Mastering Change | The trauma, mental health & wellbeing podcast

What can childhood trauma tell us about why some people become violent?
In this episode of Mastering Change, Emma and Araminta are joined by forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist Dr Gwen Adshead, who has spent decades working with both perpetrators and survivors of serious violence.
Gwen explores the significant overlap she has encountered between trauma and violence, while challenging any simple assumption that trauma causes violent behaviour. Instead, she asks what we can learn by looking beyond categories of “victim and perpetrator” or “good and bad" and understanding the complex pathways that can lead someone towards violence.
Drawing on her work in hospitals, prisons and therapeutic groups, Gwen explores what happens when people who have committed serious violence begin to understand their own histories, confront shame and take responsibility for their actions.
We explore:
Why childhood trauma can be one factor on the pathway towards violence – but never tells the whole story 
What people who have committed serious violence actually confront in therapy 
Why understanding someone's history does not mean excusing their behaviour 
Why Gwen believes dividing people into “victims and perpetrators” or “good and bad” can be unhelpful 
How shame, isolation and social exclusion can shape recovery 
Why being able to understand and articulate your own mind may be a privilege we underestimate 
What working with violent offenders has taught Gwen about responsibility and change 
Why preventing future trauma may require supporting the adults who are struggling to care safely for children
Moment of Care: This episode includes discussion of childhood trauma, serious violence, mental health and other potentially distressing experiences. If you feel triggered at any point, please take care of yourself and seek support if you need it.
Gwen Adshead at Transform Trauma Oxford 2026
Dr Gwen Adshead will be speaking at Transform Trauma Oxford this September in her session, Unspeakable: Trauma, Language and Therapy. 
Bringing together neuroscience, narrative identity and psychotherapy, Gwen will explore why trauma can leave people struggling to put their experiences into words, how it can shape autobiographical memory and the stories we tell about ourselves and how the therapeutic relationship can help people discover a new voice.
If you are interested in learning more about Gwen’s work, her Oxford session offers an opportunity to explore the science of trauma and language in greater depth alongside hundreds of practitioners committed to advancing trauma-informed care. 
Gwen will be speaking alongside leading experts Gabor Maté, Bessel van der Kolk, Kristin Neff, Julia Samuel, Shi Heng Yi, Jack Kornfield, Matthias Barker, Rangan Chatterjee, Ruth Cohn and many others.
In-person ticket: £995 
Virtual ticket: £395
Get your ticket here: https://mastersevents.com/oxford-2026/?utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=GwenAdshead%2FTraumaAndViolence%2FAugust2026
Watch this episode on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/masteringchangepodcast
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Visit mastersevents.com/oxford-2026 for more details.

Can we really train our brains to respond differently to our thoughts? 
Ccomedian, author and mental health campaigner Ruby Wax joins Emma and Araminta for a characteristically funny and candid conversation about mindfulness, depression and the science of changing our minds. 
Drawing on her own experience or recurring depression alongside her studies in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy at Oxford, Ruby explores what mindfulness actually looks like in practice and why understanding it intellectually is very different from doing it. 
For Ruby, mindfulness is training. Our attention wanders, we notice it and bring it back. Then we do it again. Or, as she puts it: "Just like you get a six-pack if you keep going to the gym." 
From neuroplasticity and attention to loneliness, compassion and recurring depression, the conversation explores what happens when we stop expecting our minds to behave perfectly and start learning how to work with them. 
We explore: 
Why Ruby's experience of depression led her from comedy to studying the mind at Oxford 
What she has learned about recognising another depressive episode and why she no longer tries to fight it 
Why a wandering mind doesn't mean you're bad at mindfulness 
What neuroplasticity tells us about our capacity to change deeply ingrained patterns 
Why understanding mindfulness intellectually isn't enough, even with a master's degree in it 
What Ruby has learned about loneliness, compassion and our need for genuine human connection. 
Moment of Care: This episode discusses sensitive topics related to trauma, mental health and distressing experiences. If you feel triggered at any point, please take a moment to check in with yourself and seek support. 
Ruby Wax at Transform Trauma Oxford 2026

Ruby Wax will be joining us at Transform Trauma Oxford this September for two sessions exploring mindfulness, trauma and the power of lived experience.
Get tickets here: https://mastersevents.com/oxford-2026/?utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=RubyWax%2FMindfulness%2FAugust2026
Watch this episode on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/masteringchangepodcast
Follow us on instagram: www.instagram.com/masterseventsltd
Visit mastersevents.com/oxford-2026 for more details.

What makes someone a great trauma therapist? 
In this episode of Mastering Change, Emma Stapleton and Araminta Jonsson are joined by trauma specialist Dr Sarah Woodhouse for a conversation about what truly supports healing after trauma. 
Drawing on more than twelve years of trauma research and extensive clinical experience, Sarah explains why she believes no single therapeutic approach can meet everyone's needs. She explores the importance of staying curious, understanding different trauma models and building the kind of therapeutic relationship in which healing can take place.  
The conversation also explores the gap between research and clinical practice, why recovery extends far beyond the therapy session, and the often-overlooked role of nature, spirituality, play and connection in supporting recovery and helping people build richer lives beyond trauma. 
In this episode we discuss: 
Why no single therapeutic approach works for everyone 
What research can teach us about effective trauma therapy 
Why the therapeutic relationship matters 
Why healing extends beyond the therapy room 
The role of nature, spirituality and connection 
Why trust, play and everyday practices matter  
Moment of Care: This episode discusses sensitive topics related to trauma, mental health and distressing experiences. If you feel triggered at any point, please take a moment to check in with yourself and seek support. 
Join Dr Sarah Woodhouse at Transform Trauma Oxford 2026 
Dr Sarah Woodhouse will be speaking at Transform Trauma Oxford this September for her session, Reclaiming Inner Knowing & Restoring Self-Trust: Why Intuition Matters in Trauma Healing.
https://mastersevents.com/oxford-2026/?utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=SarahWoodhouse%2FWhatmakesagreattherapist%2FAugust2026 
Watch this episode on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/masteringchangepodcast
Follow us on instagram: www.instagram.com/masterseventsltd
Visit mastersevents.com/oxford-2026 for more details.

Therapist, author and anti-oppressive practitioner Myira Khan believes that healing cannot be separated from identity, culture, faith or belonging. 
In this episode of Mastering Change, Emma Stapleton and Dr Keisha Siriboe explore how these different dimensions of our lives shape the way we experience the world, our relationships and our wellbeing. 
At the heart of the conversation is Myira's Rubik's Cube metaphor for identity. Rather than seeing identity as something fixed, just as different faces of the Cube come into view as it turns, she explains how different aspects of ourselves come into focus depending on the people around us, the environments we are in and the experiences we carry. It is a simple but powerful reminder that no one can be understood through a single label. 
Together they discuss anti-oppressive practice, faith-sensitive wellbeing, power, privilege and why creating genuinely inclusive spaces requires more than good intentions. Throughout the conversation, Myira invites us to replace assumptions with curiosity and to recognise the complexity that exists within every person we meet.  
We explore: 
What anti-oppressive practice looks like in everyday care 
Why identity shifts across different relationships and environments 
The role of faith in wellbeing and healing 
What creates genuine belonging 
Why curiosity matters more than assumptions 
How lived experience shapes the way we understand others 
Moment of Care: This episode discusses sensitive topics related to trauma, mental health and distressing experiences. If you feel triggered at any point, please take a moment to check in with yourself and seek support. 
Myira Khan at Transform Trauma Oxford 2026

This September, Myira Khan will join us at Transform Trauma Oxford 2026 for her session, Radical Healing: Integrating Anti-Oppressive Self-Care, Spirituality, Social Justice and Relational Growth for Well-being. 

Drawing on research, clinical practice and lived experience, Myira will explore how identity, spirituality, relationships and anti-oppressive practice can support sustainable wellbeing for both practitioners and clients. She will also take part in several panel discussions throughout the conference.

If you'd like to explore these ideas in greater depth, this is an opportunity to experience Myira's work in person, alongside leading experts Gabor Maté, Bessel van der Kolk, Tara Swart, Prentis Hemphill, Rangan Chatterjee, Linda Thai, Shi Heng Yi and Jack Kornfield.

Now get 20% off with code SUMMER20 at checkout. The discount applies to tickets only – accommodation and evening events are priced separately.

GET YOUR DISCOUNTED TICKET NOW
Watch this episode on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/masteringchangepodcast
Follow us on instagram: www.instagram.com/masterseventsltd
Visit mastersevents.com/oxford-2026 for more details.

Frontline workers are trained to stay calm in the middle of extraordinary situations. But trauma does not always show itself during the crisis.  
In this episode of Mastering Change, clinical psychologist and researcher Nicola Cogan explores the hidden psychological impact of frontline work. Drawing on both research and clinical experience, she explains why repeated exposure to suffering can accumulate over time, why many professionals struggle to seek help and what organisations can do to better support the people who spend their lives supporting others. 
We discuss: 
Why trauma often emerges after the crisis has passed 
The hidden impact of cumulative stress and repeated exposure 
Burnout and the physical toll of caring 
Why many frontline workers wait years before seeking support 
Creating psychologically safer workplaces 
Supporting families as well as frontline workers 
How digital tools may help increase access to support  
Moment of Care: This episode discusses sensitive topics related to trauma, mental health and distressing experiences. If you feel triggered at any point, please take a moment to check in with yourself and seek support. 
Watch this episode on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/masteringchangepodcast
Follow us on instagram: www.instagram.com/masterseventsltd
Visit mastersevents.com/oxford-2026 for more details.