomas Boyce MD. Read Andrew’s book on building a stronger relationship as parents: I Love You But You Always Put Me Last: How to Child-Proof Your Marriage Read Andrew’s book on making meaningful change in your life Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall and on Substack at The Meaningful Life. 

Each month, 20% of us embark on a new diet. Sadly, 95% of all diets prove unsuccessful. According to psychologist and author Dr Pam Spurr, emotional eating to soothe difficult feelings is to blame.  This week Andrew and Pam discuss the ways emotional eating is culturally ingrained, other strategies to self-soothe and how you can develop a more holistic approach to your health. Pam also offers some advice to Andrew on his struggles with his doctor’s orders to cut back on crisps and crackers! Dr Pam Spurr is an academic and a psychologist who works mainly in the media, including as an agony aunt. She also works as a well-being consultant to city corporations where she triages employees for psychological services. Pam has written 15 self-help books on topics from happiness to dating and The Emotional Eater's Diet. Her first children’s book is Eva the Bear and the Magic Snowflake and has just been published.  Pam has had countless magazine and newspaper columns over the years, including in The Times, the Sun, the Express and in media outlets from Cosmo Bride to MSN and many others. She regularly appears on TV programmes including Sky News, Talk TV, GB News and the BBC. She was a popular contributor on the Big Brother shows for 12 years.  Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Ten essential principles to change your life Three things Dr Pam Spurr knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Read Dr Pam Spurr’s new book for children Eva the Bear and the Magic Snowflake  Read Dr Pam Spurr’s book The Emotional Eater’s Diet  Read Dr Pam Spurr’s other books about sex and relationships. Visit Dr Pam Spurr’s website  Follow Dr Pam Spurr on Twitter/X and Instagram @drpamspurr   Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

As a child, were you made to feel like your feelings didn’t matter, while your parents’ feelings loomed large? Were your boundaries repeatedly crossed? Were you emotionally neglected? If so, you may have been raised by emotionally immature parents.  In this episode Andrew talks to TikTok's popular healing transformation coach Dr. Kai Tai Kevin Qiu, the author of Emotionally Immature Parents: A Recovery Workbook for Adult Children. Andrew and Kai discuss: How to know if your parents were emotionally immature. Creating boundaries in the present day Processing difficult memories Developing a non-judgmental approach towards yourself, others and even your parents. Dr Kai Tai Kevin Qiu is the founder of Boundaries to Freedom, a healing transformation coach, digital nomad, and digital creator. His holistic and practical approach is based on his experience studying medicine, personal development, positive psychology, Buddhism, and spirituality. He is a first generation Chinese-Canadian currently living part-time in Thailand, Canada, and Europe.  Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Setting consequences if your parents can't stay within the boundaries. Three things Dr Kai Tai Kevin Qiu knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools   Visit Dr Kai’s website  Get Dr Kai’s book Emotionally Immature Parents: A Recovery Workbook for Adult Children Take Dr Kai’s Am I Emotionally Immature Quiz Follow Dr Kai on Instagram and TikTok  @hicoachkai Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Gaslighting is an insidious form of emotional abuse in which a gaslighter undermines and controls another person by deflecting, twisting, and denying their reality. Gaslighting leaves victims second-guessing themselves, unable to make decisions and destabilised by constant shifts in reality.  In this week’s episode, Andrew talks to author and psychoanalyst Dr Robin Stern about gaslighting, and how to pull yourself out of this form of emotional abuse. Andrew and Robin discuss what makes you vulnerable to gaslighting, how to build your capacity to trust yourself, and how to identify the gaslight effect in different relationships. Robin also shares her personal experiences of gaslighting.  Dr Robin Stern co-founded the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence with Marc Brackett and currently serves as the senior advisor to the director. She is the author of The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life,  and a follow-up workbook edition, The Gaslight Effect Recovery Guide. She launched The Gaslight Effect Podcast in 2022.  Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Gaslighting in the workplace. Three things Dr Robin Stern knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Dr Robin Stern’s books The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life,  and The Gaslight Effect Recovery Guide.  Visit Dr Robin Stern’s website Listen to the Gaslight Effect Podcast  Follow Dr Robin Stern on Instagram @dr.robinstern, on Facebook @drrobinstern and Twitter/X @RobinSStern. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Sex and pornography addiction is on the rise. It can affect young and old, rich and poor, male and female. Those who are in the grip of this type of addiction struggle to create and maintain "real-life" relationships, and their partners may experience feelings of grief and betrayal. In this episode Andrew talks with psychotherapist Dr Paula Hall about pornography and sex addiction. Andrew and Paula discuss: What we mean by “addiction” in this context. How pornography can wreck a couple’s sex life. Starting your recovery.  Moving forward as a couple if one of you has a pornography or sex addiction. Dr Paula Hall is the founder of the Laurel Centre, and the author of 4 books on sex and porn addiction, as well as two Relate Guides, and Improving Your Relationship for Dummies.  Her most recent venture is founding the not-for-profit organisation, Pivotal Recovery, to provide anonymous, accessible, professional self-help for people struggling with sex and porn addiction.   Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: New life after addiction. Three things Paula Hall knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools. Read Dr Paula Hall’s books, including Sex Addiction: The Partner’s Perspective and Sex Addiction: A Guide for Couples and Those Who Help Them.  Visit the Laurel Centre website for resources on pornography and sex addiction, including videos, articles, courses and counselling options. ​ Watch the video The Road to Brighton, which is discussed in this episode. Visit the Pivotal Recovery website for an affordable, online therapy-based programme to quit porn addiction, sex addiction and compulsive sexual behaviours.  Follow Dr Paula Hall on Twitter/X @paulahall_psych. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

An anxious attachment style is very common, and can lead to chaotic and unsuccessful relationships. Research suggests that anxious types are more prone to insecurity, jealousy, codependency, and other behaviours that get in the way of finding and sustaining love.  In this episode psychotherapist Jessica Baum talks with Andrew about identifying and understanding our attachment style, and building the inner resources required to create more secure, happier relationships.  Jessica Baum is the founder of The Relationship Institute of Palm Beach, and the author of Anxiously Attached: How to Heal and Feel More Secure in Love. She created the Self-full Method to help people in both one-on-one and online transformational group coaching who are struggling with anxiety, relationship conflict, marital issues, and codependent relationships. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: When does anxious attachment become love addiction or codependency? Three things Jessica Baum knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Read Jessica Baum’s book Anxiously Attached: How to Heal and Feel More Secure in Love. Visit Jessica Baum’s website to learn more about her work, including the Self-full method. Follow Jessica Baum on Instagram and YouTube @jessicabaumlmhc and on Facebook @beselffull Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

People-pleasing is an ultimately futile and self-defeating approach to life. If we focus on making everyone else happy, we can end up frustrated, confused and resentful. Ironically, in trying to be “Mr Nice Guy”, people-pleasers often end up driven into behaviour that is anything but nice. This week Andrew talks to therapist and author Dr Robert Glover about why people-pleasing is an inauthentic way to exist, and how it often leads to destructive patterns including: Giving to get Difficulty setting boundaries Dishonesty Caretaking,  Fixing Codependency,  Conflict avoidance,  Passive-aggressiveness,  Unsatisfying relationships,  Issues with sexuality. Dr. Robert Glover, therapist, coach, speaker, and educator is a relationship expert with over 40 years of professional experience. The author of the groundbreaking, No More Mr. Nice Guy, Dr. Glover has helped thousands of men world-wide transform their lives and get what they want in their careers and relationships.  Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Visit Dr Robert Glover’s website and take a look at some of the ways you can work with him, including workshops, online classes and one-to-one consultations. Buy Dr Robert Glover’s books No More Mr Nice Guy: A Proven Plan for Getting What You Want in Love, Sex, and Life and Dating Essentials for Men: Frequently Asked Questions. Follow Dr Robert Glover on YouTube @drrobertglover Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

If our partner really loved us, wouldn’t everything be a lot easier? If they were “the one”, surely we wouldn’t be losing our minds over towels dropped on the bathroom floor? In this episode marital therapist Dr Cheryl Fraser joins Andrew to discuss the destructive myth of the soulmate. According to Cheryl, there is no such thing as a soulmate. When we set aside the naive expectation that love will conquer all, we can begin to learn the skills required to build lasting intimacy.  Dr Cheryl Fraser is the author of Buddha’s Bedroom, and the therapist behind the Become Passion online immersion program for couples. Cheryl has helped thousands of couples jump-start their love life and create passion that lasts a lifetime. She lives in Vancouver, and is regularly featured in Mindful and Best Health magazines. Cheryl was also a Fulbright scholar, and has studied meditation and Buddhism for twenty-five years, in both the Tibetan and Theravaden traditions. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Join one of Dr Cheryl Fraser’s free online couple workshops and find out more about her  Become Passion programme. Take Dr Cheryl Fraser’s  Passion Quiz and rate your relationship. Read Dr Cheryl Fraser’s book, Buddha’s Bedroom. Follow Dr Cheryl on Facebook and YouTube  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Good therapy changes lives: people stop worrying as much, they make better decisions, they are kinder to themselves and their loved ones, they achieve more at work, they can control their anger, they are able to stop destructive habits, they form loving relationships. This week therapists Graham Johnston and Matt Wotton talk to Andrew about their new book, A Straight Talking Introduction to Therapy. Matt and Graham both experienced the transformative power of effective therapy, and both left lucrative, high-status careers to retrain as therapists. They discuss the evidence that therapy works, which type of therapy to choose, and why it works so well.  Graham Johnston is a psychotherapist and educator. He is Director of Policy at The Bowlby Centre, the UK’s leading training institution in attachment-based psychotherapy, and has also worked for the UK Government, specialising in home affairs. He and Matt Wotton are the Co-Founders and Directors of LCAP.  Matt Wotton is a psychotherapist and executive coach, and also Chair of The Bowlby Centre and Director at LCAP. Matt has over two decades of experience in forensic mental health in the criminal justice system - in operations, coaching leaders, and advising ministers. He led the review of Race in the Criminal Justice System (The Lammy Review), commissioned by the Prime Minister, and has been a member of the Prison & Probation Board.  Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things https://andrewgmarshall.com/download/  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools https://courses.andrewgmarshall.com/relationship-tools  Read Graham Johnston and Matt Wotton’s new book A Straight Talking Introduction to Therapy: What it Is, Why it Works, How to Get it  Learn more about the London Centre for Applied Psychology (LCAP), where Graham Johnston and Matt Wotton work as Directors. Learn more about The Bowlby Centre,  the UK’s leading training institution in attachment-based psychotherapy. Follow LCAP on Twitter and Facebook @LCAPsychology. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

How can we live with loss? What can we do when death shakes to the core our comfortable belief that life is predictable, the world is just, and people are reliable?  This week Dr Robert A. Neimeyer of the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition joins Andrew to discuss the work of grief. Andrew and Robert discuss the task of rebuilding meaning in the face of death, relationship breakdown or unwelcome life transitions. Robert shares his “six tasks of grief”, which are designed to help integrate loss into our lives.  Dr Robert A. Neimeyer directs the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition, actively practices as a trainer, consultant and coach, and has published over 600 articles and 35 books, most on grieving as a meaning-making process. His most recent books are New Techniques of Grief Therapy with Routledge and The Handbook of Grief Therapies with Sage. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things https://andrewgmarshall.com/download/  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools https://courses.andrewgmarshall.com/relationship-tools  Read Dr Robert A. Neimeyer’s books, New Techniques of Grief Therapy and The Handbook of Grief Therapies. Find out more about the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition https://www.portlandinstitute.org/about-us . Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Have you allowed yourself to explore your sexual fantasies, or do they feel like dark territory that is off-limits? Have you explored them with your partner? This week I talk to Jungian psychotherapist Dr Douglas Thomas about his new book, The Deep Psychology of BDSM and Kink. We cover: Why it’s so hard to talk about your fantasies with your partner. How Jungian archetypes can provide a language to better understand BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism) and kink. Whether BDSM can be a path to individuation and bringing soul into the world.  Dr Douglas Thomas is an author and a Jungian psychotherapist in private practice in California. He has presented workshops and talks throughout the state of California on LGBTQ issues and on dream therapy, his two areas of specialization. He teaches at the Pacifica Graduate Institute. Dr. Thomas holds a masters degree from the USC School of Social Work, and a PhD in Depth Psychology with an emphasis in psychotherapy from Pacifica Graduate Institute.  Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things https://andrewgmarshall.com/download/  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools https://courses.andrewgmarshall.com/relationship-tools  Buy Dr Douglas Thomas’ new book, The Deep Psychology of BDSM and Kink https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Psychology-BDSM-Kink/dp/1032122072  Visit Dr Douglas Thomas’ website https://www.drdouglasthomas.com  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

If you were raised in a sad, chaotic home, you will unsurprisingly experience difficulties in your adult relationships. If your parents were cold and distant and discouraged the expression of emotions, you’ll be equally ill-prepared for successful relationships or effective parenting. This week Andrew talks to Dr Samantha Rodman Whiten (also known as Dr Psych Mom) about dysfunctional parenting and how to overcome its complex legacies.  Dr Samatha Rodman Whiten is a clinical psychologist, a writer, and the mother of three children. She hosts and writes the hugely popular Dr Psych Mom podcast and blog.  Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Visit Dr Samantha Rodman Whiten’s website, DrPsychMom.com  Listen to Dr Samantha Rodman Whiten’s podcast The Dr. Psych Mom Show  Dr. Samantha Rodman Whiten also runs Best Life Behavioral Health, a virtual group practice of therapists and coaches. Follow Dr Samantha Rodman Whiten on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @drpsychmom. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Estrangement from adult children can be one of the most disorienting and painful experiences of a parent's life.  This week, Andrew talks to Dr Joshua Coleman, the author of Rules of Estrangement. They discuss: Why estrangement has become so common Why estrangement isn’t a one-sided story of parents who got what they deserved or overly entitled adult children. Approaches parents can take to achieve reconciliation with children and grandchildren. Techniques for starting a conversation. Dr Coleman’s own experience of estrangement from his daughter.  Dr Joshua Coleman is a psychologist in private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area and a Senior Fellow with the Council on Contemporary Families. He has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, Huffington Post, and Psychology Today. He has been a frequent guest on The Today Show and NPR, and has even been featured on Sesame Street.  Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools  Buy Dr Joshua Coleman’s new book, Rules of Estrangement  Visit Dr Joshua Coleman’s website  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interview with Celia Dodd on how to Navigate Your Relationship with Your Adult Children Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Could the ancient wisdom of Taoism help us with the emotional challenges of modern life? Author and Taoist priest Greg Ripley believes that a little-known 6th-century Taoist text called the Bai Yao Lu (Statutes of the Hundred Remedies) offers some profound answers. In this episode, Greg and Andrew discuss some of the Hundred Remedies, and how they can help us go with the flow, deepen our meditation practice and find the natural balance in all things. Greg Ripley is a Taoist Priest in the 22nd generation of the Quanzhen Longmen tradition as well as a Nature and Forest Therapy Guide. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Asian studies from the University of Tennessee and a master’s degree in acupuncture from Northwestern Health Sciences University. He is the author of The Hundred Remedies of the Tao, Tao of Sustainability and Voice of the Elders. He lives in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Buy Greg Ripley’s book, The Hundred Remedies of the Tao: Spiritual Wisdom for Interesting Times  Visit Greg Ripley’s website  Follow Greg Ripley on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interview with Henry Emmons, Bring More Calm and Joy Into Your Life  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.

For many women, intense caring and nurturing relationships cause their inner fire to dim, leaving them feeling they have lost themselves. Author and Jungian analyst Lisa Marchiano’s new book is called The Vital Spark: Reclaim Your Outlaw Energies and Find Your Feminine Fire. Lisa wrote the book to help women “break free from the conditioning that has kept them confined to rigid roles and muffled the sound of their soul”. Andrew and Lisa discuss the eight qualities Lisa identifies in the book: shrewdness, disagreeableness, desire, trickiness, sexuality, anger, authority, and ruthlessness. They also cover the ways in which the ancient wisdom of fairy tales (such as The Frog Prince and Fitcher’s Bird) can help women access these lost qualities and build a more complete, authentic self. Lisa Marchiano is an award-winning author, certified Jungian analyst, and the co-host of This Jungian Life podcast. Her highly-acclaimed books draw upon the healing wisdom of fairy tales to help women connect more deeply with themselves. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things. Take a look at Andrew’s new online course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Lisa Marchiano’s new book, The Vital Spark: Reclaim Your Outlaw Energies and Find Your Feminine Fire or her first book, Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself. Get a free 1-month trial of Lisa Marchiano’s new online fairy tale group for women, Spinning Straw Listen to or watch This Jungian Life podcast   Visit Lisa Marchiano’s website. Follow Lisa Marchiano on Instagram  and Twitter @lisamarchiano  Listen to Andrew’s 2021 interview with Lisa Marchiano on Being a Mother.  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Andrew’s Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Menopause is a seismic transition for women, and for their partners. The physical and emotional changes it brings will undoubtedly reverberate into a couple’s sex life.  Irish therapist Beth Wallace believes that this transition can be an opportunity rather than an ending. While decreases in hormones definitely impact women’s bodies in some detrimental ways (which will need management), decreased satisfaction with our sensual and sexual lives is NOT inevitable. Andrew and Beth discuss the ways in which the natural changes of menopause can be a time to reflect on desire, expectations and sexual creativity. With good communication, menopause can allow a couple to reflect on their new life stage, and maximise its opportunities.  Beth Wallace is a psychotherapist and applied psychology graduate. She supports adults to create and maintain satisfying intimate relationships with themselves, with others & with life itself through private client sessions with individuals & couples, workshops, online courses, retreats & intensives. Follow Up Get Andrew’s NEW free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online course: My Best Relationship Tools Explore Beth Wallace’s website  Follow Beth Wallace @bethwallacerelationships on Facebook , @drbethwallace on Instagram and Twitter, and on LinkedIn. You might be interested in some of Andrew’s other interviews: Tracey Cox on Great Sex After 50. Rachel Weiss on Menopause. Fabian Edzard Schneider on Mismatched Levels of Sexual Desire. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

If you’ve suffered serious trauma, you may well be feeling confused by the sudden ubiquity of the term. The concept of trauma is having its cultural moment in the sun, and seems to be constantly under discussion on social media.  This week, Andrew speaks to Jeremy Fox, a therapist and trauma specialist, about: How to define trauma Different types of trauma Whether it’s helpful to label your trauma. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) as a trauma treatment. Jeremy Fox is a licensed mental health therapist, certified professional counseling supervisor, and an EMDR trauma counselor and consultant. He has been published in the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: The link between anxiety and trauma Three things Jeremy Fox knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s NEW free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Take a look at Andrew’s new online course: My Best Relationship Tools. Read Jeremy Fox’s Substack newsletter  Follow Jeremy Fox on LinkedIn  You might be interested in Andrew’s other episodes on trauma: Galit Atlas on Buried Trauma Fenella Hansen on Dealing With Trauma Julia Paulette Hollenbery on Seven Medicines for Healing from Trauma. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there https://bit.ly/TheMeaningfulLifeSubstack  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

I’m excited to launch my new online course for couples: My Best Relationship Tools. This week, I talk with my friend and podcast engineer, Michael Dooney, about how the course can make a difference in your relationship. We discuss: Why couples struggle to communicate How to stop using failing strategies New ways of approaching conflict How to listen, build rapport and make certain both of you feel heard Healing your relationship. Follow Up Find out more about my course: My Best Relationship Tools. Get my free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things 

Each and every one of us is awesome in some way - but, we are also human. Author, speaker and entrepreneur Nataly Kogan wrote her Awesome Human Journal to help people learn to honour their humanity, whilst also strengthening their emotional fitness. In this episode, Andrew and Nataly discuss how to: Edit your thoughts and quiet your inner critic Say “no” to things that drain your energy Make joy a priority without guilt Reduce overwhelm and fuel your motivation Talk back to your brain when it holds you back with fear Nataly Kogan is an entrepreneur, speaker, and author. She immigrated to the US as a refugee from the former Soviet Union when she was 13 years old. Starting her life in the projects and on welfare, she went on to reach the highest levels of corporate success at companies like McKinsey & Company and Microsoft. When she still found herself unfulfilled, Nataly set out to discover what really leads to a fulfilling, happier life. Her explorations led her to create Happier, a company whose award-winning mobile application, online courses, and “Happier at Work” training programs have helped more than a million people improve their emotional health. Nataly is a sought-after keynote speaker and has appeared in hundreds of media outlets, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, TEDxBoston, SXSW, The Harvard Women’s Leadership Conference, and The Dr. Oz Show.  Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Refilling Your Energy Reservoir Three Things Nataly Kogan knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Get Andrew’s NEW free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Read Nataly Kogan’s new book, The Awesome Human Journal Visit Nataly Kogan’s website and take a look at her Unleash Your Thriving coaching programme. Follow Nataly Kogan @natalykogan on Instagram and Twitter, and @natalykoganauthor on Facebook and @HappierwithNataly on YouTube.  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Richard Paterson on No More Overthinking and Henry Emmons on The Road to Calm and Joy. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Hopes, dreams and goals stretch far into the future, but intentions are about the present. Setting intentions means translating your goals into small steps you can achieve right now. Intentionality offers you  a roadmap for progress and personal growth.  In this episode Andrew talks with therapist Erin Vandermore about what it means to set intentions, how to set up intentions that are achievable and positive, and the rewards that come with a regular intention-setting practice.  Erin Vandermore, MA, LCPC, LCMHC, is a licensed therapist, and wellness coach with over 14 years of experience in the fields of mental health and life coaching. As the founder of Age of Uncertainty Coaching, Erin has dedicated her life to helping individuals discover their unique skills and talents—those often overshadowed by self-sabotage. Her empathetic lens, cultivated through her personal journey as a mother, a survivor of pre-eclampsia, and an individual living with dyslexia, ADHD, and anxiety, allows her to connect with her clients on a deeply human level. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: How to Deal with Emotional Eating.  Three Things Erin Vandermore knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Visit Erin Vandermore’s website and take a look at her online courses. Follow Erin Vandermore Instagram @aoucoaching, on Facebook @AgeofUncertaintyCoaching, on YouTube @AOU_Coaching_with_Erin and on TikTok @ageofuncertaintycoach.  Get Andrew’s NEW free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things  Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

More than one third of adults suffer from insomnia or some other kind of sleep disorder. Left unaddressed, lack of sleep can lead to debilitated health, lowered resilience, and decreased performance in all aspects of life. Psychologist, author and spiritual teacher Philip Carr-Gomm’s latest book is The Gift of the Night. The book combines an extensive knowledge of sleep science and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with techniques drawn from spiritual traditions and insights from the emerging field of psychedelic therapy. In this episode, Andrew and Philip discuss the sleep difficulties that can come with growing older, reframing your understanding of sleeplessness, and some of the practical techniques that can create a better night’s sleep. This is Philip Carr-Gomm’s second appearance on The Meaningful Life.  Philip is an expert in psychosynthesis, an  “awe-inspiring territory that has the power to transform us”. He believes that something magical happens when the worlds of modern psychology and ancient spiritual teachings are brought together. He has studied Druidry extensively and from 1988-2020 was the leader of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. He has a degree in psychology and has trained in psychotherapy, play therapy, Montessori education, yoga nidra, mindfulness meditation and sophrology. Philip recently created an online school, The Art of Living Well, to offer courses combining psychological and spiritual understanding. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Unhelpful Myths About Sleep. Three Things Philip Carr-Gomm knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Download Andrew's new FREE guide: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things. Read Philip Carr-Gomm’s new book, The Gift of the Night: A Six-Step Program for Better Sleep. Listen to Philip Carr-Gomm’s 2021 interview with Andrew on Creating an Authentic Life Take a look at Philip Carr-Gomm’s website  Find out more about the courses offered at Philip’s online school, The Art of Living Well Follow Philip on Instagram at @philipcarrgomm and on Facebook at @philip.carrgomm Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Better sex, coping with strong emotions, healing your inner child and harnessing the power of compassion: these were some of the big themes that spoke to The Meaningful Life listeners in 2023. Jon from the Marshall Method team of therapists is Andrew’s special guest for this New Year’s Day episode. Andrew and Jon each choose their favourite episodes, and share highlights from them. These are the episodes chosen by Andrew and Jon as their 2023 favourites: What is the Feeling Trying to Tell Me? with Karla McLaren. Healing Your Lost Child with Robert Jackman Tantra: How to Make Your Lovemaking More Connected with Jan Day Slay Your Dragons With Compassion with Malcolm Stern How to Heal Stubborn & Inexplicable Health Problems with Sharon E. Martin Rites of Passage and Mentoring: How to Become an Adult with Conroy Harris Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Highlights from interviews with Avrum Weiss on Anxiety, and with Olivier Clerc on Forgiveness. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Book a counselling session with Jon or with one of the other Marshall Method team. Get Andrew’s NEW free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things. Read Andrew’s book I Love You But I’m Not In Love With You Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Christmas isn’t usually thought of as a romantic holiday, but this week Dr Cheryl Fraser explores some of the ways you and your partner can share intimacy, sensuality and thrill over the winter break (however you choose to celebrate). Andrew and Cheryl discuss: Making the most of beautiful moments. Finding the strength to say no.  Planning ahead so things go how you’d like them to Avoiding the people-pleasing trap. Giving your partner a “sexy stocking”. Dr Cheryl Fraser is the author of Buddha’s Bedroom, the host of the Sex, Love and Elephants podcast, and the therapist behind the Become Passion online immersion program for couples. Cheryl has helped thousands of couples jump-start their love life and create passion that lasts a lifetime. She lives in Vancouver, and is regularly featured in Mindful and Best Health magazines. Cheryl was also a Fulbright scholar, and has studied meditation and Buddhism for twenty-five years, in both the Tibetan and Theravaden traditions. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Top Resolutions for Better Sex and Communication in 2024. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Learn more about Dr Cheryl’s online immersion program for couples, Become Passion, and join the waitlist.  Sign up to receive Lovebytes, Dr Cheryl’s tips and techniques to help you create love that lasts a lifetime. Read Dr Cheryl’s book, Buddha’s Bedroom Listen to Dr Cheryl’s podcast Sex, Love and Elephants  Follow Dr Cheryl on Facebook and YouTube  Read Andrew’s book I Love You But I’m Not In Love With You  Read Andrew’s blog Seven Secrets for Making Marriage Last  Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson taught a path of self-reliance and self-knowledge. He emphasised self-knowledge and mindfulness as paths to happiness; also, self-reliance, cooperation, non-conformity, originality, adaptability, and receptiveness.  This week, Andrew talks to author and teacher Mark Matousek about how Emerson’s twelve essential teachings hold the answer to living an authentic and fulfilling life, one that is in harmony with our souls. Key principles include: Each person creates their own reality.  Obstacles are teachers in disguise Your character is your destiny Wonder and awe are the keys to the kingdom Nonconformity is the greatest virtue Nature is the doorway to God Life without self-knowledge is not worth living. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: When you're falling, dive. Three things Mark Matousek knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Mark Matousek’s new book, Lessons from an American Stoic: How Emerson Can Change Your Life.  Read When You're Falling, Dive: Lessons in the Art of Living by Mark Matousek.  Visit Mark Matousek’s website. Follow Mark Matousek on Facebook @mark.matousek Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

The idea of “imposter syndrome” has found its cultural moment - we hear it talked about constantly, and many of us resonate with the idea of feeling like a fraud in our work or relationships.  In this episode, Susan Schwartz PhD returns to the podcast to help explore the concept of imposter syndrome in more depth. Susan and Andrew discuss The ways imposter syndrome is rooted in childhood. Painful experiences of imposter syndrome in our romantic relationships The difference between presenting different aspects of who we are VS suffering from imposter syndrome.  The related concept of the “as-if” personality - the individual who goes through life pretending they have a meaningful identity, when at heart, they feel that they do not. This person faces a “conundrum around whether to hide or expose the truth of who they are”.  Susan Schwartz is a Jungian analyst who trained in Switzerland and lives in the USA. She teaches in numerous Jungian programs, workshops, and lectures in the USA and worldwide. She is also a clinical psychologist and member of the International Association of Analytical Psychology. Her new book is Imposter Syndrome and The ‘As-If’ Personality in Analytical Psychology. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Ageing, the “As If” personality and Narcissism. Three things Susan Schwartz knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Dr Susan Schwartz’s latest books:  Imposter Syndrome and The ‘As-If’ Personality in Analytical Psychology The Absent Father Effect on Daughters, Father Desire, Father Wounds.  Listen to Andrew’s previous interview with Dr Susan Schwartz on Fathers and Daughters  Visit Dr Susan Schwartz’s website Follow Dr Susan Schwartz on Facebook and Instagram Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier  Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there https://bit.ly/TheMeaningfulLifeSubstack  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Setting boundaries can seem really hard - you wonder how the other person will react, and whether you’re strong enough to manage such a task. You’re perhaps not even sure of the difference between boundary-setting and laying down an ultimatum.  Relationship expert Krystal Mazzola Wood likes to focus on the good news. If you CAN learn to set healthy boundaries, your relationships will grow stronger, livelier and more sustaining.  In this episode Andrew and Krystal discuss how recovering people-pleasers can approach boundary-setting, how to practice setting boundaries and how to find the boundaries that are non-negotiable for you.  Krystal Mazzola Wood is a practicing licensed marriage and family therapist. She works with clients at her private practice, The Healthy Relationship Foundation, which she founded to help people experience greater self-love and deeper intimacy with others. Krystal is also the author of a number of relationship guides. Her latest book is Setting Boundaries: 100 Ways to Protect Yourself, Strengthen Your Relationships, and Build the Life You Want Starting Now!,  Krystal also maintains a weekly blog, Confidently Authentic, which focuses on balanced, mentally healthy dating and relationship advice. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: How to Deal with Resentment Three things Krystal Mazzola Wood knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Buy Krystal Mazzola Wood’s books: Setting Boundaries: 100 Ways to Protect Yourself, Strengthen Your Relationships, and Build the Life You Want Starting Now! The Codependency Recovery Plan The Codependency Workbook Visit Krystal Mazzola Wood’s website The Healthy Relationship Foundation  Read Krystal Mazzola Wood’s blog Confidently Authentic  Follow Krystal Mazzola Wood on Instagram @krystal_mazzola.   Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Nobody dreams of becoming a stepmother. Yet for Michelle Brown, a blogger and step-parenting expert, being a step-mother feels like something she was meant to do.  Michelle has a unique bond with her step-son, and through her writing she has also become a light in the darkness for many new step-parents struggling to make things work. Michelle is the first to admit, however, that step-parenting can be painful and exceptionally complex.  In this week’s episode, Andrew and Michelle discuss: How society sees step-parents The challenges of running a blended family. Dealing with your partner’s ex (your step-child’s other parent). Defining your role in your step-child’s life. Parenting your biological child alongside your step-child. Looking after your marriage as a step-parent Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️What I learned having breakfast with my ex-husband. ⭐️Three things Michelle Brown knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Michelle’s writing on step-parenting at www.theponderingnook.com and on Medium Listen to Michelle’s podcast, The Pondering Stepmom Podcast  Follow Michelle on Instagram and Facebook @theponderingnook and on Twitter @MichellePonders Read Andrew’s book The Happy Couple’s Handbook: Powerful Life Hacks for a Successful Relationship https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/the-happy-couples-handbook-powerful-life-hacks-for-a-successful-relationship/  You might also enjoy last week’s episode with therapist Terry Gaspard on Making Your Second Marriage Work. Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

The divorce rate for second marriages is in most countries higher than the rate for firsts. If you’re onto a second or third marriage (or if you’re contemplating one) you’ll need a strong toolkit.  In this episode, Andrew welcomes marital therapist Terry Gaspard back to the podcast for a second interview, this time to discuss the particular challenges of second marriages. These can include: Unfinished business with ex-partners Dealing with debts and handling money Blending families Finding time and space for sex. Terry Gaspard, MSW, LICSW, is a licensed clinical social worker with extensive experience in counselling and writing. Her latest book is The Remarriage Manual, and she is also the author of Daughters of Divorce.  Sponsor This week's episode is sponsored by Biyaku: a sexuality app with the motto: ''Let your libido drive you.'' The app shares a huge variety of practices, including meditations, breath-work, Kegel exercises and even body movement that are specifically designed to help you connect with your libido. Download the app (iOS or Android) for a free trial for 7 days and see the effects for yourself. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️How to know if it's a small issue (and not sweat it) or a big one to be resolved ⭐️Three things Terry Gaspard knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Buy Terry Gaspard’s new book The Remarriage Manual https://movingpastdivorce.com/the-re-marraige-manual/  Read Terry Gaspard’s first book, Daughters of Divorce https://movingpastdivorce.com/order-daughters-of-divorce/  Visit Terry Gaspard’s website https://movingpastdivorce.com  Follow Terry Gaspard on Twitter/X @MovePastDivorce and on Facebook @movingpastdivorce Listen to Andrew’s previous interview with Terry Gaspard on Daughters of Divorce: the Long-Term Impact of Marital Breakdown Read Andrew’s book The Happy Couple’s Handbook: Powerful Life Hacks for a Successful Relationship https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/the-happy-couples-handbook-powerful-life-hacks-for-a-successful-relationship/  Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there https://bit.ly/TheMeaningfulLifeSubstack  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Healing from profound exhaustion of the spirit requires more than just thinking of a good plan. Author and Jungian Bea Gonzalez believes in storytelling and myth as powerful tools for healing. In this episode, Andrew and Bea discuss: Why fairy tales have so much to teach us. Rediscovering feminine wisdom (which both men and women need) How to analyse a fairy tale to find the message it contains for YOU. The tale of the Skeleton Woman - Andrew and Bea tell this story section by section,  discussing its rich metaphors along the way. Bea Gonzalez is the creator of Sophia Cycles, a project to bring feminine wisdom back to the world. She is the author of several novels (including Invocation, The Bitter Taste of Time and The Mapmaker’s Opera). Bea is also a lecturer and educator, and has taught classes on the work of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell all over the world.  Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Code Breaking: Unlocking the symbolic life Three things Bea Gonzalez knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Bea Gonzalez’s new novel, Invocation and her other books, The Bitter Taste of Time and The Mapmaker’s Opera. Visit Bea Gonzalez’s website https://www.sophiacycles.com/  Follow Bea Gonzalez on Instagram, Twitter/X and YouTube @sophiacycles You might enjoy Andrew’s other episode on fairy tales, How Fairy Tales Can Refresh & Move You Forward, with Libby Nugent, or his interview with Jungian analyst and author James Hollis on How to be Resilient. Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

“Shame is a powerful, universal, mysterious emotion. It can be incredibly painful and destructive AND it is designed to protect you” (Sheila Rubin).  Marriage therapist Sheila Rubin is a leading authority on how to heal the shame that might be holding you back in your relationships and your life. In this interview, Andrew and Sheila discuss how to achieve a deeper understanding of your shame, stop resisting it, and even turn it into an ally.  Sheila Rubin, MA, MFT, RDT/BCT is a Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in Berkeley, California. She is the Co-Director of the Center for Healing Shame, a continuing education provider that offers Healing Shame workshops to therapists and other helping professionals. Sheila has developed therapy techniques integrating somatic and expressive processes to work with the all-pervasive shame and trauma that underlie eating disorders, addictions and toxic family dynamics. She is also the co-author (along with her husband, Bret Lyon) of a new book, Embracing Shame.  Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: Shame and eating disorders Three things Sheila Rubin knows to be true. AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Read Sheila Rubin’s new book, Embracing Shame.  To download a free guidebook, Resilience and Hidden Shame, please visit www.SheilaRubin.com For more information about Sheila’s Healing Shame workshops, please visit www.HealingShame.com.   Read Andrew’s book The Happy Couple’s Handbook: Powerful Life Hacks for a Successful Relationship. Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Quitting - jobs, marriages, musical instruments - is often seen as a sign of a weak character. Author and journalist Julia Keller is on a mission to reframe quitting as an act of self-love, which can help us lead more meaningful lives. This week Andrew and Julia discuss why it is that we value perseverance and “grit” so heavily, how to know when enough is enough, and the art of the “quasi-quit”. Julia Keller, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, novelist, playwright, and teacher, is the author of Quitting: A Life Strategy / The Myth of Perseverance and How the New Science of Giving Up Can Set You Free.  Julia earned a Ph.D. at Ohio State University, and has taught at Princeton University, The University of Chicago, and the University of Notre Dame, and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. She was the literary critic at The Chicago Tribune for more than a decade before quitting in order to write books. As well as her non-fiction writing Julia is the author of a series of mystery novels, a science fiction series for young adults. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️How to ask good questions.  ⭐️Three things Julia Keller knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Buy Julia Keller’s new book Quitting: A Life Strategy  Visit Julia Keller’s website Follow Julia Keller on Facebook @Julia.Keller.Writer  Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Most couples grapple with mismatched levels of sexual desire at some point. Some find destructive solutions - pornography, infidelity - but it IS possible to deal with this in a positive way. This week Fabian Edzard Schneider chats with Andrew about the daily self-pleasure routine he is using to fulfil his sexual needs while his wife recuperates from the birth of their second child.  Andrew and Fabian discuss the ways in which men can take responsibility for their own physical and emotional needs, and in doing so create a better life as a strong, loving man of vision and self-understanding. Fabian Edzard Schneider is based in Gottingen, Germany. He specialises in empowering men to lead happier, more self-fulfilling lives. Fabian leads men’s groups that focus on the practical and the physical, rather than on theoretical understanding.  Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️How can men get to know themselves better? ⭐️Three things Fabian Edzard Schneider knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Fabian Edzard Schneider runs an in-person and online training programme for men called MenEncounter. The training focuses on masculine identity, self-empowerment, vision, and implementation of heart-driven projects as well as sexuality and relationship. Take a look here.  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Venus O’Hara on Spiritual Sex, with Silva Neves on How to Heal Compulsive Sexual Behaviour, or with Irene Fehr on Why Desire Disappears.  Get Andrew’s advice on building a stronger relationship in his book The Happy Couple’s Handbook: Powerful Life Hacks for a Successful Relationship.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Forget fair fighting, what you and your partner should aim for is win-win problem solving. According to psychologist Dr Susan Heitler, If you can learn to investigate and share the deep-seated emotions behind a particular argument, the two of you can emerge stronger and more connected as a couple. In this week’s episode, Andrew and Susan explore how childhood patterns can be replicated in adult relationships, and discuss a case-study in which a couple is able to overcome a disagreement over food waste that had brought them to the brink of divorce.  Dr Susan Heitler is a Harvard-educated clinical psychologist with a doctorate from NYU. She has authored multiple self-help books, plus books for therapists on treatment techniques. She aims to show how to handle life's bumps—the conflicts, difficult interactions, negative feelings, traumas, and tough decisions—in ways that sustain a sense of well-being. Dr Heitler’s articles on Psychology Today have received over 24 million reads. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️What can marriage counselling do that individual work cannot? ⭐️Three things Susan Heitler knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Visit Susan Heitler’s websites: prescriptionswithoutpills.com and therapyhelp.com Read Susan Heitler’s books, including Prescriptions Without Pills and The Power of Two: Secrets to a Strong and Loving Marriage.   Read Susan Heitler’s articles for Psychology Today  Watch Susan Heitler’s TEDX talk on Lift Depression With These Three Prescriptions - Without Pills.  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Avrum Weiss on Couples and Anxiety; or with  Tonya Lester on How to Have Healthy Conflict.  Get Andrew’s advice on building a stronger relationship in his book The Happy Couple’s Handbook: Powerful Life Hacks for a Successful Relationship.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

If you wanted children but weren’t able to have them, you are tasked with making peace with a life you didn’t choose. This grieving process occurs inside a culture that often has little respect for the childless.  In this episode, Andrew speaks with psychotherapist Jody Day about grief, how ageing is different if you are not a parent, and how to find meaning, purpose and identity in what can feel like a very negative social context.  Jody Day is the British founder of Gateway Women, the global support & advocacy network for childless women. She’s the author of what many professionals consider to be the ‘go-to’ book on the topic, Living the Life Unexpected: How to find hope, meaning and a fulfilling future without children.  Jody was chosen as one of the BBC’s 100 Women in 2013 & a UK Digital Woman of the Year in 2021. She is a global thought leader on female involuntary childlessness, a psychotherapist, a 2017 and 2022 TEDx speaker, a founding and former board member at the UK Charity Ageing Without Children and a former Fellow in Social Innovation at Cambridge Judge Business School.  Often referred to as the founder of the ‘childless movement’ and less often, but more memorably as ‘the Beyonce of childlessness', she’s been an Ambassador for World Childless Week since its inception in 2017. After a lifetime in London, she now lives by the sea in West Cork, rural Ireland, where she’s completing a novel (featuring a childless heroine of course!) and nurturing her emerging Gateway Elderwomen project.  Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️ How to get your mojo back. ⭐️Three things Jody Day knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Details about Jody Day’s book Living the Life Unexpected: How to Find Hope, Meaning and a Fulfilling Future Without Children can be found here and you can download the Introduction and Chapter 1 free, here. There is a live reading group for those working through the book in Jody’s online community.  Visit Gateway Women, the global support & advocacy network for childless women.  Follow Jody Day on Instagram and Twitter @gatewaywomen and on Facebook @GatewayWomenUK.  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interview with author Shani Silver A New Perspective on Being Single Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Our “shadow” is made up of the unconscious parts of ourselves that we try to suppress or deny. Acknowledging and understanding shadow can be a powerful path to healing and authenticity.  If we pursue spiritual growth, we will certainly encounter shadow - both our own, and those of our teachers (whose secret desires around money, sex and power can come into play).  In this episode, psychotherapist and author Connie Zweig PhD talks with Andrew about her new book, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path. Connie shares some of the ways we can heal from bruising encounters with shadow on spiritual journeys, and how we can “recover from loss of faith and move from spiritual naivete to spiritual maturity”.  Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired psychotherapist, writer, and Climate Reality Leader. Known as the Shadow Expert, she has written several books about shadow-work, including a bestseller about ageing as a spiritual practice, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years, and is a wife, stepmother and grandmother.  Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️Projection: how we see our shadow in others. ⭐️Three things Connie Zweig knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Connie Zweig’s new book Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening.  Take a look at Connie Zweig’s other books  Visit Connie Zweig’s website You can email Connie Zweig about the questions raised in this episode at [email protected] Follow  Connie Zweig on Twitter @InnerWorkofAge and on Facebook at @Dr.ConnieZweig Listen to Andrew’s previous interview with Connie Zweig on From Role to Soul: How to Become an Elder Rather than Just Old  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall

How do we fall in love? And do men and women experience this differently? Psychiatrist Dr Paul Dobransky has combined science with the study of real-life case studies, and concludes that we do. Moreover, if we can understand something of how our brains move through the stages of love, we can make better romantic choices and create relationships that last.  Paul Dobransky, M.D., is a psychiatrist and author of The Secret Psychology of How We Fall in Love and The Power of Female Friendship. He works with AI and machine learning models and algorithms for analyzing romance, dating, relationships (human courtship), the development of character maturity and virtues, and the theory of personality. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️ Power imbalances in relationships: How they cause fights. ⭐️Three things Paul Dobransky knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Buy Dr Dobransky’s books: The Secret Psychology of How We Fall in Love and The Power of Female Friendship.  Read Dr Dobransky’s Substack articles.  Read Dr Dobransky’s articles for Psychology Today You might also be interested in hearing Cheryl Fraser talking with Andrew about How to Stay in Love or with Mairi Macleod about Finding a Good Man in Midlife. Join our Supporters Club on Patreon to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

When families enter family therapy, they usually point to one person as the “problem” - this individual is seen as too much, or too angry, or too sensitive.  Family systems theory, however, looks at the whole family ecosystem to identify how this “problem” is being created, and whether it is in fact a symptom rather than a cause.  This week Andrew talks with psychotherapist Elaine Carney Gibson about family systems theory, and how “it is the relationships we experience within our families that shape who we are, how we feel about ourselves, and how we attach and relate to others”. Elaine Carney Gibson, LMFT, LPC, is a practicing psychotherapist of 50 years. She sees individuals, couples, and families, specialising in Relationship Therapy. She taught graduate courses in marriage and family therapy for many years and is the director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Training Institute of The Link Counseling Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️Family Secrets: To tell or not to tell? ⭐️Three things Elaine Carney Gibson knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Elaine Carney Gibson’s book Your Family Revealed . Visit Elaine Carney Gibson’s website  You might also be interested in hearing Galit Atlas talking with Andrew about Buried Trauma: How the Past Can Unconsciously Trap You or with Julia Samuel MBE about How We Inherit Pain from Our Parents and Grandparents.  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Anxiety can be as contagious as a yawn. People who are feeling more anxious often try to get others to take some of their anxiety from them, and people who are not feeling as anxious naturally resist taking on someone else’s anxiety. In relationships, it’s often the case that one person takes on the role of the anxious person, whilst the other feels responsible for managing their partner’s anxiety. Combine this with damagingly rigid gender roles, and you have a recipe for disconnection. This week Andrew welcomes Dr Avrum Weiss onto the podcast for a second time. Andrew and Avrum discuss “playing hot potato” with anxiety in relationships. Dr Avrum Weiss is a US-based author and psychotherapist specialising in the internal lives of men. His writing and his work with couples help men and women understand each other more deeply and build a stronger connection. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️What is your relationship with change? ⭐️Three things Dr Weiss knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Buy Dr Avrum Weiss’ book Hidden in Plain Sight: How Men’s Fears of Women Shape Their Intimate Relationships  Andrew and Avrum also discuss Avrum’s book Change Happens: When to Try Harder and When to Stop Read Dr Avrum Weiss’ article in Psychology Today  “Why Some Couples Play Hot Potato With Anxiety”  Find Dr Avrum Weiss’ other books via his website  Follow Dr Avrum Weiss on Facebook @AvrumWeissAuthor and on Twitter @avrum_weiss Read Andrew’s books on relationships and self-development  Listen to Andrew and Dr Avrum Weiss’ previous conversation: Why Men Withdraw When Women Get Angry Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Are you allowing your life to be run by “ghosts” - empty narratives, expired beliefs, tired fears, people who should no longer hold sway over your choices? “When the old stories and beliefs that once defined us have played out and grown exhausted,” writes Dr. James Hollis, “our task is to access our inner compass, the promptings of the psyche that help us find our way through the complex thickets of choice.” In this episode world-renowned Jungian analyst Dr James Hollis explores with Andrew the ways in which you can hear and answer a “summons of the soul”, and find your own individual sense of life’s meaning.  Dr. James Hollis is a Washington D.C. based Jungian psychoanalyst and the author of nineteen books; the most recent is A Life of Meaning: Relocating Your Center of Spiritual Gravity Dr Hollis  was Executive Director of the Jung Educational Center in Houston, Texas, for many years and Executive Director of the Jung Society of Washington (JSW) until 2019. He also worked as a Senior Training Analyst for the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts, as a Director of Training of the Philadelphia Jung Institute, and is Vice-President Emeritus of the Philemon Foundation. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️Relocating your centre of spiritual gravity. ⭐️Three things James Hollis knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read James Hollis’ new book A Life of Meaning: Relocating Your Center of Spiritual Gravity.  Join James Hollis’ September ‘23 poetry course with the Jung Society of Washington:  Mosaic: A Gathering of Poems to Stir the Depths Read Andrew’s review of James Hollis’ book Swamplands of the Soul: New Life in Dismal Places:  Read Andrew’s review of James Hollis’ book Living an Examined Life: Wisdom for the Second Half of the Journey. Read Andrew’s review of James Hollis’ book Living Between Worlds: Finding Personal Resilience in Changing Times: Visit James Hollis’ website: https://jameshollis.net  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with other Jungians, including Lisa Marchiano on Being a Mother, Connie Zweig on How to Become an Elder, Robert Hopcke on Synchronicity and Susan Schwartz on Fathers and Daughters.   Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

What can Korean culture teach us about being happier and more fulfilled? New York literary agent and author Barbara Zitwer has spent decades figuring this out, culminating in her book, The Korean Book of Happiness.  Barbara and Andrew discuss the ancient Korean philosophies of Han, Heung and Jeong (resilience, joy and the art of giving), and Barbara’s experiences staying in a Buddhist temple and meeting with nuns in the mountains.  They also touch on the exuberant joy of modern Korean culture (which many of us may have experienced via Squid Game, K-pop, the 10-Step skincare routine or Korean daytime dramas). Barbara J. Zitwer is an international literary agent specialising in Korean literature. She discovered Man Booker prize winning author Hang Kang (The Vegetarian) and New York Times bestseller Kyung-sook Shin (Please Look After Mom) along with Jeong you-jeong (The Good Son) and Un Su Kim (The Plotters).She was awarded the 2016 International Literary Agent of the Year Award by the British Publishing Association.  If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️How to feed your soul (Korean style). ⭐️Three things Barbara Zitwer knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Barbara Zitwer’s new book The Korean Book of Happiness Watch this KBS World Radio interview with Barbara Zitwer about her work promoting Korean literature and culture. Follow Barbara Zitwer on Facebook @barbara.zitwer, on Instagram @barbarajzitwer and on Twitter/X @BZitwer You might also enjoy our episodes on How to be Happier with Richard Nicholls; or A Deeper Connection With Everything Through Haiku with Clark Strand.   Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Psychologist and author Renee Mill believes that practical, solutions-focused approaches to anxiety can be as important as deep psychotherapeutic work.  Renee’s career has combined both approaches, and today she helps many of her clients manage anxiety with practical tools designed to “rewire” patterns in the brain that may date back to infancy. In this episode Renee and Andrew discuss some of these tools, and how they can help you to recognise, analyse and address automatic thoughts and behaviours. They share insights on how anxiety relates to our emotions, relationships and family history.  Renee Mill, who is based in Sydney, is one of Australia’s foremost clinical psychologists. Her books include Anxiety Free, Drug Free and Parenting Without Anger.  If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️Parenting myths that make you anxious. ⭐️Three things Renee Mill knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Renee Mills’ books: Anxiety Free, Drug Free; Parenting Without Anger; No Sweat Parenting; Anxiety Management Workbook ; and The Anxiety Management Manual for Therapists. Visit Renee Mill's website. Read Renee Mill's blog Follow Renee Mill on Facebook and YouTube @AnxietySolutionsCBT, and on Instagram @anxiety_solutionscbt You might also be interested in our other episodes on anxiety, including: Make Anxiety Your Friend with Kathleen Smith, How to Sit With Anxiety with Anna Colton, Friedemann Schaub on How to Get Out of Survival Mode, No More Overthinking with Richard Paterson and The Neuroscientist’s Guide to Anxiety with Wendy Suzuki.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

“Stop crying now”, “cheer up”, “what a lovely smile” - these are the kinds of messages most of us hear from infancy. Karla McLaren’s work is all about undoing this learning, and valuing ALL of our emotions. Even though the way you work with emotions can have positive or negative outcomes, the emotions themselves are not good or bad. In fact, anger, shame or sadness are the bearers of important messages. And according to Karla, they also bring with them the skills and energy you’ll need to cope in each situation.  Karla McLaren, M.Ed. is an award-winning author, educator, workplace consultant, and social science researcher. Her work revalues even the most “negative” emotions and opens startling new pathways into self-awareness, effective communication, and healthy empathy. She is the founder and CEO of Emotion Dynamics Inc. She is also the author of many books, including The Language of Emotions, The Power of Emotions at Work, and Embracing Anxiety, and she is the developer of the online learning site EmpathyAcademy.org. She is online at karlamclaren.com.   If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️ Conscious Complaining ⭐️Three things Karla McLaren knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Karla McLaren’s new book The Language of Emotions  Read Karla McLaren’s other books  Visit Karla McLaren’s website Find out about upcoming courses at the online learning site developed by Karla McLaren,  Empathy Academy Follow Karla McLaren @KarlaMcLarenAuthor on Facebook, @karlamclaren.m.ed on Instagram, @EmotionDynamics on YouTube and on LinkedIn.    You might also be interested in our other episodes, including: Healing Your Lost Inner Child with Robert Jackman, or What Do You Really Want? With Charlotte Fox Weber.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Filmmaker and Dad Saves America host John Papola is on a mission to celebrate the inspirational force of fatherhood.  Rather than dwelling on the discourse around “toxic masculinity”, John’s work celebrates “the heroic role we play as men” by being present and joyfully involved in children’s lives. Rather than being a burden or an obstacle to self-fulfilment, John sees raising children as exciting and empowering. John discusses his own fatherhood journey. He describes how the birth of his son made him feel liberated from the pressures of a creative career, and enabled him to take risks he would not otherwise have considered.  John Papola is the CEO and Co-Founder of the nonprofit aspirational content studio Emergent Order Foundation and the host of their hit celeb interview series Dad Saves America. John’s mission through his foundation is to celebrate fatherhood and promote the positive representation of fathers and father figures in popular culture. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️How stories help us understand ourselves and the world. ⭐️Three things John Papola knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Visit the website of the Emergent Order Foundation, John Papola’s non-profit aspirational content studio. Watch John Papola’s Dad Saves America series on YouTube. Watch John Papola’s documentary about Oscar and Bafta winning deaf actor Troy Kotsur and his relationship with his father. Follow John Papola on Twitter @JohnPapola. You might also be interested in other episodes on fatherhood: Men, Fathers and Meaning with Joe Horton; Becoming a Father with Jack Underwood; Daughters and Fathers with Susan Schwartz PhD; and Jed Diamond PhD on Your Personal Creation Story. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

How can we find the joy, connection, healing and sense of the miraculous that so many of us crave? For poet and spiritual teacher Clark Strand, the answer lies in writing Haiku.  The ancient Japanese art of Haiku is the only form of poetry in all of world literature that makes nature into a spiritual path. Its message is simple: Haiku teaches us to return to nature by following the seasons—seventeen syllables at a time. By finding a connection to nature in this way, we can find resilience and hope amidst the world’s chaos.  In this episode, Andrew and Clark discuss Clark’s spiritual journey;  how to begin a Haiku practice if you’ve never written a poem in your life; and Andrew shares his own experiences of writing a Haiku every day for a year.  Clark Strand has been writing poetry for fifty years and teaching haiku for thirty. He is a former senior editor at Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, and has been Vice President of the Haiku Society of America. He has written for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the Washington Post/Newsweek “On Faith” blog. He is the co-founder of Way of the Rose, a growing nonsectarian rosary fellowship open to people of any spiritual background. His latest book is an updated version of his classic book of Haiku, Seeds from a Birch Tree, and he is also the author of Waking Up to the Dark, Waking the Buddha, Meditation Without Gurus and How to Believe in God. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️How your paleo brain wants to sleep. ⭐️Three things Clark Strand knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Clark Strand’s updated classic, Seeds from a Birch Tree Read Clark Strand’s other books Waking Up to the Dark, Waking the Buddha, Meditation Without Gurus and How to Believe in God. Study Haiku with Clark Strand. Read the book by William Elliott mentioned in this episode, Tying Rocks to Clouds: Meetings and Conversations with Wise and Spiritual People  Follow Clark Strand on Instagram and Twitter @clarkstrand  You might also be interested in our other episodes: John McCullough on Seven Ways Poetry Could Make Your Life Richer, Deeper & More Meaningful; and Henry Emmons on The Road to Calm and Joy. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

If you’re living in survival mode, squashing down feelings of anxiety, depression and panic, then something needs to change.  This week Andrew speaks with Dr Friedemann Schaub, a physician, researcher and personal development coach, about our deep-seated emotional baggage, and how to identify the self-sabotaging patterns and limiting beliefs that prevent us from leading productive, fulfilling and balanced lives.  Dr Friedemann Schaub, a doctor with a Ph.D. in molecular biology, left his career in allopathic medicine to pursue his passion of helping people overcome fear and anxiety without medication. For more than twenty years, he has helped thousands of his clients worldwide to break through their mental and emotional blocks and become the empowered leaders of their lives. His newest book The Empowerment Solution, focuses on activating the healing power of the subconscious mind to switch out of stress- and anxiety-driven survival mode and make authenticity and confidence the everyday way of being. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️How to deal with procrastination. ⭐️Three things Dr Friedemann Schaub knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there https://bit.ly/TheMeaningfulLifeSubstack  Read Dr Friedemann Schaub’s new book, The Empowerment Solution: Six Keys to Unlocking Your Full Potential with the Subconscious Mind Visit Dr Friedemann Schaub’s website to learn more about his courses on anxiety and empowerment.  Follow Dr Friedemann Schaub on YouTube @Friedemannschaub, on Instagram @dr.friedemannchaub and on Twitter @DrFriedemannS You might also be interested in our other episodes on anxiety: Make Anxiety Your Friend with Dr Kathleen Smith, and The Neuroscientist’s Guide to Anxiety with Dr Wendy Suzuki. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Western medicine cannot cure all of our ills. Many of us experience stubborn aches, pains and fatigue that our doctors don’t seem able to touch, or even explain. Dr Sharon Martin is a highly-trained physician who became frustrated by these limits, and began to explore the capacity of alternative medicine to bring healing and peace.  In this episode Andrew and Sharon discuss our capacity for intuition, the hidden messages in our dreams, and the ways in which shamanic mystery traditions can allow us to step into our full potential.  Dr Sharon Martin is a doctor of internal medicine, and also holds a PhD in physiology. She trained at Johns Hopkins University and other elite medical institutions. Dr Martin expanded her capacity as a healer by training in the shamanic, mystery traditions with Alberto Villoldo, Jean Houston, Carl Greer, Lilydale Assembly, The Cayce Foundation (A.R.E.), Patrice Fields, CC Treadway and others.  Sharon’s new book is Maximize Your Healing Power.  If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️How to break bad habits ⭐️Three things Dr Sharon Martin knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Dr Sharon Martin’s book Maximize Your Healing Power Learn about Dr Sharon Martin’s work on her website  Follow Dr Sharon Martin on Twitter and Facebook @sharonmartinmd Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Martina Schneider on Spiritual Therapy or with Linda Berman on Seven Ways to Become Your Authentic Self. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

We’re often told we’re in the midst of a post-Covid “loneliness epidemic”, but what exactly does that mean? Loneliness is a profound condition that goes right to the heart of being human - it’s certainly more than just being alone, and often it isn’t something that can be addressed by just “getting out more” or volunteering at the local hospital.  This week’s guest Dr Sam Carr became interested in attachment theory, and was then drawn to seek a deeper understanding of people who lacked attachment. He embarked on a study of loneliness that will be shared in his forthcoming book, All the Lonely People.  Andrew and Sam discuss types of loneliness - existential, the loneliness of a difficult relationship, objective vs subjective loneliness - and look at different ways to address it, including the Jungian path of finding solace and direction in our dreams. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️How internet porn affects romantic life ⭐️Three things Sam Carr knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Sam Carr’s book All the Lonely People can be preordered here.  Read some of Sam Carr’s articles for theconversation.com: Loneliness, loss and regret: what getting old really feels like – new study Parenting practices around the world are diverse and not all about attachment  How internet porn affects romantic life Why mourning a pet can be harder than grieving for a person Are you a shark or a teddy? How understanding conflict styles can help you overcome fights with friends and family  Andrew and Sam discuss The Men on My Couch by Brandy Engler. You can find it here. Andrew also mentions other episodes of this podcast, including How to be Resilient with James Hollis and Being a Mother with Lisa Marchiano. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

It can often seem that today's world rewards people who remain psychologically suspended in adolescence. Many people, particularly men, prolong and enjoy their adolescence for decades.  Conroy Harris, CEO of the charity A Band of Brothers, discovered through his own life experiences that this wasn’t a healthy way to live. He believes that everyone seeks a meaningful identity and a purpose into which to channel the energies of early adulthood.  In this episode Andrew and Conroy discuss the importance of rites of passage and mentoring, and how men can support one another to live authentic lives. Conroy shares some of his own difficult experiences as a young man, including periods of homelessness, and explains how mentoring and service to his community helped him find his way.  If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️Where do I fit in? ⭐️Three things Conroy Harris knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Visit the A Band of Brothers website Follow A Band of Brothers on Facebook @abandofbrothers and on Twitter @band_brothersuk Read Iron John: a Book About Men by Robert Bly.  Andrew also mentions his interview with Dr Connie Zweig on being an elder, From Role to Soul  Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

You have needs—your needs matter. And yet, you’ve been taught that pushing your needs to the back burner is the only way to get things done, that your needs are an overwhelming burden, or that self-care is a luxury you can’t afford.  Author, coach and podcaster Mara Glatzel encourages us to “take a seat at the table in our own life”. In this episode Andrew and Mara discuss how to articulate your needs, and how to pursue a more genuine and meaningful form of self-care. Mara Glatzel is the author of Needy: How to Advocate for Your Needs and Claim Your Sovereignty. She is an intuitive coach, an author, and the host of the Needy podcast. In her coaching work she helps perfectionists, caregivers, and people pleasers take up space in their lives and reclaim their sovereignty through honouring and advocating for their needs. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️Raising “needy” kids. ⭐️Three things Mara Glatzel knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Mara Glatzel’s book Needy: How to Advocate for Your Needs and Claim Your Sovereignty. Listen to Mara Glatzel’s Needy podcast. Read Mary Oliver’s poem Wild Geese Follow Mara Glatzel on Facebook and Instagram @maraglatzel  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Robert Jackman on Healing Your Lost Inner Child and Paul Gilbert on Compassion and Self-Acceptance. Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall     

In this episode spiritual teacher Ayala Gill shares three fundamental questions with which to approach difficult situations life throws our way: ⭐️What can I learn from this moment? ⭐️What’s asking to be loved? ⭐️What can I give in return? Andrew and Ayala also discuss the nature of suffering, the difference between suffering and pain, animistic cosmology (the inherent luminous intelligence intrinsic to all things), and what it means to “live in sacredness”. Ayala Gill is a teacher of meditation, yoga and other spiritual practices. She has taught for 25 years, and guides silent retreats in Europe which include yoga, meditation and ceremony. She is currently writing a book that is provisionally titled Living in Sacredness. Her next guided retreat is in October 2023, at Le Moulin de Chaves, France If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️Turning anger to compassion ⭐️Three things Ayala Gill knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Visit Ayala Gill’s website.  Next week, June 26-30 2023, Ayala will be teaching a week of daily meditations online with Sangha Live from 7-8am UK time (recordings available later the same day). Learn more about Ayala Gill’s guided silent retreats  Read and/or subscribe to Ayala Gill’s Substack  Follow Ayala Gill on Facebook @ayala.gill You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Matthew McKay on Loving in the Face of Pain and Paul Gilbert on Compassion and Self-Acceptance. Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

When fear presents itself, we are deterred from the essential work of holding tough conversations, defending new ideas against the status quo, and standing up against injustice. Author Scott Simon founded the Scare Your Soul courage movement to help people harness their fears and lead more courageous lives. Since he became a “fear chaser”, Simon has had some big-ticket adventures: taking on his fear of heights by skydiving from 14,000 feet, negotiating multi-million dollar deals with tough and cynical real estate developers, and seeking out a famous healer in the misty mountains of Bali.  But the surprising truth is: it isn’t about these big moments of facing our fears —it’s the daily moments and choices that make the real impact. In this episode, Scott and Andrew discuss how we can become braver, and Scott outlines seven powerful principles for taking action.  Scott Simon is a happiness entrepreneur, founder of the Scare Your Soul courage movement, and the author of the book Scare Your Soul: 7 Powerful Principles to Harness Fear and Lead Your Most Courageous Life. He is dedicated to creating, curating, and leading opportunities for people around the world to be happier, empowered and courageous in their own lives. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️What men need to know about divorce ⭐️Three things Scott Simon knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Scott Simon’s book Scare Your Soul: 7 Powerful Principles to Harness Fear and Lead Your Most Courageous Life Visit Scott Simon’s Scare Your Soul website Follow Scott Simon on Facebook and Instagram @scareyoursoul  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with therapist Charlotte Fox Weber on What Do You Really Want?, and with Alan Lessik on How to Deal With Change.  Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Psychotherapist Tonya Lester believes it’s OK to be difficult. This doesn’t mean being rigid, domineering or unkind. It means making sure that your partner has a sense of who you are and what you need. Of course, you won’t get there without learning how to disagree productively. In this episode Andrew and Tonya discuss how to develop mutually supportive relationships, including 8 ingredients for healthy conflict.  They also discuss Tonya’s recent New York Times article, “Couples Therapist, Heal Thyself”, about what it’s like to go into marriage counselling as a therapist. Tonya Lester is a psychotherapist in Brooklyn, New York, with over 16 years of experience counselling couples. In her upcoming book, Be Difficult: A Guide to Speaking Up, Facing Conflict, and Changing, Tonya writes about her experience with women who seem empowered in other areas of their lives but are overly deferential and accommodating in their relationships. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️How to confess to infidelity. ⭐️Three things Tonya Lester knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Visit Tonya Lester’s website. Read Tonya Lester’s New York Times article “Couples Therapist, Heal Thyself”. Follow Tonya Lester on Instagram @tonyalesterpsychotherapy You might also enjoy these episodes: Olivier Clerc on Forgiveness, or Terry Real on The Five Traps that Undermine Your Love.   Read Andrew’s book The Happy Couple’s Handbook Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Is it possible to decide to be happier, and then to go out there and make it happen? Hypnotherapist, author and podcaster Richard Nicholls believes that happiness is, at least in part, a skill to be learned. The more you practise, the easier it becomes.  Of course, each individual’s notion of happiness and their genetic capacity to achieve it easily will be very different. That doesn’t mean, though, that we shouldn't decide to influence those aspects of happiness that ARE inside our control. In this episode Andrew and Richard discuss the nature of happiness, and the things we can do to make it more a part of our everyday lives. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️Dealing with comparison culture. ⭐️Three things Richard Nicholls knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Richard Nicholls’ book 15 Minutes to Happiness Visit Richard Nicholls’ website  Listen to the Therapy Natters podcast Richard Nicholls co-hosts with Fiona Biddle. Follow Richard Nicholls on Twitter @richardnicholls, on Facebook @RichardNichollsAuthor and on Instagram @RichardNichollsReal. You might also enjoy Andrew's interviews with Henry Emmons on Bring More Calm and Joy Into Your Life, or with Charlotte Fox Weber on What Do You Really Want?  Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

If you’re in relationship with a partner who is on the autism spectrum, the following may feel familiar: My partner seems to lack empathy and doesn’t care how I feel My partner misjudges me all the time - I can’t do anything right I can’t seem to find a way to communicate with my partner My partner feels attacked and criticised if I disagree We argue all the time and never resolve anything My partner just walks away when things get emotional We've been together for a long time and I am lonelier than I have ever been in my life This week Sarah Swenson, a counselor specialising in working with neurodiverse couples, highlights some of challenges these couples face, and shares her ideas on how to build a happy relationship that can work for both partners. Andrew and Sarah also discuss several listener letters on challenges faced by neurodiverse couples. Sarah Swenson is a licensed mental health counselor based in Seattle, Washington. Her practice is focused on supporting the needs of neurodiverse couples in which one partner is or may be autistic.  If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️The problems with being highly intelligent. ⭐️Three things Sarah Swenson knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.  Visit Sarah Swenson’s website  Find out about Sarah Swenson’s online courses for neurodiverse couples. Read Sarah Swenson’s Substack newsletter for neurotypical individuals whose partners are or may be autistic. Find out about Sarah Swenson’s work counselling highly intelligent individuals. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Forgiveness is a powerful spiritual tool that can bring profound relief, and unleash feelings of love blocked for years by personal resentments.  In this episode, Andrew discusses forgiveness with author and forgiveness expert Olivier Clerc. They cover:  ⭐️4 essential steps to forgiveness ⭐️Obstacles to forgiveness ⭐️The importance of spending time deciding what exactly forgiveness means to you. Olivier Clerc is a writer, lecturer and workshop-leader, specialising in self-help and spirituality.  He is also the creator of Circles of Forgiveness, of which there are now 250, in 15 different countries. Olivier is the author of 22 books, the latest of which is Healing the Wounds of the Heart: 15 Obstacles to Forgiveness and How to Overcome Them. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️How taking things personally is an obstacle to forgiveness ⭐️Three things Olivier Clerc knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Olivier Clerc’s latest book, Healing the Wounds of the Heart: 15 Obstacles to Forgiveness and How to Overcome Them  Read Olivier Clerc’s book The Gift of Forgiveness: A Magical Encounter with don Miguel Ruiz Visit Olivier Clerc’s website  Follow Olivier Clerc on Instagram @olivier_clerc_auteur Visit The Forgiveness Project's website  Read The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, by Don Miguel Ruiz. Read Radical Self-Forgiveness: The Direct Path to True Self-Acceptance by Colin Tipping. Listen to our other episode on forgiveness: Dr Frederic Luskin on Forgiveness: What It Is, and What It Is Not  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Motherhood gets great PR: women are led by society to expect it to be continuously fulfilling and wonderful. The reality is, of course, more complicated. Children absorb so much of our energy that there can be too little left over to maintain a healthy sense of self.  Writer and journalist Geraldine Walsh is the author of Unraveling Motherhood, which explores postnatal depression, the “supermum myth”, the importance of boundaries in motherhood and how to embrace a good enough mother mentality. Andrew and Geraldine explore many aspects of parenting, including strategies you can use to self-nurture, whilst also modelling good mental health practices to your children.  If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️Superhero therapy ⭐️Three things Geraldine Walsh knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.  Buy Geraldine Walsh’s book Unraveling Motherhood: Understanding Your Experience Through Self-Reflection, Self-Care, and Authenticity Visit Geraldine Walsh’s website Follow Geraldine Walsh on Instagram and Twitter @_GeraldineWalsh Read Andrew’s book on relationships and parenting I Love You But You Always Put Me Last: How to Childproof Your Marriage You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with psychoanalyst Lisa Marchiano on Being a Mother: a Journey of Self Discovery or with author Dawn Kohler on When the Call to Be Yourself Can No Longer Be Ignored. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

There’s no-one in the world who can push your buttons like your brother or sister. Sibling relationships (whether you live in the same postcode or ceased speaking to one another three decades ago) have a definitive influence on our adult lives. This week author and academic Dr Geoffrey Greif talks us through his extensive research on adult sibling relationships, based on hundreds of interviews and surveys. Adult sibling relationships are often characterized by ambivalence and ambiguity, and they may also be hurtful, uncertain, competitive, or exhausting, even when the undercurrents of love and loyalty remain.  Tensions kept simmering under the surface through years of avoidance can erupt to the surface when, for example, an elderly parent takes a turn for the worse. As well as discussing Dr Greif’s book, Adult Sibling Relationships, Andrew and Dr Greif also discuss how to find the positive aspects of your sibling relationships, and how to decide if it’s possible and/or worthwhile to rebuild healthier ties and find family closeness. Dr Geoffrey Greif is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. He is the author of 14 books, including four that are co-edited, and more than 135 journal articles and book chapters. He has also researched male friendships; couple friendships; in-law relationships; and single fathers.  If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️How to improve your relationship with your in-laws ⭐️Three things Geoffrey Greif knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Dr Geoffrey Grief’s book Adult Sibling Relationships  Read Dr Geoffrey Greif’s other books, which include Buddy System: Understanding Male Friendships and Two Plus Two: Couples and Their Couple Friendships  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Philippa Perry on What You Wish Your Parents Knew and with Graham Johnston and Matt Wotton on Good Boundaries. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Love and relationships are already complicated, but they can feel even more so if you’re living with a mental health condition. This week author Allison Raskin talks about her experiences with OCD, and how overthinking can be managed in relationships and dating. How do you talk to a partner about your mental health? What is the difference between having valid concerns and catastrophising? What can you do if you’re overwhelmed by negative thoughts? Allison Raskin is a New York Times bestselling author and podcaster. Her latest book is Overthinking About You: Navigating Romantic Relationships When You Have Anxiety, OCD, and/or Depression. She also has a highly successful YouTube channel, Just Between Us, and has worked as a screenwriter for Netflix, MTV and 20th Century Television. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️How to keep going when looking for love, change or growth ⭐️Three things Allison Raskin knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Allison Raskin’s new book Overthinking About You: Navigating Romantic Relationships When You Have Anxiety, OCD, and/or Depression Watch Allison Raskin on her YouTube channel Just Between Us  Follow Allison Raskin on Instagram @emotionalsupportlady and on Twitter @AllisonRaskin.  Visit Allison Raskin's website  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Kathleen Smith on Making Anxiety Your Friend and with Kate Lucey on Depression: What Worked For Me. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

If you often feel depressed, anxious, victimised or disappointed, you may be carrying a heavy load of unresolved emotional pain.  Psychotherapist and author Robert Jackman suggests that this pain, and associated patterns of behaviour, often stem from our lost inner child. This inner child brings with him or her a false narrative; played on repeat.  Painful childhood experiences can show up in adulthood as explosive anger, isolation, bad relationship choices, negative self-talk, feelings of being overwhelmed, being a people pleaser, and keeping others at arm's length. This week Andrew and Robert talk about identifying your lost inner child, how to talk to them, and how to heal some of this emotional pain in order to embrace a more authentic life.    If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️Healing your wounded relationship ⭐️Three things Robert Jackman knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.  Buy Robert Jackman’s books Healing Your Lost Inner Child, The Tender Path of Grief and Loss and Healing Your Wounded Relationship  Visit Robert Jackman’s website. You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with William Ayot on Healing Men’s Souls and with Paul Gilbert on Compassion and Self-Acceptance. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

What if we’ve gotten meaning all wrong? Perhaps “searching for meaning” is completely the wrong way to think about things. If we can reconceptualise, it may be far easier to build a life suffused with meaning and joy. Dr Eric Maisel has been fascinated by the subject of meaning since he was a small child. This week Andrew and Eric discuss Eric’s new book, which suggests that meaning is just a feeling, and that purpose is a choice. Dr. Eric Maisel is the author of more than 50 books. His interests include creativity, life purpose and meaning; mental health and critical psychology; and parenting in a “mental disorder” age. Dr. Maisel writes the “Rethinking Mental Health” blog for Psychology Today and is a regular contributor to Mad in America, where he founded and edited its parent resources section. Among his favourite things are leading Deep Writing workshops around the world (in places like Paris, London, Rome, Dublin, Prague, New York and San Francisco), working with individual creativity coaching clients, and producing interesting and useful programs (like his Life Purpose Boot Camp Self-Paced Instructor Training).   If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️Three things Eric Maisel knows to be true. ⭐️AND you will also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Dr Eric Maisel’s latest books, including Redesign Your Mind and Unleashing the Artist Within. Visit Dr Eric Maisel’s websites: http://www.ericmaisel.com http://www.ericmaiselsolutions.com http://www.thefutureofmentalhealth.com Follow Dr Eric Maisel on Twitter and Instagram @ericmaisel  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Nathanael Garrett Novosel on The Meaning of LIfe is Growth or with Richard Lang on Seeing Who You Really Are. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

After her 13-year-old son Koby was murdered by terrorists, Sherri Mandell was forced to explore the nature of spiritual resilience in the face of overwhelming grief. In her book The Road to Resilience Sherri outlines seven steps required to face suffering and be enlarged:  Chaos Community Choice Creativity Commemoration (discussed in bonus episode for supporters) Consecration (discussed in bonus episode for supporters) Celebration (discussed in bonus episode for supporters) Andrew and Sherri discuss these seven steps; and also explore the power of creativity to find your inner truth (the subject of Sherri’s latest book, The Kabbalah of Writing).   Sherri Mandell is a prize-winning author, speaker, lecturer and counselor based in Israel. She and her husband are the directors of the Koby Mandell Foundation, which runs healing groups and camps for bereaved families and children. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️The final three Cs: Commemoration, Consecration, Celebration ⭐️Three things Sherri Mandell knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.  Read Sherri Mandell’s books The Kabbalah of Writing and The Road to Resilience  Learn more about Sherri Mandell and the Koby Mandell Foundation https://www.kobymandell.org/  Follow Sherri Mandell on Facebook @SherriMandell You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with James Hollis on How to be Resilient and with Niamh Fitzpatrick on Tell Me the Truth About Loss Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

One of the toughest challenges in a relationship is being able to forge our own individual selves. And it isn’t always something that gets easier over time.  Our ability to create a strong separate self independent of a couple relationship is strongly influenced by how we grew up, and what our relationship with our parents was like. In this episode Andrew talks with psychosexual therapist Juliet Grayson about the question “Do I Have to Give Up Me to Be Loved By You? Juliet Grayson provides extensive training courses and workshops for therapists, including training in attachment informed couple therapy, creative writing in the therapeutic encounter, and the Pesso Boyden system of psychotherapy. Her website hosts many informative webinars, covering numerous topics including shame, death and relationships.  If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️How to feel less guilty. ⭐️Three things Juliet Grayson knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Juliet Grayson’s book, Landscapes of the Heart . Juliet Grayson has the following websites: www.therapyandcounselling.co.uk https://jandw.thinkific.com/ www.landscapesoftheheart.co.uk www.sexuallyinappropriatebehaviour.org Read some of the books discussed in this episode: Kahlil Gibrain’s The Prophet, Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury, Getting Past No by William Ury, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. Learn more about the Pesso Boyden method  You might enjoy other episodes on relationship themes; including therapists Michelle Farris on Seven Signs You Might be Co-Dependent and Terry Real on The Five Traps that Undermine Your Love. Read Andrew’s book I Love You But I’m Not in Love With You: Seven Steps to Saving Your Relationship  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

These days “narcissist” has become the insult of choice for many of us caught on the wrong side of arrogance, self-absorption or monotonous bragging.  Narcissism is more complex than that, however, and an empathetic understanding of it can make it much easier to deal with partners or family members with narcissistic traits, or with full-blown narcissistic personality disorder. This week clinical psychologist  Dr Ruth Ann Harpur discusses with Andrew the origins of narcissism, the “Echo” phenomenon, and why partners of narcissists need to focus more on their own needs and sense of self.  Dr Ruth Ann Harpur specialises in relationships and issues of narcissism. She qualified as a clinical psychologist in 2009 at the University of East Anglia, and also trained in cognitive behaviour therapy at the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre and in schema therapy at the Dutch Institute for Schema Therapy. She has a popular YouTube channel where she shares helpful videos on aspects of relationships and narcissism. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️Dating again after a painful break-up ⭐️Three things Ruth Ann Harpur knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Follow Dr Ruth Ann Harpur on social media:  https://www.youtube.com/@drruthannharpur/videos https://www.instagram.com/drruthannharpur/ https://www.tiktok.com/@drruthannharpur Visit Dr Ruth Ann Harpur’s website, where you’ll find resources for the general public and for therapists, on topics including relationships and narcissism. Read the poetry of David Whyte, which is discussed in the bonus content of this episode. You might enjoy other episodes on relationship themes; including therapists Michelle Farris on Seven Signs You Might be Co-Dependent and Terry Real on The Five Traps that Undermine Your Love. Read Andrew’s book I Love You But I’m Not in Love With You: Seven Steps to Saving Your Relationship Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

How can we have more meaningful, connected sex? Many couples today are stuck in a low-sex or no-sex dynamic, while others struggle to break a routine that feels unbearably dull. In this episode Jan Day, a relationship expert and psycho-spirital teacher,  discusses “Living Tantra”. Andrew and Jan cover how to “resensitise” in a world where there is not enough touch, and too many of us have become desensitised. Coming off autopilot and being open to depth and mystery can lead to a richer connection with the world and with our partners. Jan Day has been teaching and leading workshops in Europe and Hawaii since 1999. Her life and work have been influenced by both Eastern and Western spiritual teachers. She was a sanyassin of Osho for 15 years. Over a period of 20 years Jan trained and then taught with Alan Lowen, founder of _The Art of Being®. The Living Tantra series of workshops that she offers is based on the Body, Heart & Soul®_ series created by Alan. She has also been influenced by and/or worked with Jack Kornfield, David Deida, Ron Kurtz, Ken Wilber, Genpo Roshi, Thomas Hübl and Ammachi. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️Andrew's favourite exercises from Jan's book to try yourself. ⭐️Three things Jan Day knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Jan Day’s book Living Tantra: A Journey into Sex, Spirit and Relationship Visit Jan Day’s website to learn more about the courses and workshops she offers. Read Andrew’s book Have the Sex You Want: A Couple’s Guide to Getting the Spark Back You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Dr Cheryl Fraser on How to Stay in Love or with Venus O’Hara on Spiritual Sex. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Anger is one of the main reasons couples seek out the help of a marital therapist. It is an emotion we often fear, and which we are frequently taught to stifle and ignore in ourselves. This week’s guests, Mar Estarellas and Orsolya Szeverics, believe that repressing anger means repressing our authentic emotions. This can lead to muscle tension, physical pain, emotional distress and even depression. We discuss how we can safely release anger, and how our relationship with this most underappreciated of emotions can be healed, leading to many physical and emotional benefits. Mar Estarellas and Orsolya Szeverics run a variety of workshops, including around unlocking the gifts of anger.  Orsolya Szeverics has been experimenting with personal growth practices for nearly a decade, and has forged her own path of supporting people with a key focus on mental and emotional health through creative liberation. Mar Estarellas is a Computational Neuroscience PhD student. As a painter, neuroscientist and nature enthusiast, she is interested in researching the importance of art and Nature in living and dying healthily, for us and the Earth. She also has experience in Kundalini Yoga and the Wim Hof Method.   If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️Three winning and three losing strategies for facing your partner's anger. ⭐️Three things Orshi and Mar know to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Existential Kink by Carolyn Elliot.  Visit Mar Estarellas & Orsolya Szeverics’ website for more information about their workshops and their work on anger. Learn more about Orsolya Szeverics: https://linktr.ee/orshi  https://www.instagram.com/creative_liberation/  https://dandelion.earth/u/orshi  Learn more about Mar Estarellas: https://linktr.ee/mar_estarellas  https://www.instagram.com/mar.estarellas/  https://dandelion.earth/u/mar_estarellas  Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Are you being held back by darker moments from your past? Would you like to find the courage to shine a light on some of the tragic or shameful moments that you don’t like to think about? This week author and therapist Malcolm Stern joins Andrew to discuss his new book Slay Your Dragons With Compassion. Malcolm and Andrew talk about confronting your fears and working through blocks in a way that is compassionate to yourself and others. Malcolm Stern is a psychotherapist with over thirty years of experience in the therapy room. His book is the result of his professional experience, but also of working through personal tragedy: his daughter Melissa took her own life in 2014, leading Malcolm to question every aspect of his work and life. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️How to break the spell you’re under. ⭐️Three highlights from Malcolm Stern’s book that Andrew knows to be true. ⭐️ Three things Malcolm Stern knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Malcolm Stern’s new book Slay Your Dragons With Compassion: Ten Ways to Thrive Even When It Feels Impossible. Visit Malcolm Stern’s website Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Everyone has a different divorce experience, but getting divorced is pretty much guaranteed to change your life.  In this episode Samantha Baines, host of the Divorce Social podcast, shares her own experiences of divorce. Andrew and Samantha discuss: ⭐️The shock of divorce (even if you think you’re ready) ⭐️ Making the decision to get a divorce ⭐️ Dealing with what everybody else thinks. ⭐️ The “celebration” stage post-divorce. ⭐️The fun and the not-so-fun stereotypes around divorce (including wearing lots of leopard skin and having an adventurous love life). Samantha Baines is an author, actor and broadcaster based in London. You may recognise her from appearances on ITV's Loose Women, Sky News and Andrew Neil's This Week or acting roles in Netflix’s The Crown, Call the Midwife, Silent Witness and Magic Mike Live (directed by Channing Tatum). She is a regular on BBC radio stations. Samantha is a hearing aid wearer and iis the author of critically acclaimed children's books with deaf main characters. Her latest book (for adults) is Living with Hearing Loss and Deafness: A Guide to Owning It and Loving It. If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️How to be more positive ⭐️Three things Samantha Baines knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there  Visit Samantha Baines’ website Listen to The Divorce Social podcast Order Samantha Baines’ new book Living with Hearing Loss and Deafness: A Guide to Owning It and Loving It. Samantha interviews Andrew for the Divorce Social podcast here Follow Samantha Baines on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook,  Twitter and YouTube @samanthabaines Follow the Divorce Social on Twitter @DivorcePod Listen to our other episodes on divorce: Daughters of Divorce with Terry Gaspard, and Should I Stay or Should I Go? with Linda Hershman Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

If you’re restless and irritable, or plagued by headaches or stomach upsets, then anxiety might be an issue. More and more of us are looking for support, and even diagnoses, to help manage anxiety. This week’s guest is Dr Anna Colton, a clinical psychologist, trained actress and TV presenter. Anna works with families, teenagers and couples, but also with performers and lawyers experiencing profound anxiety. Andrew and Anna discuss: ⭐️How our “unlived lives” feed into anxiety. ⭐️How anxiety can be protective. ⭐️The importance of curiosity. ⭐️How adrenaline feels and how to manage it. ⭐️“Catastrophising” and overwhelm. ⭐️The existential angst that can underlie our anxiety.   If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️Body issues and childhood eating. ⭐️Three things Anna Colton knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.  Visit Dr Anna Colton’s website for lots of resources on anxiety. Follow Dr Anna Colton on Instagram and Twitter @drannacolton, on Twitter and on YouTube @drannacolton727 For more on anxiety, listen to Andrew’s interviews with Dr Kathleen Smith on Make Anxiety Your Friend and Dr Wendy Suzuki on The Neuroscientist’s Guide to Anxiety. Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Today, the four pale horsemen of war, famine, pestilence and death, have broken into our comfortable lives once again.  As the climate emergency and shortage become normalised, how do we live through crisis after crisis without falling into fear and anxiety on the one hand, or agitated reaction and rage on the other?  Do we face the horsemen, go into denial or settle for the dull throb of numbness? And how do we maintain contact with the heart, with soul, with love and compassion? This week Andrew speaks with award-winning poet, author and teacher William Ayot about: The burdens men carry The healing power of ritual Male loneliness and how men’s groups help Confronting shame and anger As well as his writing and poetry, William Ayot leads workshops and seminars on personal development topics and creates and conducts private rituals and ceremonies.  Andrew will be attending William’s Feb/Mar 2023 workshop on Male Mysteries through Times of Change & Crisis , which is co-hosted with Simon Roe (a previous guest - see  Are You Leading a Life of Quiet Desperation?). William Ayot is also the co-founding director of Olivier Mythodrama and worked around the world for ten years, teaching leadership through story, theatre practice and ritual. He founded NaCOT- The National Centre for the Oral Tradition, and hosts the poetry series On the Border.  If You’re Looking for More…. You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  This week supporters will hear: ⭐️ Creating a daily ritual for a deeper connection to life. ⭐️Three things William Ayot knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there  Attend William Ayot and Simon Roe’s upcoming workshop in Feb/Mar 2023, Facing the Four Horsemen: Exploring Male Mysteries through Times of Change & Crisis Visit William Ayot’s website for information on bespoke rituals, poetry etc. Visit William Ayot and Juliet Grayson’s online library of poetry and talks on shame, men’s issues and relationships. Listen to Andrew’s interview with Simon Roe on Are You Leading a Life of Quiet Desperation?  Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Life brings to all of us long periods where we feel lost or confused. We don't know how to get what we want, or even what it is that we want.  The struggle to articulate the thing that might really make us “come alive” can be profound, even if we enter therapy. Charlotte Fox Weber is the author of Tell Me What You Want, a new book that explores how to identify and navigate our deepest longings.  Andrew and Charlotte discuss the idea that we have 12 fundamental desires: to love and be loved; understanding, power, attention, freedom; to create, to belong, to win, to connect, to control; and to want what we shouldn't.  Identifying how these desires play out in your life can be liberating and beautiful, even if you also realise that acting on them is impossible.  Charlotte Fox Weber is a psychotherapist, author and the founding head of The School of Life Psychotherapy.   Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️ The troublemaking twins: pride and shame. ⭐️Three things Charlotte Fox Weber knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.  Read Charlotte Fox Weber’s new book, Tell Me What You Want  Visit Charlotte Fox Weber’s website Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier.  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Throw away your FitBit, stop counting your daily steps, and instead learn to run mindfully. If you can find the three key elements of space, silence and patience, you’ll be far more able to tackle big problems at work and at home. William Pullen is a psychotherapist who helps clients using his revolutionary method of Dynamic Running Therapy. His work combines movement and talk therapy to harness the synergy of mind, body and spirit. In this episode Andrew and William discuss 🏃🏾‍♂️How a good walk is different from a good run 🏃🏽‍♀️The practice of “asking your run/walk a question” 🏃🏻What the way someone walks can tell us about them.  William also tackles a particularly thorny reader’s letter about what to do if you find that your smartphone use is taking over your life and spoiling your relationships.   Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing:   ⭐️Running to improve your anger management ⭐️ Three things William Pullen knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.  Buy William Pullen’s book Run for Your Life: Mindful Running for a Happy Life Visit William Pullen’s website  Watch William Pullen’s TEDx talk “Movement is Medicine”  Follow William Pullen on Instagram @dynamicrunningtherapy and on Twitter @pullentherapy Get William Pullen’s iPhone app for Dynamic Running Therapy Listen to Andrew’s interview with Machiel Klerk on how to Ask Your Dreams for Help  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

How do you cope when life suddenly and dramatically falls to pieces? In March 2017 psychologist and author Niamh Fitzpatrick’s beloved sister Dara was killed in a helicopter crash.  Soon afterwards, Niamh’s marriage disintegrated, and she feared she would also lose the house she lived in. Life as she knew it had ended and the cumulative loss was staggering in terms of impact. As a psychologist for many years, Niamh had helped hundreds of clients through the worst times in their lives. Her own experiences of loss and grief were nonetheless shocking and devastating, and she had to draw on the full extent of her skillset to survive and rebuild. Andrew and Niamh share a wide-ranging discussion of grief, including the importance of naming and honouring all your experiences of loss. Niamh Fitzpatrick is the author of Tell Me the Truth About Loss and also works as a psychologist and sports psychologist in Dublin, Ireland.    Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️ A sports psychologist's guide to recovering from injury and dealing with loss ⭐️Three things Niamh Fitzpatrick knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Buy Niamh Fitzpatrick’s book Tell Me The Truth About Loss  Visit Niamh Fitzpatrick’s website   Follow Niamh Fitzpatrick on Twitter Listen to some of our other episodes about grief and loss, including therapist David Kessler on Finding Meaning: the Sixth Stage of Grief and writer/politician Catherine Mayer on Embracing Life at a Time of Death.   Read Andrew’s memoir about the loss of his partner My Mourning Year h Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

When women and men argue, women can often be more comfortable in expressing their feelings of hurt and anger.  Men can feel distressed by this strength of feeling, and may pull away emotionally. They may feel a very strong urge to occupy the ground of rationality and objectivity, which in turn leads their partner to push harder, desperately seeking emotional connection. Dr Avrum Weiss is a US-based author and psychotherapist specialising in the internal lives of men. His writing and his work with couples help men and women understand each other more deeply and build a stronger connection. In this episode Andrew and Dr Weiss discuss the emotion of anger and how our childhoods can influence our adult experiences of it. They share insights from Dr Weiss’ book Hidden in Plain Sight: How Men’s Fears of Women Shape Their Intimate Relationships , and look at how men and women can better understand each other’s internal world.   Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️The seven fears of men in relationships ⭐️Three things Dr Weiss knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there https://bit.ly/TheMeaningfulLifeSubstack  Buy Dr Avrum Weiss’ book Hidden in Plain Sight: How Men’s Fears of Women Shape Their Intimate Relationships  Find Dr Avrum Weiss’ other books via his website https://www.avrumweissphd.com Read Dr Avrum Weiss' columns for Psychology Today Follow Dr Avrum Weiss on Facebook @AvrumWeissAuthor and on Twitter @avrum_weiss Read Andrew’s books on relationships and self-development You might also be interested in hearing Dr Matthew McKay talking with Andrew about Loving in the Face of Pain  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Better sex, building a stronger connection with your partner, coping with anxiety, and dealing with shame and fear: these were some of the big themes that resonated on The Meaningful Life in 2022. Tracey Cox, international sex therapist, author and Daily Mail columnist, was the very first guest on episode one of The Meaningful Life. She joins Andrew again this week to discuss their stand-out episodes from last year. Tracey and Andrew talk about how their favourite guests influenced their thinking, and what they’ll be taking forward into 2023.   Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️ Lessons in compassion ⭐️ Sex in long term relationships ⭐️Dealing with adult children ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Buy Great Sex Starts at 50: How to Age-Proof Your Libido by Tracey Cox Get advice on your sex life from Tracey Cox at www.traceycox.com  Listen to Tracey Cox’s podcast SexTok with Tracey and Kelsey  Follow Tracey Cox on Facebook @TraceyCoxSexpert, on Instagram @traceycoxsexauthor and on Twitter @TraceyCox Read Andrew’s books on relationships and self-development Listen to some of the 2022 episodes discussed by Tracey and Andrew: ⭐️Terry Real on the Five Traps that Undermine Your Love ⭐️Frederic Luskin on Forgiveness: What It Is and Isn’t ⭐️Cheryl Fraser on How to Stay in Love ⭐️Thom Rutledge on Embracing Fear in Four Steps ⭐️Kathleen Smith on Making Anxiety Your Friend Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Do you experience regular bad headaches, or a stomach upset that won’t go away? Do you have nagging aches you put down to getting older? Mind and body are two parts of the same system: problems like depression and anxiety almost always manifest in the physical body as well as the mind.  The road to calm and joy is much faster if we can ensure to take care of mind AND body.  Author and integrative psychiatrist Dr Henry Emmons looks at mental health problems like depression and anxiety by weaving together mind-body and natural therapies, mindfulness teachings and other holistic approaches.  Dr Emmons is also a sought-after presenter and consultant on integrating natural and mindfulness therapies in psychiatry, the interface between spirituality and mental health, and personal and professional renewal.  We hope you enjoy this very early The Meaningful Life episode we’ve reissued for Christmas 2023: what better topic to get you through the holiday season than “the road to calm and joy”?   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Visit Dr Henry Emmons’ website to find out more about his books: The Chemistry of Joy The Chemistry of Calm The Chemistry of Joy Workbook Staying Sharp: 9 Keys to a Youthful Brain Through Modern Science and Ancient Wisdom  Visit https://www.naturalmentalhealth.com  a website co-founded by Henry Emmons to help people of all ages optimise their mental health and build resilience in mind, body, and spirit.  You might also be interested in Andrew’s interview with Dr Kathleen Smith on How to Make Anxiety Your Friend Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

“Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.” Philosopher William James (brother of the novelist Henry James) seems way ahead of his time with this insight.  Our guest this week is author and philosopher John Kaag. John credits William James with helping him through several existential crises, including bouts of despair as a young man, and two divorces.  Andrew and John discuss: ⭐️The pressing choice in modern life of where to put our attention ⭐️How philosophy helps parents ⭐️The ways daily habits and routines entrap us ⭐️The problem of empathy and the challenge of honouring the inner lives of others.   Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️When is it justified to believe? ⭐️3 things John Kaag knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.  Buy John Kaag’s new book Be Not Afraid of Life: In the Words of William James Buy John Kaag’s other books: American Philosophy: A Love Story Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life  Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are Follow John Kaag on Twitter @JohnKaag  Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier You might also enjoy Andrew’s interview with Andy West on Inherited Guilt: How Philosophy Helped Me Heal  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Leaving a toxic relationship is really just the beginning: how do you then pick up the pieces and build a new life?  Certified relationship coach Tara Blair Ball is a second-time guest on The Meaningful Life - her first interview on attachment theory was so popular that we invited her back to discuss her new book on surviving toxic relationships.  According to Tara,  ⭐️Personal responsibility is the key to change ⭐️Healthy relationships are built, not found ⭐️Whether you’re single or partnered, you can recover from toxic relationship patterns and learn a healthier way to relate. Tara draws on her personal experience of life with a toxic partner to help others learn how to create healthy relationships. In this episode, she and Andrew talk through her 7-step healing process. Tara Blair Ball is the author of several books on love and relationships. Her content on relationships and dating has been viewed more than 6 million times.  Tara’s latest book is Reclaim & Recover: Heal from Toxic Relationships with a 7-Step Guided Journal.    Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️How to overcome victim mentality.  ⭐️3 things Tara Blair Ball knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Buy Tara Blair Ball’s new book Reclaim & Recover: Heal from Toxic Relationships with a 7-Step Guided Journal  Read Tara’s other books The Beginning of the End: A memoir about a broken relationship, addiction, and human frailty AND Stop Wasting Your Time on Women Who Don’t Want You. Take a look at Tara Blair Ball’s website  Listen to Andrew’s previous interview with Tara Blair Ball on Attachment Theory  Follow Tara on TikTok @tara.relationshipcoach or on Twitter @tarablairball Read Co-parenting with a Toxic Ex by Amy Baker Read Andrew’s books I Can’t Get Over My Partner’s Affair and I Love You But I’m Not In Love With You Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

⭐️What is something you could do right now to help your future self? ⭐️What is the most dangerous thing you have survived? ⭐️Who is a person you’re glad exists? These are the kinds of questions writer Amanda Deibert asks her Twitter followers everyday, and which she has now gathered into a beautiful gratitude journal called You Already Have the Answers. In this episode, Andrew and Amanda discuss the ways in which our lives are full of insight and wisdom, if we can only slow down and find a meaningful route inward. Most of us are much stronger and braver than we think.  Andrew also explains how he came to get his first tattoo in his sixties, and Amanda shares some eye-opening stories illustrating how her early life experiences shaped her grounded, real-life approach to self-love and self-care.  AND - we have our first listener competition. US and UK based listeners can win a copy of You Already Have the Answers by going to our podcast page and using our “Get Involved” form to submit an answer to the question “What Have You Learned and Put Into Action After Listening to The Meaningful Life?  Entries due by close of day Thursday 15th December.   Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️How to take a leap of faith ⭐️3 things Amanda Deibert knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there Buy Amanda Deibert’s book You Already Have the Answers  Follow Amanda Deibert on Twitter @amandadeibert You might also like to listen to Andrew’s interview with Chester Elton on How Gratitude Could Revolutionise Your Life  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Family secrets can live on for generations, shaping our lives in ways we may not recognise or fully understand. In this episode Andrew talks to Dr Galit Atlas, author of Emotional Inheritance: A Therapist, Her Patients, and the Legacy of Trauma about how our struggles in life are linked to the emotional inheritance we receive from our families. Dr Atlas is a psychoanalyst and clinical supervisor in private practice in Manhattan.She is a clinical assistant professor on the faculty of the New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis and faculty at the National Training Program (NTP) and the Four-Year Adult training program at the National Institute for the Psychotherapies (NIP) in New York City.  Dr. Atlas has published three books for clinicians and numerous articles and book chapters that focus primarily on gender and sexuality. Her New York Times publication “A Tale of Two Twins” was the winner of a 2016 Gradiva Award   Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️How to repair a relationship with an estranged family member ⭐️3 things Galit Atlas knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.  Read Dr Galit Atlas’ new book Emotional Inheritance: A Therapist, Her Patients, and the Legacy of Trauma  Visit Dr Galit Atlas’ website Follow Dr Galit Atlas on Facebook @GalitAtlas and on Instagram @galit_atlas If you’re interested in the drama triangle discussed in this episode, you might also enjoy Andrew’s interview with therapist Chris Partridge on Being a Rescuer You might also like to listen to Andrew’s interview with Julia Samuel MBE on Inherited Pain Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Prison makes a lot of life's big questions feel extremely urgent. Author Andy West explores such questions  in his work teaching philosophy to prisoners - some of whom have minimal education; some of whom have acquired PhDs. Andy has also experienced the shadow of prison in his own life - witnessing the incarceration of his father, brother and uncle. We discuss prison and ideas of freedom, and use the story of Ulysses and the Sirens to test out ideas of who it is in our world who is the most free. Andy West is a London-based author and philosopher. His new book is The Life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Family and Learning to Be Free   Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️Shame and Pandora’s Box: the lessons for today from an ancient myth. ⭐️3 things Andy West knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Buy Andy West’s book The Life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Family and Learning to Be Free Follow Andy West on Twitter @AndyWPhilosophy  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Julia Samuel MBE on Inherited Pain, or with Joanna LaPrade on Surviving Dark Times. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

The end of life isn’t always a time of fear and suffering. Dr Christopher Kerr has cared for thousands of patients who, in the face of imminent death, speak of love and grace.  Dr Kerr is the author of Death is But a Dream, in which he shares dying patients’ experiences of pre-death dreams and vision. These end-of-life dreams humanise the dying process and can also comfort the bereaved, who see their loved ones dying with a sense of calm closure. Andrew and Dr Kerr discuss how end-of-life dreams can bring love and forgiveness, restore meaning to suffering and mark a transition from distress to comfort and acceptance. Christopher Kerr, MD, PhD, is the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive Officer for Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo. Dr. Kerr comes from a long line of physicians, of which he is now the fifth generation. His TedX Buffalo Talk, “I See Dead People: Dreams and Visions of the Dying” has three million views and was reported on by the BBC, The Atlantic, The New York Times and The Washington Post.  Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️How to have a good death. ⭐️3 things Dr Kerr knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Buy Death is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning at Life’s End by Dr Christopher Kerr. Visit Dr Christopher Kerr’s website Watch Dr Christopher Kerr’s TEDx Talk “I See Dead People: Dreams and Visions of the Dying".  Read My Mourning Year, Andrew’s memoir about the loss of his partner. You might also be interested in Andrew’s interviews with Dr Kathryn Mannix on “What You’ve Been Told About Death Might Be Wrong”, with Georgina Scull on “Regrets of the Dying” or with David Kessler on “The Sixth Stage of Grief”. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall     

If work leaves you feeling tense, unfulfilled or anxious, then it’s definitely time to make some kind of change. You probably know that already - but this week’s episode helps you think through where to start.  This week’s guest is Phil Poole, a Berlin-based coach, entrepreneur, writer and leader. Phil and Andrew discuss: ⭐️Phil’s journey through burnout to finding a meaningful, joyful career ⭐️How to know if it’s really the job that’s the problem. ⭐️Making big life changes with the support of your partner/family. ⭐️Narrowing down your passion and building it into your work life.  ⭐️Breaking the cycle of overthinking/rumination and taking positive action.   Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️How to discover who you really are and what you really want.  ⭐️3 things Phil knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Take the character survey Phil Poole discusses here (the option to take the survey will appear as a popup). Visit Phil Poole’s Coaching for a Different Life website Andrew also discusses burnout in the context of this interview with author and coach Dawn Kohler: When the Call to Be Yourself Can No Longer Be Ignored. Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Parenting adult children might not involve sleepless nights or dealing with detentions, but it can be highly challenging. Often, the balance of power shifts and parents find themselves walking on eggshells, anxious about preserving a close relationship. In this week’s episode Andrew talks to author and journalist Celia Dodd about the challenges and rewards of parenting later in life. They discuss: - Dealing with conflict with your adult children - What to do if you don’t get on with their partner - Supporting adult children through periods of suffering and change. - The sometimes thorny issue of how much you are involved with  grandchildren. - Adult siblings who don’t get on. Celia Dodd is the author of All Grown Up: Nurturing Relationships with Adult Children. She is an author and journalist who writes about parenting and major transitions in life, such as the empty nest and retirement. Celia has written regularly for British papers such as The Times and  the Independent. She recently produced a Retirement Planning Toolkit and webinar for Hampshire Police Force, and works with other organisations on retirement planning.   Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️How to keep conflict to a minimum but still talk about difficult things.  ⭐️3 things Celia knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.  Read Celia Dodd’s latest book All Grown Up: Nurturing Relationships with Adult Children.  Read Celia Dodd’s other books, The Empty Nest: Your Changing Family, Your New Direction and Not Fade Away: How to Thrive in Retirement  Visit Celia Dodd’s website www.celiadodd.co.uk Follow Celia Dodd on Twitter @celia_dodd and on Instagram @celiaruthdodd You might also enjoy our episodes on Healing the Mother/Daughter Wound with author Itoro Bassey, What You Wish Your Parents Knew with therapist/author Philippa Perry or How to Reinvent Yourself at 50 with journalist Eleanor Mills.  Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

There's endless advice on romantic love, but how can you nurture loving friendships? And what should you do if a friendship turns sour, or leaves you feeling taken advantage of? This week's guest is writer and therapist Dr Suzanne Degges-White, the author of Toxic Friendships: Knowing the Rules and Dealing with the Friends Who Break Them. In this episode Andrew and Suzanne discuss:  ⭐️ Making friends and why it gets harder as we age ⭐️ Being a good friend ⭐️ How many friends we need ⭐️ When to let go of a friendship. Dr Suzanne Degges-White is a professor and chair of the Counseling and Higher Education department at Northern Illinois University. She is a licensed counsellor whose focus includes working with individuals and families facing transitions. Her academic research explores development over the lifespan with a strong focus on women’s relationships and women’s developmental transitions.   Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️Strategies to detoxify a friendship or work relationship ⭐️3 things Suzanne knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up   Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Dr Suzanne Degges-White’s new book Toxic Friendships: Knowing the Rules and Dealing with the Friends Who Break Them  Read Friends Forever : How Girls and Women Forge Lasting Relationships, the book on friendship co-written by Suzanne Degges-White and Christine Borzumato-Gainey Read Dr Suzanne Degges-White’s articles for Psychology Today Follow Dr Suzanne Degges-White on Twitter @DeggesWhite Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Are you “world-weary”? Exhausted by life to the point where a day on the couch, a mini-break or a night out with friends won’t even touch the tip of your fatigue? This week’s guest, Dr Libby Nugent, is here to help. Libby discusses with Andrew the powerful healing properties of the fairytale. If you’ve experienced: Strains in relationships with your children or parents Anxiety about reaching goals you’ve defined for yourself A nagging sense that you’re missing out on other ways to approach life Then this week’s episode is for you.  Andrew and Libby touch on the resonances of Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel, and then dive deeper into the story of Frau Holle, the tough, nurturing underworld mother who rewards one daughter with a stream of gold, and the other with a coating of tar. They talk about accommodating the “splits” we find within ourselves and finding the capacity for self-love. Dr Libby Nugent is a clinical psychologist and groupwork practitioner with expertise in fairytales, Greek myths, reflective spaces and Jungian psychoanalysis.   Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️Libby and Andrew discuss the myths and symbols associated with queens, with reference to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. ⭐️3 things Libby knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Visit Dr Libby Nugent’s blog, where you’ll find more interpretation of fairytales. Or visit Dr Libby Nugent’s website to learn about the reflective spaces she runs. Dr Libby Nugent recommends World Weary Woman by Cara Barker if you’d like to go deeper into the Frau Holle story and the “world-weary woman” archetype. Follow Dr Libby Nugent on Twitter @becomingethical, on Facebook @drlibbynugent and on Instagram @libby.nugent. If you’re fascinated by some of the Jungian ideas discussed here, listen to some of Andrew’s other interviews with Jungian analysts: James Hollis on Resilience, Lisa Marchiano on Motherhood, Susan Schwartz on Fathers and Daughters and Robert Hopcke on Meaningful Coincidence. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

What happens if you ignore the voices in your head urging you to change your life? Most likely they will make themselves heard in some way, be it positive or negative. Dawn Kohler was an award-winning entrepreneur in the computer industry when she was abruptly summoned to take a life-altering course. She began to receive “messages”, which launched her on an extraordinary healing process. In this episode Dawn and Andrew talk about Dawn’s journey through anxiety, depression and a relentless pull towards the unknown (all while also trying to meet the needs of a young family). Dawn Kohler is an author and sought-after executive coach, working with leaders at companies including Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, DreamWorks, Fox, Snapchat, Disney, and Amazon. She serves on the Board of Step-Up, a non-profit organisation to help mentor teen girls in low-income areas. Dawn has written 3 books, including her recent memoir, The Messages, the story of her journey to wholeness and fulfillment. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️Five ways for successful women to stop feeling the need to prove themselves. ⭐️Three things Dawn knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. You can purchase or read a sample of Dawn’s new book The Messages here You can find more information about Dawn Kohler’s workshops, books and coaching on her website You can also follow Dawn on Facebook  You might also enjoy listening to Andrew’s interviews with Kay Hutchison on Navigating Midlife Crisis or with Philip Carr-Gomm on Building an Authentic Life.  You may also like to read  Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall   

If you’re feeling stuck in your life, could the way forward be found in your dreams? Your dreams are direct messages from your subconscious, and can tell you a huge amount if you pay them a little attention. This week’s guest, Machiel Klerk, is a Jungian analyst and the founder of the Jung Platform. He is also the author of Dream Guidance, a guide to connecting with and finding guidance from the soul through your dreams. Andrew and Machiel discuss Machiel’s dream incubation techniques: Machiel provides guidance on how to ask your subconscious a question relating to a specific situation in your life, and have the answer offered by your dreams.    Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️Four techniques to better interpret your dreams. ⭐️3 things Machiel knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Machiel Klerk’s book Dream Guidance  Visit Machiel Klerk’s website  Visit the Jung Platform Follow Machiel Klerk on Facebook and Instagram Listen to some of our other episodes featuring Jungian analysts, including James Hollis on Resilience, Lisa Marchiano on Motherhood, Susan Schwartz on Fathers and Daughters and Robert Hopcke on Meaningful Coincidence. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.

If we know anything for sure about love, it’s that our beloved will change as time passes. They will look different, believe new things and feel new sorrows and joys. Psychologist and author Dr Matthew McKay has written a new book on how we can keep love alive in an age of impermanence. He talks with Andrew about five ways to keep loving in the face of change, loss or disappointment: ⭐️Truly knowing the people we love ⭐️Actively caring for loved ones ⭐️Cultivating compassion ⭐️Setting a daily intention to act with love ⭐️Turning toward the pain of impermanence, not away from it. Matthew has a strong belief that the power of love continues after life is over, and he and Andrew also discuss how to keep loving and communicating with those who are gone. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️Matthew discussing his “navigation principle” - a way to see more clearly how we approach life’s big decisions. ⭐️Matthew’s gratitude meditation to help you clean out the wounds of life. ⭐️3 things Matthew knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.  Buy Dr Matthew McKay’s new book Love in the Time of Impermanence  Read Dr Matthew McKay’s book on the transition to the afterlife: The Luminous Landscape of the Afterlife  Take a look at Dr Matthew McKay’s author page on the Inner Traditions website. Read some of Dr Matthew McKay’s other books  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Paul Gilbert on Compassion and Self-Acceptance and with Terry Real on the Five Traps that Undermine Your Love.  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall 

How can we cope when life turns very dark? The culture tends to suggest we fix ourselves, work through the grief, and get back to normal as quickly as possible. If we accept the challenge to go deeper, though, getting up close with the darkness of life can be enriching and freeing.  Ancient and non-Western cultures tend to offer more routes into the “underworld”. Jungian psychotherapist Dr Joanna LaPrade is the author of a new book called Forged In Darkness, in which she explores how myth and stories can help us navigate our way through the shadows. In this episode Joanna shares stories and real-life examples to help you understand your own darkness. She and Andrew discuss: Creating your own rituals to deal with darkness Generational darkness: millennials and failure, babyboomers and shame. The transformative experience of suffering Dr Joanna LaPrade is an author, educator and Jungian psychotherapist. She has a private practice in Colorado U.S.A. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️The mythical gods and heroes who can best help us understand suffering. ⭐️3 things Joanna knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Dr Joanna LaPrade’s book Forged In Darkness  Visit Dr Joanna LaPrade’s website  Read Andrew’s memoir about the loss of his partner, My Mourning Year.  Listen to some of our other episodes on grief, such as David Kessler on the Sixth Stage of Grief, or to other Jungian guests such as James Hollis on Resilience. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  

Is it possible to fall in love with your partner over and over again? Can you hope to hold onto passionate sex as you grow older together? This week Andrew is joined by Dr Cheryl Fraser, an author, Buddhist teacher, psychologist and sex therapist. They explore the nature and longevity of passion, including: ⭐️Libido and why it can wane over time ⭐️How mindfulness works in the bedroom ⭐️The “passion triangle” - intimacy, thrill, sensuality. Dr Cheryl Fraser is the author of Buddha’s Bedroom, and the host of the Sex, Love and Elephants podcast. She also runs an online programme for couples, Become Passion. Dr Cheryl has helped thousands of couples jump-start their love life and create passion that lasts a lifetime. She lives in Vancouver, where she has a thriving private practice in sex and couples therapy. She is regularly featured in Mindful and Best Health magazines. Dr Cheryl was also a Fulbright scholar, and has studied meditation and Buddhism for twenty-five years, in both the Tibetan and Theravaden traditions. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️Cheryl & Andrew on 3 big relationship myths ⭐️How Buddhism’s 4 Noble Truths can lead to a more loving, connected relationships.  ⭐️3 things Cheryl knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack publication, The Meaningful Life Learn more about Dr Cheryl’s online immersion program for couples, Become Passion. It will be offered only once in 2022, in October. Join the waitlist here.  Sign up to receive Lovebytes, Dr Cheryl’s tips and techniques to help you create love that lasts a lifetime. Read Dr Cheryl’s book, Buddha’s Bedroom  Listen to Dr Cheryl’s podcast Sex, Love and Elephants  Follow Dr Cheryl on Facebook and YouTube  Read Andrew’s book I Love You But I’m Not In Love With You  Read Andrew’s blog Seven Secrets for Making Marriage Last  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.

This week we are celebrating our 100th episode. To mark the occasion, we have a very special guest: Julia Samuel MBE, who is one of the UK’s foremost psychotherapists, as well as an author and an expert on grief.  Julia and Andrew discuss: ⭐️How grief and loss pass from generation to generation ⭐️How you can protect your own children from generational trauma ⭐️Using boundaries, rituals and positive conflict techniques to help your family heal. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️Julia’s 12 touchstones for the wellbeing of a family. ⭐️3 things Julia knows to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there Read Julia Samuel’s book Every Family has a Story: How We Inherit Love and Loss Read Julia Samuel’s other books This Too Shall Pass : Stories of Change, Crisis and Hopeful Beginnings and Grief Works : Stories of Life, Death and Surviving Take a look at Julia Samuel’s website   Follow Julia Samuel on Facebook and Instagram @JuliaSamuelMBE Listen to other episodes dealing with generational inheritances: Terry Real on Five Traps that Undermine Your Love, Jed Diamond on Your Personal Creation Story and Philippa Perry on What You Wish Your Parents Knew. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  

Some of us spend years having the same arguments with our partner, on repeat. Others drift into a state of lonely togetherness where we don’t bother to talk about discontents, because it just feels pointless. Joanna Harrison is a marital therapist who has identified five arguments that all couples need to have. If you can work through these issues, your chances of building a healthy, happy relationship are much stronger. In this week’s episode, Andrew and Joanna discuss basic skills for productive conflict, why we try to avoid arguments, and how therapy can help. Subscriber Content This Week If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing: ⭐️Joanna’s examples of practical strategies that have worked best for the couples she sees.  ⭐️Andrew and Joanna’s best piece of advice for couples struggling to disagree productively. ⭐️3 things Joanna KNOWS to be true. ⭐️AND subscribers can also explore a rich trove of bonus material on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and all his previous guests.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there  Get Joanna Harrison’s book Five Arguments All Couples (Need to) Have and Why the Washing-Up Matters  Take a look at Joanna Harrison’s website https://joannaharrison.co.uk  Follow Joanna Harrison on Twitter @JoCoupleTherapy and on Instagram @joannaharrisoncoupletherapist  Listen to other The Meaningful Life episodes on marriage and relationships: Dr Terry Real on Five Traps that Undermine Your Love and Matthew Fray on How Good People Mess Up Their Marriages  Read Andrew’s book I Love You But I’m Not In Love With You: Seven Steps to Saving Your Relationship  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.   

Society encourages us to focus hard on “doing, achieving and having”. According to Professor Paul Gilbert, though, we would likely be much happier if we instead worked on being more compassionate to ourselves and others. In this episode Andrew and Paul discuss: ⭐️Why being compassionate ISN’T being weak ⭐️Three key pillars of compassion: assertiveness, forgiveness & apology ⭐️Why compassion increases feelings of contentment and wellbeing.  ⭐️Exercises you can do to become more compassionate ⭐️The vagus nerve and its role in regulating anxiety and moods. Professor Paul Gilbert Paul Gilbert FBPsS, PhD, OBE is the Founder and President of The Compassionate Mind Foundation. He is also Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Derby and honorary visiting Prof at the University of Queensland. Paul was made a Fellow of the British Psychological Society in 1993, president of the BABCP for 2002-2004, and was a member of the first British Government’s NICE guidelines for depression. He has written/edited 23 books and over 300 papers and book chapters. He was awarded an OBE by the Queen in March 2011 for services to mental health.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there.  Read Paul Gilbert’s book The Compassionate Mind See Paul Gilbert’s other books   Paul Gilbert is the Founder and President of The Compassionate Mind Foundation  Follow the Compassionate Mind Foundation on Facebook @CompMindFound, on Twitter @CompMindFound, on Instagram @compassionatemind_foundation and on LinkedIn.  Learn more about the vagus nerve - “Everything you need to know about the vagus nerve” in Medical News Today and “This Nerve Influences Nearly Every Internal Organ. Can It Improve Our Mental State, Too?” in The New York Times. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  

What if divorce were not the end? This week’s podcast guests, Tommy and Gina Mulligan, share their journey from acrimonious divorce back to happy coupledom. Tommy and Gina started out as high school sweethearts and grew up together to create a happy life and family. As Tommy’s career accelerated, however, they encountered problems with work/life balance, gendered relationship stereotypes and a problematic dynamic that sometimes felt more like a parent and child than a married couple.  Later, however, they were able to rediscover their spark and develop their own unique approach to starting over. This involved working on communication skills, but also agreeing to parcel away the bad times and start again from the point where there had been harmony.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there Follow Tommy and Gina on Twitter @2ndtimearound22 Read Andrew’s book The Happy Couple’s Handbook – Powerful Life Hacks for a Successful Relationship Listen to some of our other episodes on marriage and relationships - including Irene Fehr on Why Desire Disappears in Committed Relationships and Terry Real on The Five Traps that Undermine Your Love . Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.   

Do you fall too easily into the role of rescuer in your relationships? Being the eternal rescuer is exhausting, and it tends to cast those around you in the roles of victim and persecutor.  Or, often, you and your partner will switch between the roles, caught in an eternal and unproductive “drama triangle”. None of the three roles are likely to allow true self-expression, and getting stuck in this cycle is draining and dispiriting. This week Andrew talks with psychotherapist, spiritual teacher and author Chris Partridge about escaping the rescuer role, and developing the spiritual muscle to be able to really understand what your emotions are telling you.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there  Buy Chris Partridge’s book Wake Up: What Are Your Emotions Really Telling You? Visit Chris Partridge’s website Follow Chris Partridge on Facebook @WakeUpGuideBook and on Instagram @wakeupguide   Read Andrew’s book The Happy Couple’s Handbook – Powerful Life Hacks for a Successful Relationship Listen to some of our other episodes on marriage and relationships - including Irene Fehr on Why Desire Disappears in Committed Relationships and Terry Real on The Five Traps that Undermine Your Love . Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.   

To forgive is one of the biggest choices we can make. It can allow us to let go of painful suffering, to move on and to find peace for ourselves.  Yet forgiveness tends to be something of a minefield. Many feel that it means letting people who have hurt them back into their lives (which definitely need not be the case). Nor is forgiveness the same thing as saying that historic mistreatment was OK. And if forgiveness is compelled by religion or a strict sense of morality, it may not bring the same easing of hurt and suffering. In this episode Andrew and forgiveness expert Dr Frederic Luskin discuss how to go about the task of forgiving someone, and the impact this can have on the rest of your life. Whether it is infidelity, financial dishonesty or parental failings, forgiving someone who has wronged you can ultimately mean that you can be “a hero instead of a victim in the story you tell”.    Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there Buy Dr Frederic Luskin’s book Forgive for Good Explore Dr Frederic Luskin’s work on forgiveness at the Forgive for Good website  Take a look at the Stanford University Forgiveness Project  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Listen to our episodes on infidelity - How to Rebuild Trust with Dr Caroline Madden and Lessons from My Recovery with infidelity survivors Lisa Arends and Helen Tower. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.   

After nearly dying from an ectopic pregnancy, writer Georgina Scull confronted some of life’s big questions: Why do we drift through life, planning for tomorrow but not living for today?  Why do we stay in relationships that no longer make us content, or in jobs that fill us with dread?  Why do we allow our doubts to stop us trying new things, or let people treat us badly? Georgina chose to answer these questions in a unique way: she created a podcast and then a book in which she interviewed people who were dying. She asked each interviewee about their regrets, which ranged from long-lost love never pursued, to leaving behind children too young to remember their mother.  In this episode, Andrew and Georgina discuss what we can learn from the dying, and the many reasons for living in the moment rather than chasing the perfect body, the next promotion or a bigger house.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there. Read Georgina Scull’s new book Regrets of the Dying: Stories and Wisdom That Remind Us How to Live Listen to Georgina Scull’s podcast Regrets of the Dying  Follow Georgina Scull on Twitter @georginascull Listen to other episodes including Dr Kathryn Mannix on What You’ve Been Told About Death Might be Wrong, and David Kessler on Finding Meaning: the Sixth Stage of Grief.   Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.   

Why do women stop wanting sex? Why is it so hard to recapture the intoxicating desire of those wonderful early weeks and months of your relationship? Irene Fehr has spent a decade working with couples as a sex and intimacy coach. Her specialty is women’s libido and sexual desire in long-term relationships. In this episode Andrew and Irene discuss the nature of desire. Unless we understand what compels and creates desire at different life stages, we will not be able to create a passionate, connected sexual life that meets both partner’s needs. As well as understanding desire, there are also practical steps you can take to rekindle your connection. Fencing off time away from your children (including the controversial act of locking the bedroom door) is key; as is taking small amounts of time each day (rather than weekly date nights) to spend in complete, uninterrupted togetherness.  And if you are one of our wonderful Apple, Spotify or Patreon paying subscribers, this week’s bonus material sees Andrew and Irene discussing Seven Common Traps for Couples Making Love. Irene Fehr is a sex and intimacy coach. Her articles and advice on sex, female libido and sexual pleasure are regularly featured in publications including Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan and Thought Catalog.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there Take Irene Fehr’s free video course on How to Want to Have Sex Again  Learn more about Feed Your Libido, Irene Fehr’s signature online program for women. Visit Irene Fehr’s website Follow Irene Fehr on Twitter and YouTube @ignitedwoman  and on LinkedIn. Read the books discussed in this episode: Women’s Anatomy of Arousal by Sherrie Winston, and The New Male Sexuality by Bernie Zilbergeld. Find out more about Betty Martin’s Wheel of Consent  Listen to other The Meaningful Life episodes on sex and relationships: Tracey Cox on Great Sex After Fifty and Dr Terry Real on Five Traps that Undermine Your Love  Read Andrew’s book Can We Start Again Please? Twenty Questions to Fall Back in Love Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. 

Creating a more meaningful life does not have to happen indoors. Whether it’s writing, meditating, repairing relationships or planning a big life change, doing the work outside surrounded by nature can be calming and inspiring. Psychotherapist Dr Patricia Hasbach is a specialist in ecotherapy. She sees clients outside and also incorporates nature into her therapeutic work indoors. She is a lifelong lover of nature and a profound believer in its power in treating anxiety and depression, and fostering health and wellness. Patricia has recently published Grounded: A Guided Journal to Help You Reconnect with the Power of Nature—and Yourself , an interactive journal designed to engage all of the reader’s five senses, and to deepen our experience of nature.  In this episode Andrew and Patricia discuss nature, awe, the power of green, and how to bring nature inside as part of the therapeutic journey. Dr. Patricia H. Hasbach is a licensed psychotherapist, consultant, author, and college educator. As one of the media’s go-to ecotherapists, she and her work have appeared in numerous outlets including Time, Vogue, Outside Magazine, the Utne Reader, The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, and Sierra Magazine. She lives with her husband and two dogs in Oregon, USA.   Follow Up The Meaningful Life has been nominated for a British Podcast Award in the category of Sex and Relationships Podcast. Please do vote for us in the Listeners’ Choice category here. Read Dr Patricia Hasbach’s new book Grounded: A Guided Journal to Help You Reconnect with the Power of Nature—and Yourself  Visit Dr Patricia Hasbach’s website  Follow Dr Patricia Hasbach on Facebook or on LinkedIn  You might also enjoy Andrew’s interview with “joyful environmentalist” Isabel Losada on How to Bring Joy Into Your Life AND Save the Planet  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Women often spend many hours considering their relationship with their mothers; but far less attention goes to the impact of fathers. For some, the reason for this is that their mothers were there, making wrong and right decisions (which they remember in the starkest possible light) whilst their fathers were absent. Jungian psychotherapist Dr Susan Schwartz has spent many hours guiding her women clients in thinking about how they were shaped by physically or emotionally absent fathers.  These daughters relate feeling an insecurity of self, a splintering and disintegration of their personality and a silencing of their voice. In this episode Andrew and Susan explore the different ways we are shaped by our fathers, how this comes up in therapy and the ways in which we can start to fill the holes left by absent fathers.  Susan and Andrew also analyse a recent dream of Andrew’s in which themes of family legacies and therapeutic work are drawn out. Dr Susan Schwartz is a Jungian analyst who trained in Switzerland and lives in the USA. She teaches in numerous Jungian programs, workshops, and lectures in the USA and worldwide. She is also a clinical psychologist and member of the International Association of Analytical Psychology.    Follow Up The Meaningful Life has been nominated for a British Podcast Award in the category of Sex and Relationships Podcast. Please do vote for us in the Listeners’ Choice category here. Read Dr Susan Schwartz’s new book The Absent Father Effect on Daughters, Father Desire, Father Wounds.  Visit Dr Susan Schwartz’s website https://susanschwartzphd.com  Follow Dr Susan Schwartz on Facebook and Instagram Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier  You might also be interested in Andrew’s other interviews with Jungian psychotherapists James Hollis (How to be Resilient), Connie Zweig (“From Role to Soul”) and Lisa Marchiano (Being a Mother). Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall  Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.

Do you think about drinking alcohol more than you think about eating sandwiches? Do you spend significant amounts of time thinking about NOT drinking (Dry January, for example)? Or are you one of the many with an uneasy feeling that alcohol is no longer bringing anything good into your life, and may well be holding you back? Therapist and sobriety expert Veronica Valli had a problematic relationship with alcohol for twelve years. She has now been sober for twenty years, and has helped countless others give up drinking. In this episode Andrew and Veronica discuss: ⭐️ How giving up alcohol can give you the energy and freedom to be your true self. ⭐️ Why your friends may not always be your cheerleaders if you give up drinking. ⭐️ Why a drinking problem is really a symptom of another, underlying problem. ⭐️ What to do if your partner has an alcohol problem.  ⭐️ Extreme social pressure to drink and how to deal with it. Veronica Valli has worked in the field of alcohol recovery for almost two decades. She is an author, podcaster and former clinical psychotherapist.    Follow Up The Meaningful Life has been nominated for a British Podcast Award in the category of Sex and Relationships Podcast. You can vote for us in the Listeners’ Choice category here. Read Veronica Valli’s new book Soberful: Uncover a Sustainable, Fulfilling Life Free of Alcohol  Take a look at Veronica Valli’s website Listen to Soberful: the Podcast  Find out about the Soberful private group on Facebook  Follow Veronica Valli on Instagram @veronicajvalli, on Facebook @soberfulpage, on Twitter @VeronicaValli and on LinkedIn. Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier  You might also be interested in Andrew’s interview with Oliver Russell on how being one of the first people in the UK to be diagnosed with Covid-19 led him to change his relationship with alcohol. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall  Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall 

How do you survive the loss of your life’s partner? How does grief relate to love? And how do you navigate the sometimes clumsy responses to grief from those around you? Writer, activist and speaker Catherine Mayer has spent the years since 2020 charting the depths of loss and grief. In early 2020 her husband, renowned guitarist and producer Andy Gill, died after returning from his band Gang of Four’s China tour. This came just months after her beloved stepfather died of Covid-19.  Locked down alone in the early months of the pandemic, Catherine and her mother, Anne Mayer Bird, found ways to navigate their losses and the startling questions and challenges that confronted them. Together they wrote Good Grief: Embracing Life at a Time of Death. In this episode Andrew and Catherine share their thoughts and feelings on the devastating experience that is the death of a partner. They talk about loneliness, pain and the process of writing it all down. Catherine Mayer is the co-founder and President of the Women’s Equality Party. She also co-founded the Primadonna Festival, which had its debut in 2019. Catherine is a writer, activist and speaker, and is the author of four books.    Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Catherine Mayer and Anne Mayer Bird’s new book Good Grief: Embracing Life at a Time of Death Read Catherine Mayer’s other books Attack of the Fifty Foot Women, Charles: The Heart of a King, and Amortality: the Pleasures and Perils of Living Agelessly. Learn more about The Women’s Equality Party and the Primadonna Festival.  Listen to The Problem of Leisure, a new album of Andy Gill’s music executive-produced by Catherine Mayer. Follow Catherine Mayer on Twitter @catherine_mayer Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Read Andrew’s memoir My Mourning Year  You may be interested to listen to other The Meaningful Life episodes exploring grief and loss, including Finding Meaning: the Sixth Stage of Grief with David Kessler, What You’ve Been Told About Death Might be Wrong, with Dr Kathryn Mannix, and  Getting Out of Your Own Way with Christina Patterson.  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Many older people, particularly women, are “divorce-curious”. They wonder about life on the other side of a tired marriage, and feel that perhaps it isn’t too late. Could a divorce be the route to rediscovering passion, stimulation and new experiences? Others are in the position of having a divorce thrust upon them, and are left to work through the pain and upheaval a split can cause in later life, both for themselves and the family unit. Linda Hershman is an expert on the “silver divorce” and has worked extensively to help couples navigate divorce. In this episode, Linda and Andrew discuss: ⭐️ Deciding whether it is in fact your relationship that’s the problem ⭐️ First steps if you are among the “divorce-curious” ⭐️ The impact of silver divorce on adult children ⭐️ The practical and financial impact divorce can have, particularly on women ⭐️ Discernment counselling - a style of marital counselling for “mixed-agenda” couples, where one wants to stay and the other wants to leave.  Linda Hershman is the author of Gray Divorce: Everything You Need to Know About Later-Life Breakups. She has worked as a marriage and family therapist for more than 25 years, and has presented internationally on silver divorce and the adult children of divorce. Linda lives in Philadelphia and loves knitting, hiking and travelling.      Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Linda Hershman’s book Gray Divorce: Everything You Need to Know About Later-Life Breakups   Learn more about discernment counselling Read Andrew’s blog ‘Are You Facing Long-Term Marriage Problems? How to Avoid the “Silver Divorce”’   Read Andrew’s book Can We Start Again Please? Twenty Questions to Fall Back in Love Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Christina Patterson found herself in the heartbreaking position of being the last one left in a loving and beloved family. She took on the task of writing the story of her family and her place in it. In the process, Christina explored the ways in which our personal history can cause us to “get in our way”, self-sabotaging as we work through the suffering experienced both by ourselves and others in the family. Christina and Andrew also discuss: Living with mental illness Finding and losing religion  Loss and grief The healing effects of writing Christina Patterson lives and works in London as a broadcaster and coach, as well as being the author of two memoirs, Outside, the Sky is Blue and The Art of Not Falling Apart.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there. Read Christina Patterson’s new book Outside, the Sky is Blue: A Family Memoir, and her first book The Art of Not Falling Apart Listen to Christina Patterson’s podcast and read her Substack newsletter on The Art of Work. Follow Christina Patterson on Twitter @queenchristina_ Visit Christina Patterson’s website  Christina Patterson’s list of some of the memoirs by other authors she has most enjoyed reading: Bad Blood by Lorna Sage Giving Up the Ghost by Hilary Mantel Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller. Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Read Andrew’s memoirs My Mourning Year and The Power of Dog. Read Andrew’s blog on how keeping a journal can help you achieve the change you want Top Twelve Benefits of Journaling. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Doing a lot of things won’t get you where you want to go. According to “Digital Dale Carnegie” and best-selling author Erik Qualman, it’s become increasingly hard to achieve the things that mean the most to us. Modern life splinters our attention span and makes it extremely challenging to hone in on what matters.  Erik Qualman interviewed hundreds of people for his book, The Focus Project, including parents, teachers and entrepreneurs. They all felt that success depended on the extent to which they had been able to focus on their goals.  In this episode, Andrew and Erik talk about how to do the important things, rather than doing too many things. In fact, doing LESS is likely to leave you more successful and more fulfilled. Erik Qualman is a five times best-selling author and keynote speaker. He has spoken in over 55 countries and was voted the second most likeable author in the world. His work on Socialnomics has been used by organisations including NBC and NASA. He has an honorary doctorate for his work on the digital universe, and is the founder of Equalman Studios. Follow Up   Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there. Visit Erik Qualman’s website Read Erik Qualman’s book The Focus Project: The Not So Simple Art of Doing Less  Read Erik Qualman’s other books, including Socialnomics, Digital Leader and What Happens on Campus Stays on YouTube. Follow Erik Qualman on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @equalman Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. You might also enjoy Andrew’s conversation with Professor Dilip Jeste about Five Ways to Become Wiser. Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier: https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/wake-up-and-change-your-life-how-to-survive-a-crisis-and-be-stronger-wiser-and-happier/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Sometimes things feel way too complicated. You’re working hard, taking care of your family, you have enough money - but things still just don’t feel right. You push on, looking forward to your next holiday or a night out with friends, but the day to day is grey and exhausting.  Wellness practitioner, CEO, yoga instructor and clinical social worker Julie Wald specialises in working with people who are close to burnout. She cuts through the wellness noise all around us to zero in on what it is we actually need to change in order to feel good.  And it isn’t the big things like careers, partners or home. It’s HOW we live each day. Andrew and Julie also discuss Julie’s four pillars of wellness: ⭐️ Movement ⭐️ Stillness ⭐️ Touch ⭐️ Nourishment Julie Wald is the founder and CEO of Golden, a global leader in wellness education and employee self-care programs. She is the author of the Amazon #1 bestselling book, Inner Wealth: How Wellness Heals, Nurtures and Optimizes Ultra-Successful People. In August, Women We Admire named her one of The Top 100 Women Leaders in Healthcare of 2021.   Follow Up   Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there. Read Inner Wealth, Julie Wald’s new book. Visit Golden, Julie Wald’s website. Follow Julie Wald on social media: on Instagram @hey.its.golden, and on Facebook and LinkedIn @heyitsgolden  Get in touch with Julie Wald at  [email protected]  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Read Andrew’s advice on keeping a journal of your life and emotions Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

David Kessler is one of the world’s best-known experts on grief, yet nothing could prepare him for the loss of his beloved son at the age of 21. Just as he’d advised his clients for decades, David attended grief groups, saw a therapist and sat with his pain.  In this episode, Andrew and David discuss how society wants us to grieve versus the reality of loss. We will likely never “get over” the loss of someone close to us, nor will we learn life lessons that somehow compensate us for our pain. It is possible, though, to locate meaning in how we survive and experience loss. Andrew and David also explore Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s famous and now much contested “five stages of grief” (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance) and discuss how useful they are in today’s landscape. David Kessler’s new book is Finding Meaning:The Sixth Stage of Grief. His previous books have been praised by Saint (Mother) Theresa, and Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. He has co-authored two books with Louise Hay and Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. David also creates online communities who take courses together to learn more about the process of grieving.   Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there. Join David Kessler’s online healing group, Healing the Five Areas of Grief. Visit David Kessler’s website to explore resources including videos, webinars, books and training courses. Follow David Kessler on Twitter and Instagram @IamDavidKessler and on Facebook @DavidKessler.   Read Andrew’s book on grieving the loss of his partner My Mourning Year You may also wish to listen to Andrew’s interview with palliative care physician and author Dr Kathryn Mannix, What You’ve Been Told About Death Might Be Wrong. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall  Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50  

Shame is one of the emotions we find hardest to talk about. It can feel paralysing, and is linked to despair, imposter syndrome, fear and the sense of an impending doom.  This week’s guest, psychologist and author Dr Stephan Poulter, is the author of Shame Factor: Heal Your Deepest Fears and Set Yourself Free.  Andrew and Dr Poulter discuss how shame makes us feel - paralysed, unclean, not good enough, defective - and how we can reduce its impact on our lives. As Dr Poulter states, “the best analogy is this gold brick inside you. Shame covers it with mud. Our work is to hose off the mud, and find the gold brick”. Dr. Stephan B. Poulter, Ph.D is a psychologist, author and public speaker  working in Los Angeles. He is also a theological seminary graduate and a former police officer. Dr Poulter has worked with hundreds of individuals, couples and families, and regularly speaks on parenting, adolescent and spiritual/psychological issues.    Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there Buy Dr Stephan Poulter’s books, including Shame Factor: Heal Your Deepest Fears and Set Yourself Free, The Art of Successful Failure and The Father Factor. Follow Dr Stephan Poulter on Twitter @StephanPoulter and on Facebook @DrStephanPoulter-PsychotherapistandAuthor   Read Andrew’s blog on how keeping a journal can help you manage difficult emotions: Top Twelve Benefits of Journaling Fear is a close companion to shame. You may also enjoy Andrew’s interview with Thom Rutledge on Embracing Fear in Four Steps Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Teenagers have a big reputation for being hard to talk to. How can you find that spark of connection with your teen? Is there a way to set up a channel of communication so that you can help them through the rough patches? In this episode Andrew talks to Australian teacher and author Daisy Turnbull about her new book, 50 Questions to Ask Your Teens. Daisy shares insights from her work as a teacher, as well as from her own teenage years growing up in a household where both parents had high-profile and demanding careers. Building a habit of positive communication with teenagers is possible, according to Daisy. Strategies include: ⚡️Asking “what do you think about that?”, and “tell me more?”. ⚡️Having some family rituals, such as a gratitude practice around the dinner table.  ⚡️Choosing your moment: car-trips are perfect as they don’t require direct eye contact and are timebound. Andrew and Daisy also discuss the impact of social media on teens, building kids' independence and confidence, managing your career around your family and sharing parenting responsibilities. Daisy Turnbull is an author, teacher, mother and Lifeline volunteer who lives in Sydney, Australia. Follow Up Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter and join the community there. Read Daisy Turnbull’s books 50 Questions to Ask Your Teens and 50 Risks to Take With Your Kids. Follow Daisy Turnbull on Twitter @ms_dzt Watch "It's Not About the Nail", the hugely popular YouTube video mentioned by Daisy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4EDhdAHrOg Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Andrew’s book on building a stronger relationship as parents: I Love You But You Always Put Me Last: How to Child-Proof Your Marriage Listen to some of our other parenting episodes: Philippa Perry on on What You Wish Your Parents Knew & What You Hope Your Children Learn, Lisa Marchiano on Being a Mother, Jack Underwood on Becoming a Father, Anita Cleare on Positive Parenting  Amanda Seyderhelm on Coping With Childhood Grief.   Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

Finding meaning and fulfillment in the second half of life requires us to make a conscious transition. We must explore “the unconscious denial and resistance that erupts around key thresholds of later life” if we are to be happy as elders.  In this episode, psychotherapist and author Connie Zweig, PhD talks with Andrew about how to become an elder who is filled with purpose and vitality. She explains the concept of “shadow-work”, and how it can help you: ⚡️Repair the past and be fully present ⚡️Accept yourself as you are ⚡️Rediscover the creativity you may have lost along the way. ⚡️Move “from role to soul”. Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired psychotherapist, writer, and Climate Reality Leader. Known as the Shadow Expert, she has written several books about shadow-work, as well as her newest best-seller on aging as a spiritual practice, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. The Inner Work of Age won both the 2021 American Book Fest Award and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for best inspirational non-fiction.  Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years, and is a wife, stepmother and grandmother. After all these roles, she’s practicing the shift from role to soul.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. If you're interested in joining one of Dr Connie Zweig's groups, you can email her at The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. Take a look at Dr Connie Zweig’s other books  Visit Dr Connie Zweig’s website  Follow Dr Connie Zweig on Twitter @InnerWorkofAge and on Facebook at @Dr.ConnieZweig. Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Read Andrew’s blog “How To Avoid the Silver Divorce” Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Everything is always changing, and nothing is ever the same. If we think about it, we all know that. But we tend to live differently, as though we can hang onto the same fixed self, the same ways of doing things, and the same people around us. Alan Lessik, author and Zen practitioner, is an expert in change. He is known by his friends as someone who takes fearless leaps into new jobs, new countries and new possibilities. He has regularly made life-changes so huge they felt like jumping off a cliff.  In this episode, Andrew and Alan talk about how we deal with change, and the usefulness of the “backward step”. They discuss Alan’s practice of Zen meditation, and Alan shares the following quote from Eihei Dogen, founder of Zen Buddhism in Japan: “You should stop searching for phrases and chasing after words. Take the backward step and turn the light inward. Your body-mind in itself will drop off and your original face will appear. If you want to attain just this (suchness), immediately practice just this (suchness).” Alan Lessik is a writer and novelist, zen practitioner, amateur figure skater, and LGBT activist. He has worked in the US and over twenty-two other countries and has served in leadership positions in numerous non-governmental organizations, university and governmental entities. Alan’s debut novel, The Troubleseeker, was a finalist for the 2017 LGBTQ Fiction Award given by the Publishing Triangle. He recently moved from the US to Berlin, where he is working on two new novels.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Find out more about Alan Lessik’s writing and work on his website Watch Alan Lessik’s figure-skating videos on YouTube Follow Alan Lessik on Twitter @AlanLessik Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier If you are interested in meditation and mindfulness, you might also like to listen to Andrew’s interview with Dr Henry Emmons on how to Bring More Calm and Joy Into Your Life Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

If you dread parties, can’t face job interviews, or won’t start scary conversations with your partner, this is the episode for you.  Dr Wendy Suzuki is a neuroscientist and an international expert on anxiety and the brain. Her new book, Good Anxiety, unpacks the science of everyday anxiety in a way that helps us manage it. In this episode, Andrew and Wendy discuss:  ⚡️What “good anxiety” is, and how to channel it in the right direction. ⚡️How anxiety can lead to productivity and creativity. ⚡️Meditation, tea-drinking, and the jujitsu move that turns anxiety around. Dr. Wendy Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University and a celebrated international authority on neuroplasticity. She was recently named one of the 10 women changing the way we see the world by Good Housekeeping. Her TED talk has more than 31 million views on Facebook, and her  first book Healthy Brain Happy Life was recently made into a PBS special.     Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Dr Wendy Suzuki’s book Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion Visit Dr Wendy Suzuki’s website Connect with Dr Wendy Suzuki on social media: find her on Instagram @wendy.suzuki, on Twitter @wasuzuki and on Facebook @WendyASuzuki Read Andrew’s blog on how keeping a journal can improve your life: Top Twelve Benefits of Journaling  If anxiety is a topic of interest for you, you may also enjoy Andrew’s conversation with Richard Paterson: No More Overthinking  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

“Within your mind, body and soul YOU have an untapped potential that wants to be unleashed. It calls to you in your dreams and whispers to you when your mind goes silent. It is relentless because it knows you are capable of more than you give yourself credit for” (George Mumford) George Mumford used his insights into pain, mindfulness and performance to enrich the careers of athletes including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. George then realised that his ideas could help people “from locker rooms to board rooms, Yale to jail”, and so took his work beyond the sporting arena, including writing a book, The Mindful Athlete.  In this episode, Andrew and George discuss mindfulness, George’s journey through pain and addiction, and George’s five superpowers: ⚡️Mindfulness ⚡️Concentration ⚡️Insight ⚡️Right Effort ⚡️Trust   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read George Mumford’s book, The Mindful Athlete   Take The Mindful Athlete course Subscribe to George Mumford’s YouTube channel  Follow George Mumford on Twitter @gtmumford and on Facebook Read Andrew’s advice on keeping a journal of your life and emotions  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Some of us try our best never to think about death, while some of us “live in death’s basement”. Composer, academic and psychoanalyst Paul Attinello lived through the suffering and loss of the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. After testing positive for HIV, he built a creative and achievement-filled life, over which death nevertheless always loomed.  Then, the advent of lifesaving medications changed everything. Paul had to define a whole new relationship with mortality, as well as experiencing a profound sense of loss for what life might have been like without the spectre of HIV.  In this episode, Andrew and Paul discuss music, psychoanalysis, and the different ways humans live with the knowledge of their own mortality. Paul Attinello is an academic and psychoanalyst based in Newcastle University’s International Centre for Music Studies. He also taught at the University of Hong Kong and UCLA, living and working on four continents in the past three decades.    Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Find out more about Paul Attinello's work and writing here  Take a look at Paul Attinello’s research work  Watch Psychosocial Wednesdays, a YouTube channel hosted by Paul Attinello and his colleagues. It offers weekly salons on Jungian ideas and other aspects of psychoanalysis. Read Andrew’s memoir on grieving the loss of his partner, My Mourning Year Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier: 

Is society setting you up to fail in your marriage? World-renowned relationship therapist Terry Real sees a toxic culture of individualism troubling society at every level. We are told to strive for personal productivity and perfection, ignoring the fact that we exist in a web of crucial relationships. In this episode, Terry describes research showing that the mind exists in a social context, and that couples in fact co-regulate each other’s nervous systems. Getting this right is very tricky, though, if you grew up without enough emotional support. The survival strategies that got you through childhood may, in fact, “torch your personal relationships”. Andrew and Terry discuss the five most common traps that can undermine your relationship: 🚩 Needing to be right 🚩 Controlling your partner 🚩 Unbridled self-expression 🚩 Retaliation 🚩 Shutting down We can overcome these, however, by tapping into our wiser, more collaborative self. If we can find the “us” rather than the “I”, we can achieve the warmer, more intimate relationships many of us long for.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Buy Terry Real’s new book Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship (out 22 March 2022). Take a look at Terry Real’s other books, including The New Rules of Marriage and How Can I Get Through to You? Visit Terry Real’s website https://terryreal.com  Follow Terry Real on Facebook and YouTube @TerryRealRLI  Read Andrew’s blog “Three Secrets of a Happy Relationship”  Read Andrew’s book Can We Start Again Please? Twenty Questions to Fall Back in Love Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Lots of us are afraid of the very word: fear. We’d rather say anxiety, or worry, or panic.  Yet according to Thom Rutledge, fear underlies most difficult emotions, and is a close companion to shame. Fear plays into just about every decision we ever make in our lives. To defeat fear, according to Thom, is neither possible nor desirable. Instead we need to live beyond its control, and to understand it. Rather than squashing down the voices of panic and dread, we can face up to them, explore them and respond.  In this episode Andrew and Thom explore: ✅ The meaning of fear ✅ How we can understand fear in our own lives ✅ How our family background shapes our experience of fear ✅ Four ways we can start to “embrace fear”. Thom Rutledge has been a psychotherapist for more than 40 years and is the author of several books, including Embracing Fear, The Self-Forgiveness Handbook, Earning Your Own Respect, The Greater Possibilities and What Love Is. He draws on professional training and experience as well as his own personal experience in recovery and personal growth to work with his clients. Thom and his colleague, Dr. Allen Berger, co-host their own weekly podcast, Emotional Sobriety. Follow Up   Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Visit Thom Rutledge’s website Read Thom Rutledge’s books, including Embracing Fear.  Listen to Emotional Sobriety, a podcast co-hosted by Thom Rutledge and Dr Allen Berger. Follow Thom Rutledge on Twitter @ThomRutledge Read Andrew’s blog on how keeping a journal can help deal with difficult emotions: Top Twelve Benefits of Journaling  If anxiety is a topic of interest for you, you may also enjoy Andrew’s conversation with Richard Paterson: No More Overthinking Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

“So he’s become the real love of my life. But if I’d been following my old ways of looking for men I wouldn’t have noticed him”. If you’re following your heart and trusting to the universe in your search for midlife love, you may need to take a step back and rethink your approach.  This week’s guest, Dr Mairi Macleod, is the founder of Dating Evolved, a science-based dating consultancy. Mairi helps women look for partners in a more thoughtful and successful way. We are often told to “trust your gut” when it comes to relationships, but Mairi explains why this approach can be unrewarding. In this episode, she describes to Andrew how her own love life was going somewhat disastrously, and how this inspired her to use her training as an evolutionary biologist to create a science-based strategy to find a partner. Andrew and Mairi also discuss confidence, enjoying the journey and having a good hard think about why you’re attracted to a certain kind of person.  Dr Mairi Macleod is an evolutionary biologist, consultant, speaker, and science writer. She  runs online programs and coaches women in small groups to help them build happy, loving relationships.    Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Join Mairi Macleod's free Masterclass: "Getting Ready for Successful Dating - for Women over 50" on April 4th at 7pm BST You can find out about Mairi’s Dating Evolved programs, read her blog, and sign up for her upcoming Free Masterclass at https://www.datingevolved.com  If you’d like to read Mairi’s “5 Science-Based Ways to Find the Man You Need”, download your free e-copy here Join the Dating Evolved Facebook Community and ask all your dating questions. Follow Mairi Macleod on Twitter @dr_mairi and on Facebook @MairiMacleodPhD  Read Andrew’s book The Happy Couple’s Handbook: Powerful Life Hacks for a Successful Relationship  You may also enjoy Andrew’s conversation with Cate Mackenzie on the art of flirting  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation” (Henry Thoreau).  Therapist Simon Roe has based his life’s work on helping men live an authentic life. After himself going through a period of quiet desperation in his mid-thirties, Simon went on to help men break the silence, find “the song inside” and overcome their experiences of depression, violence and loneliness.  Simon has also worked extensively with boys and their fathers to create rites of passage that can help boys claim a strong, authentic sense of their developing manhood. Simon Roe originally trained as a body psychotherapist, and is also a co-leader of the Mandorla Men’s Rites of Passage programme. He has worked extensively with perpetrators of domestic violence, and is a Respect approved trainer and supervisor. Simon has completed a foundation course in Process Oriented Psychology.  Simon and Andrew also discuss the idea of answering “the call to adventure”, an idea powerfully captured in this poem by Rainer Maria Rilke:   Sometimes A Man Stands Up During Supper Sometimes a man stands up during supper and walks outdoors, and keeps on walking, because of a church that stands somewhere in the East.   And his children say blessings on him as if he were dead.   And another man, who remains inside his own house, dies there, inside the dishes and in the glasses, so that his children have to go far out into the world toward that same church , which he forgot.   Follow Up I'll be attending a workshop on masculinity in times of change and crisis with Simon Roe & his colleague William Ayot in Feb/Mar 2023. I'd love you to join us. Details are here Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Visit Simon Roe’s website  Learn about the Kingfisher Project, a community dedicated to rites of passage for boys aged 13-16.  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Read Andrew’s thoughts on what to do if you or your partner feel like you’re in the throes of what society would call a midlife crisis   Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

How can we help our children understand grief and loss? How can we recover as adults, if no-one helped us make sense of grief and loss as a child? Amanda Seyderhelm is an expert in innovative creative play therapy for children, and the author of a book called Helping Children Cope with Loss and Change. Amanda changed careers to work in play therapy after a life-threatening illness changed everything for her. In this episode Amanda and Andrew discuss:  🌈 How to talk to children who are grieving. 🌈 How storytelling plays a part in personal and family grief. 🌈 Your “backpack of grief”: what’s inside, and how it’s affecting your life. 🌈 How children & adults learn to “grow around their grief” rather than recovering.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Take a look at Amanda Seyderhelm’s website Buy Amanda Seyderhelm’s book Helping Children Cope with Loss and Change at a 20% discount for The Meaningful Life listeners. Just use code FLA22 at checkout.  Follow Amanda Seyderhelm on Twitter @TheKidDecoder on Instagram @amandaseyderhelm and on LinkedIn. Read The Hero’s Journey: Joseph Campbell on his Life and Work Read Continuing Bonds: New Understandings of Grief by Dennis Klass If you’re interested in diving deep into parenting, listen to Lisa Marchiano of the This Jungian Life podcast speaking with Andrew about meaning and motherhood. Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

If you could write a letter to your own anxiety, what would it say? This is just one of the ways therapist Dr Kathleen Smith befriends her anxiety and in the process, moves it into the back seat of her life.  If you can’t sleep, can’t focus and are constantly pushing down the frustrations you experience in your relationships, you will know that you probably need to deal with your anxiety. In this episode, Andrew and Kathleen discuss how to go about doing this, and the paramount importance of observing and understanding before leaping into action.  Kathleen Smith is a therapist and author from Washington D.C. She writes the Anxious Overachiever newsletter on Substack, and is the author of Everything Isn’t Terrible, a new book about anxiety. She is a graduate of Harvard and George Washington Universities, and has written for publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post and  Psychology Today. Kathleen has a private therapy practice in Washington, DC, and is the host of the TV show Family Matters, produced by the University of the District of Columbia.    Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Buy Kathleen Smith’s book Everything Isn’t Terrible: Conquer Your Insecurities, Interrupt Your Anxieties and Finally Calm Down Take a look at Kathleen Smith’s website Read Kathleen Smith’s Substack newsletter The Anxious Overachiever  Follow Kathleen Smith on Twitter @fangirltherapy and on Facebook @kathleensmithwrites Read Andrew’s blog on how keeping a journal can improve your life: Top Twelve Benefits of Journaling  If anxiety is a topic of interest, you may also enjoy Andrew’s conversation with Richard Paterson: No More Overthinking Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

“Don’t look for a match - light one”: being single needs to stop being seen as failure, and start being viewed as a fulfilling, meaningful, loving life choice. Shani Silver’s new book, The Single Revolution, is all about changing your mindset and embracing the single existence.  In this episode Shani and Andrew discuss the emotionally exhausting and often dangerous world of online dating. After realising that dating apps were adding nothing to her life, Shani deleted them all from her phone and has spent the last three years writing about singlehood, and supporting the many people out there fed up with the stigma of being single.  As Shani writes, “We aren’t here on Earth to struggle through singlehood for years on end. We’re allowed to live a whole lot more than that”. Shani’s work is all about creating an authentic, happy life in which “finding someone” is not the primary purpose.  Shani Silver is an author and podcaster based in New Orleans. She has been featured on NPR and the BBC discussing what it means to be single. Shani hosts the podcast A Single Serving and her latest book is The Single Revolution. Shani’s podcast subscribers are also able to join her Facebook group and community.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Buy Shani Silver’s book, The Single Revolution: Don’t Look for a Match, Light One  Listen to Shani Silver’s podcast, A Single Serving  Take a look at Shani Silver’s website Follow Shani Silver on Twitter and Instagram @shanisilver Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Read Andrew’s blog on how to start keeping a journal Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Many of us are brought up to see sacrifice and exhaustion as the route to success. Julia Paulette Hollenbery’s mission is to help us all realise that in fact “pleasure is the essential nourishment you need for productive work, happy relationships and vibrant health”.  Julia also believes that pleasure is not hard to find. There is an abundance of pleasure available to us all, in every moment and with every interaction. What Julia describes as “the universe of deliciousness” is everywhere around us. In this episode Andrew and Julia discuss the healing power of pleasure, including Julia’s seven medicines to heal and to rediscover the innate pleasure of being. Andrew and Julia talk about recovering from trauma, and the extent to which society pushes us to live in our minds rather than our bodies. Julia Paulette Hollenbery is a body therapist and author. She has a degree in English Literature and is trained in the Grinberg Method of Bodywork, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, and Family Constellations (a kind of body psychotherapy).   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Julia Paulette Hollenbery’s book The Healing Power of Pleasure: Seven Medicines for Rediscovering the Innate Joy of Being Take a look at Julia Paulette Hollenbery’s website  Follow Julia on Twitter @JuliaHollenbery, on Facebook @juliapaulettehollenbery and on Instagram @julia.paulette.hollenbery  Listen to Andrew’s discussion with therapist Fenella Hansen on “Dealing with Trauma” Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier: https://bit.ly/wakeupandchange  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

What does it mean to be wise? Do we grow in wisdom as we age? Pioneering neuropsychiatric researcher Dr Dilip Jeste has spent years investigating the biological and cognitive roots of wisdom.  In this episode, Andrew and Dilip discuss what we mean when we talk about wisdom, and whether we can, in fact, grow wiser. Dilip describes what he has established as the key components of the wise individual: ⭐️ Self-reflection ⭐️ Empathy and compassion (including for yourself) ⭐️ Emotional regulation and resilience ⭐️ Gratitude ⭐️ Openness to new experiences ⭐️ Spirituality Andrew and Dilip also talk about cultural differences in the treatment of older people, and how we miss out when we ignore the wisdom of our parents and grandparents.  Dr Dilip Jeste is a neuropsychiatrist, as well as the author of Wiser: The Scientific Roots of Wisdom, Compassion and What Makes Us Good. Dilip has spent more than 20 years studying aspects of wisdom and healthy aging, and is a professor of psychiatry and neurosciences and the director of the Center for Healthy Aging at UC San Diego. He is also a past president of the American Psychiatric Association.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Wiser: The Scientific Roots of Wisdom, Compassion and What Makes Us Good Visit Dr Dilip Jeste’s website Follow the UC San Diego Center for Healthy Aging on Twitter @UCSDHealthAging and Facebook @ucsd.healthy.aging Listen to The Meaningful Life episode Growing Old is the Best Thing that’s Going to Happen to You with author and aging expert Kathleen O’Brien. Read Andrew’s blog on The Top Twelve Benefits of Journaling Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

My guests this week - Lisa Arends and Helen Tower - know just about everything there is to know about the painful subject of infidelity, because they have lived it through it themselves. Both have written extensively about their experiences. Lisa’s is a story of the most extreme and dramatic betrayal: ten years ago her husband ended their 16-year marriage with a text message, after which she never saw him again. Lisa rebuilt her life and has a new partner.  Helen’s experience involved her partner’s lengthy affair with a co-worker. After initially separating from her husband, Helen came to the decision to try and rebuild the relationship. She and her husband recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, and the journey toward recovery continues. Both Helen and Lisa agree that recovering from infidelity is all about strengthening the self. The journey to a new life and a new relationship (whether that’s with the unfaithful partner or someone new) hinges on doing the work to achieve self-knowledge and personal strength. This week’s episode is a fascinating three-way conversation featuring two totally different experiences of infidelity. It is essential listening if infidelity has been a part of your experience, but it also has much to offer if you’d like to feel stronger and more empowered in your relationship.  Lisa Arends is a data scientist, former middle school math teacher and accidental expert on divorce. She is passionate about empowering, motivating and inspiring people as they move through difficult transitions and life situations. Lisa blogs at Lessons from the End of a Marriage. She lives outside of Atlanta with her husband and two adorable pit bulls.  Helen Tower writes and blogs about infidelity (Helen Tower is the pen name she uses to protect her family). In 2018 Helen discovered her husband of twenty-two years was having an affair, and eight months later published her story as Sailing Through Infidelity: A Story of Love and Forgiveness.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Lisa Arends’ blog Lessons from the End of a Marriage Follow Lisa Arends on Facebook @LESSONSFROMTHEENDOFAMARRIAGE, on Twitter and Instagram @stilllearning2b and on YouTube. Helen Tower blogs at Sailing Through Infidelity Read Helen Tower’s books, including Sailing through Infidelity: A story of love and forgiveness.  Listen to Helen Tower's podcast Sail Through and Beyond Infidelity https://open.spotify.com/show/0191IgpffJkLcxebwTm5S5?si=DYMn9S--QPOi5LT2HxRZag&dl_branch=1&nd=1  Follow Helen on Facebook @HelenTowerAuthor, on Instagram @helentowerstaycalm and on Twitter @sailinginfidel1 Read Andrew’s books on infidelity recovery: Why Did I Ever Cheat? Help Your Partner (and Yourself) Recover From Your Affair How Can I Ever Trust You Again? Infidelity: From Discovery to Recovery in Seven Steps I Can’t Get Over My Partner’s Affair: 50 Questions About Recovering from Extreme Betrayal and the Long-Term Impact of Infidelity Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

Most of us have a conversation we’re avoiding: a child coming out to their parent, a family losing someone to terminal illness, a friend noticing early signs of dementia. There are moments when we simply must talk, listen and be there for one another. Dr Kathryn Mannix, a consultant in palliative care medicine, has spent her career having what she describes as “tender conversations” with bereaved families. Her new book, Listen: How to Find the Words for Tender Conversations, is a guide to not shying away from difficult subjects with those we care about. In this episode Andrew and Kathryn discuss why it is we so often don’t say what needs to be said. They look at how to be brave in the face of discomfort, how to sit with silence, and how to speak from a place of gentleness and care.  Dr Kathryn Mannix has spent her medical career working with people who have incurable, advanced illnesses. She is the author of the bestselling With the End in Mind: How to Live and Die Well, as well as her new book,  Listen. Kathryn is a qualified cognitive behavioural therapist and started the UK’s first CBT clinic for palliative care patients. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Read Dr Kathryn Mannix’s  books: Listen: How to Find the Words for Tender Conversations and With the End in Mind: How to Live and Die Well Listen to Dr Kathryn Mannix’s previous appearance on this podcast, What You’ve Been Told About Death Might Be Wrong Follow Dr Kathryn Mannix on Twitter and Facebook @drkathrynmannix Read Andrew’s blog Help Me Be a Better Listener  Read Andrew’s book on starting a deeper conversation with your partner, Can We Start Again Please? Twenty Questions to Fall Back in Love Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube 

A year’s worth of ideas about living a meaningful life is a lot to digest. Over 2021, we touched on trauma, reimagining death, recovering from infidelity, creating a business, parenting, gratitude, and so much more. In this retrospective episode, Andrew and podcast engineer Michael Dooney each choose their top five. These are the episodes that stayed with them, influencing and changing the way they think about life and relationships. In the bonus material for supporters, Andrew and Michael discuss the best ways to put what you loved about each episode into practice in order to change your own life for the better. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Listen to Andrew and Michael’s 2021 highlights: Caroline Madden on Infidelity: How to Rebuild Trust Elaine Dundon on Stop Being a Prisoner of Your Thoughts Philip Carr-Gomm on Stop Living the Provisional Life and Start Creating an Authentic One Hannah Martin on How to Believe in Yourself and Start Your Own Business  Lisa Marchiano on Being a Mother: a Journey of Self-Discovery Philippa Perry on What You Wish Your Parents Knew & What Your Children Hope You Learn Kathryn Mannix on What You’ve Been Told About Death Might be Wrong Eleanor Mills on How to Reinvent Yourself at 50 (or Any Age) James Hollis on How to be Resilient Chester Elton on How Gratitude Could Revolutionise Your Life Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

How often have you heard masculinity described as “toxic”, “fragile”, or “in a crisis”? JJ Bola - writer, former youth worker, and UNHCR Ambassador - tries to go deeper in understanding how society is failing boys and men. In this episode, JJ Bola describes masculinity as a performance that we require boys to learn; along the way stifling their individuality and emotional health. Different societies have different myths about masculinity, and JJ Bola is able to draw on his experiences as a Congolese man growing up in London to show how diverse these ideas are. If we could discard the performance of masculinity and allow boys to grow up free and to be who they are, we are likely to see the benefits in love and sex, politics, competitive sports and mental health.  JJ Bola was born in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He grew up in London and has written two novels - No Place to Call Home and The Selfless Act Of Breathing - as well as three collections of poetry - Elevate, Daughter of the Sun and WORD -  and a non-fiction book about masculinity and the patriarchy, Mask Off: Masculinity Redefined. This week’s episode takes a slightly different format: Andrew interviews JJ Bola at the annual MANN SEIN conference in Berlin, an international gathering to talk about masculinity in today’s world.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Find out more about the MANN SEIN annual conference in Berlin/online. Read JJ Bola’s books: Mask Off: Masculinity Redefined, No Place to Call Home, The Selfless Act Of Breathing and Refuge (which collates his 3 volumes of poetry). Follow JJ Bola on Twitter and Instagram @JJ_Bola Listen to Andrew’s other conversations on masculinity: ⭐️Jed Diamond PhD on “Your Personal Creation Story” ⭐️Joe Horton on “Men, Fathers and Meaning” ⭐️Matthew Fray on “How Good People Mess Up Their Marriages”  ⭐️Warren Farrell PhD on “The Boy Crisis” Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Becoming a parent is impossible to prepare for. Jack Underwood describes “feeling that there should have been more paperwork. We signed a form or two and then they just sort of let us take you away. A human child”.  Parenthood changes our relationships, our view of the world, our sense of self. It’s rare in the whirlwind of night wakings and nappies, though, that anyone has the time to sit down and think about what exactly it is that’s happened to them.  In this episode, Andrew talks to Jack Underwood, a poet, writer and critic, about how and why he writes about fatherhood, his interest in the concept of uncertainty, and the complexities of modern masculinity.  Jack Underwood lives and works in London. As well as being a poet and author, he works as a senior lecturer in creative writing at Goldsmiths University of London. His most recent collection of poetry is A Year in the New Life, which in October 2021 was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize. Jack Underwood is also the author of Not Even This, a meditation on the theme of uncertainty inspired by his anxieties about becoming a parent. His 2015 debut collection of poetry, Happiness, won the Somerset Maugham Award.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read A Year in the New Life or Not Even This: Poetry, parenthood & living uncertainly or Happiness by Jack Underwood Follow Jack Underwood on Twitter and Instagram @jundermilkwood Get Andrew’s advice on creating change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier If you’re a lover of poetry, you could also listen to Andrew’s interview with Brighton poet John McCullough on Seven Ways Poetry Could Make Your Life Richer, Deeper and More Meaningful Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Stepping into a bath of ice isn’t the obvious pastime for a Northern winter. But if you do it the right way, the extreme cold can be: ❄️ Empowering - diving in means turning off the voices of procrastination. ❄️ Relaxing - staying in the bath requires you to work on physical relaxation. ❄️ Mindful - the cold focuses you hard on the now. ❄️ And, extremely healthy - there is evidence for cardiovascular benefit.  Dr Josephine Worseck is a molecular biologist, yoga teacher, naturopath and exponent of cold exposure. The Wim Hof method she teaches is based on the three pillars of breathing, cold and mindset.  In this episode Josephine speaks with Andrew about what led her from a successful career as a scientist into a new life helping people find their true potential and lead the lives they want.  Andrew and Josephine also talk about the art of breathing, and take listeners through a powerful relaxation exercise.  Josephine Worseck is based in Potsdam, Germany. She spends her days teaching clients the benefits of cold exposure, and also guides groups up mountains, leads freezing outdoor swims and teaches yoga and breathing methods.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Visit Josephine Worseck’s website. Buy Josephine Worseck’s book Die Heilkraft der Kälte (currently only available in German). Follow Josephine Worseck on Instagram @josephineworseck and on Facebook as @DrJosephineWorseck  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Read Andrew’s blog on how to start keeping a journal, in which you can reflect on failure and growth: https://andrewgmarshall.com/top-twelve-benefits-of-journaling/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

How would your life change if you suddenly had all the money in the world? This was the experience of John Lefebvre, who was catapulted from an ordinary existence as a lawyer and musician into a life of untold wealth during the dotcom boom of the 2000s.  John’s life of luxury came to an abrupt halt in 2007, however, after the FBI stormed his home and arrested him for money laundering, racketeering and conspiracy. John pled guilty, paid a fine of $40 million, and served 45 days in a Manhattan jail.  Over the last two decades John has given away well over $50 million. He says that money is like dope – it takes more and more to achieve the same rush, until you just can’t get high on it anymore. He became convinced that eventually the only rush that remained was sharing wealth with others and experiencing their joy at being set free from cares and concerns. John has since found meaning in music, writing (he is the author of two books), spiritual exploration and climate activism.  He has worked closely with David Suzuki and supports Vancouver’s Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education. John maintains that the earthly existence that has miraculously befallen each of us is actually the complete answer to anybody’s wildest dreams, and that we must start taking basic care of everyone on Earth.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Visit John Lefebvre’s website Buy John Lefebvre’s books Good With Money and All’s Well: Where Thou Art Earth and Why  Visit the blog John Lefebvre cofounded,  DeSmog.com, which is dedicated to exposing climate misinformation. Follow John Lefebvre on Facebook @thoughtfulspecies and on Twitter @thoughtfulspec  Read Andrew’s advice on keeping a journal of your life and emotions at https://andrewgmarshall.com/top-twelve-benefits-of-journaling/  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier: https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/wake-up-and-change-your-life-how-to-survive-a-crisis-and-be-stronger-wiser-and-happier/ Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Some of us are afraid of it, some of us gave it up decades ago, and some of us are trying desperately to master it. The art of flirting is a form of relationship magic, and it can bring so much happiness into our partnerships and our lives. Flirting opens us up to silliness, fun and joy.  In this episode Andrew talks with flirting coach and psychosexual therapist Cate Mackenzie about why we should master the skills of flirting.  Andrew and Cate talk about the ways in which your childhood might have left you finding the physical cues involved in flirting difficult, and how to overcome this. Andrew and Cate discuss: ⭐️Flirting for those coming out of long-term relationships and starting to date again ⭐️Flirting for those burnt by the dating scene ⭐️Flirting for couples who’ve given up on it ⭐️The sometimes thorny issue of flirting and boundaries. Cate Mackenzie is a psychosexual therapist and couples counsellor. Cate runs courses in flirting and dating for pairs and individuals. She is regularly heard on BBC Radio ‘Woman’s Hour’ and ‘Five Live’, and is also famous as the Dating Coach on ‘The Undateables’ (Channel 4), the Flirting Coach on ‘The Jeremy Vine Show’ (Channel 5) and the Psychosexual Therapist on ‘Kinky Britain’ (Channel 4). Cate has her own podcast, Love, Pleasure and Joy with Cate Mackenzie, for which she has interviewed the likes of Ruby Wax and Russell Kane.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Buy tickets for Cate Mackenzie’s online course, Flirt Coaching at Love School, starting in Feb 2022. Listen to Cate Mackenzie’s podcast, Love, Pleasure and Joy with Cate Mackenzie Visit Cate Mackenzie’s website Follow Cate Mackenzie on LinkedIn and Twitter @CateMackenzie and Instagram @Catemmackenzie Find out more about Betty Martin Read Andrew’s book The Happy Couple’s Handbook: Powerful Life Hacks for a Successful Relationship  Read Andrew’s blog on Three Secrets of a Happy Relationship:  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

“You’re only old once” says aging expert and author Kathleen O’Brien, and the wisest path is to embrace the freedom and wisdom of being an elder.  In this episode, Kathleen challenges us to: Tell everyone our age Ignore talk of “aging gracefully” Learn to love our aging appearance Celebrate our eccentricities  Expect younger people to respect us See time and death as our allies Kathleen O’Brien, 73, is the author of Reclaim Your Right To Grow Old. She has researched aging for over 13 years and teaches classes on her aging philosophy through the University of Denver’s continuing education program. She has also worked in advertising, television, video production and academia. Kathleen lives in Denver, Colorado, and writes regular blogs on her blueprint for aging at growoldbehappy.com. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Read Kathleen O’Brien’s book Reclaim Your Right to Grow Old Visit https://www.growoldbehappy.com - Kathleen O’Brien’s blog. Follow Kathleen O’Brien on Twitter @Kat_O_Brien and on Facebook and Instagram @GrowOldBeHappy.  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Read Andrew’s blog “How To Avoid the Silver Divorce” Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Are you a serial people-pleaser? Do you find all your self-worth at work? Or do you gravitate towards difficult partners, with problems you feel driven to fix for them? These are some of the signs and symptoms of codependency. Codependency has a big impact on how we feel about ourselves, and may mean we keep repeating destructive relationship patterns.  In this episode, Andrew and psychotherapist Michelle Farris discuss the signs and symptoms of codependency, and Michelle identifies seven key signs you may be codependent. Michelle also shares her personal history of overcoming codependency.  Michelle Farris is a licensed psychotherapist who specialises in “helping codependent people create healthy relationships without sacrificing their big heart”. Michelle is the author of several e-books and online courses, and has been featured in Psych Central, Bustle, Your Tango, The Good Men Project, The Daily Positive, and Boss-Moms to name a few.  In her private practice, Counseling Recovery, Michelle believes that growth doesn’t have to take years and loves seeing her clients learn to trust themselves and create healthy relationships.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Visit Michelle Farris’ website Get Michelle Farris’ free relationship checklist and video Get Michelle Farris’ Self-trust Solution Journal  Follow Michelle Farris on Twitter @mshellMFT, on Facebook @CounselingRecovery, on Instagram @counseling_recovery and on YouTube as Michelle Farris, Relationship Therapist. Find information about Alcoholics Anonymous and Codependents Anonymous  Listen to Andrew’s interview on Good Boundaries: The Foundation of Happy Relationships with Graham Johnston and Matt Wotton Read Andrew’s blog “How to Heal from Trauma: Six Key Ways to Deal With Trauma” Read Andrew’s book on making meaningful change in your life Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Have you found the freedom to explore the rich landscape of your erotic self? Or did your childhood leave you feeling restricted and repressed by a sex negative mindset?  In this week’s episode Andrew talks to Silva Neves, a psychosexual psychotherapist, about: Why people DON’T fully explore their sexual selves Why labelling people “sex addicts” is unhelpful, and The liberating mindset of sex positivity.  Silva Neves works with couples experiencing a wide range of sex and relationship issues, including sexual trauma, infidelity, and compulsive sexual behaviours. He regularly appears in the British media and was featured on the BBC Three’s television series, Sex On The Couch.  Silva is a COSRT-accredited and UKCP-registered psychosexual and relationship psychotherapist, and a trauma psychotherapist. His private practice is based in Central London and online.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Visit Silva Neves’ website Visit Silva Neves’ site on sex positivity Get advice from Silva Neves via his Psychology Today blog  Read Silva Neves’ book Compulsive Sexual Behaviours, A Psycho-Sexual Treatment Guide for Clinicians Learn about the course Silva Neves teaches at CICS - an Online Diploma in in Compulsive Sexual Behaviour Follow Silva Neves on social media: Twitter @SilvaNeves3; and Instagram and Facebook @silvanevespsychotherapy Read The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity by Esther Perel Read The Men On My Couch: True Stories of Sex, Love and Psychotherapy by David Rensin and Brandy Engler Read Andrew’s book Have the Sex You Want: A Couple’s Guide to Getting Back the Spark Read Andrew’s blog How To Have the Sex You Want Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Matthew Fray is the author of the viral article “My Wife Divorced Me Because I Left the Dishes By the Sink”. His divorce left him emotionally crushed: struggling not to cry all the time, and finding it hard even to breathe.  In this episode Andrew and Matthew talk about the lessons of Matthew’s failed marriage, and about how Matthew is using his own experiences in his coaching work with men experiencing relationship difficulties. According to Matthew, “the things that destroy our relationships work like cancer…by the time we detect the problem, it’s already too late”. His work is based around helping men to see the problems earlier, and to build the emotional toolkit so many of them are missing. Matthew Fray works as a relationship coach and as a writer. He blogs at Must Be This Tall To Ride and has a book coming out in April 2022, called This Is How Your Marriage Ends. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Pre-order Matthew Fray’s book This Is How Your Marriage Ends: A Hopeful Approach to Saving Relationships Read Matthew’s blog Must Be This Tall To Ride Read Matthew’s articles on The Good Men Project:  Follow Matthew on Twitter @MBTTTR and on Facebook @matthewfrayMBTTTR  Read Andrew’s blog “Three Secrets of a Happy Relationship”  Read Andrew’s book Can We Start Again Please? Twenty Questions to Fall Back in Love Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

Your last encounter with a poem may well have taken place in a grim classroom, perhaps a painful dissection of WB Yeats or Matthew Arnold. Poetry can be something entirely different, however, and prize-winning poet John McCullough gives us poetry that is a source of joy, mindfulness and sheer fun. John McCullough “guides us through a world of déjà vu, doubt and rapture” (Helen Mort). His poetry gives us “fresh insight into vulnerability and suffering”, according to the judges of the Costa Poetry Award.  His poems reference Kate Bush, Lady Gaga, birdlife, Grindr and My Little Pony, while exploring love, loneliness and issues like homelessness and homophobia.  In this episode Andrew and John talk about the ways poetry can make your life richer, deeper and more meaningful. Poetry helps us live in the moment, it offers a rest from relentless rational thinking and it helps us to process our experiences and make sense of them. John McCullough's latest book of poems, Reckless Paper Birds, won the 2020 Hawthornden Prize for Literature and was shortlisted for the Costa Poetry Award. He has also won the Polari First Book Prize and his collections have been named Books of the Year in The Independent, The Guardian and The Observer. He is featured regularly in magazines such as Poetry London, Poetry Review and The New Statesman. Most recently, his poem 'Flower of Sulphur' was shortlisted for the 2021 Forward Prize for Best Single Poem. John lives in Hove with his partner and two cats, and teaches creative writing at the Open University and the University of Brighton.    Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Reckless Paper Birds, John McCullough’s Hawthornden Prize winning collection. Find out about John McCullough’s other books. Follow John McCullough on Twitter @JohnMcCullough_ and Instagram @mrjohnmccullough Get Andrew’s advice on creating change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier. Listen to Andrew’s interview with author Josh Cohen on “How to Live: What You Can Learn From Your Favourite Literary Character”. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Many of us, particularly women, experience endless frustration because we don’t feel heard. At work and at home, it seems like we are constantly interrupted and rarely feel in control of a conversation. This week Viv Groskop, journalist, podcaster, stand-up comedian and author of How to Own The Room and Lift As You Climb, talks with Andrew about how to speak so that people will listen. Diving into the world of stand-up taught Viv about pacing, pausing and gauging people’s reactions; but most importantly, about quieting your own ego and tuning into your audience. Andrew and Viv discuss why exactly it is that many women struggle to be heard. At the practical level, it is crucial to enter the discussion assertively. We also need to make sure we are not self-sabotaging by pre-judging our own contribution as “not good enough”.  Viv Groskop hosts the chart-topping podcast How to Own The Room. She has written five books and this year will be a judge for the International Booker Prize. She is a regular guest presenter on BBC Radio 4 and has appeared on Woman’s Hour, Today and Front Row. Viv is also a fluent Russian speaker and is a trustee of Pushkin House, the  independent centre for Russian culture in London.    Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Listen to How to Own the Room, Viv Groskop’s podcast: https://vivgroskop.com/podcast/  Read How to Own the Room: Women and the Art of Brilliant Speaking, Lift As You Climb: Women, Ambition and How to Change the Story, Au Revoir Tristesse: Lessons in Happiness from French Literature and Viv Groskop’s other books Visit Viv Groskop’s website: https://vivgroskop.com  Follow Viv on Instagram and Twitter @VivGroskop Read Andrew’s blog How to Be a Better Listener https://andrewgmarshall.com/help-better-listener/  Get Andrew’s book on communicating better with your partner Help Your Partner Say Yes: Seven Steps to Achieving Better Co-operation and Communication: https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/help-your-partner-say-yes-seven-steps-to-achieving-better-co-operation-and-communication/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

We all know that good boundaries are pretty much essential if we want happy relationships. There is a lot of confusion, though, about what exactly a boundary is and how to make it work. Can we have too many boundaries? Should we ever compromise on the boundaries we set? This week Andrew talks about boundaries with Graham Johnston and Matt Wotton, psychotherapists and co-founders of the London Centre of Applied Psychology. Matt and Graham share their own experiences of creating good boundaries in both love and parenting, and what it means if we are struggling to get this right. Our ability to set boundaries is linked closely to our attachment style: those with an anxious attachment may allow their boundaries to crumble too easily; while those with an avoidant attachment can have so many rigid boundaries that they struggle to let anyone in. Andrew also shares a prayer for good boundaries, which he often uses with marital therapy clients: 'I am me and You are you. It's a miracle that we've found each other But I'm responsible for my stuff And you're responsible for yours'   Graham Johnston is a psychotherapist and educator. He is Director of Policy at The Bowlby Centre, the UK’s leading training institution in attachment-based psychotherapy, and has also worked for the UK Government, specialising in home affairs. He and Matt Wotton are the Co-Founders and Directors of LCAP.  Matt Wotton is a psychotherapist and executive coach, and also Chair of The Bowlby Centre and Director at LCAP. Matt has over two decades of experience in forensic mental health in the criminal justice system - in operations, coaching leaders, and advising ministers. He led the review of Race in the Criminal Justice System (The Lammy Review), commissioned by the Prime Minister, and has been a member of the Prison & Probation Board.    Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Learn more about the London Centre for Applied Psychology (LCAP), where Graham Johnston and Matt Wotton work as Directors. Learn more about The Bowlby Centre,  the UK’s leading training institution in attachment-based psychotherapy. Follow LCAP on Twitter and Facebook @LCAPsychology. Read The Mindful Athlete by George Munford. Read the poem “On Marriage” by Kahlil Gibran. Read Andrew’s book on making meaningful change in your life, which also discusses attachment theory Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier. Read Andrew’s blog Three Secrets of a Happy Relationship: Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Is your home environment helping you to live the life you want, or does it get in the way? Clutter - the piles of stuff we don’t need and don’t use - can be a major block to our desire for clarity and meaning.  If we dig deep into the reasons we hold onto possessions, we can learn some uncomfortable lessons. Are we struggling to leave behind past relationships, past selves? Do we need more help to cope with grief and loss? Or are we endlessly waiting for a special occasion, so we can bring out the “good china”, rather than celebrating the beauty in the everyday? Tracy McCubbin’s story is full of warmth and inspiration: growing up with divorced parents, one of whom was a hoarder, she “turned her psychic wound into her business”. She built a hugely successful company to help her clients create home environments that support them in their lives.  Tracy is also the Co-Executive Director of OneKid OneWorld, a non-profit helping schools stay open in Kenya and Central America.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Buy Tracy McCubbin’s book Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Book on Decluttering You’ll Ever Need. Visit Tracy McCubbin’s website: www.dclutterfly.com Follow Tracy on Instagram, Facebook @dClutterfly and as Tracy McCubbin on Youtube Take a look at the charity of which Tracy is Co-Executive Director, OneKid OneWorld.  If you struggle to talk to your partner about issues like clutter, read Andrew’s blog Three Secrets of a Happy Relationship Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Have you ever experienced a strange, inexplicable coincidence that left you feeling “like a grand, mysterious character in a story?” One that seemed to suggest a particular relationship was “meant to be”, or, on the flipside, that it was time to let go? This week Andrew talks to Jungian analyst Robert Hopcke about synchronicity: the strange coincidences that make us feel like the universe is sending us a message, or trying to turn our lives around.  These coincidences have the potential to help us find the meaning we’re seeking. Synchronistic events can offer a sense of underlying wholeness in our lives. They often happen in times of transition, and help us move to the place we need to be. They offer us the opportunity to recognise the symbolic quality of everyday life, and to be alive to the symbolism that everyday objects, events and people present. Robert Hopcke is a Jungian analyst, author and a licensed marital therapist in private practice in Berkeley, California. He is the author of two books on Jung’s concept of synchronicity - There Are No Accidents and There Are No Accidents in Love and Relationships - and a number of other books about Jung.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Robert Hopcke’s book There Are No Accidents: Synchronicity and the Stories of Our Lives Read Robert Hopcke’s book There Are No Accidents in Love and Relationships: Meaningful Coincidences and the Stories of Our Families Take a look at Robert Hopcke’s website  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Read Andrew’s blog on journaling and find out how writing can help you bring more meaning into your life Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

For Andrew, it is the writings of Dr James Hollis, one of the world’s most eminent Jungian analysts, that have “sustained me through my dark times”. James Hollis' books also regularly help Andrew’s marital therapy clients to create change in their relationships and recover from infidelity.  For the 50th episode of The Meaningful Life With Andrew G. Marshall, Andrew speaks to James Hollis about what it means to be resilient - how do we discover and develop the strength nature gives us to “walk through the forest” when we inevitably hit dark times?  Bookshops and the internet are full of “five steps to happiness” style self-help manuals, telling us that if only we wake up earlier, change jobs, or eliminate caffeine, we will solve all our problems. In fact, life is fractious and difficult, and requires us to persist. The best way to do this is not an external solution, but to find and trust the strength within ourselves.  James Hollis is a Washington D.C. based Jungian psychoanalyst and the author of seventeen books. He was Executive Director of the Jung Educational Center in Houston, Texas for many years and Executive Director of the Jung Society of Washington (JSW) until 2019. He also worked as a Senior Training Analyst for the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts and as a Director of Training of the Philadelphia Jung Institute.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Take a look at James Hollis’ website. Read Andrew’s review of James Hollis’ book Swamplands of the Soul: New Life in Dismal Places. Read Andrew’s review of James Hollis’ book Living an Examined Life: Wisdom for the Second Half of the Journey. Read Andrew’s review of James Hollis’ book Living Between Worlds: Finding Personal Resilience in Changing Times. Read Under Saturn’s Shadow: the Wounding and Healing of Men by James Hollis. Listen to Lisa Marchiano of the This Jungian Life podcast speaking with Andrew about meaning and motherhood. Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

According to Dr Warren Farrell, the world is facing a “boy crisis”. Suicide, ADHD and weak educational outcomes are among the problems boys and their parents face. Many bright boys are experiencing a “purpose void,” feeling alienated, withdrawn, and addicted to immediate gratification. Andrew and Warren discuss why boys are struggling and what parents, teachers, and policymakers can do to help our sons become happier, healthier men and fathers and leaders worthy of our respect. Dr Farrell is an author and academic specialising in men’s issues. He has been chosen by The Financial Times of London as one of the world’s top 100 thought leaders, and by the Center for World Spirituality as one of the world’s spiritual leaders. He is also the only man ever elected three times to the Board of the National Organization for Women in New York City. Dr Farrell has been interviewed by Oprah, Barbara Walters and Larry King, and has been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. This week’s episode takes a slightly different format: Andrew interviews Warren Farrell at the annual MANN SEIN conference in Berlin, an international gathering to talk about masculinity in today’s world.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Find out more about the MANN SEIN annual conference in Berlin/online. Learn more about Warren Farrell on his website: https://warrenfarrell.com  Read Warren Farrell’s book The Boy Crisis: https://warrenfarrell.com/product/the-boy-crisis/  You can follow Warren Farrell on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram @drwarrenfarrell Read Andrew’s book on how to be a great parent and have a happy marriage, Can We Start Again Please? Twenty Questions to Fall Back in Love: https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/can-we-start-again-please-twenty-questions-to-fall-back-in-love/  Watch Andrew’s video on the Ten Golden Rules of Happy Parenting: https://youtu.be/Ksk6PQSGhQs  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Are you jogging along, not really noticing how time is passing? Avoiding the big questions by spending hours on distractions that don’t really add much to your life? For most of us, if we knew death were around the corner, we would most likely use our time differently. Oliver Russell was one of the first people in the UK to be infected with COVID-19. All of his major organs shut down and a police officer was ready to visit family with the news of his death.  Oliver was already struggling to deal with the long, empty-seeming days of the new retiree, the needs of his aging mother, and an over-reliance on alcohol. COVID tore this troubled existence apart. After a long, frightening journey to the edge of death, he was pushed to make major life changes. Oliver stopped using alcohol, transformed his social circles so that they were positive and rejuvenating, and found a new appreciation of the small pleasures of life. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Read Andrew’s advice on dealing with painful feelings Read Andrew’s thoughts on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Have you been told “just be yourself”, only to feel confused about what exactly that means? This week Andrew discusses with Dr Linda Berman seven important starting points for finding your authentic self.  Linda Berman is a writer, artist and retired psychotherapist. Before her retirement she worked privately, including in a psychiatric hospital, and for the NHS. Linda was also a counsellor and supervisor with Relate for many years. Linda has written a book, Beyond the Smile, exploring the importance of photographs in people’s lives and in psychotherapy. She has degrees in literature, psychotherapy, and fine art, and also a PhD, for which she researched the effects on survivors of telling the Holocaust story. Linda writes a weekly blog about mental health, psychotherapy, life and relationships.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Linda Berman’s blog waysofthinking.co.uk - it covers mental health, psychotherapy, life and relationships. Take a look at Linda’s book Beyond the Smile: the Therapeutic Use of the Photograph Follow Linda on Twitter @LindaBerman4 Read Andrew’s advice on keeping a journal of your life and emotions at https://andrewgmarshall.com/top-twelve-benefits-of-journaling/  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier: https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/wake-up-and-change-your-life-how-to-survive-a-crisis-and-be-stronger-wiser-and-happier/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Half of all women have experienced pain during sex. Yet the subject remains taboo, and help and understanding from the medical profession can be very hard to find.  In this week’s episode Fran Bushe, author of My Broken Vagina, shares her funny, moving quest to fix her sex life (and yours). During her journey toward understanding vaginismus, Fran was advised by doctors to have a glass of wine to loosen up, male friends suggested she just hadn’t tried the right penis yet, and she even visited a Sex Camp.  Andrew and Fran discuss how understanding the vagina better can enhance sex lives for women and men. They also talk about how to overcome pain during sex, move past the idea of penetration as “real sex”, and find a deeper level of pleasure for both of you.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Fran Bushe’s book My Broken Vagina: One Woman’s Quest to Fix her Sex Life, and Yours Get tickets for Fran’s one woman show Ad Libido at the Soho Theatre in August/September 2021. Follow Fran on Twitter and Instagram @franbushe Find out more about vaginismus from The Vaginismus Network Read Andrew’s blog Three Secrets of a Happy Relationship Read Andrew’s book Have the Sex You Want: a Couple’s Guide to Getting the Spark Back Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Diet culture is everywhere: it’s impossible to avoid exposure to “clean eating”, fat phobia and the thin ideal. Yet as Kate Daigle tells Andrew this week, it’s not possible to live a meaningful life whilst being fully immersed in diet culture. These are limiting beliefs that shrink people’s worlds. In this episode Kate Daigle, a specialist in supporting people to recover from eating disorders, talks with Andrew about people’s increasingly unhealthy relationship with food. Kate also shares her personal journey of recovery from eating disorders, and explores what it means to have an eating disorder. An eating disorder can be a constant, “reliable” companion, offering relief and a high similar to other addictions. Eating disorders are also likely to point to an underlying attachment wound.  Kate Daigle is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) and a Licensed Professional Counselor. She is also a speaker and published author supporting people in recovery from eating disorders and body image issues from a Health at Every Size (HAES) perspective.   Kate is based in Denver, Colorado and has been in private practice since 2010. In addition to her professional work, Kate volunteers in her local community to raise awareness about the prevalence and treatment of eating disorders and works to reduce the shame and stigma that are often associated with these disorders. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50 Read Kate Daigle’s book The Clinical Guide to Fertility, Motherhood and Eating Disorders: From Shame to Self Acceptance Visit Kate’s website and read her blog  Follow Kate on Facebook @KateDaigleCounseling and Instagram @katedaiglecounseling Read Andrew’s blog “How to Heal from Trauma: Six Key Ways to Deal With Trauma” Read Andrew’s book on making meaningful change in your life Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

We spend a lot of time feeling very serious about seeking meaning in our lives; but is it possible that the secret lies in making the search more fun? Can we say a creative, mutually affirming “yes” more often? And when do we need a self-protective “no”? This week Andrew and improv comedy star Pippa Evans have lots of fun together as they compare the strategies of improvisational comedy with those of therapy. Perhaps the most interesting lesson from improv: “be in the moment that is, not the one you thought would come along”.  Pippa Evans is a comedian and writer known for her skills in improvisational comedy. She was a core member of the improv team behind the award-winning stage show Showstopper: The Improvised Musical which toured the UK and abroad, and has regularly appeared on BBC radio.  Pippa likes to “use jokes to find connection”, and teaches courses on improvisation and the ways it can help improve our relationships with ourselves and with others. She has recently written a book called Improv Your Life: An Improviser’s Guide To Working With Whatever Life Throws At You. Among her many other accomplishments, Pippa is also the co-founder of the Sunday Assembly, a church for non-believers.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Pippa Evans’ new book Improv Your Life: An Improviser’s Guide to Working With Whatever Life Throws At You Take a look at Pippa’s website  Find out more about the Sunday Assembly, a church for non-believers co-founded by Pippa and fellow comedian Sanderson Jones. Follow Pippa on Twitter and Instagram @IAmPippaEvans Get Andrew’s book on rejuvenating your relationship when you feel you’ve lost the spark: Can We Start Again Please? Twenty Questions to Fall Back in Love  Read Andrew’s advice on building a happy relationship with your partner: Three Secrets of a Happy Relationship https://andrewgmarshall.com/three-secrets-of-a-happy-relationship/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Men with sex or pornography addictions and problematic sexual behaviours need support to find the root of their pain. Eddie Capparucci helps these men find and listen to their inner child, and to figure out why that child is creating pain and upheaval in their lives. Eddie is a therapist certified in the treatment of sexual and pornography addiction. He and his wife, Teri, have a private practice working with men struggling with sex/porn addiction, as well as with their wives who are dealing with betrayal. Among his many clients, Eddie has worked with professional athletes including NFL and MLB players and television personalities. This week Andrew, Eddie and Teri discuss finding and speaking to your inner child, and the power of this process to heal relationships and restore hope.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Take a look at Eddie Capparucci’s Inner Child Recovery Process on his website. Find out about Eddie’s online community for those recovering from sex/porn addiction:  www.GoingDeeper.co  Follow Eddie on Twitter @ECapparucci Read Andrew’s books on infidelity recovery: Why Did I Ever Cheat? Help Your Partner (and Yourself) Recover From Your Affair How Can I Ever Trust You Again? Infidelity: From Discovery to Recovery in Seven Steps I Can’t Get Over My Partner’s Affair: 50 Questions About Recovering from Extreme Betrayal and the Long-Term Impact of Infidelity Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

The hard truth is that if you don’t allow yourself to fail, you won’t live a full life. Giles Paley-Phillips sees failure as a fascinating moment of opportunity. Failure offers the chance to take stock, re-evaluate, dust yourself down and give things another try.  Giles has a book and a podcast, both titled Blank, in which he asks highly successful people to share their experiences of going completely blank. According to Giles, it might be frightening, but “blank is a very creative place to start”. In this episode, Andrew and Giles explore what it means to allow yourself to fail in life and in your relationships, why failure must not be the end of your journey and how to go about picking yourself up when things go wrong. Giles Paley-Phillips is an author for children and adults, as well as a podcast host and producer. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Listen to the Blank podcast with Giles Paley-Phillips and Jim Daly. Read Blank:Why it's fine to falter and fail, and how to pick yourself up again by Giles Paley-Phillips. Read Giles’ short verse novel One Hundred and Fifty-Two Days. Follow Giles on Twitter @eliistender10 Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier. Read Andrew’s blog on how to start keeping a journal, in which you can reflect on failure and growth. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Venus O’Hara plans to change the world, one orgasm at a time. She believes women are equally as sexual as men, and should have the time and space to embrace their multi-orgasmic potential. Venus is a British orgasm activist, author and feminist based in Barcelona. She has a hugely popular YouTube channel on which she discusses the female orgasm and leading a healthy and authentic orgasmic lifestyle. Venus and Andrew discuss many aspects of Venus’ journey, including her expertise in fetishism (which Venus sees as an intelligent, imaginative approach to sex, fascinating in its eroticisation of the non-sexual), and her career change from real estate sales to online businesswoman, writer and activist.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Watch videos on Venus O’Hara’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/venusohara/about  Go to Venus O’Hara’s website and membership programme: https://venusohara.org  Follow Venus on Twitter @venusohara1111 and Instagram @venusohara  Take a look at the Pro 2 sex toy by Satisfyer: https://www.satisfyer.com/es/en/products/air-pulse-technology/air-pulse-stimulators/2/pro-2 Read Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30186948-think-and-grow-rich  Read Andrew’s book Have the Sex You Want: A Couple’s Guide to Getting Back the Spark: https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/have-the-sex-you-want-a-couples-guide-to-getting-back-the-spark/ Read Andrew’s blog How To Have the Sex You Want: https://andrewgmarshall.com/have-the-sex-you-want-frequently-asked-questions/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Who is your favourite literary character? According to Dr Josh Cohen, an academic working in literary theory and also a psychoanalyst, this can be a very important question. Josh Cohen’s new book is How to Live. What To Do: In search of ourselves in life and literature. He believes that there are major similarities between psychoanalysis and great literature. For one thing, neither offers simple answers to complex questions.  With books, you have the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of someone else, understand what makes them click and why they do what they do. With analysis, which is generally over several years, you do something similar with your unconscious, and come to understand yourself better. In this episode Josh and Andrew discuss the books that have stayed with them throughout their lives. They also touch on the essential quality of imagination in childhood, and why we all need to “be more Alice”.  Josh Cohen is a professor of modern literary theory at Goldsmiths, University of London, and a psychoanalyst in private practice. He is the author of many books on aspects of modern life. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50 Read Josh Cohen’s new book How to Live. What To Do: In search of ourselves in life and literature  Read Josh Cohen’s book Not Working: Why We Have To Stop  Read Andrew’s book reviews on Goodreads Get Andrew’s advice on creating change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

“Think globally, act joyfully” is Isabel Losada’s motto. Her most recent book is The Joyful Environmentalist, which shows how one person can make a huge difference to the health of the planet. Few of us these days are strangers to climate anxiety, and Isabel’s approach is the ideal medicine: her aim is to show her reader every single way that we can take care of our natural environment: how we live and work, travel, shop, eat, drink, dress, vote, play, volunteer, bank - everything Isabel Losada is a British author, journalist and public speaker who combines humour with a serious look at her subject matter. She has worked as an actress, broadcaster and public speaker as well as a comedian and author.  Isabel  remains firmly committed to narrative non-fiction & swimming against the tide. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read The Joyful Environmentalist Take a look at Isabel Losada’s website Explore Isabel’s other narrative non-fiction Follow Isabel on Twitter Facebook and Pinterest @IsabelLosada and on Instagram @isabeljmlosada Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier:  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

“Midlife is when those dreams we had when we were young but put aside to earn a living or raise a family can finally be revisited; it’s never too late to be what you wanted to be”.  This is the philosophy of Noon, a community for women in midlife created by Eleanor Mills. Eleanor experienced her own reckoning with midlife after leaving her job with the Sunday Times, confronting an empty nest and dealing with Covid. She embarked on a journey to explore new ways of living and find her “next act”. If you’re feeling lost or alone after decades of putting other people first, or are exhausted dealing with midlife stresses like divorce, bereavement, redundancy, difficult teens, elderly parents or health problems, then this is the episode for you.  Eleanor and Andrew discuss shifting your perspective on midlife and seeing it as a space without a map. Unlike your twenties, thirties and even forties, there are few expectations around family and career, meaning you can chart your own way and be what you’ve always wanted to be.  Eleanor Mills is a British journalist who has worked for titles including The Sunday Times and The Times. She was the editorial director of The Sunday Times and editor of its magazine until March 2020. Eleanor is also the founder of https://www.noon.org.uk and  inherspace.co.uk  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Visit the Noon website and community created by Eleanor Mills: https://www.noon.org.uk/about/  Follow Eleanor on Twitter @EleanorMills, on Instagram @eleanorkjmills and on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-mills-88a8a827/  Find out more about Claire Du Bois and her Tree Sisters organisation: https://treesisters.org  Take a look at Jarvis Smith’s business My Green Pod https://www.mygreenpod.com  Read Raynor Winn’s book The Salt Path: https://bit.ly/3d7af1S  Listen to Andrew’s interview with Kay Hutchison, author of My Life In 37 Therapies: https://bit.ly/3zUMLa3  Read Andrew’s advice on keeping a journal of your life and emotions at https://andrewgmarshall.com/top-twelve-benefits-of-journaling/  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier: https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/wake-up-and-change-your-life-how-to-survive-a-crisis-and-be-stronger-wiser-and-happier/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

So many of us have experienced depression, and if not, we’re likely to have seen the people we love battle it. This week’s guest, Kate Lucey, specialises in writing about mental health. She talks candidly with Andrew  about her own depression and the six-year journey she’s been on since her diagnosis: including physical symptoms and the effects on her personal relationships.  Kate and Andrew also take a deep dive into what depression means - what might cause it, how therapy can help, and some exercises that have helped Kate to manage when feeling overwhelmed.  Kate Lucey is an author, journalist and public speaker, who has been at the forefront of opening up the conversation about mental health. Kate also specialises in helping brands talk to millennials. Her most recent book is Get a Grip, Love: and Other Helpful Mental Health Advice  “a candid book that uses a mix of colloquial chat, peer and personal experience, and expert advice to talk about tackling mental illness as part of the generation so often poked fun at for having feelings – and who often call themselves out for it, too”. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Kate Lucey’s book Get A Grip Love  Follow Kate on Twitter @KateLucey_  Read The Wisdom of Depression by Jonathan Zeuss Read Swamplands of the Soul by James Hollis Read Andrew’s blog “How to Heal from Trauma: Six Key Ways to Deal With Trauma” Read Andrew’s book on making meaningful change in your life Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

If the thought of cooking another family dinner is making you tired, this week’s episode might bring joy back to your kitchen. After all, at its best, cooking for friends and family is a powerful way to express love. Food can also help to create a sense of adventure and cultural curiosity in our children. In difficult times, eating together can be healing and rejuvenating. This week’s guest is Claire Thomson, a British chef and food writer who has written five cookbooks. Claire is known to many via her Instagram account @5oclockapron, which documents a family life centred on cooking together using a wonderful range of inspiring ingredients.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50 Take a look at Claire Thomson’s website  Get Claire’s book Home Cookery Year And follow Claire’s hugely popular Instagram account @5oclockapron  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Read Andrew’s book on building a stronger relationship as parents: I Love You But You Always Put Me Last: How to Child-Proof Your Marriage Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Do you struggle to sleep, your mind buzzing with worries about the future? Do you compare yourself to others and find yourself always coming up short? This week’s episode is all about ditching overthinking and seeking happiness that isn’t determined by external circumstances.  Richard Paterson, my guest this week, has trained throughout his life to quiet the thinking mind and unearth “ a treasure trove of uncaused peace, joy, love and perfect contentment waiting to be discovered—your true Self”. Richard spent much of his twenties and thirties training in Indian ashrams, learning from spiritual masters about meditation and the causes of human suffering. He is trained in techniques of mindfulness and has taken vows as a monk. Richard has travelled the world teaching meditation and mindfulness and is the author of several books.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Take a look at Richard Paterson’s website  Read Richard’s books Kick the Thinking Habit and Awaken the Happy You  Read Andrew’s advice on keeping a journal of your life and emotions  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

How can we learn to be at ease in our bodies so that we can be fully “in the moment” during sex? Anxiety about body image is one of the biggest obstacles to a happy, fulfilled sex life. Many people seek therapy to help them relax and enjoy sex with their partner, others struggle on in low-sex or no-sex relationships.  This week Andrew talks to Kate Moyle, Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist, about the knots we tie ourselves up in over how we look. Our culture’s esteem for youth and beauty, (expressed in social media images of physical perfection) can make it very hard to inhabit our normal, imperfect bodies. Yet the self-confidence we need to enjoy sex is grounded in how we feel, not how we look.  As well as her work as a therapist, Kate Moyle is host of The Sexual Wellness Sessions Podcast, and also appeared on BBC Three’s Sex on the Couch. Kate helps people to work through challenges in their sex lives and relationships; moving towards a place of sexual health, happiness and wellbeing. Her podcast hosts discussions that focus on normalising sex and relationships talk, and tackling the topics that are often left out of mainstream conversation; and she is a regular media contributor on the topic of sex and relationships.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Listen to Kate Moyle’s The Sexual Wellness Sessions Podcast:  Take a look at Kate’s website Follow Kate on Instagram @katemoyletherapy Read Andrew’s book Have the Sex You Want: a Couple’s Guide to Getting the Spark Back Read Andrew’s blog Three Secrets of a Happy Relationship Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Are you one of the many people who end up shocked by the ultimate similarity of romantic relationships that felt very different starting out? Why is it that we find the same patterns repeating, the same problems coming up over and over? In this episode, Andrew talks to author and attachment theory specialist Tara Blair-Ball. Tara explains how attachment theory - which is grounded in analysis of how we bonded to our mother as infants - can help us understand these patterns. Andrew and Tara emphasise that rather than dwelling on the particular faults of partner A and partner B, we can try to understand how our earliest relationships in life have determined later ones. This will help us make the changes that can lead to more meaningful and more fulfilling relationships.  Tara Blair Ball is a Certified Relationship Coach, as well as the author of several books on love and relationships. Her content on relationships and dating has been viewed more than 6 million times.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Take a look at Tara Blair Ball’s website Follow Tara on TikTok @tara.relationshipcoach or on Twitter @tarablairball Read Tara’s books The Beginning of the End and Stop Wasting Your Time on Women Who Don't Want You.   Read Emerson Eggerichs’ book Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs  Read Gary Chapman’s book The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts  Read Andrew’s book on making meaningful change in your life, which also discusses attachment theory Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Are you a prisoner of your own way of thinking about life? If we step back and reframe our thoughts about work, relationships or family, we can find that there is more meaning and happiness in our life than we ever expected. In this episode, Andrew talks to Elaine Dundon of the Global Meaning Institute about being a prisoner of our thoughts and about finding meaning at work, even if we see our job as unrewarding or uninspiring. Elaine also explains the profound influence of Victor Frankl’s work, in particular his book Man’s Search for Meaning. Elaine Dundon is the co-founder of the Global Meaning Institute and has also developed a unique study and practice of Meaning called MEANINGology. She has held senior leadership positions in three Fortune 500 companies, and developed a groundbreaking course on Innovation Management at the University of Toronto. She is the author of three best-selling books on meaning and innovation. She also writes regularly for Psychology Today.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Take a look at the website of The Global Meaning Institute Find out more about Elaine Dundon’s books Prisoners of Our Thoughts, The OPA! Way and The Seeds of Innovation  Read Elaine’s columns in Psychology Today Follow Elaine on Twitter Find Victor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning Read Andrew’s book Resolve Your Differences: Seven Steps for Dealing With Conflict in Your Relationship Read Andrew’s book on making meaningful change in your life Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall     

So many mothers have found the world of work a hostile environment after they have children. The jobs they once loved just don’t work with babies, school runs and Christmas plays, and it can feel like everything suffers.  Hannah Martin of the Talented Ladies Club has dedicated herself to helping women find the courage and inspiration to create careers that work for them and their families. She has helped them unlock creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit that has brought meaning and fulfilment. Hannah’s idea for the Talented Ladies Club was born when she realised how many of her talented and experienced friends were struggling to resume their careers after having children. These were successful, talented and ambitious women who should have had no problem earning good money in jobs they loved.  Hannah decided there was a need for empowering online content to help women realise that becoming a mother wasn’t the end of their career – it could be the start of an exciting new adventure. Since Talented Ladies Club was launched in 2013, it has helped thousands of mothers.  Hannah is an award-winning copywriter, qualified psychotherapist, hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner. She is an in-demand business coach and trainer, and creates and runs Talented Ladies Club’s online courses and programs. She has also led workshops for Country Living and Mumsnet, and is a member of two All Party Parliamentary Groups on women at work.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Visit the website to take a look at the resources and learning Talented Ladies Club offers on women and careers.  Follow Talented Ladies Club on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram  and Pinterest  Read Andrew’s book on building a stronger relationship as parents: I Love You But You Always Put Me Last: How to Child-Proof Your Marriage:  Read Andrew’s book on making meaningful change in your life Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier:  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

How do we live knowing that we will die? How can we face death, and how should we prepare for it? Dr Kathryn Mannix has spent her professional life working in palliative care, and the teams she has worked on have been involved in 10-15 thousand deaths. In this episode, Kathryn shares her insights into what it’s like to die and how we can love and support someone approaching the end of their life. If you struggle with thoughts of death - be it from a generalised fear, a terminal diagnosis, or the loss of loved ones - Kathryn’s calm and honest approach will help.  As well as working as a consultant in palliative care medicine, Kathryn is the author of With the End in Mind: How to Live and Die Well, a collection of powerful human stories of life and death. The book draws on a lifetime of clinical experience to offer advice on facing death and living life in its shadow.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Kathryn’s book With the End in Mind: How to Live and Die Well  Follow Kathryn on Twitter  Find Oliver Sacks’ book Gratitude, written at the end of his life. Read Andrew’s book on grieving the loss of his partner My Mourning Year Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube 

Too often we treat mind and body as completely separate: fear and anxiety belong to the mind, and then there are physical disorders. In fact, mind and body are parts of the same system. The road to calm and joy is much faster if we make sure to take care of both.  Henry Emmons MD looks at mental health problems like depression and anxiety by weaving together mind-body and natural therapies, mindfulness teachings and other holistic approaches.  As well as being an integrative psychiatrist, Henry is a sought-after presenter and a respected consultant on integrating natural and mindfulness therapies in psychiatry, the interface between spirituality and mental health, and personal and professional renewal.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Visit Henry Emmons’ website to find out more about his books, including The Chemistry of Joy, The Chemistry of Calm, The Chemistry of Joy Workbook and Staying Sharp: 9 Keys to a Youthful Brain Through Modern Science and Ancient Wisdom  Visit https://www.naturalmentalhealth.com, a website co-founded by Henry Emmons to help people of all ages optimize their mental health and build resilience in mind, body, and spirit.  Read Andrew’s book on making meaningful change in your life Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Read Andrew’s blog on making journaling a positive part of your daily routine Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

A diagnosis of bipolar disorder can be devastating: it is an extremely serious and debilitating mental illness. Family and friends may not understand what you’re going through, and can be full of unhelpful misconceptions. John Poehler is an award-winning blogger and mental health advocate who has developed an impressive range of tools to help people with bipolar. Andrew and John talk about how these tools can also help those of us without bipolar - especially John’s emphasis on building a positive daily routine.  John Poehler is dedicated to helping people with bipolar manage their disorder successfully and lead meaningful lives. He uses his own experience with bipolar to educate, make suggestions, provide ideas, and create a dialogue. According to John, bipolar disorder is a daily battle and a lifelong war.  John describes himself as an expert in his own bipolar disorder. He knows this illness as a best friend and his worst enemy. They are both there all the time and he has learned to live with them by his side.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Take a look at John Poehler’s website  Find John’s book  This War Within My Mind  Take John’s class: Taking Charge of Bipolar Disorder Masterclass  Listen to John’s podcast The Bipolar Battle Podcast  Follow John on: Twitter or Facebook or Instagram or Pinterest or Youtube or LinkedIn  Read Andrew’s book on making meaningful change in your life Wake Up and Change Your Life:  Read Andrew’s blog on making journaling a positive part of your daily routine: Top Twelve Benefits of Journaling  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

Parents like to feel they are independent individuals making their own decisions, but in reality parenting is hugely influenced by our own experiences of childhood. In this episode, Andrew and Philippa talk about how we are “links in a chain", and why it is really important for parents to recognise that and to make sure that their own links are shaped to the needs of their children.  Philippa Perry is a psychotherapist and author of several books, including The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will be Glad That You Did) and How To Stay Sane. She has also presented a number of documentaries, is Red Magazine’s agony aunt, and writes for numerous British publications. Philippa has also starred alongside her husband Grayson Perry in the recent Channel 4 series, Grayson’s Art Club.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Read Philippa Perry’s book The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will be Glad That You Did) Read Philippa’s advice column in Red Magazine Follow Philippa on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram  Read The Orchid and the Dandelion: Why Sensitive Children Face Challenges and How All Can Thrive by W Thomas Boyce MD. Read Andrew’s book on building a stronger relationship as parents: I Love You But You Always Put Me Last: How to Child-Proof Your Marriage Read Andrew’s book on making meaningful change in your life Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall 

As well as producing weekly episodes of The Meaningful Life, our podcast engineer Michael Dooney is a brand new dad. This week, Michael and his wife Christy talk to Andrew about their life-changing and at times traumatic journey to parenthood.  Michael and Christy battled infertility and grieved the loss of several pregnancies. When they finally conceived their daughter Elsie, they effectively held their breath for the next nine months, fearing something would go wrong at any moment. Now they are happily riding the rollercoaster of raising a newborn, and discovering life as a family of three.  Michael also has a podcast exploring the art world, Subtext and Discourse.    Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Take a look at The Hypnobirthing Book by Katharine Graves Find out about the birthing course Christy and Michael took online: https://www.hebammenzeit.de/hebammenzeit-in-english/   Find out about Michael’s work in the Berlin art world here Listen to Michael’s podcast Subtext & Discourse Follow Michael on Twitter and Instagram and YouTube  Read Andrew’s book on building a stronger relationship as parents: I Love You But You Always Put Me Last: How to Child-Proof Your Marriage Read Andrew’s book on making meaningful change in your life Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall   

It isn’t hard as a parent to find advice on breastfeeding, your child’s education or managing their behaviour. What’s rarer is insight into how the parenting journey changes us as a person. Yet, becoming a mother is a unique opportunity for self-realisation. In this episode Lisa Marchiano and Andrew take a deep dive into motherhood: how it connects us to previous and next generations, how easy it is to be “devoured” by the experience of mothering, and what it means to feel rage as a mother.  Lisa Marchiano is a Jungian therapist from Philadelphia, and co-hosts the podcast This Jungian Life. She has recently published a new book called Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself. Lisa is also the parent of two teenagers.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Take a look at Lisa Marchiano’s new book Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself Listen to the podcast This Jungian Life  Find out about This Jungian Life’s twelve-month online course that teaches people how to work with their own dreams Follow This Jungian Life on Twitter and Facebook Follow Lisa Marchiano on Twitter Find James Hollis’ essay “Free your children from you” in his book Living an Examined Life. Read Andrew’s book on how to build a strong relationship with your partner whilst still being good parents, I Love You But You Always Put Me Last Read Andrew’s book on making meaningful change in your life Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.  

The relationship between a man and his penis is rarely discussed except as a joke. Men don’t often talk to each other about erection issues, and women are left in the dark. Angus Barge took the plunge and spoke to his cousin about the problems he was having getting an erection at the age of 27. His cousin was also brave enough to break the silence, and this led them to create Mojo, a pill-free solution to erection issues.  In this episode Andrew and Angus discuss the harm done to both men and women by the general silence over erection issues. It’s also the case that being let down by their penis can be a major fear for many men; and that there is liberation and happiness to be found in facing up to this fear.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Find out about the work Mojo is doing to help men get reliable erections. Follow Mojo on Facebook Watch Angus and his cousin Xander’s video on Why We Made This Angus and Andrew talked about the book Mind the Gap: the Truth About Desire and how to Futureproof Your Sex Life by Dr Karen Gurney. Listen to Jed Diamond talk about the “father wound” and writing your personal creation story. Read Andrew’s book Have the Sex You Want: A Couple’s Guide to Getting Back the Spark Read Andrew’s blog on how to Have the Sex You Want Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Our parents’ divorce can have so many ramifications, some of which don’t become apparent until well into adulthood. How do we face up to and understand the unprocessed pain of divorce? How do we build more successful relationships of our own? Terry Gaspard specialises in helping clients overcome the legacy of their parents’ breakups in order to build strong, happy relationships. Terry is also an expert on second marriages - these have a higher divorce rate than first marriages, but with support and skills, can bring a huge amount of happiness.  Terry is a licensed therapist, author, and college instructor who works with children, adults, couples, and families. She also works from personal experience: her own parents divorced when she was ten, and she herself went through a divorce, and went on to make a very happy second marriage. Her book Daughters of Divorce is co-written with her own daughter.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Read Terry Gaspard’s books The Remarriage Manual and Daughters of Divorce Find out more about Terry on her website Find Terry’s articles published in Patheos.com, TheGoodMenProject.com, The Gottman Institute Relationship Blog, DivorcedMoms.com, DivorceMagazine.com and marriage.com Follow Terry on Twitter and on Facebook  Andrew and Terry also discussed the books Second Chances: Men, Women and Children, A Decade After Divorce by Judith S. Wallerstein and Sandra Blakeslee and Generation at Risk: Growing Up in an Era of Family Upheaval by Paul R. Amato and Alan Booth. Read Andrew’s book I Love You But I’m Not in Love with You: Seven Steps to Saving Your Relationship Read Andrew’s book on turning things around in midlife Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

When did you last learn to do something totally and utterly new? Tom Vanderbilt, author of Beginners: the Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning, was awestruck by his young daughter’s insatiable need to know how to do almost everything. He was inspired to embark on a year of learning purely for its own sake. Tom had a truly unique year - a circuitous journey of learning, in which he attempted to learn chess, singing, surfing, drawing and juggling. These skills were chosen on the basis of difficulty and lack of marketability.  Close encounters with scorpions aside, Tom found that his new sense of curiosity opened him up to a profound happiness and a deeper connection to the people around him. By reinventing himself in small ways, life began to seem more magical. In this episode Andrew and Tom talk about just why it is that so many of us stop learning new skills as adults. While we’re encouraging our children to be adventurous and to try new things, are we ourselves afraid of failure? Have we forgotten the pleasure and rewards of starting from scratch? Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Learn more about Tom Vanderbilt’s book Beginners: the Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning Follow Tom Vanderbilt on Twitter or Instagram @tomvanderbilt  Andrew and Tom also discuss Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein. Find out more about dealing with midlife and the relationship issues it can cause in Andrew’s book It’s Not a Midlife Crisis, It’s an Opportunity  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

Are you living a life you really believe in, or are you filling in time until your “real life” begins? Are you waiting on marriage, a better job, a new exercise regime or a beautiful house to create an authentic life?  Humans do need to have goals and plans, but it is also destructive to ignore those inner voices telling us what would bring us individual meaning. Instead of putting off developing an authentic self, it is almost always possible to start planning and creating right now.  Philip Carr-Gomm is an expert in psychosynthesis, an  “awe-inspiring territory that has the power to transform us”. He believes that something magical happens when the worlds of modern psychology and ancient spiritual teachings are brought together. Philip has studied Druidry extensively and from 1988-2020 was the leader of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. He has a degree in Psychology and has trained in psychotherapy, play therapy, Montessori education, yoga nidra, mindfulness meditation and Sophrology. Philip recently created an online school, The Art of Living Well, to offer courses combining psychological and spiritual understanding. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Take a look at Philip Carr-Gomm’s website Find out more about the courses offered at Philip’s online school, The Art of Living Well Follow Philip on Instagram at @philipcarrgomm and on Facebook at @philip.carrgomm Read Andrew’s book Resolve Your Differences: Seven Steps to Dealing with Conflict in Your Relationship Read Andrew’s blog on journaling and find out how writing can help you bring more meaning into your life. Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

Fenella Hansen brings her own life experiences of grief, loss, mental health and trauma to her counselling work. After losing her mother to cancer, she made a dramatic career change from IT into counselling, and has since worked extensively with survivors of various forms of trauma.  Fenella has herself also suffered medical PTSD and family violence, which she believes gives her a unique perspective and level of empathy in her work with her clients. Fenella worked in mental health for 7 years before moving to work with survivors of childhood sexual abuse. She has worked with complex trauma clients and is also a trained expert in trauma sensitive yoga and mindfulness. Fenella has her own private practice in Melbourne, and is currently training in psychedelic therapy.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Find out more about Fenella’s counselling practice Learn about the course in psychedelic therapy Fenella is currently studying. Follow up on some trauma resources discussed in this episode / recommended by Fenella: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van der Kolk. Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter Levine Psychedelics: Where we are now, why we got here, what we must do by Sean J. Belouin & Jack E. Henningfield. Some useful breathing exercises  Follow Fenella on Instagram @betweenthelinestherapy Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Get Andrew’s advice on dealing with painful feelings: https://andrewgmarshall.com/seven-ways-to-cope-with-painful-feelings/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

We all think of infidelity as something that happens to someone else. When betrayal enters our own safe universe, it comes as a terrible shock. Many couples confronting infidelity end up re-examining just about everything in their lives: not just their marriage, but their work, their relationships with family and friends, and how they find meaning and fulfilment. Sometimes it can even be these couples who end up with the strongest partnerships of all. Dr. Caroline Madden, PhD is a Los Angeles based pro-marriage therapist who specializes in helping marriages recover after infidelity. Caroline is the author of several relationship books including: "Fool Me Once: Should I Take Back My Cheating Husband?" and "After a Good Man Cheats: How to Rebuild Trust & Intimacy With Your Wife” and “Blindsided by His Betrayal”.  In this episode, Caroline and Andrew draw on decades of shared experience working with couples affected by infidelity. They talk through the complex, painful process of rebuilding after the discovery of betrayal.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Listen to Caroline’s book Blindsided by Betrayal on Audible, and take a look at her other books, Fool Me Once: Should I Take Back My Cheating Husband? and After a Good Man Cheats: How to Rebuild Trust & Intimacy With Your Wife Find out more about Caroline’s work with infidelity survivors on her website Follow Caroline on Twitter Read Andrew’s books on infidelity recovery: Why Did I Ever Cheat? Help Your Partner (and Yourself) Recover From Your Affair How Can I Ever Trust You Again? Infidelity: From Discovery to Recovery in Seven Steps I Can’t Get Over My Partner’s Affair: 50 Questions About Recovering from Extreme Betrayal and the Long-Term Impact of Infidelity Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

Dena Justice’s lifelong interest in mentoring and coaching began at age seven, when she took her first social-emotional training program. At 15, she taught her first personal development course. She has undertaken years of training in conflict management and mediation, leadership, communication, facilitation, and has two Master’s degrees. Despite loving her career, Dena hit a point where she felt empty - a classic case of a high performer and leader hitting burnout. That led her to choose a powerful pivot out of her J-O-B and into her own business. At the same time, Dena also consciously decided to up-level ALL of her relationships, including spending 3 years intentionally single so she could identify and change the patterns she was repeating that were contributing to relationship dissatisfaction. Now she is in the most amazing relationship with a man she loves more than anything. And all of the other relationships in her life are incredible. Combining all of her experience, Dena now helps other women who are high performers hitting burnout and are scared to admit they’ve hit a plateau or a wall. She helps them get out of their own way and move to the next level to increase their impact so they feel fulfilled and inspired again, as well as helping them create the relationships they want in their lives. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Take a look at Dena’s website and courses: EcstaticCollective.com EcstaticCollective.com/NLP EcstaticCollective.com/anxietycourse  Follow Dena on social media: FB: @denajustice IG: @denajusticepsychedelicministry Clubhouse: @psychedelicNLP Read Help Your Partner Say Yes Andrew’s book on achieving better communication and cooperation with your partner. If you’re struggling to connect with your partner and are labouring under the strain of work and parenting, read Andrew’s blog “Three Secrets of a Happy Relationship” Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

What is it like to step away from individual freedom and enter into a life of submission and domination? This week’s witness is Slave Phil, a writer, blogger and podcaster at Master Slave Lifestyle.  From early childhood, Phil was drawn to being controlled and dominated by others. At the age of eighteen, he began exploring the master slave lifestyle. For Phil, this was “part of his soul”, not just play or an aspect of his personality.  Phil talks with Andrew about the ways in which this lifestyle challenges social norms - why WOULD someone want to be controlled? For Phil and others who live this way, being controlled and shaped by another person brings the freedom of letting go of responsibility. Compared to conventional relationships, the rules of engagement are written down, discussed and regularly reviewed, rather than being invisible, confusing and often outdated. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  Visit Pink Therapy to find kink aware therapists and advice.  Take a look at Slave Phil’s website, Master Slave Lifestyle  Follow Slave Phil on Twitter at @Brotherhood_SM Put the spark back in your relationship with Andrew’s book Have The Sex You Want Read Andrew’s advice on what to do if your partner says the passion is gone Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

What does gratitude actually mean? It isn’t just about being nice or saying thank you a lot. According to Chester Elton, who has been called “the apostle of appreciation”, gratitude cuts to the heart of who we really are. Gratitude exists at an emotional level and is about who is in our lives, what we find meaningful and how we live.  If we make time for gratitude, we can find a way to live that makes everything less stressful. In this episode, Chester and Andrew talk through the ways we can build gratitude into everyday life, adding meaning and lightness to our daily routines. Chester has also carried out extensive research into how gratitude can help us lead in the workplace. His books, co-authored with Adrian Gostick,  include Leading With Gratitude and All In: How the Best Managers Create a Culture of Belief and Drive Big Results. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. Read Chester Elton’s Leading with Gratitude Book Sign up for Chester Elton’s free LinkedIn newsletter, The Gratitude Journal Read Chester Elton’s article on Why We Should be Grateful for Hard Times Read Jay Shetty’s book Think Like A Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day Read Andrew’s advice on keeping a journal of your life and emotions. Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw   

You exist at your own centre; so you are the only one who is in the right place to look and understand your individual being. Richard Lang has devoted his life to exploring and teaching “the headless way”: a unique system to answer the question of what life means and who you really are.  Richard met Douglas Harding, author of On Having No Head, as a teenager, and knew immediately that the headless way was what he had been looking for. He now runs workshops on the headless way, produces videos, and has set up the Shollond Trust, which publishes Douglas Harding’s and other books on the subject.  Along the way, Richard has also spent thirty years practising as a psychotherapist, and teaching Tai Chi and dance.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Learn more about the headless way, including free resources and meetings: www.headless.org Find books on the headless way: Seeing Who You Really Are https://www.headless.org/harding-books/seeing-who-you-really-are Open to the Source https://www.headless.org/harding-books/open-to-the-source Celebrating who you are  https://www.headless.org/harding-books/celebrating-who-we-are  The Man With No Head https://www.headless.org/harding-books/the-man-with-no-head Everyday Seeing  https://www.headless.org/harding-books/everyday-seeing Listen to the Headless Way podcast: https://www.headless.org/headless-way-podcasts Find videos on the headless way on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/profile?user=headexchange Listen to Andrew’s interview with Martina Schneider on spiritual therapy: https://themeaningfullife.podbean.com/e/ep11-martina-schneider-spiritual-therapy/  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/wake-up-and-change-your-life-how-to-survive-a-crisis-and-be-stronger-wiser-and-happier/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

How do we find meaning out of a difficult childhood and a troubled mother-daughter relationship? In this episode Nigerian-American writer, mindfulness practitioner and educator Itoro Bassey speaks with Andrew about how to mother the wounded child inside. Itoro now lives in Nigeria (after being born and raised in the USA) and is the founder of the digital course, From Surviving to Thriving: Becoming Your Own Inner Author. This course uses writing and energy work to bring students into the present moment.  Itoro has published on culture, identity, and healing for over ten years and now offers intuitive counselling sessions for those in need of support. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Follow Itoro Bassey on Instagram or contact her at [email protected] Read some of Itoro’s writing on culture, family and identity: How to let go of your family's expectations. Becoming My Own Woman... The Nigerian and tenderness How I’m Mothering the Wounded Kid Inside Who Just Wanted Love Read about Questions for Ada by Ijeoma Umebinyuo https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26141400-questions-for-ada  Read Andrew’s memoir on the loss of his partner, My Mourning Year https://mymourningyear.com  Get Andrew’s advice on dealing with painful feelings: https://andrewgmarshall.com/seven-ways-to-cope-with-painful-feelings/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

2020 wasn’t the easiest year to feel in control of our lives: a lot of us experienced loss, loneliness, and illness. Yet through my podcast, I feel like I learnt a lot about changing your life in a meaningful way. My guests shared wisdom on so many different aspects of life - sex, love, masculinity, gender, disability, companionship, spirituality, therapy, cynicism, to name just a few - and I feel lucky to have come out of 2020 quite a bit wiser and more at peace, thanks to them. So here are my reflections on the ten most important things I learnt from The Meaningful Life.  If you’re new to the podcast, this should make a great leaping in point, as I talk through what I learnt from each of my 2020 guests.  Thank you to you all for listening, to the guests I’ve been so lucky to have on the show, and to my gifted and enthusiastic producer, Michael Dooney.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/wake-up-and-change-your-life-how-to-survive-a-crisis-and-be-stronger-wiser-and-happier/  Read Andrew’s thoughts on what the “new normal” will look like for you and your partner as more of us are vaccinated and the pandemic hopefully recedes: https://andrewgmarshall.com/marriage-and-the-global-pandemic-will-things-ever-return-to-normal/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

Nathanael Garrett Novosel started his quest to understand the meaning of life at the age of six. He is the author of The Meaning of Life: A Guide To Finding Your Life’s Purpose, which sets out 8 concepts key to finding meaning. In his book and in his teachings Nathanael helps people answer questions like “why are you here?”,  “how does life work?” and “what are you supposed to do with your existence?”.   Nathanael has researched psychology, evolutionary biology, organizational best practices, leadership decision making, business, technology, finance, and philosophy to understand the world as we know it. He worked extensively with senior executives, before deciding to devote his skills to helping people to live the best lives possible. In this episode, Nathanael and Andrew discuss the 8 concepts, Nathanael’s own journey of research and insight, and how his autism helped him develop his deep understanding of the meaning of life.    Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Find out about Nathanael’s book, The Meaning of Life, and the 8 concepts it outlines: https://www.yourmeaninginlife.com and buy the book here https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-meaning-of-life-nathanael-garrett-novosel/1135680135 Follow Nathanael on social media:  Twitter https://twitter.com/LifetheBook Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LifetheBook Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lifethebook/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/themeaningoflifebook/ Hear Carol Dweck’s TED talk on growth mindset: https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve?language=en  Find out more about James Hollis’ book, Living an Examined Life https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/36165956  Read Andrew’s thoughts on what to do if you or your partner feel like you’re in the throes of what society would call a midlife crisis: https://andrewgmarshall.com/ten-tell-tale-signs-midlife-crisis/  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/wake-up-and-change-your-life-how-to-survive-a-crisis-and-be-stronger-wiser-and-happier/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw   

Martina Schneider is a psychologist and a teacher of Vipassana meditation. Her work with clients combines a therapeutic and a spiritual approach. In this episode, she talks with Andrew about her own spiritual journey, including intensive study of the Vedanta tradition in India and being ordained as a nun. Martina offers her thoughts on the time and the deep commitment it requires truly to understand the self and to be at peace with it.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/wake-up-and-change-your-life-how-to-survive-a-crisis-and-be-stronger-wiser-and-happier/  Read Andrew’s thoughts on what to do if you or your partner feel like you’re in the throes of what society would call a midlife crisis: https://andrewgmarshall.com/ten-tell-tale-signs-midlife-crisis/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

Joe Horton founded Guild of Dads after losing his own father in 2015. This huge loss launched him on a journey of self-discovery, during which he was able to shape a vision for himself and begin to create a more meaningful life.  Joe’s Guild of Dads podcast and growing social movement now help many other dads to reflect on their own lives and pinpoint the ways they can take action to find meaning. Joe’s “Vision + Action = Meaning” equation is helping many men take back control and find the fulfilment they need. In this episode, Andrew and Joe discuss the ways in which lack of meaning is having a catastrophic effect on many dads’ lives. They talk through the main obstacles and “saboteurs” that prevent dads from making essential changes.   Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Listen to Joe’s Guild of Dads podcast here: https://bit.ly/GODpodcast  Get a free copy of Joe’s ebook The V.A.M. Blueprint: https://bit.ly/VAMebook  Drop an email to Joe at [email protected] if you’re interested in joining his new support group for dads.  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier https://bit.ly/wakeupandchange  Read Andrew’s thoughts on what to do if you or your partner feel like you’re in the throes of what society would call a midlife crisis: https://bit.ly/midlifecrisisblog  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

In 2017, Rachel Weiss watched a TV programme about the menopause and was inspired to hold a Menopause Café. This has now turned into an international movement of pop-up events where women and the men in their lives meet to drink tea, eat cake and talk menopause. The Menopause Café is modelled on the Death Café movement, founded by Jon Underwood.  In this episode, Rachel and Andrew talk about women’s experiences of menopause and the impact on their lives and relationships. The menopause has long been a taboo subject, and raises profound issues of shame and silence around the female body. Women have suffered due to the lack of knowledge or public conversation about the menopause, and so have their partners.  The Menopause Cafe is playing a crucial role in an increasingly more open discourse on the menopause, helping women to live through this stage of their lives with understanding rather than fear and loneliness.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Find out more about the Menopause Café  www.menopausecafe.net Rachel has written about the Menopause Café in “M-Boldened: Menopause Conversations We All Need to Have” The world’s only Menopause Festival takes place on April 30th and May 1st 2021 #FlushFest2021 in Perth, Scotland, and online. The Menopause Café  was inspired by the Death Café - learn more here: www.deathcafe.com  Learn about Rachel’s work with coaching and counselling clients at Rowan Consultancy www.rowan-consultancy.co.uk or find out about enrolling on the COSCA Certificate in Counselling Skills, a 120-hour course online or face-to-face, starting August 2021. Find out more about dealing with midlife and the relationship issues it can cause in Andrew’s book It’s Not a Midlife Crisis, It’s an Opportunity  https://bit.ly/midlifecrisisbook  Read Andrew’s advice on some of the common issues faced inside long-term marriages in his article on avoiding the “silver divorce”: https://bit.ly/silverdivorce  Follow Rachel on:  Twitter: @Menopause_Cafe @Rowan_Rachel @Rowanconsult Instagram: @Menopause_Cafe Facebook: www.facebook.com/menocafe17 and www.facebook.com/RowanConsultancy YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RowanConsultancy Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw

Guardian columnist Tim Dowling has spent thirteen years chronicling his marriage and family life for the Weekend magazine. His self-deprecating humour and determinedly cynical approach have made him hugely popular with readers. Rare is the Saturday Guardian reader who doesn’t flip first to the magazine to see what’s happening with Tim’s pets, banjo career and family.  In this episode, Tim and Andrew discuss the layers that go into a joke. What exactly is it that we’re doing when we laugh at ourselves and our own life? Humour can be about storytelling, making sense of the past, finding honesty and creating meaning. It can be a defence mechanism, and a form of self-protection for the intensely shy.  Tim’s readers have watched him move from the chaos of working and parenting younger children to a different stage of midlife. The column has changed, and so has everyone featured in it. Andrew and Tim discuss new hobbies, the relaxation that can come with being older, and the boundaries that need to go up when writing about family for so long.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Listen to Tim Dowling’s audiobook How To Be Happy All The Time: The Unexpected Joys of Being a Cynic: Everything Bad Is Good for You https://www.audible.com/pd/How-to-Be-Happy-All-the-Time-Audiobook/1529345014 Find out more about dealing with midlife and the relationship issues it can cause in Andrew’s book It’s Not a Midlife Crisis, It’s an Opportunity  https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/its-not-a-midlife-crisis-its-an-opportunity-how-to-be-forty-or-fifty-something-without-going-off-the-rails/  Read about Andrew’s memoir, My Mourning Year https://mymourningyear.com  Read about Ken Wilber’s book, No Boundary: Eastern and Western Approaches to Personal Growth https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/449818.No_Boundary  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw    

So much of the meaning we find in life comes from reaching out to help others. Charlotte Fielder has been the Head of Volunteering and Fostering at London’s famous Battersea Dogs and Cats Home since 2015. She finds intense meaning in giving animals a second chance and supporting the Battersea volunteers who work for love, not money.  Charlotte is herself a failed foster carer after rehoming Max in August 2017. Dogs have been an enormous part of her life, and she talks with Andrew about the magic of dogs in family relationships and the joy and meaning they bring to individuals.  Charlotte has also worked extensively to support children with upper limb difference. She is a patron of EDRIC (The European Dysmelia Reference Information Centre) a not for profit organisation that shares knowledge with those affected by congenital limb loss. She is also the author of ‘Shared Experiences,’ a resource for the families of these children. Charlotte worked for 33 years in UK Government agencies including the Home Office and National Criminal Intelligence Service before leaving to work in volunteer services at a hospice. Her desire was to spend the last ten years of her working life making a difference, and when she arrived in Battersea in 2015 she felt she was “coming home”.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Learn about the European Dysmelia Reference Information Centre https://www.dysnet.org  Discover Andrew’s memoir, The Power of Dog, about how his dog Flash helped him recover from the loss of his partner. https://andrewgmarshall.com/the-power-of-dog/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

Why are so many working parents exhausted? Why does it often feel so unfulfilling switching between a demanding job and doing our best as parents? Anita Cleare’s new book, The Work/Parent Switch, explores the challenge of moving between driven, goal-oriented professional mode, and the looser, more mindful state needed to parent. Anita talks with Andrew about creative ways to switch between the two states, and about how modern parents can benefit from doing less for their children. Anita Cleare (MA AdvDip) is a parenting expert, writer and coach. She is the co-founder of the Positive Parenting Project, a social enterprise which aims to bring the benefits of proven evidence-based parenting strategies to as many parents (and children) as possible. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.  https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Get Anita Cleare’s new book, The Work/Parent Switch https://www.anitacleare.co.uk/get-support/the-work-parent-switch/ Read Anita’s blog, Thinking Parenting, and find out about her parenting webinars and private parenting coaching here: https://www.anitacleare.co.uk/ Read Andrew’s book I Love You But You Always Put Me Last: How To Child-Proof Your Marriage https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/i-love-you-but-you-always-put-me-last-how-to-child-proof-your-marriage/  If you’re struggling to connect with your partner and are labouring under the strain of work and parenting, read Andrew’s blog “Three Secrets of a Happy Relationship” https://andrewgmarshall.com/three-secrets-of-a-happy-relationship/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw   

Please note - this episode of The Meaningful Life podcast contains references to gender based violence which may be distressing for some listeners In 2000, Susie Kalich survived a violent attack by a stranger in her home in Los Angeles. As part of her recovery, she sought martial arts training to learn self defense basics. She enrolled in Ninpo Tai Jutsu with Sensei Chad Minge at Studio City Martial Arts in the San Fernando Valley. Eight years later, she became the first woman in the history of the school to reach the rank Shodan Menkyu under her teacher’s system, and earn her instructor’s license.  In this episode, Susie talks to Andrew about rebuilding physically and emotionally after a severe trauma. She describes her pioneering work on making self defensible accessible and usable for women, culminating in her program and app, Pretty Deadly Self Defense. Pretty Deadly is based on Susie’s own experiences and recovery as a violent crime survivor, and on her day-to-day encounters in the real world.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Download Susie’s Pretty Deadly App for self defense https://prettydeadlyselfdefense.com/app Take a look at Susie’s programmes and courses on the Pretty Deadly website https://prettydeadlyselfdefense.com or learn more about her life and experiences here http://susiekahlich.com Listen to the Pretty Deadly Podcast: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:710830558/sounds.rss Read articles by Susie on Medium: https://susiekahlich.medium.com/ Follow Susie on social media:  Facebook https://facebook.com/prettydeadlyselfdefense Twitter: https://twitter.com/susiekahlich Instagram (Pretty Deadly): https://instagram.com/prettydeadlyofficial Instagram (Susie Kahlich): https://instagram.com/susiekahlich Read Andrew’s blog “Seven Ways to Cope with Painful Feelings” https://andrewgmarshall.com/seven-ways-to-cope-with-painful-feelings/  Get Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/wake-up-and-change-your-life-how-to-survive-a-crisis-and-be-stronger-wiser-and-happier/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

Too many men struggle to be happy in their intimate relationships, and fail to find a healthy version of masculinity that works for them. Disconnected males, without a strong sense of inner guidance, can behave destructively and even abusively towards those around them.  In the fourth episode of The Meaningful Life With Andrew G. Marshall, Andrew talks to Jed Diamond PhD, founder of MenAlive, about his own journey. Jed explains how he came to heal his “family father wound” and how he has helped thousands of men to do the same.  A big part of this is investigating our “personal creation myth”: unearthing the trauma of our origins, dealing with the truth, and moving forward with honesty and love. Also crucial is learning to be in the company of other men. It is only when a man can be comfortable in his own skin, with other men, that he can build successful intimate relations.  Jed Diamond PhD has a Masters degree in Social Work and a PhD in International Health. He founded MenAlive in 1968 as a resource for men to build healthy lives and eliminate the stresses that undermine their health and wreck their relationships. He is the author of many well-received books on men’s health and masculinity.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Find out more about Jed Diamond’s book My Distant Dad: Healing the Family Father Wound https://menalive.com/my-distant-dad/  Read about Jed Diamond’s book 12 Rules for Good Men https://menalive.com/12-rules-for-good-men/  Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and Be Stronger, Wiser and Happier https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/wake-up-and-change-your-life-how-to-survive-a-crisis-and-be-stronger-wiser-and-happier/  Read Andrew’s thoughts on what to do if you or your partner feel like you’re in the throes of what society would call a midlife crisis: https://andrewgmarshall.com/ten-tell-tale-signs-midlife-crisis/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

What is life like if you don’t fit into any of mainstream society’s ideas of gender or sexuality? Do any of us really fit those ideas, anyway?  In this episode, Finn Ballard talks about life as a transgender man, and his experiences growing up as a trans child in a traditional town in Northern Ireland. Finn talks about his search for an authentic life in a world that is so often hostile to trans people, and the empowerment and joy that has come from being open about who he really is.  Finn Ballard is a historian and tour guide based in Berlin, and also teaches Gender Studies and Media Studies at the Council on International Educational Exchange, an English-speaking institute in Berlin.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  If you can make it to the glorious city that is Berlin, be sure to take one of Finn’s guided tours: http://www.finn-ballard-tours.com  Get Andrew’s advice on creating the positive change you’ve dreamed of making in your own life: https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/wake-up-and-change-your-life-how-to-survive-a-crisis-and-be-stronger-wiser-and-happier/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

Have you ever felt so defeated and frustrated that you want to just throw in the towel and run away? Author Kay Hutchison did exactly that, fleeing her annual holiday to the Cote d’Azur, moving out of her home, and leaving behind her marriage and a well-established career.  In seeking to understand what forced this huge rupture in a previously smooth existence, Kay tried a range of mainstream and alternative therapies. In the end, she took part in 37 different forms of therapy to explore her particular midlife crisis and experience of the menopause. From colonic irrigation through to Shamanic therapy, Kay found solace and insight that she was able to share in her powerful book, My Life in 37 Therapies.  In this second episode of The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall, Kay and Andrew explore the many different ways in which therapy can help us cope with midlife and its tendency to throw at us so many of the unresolved issues of early life.  Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall  Buy My Life in 37 Therapies by Kay Hutchison https://kayhutchison.com  Find out more about dealing with midlife and the relationship issues it can cause in Andrew’s book It’s Not a Midlife Crisis, It’s an Opportunity. https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/its-not-a-midlife-crisis-its-an-opportunity-how-to-be-forty-or-fifty-something-without-going-off-the-rails/  Read Andrew’s advice on some of the common issues faced inside long-term marriages in his article on avoiding the “silver divorce”: https://andrewgmarshall.com/are-you-facing-long-term-marriage-problems-how-to-avoid-the-silver-divorce/  Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy  YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw 

No-one would deny sex is important to a meaningful life, but what that looks like changes as we age. In this first episode of the new self-help podcast The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall, international sex therapist and Daily Mail columnist Tracey Cox discusses her new book Great Sex Starts at 50: How to Age-Proof Your Libido. While wild, lustful sex can certainly be a unique and special life experience, the sex that brings us meaning is different. It’s the sex that lasts past the orgasm, to include that afterglow as you lie together or even just make each other a post-coital cup of tea. It’s about building a sexual relationship that is not solely focused on orgasm. Meaningful sex is also sex that the two of you work on - after twenty years you probably won’t want to rip each other’s clothes off, but you CAN plan time to devote to each other, to try new things and create desire. Trying new things is something the majority of couples never do - but it’s a simple recipe for exciting, meaningful sex, and Tracey and Andrew have plenty of tips on where to start. Follow Up Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall Buy Great Sex Starts at 50: How to Age-Proof Your Libido by Tracey Cox https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-sex-starts-50-age-proof/dp/1922351059 Get the advice you need on your sex life from Tracey Cox https://www.traceycox.com Put the spark back in your relationship with Andrew’s book Have The Sex You Want https://andrewgmarshall.com/book/have-the-sex-you-want-a-couples-guide-to-getting-back-the-spark/ Read Andrew’s advice on what to do if your partner says the passion is gone https://andrewgmarshall.com/my-husband-says-he-never-felt-that-spark-of-passion/ Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on: Twitter https://twitter.com/andrewgmarshall Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AndrewGMarshallTherapy YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF5gT7ru5sblpFaU2-iWTTw

So what is the meaningful life? Why do we so easily lose our way and get lost in depression, anxiety, doubt, addictions and obsessions: the swamplands of the soul? One thing I know for sure is that there is not one answer. Each of us has to find out for ourselves what makes our life meaningful. But we can learn from each other, share our experiences of how to navigate the journey, how to endure and learn from the swamp, and finally how to find solid ground.