Life is a Labyrinth

EP 7: Pádraig Ó Tuama

Pádraig Ó Tuama   Pádraig Ó Tuama is an Irish poet, theologian and public speaker. He splits his time between Ireland and New York City. His podcast POETRY UNBOUND has had over 8 Million downloads.  He worked for many years in conflict resolution specialising in group work. His published work includes poetry, essays, prose and memoir.  For this conversation we met online - Pádraig was in New York and I was in Dorset.  You can find out more about him here https://www.padraigotuama.com/ [https://www.padraigotuama.com/] Sign up to his wonderful and inspiring weekly newsletter which is sent each Sunday.  NOTES BOOKS - I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb SONGS or PIECES OF MUSIC - Come Healing by Leonard Cohen ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

EP 6: Clover Stroud

CLOVER STROUD Acclaimed author Clover Stroud has published four memoirs that all deal with the gritty part of life. She has lived for many years in Oxfordshire but at present resides in Washington DC with her husband and the youngest three of her five children. Two of her books were instant SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERS and one was shortlisted for the WAINWRIGHT PRIZE. She teaches memoir and creative writing and has an avid fan base from around the world. Please find out more about Clover's work here https://www.cloverstroud.com/about [https://www.cloverstroud.com/about] Please sign up to her substack through her website.  For this conversation, we met remotely. Clover was in Washington DC and I was in Dorset.  NOTES BOOKS - Wuthering Heights - by Emily Brontë & T.S. Elliott and excerpt from THE WASTELAND SONGS or PIECES OF MUSIC - THE BOY IN THE BUBBLE - Paul Simon ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

EP 5: Ben Kaye

Ben Kaye is a shining example of someone who has turned his trauma inside out and has used the process for good. After receiving his degree from Chichester University in Humanistic Counselling he moved on to studying for his Masters in Psychology. I have never met Ben but we have friends in common and when I read up on him, I was impressed with his commitment to helping others and his overriding honesty and clarity. I was delighted when he agreed to be a guest on this podcast. Ben now helps men who are struggling with addiction with his multi-pronged therapy and counselling services.  We met online. I was in Burton Bradstock and he talked to us from London.  NOTES BOOK - The Body Keeps The Score - Besser van der Kolk "Your inner strength is your greatest healing energy. Use it to move you the pain." SONG or PIECE OF MUSIC - Breathe by Moshe Halperin You can find out more about Ben and his work here - https://benkayetherapy.com/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

EP 4: Clare Mackintosh

Clare Mackintosh is an author of Crime Fiction with a huge international reach. She has sold over 2 Million copies of her books. Her writing has been translated into 40 different languages. But it was her memoir that caught my eye. I met Clare at an author's dinner during the wonderful literary festival of Budleigh Salterton. In conversation with Cathy Rentzenbrink, I listened to her talking about I Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This and was deeply moved by her story. When LIFE IS A LABYRINTH was in its early dream cycles, I knew that I wanted to have this conversation with Clare. I went for a walk before our chat and felt that I needed to write Clare a letter. So I did and I will read it to her at some point in the episode. We didn't prepare anything or brief each other before the live recording. We simply jumped straight in.  For this episode we met online. I was in Dorset and Clare was at home in North Wales.  NOTES BOOK - The Madness of Grief - Rev Richard Coles SONGS or PIECES OF MUSIC - from the filmscore HANABI from the film "Umimachi Diary" You can find out more about Clare and her work here on her website - https://uk.claremackintosh.com/books_/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

EP 3: Jeremy Sachs

Jeremy Sachs is based in Glasgow, Scotland. He supports male victims of sexual abuse and runs recovery groups and a private practise both online and in-person. I discovered his work when I came across his book "An Intersectional Guide for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Their Allies."  He has his own story of personal trauma which has helped inform his practice. I am grateful that he agreed to talk to me for this podcast. His warm approach and gentle expertise is a testimony to his dedication to understanding the pitfalls of our mental health. Thank you, Jeremy for your generosity.  For this conversation we met online. I was in Dorset and Jeremy was in Scotland.  NOTES BOOK - Black Wave by Michelle Tea SONGS or PIECES OF MUSIC - Dead of Night by Orville Peck You can find out more about Jeremy and his work here on his website - https://www.jeremysachs.com/ You can find his book here - https://www.jeremysachs.com/about-1 If you or anyone you know might need to speak with someone due to issues raised in this podcast - there is help out there. We want to make sure you know where to find it. THE SAMARITANS * 116 123 * jo@samaritans.org [%20jo@samaritans.org] * www.samaritans.org [https://www.samaritans.org/] MIND INFOLINE (MENTAL HEALTH INFO) * 0300 123 3393 * Text: 86463 * info@mind.org.uk [%20info@mind.org.uk] * www.mind.org.uk [https://www.mind.org.uk/] SHOUT * Text: 85258 * www.giveusashout.org [https://giveusashout.org/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.