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In this episode, Em talks to Sally. Sally experienced a major loss in her life when her younger brother sadly passed away when they were both in their teens. She describes what grief feels like to her, how the trauma from grief can manifest in different ways over many years, how important it is to check in with yourself along the way, the importance of learning what grief can do to your mind and body, learning to care for yourself and give space for your feelings and needs. Sally is now a parent and foster carer and she also talks about what her experiences have provided her with when it comes to resilience, empathy and emotional literacy for those around her See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode Em talks to Dave. Dave is a father to two young girls and as it's Father's Day this week, he shares his experiences of what it's really like to plan to be and then become a father. What is the expectation vs. reality? What changes for you as a person? What's it like to see yourself in someone else and does having your own kids make you see your own childhood (and the relationship between you and your own parents) differently? We talk about his hopes for the future and knowing what he knows now - what he believes makes a good parent See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Em chats to Lorna. Lorna shares her story of what it's really like to be in an abusive relationship. How does it start? How does it develop? What makes it so hard to leave? What does that long term manipulation do to you and your self worth? Lorna describes a 6yr relationship with her abuser and the many times she wanted to and even tried to leave but the brainwashing, as she describes it, kept her right where he wanted her. Thankfully, she was able to leave shortly after the birth of her son and she shares with us what that healing process looks like and how she can now look to the future, free from violence. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Em chats to Hywel. The name of this episode comes from Hywel's own description of himself as a 'wonky wrong un.' He shares his experience of leaving the Welsh valleys as a teenager with complex feelings about his working class identity, his early 20s as a homeless, couch surfing singer in a hardcore punk band, years of excess and realising it was time to embrace recovery, being in AA in his 20s, the importance of queer family and community, discovering who he truly was when becoming sober, coming out as a trans man in his 30s and what makes him happy now and getting into university to become a therapist See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Em chats to Neil. Neil has battled mental illness for a long time now and has survived multiple attempts at suicide, he made it out of a specialist hospital after being sectioned and he's here to tell his story from the best place he's been in his life so far. We talk about how to get a diagnosis, what it's like to live with bipolar and borderline personality disorder (BPD), DBT therapy, what it's like to have a mental illness when you're neurodivergent (ADHD) and the skills learned over the years to get to know yourself and manage the way your brain works as best you canContent warning: references made to self harm, suicide and being sectioned. Details of the specifics eg. method of attempted suicide however, are not mentioned See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Em chats to Emma. Emma is of East Asian heritage and she talks about the impacts of racism from being very young and how it shaped her feeling of safety in the world. We discuss the concept of cumulative trauma and how, after surviving a sexual assault later in life, this added traumatic event compounded those earlier feelings. We talk about what it's like to live with PTSD, how our brains respond to trauma, the structures of power at play, how difficult it can be to exist in the world as a survivor, and how important it can be to share your experience (if you can).As we are both women in tech, we also talk about what it's like to be in Equality, Diversity & Inclusion groups in the workplace and the desire for change and representation but also the cognitive load, vulnerability, and extra time and effort spent with little/no compensation for your efforts.Content warning: There are open discussions of racism and sexual assault throughout. No specific details of the actual assaults themselves are shared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Em chats to Kirstie Young. Kirstie reached a crossroads in her late 20s which left her with a big decision to make that would change the course of her life from then on. We never know what is around the corner for us and no matter how much we plan or write out pros and cons on paper, we can never truly be prepared for what may happen next. Get ready to feel some feels during this episode because in a world where sometimes we struggle to hope or believe, some things really do end with a happily ever afterCW: Discussions of pregnancy & abortion See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Em talks to Andy Waterfield. We talk through the concept of masculinity - what it meant in history and what it means in 2021. We tackle the subject of men's mental health and how this also intersects. Why do men feel less able to talk about mental health? How do our cultures and societies condition children into confirming to stereotypes of the gender binary and why? We discuss men's rights activists, male privilege and how we all need to try and figure out how we can prevent the mistakes of the past happening again in future generations See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Em talks to Abs Sharma. Abs was born in India and moved across to the UK as a kid. He talks about the adjustment to living here, attitudes towards people who are different and how to build empathy through understanding people and their experiences as we grow older. He also talks about getting into a tech career as a Developer, Conversational Analyst and then a Product Owner as well as dissecting the feeling of joining a big established company and the imposter syndrome that comes with it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

2020 was a beast, so how can we get our heads right and in a good a place to try and tackle 2021? This special episode to kick off the new year starts by discussing the 'new year, new me' phenomenon, aren't we always the same me, just looking to improve? Do we even want to improve, what does that 'improvement' even look like? Is it for our own happiness or is it for the benefit of others, an imagined audience or even for social media? My special guest for this episode is Claire Hart, a Yorkshire lass based in San Francisco who is all about goal planning, self improvement, creating routines and writing lots of lists! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Em talks to Kelly Silver. Kelly shares her experience of growing up in Hull and then making the switch to Canada to live and work after feeling the need to make a bold and creative move. She talks about her early career in psychology and her misgivings about academia (especially for working class people) and how she made the decision to go into User Experience Research (UX) which led to her career in tech. We talk about being able to bring your best self to work, especially when you're in the technology community and how communication is super important. We finish up by talking about LGBTQI identifies and feeling safe, letting go of expectations and obligations and creating healthy boundaries See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Em talks to Kristy about her upbringing straddling both the UK & USA and how that shapes your identity, her experience of growing up working class & being mixed race, when she first realised she needed support with her mental health and how since her diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) she's managed not only to survive but thrive too! We talk medications, what good therapy looks like, self care, toxic productivity and the things that give her life.Kristy Diaz is a comms professional and freelance music writer, editor and speaker based in Leicester, via the USA. She is co-editor of DIY music website Track 7 with bylines at Upset Magazine, The Skinny and numerous independent publications and fanzines. She is the co-author of Principles of Festival Management (Goodfellow, 2019) and a contributing author of Nasty Women (404 Ink, 2017). Her speaking appearances include Cheltenham Literature Festival, Handmade Festival and The Short Cinema, where she has discussed alternative music and culture from an intersectional feminist perspective. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Em talks to Maryam about her decision to move from the UK to the USA. Maryam is a Montessori teacher and at age 30 decided to take her skills state side and settle in Chicago for a new start. We talk about the feeling of upheaval, setting somewhere new, the benefits of living alone and getting to know yourself, growing apart from and falling out of love with the punk scene and the freedom of driving. In this episode, we blend thriving into surviving as Maryam's new life unfortunately then takes an unpredictable turn when she is forced to come back home while her visa and application for a green card run into problems See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Em talks to Kay about miscarriage - from the feeling of first finding out you're pregnant to what miscarriage means to you, your relationship, your family, your body and your mental health. Kay has survived 4 miscarriages and shares her journey over the last 5 years through hospital visits, awkward conversations, the idea of getting straight into trying again and the things it's NOT ok to say even when you mean well. There's a major lack of examples out there of people sharing their experience with miscarriage as it's such a difficult subject to tackle. We talk about how important and beneficial it can be to share your story with others if you feel you can and how common it is to experience. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For this episode, Em talks to Jake about his journey through the care system from being in foster care as an infant, adopted at 5 and the lifetime of understanding, adjusting and healing that follows. We talk about forging your identity through case notes and stories from others, the adoption process, how to unpack attachment disorder, meeting your birth parents, discovering your racial heritage in your mid 20s and how trauma affects your self esteem, development and relationships as a teenager and an adult. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of Survivin & Thrivin, Em talks to an anonymous special guest about his gender transition in the 1990s. This is the world before the internet and before the visibility of what being transgender looks like today. We talk about his coming out as a teenager, what gender clinics were like back then, how his family explained his transition to friends and family, how he navigated the process with little up front information of what was yet to come, a lack of trans or queer role models, what it means to live in stealth, what advice he has for people for their own transition today and what being trans in 2020 looks like. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 4 is a special collaborative episode with Poor Lass; the other podcast Em co-hosts with Seleena Laverne Daye. Em talks through surviving bankruptcy and in particular how it impacts on her as a working class person. From the process itself to what happened to her and the aftermath over the 6 years to follow, Em has now finally completed the process and is no longer bankrupt as of May 1st 2020. She describes the impact on her mental health, the importance of asking for help, having great friends and healing.If you like what you hear, as ever follow S&T at instagram.com/survivinnthrivin See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the third episode of Survivin & Thrivin, Em Ledger chats to Sarah Fordham; author of X-Stitch and all round funny lass. We talk about how Sarah got into crafting and how she wound up getting a book deal, how social media distorts how we perceive and understand 'success,' the millennial hustle, and how she's embarking on a new chapter in comedy after a dating mishap made it's way onto a TV show! With extra laughs about online dating, mums on facebook and striving to become a national treasure at 36, listen in for the full story!You can follow Sarah at instagram.com/sarahvfordham and of course S&T at instagram.com/survivinnthrivin See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the second episode of Survivin & Thrivin, Em Ledger chats to Tennesha Vanterpool; creative freelancer working in fashion, streetwear & beauty and also a content creator or 'digital sharer' which we discuss is a much better fit. Hear how Niesh started out always staying curious and wanting to learn, her parents encouraging her to work hard and finish what you start, the importance of her family's roots in Anguilla, how travel keeps your mind open to the possibilities of the world and city living keeps you inspired and constantly moving. We then talk about how we all experience that moment where we realise there is work out there for you that you can enjoy, you can get paid to do your passion and how transformative that is. Niesh is a lone wolf and she wants to do something, she'll go out there and do it. She's inspiring as hell, always moving forward and loves to share it with us all online, lucky us!You can follow Niesh at instagram.com/nieshvanterpool and of course don't forget to follow S&T at instagram.com/survivinnthrivin See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the first episode of Survivin & Thrivin, Em Ledger chats to Chloe Coles - Young adult fiction author best known for the Bookshop Girl series. Hear how Chloe first started writing, teenage diaries, how she made the transition from working in a book shop to having her own books on the shelf, her processes, favourite authors and what's coming up next for her.Follow Chloe on instagram.com/chlocoles and of course follow S&T at instagram.com/survivinnthrivin See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.