The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall

One of the toughest challenges in a relationship is being able to forge our own individual selves. And it isn’t always something that gets easier over time. Our ability to create a strong separate self independent of a couple relationship is strongly influenced by how we grew up, and what our relationship with our parents was like. In this episode Andrew talks with psychosexual therapist Juliet Grayson about the question “Do I Have to Give Up Me to Be Loved By You? Juliet Grayson provides extensive training courses and workshops for therapists, including training in attachment informed couple therapy, creative writing in the therapeutic encounter, and the Pesso Boyden system of psychotherapy. Her website hosts many informative webinars, covering numerous topics including shame, death and 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: - Three things Juliet Grayson knows to be true. - How to Feel Less Guilty - 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 Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Juliet Grayson’s book, Landscapes of the Heart . Juliet Grayson has the following websites: www.therapyandcounselling.co.uk https://jandw.thinkific.com/ www.landscapesoftheheart.co.uk www.sexuallyinappropriatebehaviour.org Read some of the books discussed in this episode: Kahlil Gibrain’s The Prophet , Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury, Getting Past No by William Ury, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. Learn more about the Pesso Boyden method You might enjoy other episodes on relationship themes; including therapists Michelle Farris on Seven Signs You Might be Co-Dependent and Terry Real on The Five Traps that Undermine Your Love . Read Andrew’s book I Love You But I’m Not in Love With You: Seven Steps to Saving Your Relationship 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

When women and men argue, women can often be more comfortable in expressing their feelings of hurt and anger. Men can feel distressed by this strength of feeling, and may pull away emotionally. They may feel a very strong urge to occupy the ground of rationality and objectivity, which in turn leads their partner to push harder, desperately seeking emotional connection. Dr Avrum Weiss is a US-based author and psychotherapist specialising in the internal lives of men. His writing and his work with couples help men and women understand each other more deeply and build a stronger connection. In this episode Andrew and Dr Weiss discuss the emotion of anger and how our childhoods can influence our adult experiences of it. They share insights from Dr Weiss’ book Hidden in Plain Sight: How Men’s Fears of Women Shape Their Intimate Relationships , and look at how men and women can better understand each other’s internal world. 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: - Three things Dr. Weiss knows to be true. - The seven fears of men in relationships - 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 Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Buy Dr Avrum Weiss’ book Hidden in Plain Sight: How Men’s Fears of Women Shape Their Intimate Relationships Find Dr Avrum Weiss’ other books via his website https://www.avrumweissphd.com Read Dr Avrum Weiss' columns for Psychology Today Follow Dr Avrum Weiss on Facebook @AvrumWeissAuthor and on Twitter @avrum_weiss Read Andrew’s books on relationships and self-development You might also be interested in hearing Dr Matthew McKay talking with Andrew about Loving in the Face of 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

What is the right kind of therapy for you? Should you go for individual therapy (which is where most people start) or would couple or group work be best? This edition of the podcast is a little different because I have been invited on a podcast called Gruppenechos (Group Echoes in English) by a colleague here in Berlin called Ief Nicassi. He is a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist who works with groups and offers individual therapy. Our conversation was so interesting, I thought you might enjoy hearing me answering rather than asking the questions and finding out more about how I work. We discuss the similarities and differences between couple and group work, and explain how these forms of therapy might help you. Follow Up Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Visit Ief Nicassi's offical website: psychotherapie Nicassi Listen to the Gruppenechos podcast on Spotify 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

Lots of us are afraid of the very word: fear. We’d rather say anxiety, or worry, or panic. Yet according to Thom Rutledge, fear underlies most difficult emotions, and is a close companion to shame. Fear plays into just about every decision we ever make in our lives. To defeat fear, according to Thom, is neither possible nor desirable. Instead we need to live beyond its control, and to understand it. Rather than squashing down the voices of panic and dread, we can face up to them, explore them and respond. In this episode Andrew and Thom explore: ✅ The meaning of fear ✅ How we can understand fear in our own lives ✅ How our family background shapes our experience of fear ✅ Four ways we can start to “embrace fear”. Thom Rutledge has been a psychotherapist for more than 40 years and is the author of several books , including Embracing Fear, The Self-Forgiveness Handbook, Earning Your Own Respect, The Greater Possibilities and What Love Is. He draws on professional training and experience as well as his own personal experience in recovery and personal growth to work with his clients. Thom and his colleague, Dr. Allen Berger, co-host their own weekly podcast, Emotional Sobriety. 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: - Three things Thom Rutledge 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 Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Visit Thom Rutledge’s website Read Thom Rutledge’s books , including Embracing Fear. Listen to Emotional Sobriety , a podcast co-hosted by Thom Rutledge and Dr Allen Berger. Follow Thom Rutledge on Twitter @ThomRutledge Read Andrew’s blog on how keeping a journal can help deal with difficult emotions: Top Twelve Benefits of Journaling If anxiety is a topic of interest for you, you may also enjoy Andrew’s conversation with Richard Paterson: No More Overthinking 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

What happens when we ignore pain? Particularly if you’re a man, you have been taught that pain is the enemy – perhaps it is unmanly even to feel it – so you soldier on ‘it’s not that bad.’ or ‘it will go away if I can get a good holiday’ and you find ways to manage the pain. Women are often just as guilty – thinking ‘people are relying on me, I must keep it together’. After a while, we don’t really notice the pain – it’s like the hum of the fridge – always there. We sort of know that a problem ignored seldom gets better but we plough on – sometimes in blissful ignorance – until there is a crisis and our world comes tumbling down. My guests today are experts in what happens when it is impossible to stop pretending. Tyler and Brandon Patrick are brothers – Therapy Brothers (with a podcast of the same name). Tyler is a licensed marital and family therapist and Brandon is a licensed clinical social worker. They specialise in addiction and affair recovery….. 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: - Three things Therapy Brothers Tyler and Brandon know to be true. - How to move on without answers - 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 Attend Andrew’s mens’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Listen to Therapy Brothers Podcast on YouTube , Apple Podcasts , or Spotify Visit Therapy Brothers official website to learn more about their work. 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

Why do women stop wanting sex? Why is it so hard to recapture the intoxicating desire of those wonderful early weeks and months of your relationship? Irene Fehr has spent a decade working with couples as a sex and intimacy coach. Her specialty is women’s libido and sexual desire in long-term relationships. In this episode Andrew and Irene discuss the nature of desire. Unless we understand what compels and creates desire at different life stages, we will not be able to create a passionate, connected sexual life that meets both partner’s needs. As well as understanding desire, there are also practical steps you can take to rekindle your connection. Fencing off time away from your children (including the controversial act of locking the bedroom door) is key; as is taking small amounts of time each day (rather than weekly date nights) to spend in complete, uninterrupted togetherness. And if you are one of our wonderful Apple, Spotify or Patreon paying subscribers, this week’s bonus material sees Andrew and Irene discussing Seven Common Traps for Couples Making Love. Irene Fehr is a sex and intimacy coach. Her articles and advice on sex, female libido and sexual pleasure are regularly featured in publications including Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan and Thought Catalog. 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: ⭐️Three things Irene Fehr 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 Attend Andrew’s mens’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Take Irene Fehr’s free video course on How to Want to Have Sex Again Learn more about Feed Your Libido , Irene Fehr’s signature online program for women. Visit Irene Fehr’s website Follow Irene Fehr on Twitter and YouTube @ignitedwoman and on LinkedIn . Read the books discussed in this episode: Women’s Anatomy of Arousal by Sherrie Winston, and The New Male Sexuality by Bernie Zilbergeld. Find out more about Betty Martin’s Wheel of Consent Listen to other The Meaningful Life episodes on sex and relationships: Tracey Cox on Great Sex After Fifty and Dr Terry Real on Five Traps that Undermine Your Love 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

David Kessler is one of the world’s best-known experts on grief, yet nothing could prepare him for the loss of his beloved son at the age of 21. Just as he’d advised his clients for decades, David attended grief groups, saw a therapist and sat with his pain. In this episode, Andrew and David discuss how society wants us to grieve versus the reality of loss. We will likely never “get over” the loss of someone close to us, nor will we learn life lessons that somehow compensate us for our pain. It is possible, though, to locate meaning in how we survive and experience loss. Andrew and David also explore Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s famous and now much contested “five stages of grief” (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance) and discuss how useful they are in today’s landscape. David Kessler’s new book is Finding Meaning:The Sixth Stage of Grief . His previous books have been praised by Saint (Mother) Theresa, and Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. He has co-authored two books with Louise Hay and Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. David also creates online communities who take courses together to learn more about the process of grieving. 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: ⭐️Three things David Kessler 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 Attend Andrew’s mens’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Join David Kessler’s online healing group, Healing the Five Areas of Grief . Visit David Kessler’s website to explore resources including videos, webinars, books and training courses. Follow David Kessler on Twitter and Instagram @IamDavidKessler and on Facebook @DavidKessler. Read Andrew’s book on grieving the loss of his partner My Mourning Year You may also wish to listen to Andrew’s interview with palliative care physician and author Dr Kathryn Mannix, What You’ve Been Told About Death Might Be Wrong . 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

Finding meaning and fulfillment in the second half of life requires us to make a conscious transition. We must explore “the unconscious denial and resistance that erupts around key thresholds of later life” if we are to be happy as elders. In this episode, psychotherapist and author Connie Zweig, PhD talks with Andrew about how to become an elder who is filled with purpose and vitality. She explains the concept of “shadow-work”, and how it can help you: ⚡️Repair the past and be fully present ⚡️Accept yourself as you are ⚡️Rediscover the creativity you may have lost along the way. ⚡️Move “from role to soul”. Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired psychotherapist, writer, and Climate Reality Leader. Known as the Shadow Expert, she has written several books about shadow-work, as well as her newest best-seller on aging as a spiritual practice, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. The Inner Work of Age won both the 2021 American Book Fest Award and the 2021 Best Indie Book Award for best inspirational non-fiction. Connie has been doing contemplative practices for more than 50 years, and is a wife, stepmother and grandmother. After all these roles, she’s practicing the shift from role to soul. 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: ⭐️Three things Connie Zweig 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 Attend Andrew’s mens’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life , and join the community there. If you're interested in joining one of Dr Connie Zweig's groups, you can email her at The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul . Take a look at Dr Connie Zweig’s other books Visit Dr Connie Zweig’s website Follow Dr Connie Zweig on Twitter @InnerWorkofAge and on Facebook at @Dr.ConnieZweig. 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

If you dread parties, can’t face job interviews, or won’t start scary conversations with your partner, this is the episode for you. Dr Wendy Suzuki is a neuroscientist and an international expert on anxiety and the brain. Her new book, Good Anxiety , unpacks the science of everyday anxiety in a way that helps us manage it. In this episode, Andrew and Wendy discuss: ⚡️What “good anxiety” is, and how to channel it in the right direction. ⚡️How anxiety can lead to productivity and creativity. ⚡️Meditation, tea-drinking, and the jujitsu move that turns anxiety around. Dr. Wendy Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University and a celebrated international authority on neuroplasticity. She was recently named one of the 10 women changing the way we see the world by Good Housekeeping. Her TED talk has more than 31 million views on Facebook, and her first book Healthy Brain Happy Life was recently made into a PBS special. 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: ⭐️Three things Dr. Wendy Suzuki 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 Attend Andrew’s mens’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life , and join the community there. Read Dr Wendy Suzuki’s book Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion Visit Dr Wendy Suzuki’s website Connect with Dr Wendy Suzuki on social media: find her on Instagram @wendy.suzuki , on Twitter @wasuzuki and on Facebook @WendyASuzuki Read Andrew’s blog on how keeping a journal can improve your life: Top Twelve Benefits of Journaling If anxiety is a topic of interest for you, you may also enjoy Andrew’s conversation with Richard Paterson: No More Overthinking 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

Is society setting you up to fail in your marriage? World-renowned relationship therapist Terry Real sees a toxic culture of individualism troubling society at every level. We are told to strive for personal productivity and perfection, ignoring the fact that we exist in a web of crucial relationships. In this episode, Terry describes research showing that the mind exists in a social context, and that couples in fact co-regulate each other’s nervous systems. Getting this right is very tricky, though, if you grew up without enough emotional support. The survival strategies that got you through childhood may, in fact, “torch your personal relationships”. Andrew and Terry discuss the five most common traps that can undermine your relationship: 🚩 Needing to be right 🚩 Controlling your partner 🚩 Unbridled self-expression 🚩 Retaliation 🚩 Shutting down We can overcome these, however, by tapping into our wiser, more collaborative self. If we can find the “us” rather than the “I”, we can achieve the warmer, more intimate relationships many of us long for. 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: ⭐️Three things Terry Real 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 Attend Andrew’s mens’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life , and join the community there. Buy Terry Real’s book Us: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship Take a look at Terry Real’s other books, including The New Rules of Marriage and How Can I Get Through to You? Visit Terry Real’s website https://terryreal.com Follow Terry Real on Facebook and YouTube @TerryRealRLI 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

My guests this week - Lisa Arends and Helen Tower - know just about everything there is to know about the painful subject of infidelity, because they have lived it through it themselves. Both have written extensively about their experiences. Lisa’s is a story of the most extreme and dramatic betrayal: ten years ago her husband ended their 16-year marriage with a text message, after which she never saw him again. Lisa rebuilt her life and has a new partner. Helen’s experience involved her partner’s lengthy affair with a co-worker. After initially separating from her husband, Helen came to the decision to try and rebuild the relationship. She and her husband recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, and the journey toward recovery continues. Both Helen and Lisa agree that recovering from infidelity is all about strengthening the self. The journey to a new life and a new relationship (whether that’s with the unfaithful partner or someone new) hinges on doing the work to achieve self-knowledge and personal strength. This week’s episode is a fascinating three-way conversation featuring two totally different experiences of infidelity. It is essential listening if infidelity has been a part of your experience, but it also has much to offer if you’d like to feel stronger and more empowered in your relationship. Lisa Arends is a data scientist, former middle school math teacher and accidental expert on divorce. She is passionate about empowering, motivating and inspiring people as they move through difficult transitions and life situations. Lisa blogs at Lessons from the End of a Marriage. She lives outside of Atlanta with her husband and two adorable pit bulls. Helen Tower writes and blogs about infidelity (Helen Tower is the pen name she uses to protect her family). In 2018 Helen discovered her husband of twenty-two years was having an affair, and eight months later published her story as Sailing Through Infidelity: A Story of Love and Forgiveness. 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: ⭐️Three things Helen and Lisa 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 Attend Andrew’s mens’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life , and join the community there. Read Lisa Arends’ blog Lessons from the End of a Marriage Follow Lisa Arends on Facebook @LESSONSFROMTHEENDOFAMARRIAGE, on Twitter and Instagram @stilllearning2b and on YouTube . Helen Tower blogs at Sailing Through Infidelity Read Helen Tower’s books, including Sailing through Infidelity: A story of love and forgiveness . Listen to Helen Tower's podcast Sail Through and Beyond Infidelity https://open.spotify.com/show/0191IgpffJkLcxebwTm5S5?si=DYMn9S--QPOi5LT2HxRZag&dl_branch=1&nd=1 Follow Helen on Facebook @HelenTowerAuthor, on Instagram @helentowerstaycalm and on Twitter @sailinginfidel1 Read Andrew’s books on infidelity recovery: Why Did I Ever Cheat? Help Your Partner (and Yourself) Recover From Your Affair How Can I Ever Trust You Again? Infidelity: From Discovery to Recovery in Seven Steps I Can’t Get Over My Partner’s Affair: 50 Questions About Recovering from Extreme Betrayal and the Long-Term Impact of Infidelity 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

How often have you heard masculinity described as “toxic”, “fragile”, or “in a crisis”? JJ Bola - writer, former youth worker, and UNHCR Ambassador - tries to go deeper in understanding how society is failing boys and men. In this episode, JJ Bola describes masculinity as a performance that we require boys to learn; along the way stifling their individuality and emotional health. Different societies have different myths about masculinity, and JJ Bola is able to draw on his experiences as a Congolese man growing up in London to show how diverse these ideas are. If we could discard the performance of masculinity and allow boys to grow up free and to be who they are, we are likely to see the benefits in love and sex, politics, competitive sports and mental health. JJ Bola was born in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He grew up in London and has written two novels - No Place to Call Home and The Selfless Act Of Breathing - as well as three collections of poetry - Elevate, Daughter of the Sun and WORD - and a non-fiction book about masculinity and the patriarchy, Mask Off: Masculinity Redefined. This week’s episode takes a slightly different format: Andrew interviews JJ Bola at the annual MANN SEIN conference in Berlin, an international gathering to talk about masculinity in today’s world. Follow Up Attend Andrew’s mens’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life , and join the community there. Find out more about the MANN SEIN annual conference in Berlin/online. Read JJ Bola’s books: Mask Off: Masculinity Redefined , No Place to Call Home , The Selfless Act Of Breathing and Refuge (which collates his 3 volumes of poetry). Follow JJ Bola on Twitter and Instagram @JJ_Bola Listen to Andrew’s other conversations on masculinity: ⭐️Jed Diamond PhD on “Your Personal Creation Story” ⭐️Joe Horton on “ Men, Fathers and Meaning ” ⭐️Matthew Fray on “How Good People Mess Up Their Marriages” ⭐️Warren Farrell PhD on “ The Boy Crisis ” Get Andrew’s advice on creating real change in your life and relationships in his 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

Many of us, particularly women, experience endless frustration because we don’t feel heard. At work and at home, it seems like we are constantly interrupted and rarely feel in control of a conversation. This week Viv Groskop, journalist, podcaster, stand-up comedian and author of How to Own The Room and Lift As You Climb, talks with Andrew about how to speak so that people will listen. Diving into the world of stand-up taught Viv about pacing, pausing and gauging people’s reactions; but most importantly, about quieting your own ego and tuning into your audience. Andrew and Viv discuss why exactly it is that many women struggle to be heard. At the practical level, it is crucial to enter the discussion assertively. We also need to make sure we are not self-sabotaging by pre-judging our own contribution as “not good enough”. Viv Groskop hosts the chart-topping podcast How to Own The Room. She has written five books and this year will be a judge for the International Booker Prize. She is a regular guest presenter on BBC Radio 4 and has appeared on Woman’s Hour, Today and Front Row. Viv is also a fluent Russian speaker and is a trustee of Pushkin House, the independent centre for Russian culture in London. 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: ⭐️Three things Viv Groskop 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 Attend Andrew’s mens’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life , and join the community there. Listen to How to Own the Room , Viv Groskop’s podcast: https://vivgroskop.com/podcast/ Read How to Own the Room: Women and the Art of Brilliant Speaking , Lift As You Climb: Women, Ambition and How to Change the Story , Au Revoir Tristesse: Lessons in Happiness from French Literature and Viv Groskop’s other books Visit Viv Groskop’s website : https://vivgroskop.com Follow Viv on Instagram and Twitter @VivGroskop 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

Do you feel trapped, hopeless or broken in your relationship? Perhaps you hope by trying harder, being more empathetic or just plain knowledgeable, that everything will turn a corner. On one hand, that’s a great strategy and shows admirable tenacity but on the other, it can reach a point that’s bad for your well-being, your mental health and for your children too. If you’re wondering whether your relationship has turned abusive, my witness on the Meaningful Life will provide lots to think about. Dr. Alina Kastner is a systemic family therapist and the author of ‘Break Up with Narcissism: How to break free and stay free.’ 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 emotional exhaustion ⭐️Three things Dr. Alina Kastner 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 Attend Andrew’s mens’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life , and join the community there. Visit Dr. Alina Kastner's website Follow Dr. Alina Kastner on Instagram ( @dr.alinakastner ) and TikTok ( tiktok.com/@dr.alinakastner ) Read Dr. Alina Kastner's book Break Up With Narcissism 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

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 Attend Andrew’s mens’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools 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 . 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

Have you found the freedom to explore the rich landscape of your erotic self? Or did your childhood leave you feeling restricted and repressed by a sex negative mindset? In this week’s episode Andrew talks to Silva Neves, a psychosexual psychotherapist, about: Why people DON’T fully explore their sexual selves Why labelling people “sex addicts” is unhelpful, and The liberating mindset of sex positivity. Silva Neves works with couples experiencing a wide range of sex and relationship issues, including sexual trauma, infidelity, and compulsive sexual behaviours. He regularly appears in the British media and was featured on the BBC Three’s television series, Sex On The Couch. Silva is a COSRT-accredited and UKCP-registered psychosexual and relationship psychotherapist, and a trauma psychotherapist. His private practice is based in Central London and online. 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: ⭐️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 Attend Andrew’s men’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life , and join the community there. Visit Silva Neves’ website Visit Silva Neves’ site on sex positivity Get advice from Silva Neves via his Psychology Today blog Read Silva Neves’ book Compulsive Sexual Behaviours, A Psycho-Sexual Treatment Guide for Clinicians Learn about the course Silva Neves teaches at CICS - an Online Diploma in in Compulsive Sexual Behaviour Follow Silva Neves on social media: Twitter @SilvaNeves3; and Instagram and Facebook @silvanevespsychotherapy Read The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity by Esther Perel Read The Men On My Couch: True Stories of Sex, Love and Psychotherapy by David Rensin and Brandy Engler Read Andrew’s book Have the Sex You Want: A Couple’s Guide to Getting Back the Spark Read Andrew’s blog How To Have the Sex You Want 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

We spend a lot of time feeling very serious about seeking meaning in our lives; but is it possible that the secret lies in making the search more fun? Can we say a creative, mutually affirming “yes” more often? And when do we need a self-protective “no”? This week Andrew and improv comedy star Pippa Evans have lots of fun together as they compare the strategies of improvisational comedy with those of therapy. Perhaps the most interesting lesson from improv: “be in the moment that is, not the one you thought would come along”. Pippa Evans is a comedian and writer known for her skills in improvisational comedy. She was a core member of the improv team behind the award-winning stage show Showstopper: The Improvised Musical which toured the UK and abroad, and has regularly appeared on BBC radio. Pippa likes to “use jokes to find connection”, and teaches courses on improvisation and the ways it can help improve our relationships with ourselves and with others. She has recently written a book called Improv Your Life: An Improviser’s Guide To Working With Whatever Life Throws At You. 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: Three Things Pippa Evans 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 Attend Andrew’s men’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Pippa Evans’ book Improv Your Life: An Improviser’s Guide to Working With Whatever Life Throws At You Take a look at Pippa’s website Find out more about the Sunday Assembly , a church for non-believers co-founded by Pippa and fellow comedian Sanderson Jones. Follow Pippa on Twitter and Instagram @IAmPippaEvans 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

There is a coherent and meaningful map for our lives and we are given it one step at a time with the occasional glimpse into the whole picture. That’s the key idea of my witness today... Sometimes the messages come from bodily instincts – you visit somewhere and you know it is going to be important for you – or your intuition telling something is true or resonates deeply within. At other times, the glimppses come from synchronicity (meaningful coincidences) But most importantly and most consistently the messages come, through our dreams. Toko-pa Turner is the author of ‘The Dreaming Way: Courting the Wisdom of Dreams. She is a teacher and dreamworker who blends a Sufi Spiritual with a Jungian Psychological approach. In 2001, she founded Dream School from which thousands of students have graduated. 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: ⭐️Three things Toko-Pa Turner 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 Attend Andrew’s couple’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026 or men's retreat in April 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life , and join the community there. Toko-pa's website: toko-pa.com Substack: tokopa.substack.com Facebook: @TokopaTurner Instagram: @tokopa Dream Drops (self-study course): https://toko-pa.com/dream-drops/ Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home ( belongingbook.com ) The Dreaming Way: Courting the Wisdom of Dreams ( thedreamingway.com ) 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

Who is your favourite literary character? According to Dr Josh Cohen, an academic working in literary theory and also a psychoanalyst, this can be a very important question. Josh Cohen’s new book is How to Live. What To Do: In search of ourselves in life and literature . He believes that there are major similarities between psychoanalysis and great literature. For one thing, neither offers simple answers to complex questions. With books, you have the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of someone else, understand what makes them click and why they do what they do. With analysis, which is generally over several years, you do something similar with your unconscious, and come to understand yourself better. In this episode Josh and Andrew discuss the books that have stayed with them throughout their lives. They also touch on the essential quality of imagination in childhood, and why we all need to “be more Alice”. Josh Cohen is a professor of modern literary theory at Goldsmiths, University of London, and a psychoanalyst in private practice. He is the author of many books on aspects of modern life. 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: Three Things Josh Cohen 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 Attend Andrew’s couple’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026 or men's retreat in April 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Josh Cohen’s new book How to Live. What To Do: In search of ourselves in life and literature Read Josh Cohen’s book Not Working: Why We Have To Stop 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. Read Andrew’s book reviews on Goodreads Get Andrew’s advice on creating change in your life and relationships in his 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

How do we live knowing that we will die? How can we face death, and how should we prepare for it? Dr Kathryn Mannix has spent her professional life working in palliative care, and the teams she has worked on have been involved in 10-15 thousand deaths. In this classic episode, Kathryn shares her insights into what it’s like to die and how we can love and support someone approaching the end of their life. If you struggle with thoughts of death - be it from a generalised fear, a terminal diagnosis, or the loss of loved ones - Kathryn’s calm and honest approach will help. As well as working as a consultant in palliative care medicine, Kathryn is the author of With the End in Mind: How to Live and Die Well, a collection of powerful human stories of life and death. The book draws on a lifetime of clinical experience to offer advice on facing death and living life in its shadow. 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: Three Things Kathryn Mannix 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 Attend Andrew’s couple’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026 or men's retreat in April 2026: details here Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools Read Kathryn’s book With the End in Mind: How to Live and Die Well Follow Kathryn on Twitter Find Oliver Sacks’ book Gratitude written at the end of his life. Read Andrew’s book on grieving the loss of his partner My Mourning Year 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