The Thrive Programme Podcast

The Thrive Programme Podcast

The Thrive Programme team’s new podcast offers engaging weekly episodes that delve into mental health topics, offering insightful discussions and practical tips. It promotes the core principles of the Thrive Programme, empowering listeners to take control of their mental well-being and build lasting resilience. Tune in for expert advice, real-life stories, and actionable steps to thrive mentally and emotionally.

  1. 12/11/2025

    Why forgiveness is the most powerful thing you own

    In today’s episode, Lucy is joined by Philippa Saunders for an honest conversation about why forgiveness is an internal act of power - something you do for you, not for the other person, and not in response to what they did or didn’t do. Philippa opens up about her experience of feeling let down by her father during her teen years, and how those moments shaped her self-esteem and her expectations of how life “should” have been. It wasn’t until she became a parent herself that she fully recognised just how much those early experiences were still influencing her. Discovering The Thrive Programme in her thirties became a turning point. Philippa shares the mindset shifts that helped her choose forgiveness, the process she went through, and the powerful sense of relief and freedom that followed - like finally putting down a weight she’d been carrying for decades. Lucy also shares the extraordinary story of Eva Kor, who, at just 10 years old, was taken to Auschwitz and subjected to horrific medical experiments. For 41 years, Eva held her pain in silence - until she discovered the profound personal power of forgiveness. She couldn’t change the past or the people who hurt her, but she realised she could reclaim her own emotional freedom. Together, Lucy and Philippa explore how self-forgiveness is just as transformative. They discuss how it cuts through perfectionism, self-criticism and the tendency to beat ourselves up for things we didn’t - or couldn’t - have done differently. If you’ve ever felt weighed down by resentment, guilt, or old stories about what “should” have happened, this episode is a powerful reminder that forgiveness is something you choose - and it may just be the most liberating choice you’ll ever make.

    38 min
  2. 11/24/2025

    The Empowered Menopause: You’re the Captain Now

    Ladies of a certain age - this one’s for you. If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking “I’m old… past it… life is slowing down… why don’t I feel like myself anymore?.  Or if the symptoms of menopause and this stage of life (let’s be honest, it’s busy isn’t it) have been dulling your sparkle - this episode is your invitation to take back the helm. This week, Lucy is joined by Sue Tetley (Thrive Programme Coach based in Suffolk) for a powerful conversation all about empowering yourself through the menopause. Together, they explore how much of our experience comes down to perspective, beliefs, and the meaning we attach to this stage of life. You have more power over it than you might currently think… Looking at the research into global language and connotations around the menopause, it’s clear this has an impact. For example, in Chinese culture, menopause is viewed as a rebirth - a pivotal chapter where women can let go of the energy expended in childbirth and are considered wise, valued, and respected. They report some of the lowest menopause symptoms and medication use in the world. A different cultural lens… a completely different experience. Sue and Lucy discuss a couple of key things you can do to captain your own ship through this stage of your life:  1: Choose your perspective. The way you perceive it – the beliefs you hold, the perspective you take, the understanding you have, language you use - will determine your experience. You have control over this – you don’t have to struggle and simply survive!  2: Focus on what you can do to support yourself. Yes, lifestyle habits like sleep, movement, support around you, getting outside help…all the stuff you’ll already know (yawn, sign, eye roll…).  But you can do better than that – you’ve got a huge potential on the inside - get yourself thriving:  Challenge and let go of your limiting beliefsBuild a sense of safety and security in who you are – develop self-confidence like you’ve never thought possibleLearn how to feel powerful and in control of your life Build robust emotional coping skills so that you can cope with life’s stressors with relative easeCreate a mindset for life that empowers you to be the captain of your ship – in control of your life This episode is all about taking the power back over this phase of your life and doing it the way you want to do it – it’s your choice – it’s more up to you than you think it is.

    37 min
  3. 11/07/2025

    Thriving beyond hearing loss: The power of psychological strength

    In this episode, Lucy sits down with Anne Best – a Thrive Programme Coach based in Glasgow, Scotland – to discuss how The Thrive Programme helped her (and continues to help her) navigate her journey of living with hearing loss.   Anne lost her hearing after a complicated journey with asthma and repeated ear, nose and throat infections, and now has bone-anchored hearing aids.  Anne reflects on her mental health at the start of her journey and says, “I was allowing my poor thinking to control my life”. She initially thought her way out of having the operation she needed to give her a better quality of life and was worried what people would think about seeing her with hearing aids.   But then she got herself thriving! Anne reveals how getting herself thriving empowered her to take responsibility for the thoughts in her head, the feelings she creates, the way she responds to situations in life, and the words she chooses both inside her head and what she says out loud. She now sees her hearing aids as her power tool! She says, “There’s fact and there’s fiction, and what I was inclined to do was make up a story – almost as a way of controlling something - and I don’t it anymore. I stick to the facts”.  This inspiring episode is full of things you can do to take control of your experience of dealing with something challenging in your life. Practical takeaways, mindset shifts, coping skills, a sense of humour even.    If you’d like to talk to one of the team and get some help with something going on in your life right now, please reach out. We’d love to help.

    35 min
  4. 08/29/2025

    A CEO's success story with a silent struggle

    This week, Lucy is joined by Charlie Sampson for an honest and inspiring conversation about anxiety and panic attacks affected him throughout his career.   Charlie opens up about the imposter syndrome he felt during his early career, his first panic attack in front of his colleagues, and the anxiety he silently battled whilst CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi. For years, medication helped him manage, but it wasn’t until a friend introduced him to ‘the only self-help book you’ll ever need” - The Thrive Programme that things truly changed. Through the programme, Charlie discovered the root of his struggles, learned practical skills to build self-belief, and finally experienced life free from anxiety. Today, he’s a Thrive Programme Coach, passionate about helping others -especially business people - develop the tools and confidence to feel calm, capable, and in control, no matter the situation. Charlie and Lucy discuss how your mental health – your thinking habits, the way you emotionally respond to the pressures of life, the beliefs you hold about yourself - is THE most important thing in your life.  It underpins everything – your work life, your personal relationships, your own happiness, your sleep, your work-life balance. Success isn’t ‘out there’ in your job grade, your salary, the car you drive…it’s ‘in here’ – it’s in how you think!  If you’ve ever felt held back by anxiety or wondered how to build lasting resilience, this episode will give you insight, hope, and practical takeaways. We’d love to know what you think so do get in touch.

    52 min
  5. 08/11/2025

    Thriving Teens: Stories from the Frontline of the Classroom

    This week, Lucy chats with Claire Gildersleve — a teacher at The BRIT School who is also a Thrive Programme Coach for the school working directly with students and staff. With 15+ years of experience on the front line of teen mental health, Claire shares her perspective on what young people are really facing today: The constant pressure of social mediaBody image worries and comparisonAnxiety about world events and the futureA lack of real tools to cope with life’s challengesWatch Claire light up as she shares a couple of examples of students she’s watched overcome their anxieties and develop into calm, confident, powerful individuals. That’s why she’s passionate about The Thrive Programme and how she is able to equip students (and staff!) with: The knowledge they aren’t powerless or helpless – how to focus on the things they can controlHow to recognise and change their limiting beliefsHow to build an internal self-esteem that isn’t reliant on likes, grades, or other people’s opinionsHow to build social confidenceLearning helpful coping mechanisms so they can recognise and reduce pressure before it becomes overwhelmingSkills to change the way they think about challenges so they can respond with confidence and resilienceFrom her work at The BRIT School to training in surrounding schools, Claire has seen first-hand the difference The Thrive Programme makes — not just in academic performance, but in confidence, relationships, and overall wellbeing. If you want to understand the reality of teen mental health today — and the solutions that truly work — this is an episode you won’t want to miss.  We love hearing from you so if this episode resonates, please get in touch.

    49 min

About

The Thrive Programme team’s new podcast offers engaging weekly episodes that delve into mental health topics, offering insightful discussions and practical tips. It promotes the core principles of the Thrive Programme, empowering listeners to take control of their mental well-being and build lasting resilience. Tune in for expert advice, real-life stories, and actionable steps to thrive mentally and emotionally.