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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 Dec 26, 2022
Monday Dec 26, 2022
Do you experience regular bad headaches, or a stomach upset that won’t go away? Do you have nagging aches you put down to getting older?
Mind and body are two parts of the same system: problems like depression and anxiety almost always manifest in the physical body as well as the mind.
The road to calm and joy is much faster if we can ensure to take care of mind AND body.
Author and integrative psychiatrist Dr Henry Emmons looks at mental health problems like depression and anxiety by weaving together mind-body and natural therapies, mindfulness teachings and other holistic approaches.
Dr Emmons is also a sought-after presenter and consultant on integrating natural and mindfulness therapies in psychiatry, the interface between spirituality and mental health, and personal and professional renewal.
We hope you enjoy this very early The Meaningful Life episode we’ve reissued for Christmas 2023: what better topic to get you through the holiday season than “the road to calm and joy”?
Follow Up
Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.
Visit Dr Henry Emmons’ website to find out more about his books:
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The Chemistry of Joy
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The Chemistry of Calm
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The Chemistry of Joy Workbook
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Staying Sharp: 9 Keys to a Youthful Brain Through Modern Science and Ancient Wisdom
Visit https://www.naturalmentalhealth.com a website co-founded by Henry Emmons to help people of all ages optimise their mental health and build resilience in mind, body, and spirit.
You might also be interested in Andrew’s interview with Dr Kathleen Smith on How to Make Anxiety Your Friend
Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier
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.
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
Monday Dec 19, 2022
Monday Dec 19, 2022
“Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.”
Philosopher William James (brother of the novelist Henry James) seems way ahead of his time with this insight.
Our guest this week is author and philosopher John Kaag. John credits William James with helping him through several existential crises, including bouts of despair as a young man, and two divorces.
Andrew and John discuss:
⭐️The pressing choice in modern life of where to put our attention
⭐️How philosophy helps parents
⭐️The ways daily habits and routines entrap us
⭐️The problem of empathy and the challenge of honouring the inner lives of others.
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:
⭐️When is it justified to believe?
⭐️3 things John Kaag 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.
Buy John Kaag’s new book Be Not Afraid of Life: In the Words of William James
Buy John Kaag’s other books:
- American Philosophy: A Love Story
- Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life
- Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are
Follow John Kaag on Twitter @JohnKaag
Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier
You might also enjoy Andrew’s interview with Andy West on Inherited Guilt: How Philosophy Helped Me Heal
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.
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
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Leaving a toxic relationship is really just the beginning: how do you then pick up the pieces and build a new life?
Certified relationship coach Tara Blair Ball is a second-time guest on The Meaningful Life - her first interview on attachment theory was so popular that we invited her back to discuss her new book on surviving toxic relationships.
According to Tara,
⭐️Personal responsibility is the key to change
⭐️Healthy relationships are built, not found
⭐️Whether you’re single or partnered, you can recover from toxic relationship patterns and learn a healthier way to relate.
Tara draws on her personal experience of life with a toxic partner to help others learn how to create healthy relationships. In this episode, she and Andrew talk through her 7-step healing process.
Tara Blair Ball is the author of several books on love and relationships. Her content on relationships and dating has been viewed more than 6 million times. Tara’s latest book is Reclaim & Recover: Heal from Toxic Relationships with a 7-Step Guided Journal.
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:
⭐️How to overcome victim mentality.
⭐️3 things Tara Blair Ball 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.
Buy Tara Blair Ball’s new book Reclaim & Recover: Heal from Toxic Relationships with a 7-Step Guided Journal
Read Tara’s other books The Beginning of the End: A memoir about a broken relationship, addiction, and human frailty AND Stop Wasting Your Time on Women Who Don’t Want You.
Take a look at Tara Blair Ball’s website
Listen to Andrew’s previous interview with Tara Blair Ball on Attachment Theory
Follow Tara on TikTok @tara.relationshipcoach or on Twitter @tarablairball
Read Co-parenting with a Toxic Ex by Amy Baker
Read Andrew’s books I Can’t Get Over My Partner’s Affair and I Love You But I’m Not In Love With You
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.
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
Monday Dec 05, 2022
Monday Dec 05, 2022
⭐️What is something you could do right now to help your future self?
⭐️What is the most dangerous thing you have survived?
⭐️Who is a person you’re glad exists?
These are the kinds of questions writer Amanda Deibert asks her Twitter followers everyday, and which she has now gathered into a beautiful gratitude journal called You Already Have the Answers.
In this episode, Andrew and Amanda discuss the ways in which our lives are full of insight and wisdom, if we can only slow down and find a meaningful route inward. Most of us are much stronger and braver than we think.
Andrew also explains how he came to get his first tattoo in his sixties, and Amanda shares some eye-opening stories illustrating how her early life experiences shaped her grounded, real-life approach to self-love and self-care.
AND - we have our first listener competition. US and UK based listeners can win a copy of You Already Have the Answers by going to our podcast page and using our “Get Involved” form to submit an answer to the question “What Have You Learned and Put Into Action After Listening to The Meaningful Life? Entries due by close of day Thursday 15th December.
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:
⭐️How to take a leap of faith
⭐️3 things Amanda Deibert 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
Buy Amanda Deibert’s book You Already Have the Answers
Follow Amanda Deibert on Twitter @amandadeibert
You might also like to listen to Andrew’s interview with Chester Elton on How Gratitude Could Revolutionise Your Life
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.
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
Monday Nov 28, 2022
Monday Nov 28, 2022
Family secrets can live on for generations, shaping our lives in ways we may not recognise or fully understand.
In this episode Andrew talks to Dr Galit Atlas, author of Emotional Inheritance: A Therapist, Her Patients, and the Legacy of Trauma about how our struggles in life are linked to the emotional inheritance we receive from our families.
Dr Atlas is a psychoanalyst and clinical supervisor in private practice in Manhattan.She is a clinical assistant professor on the faculty of the New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis and faculty at the National Training Program (NTP) and the Four-Year Adult training program at the National Institute for the Psychotherapies (NIP) in New York City.
Dr. Atlas has published three books for clinicians and numerous articles and book chapters that focus primarily on gender and sexuality. Her New York Times publication “A Tale of Two Twins” was the winner of a 2016 Gradiva Award
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:
⭐️How to repair a relationship with an estranged family member
⭐️3 things Galit Atlas 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.
Read Dr Galit Atlas’ new book Emotional Inheritance: A Therapist, Her Patients, and the Legacy of Trauma
Visit Dr Galit Atlas’ website
Follow Dr Galit Atlas on Facebook @GalitAtlas and on Instagram @galit_atlas
If you’re interested in the drama triangle discussed in this episode, you might also enjoy Andrew’s interview with therapist Chris Partridge on Being a Rescuer
You might also like to listen to Andrew’s interview with Julia Samuel MBE on Inherited Pain
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.
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
Monday Nov 21, 2022
Monday Nov 21, 2022
Prison makes a lot of life's big questions feel extremely urgent.
Author Andy West explores such questions in his work teaching philosophy to prisoners - some of whom have minimal education; some of whom have acquired PhDs.
Andy has also experienced the shadow of prison in his own life - witnessing the incarceration of his father, brother and uncle.
We discuss prison and ideas of freedom, and use the story of Ulysses and the Sirens to test out ideas of who it is in our world who is the most free.
Andy West is a London-based author and philosopher. His new book is The Life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Family and Learning to Be Free
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:
⭐️Shame and Pandora’s Box: the lessons for today from an ancient myth.
⭐️3 things Andy West 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.
Buy Andy West’s book The Life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Family and Learning to Be Free
Follow Andy West on Twitter @AndyWPhilosophy
You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Julia Samuel MBE on Inherited Pain, or with Joanna LaPrade on Surviving Dark Times.
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
Monday Nov 14, 2022
Monday Nov 14, 2022
The end of life isn’t always a time of fear and suffering. Dr Christopher Kerr has cared for thousands of patients who, in the face of imminent death, speak of love and grace.
Dr Kerr is the author of Death is But a Dream, in which he shares dying patients’ experiences of pre-death dreams and vision. These end-of-life dreams humanise the dying process and can also comfort the bereaved, who see their loved ones dying with a sense of calm closure.
Andrew and Dr Kerr discuss how end-of-life dreams can bring love and forgiveness, restore meaning to suffering and mark a transition from distress to comfort and acceptance.
Christopher Kerr, MD, PhD, is the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive Officer for Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo. Dr. Kerr comes from a long line of physicians, of which he is now the fifth generation. His TedX Buffalo Talk, “I See Dead People: Dreams and Visions of the Dying” has three million views and was reported on by the BBC, The Atlantic, The New York Times and The Washington Post.
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:
⭐️How to have a good death.
⭐️3 things Dr Kerr 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.
Buy Death is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning at Life’s End by Dr Christopher Kerr.
Visit Dr Christopher Kerr’s website
Watch Dr Christopher Kerr’s TEDx Talk “I See Dead People: Dreams and Visions of the Dying".
Read My Mourning Year, Andrew’s memoir about the loss of his partner.
You might also be interested in Andrew’s interviews with Dr Kathryn Mannix on “What You’ve Been Told About Death Might Be Wrong”, with Georgina Scull on “Regrets of the Dying” or with David Kessler on “The Sixth Stage of Grief”.
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.
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
Monday Nov 07, 2022
Monday Nov 07, 2022
If work leaves you feeling tense, unfulfilled or anxious, then it’s definitely time to make some kind of change. You probably know that already - but this week’s episode helps you think through where to start.
This week’s guest is Phil Poole, a Berlin-based coach, entrepreneur, writer and leader. Phil and Andrew discuss:
⭐️Phil’s journey through burnout to finding a meaningful, joyful career
⭐️How to know if it’s really the job that’s the problem.
⭐️Making big life changes with the support of your partner/family.
⭐️Narrowing down your passion and building it into your work life.
⭐️Breaking the cycle of overthinking/rumination and taking positive action.
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:
⭐️How to discover who you really are and what you really want.
⭐️3 things Phil 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.
Take the character survey Phil Poole discusses here (the option to take the survey will appear as a popup).
Visit Phil Poole’s Coaching for a Different Life website
Andrew also discusses burnout in the context of this interview with author and coach Dawn Kohler: When the Call to Be Yourself Can No Longer Be Ignored.
Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier
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.
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
Monday Oct 31, 2022
Monday Oct 31, 2022
Parenting adult children might not involve sleepless nights or dealing with detentions, but it can be highly challenging.
Often, the balance of power shifts and parents find themselves walking on eggshells, anxious about preserving a close relationship.
In this week’s episode Andrew talks to author and journalist Celia Dodd about the challenges and rewards of parenting later in life. They discuss:
- Dealing with conflict with your adult children
- What to do if you don’t get on with their partner
- Supporting adult children through periods of suffering and change.
- The sometimes thorny issue of how much you are involved with grandchildren.
- Adult siblings who don’t get on.
Celia Dodd is the author of All Grown Up: Nurturing Relationships with Adult Children. She is an author and journalist who writes about parenting and major transitions in life, such as the empty nest and retirement. Celia has written regularly for British papers such as The Times and the Independent. She recently produced a Retirement Planning Toolkit and webinar for Hampshire Police Force, and works with other organisations on retirement planning.
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:
⭐️How to keep conflict to a minimum but still talk about difficult things.
⭐️3 things Celia 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.
Read Celia Dodd’s latest book All Grown Up: Nurturing Relationships with Adult Children.
Read Celia Dodd’s other books, The Empty Nest: Your Changing Family, Your New Direction and Not Fade Away: How to Thrive in Retirement
Visit Celia Dodd’s website www.celiadodd.co.uk
Follow Celia Dodd on Twitter @celia_dodd and on Instagram @celiaruthdodd
You might also enjoy our episodes on Healing the Mother/Daughter Wound with author Itoro Bassey, What You Wish Your Parents Knew with therapist/author Philippa Perry or How to Reinvent Yourself at 50 with journalist Eleanor Mills.
Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier
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.
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
Monday Oct 24, 2022
Monday Oct 24, 2022
There's endless advice on romantic love, but how can you nurture loving friendships? And what should you do if a friendship turns sour, or leaves you feeling taken advantage of?
This week's guest is writer and therapist Dr Suzanne Degges-White, the author of Toxic Friendships: Knowing the Rules and Dealing with the Friends Who Break Them.
In this episode Andrew and Suzanne discuss:
⭐️ Making friends and why it gets harder as we age
⭐️ Being a good friend
⭐️ How many friends we need
⭐️ When to let go of a friendship.
Dr Suzanne Degges-White is a professor and chair of the Counseling and Higher Education department at Northern Illinois University. She is a licensed counsellor whose focus includes working with individuals and families facing transitions. Her academic research explores development over the lifespan with a strong focus on women’s relationships and women’s developmental transitions.
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:
⭐️Strategies to detoxify a friendship or work relationship
⭐️3 things Suzanne 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.
Read Dr Suzanne Degges-White’s new book Toxic Friendships: Knowing the Rules and Dealing with the Friends Who Break Them
Read Friends Forever : How Girls and Women Forge Lasting Relationships, the book on friendship co-written by Suzanne Degges-White and Christine Borzumato-Gainey
Read Dr Suzanne Degges-White’s articles for Psychology Today
Follow Dr Suzanne Degges-White on Twitter @DeggesWhite
Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier
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.
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