Definitely Not Therapy

Dan Lawrence
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  • MENTAL HEALTH

You don't need to be a CEO or a celebrity to have an interesting story, or to have struggled to get to where you are. Definitely Not Therapy is hosted by Legendary Social Media Sensation (his own words) Dan Lawrence who is known for his pranks, inappropriate chat up lines and life hacks on social media. Dan wears his heart on his sleeve and is passionate about spreading awareness for Men's Mental Health. Each week, Dan will be speaking to someone new. Real People with Real Stories.

  1. 09/12/2025

    From Viral Skits To Real Struggles: Chloe Kent On Comedy, Confidence, And The Cost Of Going Public

    Anxiety might not come with a script—but if it did, it would probably sound like Chloe Kent. In this episode, we sit down with the viral comedian whose sharp skits have taken over timelines, and we step past the punchlines to explore the real life beneath them. Chloe opens up about the health spirals that escalate from zero to ten, the catastrophising that hits on planes, in theme parks and at the most inconvenient moments, and the pressure to be “on” at every event, doorstep, and PR night. She talks honestly about the gap between her online character and the quieter human behind it—and why protecting that gap has helped her stay grounded. We go deep into the reality of working in comedy in 2025: the culture of instant backlash, the shrinking room for error, and the strain of navigating humour in a world where context gets stripped and labels stick. Chloe shares how editing became her creative superpower, giving her the control that the stage never allowed—tight cuts, sharper timing, and humour delivered without unnecessary fallout. We also unpack the difference between online negativity and real-life kindness, and how hearing “you made my day” from someone face to face can silence a thousand anonymous trolls. At the heart of this conversation is something universal: belief. Losing it, rebuilding it, and leaning on the people who hold it for you when you cannot. Chloe speaks about hacked accounts, grief, rebuilding confidence, and the steadying influence of partners, parents, and friends when the inner critic takes over. Not every creator fits the flashy, jet-set influencer mould—and Chloe is living proof that comedy, creativity, and family life can coexist on your own terms. Her five-year plan is refreshingly real: stay alive for her kids, stay happy enough to keep creating, and keep telling the truth—one joke at a time. If you’ve ever felt the tug-of-war between panic and performance, or struggled to show up online while holding your life together offline, this episode offers honesty, humour, and a huge amount of relief. In this episode we cover: • how daily anxiety both fuels and disrupts comedy  • worst-case thinking, health fears, and spirals  • posting while anxious—and surviving the comment section  • persona vs person: the difference that protects your mental health  • meeting followers in real life (and why they’re kinder offline)  • cancel culture, tighter joke margins, and writing safer, sharper material  • why editing beats the stage for anxious creatives  • industry entitlement, event culture, and choosing not to play the game  • finding support through grief, setbacks and hacked accounts  • simple, powerful goals: stability, joy and sustainable creativity Bell Trades — Episode Sponsor Bathrooms, kitchens and renovations across South East London and Kent. Finance options available. www.beltrades.co.uk Instagram: @bell__trades Support the show

    55 min

  2. 05/12/2025

    When Duty Becomes Avoidance: Matt’s Journey Through ADHD, Anxiety, and Repairing Home

    A firefighter sits down and opens up about the story most men avoid: how quick decisions, hidden anxiety, and a distorted sense of duty can slowly pull a family apart. Matt’s journey begins with easy credit at eighteen and the adrenaline of dodging consequences, moves through bailiffs at the door and a marriage strained by inconsistency, and eventually ends up in a quiet room where an ADHD diagnosis finally connects the dots. We dive into the fine line between serving and avoiding, how being “needed” at work can become a shield from being present at home, and why a leadership coach’s blunt warning—“passionate but inconsistent”—hit harder than any siren. Matt resisted medication for two years, relying on discipline, gym sessions, and sleep routines. His breakthrough was simple but profound: fewer mental tabs open, a calm conversation in the car, and a dog walk that felt like peace instead of pressure. The real shift came in a small moment—his daughter asking to play cricket and Matt saying yes without a battle inside. That quiet yes rewired everything. We explore ADHD beyond the clichés—its overlap with anxiety and low mood, the chemistry behind hyperfocused kitchen renovations and abandoned skirting boards, and the emotional cost of living life in a loop of good intentions and disappointment. There’s no hero arc here, just real steps forward: honest check-ins, simpler routines, water and protein, medication when willpower ran dry, and the courage to be radically honest at home. Alongside Matt’s story, I share the shock of losing an online partnership, rebuilding identity in public, and staying committed to the work you love when everyone has an opinion. If you’ve ever felt unreliable despite trying your best, or guilty for missing the moments that matter most, this conversation gives you language, insight, and practical tools to reset and begin again. What we cover: • how impulsive money decisions spiralled into long-term pressure  • how COVID blurred the line between service and avoidance  • where trust cracked in marriage—and the cost of inconsistency  • what ADHD looked like in real daily life  • why private diagnosis changed everything  • how stimulants improved focus, patience, and presence  • the guilt of missed moments—and the path to repair  • reframing “passionate but inconsistent” at work and home  • hyperfocus wins vs dopamine droughts  • identity, loss, and rebuilding confidence after going public If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave a quick review—your words help the next person find theirs. Get yourself a quote. What have you got to lose? Support the show

    1h 20m

  3. 25/11/2025

    How Sharing One Hard Story Can Help Someone Choose Tomorrow Elliott Hicks story

    What if the story that nearly broke you becomes the reason someone else chooses to stay another day?  This episode holds that kind of power. We sit with Elliot, a single dad who rebuilt his life after betrayal, grief by suicide, and a world that still whispers to fathers, “You’re secondary.” This is not a filtered conversation. It is raw, human, and full of the truth people never say out loud. Elliot speaks openly about losing his identity after separation, the fear of being judged for asking for help, and the pressure of performing strength when inside everything is shaking. He walks us through his long journey to a borderline personality disorder diagnosis — the triggers around loss and rejection, the emotional whiplash that can flip a day upside down, and the relief of finally hearing, “You’re not broken — this has a name.” We go deeper than clichés about co-parenting. We talk about the reality: the moments dads get overlooked in schools, surgeries, and even in court phone calls; the fear that speaking honestly about mental health could be used against you; and the slow but real shift in the courts toward fairness, balance, and 50-50 care where it is safe. And then we build forward.  With tools that actually work in real life:  • grounding techniques that calm your mind  • routines that steady you when everything feels fragile  • boundaries without guilt  • small wins that make tomorrow feel possible  • mates who show up  • and the reminder that your child wants you, not your perfection We also make room for joy — late-night kid one-liners, laughter that resets your breath, burritos with old friends, and the tiny moments that prove healing is not loud, it is steady. If you have ever felt alone, ashamed, or scared to speak up, this episode is your hand on the shoulder. A map back to yourself. Proof that sharing one hard story can save someone’s tomorrow. Legal Note (Important Context at the Time of Recording) When this episode was recorded, UK child-contact law was different.  In October 2025, the government announced plans to abolish the presumption that a child automatically benefits from contact with both parents. This means:  • no automatic assumption in favour of both parents  • child safety and wellbeing become the absolute priority  • emotional and coercive abuse now weighs far more heavily  • courts can limit, supervise, or fully refuse contact where credible risk exists  These changes will be added to the Children Act 1989 when parliamentary time allows. If you are navigating separation now, seek advice through GOV.UK, family law specialists, and mediation where safe. If This Episode Helps You, Please Support Us Your support keeps these conversations alive. It helps us reach more people who feel alone in the dark.  Follow the show, share the episode, or donate to keep our mission going. Sponsor Bell Trades – trusted, reliable, recommended.  Website: www.belltrades.co.uk Instagram: @bell__trades   Support the show

    1h 12m

  4. 24/11/2025

    Welcome to Definitely Not Therapy

    “Welcome to Definitely Not Therapy… the place where real life finally gets a voice. I’m Dan Lawrence — someone once called me a social media sensation, so I’m rolling with it — but this show… it is not about hype.  It is about honesty. Every episode, I sit down with a complete stranger.  Someone carrying a story.  Someone who’s lived through the kind of moments that break you…  and somehow found a way to stand back up again. Because life does hit hard. We do fall apart at the seams. But when we talk… when we open up… when we share the trauma we were told to bury… we realise we’re not the only ones fighting for tomorrow. Here, nothing is filtered.  Nothing is off-limits.  Men’s mental health, stigma, shame, fear — we bring it all to the table.  It is not therapy.  It is two humans being real for an hour.  And sometimes… that’s enough to save someone’s day. If you’ve got a story — if you’ve walked through darkness, healing, chaos, or change — and you want to share it with Dan…  email onlydanlawrence@gmail.com . Your story might be the one that helps someone choose tomorrow. And if this episode helps you —  subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs a nudge to check in or finally speak up. Let’s spread these conversations further, together. This is Definitely Not Therapy. Let’s talk.”** Support the show

    1 min

  5. 11/11/2025

    From Bullying to Bipolar: One Family’s Fight—and the Music That Heals

    A dad of eight turns late-night lyrics into lifelines while caring for a partner living with bipolar, BPD, chronic pain, and severe asthma. How do you hold a household together when the carer is running on empty? John—dad of eight, full-time carer, and aspiring songwriter—opens up about school bullying, quiet grief, and the strain of supporting a partner through bipolar disorder, BPD, chronic pain, and severe asthma. We talk men’s mental health, the pressure of social media, and why ten minutes of courage—calling a friend, walking into a group, or hitting record—can change a family’s future. John also shares how AI-assisted songwriting helps him process the ache and celebrate the fragile wins. This is a conversation about resilience, creativity, and the small rituals that keep us here. Email: onlydanlawrence@gmail.com Caring on empty: diabetes, fatigue, and the hidden cost of being “the strong one.”Bullying’s long tail: what schools miss, and how to push for real interventions.Living alongside bipolar, BPD, chronic pain, and severe asthma—what helps and what harms.Men’s mental health: why bottling up backfires, and simple check-ins that actually work.Grief in the background: when songs heal you—and undo you.Making music at midnight: how AI tools help John write, produce, and breathe.Parenting on purpose: choosing presence over presents and building memory rituals.Building a support network when you are “not a talker.”If this helped you: subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs a nudge to check in—or to finally speak up. Support the show

    1h 14m

  6. 07/11/2025

    A Fighter’s Road: Brain Injury, PTSD & Finding Love From Dyspraxia to the Ring 🥊 | The Matt Power Story

    What happens when the thing that saved you becomes the thing you have to leave behind? At six years old, Matt Power was told he’d never ride a bike. Instead, he fought his way into the world of combat sports — MMA, K1, Muay Thai, and boxing — chasing televised highs, adrenaline, and purpose. But one fight changed everything: a brain injury, small vessel disease, and a year spent mostly in bed. Without the gym’s rhythm, the silence got loud — loss, gaslighting, and PTSD turned sleep into a battlefield. Yet two anchors held: a brother who never stopped showing up and a father who flew him to Spain and cried at the airport. In this unfiltered, powerful conversation, Matt opens up about: Growing up with dyspraxia and learning resilience through stubborn practiceSwitching between fighting styles and redefining what “strength” meansSurviving trauma, isolation, and emotional abuseThe diagnosis that ended his career — and the therapy that saved his lifeHow EMDR, family, and love rebuilt his identity and hopeNow, as a partner and stepdad, Matt shares what it really takes to rebuild:  Resilience as a trainable skill, boundaries that protect healing, and the power of chosen family to bring light back into dark places. This episode is raw, honest, and life-giving — perfect for anyone navigating men’s mental health, PTSD recovery, or life after sport. 🎯 If it hits home, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. Every listen helps others find stories that remind them they’re not alone. Support the show

    1h 5m

  7. 04/11/2025

    From Silent Struggle to Strength: A Builder’s Journey Through Cancer, Mental Health, and a Thriving Business

    A “bad back” that wasn’t. A silent diagnosis that changed everything.  In this powerful episode, Martin opens up about surviving two cancer battles — testicular cancer in his early twenties and later lymphoma that reached his spine — and how each fight reshaped his understanding of strength, masculinity, and mental health. He speaks honestly about the first surgery he told no one about, the loneliness that followed, and why the hardest part wasn’t treatment — it was breaking years of silence. Martin recalls the moment he trusted his gut, demanded scans, and likely saved his own life. From there, the conversation expands into generational masculinity, mental health in the trades, co-parenting, and the evolution of support on building sites — where leaflets, trained foremen, and simple text lines are making it easier for men to reach out. Martin shares how Andy’s Man Club became his turning point — the place where talking stopped feeling like weakness and became survival. With a partner who spots the signs early and asks the right questions, he now recognises his triggers and prevents spirals before they start. Then came a new chapter: building a business rooted in purpose, hiring a team, and setting goals that align with his values. Together, we explore how to spot health changes early, manage pressure, navigate online hate, and protect your mind while pursuing success. If this story moves you, tap follow, share it with a mate, and leave a review — your support helps more men find the courage to speak up. Sometimes, your message is the one that saves a life. Episode Highlights First diagnosis in his twenties — and telling no oneLoneliness, drinking, and the pressure to appear fineBack pain, missed warning signs, and a brutal spinal procedureTrusting instincts and pushing for life-saving scansWhy men still struggle to open up — and how to startMental health resources now appearing on building sitesAndy’s Man Club as a turning pointHandling online trolls and protecting your peacePartner support, asking twice, and recognising signalsTurning pain into purpose — and building a thriving business“Get yourself a quote. What have you got to lose, eh?” Support the show

    51 min

  8. 28/10/2025

    Viral TikTok Fame and THAT House Fire - THE SMITHY FAMILY: Raw & Unfiltered

    It starts in a garage. Not the cool, Top Gear kind — more the “don’t touch that wire or you’ll see Jesus early” kind. One flickering light, a half-working soundboard, and a host trying to sound professional while his neighbour starts a leaf blower. Welcome to Definitely Not Therapy, where deep chats meet dodgy electrics. We kick off with laughs — bad dad jokes, worse life choices — before rolling straight into the heavy stuff: grief, co-parenting, and that glorious myth of the “proper job.” You’ll hear how one guest kept filming from a Travelodge after his house literally burned down, why co-parenting should come with hazard pay, and how sometimes the bravest thing you can do is not post when your kids are watching. Social media doesn’t escape either. We unpack how brands say they love “authenticity” until you actually show feelings, why virality is a liar, and what it takes to rebuild when the algorithm ghosts you harder than your ex. Expect dark humour — the kind that gets you through the worst days, not cancels you — and some unfiltered truth about mental health, trauma, and trying to stay kind in a comment section full of chaos. Then we zoom out: schools that kill creativity, jobs that still think Wi-Fi is witchcraft, and a system that loves stats about “kids from care” but not the actual kids. The punchline? We’re still here. Still creating. Still proving that success doesn’t always wear a tie or come with HR approval. So if you’ve ever laughed through pain, cried in the car park, or tried to make a podcast in a garage that smells like WD-40 and regret — this one’s for you. 👉 If it made you laugh, think, or shout “same,” hit follow, leave a review, and send this to someone who needs to know they’re not the only one hanging on by a dodgy extension lead. Got a story that’s messy, raw, or just too real for polite company?  📧 Email: onlydanlawrence@gmail.com 📸 Instagram: @DanLawrenceComedy 🎧 Podcast: @DefinitelyNotTherapyPod 📘 Facebook: Dan Lawrence Support the show

    1 hr
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About

You don't need to be a CEO or a celebrity to have an interesting story, or to have struggled to get to where you are. Definitely Not Therapy is hosted by Legendary Social Media Sensation (his own words) Dan Lawrence who is known for his pranks, inappropriate chat up lines and life hacks on social media. Dan wears his heart on his sleeve and is passionate about spreading awareness for Men's Mental Health. Each week, Dan will be speaking to someone new. Real People with Real Stories.

Information

  • Creator
    Dan Lawrence
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Definitely Not Therapy
  • Show Website
    Definitely Not Therapy

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