The Great Equalizer

On this episode of The Great Equalizer, hosts Sam and Charlene sit down with bestselling author Katherine Faulkner: journalist-turned-novelist and the mind behind Greenwich Park, The Other Mothers, and her latest psychological thriller, The Break In.After a decade as an investigative journalist and editor, Katherine has become one of the sharpest voices in modern domestic suspense – a master at throwing “ordinary women into extraordinary, what-would-you-do situations” (as deftly put by author Abigail Dean).In this episode, we chat about:🖤 Katherine’s transition from newsroom to novelist life🤍 The short story inspiration behind The Break In  🖤 The intersection of motherhood, domesticity and danger evident in Katherine’s work🤍 The psychology of safety, secrecy and suspense within the home🖤 How Katherine manages to write while raising two kids (spoiler alert: with difficulty!)About the book:The Break In follows a London mother who kills an intruder in self-defence, only to find that nothing about the man, or her own life, is as it seems. A chilling, twist-filled exploration of guilt, privilege, and how well we really know the people closest to us.🎙️ Subscribe to TGE’s Current Read for more conversations with today’s most exciting authors: https://open.spotify.com/show/0t7nFSaRvJlpot09GwQtkd?si=8b5298e3c474465c__🖤 LISTEN 💛 LIKE 🖤 SHARE 💛(and let us know what you think of the episode!)__#KatherineFaulkner #TheBreakIn #DomesticThriller #PsychologicalThriller #MumNoir #BookPodcast #CrimeFiction #CurrentRead #TGERadio #BookLovers #AuthorInterview #WomenWriters #BookTube #ReadingCommunity #SuspenseFiction #TheOtherMothers #GreenwichPark

In a world with heightened expectations on parents to perform, is “good enough” mothering really a good thing?  On this episode of The Great Equalizer, we welcome Joburg-based psychoanalyst and mom of two Andy Cohen. Andy talks us through parenting in the world’s current pressure cooker, giving us some insight into why people are suddenly so psychologically triggered when they become parents. We chat about Andy’s new book, Parenting Psychoanalysed: Letters to a Parent, which includes letters from 39 analysts across the world, as well as a letter from Andy herself. Leaning into the intersectionality of parenting and psychology, Andy tells us why she thinks parents were the world’s first psychoanalysts, also expanding on renowned paediatrician and psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott’s theory of “good enough mothering”. Watered down over the years through the filters of social media, this is a concept that seems to have been misconstrued. Winnicott’s theory, however, is a golden thread that weaves its way throughout Andy’s book. And so, in this insightful episode of The Great Equalizer, we unpack why it’s so crucial for mothers and fathers not to strive for perfection in parenting. Join the conversation and, as always, please let us know what you think of the episode 🫶🏼 🖤 LISTEN 💛 LIKE 🖤 SHARE 💛 SUBSCRIBE __#ParentingPodcast #Psychoanalysis #ConsciousParenting #ParentingJourney #MentalHealthAndParenting#ParentingSupport #FamilyWellbeing #ParentingInsights__Did you enjoy this episode? Then don’t miss a previous TGE interview with marriage and family therapist Bryana Kappadakunnel, founder of the Conscious Mommy community and author of Parent Yourself First (a book about raising confident, compassionate kids by becoming the parent you wish you’d had): https://youtu.be/0d176c86HSc?si=wYDVffQWiTuCppbQ

On this very special episode of The Great Equalizer, Sam and Charlene are joined LIVE by world-leading dietitian and performance nutritionist Dr Linia Patel.With a BSc in Biochemistry and Physiology from the University of Cape Town, Dr Linia found her groove in Nutrition and Dietetics, adding to her already impressive resume a Master’s degree in Sports Nutrition and a PhD in Public Health and Epidemiology.Born and bred in Zambia, with a home in Italy and an office in London, it was such a privilege to catch Dr Linia in Johannesburg for an intimate sit-in conversation, together with our very first live audience.A variety of women aged 20 to 60 gathered for a great discussion, and one thing we all had in common was TIME (or a lack thereof). As a busy woman herself, Dr Linia understood the assignment, collating all her wisdom and insight on eating for wellness in womanhood. All this advice has now been published in a new book called Food for Menopause – a guide to feeding our body with the best nutrition on a time-poor budget.Tune in to this episode to hear more about Dr Linia's dual passions for food and women’s health. Learn more about how food supports your wellbeing as a woman (especially as you age). Listen to what this expert nutritionist  has to say about protein, weight gain, calorie-restrictive diets, poor body image, and a ‘strong vs skinny’ mindset as we dive into a thriving mid-life.__ 🖤 LISTEN 💛 LIKE 🖤 SHARE 💛 SUBSCRIBE And tell us what you think of the episode 🫶🏽 _#perimenopause #menopause #womenshealth #menopausesupport #menopausesymptoms #menopausehealth #menopauserelief #womenover #hormones #over #perimenopausehealth #hormonebalance #menopauseawareness #menopausematters #midlifewomen #hormonehealth #postmenopause

Joining hosts Sam and Charlene on this bonus episode of The Great Equalizer (originally broadcast on TGE's Current Read) is licensed marriage and family therapist – and founder of the popular Conscious Mommy community – Bryana Kappadakunnel.Bryana’s book, Parent Yourself First, gives readers a look into how your upbringing is probably impacting your parenting style in ways you don't even fully recognise: from how you manage your own emotions to how you connect with your kids in their vulnerable moments. According to Bryana, the secret to successful parenting is to unlearn the wounded patterns you grew up with and create new ways to connect with your child. As the book acknowledges, many of us did not have a perfect childhood. BUT, through intentionality and mindfulness, this powerhouse therapist and conscious parenting expert has helped many caregivers transform into the parent they were always meant to be.Bryana has condensed more than a decade's worth of knowledge into a reference book jam-packed with personal parenting stories, relatable anecdotes, and a user-friendly toolkit to mindful parenting.Join us on a wild ride of self discovery and inner child healing, which was much more emotional (in a good way!) than we anticipated.__🖤 LISTEN 💛 LIKE 🖤 SHARE 💛 SUBSCRIBEAnd tell us what you think of the episode 🫶🏽__#consciousparenting #consciousparent #parentingpodcast #innerchild #innerchildhealing #innerchildwounds #shadowwork #motherhood #parentingpodcast #booktube #parentingbooks #motherwound #consciousmommy

On this BONUS episode of The Great Equalizer, Sam and Charlene interview Sarah Harman, author of the most anticipated reads of 2025, so named by Readers Digest, Publishers Weekly, The Sunday Times Style, Time Magazine and Marie Claire.A satirical domestic thriller, All the Other Mothers Hate Me follows single mother and washed-up former girl-band singer Florence Grimes, who slums around London spending dwindling royalty checks on elaborate nail art. That is, until school bully Alfie Risby, the 10-year-old heir to a frozen food empire, mysteriously vanishes on a class trip.The bigger problem? Florence’s son Dylan is high on the list of suspects and, on the day of Alfie’s disappearance, Florence finds the missing boy's backback – and a journal with some incriminating diary entries – under Dylan’s bed.A sardonic ode to modern motherhood, All the Other Mothers Hate Me won the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize in 2023 and generated significant buzz at the 2023 Frankfurt Book Fair. It wasn’t long before the book was optioned for a television adaptation, with the rights secured by Christopher Storer, creator of award-winning dark comedy series The Bear.Sarah Harman is a recovering journalist living in London with over a decade of experience in breaking major news around the world. Most recently, Sarah was a foreign correspondent for NBC News, where she reported from five continents for Today, MSNBC and Nightly News.Sarah shares more about her journey to becoming a writer, moments in her life where "all the other mothers" have hated her, and a moment of invisibility that made it into the book. We also chat about who we think might be a perfect on-screen fit for some of Harman's characters, and what we really think about mother-focused MLM schemes...Gang's all here! We're just waiting for you 😉😏__🖤 LISTEN 💛 LIKE 🖤 SHARE 💛 SUBSCRIBEAnd tell us what you think of the episode 🫶🏽__#authorinterviews #debutnovel #currentread #motherhood #parentingpodcast #booktube TV Adaptation · Sarah's Debut Success · Why I Hid My Child to Keep My Dream Job · Watch us on You Tube