Ella Podcasts

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What if waiting to feel confident is the very thing keeping you stuck?

In this episode of Ella Podcasts, we explore why body confidence often doesn’t come first — action does. Small, consistent choices can help rebuild self-belief, energy and a healthier relationship with your body after a period of feeling disconnected or neglecting yourself. Dr Jonathan and I sat down with Amanda Lim, Metabolic Health Coach, and CK Karkhanis, Celebrity Hair Stylist, to explore body confidence, healthy habits and the small changes that can help people feel better in themselves.

One of the key ideas in the conversation is simple: you don’t wait until you feel confident to start. You start, and confidence follows.

In This Episode

* Why action often comes before confidence
* The power of taking small, realistic steps
* How consistency helps rebuild self-belief
* Why sleep should be one of the first habits you fix
* The importance of working with your natural rhythm
* Why extreme routines aren’t always necessary

Key Takeaways

* Confidence is built through action, not waiting.
* Small habits are often more sustainable than dramatic changes.
* Better sleep can improve how you feel physically and mentally.
* Consistency matters more than perfection.
* You don’t need to overhaul your whole life to begin feeling better.

Conclusion

If you’ve been feeling disconnected from your body or frustrated with yourself, the answer may not be a huge transformation.

Sometimes it starts with one small decision, repeated consistently.

Keywords: body confidence, healthy habits, self-confidence, consistency, sleep, wellbeing, fitness motivation, body image, self-care, lifestyle change, Ella Podcasts

#EllaPodcasts #BodyConfidence #HealthyHabits #Wellbeing #SelfConfidence #Sleep #Lifestyle #FitnessMotivation #SelfCare

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What happens when someone you love dies - and life carries on, even though you feel completely changed?

In this deeply personal episode of Ella Podcasts, Dr Jonathan and I sat down with Dr Jane Tuomola and Sapna Makwana to talk openly about grief, bereavement and the overwhelming pain of losing someone you love.

Dr Jane shares the heartbreaking experience of losing her daughter Sofia on the day she was born, while Sapna reflects on losing her father at just 56. Together, we explore what grief really feels like, why everyone processes loss differently, and how support, therapy, community and meaning can help people learn to live alongside it. 

In This Episode

* Is losing someone we love the most painful experience in life?
* Why grief looks different for everyone
* Coping with the death of a child
* Losing a parent and facing anticipatory grief
* Why delayed grief is so common
* How couples and families grieve differently
* The role of therapy, support groups and community
* Finding meaning after loss
* How to honour someone’s memory while continuing to live

Key Takeaways

* There is no “right” way to grieve.
* Grief can bring sadness, anger, relief, guilt and even numbness.
* Support from people who simply stay present can make an enormous difference.
* Delayed grief is real and may emerge long after a loss.
* Healing does not mean forgetting — it means finding a way to carry the loss with you.
* Remembering and honouring someone can become part of moving forward.

Conclusion

Grief changes us.

We may never stop missing the people we love, but with time, support and self-compassion, the pain can become more manageable and life can slowly expand around the loss.

Keywords: grief, bereavement, losing a child, losing a parent, coping with death, grief counselling, mental health, delayed grief, bereavement support, healing after loss, death of a loved one, Ella Podcasts

#EllaPodcasts #Grief #Bereavement #MentalHealth #Loss #Healing #GriefSupport #Counselling #Psychology #CopingWithLoss

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Why do so many people reach senior positions without ever becoming effective leaders?

In this episode of Ella Podcasts, Dr Jonathan and I sat down with Dr John Isaac and Gary Brooks to explore what separates genuine leadership from simply having authority, a title or seniority.

We discuss why high performers are often promoted into roles they’re not suited for, whether leadership is something you’re born with or can learn, how toxic leaders damage organisations, and whether executive coaching can really turn a poor leader into a good one. 

BB697E2 3pm 23rd June 2026 - V2.txt

In This Episode

• Why great performers don’t always make great leaders
• The difference between leadership and management
• Whether leadership is innate or learned
• Why trust matters more than status
• The danger of narcissistic and toxic leadership
• How poor leaders damage teams and culture
• Whether executive coaching can genuinely change someone
• Why the best leaders often focus on developing others

Key Takeaways

• Leadership is about influence, trust and direction, not just position.
• Promoting someone for technical ability alone can backfire.
• Great leaders empower people rather than control everything.
• Being liked is not the same as being effective.
• Executive coaching can help, but only if the leader genuinely wants to change.
• Sometimes the strongest leaders are not the loudest people in the room.

Conclusion

Leadership isn’t about being the most senior person, the loudest voice or the biggest personality.

The real test is much simpler: do people trust you enough to follow you when it matters? 

BB697E2 3pm 23rd June 2026 - V2.txt

Keywords: leadership, bad leadership, executive coaching, toxic leadership, leadership skills, management, workplace culture, leadership development, narcissistic leaders, people management, business leadership, Ella Podcasts

#EllaPodcasts #Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #Management #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #Business #PeopleManagement #CareerDevelopment

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Past Lives: Real Memories or Made Up? The Controversial Truth About Hypnosis

Can hypnosis really unlock memories from another lifetime, or is your mind simply creating an incredibly convincing story?

Past life regression remains one of psychology’s most controversial subjects. While there is strong evidence that hypnotherapy can help with certain conditions, whether people can genuinely access memories from previous lives is a very different question.

In this fascinating episode of Ella Podcasts, Dr Jonathan and I sat down with Stephen Lew, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Integrative Psychotherapist, and Pooja Bakhshi, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Past Life Regression Therapist, to ask where science ends and something much harder to explain begins.

We explore extraordinary stories of people seemingly experiencing other lives under hypnosis, whether these memories could instead be symbolism or forgotten information, and why some people report physical and emotional changes after regression therapy. Dr Jonathan also brings a more sceptical scientific perspective, arguing that while some cases are remarkable, the evidence for past lives is far from conclusive.

In This Episode

* Does hypnotherapy actually work?
* Are past life memories real or imagined?
* Can sceptics experience past life regression?
* Why do people recall traumatic deaths and dramatic lifetimes?
* Can regression help explain unexplained fears, emotions or physical symptoms?
* Could hypnosis accidentally create false memories?
* What would proof of reincarnation mean for how we live today?

Key Takeaways

* Hypnosis has recognised therapeutic applications, but it does not work equally well for everyone.
* Past life regression remains scientifically unproven and highly debated.
* Therapists may work with what emerges during regression whether they interpret it literally or symbolically.
* Memory work can be powerful, but it can also uncover difficult or destabilising emotions.
* Some reported past life experiences remain extremely difficult to explain.

Conclusion

Whether you believe we’ve lived before or think past life regression is simply the extraordinary power of the human mind, this conversation raises a fascinating question:

What if some of the things affecting us today didn’t begin in this lifetime?

Keywords: past life regression, hypnotherapy, hypnosis, reincarnation, past lives, subconscious mind, trauma therapy, psychology, regression therapy, false memories, spiritual healing, Ella Podcasts

#EllaPodcasts #PastLives #Hypnotherapy #Reincarnation #Hypnosis #Psychology #PastLifeRegression #TraumaHealing #SubconsciousMind

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Did the COVID pandemic protect society—or expose just how quickly fear, pressure and distrust can divide us?

In this controversial episode of Ella Podcasts, Dr Jonathan and I sat down with Brad Bowyer and Iris Koh to revisit one of the most polarising periods in recent history: COVID, vaccine mandates, medical autonomy, public trust and the psychological impact of being either compliant or resistant.

The conversation brings together sharply different viewpoints. We explore why some people trusted authorities and medical guidance, why others questioned mandates, how families and friendships were fractured, and why so much distrust still remains years later.

Brad and Iris also share their personal experiences of speaking out against vaccine mandates and the social, professional and legal consequences that followed, while Dr Jonathan offers a psychological perspective on fear, conformity, group pressure and why people respond so differently to authority.

Who Is This Video For?

This episode is for anyone still reflecting on COVID, lockdowns, vaccine mandates, medical freedom, public trust and the long-term psychological fallout of the pandemic.

In This Episode

* Why COVID created such intense division
* Vaccine mandates and the debate over medical autonomy
* Fear, conformity and group psychology
* The social cost of questioning the dominant narrative
* Why trust in governments, institutions and medicine was damaged
* The lingering psychological impact of lockdowns and social exclusion
* Whether trust can ever be rebuilt
* What might happen if another pandemic arrives

Key Takeaways

* COVID exposed deep differences in how people respond to fear, uncertainty and authority.
* Social pressure and ostracism had lasting psychological consequences.
* Oversimplified messaging can damage trust, even when the intention is public safety.
* Medical decisions become especially divisive when autonomy and collective responsibility collide.
* Rebuilding trust requires transparency, accountability and space for disagreement.

Conclusion

COVID was not only a health crisis—it became a crisis of trust, identity and social cohesion. Whether you agreed with the mandates or opposed them, the experience changed relationships, institutions and the way many people think about authority forever.

This episode does not ask everyone to agree. It asks whether we can still listen to one another after one of the most divisive periods of our lives.

Keywords: COVID vaccine mandates, medical freedom, vaccine debate, COVID lockdowns, medical autonomy, public trust, pandemic psychology, groupthink, conformity, vaccine hesitancy, COVID trauma, Ella Podcasts

#EllaPodcasts #COVID19 #VaccineMandates #MedicalFreedom #MedicalAutonomy #PublicTrust #Pandemic #MentalHealth #Psychology #FreedomOfChoice

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