Soulful Insights

What shapes personality?

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:23:29 GMT

In this episode, Rebecca and Ruth chat about personality. They explore the notions of nature versus nurture, and why some aspects of personality, sometimes assumed to be enduring, are potentially changeable. They discuss certain components of personality, and the fact that sometimes what we might perceive as personality traits, are potentially adaptive mechanisms, and why these sometimes result in people seeking therapeutic support.

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Why reach for freedom?

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 06:45:48 GMT

In this episode, Ruth and Rebecca explore facets of freedom. What does it mean to be free from? Or free to? What factors can impede our freedom? They chat about the connections between freedom and choice, freedom and responsibility, and why freedom can be such a subjective experience. What does freedom mean to you?

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What impedes trust in intimate connections?

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 06:16:32 GMT

In this episode Rebecca and Ruth continue their conversation on trust, focusing on intimate relationships. They discuss some of the factors which can impede trust in intimacy, and what some of the conditions to facilitating trust might be. They also chat about the relationship between self-trust, and trusting others.

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Why does trust challenge us?

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 00:53:37 GMT

In this episode Rebecca and Ruth explore trust. They look at why trust is both so significant in our lives, and yet, so complex. They discuss how early trust can be impacted, about why it's never wise to trust blindly, and they discuss the importance and challenges of self trust.

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What about needs?

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 02:28:38 GMT

In this episode Ruth and Rebecca speak about human needs. They discuss some of the needs identified in Maslow's Hierarchy, and the interplay between them. They explore why sometimes people are disconnected from their needs, or are perhaps reluctant to identify them, and about the importance of being able to sometimes meet our own.

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Why conflict?

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 05:53:21 GMT

In this episode Rebecca and Ruth discuss conflict. What is it, and why is it such a significant issue for us psychologically?

They explore how our patterns of conflict engagement occur, discuss some of the factors present within conflict, and offer some strategies about understanding conflict and managing our reactions to it.

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Why do inner child work?

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:57:55 GMT

What is inner child work, and how is it employed therapeutically? In this episode Rebecca and Ruth explore the benefits of inner child therapy. They discuss why it is a powerful tool that is frequently used by therapists, and how it can support integration and the living of an authentic life.

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Soothing self-talk

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 13:07:08 GMT

In this episode Rebecca and Ruth chat about self-talk. What are the internal voices that speak to us, and how do we know if they're working well for us? They discuss potential origins of our self-talk, and how we might go about cultivating an internal dialogue that is less critical, and more soothing.

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Somatic sensing

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 03:39:29 GMT

In this episode Rebecca and Ruth speak about Somatic Sensing. They discuss why the dialogue between mind, body and emotions is so important, and how we sometimes lose the innate connection between them. They explore how the body can work as a guide in accessing stuck or suppressed emotions, and how focusing can be used therapeutically in integrating these essential aspects of self.

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Holding happiness

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 03:08:46 GMT

Happiness is something many of us seek, but sometimes struggle to grasp, and to hold. In this episode Ruth and Rebecca explore some potential keys to attaining personal happiness. They chat about why these keys are significant, how they interrelate, and also discuss some of the barriers to happiness that some of us experience.

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Raising responsibility

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 07:02:21 GMT

In this episode Ruth and Rebecca discuss responsibility. What does it mean to take responsibility? Why is it significant? They chat about the intricacies of responsibility, and of boundaries, and explore some of the hurdles that might impact our willingness and ability to be responsible.

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Conversing on chaos

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 03:58:29 GMT

At a time in the world where conflict is raging, and people are demanding change, in this episode, Rebecca and Ruth's conversation is on chaos. How do we experience it? Why and when does it arrive? They discuss dark and light chaos, why we generally find chaotic states uncomfortable, and they explore some potential ways to navigate periods of chaos while minimising its impact.

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Sourcing safety

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 02:58:12 GMT

In this episode Rebecca and Ruth chat about emotional and psychological safety. They discuss how our sense of safety develops, and pose questions around what safety might look like, and who holds our safety. They also explore factors which can impact our perception of emotional safety.

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Surveying self-narratives

Sun, 25 May 2025 03:50:38 GMT

Rebecca and Ruth grapple with the complexities of self-narratives in this new episode. They discuss how the stories we tell ourselves, and the ones we absorb and attach to from various external voices in our lives, impact how we relate to ourselves and our world. They chat about what it might mean to have a cohesive self-narrative, and explore the impact of having either fixed or flexible narratives, and how we know when we may need to reframe or let go of the narratives we’re currently holding.

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Dialogue on disordered eating

Wed, 07 May 2025 14:24:14 GMT

In this dialogue, Rebecca and Ruth chat about the distinction between disordered eating and eating disorders, and also touch on 'fussy eating'. They discuss the main eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, and explore some of the symptoms and reasons behind why individuals may develop such complex, and potentially life threatening relationships with sustenance.

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Re recognising patterns

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 12:22:15 GMT

Rebecca and Ruth speak in this episode about recognising the patterns which can have a huge impact on the ways in which we relate. They chat about the origin of patterns, and why they can be problematic in both interpersonal and intrapersonal contexts. Ruth and Rebecca also discuss how we might make unconscious patterns conscious, and therefore be able to move beyond them.

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Presenting power

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 08:52:12 GMT

Ruth and Rebecca chat about power in this episode. They explore what power is, and the difference between 'power over' and inhabiting a sense of true power. They discuss states that might lead to feeling empowered, and also some of the barriers we face, especially within a scoiety or structures which seem to work to disempower some, while increasing the power of others.

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Positioning pleasure

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 10:15:30 GMT

In this episode Rebecca and Ruth chat about pleasure. What's our relationship to pleasure? Why is it important? What gets in the way? They discuss some of the things that shape our relationship to pleasure, and explore some of the boundaries between pleasure and addictive behaviours.

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Inspecting identity

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 03:00:28 GMT

In this episode Ruth and Rebecca inspect some of the components that make up our identity. What is our identity? How does it form? They chat about the interplay between image and identity, and explore some of the challenges that arise when we want to attach too strongly to identities that don't allow for expansion.

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Around adult friendships

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 01:39:33 GMT

In this episode Rebecca and Ruth respond to a listener request and delve into the topic of adult friendships. Why are they important and how do they impact our sense of self? Their conversation covers some of difficulties that can occur in friendship, how friendships can reflect habitual patterns of relating, and explores some of the different ways in which people 'do' friendship.

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Surrender and submission

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 04:51:56 GMT

In this episode Ruth and Rebecca discuss factors that relate to the states of submission and of surrender. They identify some of the differences, how these states might feel and in what situations we might be called to either submit, or to surrender. They also explore certain conditions that might enable us to surrender, and what this can mean for our personal growth.

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Viewing the valued self

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 16:03:41 GMT

In this episode Ruth and Rebecca explore the steps that are instrumental in valuing the self. They chat about self-awarenss, self-worth, self-esteem,

self-confidence, self-love and self-realisation. They discuss their unnderstanding of these concepts, and explore what can lead us to embrace these various states, as well as the hurdles that might be encountered on the quest for the development of an actualised sense of self.

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Critical communication

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 03:38:51 GMT

Sound communication is often a critical component of good relationships. In this episode, Rebecca and Ruth explore some of the components, and patterns of communication that we develop. They discuss why good communication is important in fostering healthy relationships, and chat about barriers to effective communication, and why taking responsibility for what we're communicating is sometimes a challenge.

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Building boundaries

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 06:31:51 GMT

Rebecca and Ruth chat about boundaries in this episode of Soulful Insights. How do we learn them? How do we uphold them? They discuss boundaries that are both internal and external, and speak of some of the things that can lead to having boundaries transgressed. They also explore some of the steps to identifying, and then affirming your boundaries.

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Garnering gratitude

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 13:05:32 GMT

In this episode Rebecca and Ruth speak about gratitude. They explore why it's important as a state of being, and chat about ways to develop a mindset that leans towards gratitude. They chat about research conducted, some of their own experiences of gratitude and why cultivating a habit of gratitude can be an important and beneficial strategy in the living of our lives.

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Pondering perfectionism

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 12:48:44 GMT

In this episode Rebecca and Ruth explore what it can mean to be a perfectionist. They discuss why this tendency might originate, and why it can be problematic. Ruth and Rebecca chat about some of the ways in which perfectionism can manifest, and how it can impede the living of a happy and satisfying life. They also speak of ways in which one can begin to identify, and move beyond some of the traps of perfectionism.

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In Intimate relationships

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 12:38:09 GMT

In this episode Ruth and Rebecca discuss why intimate relationships are so important to our growth, how they are shaped by early connections and they explore ideas about how to shift patterns that are not serving us. Rebecca and Ruth chat about some of the components of, and challenges to intimacy, and discuss how our relationship with self impacts our capacity for intimacy.

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Facing fear

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 12:17:32 GMT

Fear is a universal and important emotion, but sometimes it overwhelms and paralyses us. In this episode Rebecca and Ruth explore ideas around fear and its potential impact on mental health. They discuss why fears can be so powerful, how we might work to diminish them, and some of the reasons we can become stuck in fear. They also chat about some of the many benefits of facing our fears.

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Speculating on self-care

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 11:41:42 GMT

In this first episode of the second season of Soulful Insights, Rebecca and Ruth speculate on different aspects of self-care from physical pampering and taking breaks, to spending time with friends or seeking solitude. They explore the significance of self-care as a precursor to caring for others, and chat about the difference between self-care and habitual responses that might masquerade as care. They also discuss the importance of making choices that ultimately serve us, and explore how these might be determined.

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Musing on mindfulness

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 03:38:37 GMT

In their 22nd episode, Rebecca and Ruth chat about mindfulness. What is it? Why is it so important as a tool in managing our mental health? They discuss why it helps in being able to break automatic patterns of thought and reactivity, They also explore why noticing our responses, and shifting our focus can be so significant if we're wanting to respond in new ways to historic patterning.

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Contemplating choice

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:14:04 GMT

People make many choices daily, but some of us agonise over them - why? In this episode Ruth and Rebecca discuss the significance of choice in our lives, its relationship to change, and why people sometimes experience decision fatigue. They discuss the relationship between the beliefs we hold, and how this impacts the range of choices we might perceive, and why we sometimes don't recognise the choices available to us. Rebecca and Ruth also chat about some of the factors that influence or impede our choices, and our ability to choose authentically.

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Busting belief

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 12:50:33 GMT

Why is interrogating our beliefs so significant to our relationship with self and the world around us? In this episode Ruth and Rebecca discuss the importance of beliefs; how they arise, how they impact our attitudes, our feelings and thoughts. They chat about how to know when your beliefs aren't working for you, explore the relationship between beliefs and identity. Rebecca and Ruth discuss why having beliefs challenged can feel confronting, but why it's also integral to growth.

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Speaking spirituality 2

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:15:24 GMT

Are science and spirituality diametrically opposed, or are their ways in which certain elements of science can be seen to support some spiritual principles. In this episode, Rebecca and Ruth explore this question, and chat about some of the ways in which spirituality is significant in their lives. They chat about trust, about congruence and some spiritual practices that can be helpful to increase knowledge of Self, and to reduce symptoms of anxiety and distress.

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Speaking spirituality

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 14:56:56 GMT

In their 18th episode Ruth and Rebecca speak about their ideas of Spirituality, and why it's an important component of the synergy. They chat about their beliefs and the ways in which spirituality exists for them. Rebecca and Ruth explore various distinctions between Religion and Spirituality, and introduce the idea that many aspects of quantum physics seem to support the existence of spirituality ... and agree to chat more about that in a follow-up episode.

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Examining ego

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 03:20:15 GMT

In this episode Ruth and Rebecca examine the ego, and explore some of its defensive mechanisms. They chat about how a negative ego might develop, how it may present in the world, and what defensive strategies it might utilise when it feels under attack. Bec and Ruth explore the distinction between ego and the Self, and speak about some of the ways in which we might transform our negative ego into a positive ally.

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Sweet sensitivity

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 07:31:09 GMT

Sensitivity - a blessing or a curse? In this episode Rebecca and Ruth chat about the diversity with which we meet our respective worlds, and the difference between sensitivity and reactivity. They explore what it might be like to move through the world as a sensitive human, and pose some hypotheses about why we develop sensitively or conversely, why our responses may become dulled. Where do you sit on the continuum?

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Seeking self-compassion

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 07:19:43 GMT

Self-compassion - why is it important? In this episode Rebecca and Ruth discuss the components of self compassion and why its impact is significant. They explore how we might identify when it's not in play, and what some of the barriers to being self-compassionate are. Ruth and Rebecca also chat about why our focus is more often on kindness to others and how this can buy into feelings of unworthiness, and lead us to behaviours which distance us from ourselves and the lives we might want to be living.

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Considering compassion

Wed, 29 May 2024 04:14:32 GMT

Compassion. What is it? What gets in the way? In this episode Ruth and Rebecca explore ideas around compassion: the defining of it, some of the barriers to feeling it, and how the world is impacted by the lack of it. They chat about how compassion might be impacted by systems, and how we may show up when we're treated with a lack of it. Compassion. Don't we always need more?

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Generating growth

Thu, 16 May 2024 05:47:18 GMT

In this episode, Rebecca and Ruth explore ideas around personal growth. What is it? Why do we do it? Their converrsation explores some of the components of growth, why some individuals might be more drawn to such exploration than others, and why transofrmation is often a conscious choice. They also chat about their own motivations for growth and some of the factors that can support us on the journey.

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Analysing addiction

Wed, 01 May 2024 14:35:34 GMT

What is it that determines if a behaviour or a pattern is an addiction or just habitual? In this episode, Ruth and Rebecca explore ideas around addiction. They chat about some of the defining features of addictive behaviour, some of the causes and its potential impact. They also speak about some of the shifts that need to occur to understand, and heal from an addiction and again, advocate strongly for the employment of self-compassion.

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Grapple with grief

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:01:55 GMT

Grief is a universal human emotion, but not an easy one to traverse. In this episode Rebecca and Ruth chat about the nature of grief and some of its theoretical stages, and they discuss factors which may impact how we move through a passage of grief. They share some of their personal experiences and subsequent insights, explore why different individuals might respond uniquely to loss, and speak about forgiveness.

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Investigating intimacy

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 14:23:30 GMT

In this, the tenth Soulful Insights episode, Ruth and Rebecca investigate intimacy. They offer their take on what intimacy is, and discuss the idea that levels of intimacy exist upon a continuum. Rebecca and Ruth chat about the components they believe might need to be present for intimacy to develop, speak about the nature of intimacy that exists within a therapeutic relationship, and also explore what some of the barriers to intimacy might be.

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People pleasing

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 16:48:15 GMT

People pleasing - is it something you do? A pattern you're trying to shift? In this episode Rebecca and Ruth chat about people pleasing and how and why it may develop as a protective mechanism. They chat about what some of the behaviours look like, what happens when it persists and speak about some of the factors that can be involved in moving beyond it.

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Focus on family of origin 2

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 13:42:50 GMT

In this second episode on the Family of Origin, Rebecca and Ruth chat about familial expectations, the assumption that we always feel a close bond with other family members, and the idea of 'chosen family'. They speak about conscious parenting, about their respective journeys toward being parents, and they explore how we might consciously establish new patterns of relating that are different from those we experienced growing up.

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Focus on family of origin 1

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 09:24:33 GMT

Why is our Family of Origin so significant in shaping who we are and how we relate? In this episode Ruth and Bec chat about the ideal environment for the developing small person and how patterns of relating in our early years impact our future relationships. They touch briefly on Attachment Theory, and speak about the fact that despite patterns being often unconscious, they can be transformed.

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Looking at love

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 02:59:26 GMT

Love. Is it essential? Easy? How do we learn to love, and what can help us love more? In this eisode Rebecca and Ruth explore some of these questions, and chat about where we learn the ways in which we love and what some of the elements of loveing might be. Is love all we need?

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About anxiety

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 02:32:47 GMT

In their fifth episode Bec and Ruth speak about Anxiety and its prevalence in many peoples' day to day lives. They explore some of the many causes, chat about how people "do" their anxiety, and suggest that appraisal of a situation can shift the experience of anxiety. Ruth and Bec also offer some insights into how anxiety might be reduced in the moment, and beyond.

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Exploring emotions 2

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 05:57:45 GMT

In this episode, Ruth and Rebecca return to the conversation about emotions, chatting about the ways in which we're conditioned out of our feelings and so learn to please others as a way of maintaining connection. They explore issues related to the "fight, fligh, fawn, freeze" response, the importance of identifying emotions, sitting with them and of finding ways to self soothe. They speak about compassion, about taking responsibility for our own emotional states and why viewing emotional states through a non-judgemental is helpful.

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Exploring emotions

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 05:44:11 GMT

Why are emotions so difficult for most of us to navigate? In this episode Rebecca and Ruth chat about how our relationship with emotions is shaped when we're young, and the difficulties with seeing emotions as "good" and "bad". They discuss the impact of trauma on self-perception and how we relate to others, and chat about why the "terrible-twos" might not be so terrible.

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Therapy. Doing the work.

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 05:39:07 GMT

In this episode, Ruth and Rebecca's conversation ranges from potholes and freedom, to therapeutic presence, boundaries, and the importance of the therapeutic alliance. They chat about their own experiences of being clients and discuss some of the factors that bring people to therapy. They explore aspects of what the therapeutic work might be, the role of the therapist, and what could be important to look for if you’re seeking a therapist.

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Who we are, and why we're here.

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 05:07:24 GMT

Get to know Rebecca Harris (Author, Psychotherapist) and Ruth Katerelos (Psychologist) in this introductory episode, as they chat about what led each of them to therapeutic work and where they're at currently. They explore what the Synergy of Psychology, Emotion and Spirit means to them, and introduce the idea of spirituality with a quote from Brene Brown. They speak about the value of curiosity in therapy, as a potential alternative to diagnoses, and highlight the importance of connection to self, to others and to nature for our sense of wellbeing.

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