In this episode, originally released on our premium feed, Helen is joined by Jo Reader and Cat Chappell, psychotherapists and the voices behind The Fat Counsellors, for an unflinching and affirming conversation about shame, fatphobia, and the stories we inherit about our bodies.

Together, they explore how body image is shaped by intergenerational trauma, how fatphobia shows up in therapy, family systems, and medicine, and the cultural myths that keep us chasing thinness at any cost. Jo and Cat share how their own experiences as fat therapists led them to create powerful spaces for others to unpack internalised bias, challenge societal norms, and reconnect with their bodies on their own terms.

This is an episode about autonomy, dignity, and unlearning, offering a starting point for anyone questioning the narratives they’ve been handed about weight, health, and how this interlaces with self- worth.

Find out more about The Fat Counsellors and their transformational Unravelling Body Shame workshops here:

https://www.thefatcounsellors.co.uk/

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Helen talks with Lucinda, who is raising two neurodivergent children while breaking free from the patterns of a difficult childhood. Together they explore how she supports an autistic son through friendship struggles, helps an ADHD daughter manage big emotions, and finds ways to set firm yet compassionate boundaries.

Lucinda shares the loneliness of carrying the mental load, the relief of small breakthroughs, and the quiet strength it takes to create a home that feels safe, loving and truly her own.

In this powerful episode, Scarlett opens up about leaving a religious cult, the shock of being discarded by her entire family, and the grief of realising her parents never loved her in the way she needed. She and Helen explore what it means to parent after trauma, to live with the echoes of fat phobia, shame, and control, and to try to build an identity after years of being told who to be.

Their conversation touches on resilience, fragmentation, neurodivergence and the small, steady steps of reclaiming herself.

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In this powerful conversation, Helen speaks with Sabrina, who was abducted by her mother as a child and raised far from her biological father. Now, at 40 and newly diagnosed as autistic, she is reconnecting with her father while still caught in the emotional grip of a controlling mother.

Together they explore the lifelong impact of enmeshment, secrecy, and guilt, and how Sabrina has been taught to protect her mother’s feelings above her own needs. She shares the pain of being made responsible for everyone else’s emotions, the fear of being seen as “bad” for wanting more, and the struggle of deciding whether she can risk honesty without losing her family.

Through the conversation, Helen helps Sabrina untangle fear from responsibility, recognise her right to know her father and heritage, and begin to imagine a future where her choices are not defined by her mother’s control.

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In this episode, Helen speaks with Elizabeth, who has gone no contact with her father and is now questioning the role her late mother played in enabling his behaviour. Once seen as her safe person, her mother’s minimising responses and final letters revealed a truth Elizabeth has struggled to face.

Together they explore the grief of realising lost protection, the weight of guilt and responsibility, and the anger that comes with uncovering how secrecy and shame shaped her childhood.

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In this episode, Helen is joined by Jada, who opens up about the death of her abusive mother and the painful legacy it has left behind. Jada reflects on how her mother not only failed to protect her from her father’s abuse but also manipulated and controlled her well into adulthood. Now, six months after her mother’s death, she is faced with complex emotions of anger, grief, shame, and the question of whether to share the truth of her past with her two young adult children.

Jada speaks candidly about her children’s very different experiences of their grandmother, the shame she feels for raising them under her roof, and the confusion that comes with suddenly having the freedom to speak when her voice was suppressed for so long.

Content warning: This episode includes discussion of childhood sexual abuse and discussions of suicide and cancer.

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The Fawn Response has been declared a primary trauma response, but is it really? Understanding this distinction between primary and secondary response is vital because it empowers you to be able to manage it. You don’t have to fawn! And if you’re feeling the need to, either your relational pattern is playing out, or the person you’re with isn’t safe.

Never shame yourself for surviving, it’s amazing you got here.

Take care,

Helen

In this episode, Helen is joined by psychosexual therapist and author Juliet Grayson for a rich and illuminating conversation about trauma, boundaries, and the power of body-based therapy.