The Curious Therapist Show

Vanessa Preston
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Mental Health

Join Vanessa Preston, an experienced therapist and mental health social worker in Australia, as she and her guests get curious about topics of mental health, self-compassion, therapy, body image and just some random stuff! Lets get curious together my friends!

  1. 09/08/2025

    Episode 98: Rethinking Self-Care — Beyond the Bubble Baths

    In today's episode of The Curious Therapist Show, we discuss 3 types of self-care… We hear about self-care everywhere — in books, on social media, in conversations with friends. And while it’s such an important part of supporting our mental health, I’ve been reflecting lately on how the mental health space and our hyper individualistic culture has most of our self-care...well...super self-focused. We’ve got: Comfy (restorative) self-care: the things that feel warm and nourishing in the moment (bubble baths, memes, a cuppa in the sun).Uncomfy or “boring” (growth oriented) self-care: the things we don’t feel like doing but know help us in the long run (going for that walk, setting a boundary, having the awkward conversation).But lately, I’ve been thinking about a third type too— self-care that gets us outside of ourselves. Not just tending to our needs, but turning our focus outward — toward helping others and strengthening our community. It doesn’t have to be big or time-consuming: Checking in on a neighbour who lives aloneWriting a kind review for a small business you loveCooking an extra serve of dinner to drop off for a friendDonating bloodVolunteering an hour at a local event or community gardenWhy does this matter? Research shows that volunteering and helping others can reduce stress, combat depression, and even lead to a longer life. It’s good for the people we help — and it’s surprisingly good for us, too. So, I’d love to hear from you… What does comfy self-care look like for you?What’s your uncomfy/boring self-care?And what’s one way you could try community self-care in the next week or two?To connect with Vanessa: Find Vanessa on Facebook: (2) Facebook Find Vanessa on Instagram: Vanessa Preston (@vanessa_preston_) • Instagram photos and videos Check out Vanessa’s website to find a freebie and all about her intuitive eating and body image programs: Vanessa Preston (podia.com) Or her practice website: Green life Psychology - Green Life Psychology   Disclaimer: This podcast represents the opinions of Vanessa Preston and her guests to the show. Vanessa is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and abides by ethics of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). The content here should not be taken as medical or therapeutic advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional.

    34 min

  2. 03/03/2025

    Episode 97: Invisible Illnesses with Exercise Physio Raeya Bartlett-Quinn

    In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Raeya Bartlett-Quinn. Raeya is an Exercise Physiologist based in Blackburn, Victoria. She has a background in Pilates, Yoga, Meditation & Health Coaching and uses these skills with her holistic treatment approach. Raeya comes with personal experience of complex invisible illnesses from her teens and early adulthood that drove her goals and passions towards helping others. Raeya enjoys working with paediatrics and neurodiversity most, and has a special interest in chronic fatigue syndromes, dysautonomia and hypermobility spectrum disorders. Connect with Raeya here: https://linktr.ee/activehealthclinic The missing diagnosis questionnaire: https://ahcmissingdx.scoreapp.com Buy the Book HERE: https://activehealthclinic.com.au/products/im-tired-too-a-guide-to-chronic-fatigue-syndrome?utm_source=copyToPasteBoard&utm_medium=product-links&utm_content=web To connect with Vanessa: Find Vanessa on Facebook: (2) Facebook Find Vanessa on Instagram: Vanessa Preston (@vanessa_preston_) • Instagram photos and videos Check out Vanessa’s website to find a freebie and all about her intuitive eating and body image programs: Vanessa Preston (podia.com) Or her practice website: http://www.greenlifepsychology.com Disclaimer: This podcast represents the opinions of Vanessa Preston and her guests to the show. Vanessa is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and abides by ethics of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). The content here should not be taken as medical or therapeutic advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional.

    1h 8m

  3. 12/16/2024

    Episode 96: Family Systems and the Holidays

    In today's episode of The Curious Therapist Show, I share about family systems theory and the roles we can play.  And how this connects to why during the holiday season, we may feel like we revert back to our child or teen selves the minute we're with family again! I also give some helpful reminders to helping manage the stress around family and holidays this season. I also want to thank each of you for receiving these messages, for listening to my podcast and thank you so much to those of you who have rated the show. I will be visiting Kentucky (where I'm from) this year for the first time since 2019! So, this will be my last episode of 2024. I have such exciting guests planned for 2025 and some creative topics for us to GET CURIOUS about together! For now, I hope this episode helps you understand a bit more about your family, yourself and some tips for navigating all this as we wrap up this year. Have a wonderful holiday season and wishing you all the grace and peace for the new year! Vanessa PS- I want to send some gentle compassion to those of you missing someone this holiday season. I hope you can nurture yourself through any grief that might be surfacing.   To connect with Vanessa: Find Vanessa on Facebook: (2) Facebook Find Vanessa on Instagram: Vanessa Preston (@vanessa_preston_) • Instagram photos and videos Check out Vanessa’s website to find a freebie and all about her intuitive eating and body image programs: Vanessa Preston (podia.com) Or her practice website: Green life Psychology - Green Life Psychology   Disclaimer: This podcast represents the opinions of Vanessa Preston and her guests to the show. Vanessa is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and abides by ethics of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). The content here should not be taken as medical or therapeutic advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional.

    42 min

  4. 12/02/2024

    Episode 95: Tips for Boundary Setting with Courtney Brooke (part 2)

    In today's episode of The Curious Therapist Show, it’s part 2 of how to set boundaries. I would suggest listening to part 1 if you haven’t yet and then come back:) Boundaries are limits we set to protect our energy- emotional, mental, and physical. One of my fav quotes about boundaries is: "Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves even when we risk disappointing others" (Brene Brown) This really sums up why so many people struggle to set boundaries. Our fears of rejection, of "letting others down", the guilt we may feel saying "no", the fear of a missed opportunity, maybe even FOMO (fear of missing out).  Perhaps there's complexities here too...family or cultural impacts where we we're taught to self-sacrifice and people please. A thought I had in preparing for this discussion was reflecting on the developmental stage where 2 or 3 years old ask "why!" 27 times an hour and they say "no" to every question. LOL. I think we need to channel some toddler energy here! We need to ask "why" we're doing something and say "no" more often. So join Brooke and I for part 2 today!   Resources Mentioned: Brown Girl Therapy (@browngirltherapy) • Instagram photos and videos But What Will People Say? by Sahaj Kaur Kohli, MAEd, LGPC: 9780593491195 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books   About Courtney Brooke: Courtney Brooke is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who sees people dealing with life transitions, trauma and a variety of mental health struggles. She provides supervision to other therapists and has taught at the college and university levels.   If you’d like to follow Courtney’s work, you can check her out here: http://www.bloom-lc.com   More about Courtney Brooke Sergent-Fox: Courtney Brooke is an eclectic soul. Her love for others, nature, truth and grace is all evidenced in her work as a mental health provider. As a clinical supervisor she helps others starting their mental health careers seek knowledge & experience while learning to balance the many needs and demands of life. Her emphasis is on caring for others and caring for self - part of the reason she finds joy in teaching and mentoring other professionals.   To connect with Vanessa: Find Vanessa on Facebook: (2) Facebook Find Vanessa on Instagram: Vanessa Preston (@vanessa_preston_) • Instagram photos and videos Check out Vanessa’s website to find a freebie and all about her intuitive eating and body image programs: Vanessa Preston (podia.com) Or her practice website: Green life Psychology - Green Life Psychology    Disclaimer: This podcast represents the opinions of Vanessa Preston and her guests to the show. Vanessa is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and abides by ethics of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). The content here should not be taken as medical or therapeutic advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional.

    55 min

  5. 11/18/2024

    Episode 94: Why Setting Boundaries Feels So Hard with Courtney Brooke (part 1)

    In today's episode of The Curious Therapist Show, we talk all about the difficulty of boundary setting with my popular and frequent guest Courtney Brooke Sergent-Fox:) Boundaries are limits we set to protect our energy- emotional, mental, and physical. One of my fav quotes about boundaries is: "Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves even when we risk disappointing others" (Brene Brown) This really sums up why so many people struggle to set boundaries. Our fears of rejection, of "letting others down", the guilt we may feel saying "no", the fear of a missed opportunity, maybe even FOMO (fear of missing out). Perhaps there's complexities here too...family or cultural impacts where we we're taught to self-sacrifice and people please. So join Brooke and I as we discuss boundaries, barriers to setting boundaries and listen for part 2 next episode about how to set boundaries! Resources Mentioned: Brown Girl Therapy (@browngirltherapy) • Instagram photos and videos But What Will People Say? by Sahaj Kaur Kohli, MAEd, LGPC: 9780593491195 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books About Courtney Brooke: Courtney Brooke is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who sees people dealing with life transitions, trauma and a variety of mental health struggles. She provides supervision to other therapists and has taught at the college and university levels. If you’d like to follow Courtney’s work, you can check her out here: http://www.bloom-lc.com More about Courtney Brooke Sergent-Fox: Courtney Brooke is an eclectic soul. Her love for others, nature, truth and grace is all evidenced in her work as a mental health provider. As a clinical supervisor she helps others starting their mental health careers seek knowledge & experience while learning to balance the many needs and demands of life. Her emphasis is on caring for others and caring for self - part of the reason she finds joy in teaching and mentoring other professionals. To connect with Vanessa: Find Vanessa on Facebook: (2) Facebook Find Vanessa on Instagram: Vanessa Preston (@vanessa_preston_) • Instagram photos and videos Check out Vanessa’s website to find a freebie and all about her intuitive eating and body image programs: Vanessa Preston (podia.com) Or her practice website: http://www.greenlifepsychology.com Disclaimer: This podcast represents the opinions of Vanessa Preston and her guests to the show. Vanessa is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and abides by ethics of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). The content here should not be taken as medical or therapeutic advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional.

    56 min

  6. 11/04/2024

    Episode 93: Emotions are WISE Messengers

    On today’s episode, I share all about emotions, how ignoring and suppressing them is making us sick, and what "making space" for emotions actually means. What I witness people do every day is push their emotions away, suppress them, judge them, label themselves as "low vibe" or dramatic or weak, try to avoid the emotion with fake positivity. Or they use some good ole distraction...grabbing the phone to doomscroll, overworking, overcommitting, or pretending to feel ok. Really what I see is people not FEELING their emotion, but rather thinking about the emotion and how to get it to go away. Cue a busy mind, rumination, and ineffective "problem solving" All of this keeps us stuck. It keeps the emotion stuck, the energy stuck in our bodies, and it robs us of the wisdom that our emotions can bring. After all, beneath every feeling is a NEED. One of my fav quotes sums it up perfectly: _“Beneath every behaviour is a feeling. And beneath each feeling is a need. And when we meet that need, rather than focus on the behaviour, we begin to deal with the cause, not the symptom." ~Ashleigh Warner_⠀ So this is what I'm teaching in this episode. How do we sit with the feeling and how do we honour the underlying need? Most of us weren't taught this growing up, so it's a skill set that needs practiced! One of my fav clips (along with so many other therapists) that I discuss in this episode is one from "Inside Out 2". Find out my thoughts on this scene and what it can teach us. I also share types of anger and that the research shows, when we suppress adaptive anger, it lowers our immunity. Talk about evidence of body-mind connection! To connect with Vanessa: Find Vanessa on Facebook: (2) Facebook Find Vanessa on Instagram: Vanessa Preston (@vanessa_preston_) • Instagram photos and videos Check out Vanessa’s website to find a freebie and all about her intuitive eating and body image programs: Vanessa Preston (podia.com) Or her practice website: http://www.greenlifepsychology.com Disclaimer: This podcast represents the opinions of Vanessa Preston and her guests to the show. Vanessa is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and abides by ethics of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). The content here should not be taken as medical or therapeutic advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional.

    55 min

  7. 10/21/2024

    Episode 92: Understanding Attachment

    In today's episode, we talk all about attachment theory and how our child selves learn to adapt to feel safe and loved. In this episode, I discuss: -attachment styles (and point out that they are over simplified on social media) -common ways we adapt to have our attachment needs met -how our childhood relationships can impact on our adult attachments This is much deeper than love languages or "acts of service".  Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with knowing how you and your partner feel loved. But attachment shapes what's underneath that. Do I feel lovable? Do I feel enough or too much? Do I push people away, become "too needy"? Do I start arguments instead of sharing my sadness? All of this is attachment related!   To connect with Vanessa: Find Vanessa on Facebook: (2) Facebook Find Vanessa on Instagram: Vanessa Preston (@vanessa_preston_) • Instagram photos and videos Check out Vanessa’s website to find a freebie and all about her intuitive eating and body image programs: Vanessa Preston (podia.com) Or her practice website: Green life Psychology - Green Life Psychology   Disclaimer: This podcast represents the opinions of Vanessa Preston and her guests to the show. Vanessa is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and abides by ethics of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). The content here should not be taken as medical or therapeutic advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional.

    1 hr

  8. 10/16/2024

    Episode 91: Friendship Talk with Courtney Brooke

    In today’s podcast episode of The Curious Therapist Show, I talk with my dear friend and fellow therapist, Courtney Brooke. We talk all about how friendships change over time, types of friendships and what can be challenging making friends as we get older. Courtney Brooke is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who sees people dealing with life transitions, trauma and a variety of mental health struggles. She provides supervision to other therapists and has taught at the college and university levels. If you’d like to follow Courtney’s work, you can check her out here: http://www.bloom-lc.com More about Courtney Brooke Sergent-Fox: Courtney Brooke is an eclectic soul. Her love for others, nature, truth and grace is all evidenced in her work as a mental health provider. As a clinical supervisor she helps others starting their mental health careers seek knowledge & experience while learning to balance the many needs and demands of life. Her emphasis is on caring for others and caring for self - part of the reason she finds joy in teaching and mentoring other professionals. To connect with Vanessa: Find Vanessa on Facebook: (2) Facebook Find Vanessa on Instagram: Vanessa Preston (@vanessa_preston_) • Instagram photos and videos Check out Vanessa’s website to find a freebie and all about her intuitive eating and body image programs: Vanessa Preston (podia.com) Or her practice website: http://www.greenlifepsychology.com Resources: https://www.verywellmind.com/the-types-of-friendship-7975881#:~:text=Acquaintances%20are%20people%20we%20know,childhood%20friends%2C%20are%20practically%20family . https://www.flashpack.com/solo/relationships/mid-life-friendships/ https://www.crossrivertherapy.com/research/how-many-friends-to-have#:~:text=According%20to%20new%20research%2C%20we,the%20friends%20that%20we%20make . https://www.flashpack.com/solo/relationships/mid-life-friendships/ Disclaimer: This podcast represents the opinions of Vanessa Preston and her guests to the show. Vanessa is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and abides by ethics of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). The content here should not be taken as medical or therapeutic advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional.

    1h 31m
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5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Join Vanessa Preston, an experienced therapist and mental health social worker in Australia, as she and her guests get curious about topics of mental health, self-compassion, therapy, body image and just some random stuff! Lets get curious together my friends!

Information

  • Creator
    Vanessa Preston
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    96
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Curious Therapist Show
  • Show Website
    The Curious Therapist Show