Healing For Love

Dr Gemma Gladstone

Healing for Love A podcast for anyone who wants to stop shrinking, start healing, and grow into their most grounded, authentic self in love & life.  Hosted by Dr Gemma Gladstone — relationship coach, former clinical psychologist (25+ years), and expert in schema healing — this podcast offers thoughtful, insight-rich episodes to help you understand your patterns, heal from past emotional wounds, and gently rewrite your relationship template. Here, you’ll learn how to reconnect with your worth, trust your inner voice, and build relationships that support who you truly are. This is for the woman who’s ready to feel more secure, more whole, and more herself — in love and in life.

  1. JAN 28

    132. Emotional Needs in Relationships: Why You Feel Unfulfilled in Love

    Send Gemma a message Many women struggle in relationships without ever being taught one essential truth: you are allowed to have emotional needs. In this episode of Healing for Love, Gemma explores the concept of core emotional needs through a schema therapy lens and explains why unmet needs sit at the heart of so many repeating relationship patterns. You’ll learn how unmet emotional needs shape schemas like abandonment, emotional deprivation, subjugation, self-sacrifice and approval-seeking and why these patterns often lead women into relationships that feel unsafe, one-sided, controlling or emotionally barren. This episode is especially relevant if you have ever: Felt guilty for wanting “too much” in relationshipsStruggled to name your needs or voice your preferencesFound yourself prioritising others while neglecting yourselfStayed in relationships that felt familiar but deeply unsatisfyingFind out all about the six core emotional needs  Key Takeaway A healthy relationship is not about chemistry or intensity. It is about how consistently your core emotional needs are met. Work With Gemma Join the Love Wisely priority list for the April intakeStay tuned for details of a free training coming upApply for limited 1:1 coaching places currently availableSupport the show 🎁 Dating With Insight - FREE Guide 🩷 Love Wisely Priority list - we start April 16 💛 Access Elevate You Worth: Self-Worth Healing Bundle Connect with Me 📩hello@drgemmagladstone.com 🌐 Website: drgemmagladstone.com 📷 Instagram: @drgemmagladstone 🚩 The Red Flag Project - your ultimate guide to red flags! Get Instant Access 🌻 Support the Podcast Love the show? Help us keep going with a monthly contribution: Support here

    50 min
  2. 12/15/2025

    131. No Matches, No Dates - Is Something Wrong With Me?

    Send Gemma a message In today’s episode, I answer a short but powerful question that came in anonymously: “Hi Gemma, I cannot even get a match, let alone a date. What the hell is wrong with me?”If you’ve ever stared at a dating app wondering why nothing is happening and quietly concluded “it must be me”, this episode is for you. I'll look at three key areas: The reality of modern dating apps – why they create a distorted, “smorgasbord” environment where incredible, emotionally available people are often overlooked.Other people’s issues – how emotional immaturity, avoidance and misaligned intentions show up on the apps (and why you can’t control that).Your schemas and your “type” – how schema chemistry and rigid “type” criteria might be leading you towards emotionally unavailable partners and away from people who could actually be good for you.I’ll invite you to: Re-examine how you’re presenting yourself on the apps (without becoming a slave to what you think men want).Widen the pool by giving a chance to the “6 or 7 out of 10” guys (ie, the level of chemistry you feel! I'm not rating people!) who feel kind, calm and safe – rather than only chasing the intense 10/10 chemistry.Remember that your worth, lovability and desirability are not measured in matches.If you’re feeling discouraged or asking “what’s wrong with me?”, I want you to know: you are not the problem. Dating apps are hard and your current results say nothing about your deeper value or your capacity for a healthy, loving relationship. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why so many wonderful women and emotionally available men get passed over on dating appsHow our throwaway, dopamine-driven culture affects the way people swipeWhy leading with highly sexualised photos can accidentally screen out good menHow schema chemistry pulls you towards what’s “familiar” rather than what’s healthyHow to gently expand beyond your usual “type”Practical ways to pace yourself and protect your emotional wellbeing while datingResources mentioned: Free guide: Dating with Insight – download via the link in the show notes.Love Wisely – my 12-week online group program for women who want to break their pattern of choosing emotionally unavailable, narcissistic or avoidant partners. Doors open again in March – join the priority waitlist via the link in the show notes.Episode 130 – on cultivating a new dating mindset (recommended companion episode).Support the show 🎁 Dating With Insight - FREE Guide 🩷 Love Wisely Priority list - we start April 16 💛 Access Elevate You Worth: Self-Worth Healing Bundle Connect with Me 📩hello@drgemmagladstone.com 🌐 Website: drgemmagladstone.com 📷 Instagram: @drgemmagladstone 🚩 The Red Flag Project - your ultimate guide to red flags! Get Instant Access 🌻 Support the Podcast Love the show? Help us keep going with a monthly contribution: Support here

    43 min
  3. 12/08/2025

    130. What Emotionally Available Partners Actually Do

    Send Gemma a message We hear the term “emotionally unavailable” all the time, yet many women are not sure what the opposite actually looks like in real life. In this episode, Gemma breaks down emotional availability in clear, practical terms, so you can recognise it early, feel safer in your body and stop settling for relationships that leave you guessing. Gemma also explores how schemas like Emotional Deprivation and Abandonment shape what feels “normal” in love, why emotionally safe partners can feel boring or suspicious at first, and how you can slowly retrain your nervous system to relax into healthy connection. In this episode, you will learn: What the Emotional Deprivation schema isHow it forms in childhoodWhy it makes it hard to identify and express your needsWhy you can consciously want an emotionally available partner yet keep feeling pulled toward distance, inconsistency, or intensityHow schemas and your unconscious “love template” drive partner choice and keep you in familiar but unfulfilling patternsTen signs of an emotionally available partner, including someone who:Takes an active interest in you, asks thoughtful questions, remembers details, and wants to know your inner worldHas actions that match their words, shows up consistently, and follows throughIs emotionally responsive, listens when you are vulnerable, validates your feelings, and attempts repair after conflictIs predictable rather than chaotic, so your nervous system can settle instead of living on high alertIs willing to talk about the relationship and co create something with you instead of avoiding emotional conversationsHas emotional self awareness, can name their feelings, take responsibility, and does not shame you for having emotionsShows care through steady, thoughtful actions that leave you feeling valued and appreciatedAllows closeness without pulling away or going hot and cold after intimacyMakes room for your needs and respects your boundaries, instead of calling you “too needy” when you ask for contact or reassuranceIs kind in a felt way - gentle with your vulnerabilities, respectful in conflict, and emotionally generousWhy emotional availability can feel “boring” or even suspicious if you grew up with chaos, distance, or inconsistencyA real life example from a Love Wisely client who noticed her physical tension drop when she finally dated someone emotionally availableHow to start looking at your own relationship history through the lens of schemas and emotional availability so you can choose differently next timeGemma finishes with an invitation to reflect gently on your past connect Support the show 🎁 Dating With Insight - FREE Guide 🩷 Love Wisely Priority list - we start April 16 💛 Access Elevate You Worth: Self-Worth Healing Bundle Connect with Me 📩hello@drgemmagladstone.com 🌐 Website: drgemmagladstone.com 📷 Instagram: @drgemmagladstone 🚩 The Red Flag Project - your ultimate guide to red flags! Get Instant Access 🌻 Support the Podcast Love the show? Help us keep going with a monthly contribution: Support here

    44 min
  4. 11/24/2025

    129: The Real Dating Mindset: 10 Shifts That Protect You From Old Patterns

    Send Gemma a message Dating can stir up every schema you have. If you have a history of emotionally unavailable partners, narcissistic relationships or spending years in situationships that never really went anywhere, getting back out there can feel both hopeful and terrifying. In this episode I walk you through ten grounded mindset shifts that help you stay in Healthy Adult mode while you date so you can notice red flags, take in green flags and stop abandoning yourself in the process. I talk about: Why dating is dataHow to shift the goal from “finding the one” to “showing up grounded and observant”How to stay open to experience and still be discerningWhat it means to embrace ambiguity without losing yourself, especially if you have an abandonment schemaWhy you need to replace “stay positive” with “stay real” so you do not slide into the “super easygoing, no needs” people pleasing roleThe power of focusing on internal milestones, not external outcomesHow to normalise the emotional rollercoaster of dating when schemas and old attachment wounds get activatedWhat it looks like to cultivate self trust over outcome obsessionHow to reframe rejection as clarity, especially when ghosting or avoidant behaviour shows you who someone really isWhy breaking the pattern of fantasy thinking is essential if you tend to fall for potential rather than realityThe protective power of letting people reveal themselves over timeThis episode is for you if: You have a history of choosing emotionally unavailable or narcissistic partnersYou find it very hard to tolerate uncertainty in early datingYou often override your needs because you do not want to be “too much” or “difficult”You get attached quickly and then feel anxious, preoccupied and on edgeYou want a practical, compassionate framework for dating differently1:1 coaching If you would like to explore working with me privately you can email me at hello@drgemmagladstone.com for details on my coaching packages. Support the show 🎁 Dating With Insight - FREE Guide 🩷 Love Wisely Priority list - we start April 16 💛 Access Elevate You Worth: Self-Worth Healing Bundle Connect with Me 📩hello@drgemmagladstone.com 🌐 Website: drgemmagladstone.com 📷 Instagram: @drgemmagladstone 🚩 The Red Flag Project - your ultimate guide to red flags! Get Instant Access 🌻 Support the Podcast Love the show? Help us keep going with a monthly contribution: Support here

    56 min
  5. 11/15/2025

    128. The Sorry Reflex - Why You Apologise (When You Don’t Need To)

    Send Gemma a message In this episode, Gemma unpacks The Sorry Reflex - the automatic urge to apologise, even when we’ve done nothing wrong. Rooted in the subjugation schema, this coping behaviour often begins in childhood, where expressing needs or disagreeing felt unsafe. When our nervous system equates disapproval with danger, “sorry” becomes a way to stay safe and connected. Gemma explains how this pattern shows up in dating, relationships, and everyday interactions - especially for women conditioned to be accommodating. You’ll learn to identify your triggers (tone changes, sighs, silence), notice the body’s reaction, and experiment with opposite action to retrain your nervous system. You’ll also hear a real-life success story from one of Gemma’s Love Wisely group members, plus guidance on combining schema therapy and EMDR to heal the deeper beliefs beneath chronic apologising. If you’re tired of shrinking yourself, over-explaining or feeling guilty for taking up space, this episode will help you shift from “sorry” to self-trust. Takeaways Over-apologising is a safety response, not good manners.Driven by subjugation, approval-seeking, and self-sacrifice schemas.Triggers: subtle signs of disapproval—tone, delay, sigh, silence.Body cues: chest tightness, racing heart, hyper-empathy.Short-term relief, long-term self-erasure.Opposite action = growth and rewiring.You can disappoint someone and still be safe and loved.Support the show 🎁 Dating With Insight - FREE Guide 🩷 Love Wisely Priority list - we start April 16 💛 Access Elevate You Worth: Self-Worth Healing Bundle Connect with Me 📩hello@drgemmagladstone.com 🌐 Website: drgemmagladstone.com 📷 Instagram: @drgemmagladstone 🚩 The Red Flag Project - your ultimate guide to red flags! Get Instant Access 🌻 Support the Podcast Love the show? Help us keep going with a monthly contribution: Support here

    33 min
  6. 10/17/2025

    126. Inside Limerence (Part 2): From fantasy to freedom

    Send Gemma a message What limerence really is, why it hooks into our deepest unmet needs and how to gently unhook using a schema-therapy lens. In Part 2, Gemma explores limerence as a preoccupying, often intoxicating state that’s fueled by unmet needs - with abandonment and emotional deprivation schemas usually at the core. She explains why the brain’s reward systems (hello, dopamine) and a quieted prefrontal cortex can hijack rationality, making red flags easy to miss. You’ll learn practical, compassionate ways to reduce rumination, interrupt mental loops and begin reparenting the vulnerable parts that long for consistent care. Gemma also speaks to when limerence turns into a relationship (and why those tend to be high “schema chemistry”) and offers realistic hope for moving toward grounded, secure love. Key takeaways Limerence = unmet needs + brain rewards. It’s human, common, and often temporary; shame isn’t helpful.Schemas under the hood: Abandonment (primary) and emotional deprivation are frequent drivers; attachment style can be a clue, but schemas give the nuance.“Schema chemistry” alert: Relationships born from intense limerence often trigger old wounds on both sides.Stop feeding the loop: Reduce cues (no social stalking, no photo scrolling). Notice → name → turn your mind.Circuit breakers that help: Mindfulness, imagery/rumination interruption, exercise, novelty/learning, supportive people, flow-state activities.Reparenting matters: Daily, gentle practices to meet needs consistently will dilute schemas over time.When to get help: If limerence becomes distressing, incapacitating or escalates into harmful behaviours, seek professional support.Practical steps you can try Name it: “This is the limerence loop.”Reduce reinforcement: Unfollow/mute; remove reminders.Shift attention: Choose a grounding task (walk, call a friend, learn something new).Reparenting micro-rituals: Daily check-ins with your vulnerable part; write a brief caring letter to yourself.Track triggers: Note what sparks rumination and plan alternatives.Therapeutic support: Look for schema-informed, experiential work.Mentioned in this episode Coaching spaces now open with Gemma (limited).Love Wisely group coaching: next intake planned for late Feb '26 (waitlist in links).Reviews really help. Please rate on your podcast app.Contact: hello@drgemmagladstone.comSupport the show 🎁 Dating With Insight - FREE Guide 🩷 Love Wisely Priority list - we start April 16 💛 Access Elevate You Worth: Self-Worth Healing Bundle Connect with Me 📩hello@drgemmagladstone.com 🌐 Website: drgemmagladstone.com 📷 Instagram: @drgemmagladstone 🚩 The Red Flag Project - your ultimate guide to red flags! Get Instant Access 🌻 Support the Podcast Love the show? Help us keep going with a monthly contribution: Support here

    35 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Healing for Love A podcast for anyone who wants to stop shrinking, start healing, and grow into their most grounded, authentic self in love & life.  Hosted by Dr Gemma Gladstone — relationship coach, former clinical psychologist (25+ years), and expert in schema healing — this podcast offers thoughtful, insight-rich episodes to help you understand your patterns, heal from past emotional wounds, and gently rewrite your relationship template. Here, you’ll learn how to reconnect with your worth, trust your inner voice, and build relationships that support who you truly are. This is for the woman who’s ready to feel more secure, more whole, and more herself — in love and in life.

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