Therapy Works

How do you move forward after the loss of a child? In this personal conversation with cooking legend Dame Mary Berry, we explore raw grief, building resilience and the most meaningful lessons she’s learnt in 91 years of life.

Behind the warmth so many know her for in her cooking shows and books, is a life shaped by profound loss. In this conversation Dame Mary Berry opens up about the devastating death of her son William, how her family approached processing grief, and how she found the strength to keep moving forward.

She also shares the traumatic experience of surviving polio as a teenager, how she’s developed resilience and her emotional healing capacity, and the power of talking therapy during challenging times.

Dame Mary Berry also reflects on the secrets of a 60 year marriage, why kindness matters above all else, as well as the comfort of cooking and food when life feels uncertain.

From navigating grief to finding joy, this is a profound conversation about connection, care, and family.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to press follow at the top of your podcast app.

You can also watch episodes of Therapy Works on my YouTube page.

Guests: Dame Mary Berry
Producer: Georgie Rutherford
Executive Producer: Emily Leahy
Video Producer: Darren Michael
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Social media has made it easier than ever to recognise ourselves in conversations about ADHD, trauma, anxiety and burnout. But what happens when every diagnosis feels familiar and you leave feeling more confused than before? This week, Julia, Emily and Sophie answer a listener's question about knowing the difference between the ordinary struggles of life and when it's time to seek help. They explore why labels can be useful but aren't always the starting point, how to notice the areas of life where you're feeling stuck, and why your own experience of distress is reason enough to ask for support. It's a compassionate conversation about self-understanding, diagnosis and learning to trust yourself before the noise around you.

Send us your Agony Aunties questions: jsamuelpod@gmail.com

Or message Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe

More from Therapy Works:

Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: ⁠⁠https://juliasamuel.substack.com/⁠⁠

Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - ⁠⁠www.griefworks.com/therapy⁠⁠

Follow Julia on Instagram: ⁠⁠@juliasamuelmbe⁠⁠ for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges.

If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations.

If you need help finding a therapist, visit: ⁠⁠The Samuel Therapy Practice⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A listener shares the hidden reality of life after cancer. Three years after successful treatment for anal cancer, she is cancer-free but continues to live with chronic pain, changes to her body and the lasting physical and emotional effects of radiotherapy. While those around her assume she's "better", she feels forever changed. Julia, Emily and Sophie explore the loneliness of invisible illness, the grief of losing the body you once trusted, and how to help others understand what life is really like after treatment. They discuss living with chronic pain, finding support from people who truly understand, and why healing isn't always the same as being cured. It's a deeply compassionate conversation for anyone navigating life after serious illness or supporting someone who is.

Send us your Agony Aunties questions: jsamuelpod@gmail.com

Or message Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe

More from Therapy Works:

Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: ⁠⁠https://juliasamuel.substack.com/⁠⁠

Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - ⁠⁠www.griefworks.com/therapy⁠⁠

Follow Julia on Instagram: ⁠⁠@juliasamuelmbe⁠⁠ for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges.

If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations.

If you need help finding a therapist, visit: ⁠⁠The Samuel Therapy Practice⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A listener shares a dilemma that will resonate with so many couples: after almost 20 years together and two young children, she and her husband have drifted into a relationship that works beautifully as a partnership but has lost its intimacy. Julia, Emily and Sophie explore why this happens, how the demands of parenting and everyday life can leave us feeling more like co-managers than lovers, and why rebuilding connection starts long before sex. They discuss rediscovering curiosity, nurturing your own sense of self, communicating openly without blame, and finding small ways to reconnect, offering compassionate, practical advice for anyone wondering how to move from surviving together to truly finding each other again.

Send us your Agony Aunties questions: jsamuelpod@gmail.com

Or message Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe

More from Therapy Works:

Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: ⁠⁠https://juliasamuel.substack.com/⁠⁠

Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - ⁠⁠www.griefworks.com/therapy⁠⁠

Follow Julia on Instagram: ⁠⁠@juliasamuelmbe⁠⁠ for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges.

If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations.

If you need help finding a therapist, visit: ⁠⁠The Samuel Therapy Practice⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A listener asks one of the hardest questions imaginable: how do you visit a close friend who is nearing the end of their life? Julia, Emily and Sophie explore how to show up with love when there are no perfect words, why your presence matters far more than saying the "right" thing, and how to navigate the grief, fear and uncertainty of a final goodbye. They discuss letting go of the pressure to perform, meeting someone where they are, expressing what truly matters while you still can, and caring for yourself afterwards. It's a compassionate conversation about love, loss and the courage it takes to simply be there.

Send us your Agony Aunties questions: jsamuelpod@gmail.com

Or message Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe

More from Therapy Works:

Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: ⁠⁠https://juliasamuel.substack.com/⁠⁠

Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - ⁠⁠www.griefworks.com/therapy⁠⁠

Follow Julia on Instagram: ⁠⁠@juliasamuelmbe⁠⁠ for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges.

If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations.

If you need help finding a therapist, visit: ⁠⁠The Samuel Therapy Practice⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.