I am shaking up the wellness industry and addressing the things that people usually avoid. With relentless curiosity and refusal to sweep things under the rug, this podcast is for those who crave truth over comfort and honesty over surface level BS.
So, get yourself in the lotus position because I have no plan, no pretence and definitely no bypassing….. I’m Josh Connolly and this will probably be dysfunctional
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I am shaking up the wellness industry and addressing the things that people usually avoid. With relentless curiosity and refusal to sweep things under the rug, this podcast is for those who crave truth over comfort and honesty over surface level BS.
So, get yourself in the lotus position because I have no plan, no pretence and definitely no bypassing….. I’m Josh Connolly and this will probably be dysfunctional
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode Josh talks about:
Why the phrase “toxic person” makes some people more uncomfortable than abuse itself
The difference between “people doing toxic things” and people who are mostly harmful
How spiritual bypassing and “it’s all trauma” language can erase accountability
Why victims get to choose the language for what happened to them
Empathy with no boundaries and why it’s self-destructive
Healthy shame vs toxic shame
Why it’s okay to walk away and even hate someone who hurt you
#toxicpeople
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Maike is the author of The Confession: A Journey to Acceptance, her memoir of growing up with a father with undiagnosed mental health issues who went on to take his own life. She is a lived experience speaker and volunteer for Survivors of Bereavement by suicide
When Maike Mullenders was eleven years old, her dad sat her down and told her he was going to end his life — and made her say goodbye.
He survived that night. But ten years later, he died by suicide and left behind a confession to the police saying he’d “been inappropriate” with her — something Maike had no memory of.
In this conversation, we talk about what happens when your childhood forces you into the role of caretaker, and how that shapes everything that follows. We explore dissociation, survival, and what it means to grow up reading every tone of voice in a room just to stay safe.
Maike shares how decades of therapy, yoga, and community work helped her reclaim her body, her boundaries, and her right to take up space — even without ever knowing the full truth about her past.
We talk about:
Surviving a parent’s suicide attempts and living with the aftermath
The lifelong impact of emotional enmeshment and hypervigilance
Parenting after trauma and breaking generational patterns
Acceptance versus forgiveness — and why you don’t need both
Learning to feel safe in your body through movement and presence
The healing power of community and self-compassion
This episode is about what real healing looks like — messy, nuanced, and deeply human.
It’s about learning to live with not knowing, and finding peace anyway.
Please take care of yourself while listening.
Find Maike here -
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maike-mullenders-3021232b7/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091853840552
#suicideawareness #mentalhealth
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We call it “mental health,” but what if the real diagnosis is a sick system?
Wellness anthropologist Aurora Leigh joins Josh to argue that disconnection — not individual defect — sits under our crises of addiction, anxiety, and depression. We dig into stoicism as emotional shutdown, the trap of pathologizing pain, and how somatic, community-based healing outperforms label-and-medicate approaches.
Expect Rat Park, the Roseto effect, sexual trauma as an ignored root cause, and Aurora’s “Somatic Regeneration” blueprint for moving the nervous system from survival to open, curious, connected. We finish with practical tools listeners can use today — and a challenge to rebuild policy, schools, and healthcare around safety, love, and belonging.
Find out more about Auroara here -
https://www.skool.com/simply-sacred-wauroara-leigh-2570/about?ref=9e5561a6facc4f2586229fc89b4fbee6
www.simplysacred.ca
https://youtube.com/@auroaraleigh?si=Xl7bT3OHHHEyy3s-
#mentalhealth
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This episode includes candid references to suicide, depression and self-harm.
It’s just been World Mental Health Day. I’m asking a hard question with no easy answers. Is the mental health conversation helping… or are there places it’s making us worse?
I talk about the tension between compassion and consequence. The risk of romanticising suffering when public figures die. How awareness can accidentally normalise behaviours. Princess Diana speaking about bulimia and what followed. The pathologisation of being human. My own swings, labels I once clung to, and what it takes to pull myself out of a spiral without shaming the struggle.
This isn’t anti-awareness. It’s a call to evolve it. Less performance. More truth. Fewer labels as identity. More community and responsibility. Let’s bring the pendulum back to the middle.
In this episode
If you’re struggling
Please reach out to someone you trust. You can also contact crisis support in your country (e.g. Samaritans in the UK, CALM, or your local emergency services). You don’t have to carry it alone.
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In this solo episode of Dysfunctional, Josh asks a raw question:
Is the world actually worse, or are we just being fed constant content that keeps us triggered?
As a highly sensitive person, Josh reflects on how algorithms exploit empathy, why stress has become a hidden addiction, and how our compassion is being stretched to breaking point. He dives into the danger of compassion fatigue, the blurred line between activism and doomscrolling, and why protecting your nervous system matters more than ever.
This is a conversation for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the state of the world — and who needs reminding that caring doesn’t mean carrying everything.
#highlysensitiveperson
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Old friends. Real talk. A mini 115 Miles reunion.
Hasan Khair joins me to unpack why work feels like a moving target and what to do when the ladder you were climbing gets ripped from the wall. We get into how school trained us for compliance, how hyper capitalism rewards harm, and why AI is speeding up a reckoning in every industry.
This is not doom. It is a plan. We get practical about midlife pivots, redundancy, belief, and the tiny actions that rebuild confidence. If you feel stuck, dehumanised by job boards, or scared to start again, this one will help.
In this episode
The real shift in work since 2008 and why restructures never stop
AI and automation. Why senior roles are getting cut first
School as a factory model. How it kills agency and creativity
Confidence and class. The advantage of environment
Hasan’s story. Failing A-levels, Blockbuster, Virgin, executive roles, redundancy, reinvention
Panic vs purpose. How to pause and design a different path
Ikigai without the fluff. What you love. What you’re good at. What the world needs
Nano steps. Not grand gestures
Why community multiplies belief
Hasan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hasankhair/
Tyllr - https://tyllr.co
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Lauren Smallcomb grew up the “golden child” at home and in church. When compassion widened and questions came, the role cracked. We get into:
Work with Lauren and Luke: Flourish Therapy (mind body practice, global)
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In this episode, Josh sits down with Theresa and her son Cody for one of the rawest and most hopeful conversations yet.
Cody shares what it was like to grow up with an alcoholic mother, the emotional estrangement that followed, and how he once decided, “I don’t have a mom anymore.” Theresa opens up about her alcoholism, early recovery, the shame of realizing she had become the toxic parent she swore she wouldn’t be, and the painful accountability required to begin repairing.
Together, they talk honestly about the darkest years of their relationship, the role of recovery and IFS (Internal Family Systems) in healing, and how they slowly rebuilt trust—not through excuses, but through deep accountability, boundaries, and a willingness to really listen.
What emerges is a story of hope: proof that repair is possible, even after estrangement and years of hurt.
Whether you’re an adult child of a toxic parent or a parent carrying shame for the harm you’ve caused, this conversation offers both validation and possibility.
Teresa is now a a Somatic Wellness Practitioner who uses the Triad of Healing which is Parts Work, Breathwork, and Somatic Release to gain the full spectrum of emotional healing. Teresa says she does this as a profession because of the healing it brought her in her life. She works with anyone overcoming any kind of trauma.
Teresa can be found here -
www.energiesinmotion.com
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What if everything you’ve been told about mental illness… isn’t true?
In this raw and uncompromising episode of Dysfunctional, I sit down with psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Jessica Taylor to tear apart the myths and corruption within psychiatry and the wider mental health industry.
We talk about:
👉Why so many psychiatric “truths” are based on weak science (or none at all)
👉How labels and diagnoses can keep people trapped instead of free
👉The profit-driven systems that benefit from keeping people sick
👉 true healing might look like outside of psychiatry
👉Why being human has been pathologised — and how we can reclaim it
This conversation is not comfortable, and it’s not supposed to be. Some of you will feel liberated. Some of you might feel defensive or upset. Wherever you land, I invite you to sit with it, question it, and decide for yourself.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Jessica Taylor:
Website: https://www.drjessicataylor.com
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In this episode of Dysfunctional, Josh sits down with Debra Paynter — business manager, single parent, and advocate — for a raw conversation about raising her son, Teddy, who is autistic and has a learning disability.
They explore:
Why SEND families are so often failed by schools, local authorities, and society
The difference between a tantrum and a meltdown, and what public judgement really feels like
How lockdown became a turning point in Teddy’s development
The exhausting fight to secure the right school place and legal protections
What society could do — right now — to better support SEND parents
The unexpected joy, connection, and resilience Debra has found in her journey
This is a conversation about courage, love, and truth-telling — and it will make you think differently about SEND parenting.
Follow Debra:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debs.does.asana/
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In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Josh sits down with Dr. Sherrie Campbell — psychologist, author, and unapologetic disruptor in the toxic family space — ahead of their joint Come Home to Yourself event in Los Angeles on October 4th.
What starts as an excited chat about the event quickly dives deep into some of the most taboo and misunderstood truths about healing from family abuse:
Dr. Sherrie shares the most vulnerable moment of her healing journey — the day she realised her mother had no respect for her because she kept forgiving her — and how that moment became a turning point toward freedom.
This is not a conversation for those looking for sugar-coated healing. It’s for those ready to face the truth, drop the audition for love, and come home to themselves.
🎟 Come Home to Yourself — Los Angeles, October 4th
A full-day interactive experience with Josh & Dr. Sherrie featuring deep teaching, inner child work, live Q&A, and a powerful breathwork session for emotional release.
Spaces are limited: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/come-home-to-you-tickets-1461867257319?aff=oddtdtcreator
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In this episode of Dysfunctional, I’m joined by therapist and childhood trauma expert Patrick Teahan for a raw and powerful conversation about healing from toxic family systems.
We explore:
Patrick also shares insights from his group therapy model, the Relationship Recovery Process, and reflects on his journey from early therapy to becoming a leading voice in the trauma recovery space.
If you're healing from family dysfunction, this one will land deeply.
Find Patrick here - https://linktr.ee/patrickteahan
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What if the same coercive control you grew up with in your family is playing out on a societal scale—and no one’s supposed to name it?
In this unapologetically raw episode, I’m joined by political punk artist Hyphen to call out the hidden systems most people are too afraid to touch. We unpack classism, manufactured consent, and how we’ve all been programmed to blame individuals instead of broken structures.
Hyphen shares how losing a close friend, burning out in finance, and growing up as the child of Indian immigrants shaped his activism—and how political punk gave him a voice loud enough to be heard.
We get into:
This one is for the misfits, the scapegoats, the question-askers.
This is Dysfunctional. And we’re not here to behave.
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In this raw and emotional episode, I sit down with Lulu and Georgina—two sisters who grew up in the chaos of having a father in prison. What starts as a conversation about parental imprisonment unfolds into a powerful exploration of shame, silence, systemic failure, and the unbreakable bond between siblings who carried each other through the storm.
We talk about what it’s really like for the children left behind:
The raids.
The media frenzy.
Being judged by teachers, friends, and strangers.
And the complete absence of support.
Georgina was arrested at 17—just for being related to the man who committed the crime. Lulu was a child being searched at prison visits, isolated by her peers, and silently carrying the burden of a family under siege.
Together, they’ve turned pain into purpose—becoming advocates for Children Heard and Seen, a charity supporting children affected by parental imprisonment.
This conversation is a call to action. It’s about seeing the invisible victims of crime, breaking the cycle of silence, and reminding every child out there who’s been impacted: It’s not your fault.
Key Topics Covered:
Living with media stigma when a parent goes to prison
The trauma of police raids and prison visits as a child
The emotional toll of secrecy, shame, and being judged
Attachment wounds and survival responses
How families hold each other together in chaos
The desperate need for better support and resources for children of prisoners
Why advocacy matters and what needs to change
Trigger Warning: This episode contains emotional conversations around childhood trauma, imprisonment, police raids, and systemic neglect.
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In this bold and unfiltered episode, I’m joined by Christian John — a truth-teller who walked away from a toxic family system and now uses his platform to speak the things most people are too afraid to say out loud.
Together we explore:
This conversation is real, raw, and deeply validating for anyone who’s been scapegoated, silenced, or made to feel like they’re the problem.
🔗 Follow Christian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hype.r.vigilance?igsh=MXUwbnJ6NzNiemlndA==
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of childhood sexual abuse, religious trauma, suicide attempts, and domestic violence. Please listen with care.
In this powerful episode of Dysfunctional, Karinne shares her story of surviving a childhood shaped by the Jehovah’s Witnesses — a group she now calls a cult — and parents who were both abusive and narcissistic.
Kicked out at 16 after being groomed and blamed for it, Karinne found herself completely alone in the world, trauma-bonded to the very people who harmed her, and struggling to make sense of a reality she was never prepared for.
What follows is a conversation about real healing — not the Instagram version with matcha and mantras, but the messy, angry, beautiful kind that happens when you start telling the truth.
Together we explore:
What it’s like growing up in a high-control religious cult
The impact of narcissistic parenting and spiritual abuse
Purity culture, fear-based control, and enforced submission
The trauma bond and why it’s so hard to break
What healing actually looks like — day-to-day, years on
Karinne is funny, fierce, and real. She’s not here to sugarcoat anything. This is what healing sounds like in real life.
📲 Connect with Karinne on insta - @girl_inshambles
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Most people think they’re broken. Most people think dysregulation is a problem. Most people think the answer is to regulate, reframe, or reset.
But what if all of that is just another distraction?
Another way to bypass what actually needs to be felt?
This episode is a full-bodied dismantling of the healing and wellness world as we know it — with the brilliant Sam Miller, who teaches Mind-Body Recovery through a trauma-informed, Jungian, and deeply embodied lens.
We talk about:
Why your symptoms might actually be your body healing
How emotional repression creates chaos in the system
Why "cognitive reframing" is like shouting to the basement from the attic
The cult of regulation and fake safety in the healing space
Performative masculinity, football fights, and the grief men won't feel
And how real emotional healing often looks more like screaming, shaking, and collapsing into a ball in a sauna than it does cold plunges or coaching frameworks
We also dig into the absolute state of the wellness industry — the bypassing, the ego-led facilitators, and why a lot of what’s branded as “healing” is just a new costume for the same old disconnection.
This one goes deep. It’s raw. It’s real.
It’s Dysfunctional.
Best place to find Sam is here - https://youtube.com/@the_mindful_gardener?si=WasM11Ci0DIGsXCg
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Today, I’m joined by the brilliant Dr. Genevieve von Lob – clinical psychologist, conscious parenting coach, and author of Five Deep Breaths: The Power of Mindful Parenting. Genevieve is a powerful voice for highly sensitive people (HSPs), and she's on a mission to create healing spaces for parents and children who’ve never felt like they fit the mould.
In this raw and deeply validating conversation, we explore what it really means to be highly sensitive in a world that often gets it wrong. We talk about the link between sensitivity and misdiagnosis, the emotional toll of being pathologized, and the damaging impact of growing up misunderstood.
Genevieve shares why many sensitive children end up labelled, punished, or shamed – and how their intense emotional world can actually be their greatest gift. We discuss addiction, bullying, co-regulation, parenting struggles, empowered sensitivity, narcissistic abuse, and why true healing happens in community, not isolation.
This is one of those conversations that might just change how you see yourself – or your child – forever.
Find out more about Dr Genevieve von Lob here -
www.drgenevieve.com
@drgenevievevonlob (instagram) https://www.linkedin.com/in/drgenevieve/ (linkedin)
01:00 Introduction to Dr. Genevieve Von Lobb
02:59 Discovering High Sensitivity in Children
06:19 Personal Journey and Understanding Sensitivity
09:28 Challenges of Highly Sensitive Children
13:21 Recognizing and Supporting Sensitive Children
25:04 The Western Medical Model and Sensitivity
34:19 Bullying and Sensitivity
40:30 Understanding Trauma and Its Impact
41:59 The Dilemma of Highly Sensitive People
42:35 Ignoring Red Flags and Gut Instincts
45:38 Energetic Entanglement and Boundaries
47:12 The Reality of Bullying and Narcissism
50:03 The Journey to Empowerment
01:03:30 The Importance of Community Healing
01:04:57 Final Thoughts and Future Plans
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Josh is joined by IFS coach Kevin O’Neill — the man who guided him through 10 transformational sessions of Internal Family Systems work. Together, they explore what it really means to stop fighting your inner world and start leading from your Self. Josh shares the breakthrough that changed everything: realizing he was still judging himself through the lens of who he was at 22. They dive into shame, identity, addiction, inner protectors, and why even the messiest parts of us are just trying to help. This episode is a raw and moving deep-dive into parts work, masculinity, and what happens when you realise… there are no bad parts.
Working with Kevin was life changing for me and you can find out more about him and how to work with him yourself here -
www.nobadparts.coach
On instagram here - https://www.instagram.com/no_badparts/
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In this raw and powerful conversation, I’m joined by writer and survivor Stéphanie St-Jean, whose viral piece “I Hope This Finds You Unwell” marked the moment she stopped hiding and started healing.
Stéphanie shares the quiet devastation of emotional and financial abuse, the trauma of post-separation control, and how writing became the tool that helped her reclaim her truth, her worth, and her voice.
We talk about:
This episode is about what happens when you stop apologizing for your truth and finally say what needs to be said.
⚠️ Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of narcissistic abuse, miscarriage, emotional manipulation, and post-separation abuse.
Find Stephaine here - https://lessonsindiscernment.substack.com
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