In the very first guest episode of Dysfunctional, I’m joined by writer and embodiment coach Leona Waller — and we go all in on the toxic side of self-improvement culture.

We explore how the wellness and personal development world can subtly (and not-so-subtly) feed the same control, shame and conformity that many of us grew up with. We talk about embodiment as an antidote — not the trendy version, but the real, messy, human kind. The kind that gets you out of your head, back into your body, and into a life that actually feels like yours.

We also dig into:

— Why gratitude lists can actually make things worse

— How capitalism hijacked healing

— Why being “zen” isn’t always the answer

— The problem with trying to meditate your trauma away

— And how embodiment can help you feel less crazy and more you

Leona Waller is a writer and facilitator helping people trust their own bodies and emotions more than Instagram wellness influencers. She’s the co-creator of The Body Knows, a newsletter and community using somatics and embodiment to help people stop optimizing life and start living it. With a background in neuroscience and emotional psychology, she creates spaces where people shed the shoulds and come home — to the power and joy that are their birthright.

Follow Leona’s work here:

🔗 The Body Knows on Substack

—

Subscribe to Dysfunctional for raw, unfiltered conversations about healing, systems, and seeing clearly — because if you grew up in dysfunction, chances are, you’re still surrounded by it.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back from the bank holiday chaos with a so-called “bite-sized” episode (spoiler: it’s not). I’m checking in after a couple of messy, kid-mode weeks—reflecting on how quickly I spiral into my childlike state and how the lows still hit me hard, even after all these years.

Then I’m answering some of your deep, messy, crunchy questions. Everything from “Is it ever okay to yell at a toxic parent?” to “Do narcissists know what they’re doing?” to “Why does the wellness industry feel so f*cking toxic?”

I also share where this podcast is going: we’re pulling the curtain back on toxic and dysfunctional systems, family, society, politics, wellness culture, the lot. If you’ve got guest ideas, I want them.

This one’s raw, honest, a bit sweary, and definitely dysfunctional.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can’t co-parent with a toxic person and it’s time we said that out loud.

In this episode, I’m naming what so many people live through in silence: post-separation abuse, control through communication, smear campaigns, financial manipulation, and the emotional destruction caused by toxic exes who weaponise the system.

I start by reading a real-life UK court case where a mother was forced to promote contact with her abusive ex, despite proven findings of sexual and domestic abuse. From there, I dive deep into what it actually looks like to parent alongside someone who uses your child as a pawn to keep control of your life.

If you're in it you’re not crazy. You're not alone. And no, it’s not “just a difficult co-parenting situation.” It’s abuse.

I’ll talk you through the signs, the tactics they use, and most importantly: what you can do about it. From the myth of co-parenting to parallel parenting and grey rocking this one is for every parent still trying to find peace in the chaos.

Parenting communication tool mentioned in the episode - https://www.neutrily.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.