Episode 13 - Finding your identity
Who are you beneath the roles, labels, and expectations placed on you?
Finding Your Identity is a gentle, thought-provoking podcast exploring what it really means to know yourself. Through honest conversation, reflective prompts, and therapeutic insight, this podcast invites you to reconnect with who you are beyond survival mode, relationships, and past experiences. Whether you’re feeling lost, changing, or simply curious about yourself, this space is here to help you come home to you.
Episode 11 - Perimenopause vs Menopause
Perimenopause vs Menopause
So many women are struggling in silence unsure whether what they’re experiencing is perimenopause or menopause. In this episode, I break down the differences, common symptoms, and why so many women feel dismissed or confused during this stage of life.
We talk about the emotional impact, mental health changes, and why understanding what’s happening to your body matters. If you’ve ever thought “Is this just me?” - this episode is for you.
Click here to listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3KHPxdVrmwKzMwG7l7wPD6?si=BcMPXl-qQdi0hxJR-IfVqA
Click here to listen on Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/3766705d-a135-47a1-9148-a9d38dbfb38b/the-meeks-counselling-podcast
Episode 9 - Self Care
Self-Care
Self-care is a term we hear often, but its meaning can easily become blurred or oversimplified.
In this episode, I explore self-care as something deeper than occasional treats or routines. We look at self-care as a compassionate way of responding to ourselves particularly during times of stress, emotional difficulty, or change.
I reflect on:
Why self-care can feel difficult to prioritise
The difference between practical self-care and emotional self-care
How self-care can be subtle, personal, and shaped by your circumstances
Gentle, realistic ways to support yourself when life feels demanding
This episode offers space to slow down, reflect, and consider what self-care might look like for you right now without pressure or expectation.
Click here to listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/73cTx7FJvLAXlECNuTYDq7?si=d1ccf996bb0d452b
Click here to listen on Amazon music:
Episode 8 - Living With Chronic Illness
Living With Chronic Illness
Click here to listen on Spotify :
https://open.spotify.com/episode/50fCKZmydHO6vX13LqJ3xt?si=6eutkhPETSOpTGDUjNnRKQ
Click here to listen on Amazon Music:
Join Mika Warne, qualified counsellor, owner and founder of Meeks Counselling and Psychotherapy, for her fortnightly podcast exploring real conversations around mental health and emotional wellbeing.
In this episode, Mika offers a reflective discussion on what it means to live with a chronic illness. This episode covers common experiences, emotional impacts, and practical ways people cope and adapt. Offering insight for anyone living with long-term conditions or supporting someone who is.
Tune in, take a deep breath, and remember you are not alone.
Episode 7 - Seasonal Depression - Understanding SAD
Welcome to The Winter Blues: Understanding SAD or more commonly known as seasonal depression
As the days get shorter and the light fades earlier, it’s common to notice changes in our mood, energy, and motivation. For some people, these shifts can be quite mild - that sense of feeling a bit low or unmotivated as winter sets in.
But for others, the darker months can bring on something deeper, something known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD - a form of depression that follows a seasonal pattern, usually appearing in the autumn and winter months.
So what is SAD?
SAD is a type of depression that follows a seasonal pattern.
For most people who experience it, symptoms begin in the autumn as the days get shorter, and they often continue through the winter months, usually lifting again when spring returns.
It’s more than just feeling a bit fed up about the weather or missing the sunshine.
For some, SAD can really affect day-to-day life, how we think, how we feel, and even how we function.
The main trigger is a lack of natural daylight. When there’s less sunlight, it can disrupt the body’s internal clock - what’s known as our circadian rhythm and it can also affect levels of serotonin, the chemical in our brain that helps regulate mood, and melatonin, which helps with sleep.
So, when these systems get thrown off balance, we might find ourselves feeling more tired, more withdrawn, and less motivated than usual.
Click the link below to learn more on how to cope with SAD
https://open.spotify.com/episode/03L4FThcZtiats1AAHmXOR?si=ee3947e730394cf6
Episode 6 - Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that affects mood, energy levels and the ability to manage everyday life. People living with bipolar experience shifts between periods of low mood (depression) and high mood (mania or hypomania). These changes can feel unpredictable and overwhelming, but they are part of a recognised medical condition, not a personal failing.