Meet Alan - he has had throat cancer, which not only changed the way he communicated but changed his relationship with the sound that came out of his mouth.

​Although this is a story of his experience of cancer, that is not the focus of the interview. Rather it is how he felt when he couldn't use his words to communicate, what it felt like to surrender to that space and notice how he was communicating all the time and that each time it was with words - they were purpose-full. He could feel they mattered on so many levels.

No longer were words just words, they had resonance and meaning.

Caring for someone when they are coming to the end of their life can be an opportunity for life to slow down. Meet Melinda and Sally as they walk us through the last few months of life with the inimitable Phillip Hills. Melinda learnt to slow down, ask for support and build a connection that means Phillip is felt, even though he has passed.

If you would be interested in listening to my interview with Phillip about writing his book  and hiding behind a mask of humour - check it out here
If you would like to buy his book, then please order it online or ask your local book store or library to order it for you

When you are in the middle of an eating disorder, be that as a lived experience person or as a family member, it can feel like there is no way out. Meet Kylie who experienced severe Anorexia Nervosa and has found a way to not have that experience as defining her or any part of her day-today living now.

If you need support, please do not hesitate to contact some of the amazing support services across the globe.

Support services in Australia include

The Butterfly Foundation
A comprehensive website with support for people with eating disorders, body image concerns and their families and practitioners. Support includes details for nationwide practitioners, a National Helpline on 1800 33 4673. and online chat service

Eating Disorder Families Australia
A great resource for parents and families

National Eating Disorders Collaborative
The National Eating Disorder Collaboration is a great resource for up-to-date information and research on eating disorders. It also provides a list of state-by-state treatment services for inpatient, outpatient and community support programs in their ‘Services and Support Organisations’ section.

EDBI (Eating Disorders and Body Image)
If you are interested in the research around eating disorders and body image (including my own!) please check out the
EDBI site Western Sydney University 

Have you considered how often we hide who we truly are behind a mask of humour? Could it be that this strategic manoeuvre to keep ourselves safe is what locks us away to be even more fearful of being ourselves in the world? Allow me to introduce Philip Hills to you - you will get to know him better when he publishes his book but till then... a sneak preview to the process of writing a book when you are trying to capture your life - and then some. I met Philip at a party... he stole my tiara... I don't think I have said that about anyone else but it was a moment that resulted in the most engaging conversation over dinner. How could I keep that opportunity to just me, when I have the opportunity to share Philip with all of you.

This interview showed me, once again, how humour can be a mask we wear that hides who we truly are and how complicated it can then be to find ourselves again behind that mask when life calls us to be more true to the gem we always were

This blog is a collation of individual interviews - please click the read more below to access them

Online dating has been around for more than 20 years, but has exploded in recent years and potentially become a necessity due to a pesky virus that has way too many living in silos. This has stopped one of the most natural processes from taking place. Coming together and meeting new people. Where has all the dating gone? Now, it seemed, life was more about ticking boxes and working out what you wanted, what you liked and didn't like, and finding someone who fitted that picture. The algorithm would do all the hard work for you!

But it seems it is not quite that simple. Here you will find a series of interviews that share the varied experiences that come from online dating. The online-dating Compendium - Our Compendium of Love.
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Clearly this is but a peek into the world of online dating, there are many diverse experiences missing, however, what has been shared here will sound and feel familiar regardless of perceived differences.

​Enormous thanks to my wonderful interviewees - every one of them so willing to share their experiences of online dating. We experiences from teens to 70s!

The pressure to perform, the pressure to provide means fathers can be under extraordinary pressure, add to this being a farmer and the income being dependent on the cycles of nature and it is clear to see the repercussions of the drought are not likely to go away quickly. Therefore supporting our farmers to take a realistic look at work practices and supporting them to the next step is part of a whole family approach.

Today Chris Iffland tells us first hand what life is like as a 5th generation farmer, Neil McWhannell talks about the Rotary Club of Wahroonga initiative to support the farmers, Hugh Burne our second farmer tells us about some of the infrastructure he has put in place that is supporting both his farm and his neighbours premises. Lastly United Tradies Chris Saville will be sharing his new project and helping our farmer Chris on the farm!

Robyn Jones, Tony Sambell and Stephen Gammack were my guests this week to talk about toxic masculinity. What was clear by the end of this show is this is a conversation that goes beyond gender and is about the small things we brush over, the small elements of abuse we ignore till they become normalised and accept till we have an 'extreme' case which ends up being front page news. All too often it them becomes a 'gender' issue with two sides drawn and no true way forward. There has to be a better and more loving way to be with each other.
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I feel very honoured to have been able to facilitate this show. 

Where does abuse come from? Is it always someone else's problem or are there parts of our own lives that could be contributing to the global picture because we are taking a level of normal that is not normal at all and yet we are not calling it out for fear of standing out?

This episode is a bit of soul searching and asks us all to consider the impact of what we did and what we do.