This week’s listener has recently been diagnosed with ADHD after a lifetime of struggling with strong emotions and impulsivity. While the diagnosis has brought her and her husband a huge sense of relief, understanding and emotional healing, her mother and sisters refuse to accept it, believing her successful career and relationship mean she couldn’t possibly have ADHD. Julia, Sophie and Emily expl

What happens when a parent is absent from your childhood, and how does that shape the person you become? Bestselling author Elif Shafak joins Julia Samuel to explore her relationship with her father, the loneliness she experienced growing up and how storytelling became a tool for personal growth and mental health recovery by helping her find connection and belonging. Raised largely by her grandmot

This week’s listener is struggling with the growing responsibility of caring for her elderly father. Although increasingly frail, he refuses offers of help and becomes angry when she tries to intervene, leaving her constantly worried about the next crisis. Julia, Sophie and Emily explore how to care for an ageing parent while protecting your own wellbeing, and what happens when old parent-child dy

What happens when the person the world sees doesn’t quite match who you are behind closed doors? In this open conversation with five-time Olympian and former world champion swimmer Mark Foster, we explore the double life he lived for much of his extraordinary sporting career. For 20 years, Mark was one of the fastest swimmers in the world, breaking world records and competing at five Olympic Games

Welcome to this special Off Air X Therapy Works crossover episode, celebrating Therapy Works joining The Times podcast family. Julia joins Jane Garvey and Fi Glover from Off Air for a wide-ranging conversation about therapy, relationships and mental health. They discuss how to find a good therapist, whether therapy should have an end date, the value of the stiff upper lip and what to do when you f

After some time away from her usual routine, this week’s listener found herself questioning parts of her work and relationships, only to feel those doubts fade once normal life resumed. Julia, Sophie and Emily explore how to tell the difference between a passing feeling and something that genuinely needs our attention, why busyness can sometimes stop us noticing what we really feel, and how lookin

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

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 explo

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,

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

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 pe

In this special episode of Therapy Works , in partnership with Code8's Confidence Comes From Within campaign, Julia is joined by Royal Ballet Principal Yasmine Naghdi for a fascinating conversation about confidence, perfectionism and what it really takes to perform at the highest level. Together, they explore the difference between striving for excellence and chasing perfection, the psychology of

Family holidays are meant to be relaxing, so why do they so often leave us feeling exhausted? This week, Julia, Emily and Sophie answer a listener's question about navigating a passive-aggressive mother-in-law and the tension that can build when one person's mood begins to shape everyone else's experience. Together, they explore the power of radical acceptance, why we can't change other people's b

This week, the Agony Aunties answer a question that so many of us will recognise: why is it so hard to make the changes we desperately want to make? From skipping the exercise class you've already paid for to using food, smoking or spending as a way to cope, Julia, Sophie and Emily explore the hidden roots of self-sabotage, shame and the belief that we're incapable of change. Together, they discus

In this week's Agony Aunties episode, Julia, Emily and Sophie answer a heartfelt question from a listener who feels deeply lonely despite appearing successful on the outside. Together, they explore why being truly known can feel so frightening, how fear of vulnerability keeps us disconnected, and why meaningful relationships begin with allowing ourselves to be seen. They discuss the difference bet

This week, Julia is joined by cook, bestselling author and content creator Manon Lagrève for a heartfelt conversation about confidence, family and the values that truly sustain us. Together they explore imposter syndrome, social media comparison, motherhood and why genuine confidence comes not from perfection, but from staying connected to who we really are. They also discuss the importance of eve

This week on Agony Aunties , they answer a listener's heartfelt question about what happens when a relationship begins to feel different. After two and a half years together, her boyfriend seems less affectionate, leaving her questioning whether this is simply the natural evolution of long-term love or a sign that something deeper has changed. The Agony Aunties explore why we so often create stori

In this episode of Agony Aunties, Julia, Emily and Sophie answer a heartfelt question from a listener who feels isolated after moving away from the city to start a family. Together they explore the unexpected loneliness of early motherhood, the lasting impact of childhood experiences on our sense of belonging, why we often protect the people we love by hiding our own struggles, and how small acts

This episode of Agony Aunties tackles the emotional complexity of caring for an ageing parent when the relationship has always been difficult. Emily and Sophie respond to a listener whose 89-year-old mother’s declining health has reignited painful childhood wounds, sibling conflict, and feelings of duty, resentment, and guilt. Together, they explore how old family dynamics resurface during times o

The Agony Aunties are back, answering a listener's question about the pressures of parenting through the long summer holidays. Together, Sophie and Emily explore the guilt so many parents feel when they can't provide the picture-perfect summer they see elsewhere, why boredom may be far more valuable than we think, and how to help teenagers develop resilience, creativity and independence. They disc