Psychologically Speaking with Leila Ainge
Episodes
58. Your Whole Axis Shifts: What Grief Changes About Work and Life
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when loss changes everything—not just emotionally, but structurally?In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge is joined ...
57. Off the Beaten Path: Identity, Belonging & Building a Career That Actually Fits
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when your life doesn’t follow the path you thought it would?A conversation on identity, belonging, and the courage to build a career th...
What if interviews don’t just reveal what we think… but actually change it?
11 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We often assume interviews are a way of capturing what people already think. But qualitative psychology suggests something different. Interviews can b...
I Refuse to Hate Myself: Emma Seville on 'Starting Again'
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“I refuse to hate myself in any way… I hope women reclaim ageing as a gift.”When everything shifts at once, home, body, identity, what does it t...
Bonus: Everything we know is shaped by where we stand in the world.
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Hi, I’m Leila, and I’m currently doing a PhD exploring the experiences of women who are independent workers, including entrepreneurs, freelancers,...
55. From War Zones to Motherhood: The Unexpected Path to Building a Business
15 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge speaks with entrepreneur Femke Harris about the unexpected twists that shape our lives. From ...
54. Can Digging in the Dirt Really Improve Your Mental Health? : The Science of Gardening and Wellbeing
08 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if one of the most powerful mental health tools was already in your garden?In this episode, I’m joined by horticultural therapist Kendall Marie...
53. Goals Don’t Fail, They Reveal: What Happens After the Plan?
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge checks back in with coaches Emma Thomas and Lucy Green a few months after they set ambitious ...
What Actually Happens After You Set a Goal?
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila is joined by three Goal Sprint participants, Hannah Isted, Jen Vaughan and Darren Scotland, for an ...
“Nothing Bad Happened”: What Visibility Teaches Us About Confidence
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What actually happens to your confidence once you start pursuing a goal?In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, psychologist Leila Ainge checks b...
Are you Avoidance Crafting?
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Why do resolutions wobble just when we think they should be working?This episode explores avoidance crafting, impatience, burnout, and how goals, habi...
Sustainable Goals in an Unsustainable World
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Why do goals that feel exciting at first suddenly become exhausting even when we care deeply about them?In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, I...
BONUS - Goal Derailment
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Bonus Episode
48. Lights, Camera… Courage: Dany’s Arctic Documentary Journey
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this deeply honest and energising episode of Psychologically Speaking, Dany Johnston — data & AI consultant, documentary filmmaker, and PhD r...
47. The Cupboard Under the Stairs: Emma’s Year of Coherence
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Emma returns to share her 2026 goal — and it’s one that will resonate with anyone whose business has ...
46. Creative Confidence: The Goal That Strengthens Self-Worth with Bhavini Lakhani
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A conversation about creative confidence, goal setting, and how sharing your work builds self-worth. Designer Bhavini joins Leila to explore fear, vis...
45. From Stretch Goals to Finish Lines: Goal Setting, Marketing Growth & Marathon Mindset with Hannah
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila talks with marketer, community-builder and marathon-in-training Hannah Isted, about her 2026 goals....
44. The Ripple Effect: Women, Money, and Mission-Driven Growth with Lucy Green
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Psychologically Speaking: The Goal Experiments, Lucy shares her 2026 goal, not just for her business, but for the women who benefi...
43. Animation, Ambition, and the 2026 Plan with Duncan Caterall-Mason
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Psychologically Speaking: The Goal Experiments, animator and filmmaker Duncan Catterall-Mason talks to Leila Ainge on what it real...
42. The Psychology of Goal Setting: Flexibility, Identity & Belonging
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why do some goals stick while others fade?In this episode, psychologist Leila Ainge explores the psychology behind effective goal-setting — blending...
41. Drawing Belonging: Darren Scotland on ambition and place, the goal experiments
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Designer and illustrator Darren Scotland, founder of Ace of Place, joins psychologist Leila Ainge to talk about creative ambition, belonging, and the ...
40. From Procrastination to Publication — with Rebecca Slater
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, psychologist and researcher Leila Ainge talks with Rebecca Slater, who’s setting a powerful goal for 20...
39. Jen Vaughan on Balancing Nurture and Profit, The Goal Experiments
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this first conversation of The Goal Experiments, psychologist and researcher Leila Ainge speaks with yoga teacher Jen Vaughan about the tension bet...
Women, Ambition & the Profit Silence
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, psychologist and researcher Leila Ainge explores the quiet tension many women experience in business — the space between ambition a...
Your secret weapon against burnout and stress
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to my favourite field, yes.. you heard that right. In this episode I'm talking about the suprising benefits of noticing a tree, field or bit o...
How to Stop Over-Striving and Start Feeling Fulfilled
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the real difference between joy, fulfilment, and striving? In this episode, psychologist Leila Ainge explores the psychology behind our endle...
Unfiltered & Unapologetic: Women in Focus with Karen Staniland-Platt
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it really mean to be seen? In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, I sit down with Karen Staniland- Platt, a Manchester-based photograp...
You are not that important: finding Joy and doing weird stuff with Hannah Isted.
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Leila and Hannah explore the themes of joy, productivity, and marketing strategies. They discuss the importance of celebrating small wins, the awkward...
The Joy of being a Generalist (and specialist) with Katie Elliott
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wow, There's a big debate around being a generalist vs niching down, but this conversation with Katie proves that it takes specialist knowledge about ...
Run With Me: A Short Episode on Mindset and Doing Hard Things
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this short episode, I’m taking you with me, literally, on a run. 🏃♀️I share some reflections on mindset, what it really takes to do har...
Is Imposter Phenomenon Blocking Your Joy?, Psychology-Backed Solutions
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever feel like the imposter experiences are stealing your joy? In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge unpacks the link between impos...
The weight of Joy: Choosing joy, autistic joy and art.
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello, in this episode you are getting a joyful mixed bag including the latest research on autistic joy, what we can take from two pictures in the Nat...
Does Your Environment Spark Joy?
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Leila and Lisa explore the themes of joy, personal spaces, and the impact of nature on wellbeing. They discuss the importance of...
How Joy Moves
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this opening episode of The Joy Experiments, Leila Ainge speaks with brand strategist Ange Friesen about the messy, beautiful process of chasing jo...
The Joy Experiments: A New Season of Psychologically Speaking
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Season 3 of Psychologically Speaking, hosted by psychologist and researcher Leila Ainge. This season, we explore joy not as a feeling to de...
The Pause Is Part of the Progress
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Season 2 finale of Psychologically Speaking, Leila reflects on the space between intention and action the often messy, foggy middle that so ma...
Mind the Gap: Why Knowing Isn’t the Same as Doing
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I share a small but eye-opening story that begins with a single word: lacuna. What started as a moment of academic frustration turned...
Worn Thin: The Emotional Cost of Doing What You Love
23 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge delves into the theme of tiredness, exploring its various forms and the impact it has on our ...
When Your To-Do List Becomes a ‘To-Prove’ List.
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How our need for external validation fuels overworksummaryIn this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila explores the intricate relationship betwe...
You’ve Already Arrived: Confidence, Success & The Power of Metaphor
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode Summary:In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, I reflect on a milestone moment delivering a leadership workshop on imposter phenomenon a...
Passion, Purpose, and Perseverance: My Journey through Self-Doubt
22 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Leila Ainge discusses the importance of mental flexibility and resilience, particularly in the context of running and personal g...
Why Self-Love Isn’t About ‘Bouncing Back’ or ‘Fixing’ Yourself"
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Transformation stories are everywhere—before-and-afters, glow-ups, success arcs. But what if real self-love isn’t about reinventing yourself—but...
Leopard Logic: Katie Cope on Brand Identity
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, host Leila Ainge sits down with Katie Cope, founder of Keppel Leopard Creative, to explore the intricate ...
Psychologically Speaking: January Review Special
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge delves into the themes of human behavior, accountability, and personal growth. She reflects o...
Side-by-Side Success: How Body Doubling Changes the Game
19 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In todays episode I’m chatting to Tessa and Bre who, discuss their research at the University of California Santa Cruz, on body doubling, how folk –...
Ripples of Accountability
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge explores the intricate relationship between accountability and motivation through the lens of...
The Neuroscience of Drift: Why Spontaneity Boosts Success
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Snails, Distractions, and the Neuroscience of Drift"In this episode, we explore the surprising connection between spontaneous thoughts, and achieving...
Twixmas and thinking of the future
28 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge explores the unique psychological phenomena surrounding the liminal space between Christmas a...
Psychological Ghosts at Christmas: Reflecting on Regret, Unfinished Business, and Decision-Making
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this reflective conversation, Leila explores the themes of regret, uncertainty, and unfinished business as they relate to personal growth and decis...
Ultra Visibility: What it Means for Black Women in Online Spaces with Collette Philip
11 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I'm joined by Collette Philip who runs multi award-winning anti-racist brand and strategy consultancy, Brand By Me. Brand by...
'It helps me to know what I'm not' comparison and visibility with Ayo Abbas
20 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Leila is in conversation with Ayo Abbas, award-winning built environment Marketing Consultant, Speaker and Trainer at Abbas Marketing,...
Imposter through the lens of Intersectionality with Liana Fricker
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Intersectionality and the Imposter Experience: Unpacking Identity with Liana FrickerIn this weeks psychologically speaking episode with Liana Fricker ...
I miss her, I miss me? imposter in midlife with Menopause Expert Emma Thomas
16 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I miss her, I miss me? imposter in midlife with Menopause Expert Emma ThomasIn this episode of psychologically speaking, we get curious about the inte...
Competition and Comparison with Lucy Werner
03 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Competition & Comparison with Lucy WernerLucy Werner, writer and the self-promotion expert behind Hypeyourself.com, joins Leila from her home in F...
Owning Your Authenticity and Making a Splash with Helen Hill
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Owning Your Authenticity and Making a Splash. With Guest Helen Hill You’re going to want to *dive in* to today’s episode of Psychologically S...
Gratitude, My Unsung Hero.
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Leila explores the concept of gratitude and how it can help us to balance the uncertainty that is often associated with the Imposter ...
Dress for You, Not the Doubt: The Psychology of Fashion. With Guest Samantha Harman
04 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Own the Digital RoomStyle coach Samantha Harman joins Leila for a candid, empowering discussion on looking good and feeling confident. Samantha shares...
Don’t Fake It, Make It Safe. Fostering a Culture of Trust, with Guests Christina Clark & Laura Stearn
21 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Leila Ainge delves into the digital rooms where women entrepreneurs lurk, to discuss the relationship between impostor phenomenon and psychological sa...
Who's watching? Imagined audiences and the imposter experience
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the Age of Visibility, Who's Really Watching? Examining Imagined Audiences and Imposter Feelings in Online Entrepreneurship (Psychologically Speaki...
Behind the "Imposter" Label: Unmasking the Systemic Roots of Self-Doubt
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Unmasking the "Imposter": Why Self-Doubt Isn't Your Fault, It's the System'sForget "syndrome," psychologist Leila Ainge is calling imposter feelings w...
Psychologically Speaking - Trailer
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What's Psychologically Speaking all about?In this captivating trailer for her new podcast Psychologically Speaking, meet psychologist Leila Ainge. Lei...