Psychology, Actually

What actually helps someone recover from anorexia?
After developing anorexia as a teenager, Tiffany Luxford spent approximately two years receiving inpatient treatment. Today, she is fully recovered and using her lived experience to improve how eating disorders are understood and supported. In this episode of Psychology, Actually, Tiffany joins Dr Marianne Trent to share what genuinely helped her recover, what she wishes had been different during treatment, and why compassion, connection and feeling understood matter.
Together, they explore the emotional distress behind eating disorders, the role of trauma, control and self-criticism, and why separating the person from the eating disorder can help reduce shame and blame. Whether you have experienced an eating disorder, are supporting someone through recovery or work within mental health services, this conversation offers valuable insight and hope.
#AnorexiaRecovery #EatingDisorderRecovery #PsychologyActually
Highlights
00:00 Understanding the person behind the eating disorder
01:02 Avoiding triggering imagery and numbers
02:43 Eating disorders are more than physical symptoms
03:31 Understanding distress and control
05:03 Loving food while living with anorexia
06:19 Tiffany’s experience of anorexia and inpatient treatment
08:59 How compassion can support recovery
09:14 Separating the person from the eating disorder
10:36 What Tiffany needed during treatment
12:35 The role of trauma
13:33 What full recovery feels like
14:53 Can eating disorder thoughts return?
16:16 Rebuilding a healthier relationship with exercise
17:14 Moving beyond comparison
19:38 Externalising the eating disorder
22:35 Reducing shame and self-blame
23:41 The value of lived experience
25:45 Why recovery stories matter
28:21 Tiffany’s TEDx talk and The Recovery Wave
30:07 Final thoughts

Links:
📲 Connect with Tiffany Luxford on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-luxford-505013179/
🫶 To join my podcast membership to get early access to episodes and support the show head to: https://the-aspiring-psychologist.captivate.fm/support or to the Apple Podcasts App: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-aspiring-psychologist-podcast/id1605628278 or to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOwjrIP_jatiqlAivJE2mgQ/join
📚 To check out The Clinical Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3jOplx0
📖 To check out The Aspiring Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3CP2N97
💡 To check out or join the aspiring psychologist membership for just £30 per month head to: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/membership
🖥️ Check out my short courses for aspiring psychologists and mental health professionals here: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/online-courses
Ask Marianne your most pressing psychology career question and she will send you a FREE bespoke reply! Grab your free psychology success guide here and fill in the most pressing concern box: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk (scroll to the bottom of the page)
✍️ Get your FREE Supervision Shaping Tool now: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/free-resources
📱Connect socially with Marianne and check out ways to work with her, including the Aspiring Psychologist Book, Clinical Psychologist book and The Aspiring Psychologist Membership on her Link tree: https://linktr.ee/drmariannetrent
💬 To join my free Facebook group and discuss your thoughts on this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aspiringpsychologistcommunity
Like, Comment, Subscribe & get involved:
If you enjoy the podcast, please do subscribe and rate and review episodes.
⚠️ Disclaimer
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical, psychological, or professional advice. Any actions taken based on this content are at your own risk.
© Dr Marianne Trent

Are you waiting to be chosen… or are you choosing yourself?
How often do we wait for permission before pursuing the life we really want? Whether it's applying for a new job, reaching out to someone we admire, asking for help or taking the first step towards a goal, it can feel safer to wait for someone else to notice us.
In this episode of Inner Work, I reflect on one of the biggest ideas to emerge from my conversation with Clinical Psychologist Cliff Hawkins: the importance of agency, self-belief and learning to raise your hand rather than waiting to be picked.Together, we explore why confidence often follows action, how small acts of courage can change the direction of our lives, and why nobody is coming to rescue us—but that might actually be empowering rather than frightening.
If you've ever wondered whether you're holding yourself back, this gentle reflection is for you.
💡 Want to support the channel? Like, comment, and share this episode!
#psychologypodcast #chooseyourself
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⚠️ Disclaimer
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical, psychological, or professional advice. Any actions taken based on this content are at your own risk.© Dr Marianne Trent

Are soft skills more important than qualifications?
When people think about building a successful psychology career, it's easy to focus on degrees, experience and technical expertise. But what if the qualities that matter most are the ones we don't always put on our CV?
In this episode of Psychology, Actually, I'm joined by Clinical Psychologist Cliff Hawkins to explore why reliability, curiosity, communication, professionalism and emotional intelligence may be the real ingredients of a successful psychology career.
Whether you're an aspiring psychologist hoping to secure your first Assistant Psychologist post, a trainee navigating placements, or an experienced clinician wanting to reflect on what makes teams truly thrive, this conversation is packed with practical insights and honest reflections.
We explore why fresh perspectives matter, how transferable skills can become your biggest strength, why confidence sometimes grows through taking opportunities rather than waiting for them, and why being dependable may be one of the most underrated professional skills of all.
If you've ever wondered whether you're "enough", questioned what you really bring to a team, or worried that everyone else knows more than you do, this episode is for you.
⏱️ Highlights
00:00 Why soft skills might matter more than qualifications
00:45 Meet Clinical Psychologist Cliff Hawkins
01:45 Why trainees and assistants bring fresh thinking to teams
03:18 Feeling like "just the trainee"
04:44 Why your value isn't defined by your job title
06:04 When soft skills become your greatest strength
06:47 Why "soft skills" aren't soft at all
08:19 Reliability, respect and professional relationships
09:43 Marianne reflects on breaking cycles around punctuality
11:37 Seizing opportunities and building confidence
13:21 Creating your own opportunities in psychology
15:24 Why being yourself matters more than sounding perfect
16:34 Keeping promises and building trust
18:23 The McKinsey 7S Model explained
20:49 Using soft skills to strengthen psychology interviews
21:31 Where to find Cliff Hawkins
22:00 Marianne's reflections and resources for aspiring psychologists

Links:
📲 Click to Follow Cliff Hawkins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliff-hawkins-1b2ba530/
Check out Cliff's Website: www.Cliffhawkinspsychology.com
🫶 To join my podcast membership to get early access to episodes and support the show head to: https://the-aspiring-psychologist.captivate.fm/support or to the Apple Podcasts App: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-aspiring-psychologist-podcast/id1605628278 or to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOwjrIP_jatiqlAivJE2mgQ/join
📚 To check out The Clinical Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3jOplx0
📖 To check out The Aspiring Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3CP2N97
💡 To check out or join the aspiring psychologist membership for just £30 per month head to: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/membership
🖥️ Check out my short courses for aspiring psychologists and mental health professionals here: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/online-courses
Ask Marianne your most pressing psychology career question and she will send you a FREE bespoke reply! Grab your free psychology success guide here and fill in the most pressing concern box: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk (scroll to the bottom of the page)
✍️ Get your FREE Supervision Shaping Tool now: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/free-resources
📱Connect socially with Marianne and check out ways to work with her, including the Aspiring Psychologist Book, Clinical Psychologist book and The Aspiring Psychologist Membership on her Link tree: https://linktr.ee/drmariannetrent
💬 To join my free Facebook group and discuss your thoughts on this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aspiringpsychologistcommunity
Like, Comment, Subscribe & get involved:
If you enjoy the podcast, please do subscribe and rate and review episodes.
Hashtags:
#softskills #psychologycareer #psychologygraduate
⚠️ Disclaimer
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical, psychological, or professional advice. Any actions taken based on this content are at your own risk.
© Dr Marianne Trent

In this week's Inner Work, I reflect on the surprising grief that can emerge when we begin to understand our patterns more clearly. Sometimes the sadness isn't about what happened. It's about what didn't happen.The support, safety, consistency or care that might have changed everything.We explore grief, boundaries, childhood experiences and what happens when we begin to realise that our needs were valid all along.
These Inner Work videos were previously members only but I have decided to share them with you so thanks for being here.
📩 Business & Collaboration Enquiries
✉️ Email: Info@GoodThinkingPsychology.co.uk
🎧 Stay Connected With Me
Links:
🫶 To join my podcast membership to get early access to episodes head to: https://the-aspiring-psychologist.captivate.fm/support or to the Apple Podcasts App: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-aspiring-psychologist-podcast/id1605628278 or to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOwjrIP_jatiqlAivJE2mgQ/join
📚 To check out The Clinical Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3jOplx0
📖 To check out The Aspiring Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3CP2N97
💡 To check out or join the aspiring psychologist membership for just £30 per month head to: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/membership
🖥️ Check out my short courses for aspiring psychologists and mental health professionals here: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/online-courses
Ask Marianne your most pressing psychology career question and she will send you a FREE bespoke reply! Grab your free psychology success guide here and fill in the most pressing concern box: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk (scroll to the bottom of the page)
✍️ Get your FREE Supervision Shaping Tool now: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/free-resources
📱Connect socially with Marianne and check out ways to work with her, including the Aspiring Psychologist Book, Clinical Psychologist book and The Aspiring Psychologist Membership on her Link tree: https://linktr.ee/drmariannetrent
💬 To join my free Facebook group and discuss your thoughts on this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aspiringpsychologistcommunity
Like, Comment, Subscribe & get involved:
If you enjoy the podcast, please do subscribe and rate and review episodes.
⚠️ Disclaimer
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical, psychological, or professional advice. Any actions taken based on this content are at your own risk.
© Dr Marianne Trent

Why do so many of us feel responsible for everyone else's emotions?Have you ever found yourself saying yes when you wanted to say no? Feeling guilty for setting boundaries? Or carrying the weight of other people's feelings long after the conversation has ended?
In this episode of Psychology, Actually, I am joined by forensic psychologist Dr Nicole Harvey to explore the psychology of people pleasing, emotional responsibility, boundaries and the surprisingly powerful "dog poo bag" analogy.
We discuss why people pleasers often become exhausted, overwhelmed and resentful, how childhood experiences can shape our relationship patterns, and why saying no can feel genuinely frightening for some people. We also explore complex trauma, coercive control, workplace dynamics, anger, self-worth and the process of learning to put down emotional baggage that was never yours to carry in the first place.
Whether you're a recovering people pleaser, someone who struggles with boundaries, or simply curious about relationship psychology, this episode offers practical insights and plenty of moments that may feel uncomfortably familiar.
Timestamps:
00:00 The dog poo bag analogy explained
01:23 Why Dr Nicole Harvey became interested in people pleasing
02:36 Carrying emotions that don't belong to you
03:29 How resentment quietly builds
04:28 Early signs you may be a people pleaser
05:46 Saying yes when you really mean no
06:45 How people pleasing shows up at work
07:56 Power dynamics, managers and authority figures
08:20 Why saying no can feel genuinely frightening
09:20 Anger, boundaries and complex trauma
10:07 Losing yourself in relationships
11:15 Parenting, autonomy and enmeshment
12:40 How people pleasing develops in childhood
13:45 The impact on physical and emotional health
14:26 Recovery as a lifelong process
15:40 The Dog Poo Bag Test
16:36 Final reflections and next steps

Links:
📲 Connect with Dr Nicole Harvey: https://www.instagram.com/dogpoobagtest/ Get your FREE dog poo bag test score here: https://dogpoobagtest.com
🫶 To join my podcast membership to get early access to episodes and head to: https://the-aspiring-psychologist.captivate.fm/support or to the Apple Podcasts App: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-aspiring-psychologist-podcast/id1605628278 or to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOwjrIP_jatiqlAivJE2mgQ/join
📚 To check out The Clinical Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3jOplx0
📖 To check out The Aspiring Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3CP2N97
💡 To check out or join the aspiring psychologist membership for just £30 per month head to: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/membership
🖥️ Check out my short courses for aspiring psychologists and mental health professionals here: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/online-courses
Ask Marianne your most pressing psychology career question and she will send you a FREE bespoke reply! Grab your free psychology success guide here and fill in the most pressing concern box: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk (scroll to the bottom of the page)
✍️ Get your FREE Supervision Shaping Tool now: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/free-resources
📱Connect socially with Marianne and check out ways to work with her, including the Aspiring Psychologist Book, Clinical Psychologist book and The Aspiring Psychologist Membership on her Link tree: https://linktr.ee/drmariannetrent
💬 To join my free Facebook group and discuss your thoughts on this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aspiringpsychologistcommunity
Like, Comment, Subscribe & get involved:
If you enjoy the podcast, please do subscribe and rate and review episodes.
Hashtags:
#peoplepleaser #peoplepleaserrecovery #sayingno