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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 Jul 24, 2023
Monday Jul 24, 2023
If you’re living in survival mode, squashing down feelings of anxiety, depression and panic, then something needs to change.
This week Andrew speaks with Dr Friedemann Schaub, a physician, researcher and personal development coach, about our deep-seated emotional baggage, and how to identify the self-sabotaging patterns and limiting beliefs that prevent us from leading productive, fulfilling and balanced lives.
Dr Friedemann Schaub, a doctor with a Ph.D. in molecular biology, left his career in allopathic medicine to pursue his passion of helping people overcome fear and anxiety without medication. For more than twenty years, he has helped thousands of his clients worldwide to break through their mental and emotional blocks and become the empowered leaders of their lives. His newest book The Empowerment Solution, focuses on activating the healing power of the subconscious mind to switch out of stress- and anxiety-driven survival mode and make authenticity and confidence the everyday way of being.
If You’re Looking for More….
You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.
This week supporters will hear:
⭐️How to deal with procrastination.
⭐️Three things Dr Friedemann Schaub 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 https://bit.ly/TheMeaningfulLifeSubstack
Read Dr Friedemann Schaub’s new book, The Empowerment Solution: Six Keys to Unlocking Your Full Potential with the Subconscious Mind
Visit Dr Friedemann Schaub’s website to learn more about his courses on anxiety and empowerment.
Follow Dr Friedemann Schaub on YouTube @Friedemannschaub, on Instagram @dr.friedemannchaub and on Twitter @DrFriedemannS
You might also be interested in our other episodes on anxiety: Make Anxiety Your Friend with Dr Kathleen Smith, and The Neuroscientist’s Guide to Anxiety with Dr Wendy Suzuki.
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 Jul 17, 2023
Monday Jul 17, 2023
Western medicine cannot cure all of our ills. Many of us experience stubborn aches, pains and fatigue that our doctors don’t seem able to touch, or even explain.
Dr Sharon Martin is a highly-trained physician who became frustrated by these limits, and began to explore the capacity of alternative medicine to bring healing and peace.
In this episode Andrew and Sharon discuss our capacity for intuition, the hidden messages in our dreams, and the ways in which shamanic mystery traditions can allow us to step into our full potential.
Dr Sharon Martin is a doctor of internal medicine, and also holds a PhD in physiology. She trained at Johns Hopkins University and other elite medical institutions. Dr Martin expanded her capacity as a healer by training in the shamanic, mystery traditions with Alberto Villoldo, Jean Houston, Carl Greer, Lilydale Assembly, The Cayce Foundation (A.R.E.), Patrice Fields, CC Treadway and others.
Sharon’s new book is Maximize Your Healing Power.
If You’re Looking for More….
You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.
This week supporters will hear:
⭐️How to break bad habits
⭐️Three things Dr Sharon Martin 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 Sharon Martin’s book Maximize Your Healing Power
Learn about Dr Sharon Martin’s work on her website
Follow Dr Sharon Martin on Twitter and Facebook @sharonmartinmd
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 interviews with Martina Schneider on Spiritual Therapy or with Linda Berman on Seven Ways to Become Your Authentic Self.
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 Jul 10, 2023
Monday Jul 10, 2023
We’re often told we’re in the midst of a post-Covid “loneliness epidemic”, but what exactly does that mean? Loneliness is a profound condition that goes right to the heart of being human - it’s certainly more than just being alone, and often it isn’t something that can be addressed by just “getting out more” or volunteering at the local hospital.
This week’s guest Dr Sam Carr became interested in attachment theory, and was then drawn to seek a deeper understanding of people who lacked attachment. He embarked on a study of loneliness that will be shared in his forthcoming book, All the Lonely People.
Andrew and Sam discuss types of loneliness - existential, the loneliness of a difficult relationship, objective vs subjective loneliness - and look at different ways to address it, including the Jungian path of finding solace and direction in our dreams.
If You’re Looking for More….
You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.
This week supporters will hear:
⭐️How internet porn affects romantic life
⭐️Three things Sam Carr 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.
Sam Carr’s book All the Lonely People can be preordered here.
Read some of Sam Carr’s articles for theconversation.com:
Loneliness, loss and regret: what getting old really feels like – new study
Parenting practices around the world are diverse and not all about attachment
How internet porn affects romantic life
Why mourning a pet can be harder than grieving for a person
Andrew and Sam discuss The Men on My Couch by Brandy Engler. You can find it here.
Andrew also mentions other episodes of this podcast, including How to be Resilient with James Hollis and Being a Mother with Lisa Marchiano.
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 Jul 03, 2023
Monday Jul 03, 2023
It can often seem that today's world rewards people who remain psychologically suspended in adolescence. Many people, particularly men, prolong and enjoy their adolescence for decades.
Conroy Harris, CEO of the charity A Band of Brothers, discovered through his own life experiences that this wasn’t a healthy way to live. He believes that everyone seeks a meaningful identity and a purpose into which to channel the energies of early adulthood.
In this episode Andrew and Conroy discuss the importance of rites of passage and mentoring, and how men can support one another to live authentic lives. Conroy shares some of his own difficult experiences as a young man, including periods of homelessness, and explains how mentoring and service to his community helped him find his way.
If You’re Looking for More….
You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.
This week supporters will hear:
⭐️Where do I fit in?
⭐️Three things Conroy Harris 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 the A Band of Brothers website
Follow A Band of Brothers on Facebook @abandofbrothers and on Twitter @band_brothersuk
Read Iron John: a Book About Men by Robert Bly.
Andrew also mentions his interview with Dr Connie Zweig on being an elder, From Role to Soul
Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier
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 Jun 26, 2023
Monday Jun 26, 2023
You have needs—your needs matter. And yet, you’ve been taught that pushing your needs to the back burner is the only way to get things done, that your needs are an overwhelming burden, or that self-care is a luxury you can’t afford.
Author, coach and podcaster Mara Glatzel encourages us to “take a seat at the table in our own life”. In this episode Andrew and Mara discuss how to articulate your needs, and how to pursue a more genuine and meaningful form of self-care.
Mara Glatzel is the author of Needy: How to Advocate for Your Needs and Claim Your Sovereignty. She is an intuitive coach, an author, and the host of the Needy podcast. In her coaching work she helps perfectionists, caregivers, and people pleasers take up space in their lives and reclaim their sovereignty through honouring and advocating for their needs.
If You’re Looking for More….
You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.
This week supporters will hear:
⭐️Raising “needy” kids.
⭐️Three things Mara Glatzel 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 Mara Glatzel’s book Needy: How to Advocate for Your Needs and Claim Your Sovereignty.
Listen to Mara Glatzel’s Needy podcast.
Read Mary Oliver’s poem Wild Geese
Follow Mara Glatzel on Facebook and Instagram @maraglatzel
You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Robert Jackman on Healing Your Lost Inner Child and Paul Gilbert on Compassion and Self-Acceptance.
Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier
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 Jun 19, 2023
Monday Jun 19, 2023
In this episode spiritual teacher Ayala Gill shares three fundamental questions with which to approach difficult situations life throws our way:
⭐️What can I learn from this moment?
⭐️What’s asking to be loved?
⭐️What can I give in return?
Andrew and Ayala also discuss the nature of suffering, the difference between suffering and pain, animistic cosmology (the inherent luminous intelligence intrinsic to all things), and what it means to “live in sacredness”.
Ayala Gill is a teacher of meditation, yoga and other spiritual practices. She has taught for 25 years, and guides silent retreats in Europe which include yoga, meditation and ceremony. She is currently writing a book that is provisionally titled Living in Sacredness. Her next guided retreat is in October 2023, at Le Moulin de Chaves, France
If You’re Looking for More….
You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.
This week supporters will hear:
⭐️Turning anger to compassion
⭐️Three things Ayala Gill 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 Ayala Gill’s website.
Next week, June 26-30 2023, Ayala will be teaching a week of daily meditations online with Sangha Live from 7-8am UK time (recordings available later the same day).
Learn more about Ayala Gill’s guided silent retreats
Read and/or subscribe to Ayala Gill’s Substack
Follow Ayala Gill on Facebook @ayala.gill
You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with Matthew McKay on Loving in the Face of Pain and Paul Gilbert on Compassion and Self-Acceptance.
Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier
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 Jun 12, 2023
Monday Jun 12, 2023
When fear presents itself, we are deterred from the essential work of holding tough conversations, defending new ideas against the status quo, and standing up against injustice.
Author Scott Simon founded the Scare Your Soul courage movement to help people harness their fears and lead more courageous lives. Since he became a “fear chaser”, Simon has had some big-ticket adventures: taking on his fear of heights by skydiving from 14,000 feet, negotiating multi-million dollar deals with tough and cynical real estate developers, and seeking out a famous healer in the misty mountains of Bali.
But the surprising truth is: it isn’t about these big moments of facing our fears —it’s the daily moments and choices that make the real impact.
In this episode, Scott and Andrew discuss how we can become braver, and Scott outlines seven powerful principles for taking action.
Scott Simon is a happiness entrepreneur, founder of the Scare Your Soul courage movement, and the author of the book Scare Your Soul: 7 Powerful Principles to Harness Fear and Lead Your Most Courageous Life. He is dedicated to creating, curating, and leading opportunities for people around the world to be happier, empowered and courageous in their own lives.
If You’re Looking for More….
You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.
This week supporters will hear:
⭐️What men need to know about divorce
⭐️Three things Scott Simon 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 Scott Simon’s book Scare Your Soul: 7 Powerful Principles to Harness Fear and Lead Your Most Courageous Life
Visit Scott Simon’s Scare Your Soul website
Follow Scott Simon on Facebook and Instagram @scareyoursoul
You might also enjoy Andrew’s interviews with therapist Charlotte Fox Weber on What Do You Really Want?, and with Alan Lessik on How to Deal With Change.
Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier
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 Jun 05, 2023
Monday Jun 05, 2023
Psychotherapist Tonya Lester believes it’s OK to be difficult. This doesn’t mean being rigid, domineering or unkind. It means making sure that your partner has a sense of who you are and what you need. Of course, you won’t get there without learning how to disagree productively.
In this episode Andrew and Tonya discuss how to develop mutually supportive relationships, including 8 ingredients for healthy conflict.
They also discuss Tonya’s recent New York Times article, “Couples Therapist, Heal Thyself”, about what it’s like to go into marriage counselling as a therapist.
Tonya Lester is a psychotherapist in Brooklyn, New York, with over 16 years of experience counselling couples. In her upcoming book, Be Difficult: A Guide to Speaking Up, Facing Conflict, and Changing, Tonya writes about her experience with women who seem empowered in other areas of their lives but are overly deferential and accommodating in their relationships.
If You’re Looking for More….
You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.
This week supporters will hear:
⭐️How to confess to infidelity.
⭐️Three things Tonya Lester 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 Tonya Lester’s website.
Read Tonya Lester’s New York Times article “Couples Therapist, Heal Thyself”.
Follow Tonya Lester on Instagram @tonyalesterpsychotherapy
You might also enjoy these episodes: Olivier Clerc on Forgiveness, or Terry Real on The Five Traps that Undermine Your Love.
Read Andrew’s book The Happy Couple’s Handbook
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 May 29, 2023
Monday May 29, 2023
Is it possible to decide to be happier, and then to go out there and make it happen? Hypnotherapist, author and podcaster Richard Nicholls believes that happiness is, at least in part, a skill to be learned. The more you practise, the easier it becomes.
Of course, each individual’s notion of happiness and their genetic capacity to achieve it easily will be very different. That doesn’t mean, though, that we shouldn't decide to influence those aspects of happiness that ARE inside our control.
In this episode Andrew and Richard discuss the nature of happiness, and the things we can do to make it more a part of our everyday lives.
If You’re Looking for More….
You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.
This week supporters will hear:
⭐️Dealing with comparison culture.
⭐️Three things Richard Nicholls 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 Richard Nicholls’ book 15 Minutes to Happiness
Visit Richard Nicholls’ website
Listen to the Therapy Natters podcast Richard Nicholls co-hosts with Fiona Biddle.
Follow Richard Nicholls on Twitter @richardnicholls, on Facebook @RichardNichollsAuthor and on Instagram @RichardNichollsReal.
You might also enjoy Andrew's interviews with Henry Emmons on Bring More Calm and Joy Into Your Life, or with Charlotte Fox Weber on What Do You Really Want?
Read Andrew’s book Wake Up and Change Your Life: How to Survive a Crisis and be Stronger, Wiser and Happier
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 May 22, 2023
Monday May 22, 2023
If you’re in relationship with a partner who is on the autism spectrum, the following may feel familiar:
- My partner seems to lack empathy and doesn’t care how I feel
- My partner misjudges me all the time - I can’t do anything right
- I can’t seem to find a way to communicate with my partner
- My partner feels attacked and criticised if I disagree
- We argue all the time and never resolve anything
- My partner just walks away when things get emotional
- We've been together for a long time and I am lonelier than I have ever been in my life
This week Sarah Swenson, a counselor specialising in working with neurodiverse couples, highlights some of challenges these couples face, and shares her ideas on how to build a happy relationship that can work for both partners.
Andrew and Sarah also discuss several listener letters on challenges faced by neurodiverse couples.
Sarah Swenson is a licensed mental health counselor based in Seattle, Washington. Her practice is focused on supporting the needs of neurodiverse couples in which one partner is or may be autistic.
If You’re Looking for More….
You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.
This week supporters will hear:
⭐️The problems with being highly intelligent.
⭐️Three things Sarah Swenson 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 Sarah Swenson’s website
Find out about Sarah Swenson’s online courses for neurodiverse couples.
Read Sarah Swenson’s Substack newsletter for neurotypical individuals whose partners are or may be autistic.
Find out about Sarah Swenson’s work counselling highly intelligent individuals.
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