Dysfunctional

In this episode, Josh sits down with workplace psychologist and author Dr Laura Hambley Lovett to explore the reality of toxic bosses, workplace trauma, and dysfunctional leadership.Together, they unpack the overlap between toxic workplaces and toxic family systems, including gaslighting, manipulation, smear campaigns, control, and covert abuse. Laura shares why toxic bosses are often so difficult to spot, how they slowly erode confidence and wellbeing, and why leaving isn’t always as simple as people think.The conversation also explores resilience culture, profit-driven systems, healing after workplace trauma, and the importance of purpose, humanity, and psychological safety in leadership.A powerful conversation for anyone who has ever questioned themselves while working under toxic leadership.Find Dr Laura - https://www.drlaura.live

In this episode, Josh sits down with trauma coach Ana Gersch to explore emotionally immature parents, estrangement, and the role of validation in family relationships.Ana shares her journey into trauma work, blending somatic practices, spirituality, and modern coaching. Together, they unpack how trauma lives in the body, why emotional immaturity shows up in parents, and what actually defines emotional maturity.They also dive into the rise of estrangement, whether no contact is a trend, and how social media is shaping these conversations.A key theme throughout is the difference between validation and agreement, and why this misunderstanding often keeps families stuck.This episode offers a grounded, honest look at healing, boundaries, and what it really takes to have a relationship with someone as they are, not who you wish they could be.Find Ana - https://www.instagram.com/ana_traumacoach/

For more information or to grab you spot at the festival use these links -Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oneretreatwellness?igsh=dWl1d3Q2NzhjMGtoFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1GyyZMdpeQ/?mibextid=wwXIfrWebsite - www.oneretreatwellness.co.uk Ticket section of the site - https://www.oneretreatwellness.co.uk/ticketsAnd you can find Alex and Same here - Sam - https://www.instagram.com/samrigs/Alex - https://www.instagram.com/alexhydecoaching/

In this episode, I’m joined by Amber Hughes for a powerful conversation about addiction, homelessness, grief, and the impact all of it has on families.Amber shares the story of her sister Hannah, who experienced addiction and homelessness before passing away in 2017. We talk about the chaos and heartbreak of loving someone through addiction, the stigma that still surrounds homelessness, and how these struggles affect the whole family, not just the person at the centre of it.Amber also shares how she has turned that pain into purpose through Amber Lights in Oxford, raising awareness, supporting local charities, and helping children understand homelessness with more compassion and humanity.A raw, honest and deeply human conversation.Links:https://www.instagram.com/amberlightsinoxfordhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-hughes-bem-1a888b38a/https://amberlightsinoxford.com/https://www.gofundme.com/f/Publish-our-book-on-homeless-education-forchildren

This week on Dysfunctional, I’m joined by Becky Ray.Becky works in workplace culture and leadership, helping organisations improve toxic work environments and develop better leaders, especially middle managers.We talk about toxic workplace culture, sexism, bullying disguised as banter, and how poor leadership becomes normalised over time.We also explore “accidental managers” and why so many people are promoted without ever being taught how to lead.A big part of this conversation is resilience. Not just pushing through stress, but understanding emotional capacity and why burnout is often about what people are already carrying, not just workload.We also touch on men’s mental health, emotional suppression, and the importance of release, whether through breathwork or other ways of getting out of your head and into your body.In this episode:Toxic work culture and leadershipBullying vs banter in the workplaceAccidental managers and poor leadershipBurnout and emotional capacityMen’s mental health at workResilience and emotional releaseConnect with Becky: https://www.culturekick.co.uk/Breathwork:https://www.culturekick.co.uk/breathworkInsta - https://www.instagram.com/culture_kick_/

In this episode, I sit down with Laura Marston for one of the most raw and honest conversations we’ve had on Dysfunctional.Laura shares her journey from being labelled and sectioned, spending years in and out of psychiatric units, struggling with addiction, and being told she had a “disordered personality”… to beginning to understand her experiences through the lens of trauma.We talk about emotional neglect, family dysfunction, self-harm, psychosis, and what it’s like to grow up without your needs being met.But more than anything, this episode is about what happens when you stop seeing yourself as broken… and start taking your life back.We also explore:What psychosis actually felt like from the insideThe reality of psychiatric wards (and why they often don’t help)Being diagnosed vs understanding traumaAddiction, survival and coping mechanismsGoing no contact with familyBreaking generational patternsLearning to sit with yourself instead of escapingRebuilding your identity from the ground upLaura also shares how she’s now supporting others through resilience coaching and community, and what helped her move from survival mode into something that actually feels like living.This one is raw, emotional, and incredibly powerful.Trigger warning: This episode includes discussion of self-harm, suicide, childhood trauma, abuse, addiction and psychiatric hospitalisation.

In this episode of Dysfunctional, Josh sits down with Kevin Brown for a raw and honest conversation about men’s mental health, addiction, shame, and the long road from self-destruction to self-respect.Kev shares his journey through chaos, binge drinking, drug use, and living a double life, before a powerful moment of clarity helped him finally understand the impact of his childhood and the wounds he’d been carrying for years.They explore father wounds, generational patterns, endurance running, breathwork for emotional release, and why healing isn’t a single breakthrough moment, but a messy process of getting back up again and again.This episode is a grounded, deeply human conversation about learning to sit with the boy you once were… and becoming the man you choose to be.Find Kevin - https://www.instagram.com/mindmastersscotland?igsh=MTZzb2x5Z2RvMjlqMw==https://www.facebook.com/share/1BEhesPJTD/https://open.spotify.com/show/1dK4Zs6jcve7K3aWID7eAr?si=TJ2tlZ5cSG2dygMd5ueksw

Rich Finegan joins me for a powerful conversation about family estrangement, neurodivergence, anger, shame, and what it means to finally let yourself feel.We talk about emotional suppression, accountability, parenting, dyspraxia, and the relief that can come when you realise you’re not broken and you’re not alone.A deeply honest episode about healing, self-acceptance, and learning to show up for yourself.

In this episode of Dysfunctional, Josh sits down with comedian and creator Laura Belbin, best known online as Knee Deep in Life, for a raw and wide-ranging conversation about healing, family estrangement, therapy, and self-respect.Laura opens up about growing up in a dysfunctional family system, surviving childhood sexual abuse, and the painful reality of walking away from family relationships that could no longer be healthy. Together, Josh and Laura explore the complexities of trauma, therapy, accountability, and what real healing actually looks like.They also discuss misogyny, relationships, emotional responsibility, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and the courage it takes to rebuild your life on your own terms.This is an honest conversation about healing, boundaries, and the messy, complicated work of becoming yourself.