Making Positive Psychology Work · 2026-01-20 · 42 min
Understand what makes it safe enough to admit mistakes, ask for help, and learn alongside each other - even when you're struggling. In this final episode of our special bonus season, hosts Dr Michelle McQuaid and Evie Wright share the powerful mantra "stay with me" - the opposite of abandoning ourselves when things get hard. With insights from self-compassion researcher Dr Kristin Neff and Internal Family Systems psychologist Dr Tori Olds, discover why your inner critic thinks it's helping (even when it's not), and learn to meet your protective parts with curiosity instead of shame. Explore how to navigate what's ahead without pretending you have all the answers - and help others do the same. 00:03 Michelle and Evie recap the first two episodes: learning to see which zone your nervous system is in, and how to soothe your body to get back on the wobble board. 05:57 Evie shares her "back and forth to the grass" email story - why soothing the body sometimes isn't enough when we keep re-triggering ourselves. 07:12 The safari guide insight: why "don't run" makes people panic, but "stay with me" helps the brain feel safe enough to figure things out.
BONUS SEASON: The Grief Undercurrent58 / 100BONUS SEASON: The Complexity ConundrumBONUS SEASON: The Change Fatigue ContinuumBONUS SEASON: The Self-Compassion ChallengeBONUS SEASON: Build Your Take-Anywhere Somatic Toolkit