Episodios

  • Keeping It Off (KIO): The Emotional Journey After Weight Loss with Mel Harris
    Oct 22 2025
    In this episode, Wendy is joined by Mel Harris, the UK’s original Weight Management Mentor and founder of the KIO Method. Twenty-one years ago, Mel lost 90 kilos and has kept it off, which is unusual - 76% of bariatric surgery patients gradually regain their lost weight. Together, Wendy and Mel unpack the complicated emotional, physical, and mental realities of life after major weight loss. They cover the stigma of obesity, the ups and downs of surgery and medication, the everyday battles with body image and identity and the dangers of the way weight loss drugs are being made available in the UK. KEY TAKEAWAYS Losing excess weight is just the start of your journey towards getting and staying healthy. Emotional eating, body image struggles, and old habits often persist even after dramatic weight loss. Tools like self-awareness, honest dialogue, and ongoing support are essential. People who lose weight quickly have to think far more about food than they did before. Your body needs the right foods, at the right times for you to become healthy. In some cases, you will also need to rebuild muscle and replenish lost nutrients. Everyone reacts differently to surgeries and medications. What works for some may not for others, and side effects can vary. BEST MOMENTS “Losing weight is pretty much just the beginning of your story, the beginning of your journey.” “Too many people are buying them (weight loss jabs), and getting nothing but needles full of insulin.” “There have been too many instances of death from people that have had surgery in… other places.” “It (obesity) is a very complex disease, and a lot of that has to do with our own self-esteem, our mindset, how we feel about ourselves...” ABOUT THE GUEST Mel Harris is the founder of the KIO Method. After undergoing bariatric surgery in 2004, Mel lost just under 15 stone and has spent over 21 years maintaining her weight loss through personal setbacks, a second surgery, and significant psychological hurdles. With firsthand insight into the challenges of long-term weight maintenance—experienced by up to 76% of bariatric patients—Mel is dedicated to helping others navigate life after weight loss with honesty, empathy, and practical strategies. www.kiomethod.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/kiomethod https://www.facebook.com/kiomethod https://www.instagram.com/kiomethod https://www.youtube.com/@kiomethod https://www.tiktok.com/@kiomethod VALUABLE RESOURCES www.wendycastelino.com https://www.instagram.com/wendycastelino/ https://www.youtube.com/@wendycastelino798 https://twitter.com/WendyCastelino ABOUT THE HOST Wendy Castelino has been working as a psychotherapist for over thirty-five years. As an accredited CBT and EMDR practitioner, she is committed to upholding the rigorous standards required for these accreditations and helping thousands of people reach their full potential. Wendy currently runs a private practice where her focus is on CBT. Therapy is constantly evolving into developing new techniques, so she studies hard to integrate them into her therapy, to provide a rich and effective experience. Wendy is aware that working in one-to-one therapy limits the number of people she can see. She has, therefore, created a range of online resources. These resources are designed to be easy to follow and provide clear, step-by-step instructions. This can help the individual to master skills and gain confidence, therefore optimising the therapy sessions. They are also suitable to be used on their own. Further details are available at: WendyCastelino.com. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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    36 m
  • Where to Find Help and Healing After Childhood Sexual Abuse
    Oct 15 2025
    In this episode, Wendy tackles the sensitive, but vital subject of childhood sexual abuse. She explains what this type of abuse does to a person over time and why it is so hard for victims to tell others and seek help. Wendy also shares which therapies are effective, how to reach the point where you feel able to seek help and exactly where to find the right services for you. KEY TAKEAWAYS Often, childhood sexual abuse involves someone the child knows. Grooming, secrecy, fear of not being believed or hurting the family unit all make it difficult for the child to tell anyone, even once they have reached adulthood. Many survivors experience long-term anxiety, PTSD and trust issues. EMDR helps your brain to refile memories so that they are less distressing and therefore less impactful. BEST MOMENTS “Childhood sexual abuse rarely looks like a stranger in a dark alley … unfortunately, more often, the perpetrator is someone the child knows.” “Self-blame is a normal trauma effect. It's proof of non-consent.” “People fear not being believed … They fear the impact on family relationships or actually causing harm to the family household.” RESOURCES Childhood Sexual Abuse — Quick Resource Guide (UK) Immediate help If you’re in immediate danger, call 999. Samaritans (24/7): 116 123 — emotional support any time. Specialist support Rape Crisis England & Wales — 24/7 Support Line: 0808 500 2222; webchat available. SurvivorsUK (for men and non-binary people): search “SurvivorsUK helpline”. Childline (under 19s): 0800 1111. NSPCC (adults worried about a child): 0808 800 5000. Medical & forensic options Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs): available with or without police involvement; provide medical care, forensic options, and ISVA support. Search “Find my nearest SARC” online. Therapy pathways NHS Talking Therapies (England): self-refer; ask about trauma-focused CBT or EMDR if you have PTSD-type symptoms. Ask your GP about local trauma services if you need longer-term or complex trauma support. Self-care tools Grounding: 5-4-3-2-1 senses; paced breathing (in 4, out 6). Micro-boundaries: “Pause”, “Not right now”, “I’m changing my mind”. Trigger plan: identify top triggers and a go-to action (text a friend, step outside, grounding track). Your rights There is no time limit on reporting sexual offences in the UK. Pre-trial therapy is allowed; you do not need to stop therapy during a police case. Note: This guide is not a substitute for medical or legal advice. If you’re in immediate danger, call 999. VALUABLE RESOURCES www.wendycastelino.com https://www.instagram.com/wendycastelino https://www.youtube.com/@wendycastelino798 https://twitter.com/WendyCastelino ABOUT THE HOST Wendy Castelino has been working as a psychotherapist for over thirty-five years. As an accredited CBT and EMDR practitioner, she is committed to upholding the rigorous standards required for these accreditations and helping thousands of people reach their full potential. Wendy currently runs a private practice where her focus is on CBT. Therapy is constantly evolving into developing new techniques, so she studies hard to integrate them into her therapy, to provide a rich and effective experience. Wendy is aware that working in one-to-one therapy limits the number of people she can see. She has, therefore, created a range of online resources. These resources are designed to be easy to follow and provide clear, step-by-step instructions. This can help the individual to master skills and gain confidence, therefore optimising the therapy sessions. They are also suitable to be used on their own. Further details are available at: WendyCastelino.com. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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    19 m
  • Everybody Can Take Back Control of Their Anxious Thoughts and Behaviours with Jennifer Roblin
    Oct 8 2025
    Today, Wendy is joined by anxiety specialist and therapist Jennifer Roblin from Better Your Life. Together, they explore the roots of anxiety, why it’s on the rise in our modern world, which therapies work best, and share practical, short, science-backed exercises you can use to re-set your nervous system and overcome anxiety. KEY TAKEAWAYS Anxiety holds the majority of people back. But everybody can take back control. Anxiety is a natural response that keeps us safe. When constant worry and overthinking starts to interfere with daily life, it becomes a disorder. We used to know what went on in our tribe, now we know about the whole world. It overwhelms us. Restrict the negativity you expose yourself to e.g. the news. Use nature and the peripheral vision method to reset your nervous system. How is explained. Looking up tells your body you’re safe, while looking down triggers a hyper alert state. This is an evolutionary response humans use to spot danger. BEST MOMENTS “Everybody can take back control of their anxious thoughts and behaviours.” “When we can start seeing the benefit of anxiety, it changes the way we relate to it.” “Find like-minded people that you can connect with.” “Go for a walk in nature.” Start your journey to feeling calmer and more in control—book your nervous system reset with Jennifer Roblin at www.betteryourlife.co.uk or via WhatsApp at 0750-306-7941. EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.youtube.com/@betteryourlifeanxietyrelief https://www.facebook.com/BYLAnxietyMgmt https://www.instagram.com/bylanxietymgmt https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferroblin ABOUT THE GUEST Jennifer Roblin is an Anxiety Specialist and Therapist, and the founder of Better Your Life. She brings a unique blend of lived experience, therapeutic expertise, and corporate leadership to her work, helping people from all walks of life overcome anxiety and burnout. Drawing on psychology, neuroscience, and human behaviour, Jennifer uses powerful tools such as NLP, Nervous System Reset, and Heart Coherence to support lasting change. She speaks regularly in schools, universities, and large organisations, and works with clients across the UK, Europe, and the US through her in-person and online practice. Her mission is simple: to help people take back control of their anxious thoughts and behaviours. VALUABLE RESOURCES www.wendycastelino.com https://www.instagram.com/wendycastelino/ https://www.youtube.com/@wendycastelino798 https://twitter.com/WendyCastelino ABOUT THE HOST Wendy Castelino has been working as a psychotherapist for over thirty-five years. As an accredited CBT and EMDR practitioner, she is committed to upholding the rigorous standards required for these accreditations and helping thousands of people reach their full potential. Wendy currently runs a private practice where her focus is on CBT. Therapy is constantly evolving into developing new techniques, so she studies hard to integrate them into her therapy, to provide a rich and effective experience. Wendy is aware that working in one-to-one therapy limits the number of people she can see. She has, therefore, created a range of online resources. These resources are designed to be easy to follow and provide clear, step-by-step instructions. This can help the individual to master skills and gain confidence, therefore optimising the therapy sessions. They are also suitable to be used on their own. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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    38 m
  • A Mental Health Diagnosis – Is it Helpful? Or Harmful?
    Oct 1 2025
    In this episode, Wendy who is an accredited CBT and EMDR therapist, talks about a controversial subject – whether a mental health diagnosis is helpful or harmful for the patient. The short answer is – it can be both. A diagnosis can fast-track access to appropriate care, provide a shared language for treatment, and validate personal experiences. However, it can also lead to stigma, mislabelling, and too narrow a treatment focus. That is why diagnosis is only a starting point. It needs to be paired with a personalized, compassionate understanding and a flexible treatment plan tailored to the individual’s unique needs. KEY TAKEAWAYS A mental health diagnosis can act as a map. It can point out the best road to recovery for you. Having a diagnosis can fast-track access to the right treatment. But if you don´t fit neatly into a diagnosis it can have the opposite effect and lead to the wrong treatment, A diagnosis can be validating and comforting for the sufferer. Once you have a label it becomes more likely that people will see you differently. Often there is some stigma. Focusing on skills training e.g. Emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and self-understanding are often more effective than relying solely on only providing the treatments for the diagnosis. BEST MOMENTS “A diagnosis can help reduce feelings of self-blame, shame, self-criticism, and actually encourage the individual to go and seek help. .” “It (a diagnosis) might affect legal forms; it might affect risk assessments. Sometimes labels change how systems respond to people.” “Sometimes the diagnosis is wrong.” “Diagnosis tends to tell us what tends to happen. Formulation tells us why it's happening for you.” VALUABLE RESOURCES www.wendycastelino.com https://www.instagram.com/wendycastelino/ https://www.youtube.com/@wendycastelino798 https://twitter.com/WendyCastelino ABOUT THE HOST Wendy Castelino has been working as a psychotherapist for over thirty-five years. As an accredited CBT and EMDR practitioner, she is committed to upholding the rigorous standards required for these accreditations and helping thousands of people reach their full potential. Wendy currently runs a private practice where her focus is on CBT. Therapy is constantly evolving into developing new techniques, so she studies hard to integrate them into her therapy, to provide a rich and effective experience. Wendy is aware that working in one-to-one therapy limits the number of people she can see. She has, therefore, created a range of online resources. These resources are designed to be easy to follow and provide clear, step-by-step instructions. This can help the individual to master skills and gain confidence, therefore optimising the therapy sessions. They are also suitable to be used on their own. Further details are available at: WendyCastelino.com. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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    22 m
  • Turning Pain into Purpose: How Winnie Akadjo is Changing Mental Health Support
    Sep 24 2025
    Today, Wendy is joined by award-winning entrepreneur Winnie Akadjo the founder of Aeli Health, a startup that is working to make it easier for therapists to extend better continuity of care to clients between therapy sessions. Winnie helps practitioners to provide their patients with tailored coping strategies and mechanisms they can use to process the emotions that come up during the average 168 hours between sessions. Winnie experienced a lot of trauma and developed Complex PTSD. She shares her journey, including healing through Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), how her faith helped, and how her experience motivated her to found Aeli Health. KEY TAKEAWAYS Inevitably, therapy triggers strong emotions in most people. Patients who are taught what to expect at various stages in their therapeutic journey and provided with tools to support themselves between sessions can thrive. Sometimes trauma can become your identity. Try to recognise the good things in amongst the bad things. BEST MOMENTS “For those first couple of sessions, I would come home and not know how to process my emotions.” “Many people are just living in that haze. They just think, ‘This is fine, this is just normal, but it's not .” “I was very much living with complex PTSD, but I wasn't aware of my complex PTSD.” ABOUT THE GUEST Winnie Akadjo has a decade of professional experience in sales and digital marketing within technology startups across venture capital, social media, and e-commerce environments, having worked at Benefit Cosmetics, Zipcar, Groupon, Founders Factory and TikTok. Over the last two years, Winnie founded LVS Hub, a marketing agency specialising in helping brands and retailers expand their audiences and drive sales through innovative live and video shopping technology, including TikTok Shop. Her entrepreneurial success includes winning grant funding from Foundervine and hosting workshops with the British Library. Winnie has also participated in panels with organisations such as AppsFlyer, Rarely Heard Voices and Carta. As a care-leaver, Winnie's journey has deeply informed her understanding of resilience and the importance of mental well-being. Currently, she is building Aeli, a platform to help trauma-informed practitioners provide a better continuity of care to their clients by bridging the 168-hour gap between therapy sessions. Alongside her entrepreneurial pursuits, Winnie enjoys running, cooking, and exploring her Christian faith. She is also the proud mother of an eighteen-year-old son. https://www.linkedin.com/in/winnie-akadjo https://www.aeli.io VALUABLE RESOURCES www.wendycastelino.com https://www.instagram.com/wendycastelino/ https://www.youtube.com/@wendycastelino798 https://twitter.com/WendyCastelino ABOUT THE HOST Wendy Castelino has been working as a psychotherapist for over thirty-five years. As an accredited CBT and EMDR practitioner, she is committed to upholding the rigorous standards required for these accreditations and helping thousands of people reach their full potential. Wendy currently runs a private practice where her focus is on CBT. Therapy is constantly evolving into developing new techniques, so she studies hard to integrate them into her therapy, to provide a rich and effective experience. Wendy is aware that working in one-to-one therapy limits the number of people she can see. She has, therefore, created a range of online resources. These resources are designed to be easy to follow and provide clear, step-by-step instructions. This can help the individual to master skills and gain confidence, therefore optimising the therapy sessions. They are also suitable to be used on their own. Further details are available at: WendyCastelino.com. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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    35 m
  • Rewriting Your Mental Narratives using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
    Sep 17 2025
    In this episode, Wendy talks about a therapy called Act, which stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Wendy looks at some evidence-based ACT techniques and shares easy skills you can develop to diffuse yourself from unhelpful thoughts. Disclaimer - this is just an educational podcast. It's not a substitute for therapy. If you're struggling or in crisis, please reach out to your GP or your local mental health services. KEY TAKEAWAYS Some days are sunny, some days are stormy. ACT doesn't encourage you to try to control the weather. It teaches you how to deal with the weather. Using ACT helps you to keep going regardless of what happens, to keep walking towards the life you want. ACT is evidence-based. There are 6 basic ACT habits that can be used by anyone, regardless of their circumstances. Wendy explains how to develop and use each of them. Understand what truly matters to you, what your values are, what the meaning of your life is. Reframing a thought, changes your relationship with that thought and puts things in context. Use anchors to bring yourself back from bad thoughts. Wendy shares several, including how to use your breath. BEST MOMENTS “ACT helps you to make room for difficult thoughts and feelings but still focus on behaviours that are important to you.” “ACT is not about not feeling or damping down feelings…. It won't delete difficult feelings, but it can help you to struggle less and live more.” “You say, “Ah, here we go. I'm telling myself the imposter story”. And then the idea is that you say, “Thank you, mind. Now, I'm going to get back to what matters.” VALUABLE RESOURCES www.wendycastelino.com https://www.instagram.com/wendycastelino/ https://www.youtube.com/@wendycastelino798 https://twitter.com/WendyCastelino ABOUT THE HOST Wendy Castelino has been working as a psychotherapist for over thirty-five years. As an accredited CBT and EMDR practitioner, she is committed to upholding the rigorous standards required for these accreditations and helping thousands of people reach their full potential. Wendy currently runs a private practice where her focus is on CBT. Therapy is constantly evolving into developing new techniques, so she studies hard to integrate them into her therapy, to provide a rich and effective experience. Wendy is aware that working in one-to-one therapy limits the number of people she can see. She has, therefore, created a range of online resources. These resources are designed to be easy to follow and provide clear, step-by-step instructions. This can help the individual to master skills and gain confidence, therefore optimising the therapy sessions. They are also suitable to be used on their own. Further details are available at: WendyCastelino.com. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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    12 m
  • Beyond Meditation: Real-World Mindfulness You Can Try Today
    Sep 3 2025
    In this episode, Wendy talks about mindfulness, including how you can benefit from incorporating it into your life and exactly how to do that. As a CBT therapist she has already helped many people to do this and also practices it herself. Explore the proven benefits of mindfulness by trying Wendy´s simple guided exercises. She includes body scans, mindful movement and savouring pleasant moments – no incense required. Whether you’re new to mindfulness or looking to deepen your practice, this episode offers accessible tips and gentle wisdom to help you respond to life with greater calm, curiosity, and kindness. KEY TAKEAWAYS Mindfulness is mostly about deliberately paying attention, in the present moment, and without judgment. You don´t need any special equipment. Research shows that mindfulness provides small to moderate improvement for those who suffer from anxiety, depression or stress. But even someone with no mental health issues can also benefit from it. Mindfulness can often help you with managing chronic pain. Practicing mindfulness helps you to enjoy the good things in life more deeply. It increases your feelings of joy and gratitude. Everyday activities provide you with the chance to practice mindfulness e.g. noticing the scent of a flower or the smile your friend gives you when they first see you. There are many ways to practice mindfulness, it´s not all about breathing exercises. The more you practice mindfulness, the better you get at it. Wendy shares practical tips to help you overcome some of the issues people struggle with when incorporating mindfulness into their lives e.g. How to tame your wandering mind or a lack of time. BEST MOMENTS “Mindfulness isn’t about deleting thoughts. It’s about changing our relationship with them so that we can respond wisely instead of reacting on autopilot.” “All you need is your attention, your breath, and a willingness to try again when the mind wanders.” “You can’t really get mindfulness wrong.” “Set an intention to notice it, even a drink, that first sip of tea you have, or coffee in the morning, how much you anticipate it and how lovely it is.” “Give it a go. It doesn’t replace therapy, but there is a lot of evidence to say it could be very, very effective.” EPISODE RESOURCES Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) https://palousemindfulness.com/index.html VALUABLE RESOURCES www.wendycastelino.com https://www.instagram.com/wendycastelino/ https://www.youtube.com/@wendycastelino798 https://twitter.com/WendyCastelino ABOUT THE HOST Wendy Castelino has been working as a psychotherapist for over thirty-five years. As an accredited CBT and EMDR practitioner, she is committed to upholding the rigorous standards required for these accreditations and helping thousands of people reach their full potential. Wendy currently runs a private practice where her focus is on CBT. Therapy is constantly evolving into developing new techniques, so she studies hard to integrate them into her therapy, to provide a rich and effective experience. Wendy is aware that working in one-to-one therapy limits the number of people she can see. She has, therefore, created a range of online resources. These resources are designed to be easy to follow and provide clear, step-by-step instructions. This can help the individual to master skills and gain confidence, therefore optimising the therapy sessions. They are also suitable to be used on their own. Further details are available at: WendyCastelino.com. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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    44 m
  • Beyond Child Therapy: Empowering Parents on the Mental Health Journey with Anna Guildford
    Aug 27 2025
    Today, Wendy is joined by Anna Guildford, who for 25+ years has worked as a mental health nurse, systematic practitioner, DBT therapist, supervisor and coach. Anna now also runs her own private coaching practice. She specialises in helping parents with children who have emotional or MH related difficulties. Instead of only focusing on the child, Anna sees the power of creating space and time for parents to really think; about themselves, their families, their emotions and their own identity. As a trained systemic practitioner (family therapy approach) she draws on her clinical background to offer a bespoke approach. KEY TAKEAWAYS Modern pressures, e.g. Social media, academic demands, and reduced family time are contributing to the rise in youth mental health issues. When parents are helped to adapt their parenting style they become better equipped, so are more effective at helping their children with mental health issues. Open, non-blaming communication between parents and adolescents fosters trust. Approach conversations with a spirit of curiosity instead of being judgmental or being confrontational. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills—such as mindfulness, emotion regulation, and validation—are valuable tools for both parents and young people navigating emotional difficulties. Anna teaches these skills and more. BEST MOMENTS “If you can support changes within a family, sometimes that can make all the difference for a child.” “It's normal to feel kind of guilt and a bit of shame as a parent when things aren't going the way that you might want them to in your family.” “Don't panic … most parents won't get through the adolescent phase completely unscathed.” “ Joy isn't something to have once everything else is done, you've got to kind of force it in. That's how you're going to have a healthier emotional life.” “What happens if we’re not on the ends (of the seesaw), but we both come into the middle?” ABOUT THE GUEST Anna welcomes enquiries from parents directly, as well as professionals working with children who would like to refer parents for coaching as part of a bigger package. Email - annaguildfordcoach@icloud.com https://www.instagram.com/annaguildfordcoach/ VALUABLE RESOURCES www.wendycastelino.com https://www.instagram.com/wendycastelino/ https://www.youtube.com/@wendycastelino798 https://twitter.com/WendyCastelino ABOUT THE HOST Wendy Castelino has been working as a psychotherapist for over thirty-five years. As an accredited CBT and EMDR practitioner, she is committed to upholding the rigorous standards required for these accreditations and helping thousands of people reach their full potential. Wendy currently runs a private practice where her focus is on CBT. Therapy is constantly evolving into developing new techniques, so she studies hard to integrate them into her therapy, to provide a rich and effective experience. Wendy is aware that working in one-to-one therapy limits the number of people she can see. She has, therefore, created a range of online resources. These resources are designed to be easy to follow and provide clear, step-by-step instructions. This can help the individual to master skills and gain confidence, therefore optimising the therapy sessions. They are also suitable to be used on their own. Further details are available at: WendyCastelino.com. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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    59 m