The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall

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: ⭐️How to identify your life's purpose in 8 weeks. ⭐️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