71 episodes

Humans Cogs brings you stories that matter, and conversations about what's really going on in people's lives right now.

Hosted by psychologist and media contributor Sabina Read, and award-winning entrepreneur and journalist Madeleine Grummet, each episode features real and raw conversations with extraordinary guests who share dark secrets, silver linings, advice on living and loving well, and will challenge what you think you know about yourself, and the world around you.

Human Cogs is a point of universal connection for us all, exploring the things that bring us together, and the things that tear us apart.


Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

www.humancogs.com

Human Cogs Podcast Human Cogs

    • Education
    • 4.8 • 78 Ratings

Humans Cogs brings you stories that matter, and conversations about what's really going on in people's lives right now.

Hosted by psychologist and media contributor Sabina Read, and award-winning entrepreneur and journalist Madeleine Grummet, each episode features real and raw conversations with extraordinary guests who share dark secrets, silver linings, advice on living and loving well, and will challenge what you think you know about yourself, and the world around you.

Human Cogs is a point of universal connection for us all, exploring the things that bring us together, and the things that tear us apart.


Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

www.humancogs.com

    Ep. 71 Lael Stone on self-healing, present parenting and supporting the whole child in an educational system that isn't working.

    Ep. 71 Lael Stone on self-healing, present parenting and supporting the whole child in an educational system that isn't working.

    What do you think are the most important ingredients for a young person to learn and thrive? While we’ve hopefully come a long way since reading, writing and arithmetic topped the list, we wonder how many of you would say that connection, empathy and a sense of agency matter most when it comes to educating young people to step out into the world and be their best selves. 

    In this conversation we meet the extraordinary Lael Stone - a Parenting Educator, Speaker for The Resilience Project and TEDx, Author of best-selling book - Raising Resilient and Compassionate Children and the founder of Woodline Primary - an independent school which opened in February 2021 with a novel modern curriculum based on emotional awareness and a key focus on educating the whole child so they learn to deeply know themselves, so they can better navigate the world around them.

    Lael shares her incredible and inspiring journey through parenthood, trauma, self-discovery and healing, and how she has utilised her story and teachings to help parents and students alike. She also shares tips on how to manage the mother load to ensure you are prioritising your own self-care and setting boundaries, while also creating space for your kids to step into who they are fully.

    And if you think this chat is only about parenting and the failings of the education system, you’d be wrong! There are so many brilliant tips and human insights for how each of us can manage our experiences of trauma, understand and own our stories and learn to truly listen instead of trying to fix.

    ###

    Guest: Lael StoneWebsite: laelstone.comLinks: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook

    Hosts: Sabina Read and Mads GrummetProducer: Daryl Missen

    Human Cogs is available on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts or via our website where you can also catch great conversations with previous guests :)

    Got some thoughts on today's episode you'd like to share?Join in the convo at Instagram @human.cogsWe'd love you to support our show! Please follow us or leave a quick review.It helps us get these stories out to more awesome peeps like you!

    Thanks for listening!
    Learn more and support the show: https://www.humancogs.com/
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 48 min
    Ep. 70 Shaynna Blaze on tackling domestic violence, breaking the silence and catalysing change.

    Ep. 70 Shaynna Blaze on tackling domestic violence, breaking the silence and catalysing change.

    You might think you know Shaynna Blaze as the vivacious and talented interior designer from TV shows The Block, Selling Houses Australia, Celebrity Apprentice or Country Home Rescue. What you may not know is that Shaynna is also a passionate advocate for women and a social justice campaigner for tackling domestic violence. 

    In this conversation, Shaynna shares some of the challenges she faced in her early years as a single mum with a 4 and 5 year old after leaving her first marriage, how she then set her mind and abundant talents to rebuilding her life and a stable future for herself and her children, and where she finds herself now decades later, continuing to create a legacy using her creative skills and public voice to spearhead meaningful change.

    Shaynna has been an unstoppable force in her journey as a talented and passionate artist. Her latest project is as the executive producer of The Fort, a new feature film written and co-directed by her children Carly and Jess about one woman’s battle to escape her abusive marriage while attempting to shelter her son from the realities of domestic violence.

    Shaynna describes the power of using the arts to hold a mirror up to domestic violence, and to catalyse conversations to bring about much needed change in our societies and ourselves. She invites each of us to look into that mirror, confront the realities of abusive behaviour and find the language to move beyond the fear and speak up.

    ###

    Guest: Shaynna BlazeWebsite: shaynnablaze.comLinks: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest

    Hosts: Sabina Read and Mads GrummetProducer: Daryl Missen

    Human Cogs is available on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts or via our website where you can also catch great conversations with previous guests :)

    Got some thoughts on today's episode you'd like to share?Join in the convo at Instagram @human.cogsWe'd love you to support our show! Please follow us or leave a quick review.It helps us get these stories out to more awesome peeps like you!

    Thanks for listening!
    Learn more and support the show: https://www.humancogs.com/
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 46 min
    Ep. 69 Dr Ahona Guha on understanding trauma, finding ways to heal, and recognising that trauma impacts us all.

    Ep. 69 Dr Ahona Guha on understanding trauma, finding ways to heal, and recognising that trauma impacts us all.

    The word trauma is everywhere, but what does trauma really mean and can we heal and recover from the impact of assault, neglect, coercive control, parentification, bullying, loss, sexual violence, war, accidents or destructive acts of nature?

    In this episode, I speak with Dr Ahona Guha, a forensic and clinical psychologist, who is also a survivor of complex trauma herself, as well as the author of new book: Reclaim - understanding complex trauma and those who abuse.

    Dr Ahona helps us unpack what big T and little T trauma are, she explains why some people heal from unbearable experiences while others continue to struggle, and she helps us understand why some of us may minimise our own traumas not only to others, but also to ourselves.

    Personally, I don’t know a family untouched by trauma and therefore it’s my belief trauma is everyone’s business. Ahona agreed! So whether you are a trauma survivor, a clinician, someone who loves a survivor, or someone seeking to better understand abuse, this chat is for you.

    Here’s my hopeful chat with Dr Ahona Guha.

    Sabina x

    #

    Guest: Dr Ahona Guha
Website: www.ahonaguha.comInstagram: @drahonaguha

    Hosts: Sabina Read and Mads GrummetProducer: Daryl Missen

    Human Cogs is available on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts or via our website where you can also catch great conversations with previous guests :)

    Got some thoughts on today's episode you'd like to share?Join in the convo at Instagram @human.cogsWe'd love you to support our show! Please follow us or leave a quick review.It helps us get these stories out to more awesome peeps like you!

    Thanks for listening!
    Learn more and support the show: https://www.humancogs.com/
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 41 min
    Ep. 68 Anna Oxley Rintoul on living with ADHD, raising neurodiverse kids and cherishing a good enough life.

    Ep. 68 Anna Oxley Rintoul on living with ADHD, raising neurodiverse kids and cherishing a good enough life.

    How many people do you know who live with hidden conditions?You might be surprised to learn that an estimated 30 per cent of the Australian population live with neurodiverse conditions including ADHD and autism. In fact, new data has revealed the number of prescriptions issued for ADHD has more than doubled over the last decade in Australia, with an increasing number of adults - particularly women - being diagnosed with the condition later in life.In this conversation we meet the extraordinary and inspirational Anna Oxley Rintoul, host of The Village Lantern Podcast and a 40-something Mum with a diagnosis of ADHD, who is also juggling the joys and challenges of raising three neurodiverse kids. Anna shares the complexities of navigating the ups and downs of their daily lives, how she has worked to live with the grief of wanting to fit in and be so-called 'normal' in a world of neurotypicals, and the bridges of connection she's built to share both the shadows and unexpected silver linings of the journey so far.

    A wealth of knowledge, insights and practical tips, this episode is an important listen for anyone living with or loving someone with neurodiversity or indeed anyone who wants to learn more about its impact on individuals and families. We thank Anna for her wisdom, honesty and humanity in this chat, and for giving us all a window into her remarkably brave and hard walk through a beautiful "good enough" life.

    ###Guest: Anna Oxley RintoulPodcast: https://thevillagelanternpodcast.com/Resources and Support: https://takesavillage.com.au/Instagram: @annaoxrin

    Hosts: Sabina Read and Mads GrummetProducer: Daryl Missen

    Human Cogs is available on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts or via our website where you can also catch great conversations with previous guests :)

    Got some thoughts on today's episode you'd like to share?Join in the convo at Instagram @human.cogsWe'd love you to support our show! Please follow us or leave a quick review.It helps us get these stories out to more awesome peeps like you!

    Thanks for listening!
    Learn more and support the show: https://www.humancogs.com/
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 53 min
    Ep. 67 Mariam Issa on crossing two cultures, healing from patriarchy and taking off the mask.

    Ep. 67 Mariam Issa on crossing two cultures, healing from patriarchy and taking off the mask.

    As a very little child, Mariam Issa dreamt of traveling to faraway places. What she did not dream is that she would need to flee the horror of Somalia’s civil war on an overcrowded boat to Kenya. Nor did she dream of the violence and bombings she witnessed, or of her beautiful close-knit family being torn apart and displaced to far-flung foreign countries. 

    One of those countries was Australia, where Mariam arrived 25 years ago with four young children in tow, and pregnant with her fifth. What she found when she was settled as a refugee in Melbourne, was a culture she did not understand, and a completely different world and way of being.

    Now a life coach, author, community builder and educator, Mariam founded #ResilientAspiringWomen in 2012 – a safe space for women to connect and create community – believing that if women can heal themselves from the impacts of patriarchy, the world will also heal.

    In this conversation, we meet a wise and reflective Mariam, now an empty nester, divorcee and no longer wearing the hijab that defined her for so long. Mariam shares with us the peace she has found when she sits in the sacred silence where the waters of her two worlds meet, the practices she lives by to ensure she lives and breathes her top three non-negotiable values, and the benefits for all when we take off the masks that disconnect us from ourselves, and from each other.

    Above all, Mariam shares her story with deep and abiding gratitude, recognising and celebrating our shared humanity with the beautiful African phrase, "Ubuntu" [I am, because you are].

    ###

    Guest: Mariam IssaWebsite: www.mariamissa.com.auSocials: Facebook Instagram

    Hosts: Sabina Read and Mads GrummetProducer: Daryl Missen

    Human Cogs is available on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts or via our website where you can also catch great conversations with previous guests :)

    Got some thoughts on today's episode you'd like to share?Join in the convo at Instagram @human.cogsWe'd love you to support our show! Please follow us or leave a quick review.It helps us get these stories out to more awesome peeps like you!

    Thanks for listening!
    Learn more and support the show: https://www.humancogs.com/
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 58 min
    Ep. 66 Michele Chevally Hedge on hormones, sleep, sugar and how to find joy in food.

    Ep. 66 Michele Chevally Hedge on hormones, sleep, sugar and how to find joy in food.

    How are you feeling right now? Are you wired? Are you tired? Did you sleep ok last night or are you tossing and turning til dawn? What about your relationship with your body? Are you fasting? Stressed? Eating meat? Riding sugar highs? Suffering energy lows? And what role are hormones playing in your life day to day? In this episode we do a full-sweep health check with Michele Chevally Hedge -  a regular presenter and writer with Mama Mia, Huffington Post and Body&Soul, Nutritional Medicine practitioner, Cure Cancer and Heart Research Institute Ambassador and best-selling international author who consults to leading corporations on optimising well-being and nutrition, and how to change your relationship with food, for good.

    Passionate, authentic and bursting with knowledge and advice, Michele is a wealth of information, vitality and inspiration and will leave you thinking about the small and achievable changes you can easily make to sleep better, quit sugar, find joy in food, manage stress and even dial up your sex life! 

    ###

    Guest: Michele Chevally HedgeWebsite: http://ahealthyview.com/Socials: Twitter Instagram

    Hosts: Sabina Read and Mads GrummetProducer: Daryl Missen

    Human Cogs is available on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts or via our website where you can also catch great conversations with previous guests :)

    Got some thoughts on today's episode you'd like to share?Join in the convo at Instagram @human.cogsWe'd love you to support our show! Please follow us or leave a quick review.It helps us get these stories out to more awesome peeps like you!

    Thanks for listening!
    Learn more and support the show: https://www.humancogs.com/
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 49 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
78 Ratings

78 Ratings

Lou CB ,

This is truthtelling at its best

This is my go to for how to do human well. Every episode leaves me inspired, reflective and heart-full. Thank you.

Nostalgis Nancy 20 ,

Anna Oxley Rintoul episode

Unbelievably beautiful episode. Such great questions throughout and gave me such an increased understanding of ADHD & autism. Thank you. ♥️

ShellBelle💜 ,

Fabulous

I’ve just come across your podcast and it’s fabulous! I have listened to many episodes over the last week & I have enjoyed everyone’s different stories and perspectives on the world! Thank you 💜

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