Walking the path with uncertainty when life gets lifey!

Helen Samson Mullen is the co-creator and co-host of The Autoimmune Campfire podcast.

Helen was juggling caring for elderly parents, parenting and menopause when a "final straw" situation pushed her over the edge into autoimmune disease. How her diagnosis affected her, how she struggled and how she discovered the opportunities to grow within this challenge are the topic in this episode.

Born and raised in the NE of England, she now lives in Wilmington, Delaware. Helen was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the end of 2018.

Helen has degree in physiological sciences, a PhD and post-doc in gastrointestinal research years of medical and clinical research and is a professional certified coach.

She co-hosts The Autoimmune Campfire with Nona Jordan who has MS.

What would you add to our Women of Steel Booklist?

I had to pick, it would be The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown.

I love Isabel Allende novels and just read Radiant Rebellion by Karen Walrond that is fabulous.

Find Helen on Linkedin and listen to her PODCAST on substack

LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/helen-samson-mullen-phd-pcc/

Website: helensamsonmullen.com

The Autoimmune Campfire Podcast on substack

Miriam Grace is a psychotherapist and author with 35 years experience.

Website: www.blue-skies.org.uk

Facebook: Miriam Grace Therapist Blue Skies

Instagram: @MiriamGraceBlueSkies

Email: miriam@blue-skies.org.uk

Podcast website: womenofsteel.co.uk

Instagram: @womenofsteelpod

Facebook: @womenofsteelpodcast

Production by Tim Jones: webmill.co.uk

Music by Brynovsky: brynovsky.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Season Special, Miriam talks to her partner, Finn, about mental health, the kindness of strangers, how the natural world can bring us healing and improved wellbeing, as well as the concept of appropriate rescue.

She goes into the background of why a garden rescue was important and significant to Finn when she was facing burnout, and explores the idea that sometimes survival is about connection and community.

This episode contains NO SPOILERS re the the TV show which has not aired yet, but in a follow up show the full recording, with the edited cuts replaced and restored will be available.

Mental Health • Burnout • Nature • Gardens • Appropriate Rescue • THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

Miriam Grace is a psychotherapist and author with 35 years experience.

Website: www.blue-skies.org.uk

Facebook: Miriam Grace Therapist Blue Skies

Instagram: @MiriamGraceBlueSkies

Email: miriam@blue-skies.org.uk

Podcast website: womenofsteel.co.uk

Instagram: @womenofsteelpod

Facebook: @womenofsteelpodcast

Production by Tim Jones: webmill.co.uk

Music by Brynovsky: brynovsky.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Warning this episode contains reference to suicidal feelings and loss of a pet

Dawn Brown is the owner of Dogland UK and Rose Cottage Doggy Day Care and Luxury Doggy Hotel.

A dog saved Dawn’s life. From humble beginnings in Sheffield, through many difficulties, Dawn has found her way forward and created a unique business where she adds happiness and improved wellbeing to dogs lives and also to the wellbeing of her staff.

Miriam and Dawn talk about their mental health, our dogs, pet bereavement and also about dogs’ mental health and how we can give back.

Dawn Brown has studied dog behaviour, dog grooming and other dog related courses. Designed around the dogs desires to be free and to play in a safe secure environment monitored by trained loving staff. Dawn and her staff at Rose Cottage strive daily to provide each and every dog with the love and care they all need.

Dogland UK

Phone: 01246 938111

Mobile: 07809 895348

Email: info@doglanduk.co.uk

Rose Cottage, Crow Lane,

Chesterfield, S41 7UE

doglanduk.co.uk

Miriam Grace is a psychotherapist and author with 35 years experience.

Website: www.blue-skies.org.uk

Facebook: Miriam Grace Therapist Blue Skies

Instagram: @MiriamGraceBlueSkies

Email: miriam@blue-skies.org.uk

Podcast website: womenofsteel.co.uk

Instagram: @womenofsteelpod

Facebook: @womenofsteelpodcast

Production by Tim Jones: webmill.co.uk

Music by Brynovsky: brynovsky.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rosie Wilby is an award-winning comedian, podcaster, speaker and journalist.

She regularly appears on radio and TV commentating on sexuality, dating and love and was dubbed ‘the Queen of Breakups’ by BBC Radio 4 following the success of her podcast The Breakup Monologues.

She has extensively explored heartbreak in her podcast, in her hugely successful comedy shows, and in her first book, Is Monogamy Dead? which was shortlisted for the Diva Literary Awards and longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize.

Part memoir, part investigation, The Breakup Monologues takes on the big questions about our life-changing separations in the modern age of ghosting, breadcrumbing and conscious uncoupling.

This episode explores women's sexuality in general and lesbian sexuality in particular. Rosie Wilby and Miriam Grace know their subjects very well. Rosie through research, writing and personal experience and Miriam through working as a therapist over decades with those in relationships, and latterly in specialist work with dozens of later in life lesbians. The pair don't hold themselves back from topics of monogamy, lesbian bed-death, the urge to merge, falling in love, heartbreak and the differences in heterosexual and lesbian relationships.

Topics not often discussed, Rosie and Miriam offer a serious yet kindly discussion to birth many discussions for listeners interested in developing and furthering support for women in relationships. Rather than judging or pathologising, understanding and reflection is valued.

Is Monogamy Dead? Rosie Wilby

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1786154536/

The Break-up Monologues Rosie Wilby

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1472982282/

Publications include The Guardian, Sunday Times, and New Statesman,

Festivals include Glastonbury and Latitude.

Podcast: podfollow.com/breakupmonologues

X: @rosiewilby

Insta / Threads: @breakupmonologues

Bluesky: rosiewilby.bsky.social

TikTok: @rosiewilbyauthor

Miriam Grace is a psychotherapist and author with 35 years experience.

Website: www.blue-skies.org.uk

Facebook: Miriam Grace Therapist Blue Skies

Instagram: @MiriamGraceBlueSkies

Email: miriam@blue-skies.org.uk

Podcast website: womenofsteel.co.uk

Instagram: @womenofsteelpod

Facebook: @womenofsteelpodcast

Production by Tim Jones: webmill.co.uk

Music by Brynovsky: brynovsky.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michaela Johnson lives and works near Washington DC. In 2021 she undertook thesis research into lesbian representation on TV for her Masters Degree at John Hopkins University.

Miriam and Michaela discuss TV shows, coming out and “the sea of confusion” caused by invisibility, lack of role models, stereotypes, tropes and the production of shows through the lens of the male gaze.

From Dead To Femme

GLADD Statistics

GLAAD, an American organization focused on tackling tough issues to shape the (LGBT) narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change.

https://assets.glaad.org/m/114d72edf8a779a6/original/GLAAD-2022-23-Where-We-Are-on-TV.pdf

Some of the shows referred to:

Pretty Little Liars

Glee

Greys Anatomy

Station 19

Jane the Virgin

One Day At A Time

The L Word

Orange Is The New Black

Steven Universe

Reunion BBC Series

Set in Sheffield

And also mentioned in the written thesis

Will and Grace

Coronation Street

Miriam Grace is a psychotherapist and author with 35 years experience.

Website: www.blue-skies.org.uk

Facebook: Miriam Grace Therapist Blue Skies

Instagram: @MiriamGraceBlueSkies

Email: miriam@blue-skies.org.uk

Podcast website: womenofsteel.co.uk

Instagram: @womenofsteelpod

Facebook: @womenofsteelpodcast

Production by Tim Jones: webmill.co.uk

Music by Brynovsky: brynovsky.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cari Hunter lives in the northwest of England with her wife, their cats, and a field full of sheep. She works full-time as a paramedic and dreams up stories in her spare time.

Cari enjoys long windswept muddy walks in her beloved Peak District. In the summer she can usually be found sitting in the garden with her feet up, scribbling in her writing pad. Although she doesn’t like to boast, she will admit that she makes a very fine Bakewell Tart.

No Good Reason, the first in the Dark Peak series, won a 2015 Rainbow Award for Best Mystery and was a finalist in the 2016 Lambda and Goldie Awards. Its sequel, Cold to the Touch, won a Goldie for Best Mystery. A Quiet Death, the final book in the series, was a finalist in the 2018 Lambda and Goldie Awards. She has since won Goldies for Alias, Breathe, and Unbreakable.

In 2024, she won the Lambda Award for LGBTQ+ Mystery for A Calculated Risk, the first book in the DI Jo Shaw series.

Email carihunter@rocketmail.com

Book release – The Stolen Girl, June 1st via Bold Strokes website and wide release June 10th. Available paperback, e-book, and audio with Nicola Victoria Vincent narrating.

Website carihunter.wordpress.com

Facebook page @cari.hunter.9

Instagram @cari.hunter

Threads @cari.hunter

Miriam Grace is a psychotherapist and author with 35 years experience.

Website: www.blue-skies.org.uk

Facebook: Miriam Grace Therapist Blue Skies

Instagram: @MiriamGraceBlueSkies

Email: miriam@blue-skies.org.uk

Podcast website: womenofsteel.co.uk

Instagram: @womenofsteelpod

Facebook: @womenofsteelpodcast

Production by Tim Jones: webmill.co.uk

Music by Brynovsky: brynovsky.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Loneliness is often described as the second pandemic. The mental health impact can be seen throughout society. People’s personalities and needs may be different but all of us need connection with others. The challenging political times require strategies to manage our nervous systems and central to these strategies are the benefits of groups, friendships and networks.

In this episode Miriam Grace and long time friend, Imogen Ragone, talk about friendship, connection and oxytocin. Miriam welcomes Imogen back to the UK from the US and they discuss their co-regulation during Imogen's visit and through their friendship of 55 years. With their considerable experience in using neuroscience to inform their practices with traumatised clients and students, Miriam and Imogen look at how shame keeps us from acknowledging we need others, and how overcoming this can regulate us emotionally and bring physical and mental health benefits.

Imogen's website: https://imogenragone.com

On Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/CalmConfidentControl

https://www.facebook.com/groups/bodyintelligencecommunity

On LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/imogenragone

Foundations of Regulation Course for women dealing with chronic stress or trauma:

https://imogenragone.com/foundations-of-regulation

Monthly Half-Hour Guided Constructive Rest Sessions:

https://imogenragone.com/constructive-rest-for-stress-relief

Miriam Grace is a psychotherapist and author with 35 years experience.

Website: www.blue-skies.org.uk

Facebook: Miriam Grace Therapist Blue Skies

Instagram: @MiriamGraceBlueSkies

Email: miriam@blue-skies.org.uk

Podcast website: womenofsteel.co.uk

Instagram: @womenofsteelpod

Facebook: @womenofsteelpodcast

Production by Tim Jones: webmill.co.uk

Music by Brynovsky: brynovsky.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.