Dysfunctional

Talking Common has its own home and I would love for you to come along for the journey. Search Talking Common where you are listening to be part of the journey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I have a brand new podcast and I would love for you to come follow along for the ride - https://podfollow.com/talking-common-with-josh-connolly

Everyone’s got advice for fixing yourself. But what if the problem isn’t just you? Josh Connolly talks to thinkers and doers about what shapes us, pulls us apart and brings us back together. Talking Common asks what really helps when “working on yourself” can only get you so far.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On paper, Nick Whitnell had everything.

A successful corporate career. Financial security. A family. The life many people spend years working towards.

But underneath it all, he was surviving.

In this deeply honest conversation, Nick shares how the death of his mum at just 17 years old shaped the course of his entire life, pushing him towards achievement, responsibility and safety, whilst disconnecting him from himself.

Together we explore what burnout really is, why so many high achievers are driven by unresolved trauma, and why healing isn't about becoming someone new, but finally coming home to yourself.

We also dive into the dangers of blindly trusting qualifications, why lived experience matters, the healing power of nature, and the courage it takes to walk away from a life that looks successful but no longer feels like your own.

This is a conversation about grief, identity, burnout, childhood trauma and learning that the strongest thing you can sometimes do is stop surviving.

In this episode we discuss:
Why burnout is often the body's final attempt to get your attention.
Losing a parent young and the hidden trauma that follows.
The burden of always being "the strong one."
How childhood survival strategies become adult success.
Why corporate achievement can become the perfect hiding place.
The difference between surviving and truly living.
The role of breathwork and somatic healing in processing trauma.
Why qualifications don't always equal safety or wisdom.
Nature, community and reconnecting with what really matters.
Letting go of the life you thought you were supposed to live.

If this conversation resonated with you, please consider following the podcast and leaving a review. It really does help more people find these conversations.

Find Nick
Website - www.daring.works
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nick.whitnell/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickwhitnell/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Breathing Space here:

https://www.joshconnolly.co.uk/breathing-space

This week is a little different.

No guest. No script. Just me sitting down to answer some of the biggest questions about healing, toxic family systems, misogyny, masculinity, forgiveness, grief, social media, and everything in between.

I talk about why I no longer believe healing works the way I once thought it did, why toxic systems protect the people causing harm, why forgiveness isn't always necessary, and the question I wish we all asked each other more often.

If you've ever wondered whether you're doing healing "wrong" because you're still struggling, this episode is for you.

In this episode we explore:
Why healing doesn't mean you'll never struggle again.
Why we keep chasing love from parents who couldn't give it.
Why families protect the person causing harm.
Toxic relationships and the systems that enable them.
Patriarchy, misogyny, and why people become defensive.
What I'm still learning to accept about myself.
The grief nobody talks about.
Masculinity and why I think we're asking the wrong questions.
Therapy language, social media, and when words lose their meaning.
Forgiveness versus simply letting go.
The one question I wish people asked more often.

If this episode resonated with you, I'd really appreciate it if you left a review, shared it with someone who needs to hear it, or posted it on social media and tagged me.

You can find me on Instagram at @josh_ffw.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if becoming a mother is one of the biggest transformations you'll ever go through… and nobody prepares you for it?
In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, Josh is joined by Rebecca Barnes, founder of Becoming The Mother, to explore the hidden realities of motherhood that so many women experience but rarely talk about.

Together they discuss matrescence – the profound physical, emotional and psychological transition into motherhood – and why so many mothers feel lost, overwhelmed and unsupported.

Rebecca also shares her own journey through addiction, recovery, divorce and healing, and how those experiences led her to create spaces where mothers can finally feel seen, heard and understood.

This episode is for mothers, fathers, partners, and anyone who wants to better understand the pressures facing modern parents and why supporting mothers matters so much.

In this episode:
What matrescence is and why every mother experiences it
Why motherhood changes you forever
The myth of "Supermum"
Why modern motherhood feels so hard
The importance of community and having a village
Recovery, addiction and codependency
The need to feel seen, heard and understood
Why mothers carry so much guilt and shame
The power of repair when we get parenting wrong
Why supporting parents creates healthier children and healthier societies

About Rebecca Barnes
Rebecca Barnes is the founder of Becoming The Mother, a matrescence educator, breathwork facilitator and guide for mothers navigating the transition into motherhood. Through her work, she helps women understand the emotional and identity shifts that come with becoming a mother and creates spaces where they can reconnect with themselves and find support in community.

Find Rebecca - https://www.instagram.com/becomingthemother/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.