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Hello, I am a marital therapist, communications trainer and author. I have thirty-five years helping couples and individuals make better relationships. I have written twenty-plus self-help books which include the international best-sellers ‘I love you but I’m not in love with you’ and ‘How can I ever trust you again?’ My books have been translated into twenty languages. I trained with RELATE the UK’s largest counselling charity. Perhaps it has been turning sixty but I have become interested in spiritual as well as psychological questions. Who am I? What are my values – as opposed to my parents, my teachers and the wider society? What makes my life meaningful? What do I believe about life, the universe and everything? Although my clients might come to me because of destructive arguments, falling out of love and infidelity, they are also interested in having more meaningful relationships and a more meaningful life. So what is the meaningful life? Why do we so easily lose our way and get lost in depression, anxiety, doubt, addictions and obsessions: the swamplands of the soul? One thing I know for sure is that there is not one answer. Each of us has to find out for ourselves what makes our life meaningful. But we can learn from each other, share our experiences of how to navigate the journey, how to endure and learn from the swamp, and finally how to find solid ground. I have decided to use my original training in radio and journalism to interview witnesses for what makes life meaningful. Each week, I invite someone who is a therapist, academic, self-help coach or who has an enlightening personal story to share their knowledge or experiences. I hope our discussions will help you discover what makes your life meaningful and find more purpose and contentment.
Episodes
Monday Oct 17, 2022
Monday Oct 17, 2022
Are you “world-weary”? Exhausted by life to the point where a day on the couch, a mini-break or a night out with friends won’t even touch the tip of your fatigue? This week’s guest, Dr Libby Nugent, is here to help. Libby discusses with Andrew the powerful healing properties of the fairytale.
If you’ve experienced:
- Strains in relationships with your children or parents
- Anxiety about reaching goals you’ve defined for yourself
- A nagging sense that you’re missing out on other ways to approach life
Then this week’s episode is for you.
Andrew and Libby touch on the resonances of Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel, and then dive deeper into the story of Frau Holle, the tough, nurturing underworld mother who rewards one daughter with a stream of gold, and the other with a coating of tar. They talk about accommodating the “splits” we find within ourselves and finding the capacity for self-love.
Dr Libby Nugent is a clinical psychologist and groupwork practitioner with expertise in fairytales, Greek myths, reflective spaces and Jungian psychoanalysis.
Subscriber Content This Week
If you’re a subscriber to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Patreon), this week you’ll be hearing:
⭐️Libby and Andrew discuss the myths and symbols associated with queens, with reference to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
⭐️3 things Libby knows to be true.
⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.
Follow Up
Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.
Visit Dr Libby Nugent’s blog, where you’ll find more interpretation of fairytales.
Or visit Dr Libby Nugent’s website to learn about the reflective spaces she runs.
Dr Libby Nugent recommends World Weary Woman by Cara Barker if you’d like to go deeper into the Frau Holle story and the “world-weary woman” archetype.
Follow Dr Libby Nugent on Twitter @becomingethical, on Facebook @drlibbynugent and on Instagram @libby.nugent.
If you’re fascinated by some of the Jungian ideas discussed here, listen to some of Andrew’s other interviews with Jungian analysts: James Hollis on Resilience, Lisa Marchiano on Motherhood, Susan Schwartz on Fathers and Daughters and Robert Hopcke on Meaningful Coincidence.
Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgmarshall
Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall