Dial Emma

Hello, again! Welcome back to Dial Emma and to a new mini-series: all about reframes.Before I bring in the voices of my lovely listeners to explore this theme, I wanted to start somewhere personal - because reframes have shaped almost everything in my life, professionally, therapeutically, and in the very particular chaos of the last few years. And if I'm going to ask you to go there, it felt only right that I go first.This isn't a polished story with a tidy conclusion. It's a real account of how perspective has shifted for me - sometimes gently, sometimes with a force I didn't see coming.I talk about how I ended up in therapy, retraining as a therapist, navigating the COVID pandemic and, of course, my personal reframes: divorce, single parenting, losing my mother to Alzheimer's, perimenopause and a diagnosis of autism.Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

In honour of International Women’s Day, Dial Emma presents The Unsaid – a four-part mini-series exploring the emotional realities many women are living with, but rarely have language for. Each episode features two listener dilemmas and twenty minutes of thoughtful, compassionate reflection on the inner work women are doing beneath the surface of competence, independence and survival.In this episode, I explore a powerful paradox: being strong and independent while still feeling lonely or unseen.While many of us pride ourselves on being capable and self-sufficient, that sense of independence can sometimes develop as a form of protection, often from early experiences that shape the way we relate to support, vulnerability, and connection.Our two listener dilemmas uncover the psychological patterns behind defensive independence and the fear of being a burden, and how both can quietly lead to isolation.---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

In honour of International Women’s Day, Dial Emma presents The Unsaid – a four-part mini-series exploring the emotional realities many women are living with, but rarely have language for. Each episode features two listener dilemmas and twenty minutes of thoughtful, compassionate reflection on the inner work women are doing beneath the surface of competence, independence and survival.This first instalment explores a theme that resonates deeply for many of us: doing objectively well in life, but still feeling wrong beneath it all.Our first dilemma comes from a listener who says that nothing is wrong in her life, but something about it doesn't feel right, either. Our second listener feels like she has ticked every box, but finds herself contending with a sense of itchiness and dissatisfaction.In this episode, I explore functional freeze, delayed desire, the pressure to feel grateful, and the quiet awakening of something more honest beneath achievement.---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.In this week's episode, Dr. Claire Plumbly, a clinical psychologist, EMDR consultant and author, joins me to explore the complexities of burnout, a subject that she specialises in alongside PTSD, anxiety, and trauma-informed wellbeing.We respond to a listener who is struggling with the constant connectivity of modern life and work, discussing our physical and emotional responses to stress, the importance of understanding the autonomic nervous system, and the practical strategies we can implement to manage energy and set boundaries.We also talk about the need for self-compassion, the role of personal values in shaping identity, and how creating cues of safety can facilitate relaxation and help us transition more smoothly into rest time.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form.Find Claire on social media here.Access her free resource, the 5-step PARKS Method for switching off, here.---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.This week on Dial Emma, I'm joined by psychotherapist and self-development coach Natasha Page, whose debut book, Believe You're Made for More, will be published on 27th January 2026. We're exploring a dilemma from a listener who feels as though her self-confidence has been quietly eroding over the years. Between caring for teenage children and elderly parents, maintaining relationships and trying to keep everything ticking along, our listener has been left with very little space for herself and her needs. Now, she's about to turn 50 years old and is really struggling with feelings of low self-esteem.This lack of confidence is something that both Natasha and myself can relate to, particularly when we're also navigating midlife transitions. During our conversation, Natasha provides some incredibly useful insights and practical exercises to help us rebuild self-esteem and foster a healthier relationship with ourselves. We also explore the complexities of self-worth, the impact of life changes, and the steps we can take to reclaim confidence and authenticity.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. Find Natasha's work here.---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.In this episode, I'm delighted to be speaking to Kate Daly, co-founder of amicable and host of The Divorce Podcast. As a leading expert on divorce, separation, relationships and family law reform, Kate joins me to discuss the emotional and legal challenges faced by individuals in long-term relationships, particularly when they break down.Our dilemma comes from a listener who wants to separate from her common law partner of 15 years, but feels concerned about how the separation might impact her financially and legally. Kate provides some incredibly useful insights into the legal vulnerabilities of cohabiting partners and emphasises the importance of open communication and seeking legal advice. We also talk about the need for understanding, patience, and hope in navigating these life transitions.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.In this week's episode, I'm joined by psychotherapist, author and founder of Break the Cycle Coaching Sian Morgan-Crossley to unpack a festive dilemma around the challenges of dealing with emotionally immature parents.Our listener writes about the feeling of being 'rewound' to her anxious, apologetic teenage self when visiting her family for Christmas, a dynamic that feels increasingly harmful and unsafe. Sian and I explore the complexities of parent-child relationships as children grow older and differentiate themselves from their family system, the damaging impact of emotional immaturity, and strategies for managing expectations and maintaining one's sense of self during family occasions. We also touch on the importance of self-care, setting meaningful boundaries, and understanding the difference between concern and genuine care.Thank you so much to Sian for joining me! You can pre-order her brand new book, How to Heal from Emotionally Immature Parents, here: https://hayhs.com/hthfeip_pp_pb_azIf you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.This week, I'm speaking with Aly Bullock, a licensed marriage and family therapist and Head of Relationships at Paired, to discuss the complexities of sexual desire discrepancies in long-term relationships. Aly joins me to unpack a dilemma from a listener who feels sexually rejected in her marriage, despite having a strong partnership in other areas.We explore the emotional impact of unmet sexual needs, the importance of open communication, and the societal stereotypes that often silence women in similar situations. Aly highlights the need for couples to have honest conversations about their desires, as well as giving some incredibly useful practical advice on how couples can reconnect emotionally and physically and find understanding and empathy for each other's emotional experience.Dial Emma listeners can enjoy 25% off a year membership to Paired Premium - just follow this link: https://www.paired.com/partners/alypodcast---If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.This week, I'm delighted to be tackling our listener dilemma with another special guest: psychologist and author of How to Be Selfish, Suzy Reading.Suzy joins me to talk about the emotional toll of constantly “holding everything together” and why so many people, especially women, struggle to rest without guilt. Responding to a listener who feels invisible after years of caring for her children, ageing parents, and partner, we explore how cultural conditioning and inherited beliefs teach us that self-worth comes from selflessness, and how we can reframe those beliefs to find better self-advocacy in our daily lives.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.Our dilemma this week comes from a listener who is navigating a lifelong struggle with weight and self-acceptance. After years of dieting without lasting success, she finally found hope through weight-loss injections - but when she had to stop due to the cost, the weight, and the shame that comes with it, returned. Now, she finds herself caught between the pressure to start the medication again and the desire to accept herself as she is.To help me respond to our lovely listener and provide some much needed scientific insight, I'm delighted to be joined by Dr. Fredrik Nyström, professor of medicine at Linköping University in Sweden and author of Lighten the Load on Your Shoulders. Fredrik has spent more than 30 years working within endocrinology and studying hormone-producing glands and organs, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes.Fredrik and I explore the complexities of weight management, the societal pressures that often influence our relationship with food and appearance, and the psychological impacts of dieting. We also discuss the role of GLP-1 agonists in weight loss, the importance of self-acceptance in a world filled with conflicting messages about body image, and the power of challenging societal norms and embracing personal choices when it comes to our health and wellbeing.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.In this week’s episode, I'm exploring the complex family roles that shape who we become, and how hard it can be to step outside them.Firstly, we hear from listener has spent her life as “the responsible one” - the organiser, the fixer, the steady sister who always keeps things together. But now she wonders what it would mean to stop playing that part. Can she step into her own light without feeling like she’s abandoning her sister?Our second dilemma comes from someone who has built a very different life from the one she grew up in - a life of comfort and success that feels at odds with her working-class roots. She finds herself hiding her achievements to avoid standing out, torn between loyalty to her past and honesty about her present.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.What happens when a friendship fades without explanation, or ends in a way that feels like a betrayal?This week, I'm exploring the fragile bonds of friendship, and the lack of rituals for closure, clear endings, or language to help us process when they unravel. Our first dilemma involves a friendship that has been slowly, quietly drifting away with no explanation, leaving our listener wondering if they're asking for too much; the second sees a childhood promise broken in a very public way, creating a rupture in a 25-year friendship that is proving difficult to move past.This episode is a reminder that friendships don’t have to be constant to be real - but they do have to be mutual. When they no longer are, the grief of their loss is both real and valid. By acknowledging it, we create the space for new connections that choose us back, in the here and now.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.This week, I'm joined by psychotherapist and author Joshua Fletcher, aka Anxiety Josh, to help a listener who is struggling with anxious feelings around self-optimisation - the pursuit of trying to be our 'best selves' (whatever that actually means). From 5am clubs to wellness trackers, we explore why trying to do everything right can leave us feeling wrong, and how embracing failure, feelings, and self-acceptance offers a far more authentic path to wellbeing.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk