The Liberation Effect

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12/11/2025

32. The Hardest Thing About Going No Contact with Harriet Shearsmith

To be on the show please apply here: ⁠⁠https://hub.liberationacademy.co.uk/podcast-applicationIn this conversation, Helen is joined by author, coach and trainee psychotherapist Harriet Shearsmith to explore the emotional landscape of going no contact with a parent. Through listener questions, they speak to the grief that comes with choosing distance, particularly the longing for the parent you never truly had and the ache of not having a senior adult to lean on when life feels heavy.Harriet reflects on growing up enmeshed and responsible for her mother’s feelings, and how difficult it can be to recognise your own needs when you were raised to anticipate and absorb everyone else’s. Together, they discuss the pain of losing not just a parent but the version of safety and care you hoped they could provide, and the quiet courage it takes to build that safety elsewhere.This episode holds space for the anger, the sadness and the relief. It is a thoughtful and validating conversation about boundaries, grief and the slow work of becoming your own safe place.Grow, connect and thrive with a free 7-day trial of The Hub: ⁠⁠https://liberationacademy.co.uk/the-hub/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit helenvilliersliberation.substack.com/subscribe

12/11/2025

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1 giờ 8 phút
14 THG 1

40. Is It Autism or Trauma? (Replay)

This week we're replaying one of our listeners' favourite episodes in which Patrick asks, is it autism or trauma? When we’ve grown up in chaos, it can be hard to untangle our trauma from who we truly are. In this episode, Patrick explores the tangled web of trust, identity, and survival after a lifetime shaped by narcissistic abuse - and a recent autism diagnosis that’s reframed everything. As he sits down with Helen, we witness a moving conversation about how trauma disguises itself in our thoughts, how autism and trauma intertwine, and how addiction can become a clever - if costly - coping mechanism. Together, they unpack people-pleasing, perfectionism, emotional disconnection, and the shame that lingers long after the abuse ends. This is an episode about rebuilding from the rubble, reclaiming joy, and learning to trust yourself again. If you would like to be a guest on The Liberation Effect, you can apply for one of our limited therapeutic sessions recorded for the podcast. Your identity is fully protected, and only twelve sessions are published each year: https://liberationacademy.co.uk/recorded-session-application/ Grow, connect and thrive with The Hub: ⁠⁠https://liberationacademy.co.uk/the-hub/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit helenvilliersliberation.substack.com/subscribe

14 thg 1

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1 giờ 23 phút
18/06/2025

11. Why Does My Daughter Trigger Me?

What if the way you parent reveals the parts of you that are still hurting? In this episode, Lucy explores the uncomfortable truth that she finds her daughter more triggering than her son, even when they display the same behaviours. What unfolds is a powerful, emotionally honest conversation about the legacy of childhood rejection, and how easily unhealed wounds can echo through the next generation. Helen helps Lucy trace the roots of her inner critic, the shame she carries around being “too much,” and the fear of what it would mean to truly honour her younger self. From family dynamics that blamed her for others’ behaviour to the belief that love must be earned through perfection, Lucy brings humour, clarity and real insight to a story that will feel painfully familiar for many. Grow, connect and thrive with a free 7-day trial of The Hub: ⁠⁠https://liberationacademy.co.uk/the-hub/⁠⁠ To be on the show please apply here: ⁠⁠https://hub.liberationacademy.co.uk/podcast-application This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit helenvilliersliberation.substack.com/subscribe

18/06/2025

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1 giờ 8 phút
29/08/2025

Is the Fawn Response real?

The Fawn Response has been declared a primary trauma response, but is it really? Understanding this distinction between primary and secondary response is vital because it empowers you to be able to manage it. You don’t have to fawn! And if you’re feeling the need to, either your relational pattern is playing out, or the person you’re with isn’t safe. Never shame yourself for surviving, it’s amazing you got here. Take care, Helen This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit helenvilliersliberation.substack.com/subscribe

29/08/2025

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21 phút
05/11/2025

31. Why Does Being Seen Still Feel Unsafe?

To be on the show please apply here: ⁠⁠https://hub.liberationacademy.co.uk/podcast-application In this continuation of her story, Catherine speaks with Helen about the lasting effects of growing up unheard and disbelieved. Together they unpack the tension between wanting connection and fearing exposure, and how self-protection can harden into invisibility. Catherine reflects on her instinct to stay small, control her surroundings, and apologise for taking up space, tracing each habit back to moments she was ignored or criticised. Helen gently helps her rebuild a new narrative, where boundaries, autonomy and curiosity replace the need to overexplain. Their exchange captures the quiet hope that visibility can exist without threat, that being seen can mean being met rather than judged. Grow, connect and thrive with a free 7-day trial of The Hub: ⁠⁠https://liberationacademy.co.uk/the-hub/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit helenvilliersliberation.substack.com/subscribe

05/11/2025

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1 giờ 30 phút
03/12/2025

35. How Do I Heal From a Friend's Betrayal?

In this episode, Helen sits with Evie as she unravels the painful chain reaction that followed the betrayal of a long-term friend. What began as a rupture in a twenty one year friendship opened the door to something much older. Memories of a childhood shaped by a narcissistic mother, the loss of her father, and years spent surviving rather than becoming herself. The fallout has stirred insomnia, nightmares and flashbacks, as well as a grief for the identity she feels she never had the chance to form.Together they explore how familiar patterns repeat in friendships and relationships, why suppressed trauma can erupt when a safe person is lost, and what it means to rebuild trust from the inside out. The conversation looks at anger, self blame and the longing to be understood, and it gently shifts the focus from the behaviour of others to the power Evie has to choose herself now. It is an honest and reflective dialogue about identity, boundaries and beginning again after years of being shaped by someone else’s story.If you would like to be a guest on The Liberation Effect, you can apply for one of our limited therapeutic sessions recorded for the podcast. Your identity is fully protected, and only twelve sessions are published each year: https://liberationacademy.co.uk/recorded-session-application/Grow, connect and thrive with The Hub: ⁠⁠https://liberationacademy.co.uk/the-hub/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit helenvilliersliberation.substack.com/subscribe

03/12/2025

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1 giờ 35 phút
11/06/2025

10. How Do I Know Who I Am Without Her?

What if being the good child meant being the forgotten one? In this episode, Charlotte joins Helen to explore the long shadow of emotional neglect, people-pleasing, and being cast as the family scapegoat. As a child, Charlotte learned to stay quiet, meet expectations, and avoid conflict. But underneath the surface was a deep loneliness, a constant pressure to be easy, and a silence that cost her a sense of self. Together, they unpack how roles like “good girl” or “too much” get assigned to children without their consent, and how those labels can shape your entire identity. Charlotte shares the pain of being punished for setting boundaries, the grief of realising her parents never truly protected her, and the courage it takes to finally trust your own voice. This is a conversation about survival, clarity, and the moment you decide to stop carrying a story that was never yours. Grow, connect and thrive with a free 7-day trial of The Hub: ⁠⁠https://liberationacademy.co.uk/the-hub/⁠⁠ To be on the show please apply here: ⁠⁠https://hub.liberationacademy.co.uk/podcast-application This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit helenvilliersliberation.substack.com/subscribe

11/06/2025

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1 giờ 23 phút
29/10/2025

30. How Do I Learn to Exist When I Was Raised to Disappear?

To be on the show please apply here: ⁠⁠https://hub.liberationacademy.co.uk/podcast-application In part one of a two-part story, Helen speaks with Catherine about growing up unseen in a family where silence, perfection and religion shaped her sense of worth. Together they explore how childhood invisibility can follow us into adulthood, in relationships, work and even the body, showing up as discomfort with being noticed, fear of conflict or the drive to perform for love. The conversation looks at the lasting impact of emotional neglect, comparison and dismissal, and how learning to be visible again means rebuilding a sense of safety in being known. It is a tender, honest discussion about self-worth, visibility and the slow work of learning to take up space. Grow, connect and thrive with a free 7-day trial of The Hub: ⁠⁠https://liberationacademy.co.uk/the-hub/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit helenvilliersliberation.substack.com/subscribe

29/10/2025

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1 giờ 15 phút
04/06/2025

9. Did My Autism Make Me Hard to Love?

What if everything that made you different was dismissed, not just by the world, but by the people meant to protect you? Christina joins Helen to share the quiet heartbreak of being visibly different but never truly seen. Despite clear signs of neurodivergence from a young age, her parents dismissed the red flags, choosing image, denial and normality over acceptance and support. Now, with a late autism, ADHD and dyscalculia diagnosis, Christina is left untangling years of confusion, anger, and grief. Together, they explore what it means to grow up performing for approval while being punished for your needs. From emotional shutdowns and school struggles to masking, meltdowns and the fear of peace itself, this conversation cuts to the core of what happens when your suffering is invisible - even to the people who say they love you most. If you’ve ever found yourself asking why they didn’t do more, or how to stop needing their validation to move forward - this episode will speak to you.Grow, connect and thrive with a free 7-day trial of The Hub: ⁠⁠https://liberationacademy.co.uk/the-hub/⁠⁠ To be on the show please apply here: ⁠⁠https://hub.liberationacademy.co.uk/podcast-application This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit helenvilliersliberation.substack.com/subscribe

04/06/2025

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1 giờ 25 phút
28/05/2025

8. How Can My Own Mother Abandon Me?

What if everything you thought was real… wasn’t? In this episode of The Liberation Effect, Helen is joined by Emma, who’s facing the grief of being discarded by her narcissistic mother - not because she walked away, but because she finally said no. Now in her fifties and newly separated, Emma is navigating the disorienting fallout of a lifetime spent performing for love, questioning every memory, and grieving the identity she was never allowed to form. Together, she and Helen unpack what happens when your childhood starts to unravel in adulthood, and how hard it is to trust yourself when you've spent your whole life being told who to be.Grow, connect and thrive with a free 7-day trial of The Hub: ⁠⁠https://liberationacademy.co.uk/the-hub/⁠⁠ To be on the show please apply here: ⁠⁠https://hub.liberationacademy.co.uk/podcast-application This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit helenvilliersliberation.substack.com/subscribe

28/05/2025

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1 giờ 36 phút

Each week Helen invites a guest to explore a problem they’re facing and works through it with them; peeling back the layers to understand what’s happening and offering ways to move forward and make changes to resolve the issue. Whether it’s coping with narcissistic parents; going no contact; parenting ADHD or Autistic children; parenting after trauma; or their own ADHD or Autism; Helen helps the listener untangle the parts that keeps them stuck. To access Helen’s community focused on healing, learning and support, visit https://liberationacademy.co.uk/the-hub/ helenvilliersliberation.substack.com

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In The Liberation Effect, listen as Helen explores issues guests are struggling with, helping them unpick why they're stuck and what they might do to move on. Addressing narcissistic or emotionally abusive parents, friends or colleagues, ADHD, Autism, and parenting, this podcast tackles tricky topics with compassion, empathy and honesty helping the guest and the listener understand what they're facing and how to move through it. In The Expert Series (subscription only) Helen talks to professionals about their specialism in relation to the course being explored on Helen's membership programme, The Hub that month. Members of The Hub get free access to this podcast.

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Liên hệ với Helen Child Villiers

The Liberation Effect

Exclusive episodes to deepen healing.

Top Chương Trình

32. The Hardest Thing About Going No Contact with Harriet Shearsmith

40. Is It Autism or Trauma? (Replay)

11. Why Does My Daughter Trigger Me?

Is the Fawn Response real?

31. Why Does Being Seen Still Feel Unsafe?

35. How Do I Heal From a Friend's Betrayal?

10. How Do I Know Who I Am Without Her?

30. How Do I Learn to Exist When I Was Raised to Disappear?

9. Did My Autism Make Me Hard to Love?

8. How Can My Own Mother Abandon Me?

Exclusive episodes to deepen healing.

4. Sex and Shame with Rachael Hibbert

3. Autism/ADHD & People Pleasing with Bev Woolmer

1. Sex & People Pleasing - The Expert Series

2. Trauma and People Pleasing with Jan Marion

4. Sex and Shame with Rachael Hibbert

8. Covert Sexual Abuse

3. The Expert Series - Bev Woolmer

5. Body Image and Shame with The Fat Counsellors

9. Repairing Relationships with Dr. Kathy Nickerson

2. Trauma and People Pleasing with Jan Marion

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The Liberation Effect

Exclusive episodes to deepen healing.

Top Chương Trình

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The Expert Series

Exclusive episodes to deepen healing.

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