Life's Dirty Little Secrets Podcast | Breaking Silence Around the Secrets We All Carry

Christopher McCurry & Emma Waddington
  • 5.0 (2)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

We often find ourselves comparing our internal struggles to the flawless images others project, leaving us feeling isolated and misunderstood. But here’s the truth: you are not alone. Join psychologists Emma Waddington and Chris McCurry as they delve into the little-discussed yet incredibly common challenges that come with striving to be your best self. In each episode of "Life's Dirty Little Secrets," you'll find thoughtful conversations filled with insights, humor, and compassion that reflect the beautiful complexity of being human. Together, we’ll explore the raw realities of issues like anxiety, depression, self-esteem, grief, and the nuanced journey of growing up. Whether it's confronting the pressures of modern life or unpacking emotional baggage, we provide a safe space for you to resonate with these experiences. Our intriguing discussions with expert guests will illuminate your path toward understanding and healing. Tune in for practical answers to your pressing questions, such as: How can I better manage anxiety and stress?What can help me overcome self-doubt?How do I navigate grief and find solace?How does self-compassion play a role in my journey?What steps can I take towards greater emotional clarity?Join us weekly as we embrace the messiness of life and uncover the secrets that bind us together. With every episode, you’ll feel empowered, understood, and reminded that it’s perfectly okay to not have it all figured out. Together, let’s embark on this journey of self-discovery and compassion—because we all have secrets, and it’s time to share them.

  1. FEB 12

    Secret #73: The Confidence Lie with Michael Herold

    Recommended Episodes: Secret #58: Raising a Self-Driven Child with Dr. William Stixrud & Ned JohnsonSecret #61: Reimagining Anger with Russell KoltsSecret #70: So Many Paradoxes with Dr. Emma Waddington and Dr. Chris McCurryMost people believe confidence is something you either have or don’t have. In this episode, confidence coach Michael Herold explains why confidence is actually built by doing hard things while anxiety is present — not after it disappears. Key Takeaways confidence grows through action, not mindsetanxiety signals what matters, not what must be avoidedcompetence follows confidence, not the other way aroundvalues-based action builds real psychological flexibilityView extended shownotes here Struggling with your child’s big feelings? Our new children’s workbooks are here to help kids and parents handle worry, disappointment, and anger using practical, compassionate tools. Follow the journeys of Justin Case, the Glumm Twins, and Max Cross as they learn that tough emotions are normal and manageable. Find all three workbooks at bookstores everywhere and give your family the support they deserve. ORDER Max Cross Gets Unstuck from Anger: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook series for kids) ORDER Justin Case Sits with Anxiety: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids) ORDER The Glumm Twins Unhook from Sadness: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids)

    52 min

  2. JAN 29

    Secret #72: Transforming Guilt and Shame with Dr. Carolyn Allard

    Recommended Episodes Secret #5: Body Shame with Emily SandozSecret #7: Parental Guilt with Dr. Yael SchonbrunSecret #26: Victim Blame with Dr. Amy Beddows Guilt and shame often linger long after trauma, quietly shaping how we see ourselves and our relationships. In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Carolyn Allard explains why guilt and shame can be adaptive—and how they become harmful when they overstay their welcome.  Key Takeaways Trauma-related guilt and shame can begin as survival strategies but become non-adaptive over timeNon-adaptive guilt and shame (NAGS) fuel avoidance, people-pleasing, and self-blameHindsight bias intensifies guilt by judging past actions with information we didn’t have at the timeValues-based decision making helps replace guilt-driven choices with intentional livingView extended shownotes here Struggling with your child’s big feelings? Our new children’s workbooks are here to help kids and parents handle worry, disappointment, and anger using practical, compassionate tools. Follow the journeys of Justin Case, the Glumm Twins, and Max Cross as they learn that tough emotions are normal and manageable. Find all three workbooks at bookstores everywhere and give your family the support they deserve. ORDER Max Cross Gets Unstuck from Anger: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook series for kids) ORDER Justin Case Sits with Anxiety: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids) ORDER The Glumm Twins Unhook from Sadness: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids)

    47 min

  3. JAN 15

    Secret #71: What a Terminal Diagnosis Taught Me About Living with Dr. Ray Owen and Sam Stroud

    Recommended Episodes: Secret #68 — Secrets of Rest with Alex Soojung-Kim Pang Secret #30 — Wise Effort with Dr. Diana Hill Secret #69 — No One Is “Self-Made” with Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon A tender, practical conversation about how a terminal diagnosis can sharpen priorities, deepen connection, and teach the rest of us how to live on purpose—today. Psychologist Dr. Ray Owen and Sam Stroud, recently diagnosed with MND/ALS, join Emma and Chris to talk about presence, priorities, and building a life that stays wide—even when options narrow. Sam shares what helped in the first weeks after diagnosis (stay engaged with life, ask for real support), while Ray maps compassionate skills for meeting pain without letting it shrink your world. Together, they show how practices like meditation can hold difficulty and meaning at the same time, and why honest community is a lifeline for patients and families alike. You’ll leave with grounded tools for navigating illness—and for living more fully even if you’re well.  Topics Discussed in this Episode: Staying engaged with life after diagnosisFirst-person stories as antidotes to fearMeditation as capacity-building (not escape)Compassion skills for making room for painCommunity and honest conversation as lifelinesMortality as a focusing practice for prioritiesView extended shownotes here Struggling with your child’s big feelings? Our new children’s workbooks are here to help kids and parents handle worry, disappointment, and anger using practical, compassionate tools. Follow the journeys of Justin Case, the Glumm Twins, and Max Cross as they learn that tough emotions are normal and manageable. Find all three workbooks at bookstores everywhere and give your family the support they deserve. ORDER Max Cross Gets Unstuck from Anger: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook series for kids) ORDER Justin Case Sits with Anxiety: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids) ORDER The Glumm Twins Unhook from Sadness: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids)

    53 min

  4. JAN 1

    Secret #70: So Many Paradoxes with Dr. Emma Waddington and Dr. Chris McCurry

    Recommended Episodes: Secret #68: Secrets of Rest with Alex Soojung-Kim Pang Secret #61: Reimagining Anger with Russell Kolts Secret #62: The Connection Paradox with James Cordova Secret #69: No One is "Self-Made" with Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon Secret #55: Belonging with Meg McKelvie Secret #48: The Tree That Bends with Ross White Secret #60: There is No Normal with Dr. Steven C. Hayes Secret #54: The Reign of Pain with Howard Schubiner Secret #67: Living with Death with Dr. Robyn Walser and Dr. Manuela O'ConnellWhat happens when we look back on a year of conversations and discover the recurring themes that shape our lives? In this special year-in-review episode, hosts Chris McCurry and Emma Waddington reflect on the surprising paradoxes they've encountered throughout their podcast journey—the uncomfortable truths that keep emerging despite our be Struggling with your child’s big feelings? Our new children’s workbooks are here to help kids and parents handle worry, disappointment, and anger using practical, compassionate tools. Follow the journeys of Justin Case, the Glumm Twins, and Max Cross as they learn that tough emotions are normal and manageable. Find all three workbooks at bookstores everywhere and give your family the support they deserve. ORDER Max Cross Gets Unstuck from Anger: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook series for kids) ORDER Justin Case Sits with Anxiety: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids) ORDER The Glumm Twins Unhook from Sadness: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids)

    46 min

  5. 12/18/2025

    Secret #69: No One Is Self-Made Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon

    Recommended Episodes Secret #60: There is No Normal with Dr. Steven C. HayesSecret #56: Spirituality with Dr. Matthieu VillatteSecret #55: Belonging with Meg McKelvieWhat happens when we stop glorifying the “self-made” myth and start honoring the power of community?  Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon—educator, entrepreneur, and founder of The Village Market and Our Village United—joins hosts Emma Waddington and Chris McCurry to explore the truth that success is never a solo act. Together they unpack the cultural illusion of rugged individualism, how to build intentional communities, and why collaboration, not competition, is the path to collective flourishing. Dr. Hallmon shares how divine assignments, purpose, and persistence shaped her journey, and invites listeners to reframe independence as interdependence—to see that thriving is always a village effort. Topics Discussed: The myth of the “self-made” person and the harm of rugged individualismWhat it means to be village-made, not self-madeHow community closes economic and opportunity dividesThe six village archetypes: futurists, builders, connectors, collaborators, enthusiasts, and observersWhy resistance to collaboration is normal—and what to do about itDivine assignments, purpose, and trusting discomfort as part of growthHow to build communities with alignment, trust, and presence View Extended Shownotes here Struggling with your child’s big feelings? Our new children’s workbooks are here to help kids and parents handle worry, disappointment, and anger using practical, compassionate tools. Follow the journeys of Justin Case, the Glumm Twins, and Max Cross as they learn that tough emotions are normal and manageable. Find all three workbooks at bookstores everywhere and give your family the support they deserve. ORDER Max Cross Gets Unstuck from Anger: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook series for kids) ORDER Justin Case Sits with Anxiety: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids) ORDER The Glumm Twins Unhook from Sadness: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids)

    54 min

  6. 12/04/2025

    Secret #68: Secrets of Rest with Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

    Recommended Episodes:  Secret #62: The Connection Paradox with James Cordova Secret #67: Living with Death with Dr. Manuela O’Connell and Dr. Robyn Walser Secret #56: Spirituality with Dr. Matthieu Villatte Rest is not the opposite of work. It is the partner that makes great work possible. In this conversation, best-selling author and strategist Alex Soojung-Kim Pang shows how rest is a learnable skill that powers focus, creativity, and longevity. We dig into deliberate rest, the default mode network, and why short micro breaks can boost productivity. You will hear practical rhythms for your day—90 to 120 minutes of deep work followed by low-intensity recovery like walking or gardening—plus how absorbing hobbies, device boundaries, and shared team norms protect you from burnout. We also explore the social side of rest, building a sense of mattering and community so you can sustain excellence in a world engineered for distraction.  Highlights: • Rest as an active skill that partners with work • The 90–120 minute deep-work rhythm and low-intensity recovery • Walking, gardening, and “default mode” insight during breaks • Hobbies, mastery, and community as buffers against burnout • Simple tech boundaries and the “zombie apocalypse” notification test • How to design environments and norms that support focus and rest • Sustainable excellence: doing great work for decades, not months ORDER Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less View extended shownotes here Struggling with your child’s big feelings? Our new children’s workbooks are here to help kids and parents handle worry, disappointment, and anger using practical, compassionate tools. Follow the journeys of Justin Case, the Glumm Twins, and Max Cross as they learn that tough emotions are normal and manageable. Find all three workbooks at bookstores everywhere and give your family the support they deserve. ORDER Max Cross Gets Unstuck from Anger: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook series for kids) ORDER Justin Case Sits with Anxiety: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids) ORDER The Glumm Twins Unhook from Sadness: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids)

    52 min

  7. 11/20/2025

    Secret #67: Living with Death - An Existential Conversation with Dr. Manuela O'Connell & Dr. Robyn Walser

    Recommended Episodes Secret #56: Spirituality with Dr. Matthieu VillatteSecret #51: New Thinking on Grief with Dr. Ray OwenSecret #62: The Connection Paradox with James Cordova What happens when we stop running from mortality and let it guide how we live now? Chris and Emma sit down with Dr. Robyn Walser and Dr. Manuela O’Connell to explore death as a teacher, not a terror. They unpack cultural avoidance of death, the role of ritual and spirituality, existential responsibility, and how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help us meet endings with presence, compassion, and choice. Robyn leads a powerful Lifeline exercise, while Manuela reframes death as a mindfulness bell that returns us to the heart of what matters.  Topics Discussed Existentialism and ACT in real life choicesCultural and spiritual perspectives on deathMindfulness, presence, and compassionate self talkValues based living across endings and transitionsGrief, regret, and returning again to what mattersView extended shownotes here Struggling with your child’s big feelings? Our new children’s workbooks are here to help kids and parents handle worry, disappointment, and anger using practical, compassionate tools. Follow the journeys of Justin Case, the Glumm Twins, and Max Cross as they learn that tough emotions are normal and manageable. Find all three workbooks at bookstores everywhere and give your family the support they deserve. ORDER Max Cross Gets Unstuck from Anger: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook series for kids) ORDER Justin Case Sits with Anxiety: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids) ORDER The Glumm Twins Unhook from Sadness: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids)

    52 min

  8. 11/06/2025

    Secret #66: Holding the Heavy Stuff with Ben Sedley

    Recommended episodes: Secret #20: There is No Normal with Dr. Steven C. HayesSecret #47: Living a Meaningful Life with Jenna LeJeuneSecret #30: Wise Effort with Dr. Diana Hill  When life feels too heavy, should we fight our thoughts or learn to carry them? In this grounded, compassionate conversation, clinical psychologist and author Ben Sedley joins Emma Waddington and Chris McCurry to explore how to hold painful thoughts and emotions without being crushed by them. Ben shares practical Acceptance and Commitment Therapy insights, why self-criticism often masquerades as our “biggest fan,” how presence works as a first step, and why compassion sometimes looks fierce with clear boundaries. Expect simple, usable tools for noticing, naming, and carrying the “heavy stuff” while still moving toward what matters.  Topics Discussed: How to carry painful emotions instead of trying to erase themWhy the inner critic often acts like a misguided “biggest fan”The first tool: presence and one-breath noticing before actionCompassion with boundaries: fierce, clear, and change-orientedFunction over content: measure thoughts by what they do, not what they sayView extended shownotes here Struggling with your child’s big feelings? Our new children’s workbooks are here to help kids and parents handle worry, disappointment, and anger using practical, compassionate tools. Follow the journeys of Justin Case, the Glumm Twins, and Max Cross as they learn that tough emotions are normal and manageable. Find all three workbooks at bookstores everywhere and give your family the support they deserve. ORDER Max Cross Gets Unstuck from Anger: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook series for kids) ORDER Justin Case Sits with Anxiety: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids) ORDER The Glumm Twins Unhook from Sadness: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Ages 8-12 (ACT Workbook Series for Kids)

    47 min
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5
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About

We often find ourselves comparing our internal struggles to the flawless images others project, leaving us feeling isolated and misunderstood. But here’s the truth: you are not alone. Join psychologists Emma Waddington and Chris McCurry as they delve into the little-discussed yet incredibly common challenges that come with striving to be your best self. In each episode of "Life's Dirty Little Secrets," you'll find thoughtful conversations filled with insights, humor, and compassion that reflect the beautiful complexity of being human. Together, we’ll explore the raw realities of issues like anxiety, depression, self-esteem, grief, and the nuanced journey of growing up. Whether it's confronting the pressures of modern life or unpacking emotional baggage, we provide a safe space for you to resonate with these experiences. Our intriguing discussions with expert guests will illuminate your path toward understanding and healing. Tune in for practical answers to your pressing questions, such as: How can I better manage anxiety and stress?What can help me overcome self-doubt?How do I navigate grief and find solace?How does self-compassion play a role in my journey?What steps can I take towards greater emotional clarity?Join us weekly as we embrace the messiness of life and uncover the secrets that bind us together. With every episode, you’ll feel empowered, understood, and reminded that it’s perfectly okay to not have it all figured out. Together, let’s embark on this journey of self-discovery and compassion—because we all have secrets, and it’s time to share them.

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