the Grow Yourself Up Podcast

a podcast to support all of us in our adult lives

Many of us did not get our needs adequately met in childhood. The devastating legacy of childhood trauma, wounding and traumatic stress lives on in our brains, our bodies, our nervous systems and our behaviour/reactions impacting the way we turn up to our lives in many ways.

We are going to unpack all of this on Grow Yourself Up. This podcast will be a companion as you journey on your own road of healing and recovery.

You will learn you are not alone. Someone has been where you are. There is hope.

We will break down shame together and learn to cultivate self compassion. There is always the possibility for change. And regardless of what has happened in our past, as adults we have to take responsibility for our own lives.

We have to tend to our pain, our sadness and our dysfunction so that we can live a life we love and shift toxic patterns for our children.

Each week we send out journal questions based around the podcast’s topic. If you would like to receive these questions, please sign up here.

Looking for a specific topic or guest? Search below:

Helena Bradbury Helena Bradbury

Ep 94: People Pleasing, Boundaries and Our Needs

In today's episode Cath focuses on people pleasing. She looks at how and why it arises in our family of origin, how it manifests in the way we are in relationships and how it can turn up in parenting. She suggests ways in which to counteract this urge. And next week there will be more on this subject.

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Helena Bradbury Helena Bradbury

Ep 93: Matrescence and Growing Up in Motherhood with Lucy Jones (Re-release)

In this episode Cath is joined by author and journalist Lucy Jones. Cath and Lucy discussed Lucy's matrescence journey, her most recent book (Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood), how she makes sense (and continues to) of the huge transition to motherhood, what Lucy finds supportive, how we are all eco systems and some of the realities of mothering at this time in our history.

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Helena Bradbury Helena Bradbury

Ep 92: Respect, Needs, Divorce and Growing Up in Motherhood with Nicola Rae

Cath was joined by Coach, Trainer and Supervisor Nicola Rae in episode 92. Cath and Nicola talked about Nicola’s path to motherhood, how she came into relationship with her needs, her divorce and how this relates to growing herself and much more. Nicola shared what she focuses on instead of focusing on being liked and how this gives her freedom.

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Helena Bradbury Helena Bradbury

Ep 90: Building Better Brains, Primitive Reflexes and Growing up in Motherhood with Lorraine Driscoll

In episode 90 Cath was joined by Integrative Educational Therapist and Nutritionist Lorraine Driscoll. Cath and Lorraine talked about PANs/PANDA’s and how Lorraine supported her daughter in her healing. The impact of retained primitive reflexes and how Lorraine’s teaching career informed her move into being a therapist and educator, and much more.

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Helena Bradbury Helena Bradbury

Ep 89: Guilt and Shame in Parenting: Ask Cath

In episode 89 Cath answers a listener's letter. The content of this episode deals with the question: ‘How can we tend to ourselves when we realise some of our parenting has come from our own pain and trauma?’ How do we deal with the guilt and shame arising from this? What helps this shift?

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Helena Bradbury Helena Bradbury

Ep 88: Learning to Meet Needs is a Practise (re-release)

In episode 88 Cath focuses on our needs and why starting to meet/meeting them can be so complex. Building on earlier episodes on this topic, listen to episodes 1-4 and 26. She makes a suggestion for how you can reframe times when there is self abandonment (needs not being met) to reduce shame. Having our needs met is a huge contributor to being in our own sense of power and agency.

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Helena Bradbury Helena Bradbury

Ep 87: The Fatherwound, Patriarchy and Growing up in Fatherhood with Clint Davis

In episode 87 of Grow Yourself Up Cath was joined by Clint Davis. Cath and Clint talked about culture and patriarchy, how Clint parents differently to how he was patented and how he continues to grow himself up in fatherhood. Cath and Clint talked about Clint’s book and how the conversations you have with your kids when they are young provide an important basis for later communication and much more.

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Helena Bradbury Helena Bradbury

Ep 86: Being a Changemaker, Fawning and Growing Up in Motherhood with Kemi Omijeh

In episode 86 Cath was joined by Psychotherapist, Speaker and Clinical Supervisor Kemi Omijeh. Cath and Kemi talked about Kemi's journey to motherhood, how her own parenting differs from the parenting she received and how she centres her children and supports them in getting their needs met. Kemi talked about being a changemaker in workplaces which are predominantly white and how exhausting that is, fawning, people pleasing and much more about Kemi continues to grow herself up and be her authentic self wherever she goes.

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Helena Bradbury Helena Bradbury

Ep 84: Mental Health and Personal Growth in our Mothering with Emily Adler Mosqueda (Re-release)

In this episode Cath is joined by Emily Adler Mosqueda. We discuss Emily's mothering experience. Emily shares how her postpartum time after the birth of her second daughter was much more challenging than her first. We examine what contributed to this touching on cultural expectations, perfectionism, rage, meeting our inner child in parenting, mental health, support and learning to make space for ourselves as mothers. Emily shares the arc of her journey explaining how she has landed in her own good enough space.

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Helena Bradbury Helena Bradbury

Ep 83: Well being, Perimenopause and Growing Up in Motherhood with Thalia Pellegrini

In episode 83 Cath was joined by Nutritional Therapist Thalia Pellegrini to talk about her mothering experiences, how she learnt to support herself better with nutrition and how she centres her own well being in motherhood. Thalia shared how she continues to grow herself up in motherhood and how changing her perspective supports her in tricky times and more.

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Helena Bradbury Helena Bradbury

Ep 82: Intrusive Thoughts and Growing Up in Motherhood with Caroline Boyd

In episode 82 Cath was joined by Dr Caroline Boyd to discuss her experience of motherhood and intrusive thoughts in the postpartum period. Caroline shares some of her own experience of intrusive thoughts and she highlighted how these thoughts are driven by anxiety and our stress response being dialled up in early parenthood. Caroline shares her own research into intrusive thoughts, the different types of thoughts and what our own emotional response to these thoughts indicates (based on research) and lots more.

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Helena Bradbury Helena Bradbury

Ep 80: Relationships, Expectations and Obligations

In this special bonus episode released on Christmas Day, Cath speaks about relationships, family of origin, expectations and obligations. And how we can get all tangled up with our childhood roles when we are back in our family of origin.

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Helena Bradbury Helena Bradbury

Ep 78: Resources, Rage and Ruptures

In this episode Cath speaks about resourcing yourself over the holiday period and what that might look like. There may be more rage and ruptures at this time and she speaks to how you might support yourself and the benefits of working through ruptures, why these are so important and welcoming in repair.

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Helena Bradbury Helena Bradbury

Ep 77: Developmental Trauma, Healing and Growing Up in Fatherhood with Stephen Terrell

In the episode this week Cath was joined by Stephen Terrell. Steve Terrell is a Healer, Teacher, and Author and sees clients at Austin Attachment and Counseling Center in Austin, Texas. He founded this center over 20 years ago for the treatment of Developmental Trauma and Adoption related issues. He has a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and a Doctorate in Psychology California Coast University and sees his clients under his license as a professional counselor in Texas.

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