Conversations with Annalisa Barbieri
Episodes
Anxiety in the Young with psychotherapist Alison Roy
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the things I've noticed in recent years is the rise of anxiety in the young. What do I mean by young? Around secondary school age 11-18/19. It'...
Finding Joy with Professor Morten Kringelbach
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is quite heavy on the neuroscience, which is one of my favourite subjects and it was recorded in person, in Oxford. I'm in conversation i...
How to Make Friends with Chris Mills
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the years have gone by I've noticed a real shift in the sort of problems I get and friendship is a subject which is rearing its head again and agai...
Siblings with Catherine Carr
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The sibling podcast in series one remains the most listened to of all the Conversations with Annalisa Barbieri podcasts. So it seemed only right to re...
Facing Adversity with Professor Lucy Easthope
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Lucy and I discuss how to do hard things, such as face adversity. Much as we all like to believe in an Enid Blyton [insert whichever i...
Should I have a(nother) baby? with psychotherapist Julia Bueno
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back! This is episode 1 of Series 10. Here I'm in conversation with UKCP registered psychotherapist and author Julia Bueno (who joined us in S...
Womb Life. Life before we are born with psychotherapist Graham Music
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast was inspired by Graham Music's book of the same name, Womb Life which is the best book on pregnancy I've ever read.Graham and I talk abou...
The Parentified Child with psychotherapist Lisa Bruton
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this, the penultimate episode of Series 9, I talk to UKCP accredited psychotherapist Lisa Bruton who is also a guest tutor at the University of Oxf...
Hope and Loss with psychologist and psychoanalyst Dr Stephen Blumenthal
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, an idea suggested by my conversationalist, clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Dr Stephen Blumenthal, we explore the big, painful...
Retirement: should you, could you? From a psychological POV with psychotherapist Chris Mills
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Increasingly I get asked this question a lot in my Guardian column. Not from a financial POV but the 'should I retire and what will life be like after...
Should We Move? With psychotherapist Mark Vahrmeyer
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to episode 2 of Series 9 (Series 9 will be released sporadically). Should We Move?This has always been a question I've been asked a lot via m...
Body Image, with Professor Alessandra Lemma, chartered clinical and counselling psychologist and psychoanalyst.
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I'd been wanting to do this podcast for a while. Professor Alessandra Lemma is one of the most experienced, and insightful, specialists I work with. E...
A Problem In the Family (and navigating CAMHS) with psychotherapist John Cavanagh
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is the last episode, episode six, in Series 8 and in it I talk to UKCP registered family and systemic psychotherapist and John Cavanagh who is al...
Family Estrangement with Psychotherapist Chris Mills
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Very early on in my career as The Guardian's Agony Aunt the letters started coming in about family estrangements - the "should I cut X out of my life"...
Attachment with psychotherapist Dr Graham Music
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is attachment and how does attachment theory different from the primary real-life attachment we learnt as babies? The two often get confused. In ...
Forensic Psychotherapy with clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Dr Stephen Blumenthal
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Forensic psychotherapy is psychotherapy with people who have committed criminal offences. In this episode I talk with clinical psychologist and psycho...
Self-sabotage with psychotherapist Ryan Bennett-Clarke
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that procrastination, risky behaviour, blaming others and even infidelity may be a sign of self-sabotage? There are a host of other sympt...
Baby Loss with Professor Lucy Easthope
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to series 8 of Conversations with Annalisa Barbieri. This episode was Professor Lucy Easthope's idea as it’s something she really wante...
Birth Trauma with Kim Thomas, journalist and CEO of The Birth Trauma Association
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is the final episode in Series 7. It's about birth trauma and I speak with journalist, author and CEO of The BTA, Kim Thomas.We talk about what b...
Envy with psychotherapist Ryan Bennett-Clarke
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Interviewing Ryan Bennett-Clarke for my Guardian column - about something else entirely - we got talking about envy. And what he had to say fair blew ...
Unresolved Grief (adults bereaved in childhood) with psychotherapist Mandy Gosling
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Although unresolved grief can hit us at any stage in our lives, this episode specifically talks about childhood bereavement and the impact it can have...
Shame with clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Dr Stephen Blumenthal
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Stephen Blumenthal returns (catch him in Series 2 talking about Intimacy and Trust in Series 5) and this time we're talking about shame. What it is...
Why You Can Never Plan Too Much with Professor Lucy Easthope
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Lucy Easthope is a UK expert and advisor on emergency planning and disaster recover. A world authority on recovery and disaster planning and...
Where to Die (Home, Hospice, Care Home or Hospital) with Dr Kathryn Mannix
15 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Where to die? Not everyone gets that choice but you or a loved one might and that choice may be to go home from a hospice or hospital or care home, or...
What makes a 'real' relationship with psychotherapist Joanna Harrison
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Not what makes a relationship real vs fantasy or made up, but the nubbins of relationships, the reality. Many people seem unprepared for what a real r...
Managing the In-Laws with psychotherapist Hannah Sherbersky
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The in-laws, long the butt of jokes but in reality rich fodder for my Guardian mail bag. Of course, none of us think of ourselves as troublesome in-la...
Difficult Conversations Around Suicide with consultant psychiatrist in psychotherapy Dr Jo Stubley
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Talking about suicide is never easy, yet it's essential. In this difficult episode both Dr Stubley and I bring personal experiences to the conversatio...
The Psychology of Money with psychotherapist Chris Mills
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why do some people find it so hard to talk about money? And whilst it's not a romantic thing to bring up it's absolutely essential if you're thinking ...
How to Help Siblings of Brothers and Sisters with Additional Needs with Linda Owen, Information Officer for the charity Sibs
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sibs is a charity which supports children and adults who grow up with a brother or sister with additional needs or a long term health condition. And L...
Everyone's a Narcissist (apparently) with psychotherapist Mark Vahrmeyer
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to episode 1 of Series 6A good few years ago, I started becoming aware of a term I'd hitherto not really heard much before, outside of my clas...
Understanding Toddlers with child psychotherapist Rachel Melville-Thomas
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of people struggle with the toddler stage. Where have their lovely, compliant babies gone? I think it's got worse the later we leave parenthood ...
Planning a Good Funeral with progressive funeral director Louise Winter
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is not a subject many of us discuss is it? Birth plans, maybe, weddings, definitely, but we will all die and we all need a send off, however smal...
The Mechanics of Birth with Lead Research Midwife Amy Sutton Cole
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The way labour and birth is depicted on film and TV has bugged me for some years and, I think, does little to make women feel empowered. This episode ...
A Question of Trust with psychoanalyst Dr Stephen Blumenthal
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is our first listener requested episode. "Joanne" (not her real name) asked us if we could do an episode on trust, after her husband had an affai...
Talking about Rape and Sexual Assault with SARSVL CEO Katie Russell
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a difficult subject, but an important one. I still get letters from people unsure whether they've been the survivor of sexual violence.My gues...
What It Means To Belong with psychotherapist Mark Vahrmeyer
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to belong? What does it feel like? And does it even matter?I started asking myself this a few years ago, possibly because, as a chil...
An Introduction to Sex with specialist in sexology Silva Neves
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Despite the plethora of information that's now available about sex, across so many mediums, it's still astonishing the misinformation that's spread on...
Baby-Led Weaning with Gill Rapley
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you've even been near a baby, let alone had one, you've probably heard of baby-led weaning, the idea that babies don't need to have puree laden spo...
Have You Made a Will? How To, Why To with lawyer Gary Rycroft
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You'd be surprised at the number of people who haven't made a Will. Some of them are the lawyers I speak to. I think this is in large part because no-...
Understanding the Impact of Child Sexual Abuse with consultant psychiatrist in psychotherapy Dr Jo Stubley
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is not an easy subject, but a necessary one, especially when you hear the statistics on child sexual abuse. Many children don't understand what's...
How to Motivate Your Child with psychotherapist Graham Music
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At some time or other we've probably all wanted, or needed, to motivate our children. But how? It's both harder and easier than you think and nagging ...
Dealing with your inner critic with psychotherapist Julia Bueno
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ever have a nagging voice in your head telling you you're not good enough or could have done something better? You may have an inner critic. In this e...
What Relationships Tell Us About Ourselves with psychoanalytic psychotherapist Susannah Abse
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How we are in relationships can tell us not only an extraordinary amount about ourselves, but also how we were brought up. Family patterns can be repe...
Processing Grief with psychotherapist and co-founder of The Good Grief Project, Jane Harris
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Grief and death are terrifying words for many of us. Of all the emotions, I’ve found, we really try to body swerve grief. But the thing is, grief do...
The Importance of Knowing and Keeping boundaries with psychotherapist Armele Philpotts
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This was a listener requested topic. Boundaries form the basis of all our relationships, be they with family, work colleagues or romantic partners. Bo...
Adoption with psychotherapist and adoption specialist Alison Roy
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I get a lot of problems about adoption, usually, but not always, from the adopters who are struggling but are mired in shame that they cannot cope. On...
A Gentle Introduction to Dementia with dementia specialist nurse Julie Green
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dementia is a word which we've become increasingly familiar with over the years, but still, understandably, strikes fear in our hearts. In this episod...
Sex Education: What We Wish We'd Learnt with sexual and relationship psychotherapist Silva Neves
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How many of us had really good sex education, or anything that goes beyond the mere biological? In this episode I talk to COSRT and UKCP registered Si...
The Truth About Baby Sleep with biological anthropologist Professor James McKenna
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Anyone who’s had a baby knows that probably the number one question you're asked is: are they sleeping through?Some years ago, whilst researching a ...
How to Identify Addiction and Get Help if You Need with psychotherapist Rebecca Harris
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Addiction is a word that’s overused and often misunderstood. In this episode I talk to systemic psychotherapist Rebecca Harris, who is also manager ...
The Delicate Art of Managing Differences with psychotherapist Gabrielle Rifkind
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I wanted to call this “how to win an argument” but I realised it’s not all about winning or losing but finding common ground, or ground you can ...
How to Cope With a Difficult Older Relative with psychotherapist Chris Mills
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I get so many problems about this, not just through my column, but in real life. Some people have difficult family members who get more difficult as t...
What is Intimacy? with psychologist and psychoanalyst Stephen Blumenthal
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s only in the last few years that I’ve really looked into intimacy and what it actually, practically, means. A lot of people use it as a by-wor...
Blended Families and How to Navigate them with psychotherapist Katherine Walker
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Blended families, bonus families, step families whatever you call them, joining together two or more families can be tricky. What do you call your “...
The Secrets of the Sibling Relationship with psychotherapist Nicole Addis
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We are so focused on the parent/child relationship we often overlook the sibling one, even though it is often the longest lasting relationship of our ...
How Trauma Can Affect Everyday Life with consultant psychiatrist in psychotherapy Jo Stubley
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I used to think of trauma in terms of war and soldiers but actually trauma can affect anyone and impact every day life. Its effects can be felt in the...
Is Your Relationship Worth Saving with psychotherapist John-Paul Davies
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're always told relationships need work, but how do you know when yours is over or does, indeed, need working at? In this episode we look at how a g...
What to Expect When Someone Dies with Dr Kathryn Mannix
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was a highly personal project, borne out of sitting with my dad as he was dying and realising I didn't know what to expect. I learnt that...
The Wonder of the Teenage Brain with adolescent psychotherapist Rachel Melville-Thomas
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The teenage brain goes through incredible changes during adolescence. This not only explains their behaviour but, knowing what these changes are means...
The Art of Listening with psychotherapist Chris Mills
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Listening is a skill not everyone has and yet it's so important to every day relationships - and is at the core of 99% of the problems I hear about. I...
Trailer
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wanted X-ray specs into human behaviour? Then this is the podcast for you. Listen to ‘brilliant, insightful and wise’ agony aunt and...