Childhood is a funny thing. You can only really understand it in hindsight and as we become adults we begin to reconsider the ways in which our families have shaped us, for better or for worse. In today's episode, we break down the complicated ways we rethink our family dynamics in adulthood, including: 

• What happens when our family lets us down
• Our adult reaction to childhood trauma 
• Do we confront our family or move past it? 
• Dealing with emotionally immature parents 
• How to find closure on your own 
• Navigating difficult family dynamics around the holidays 

We welcomed on an amazing guest, Gwendloyn Watson, a Marriage and Family Therapist with an expertise in navigating complicated family dynamics and her family story to guide us through these topics. 

You can find Gwen here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gwendolyn-watson-lmft-3520821a/ 

PREORDER MY BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755841/person-in-progress-by-jemma-sbeg/ 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's we tackle a topic many of us face but rarely discuss openly: sexual shame and sexual confidence. What holds us back from having amazing sex? What emotional wounds stop us from asking for what we want? Why do we zone out when we're with someone we love? Why do we feel shame about having too much, or not enough sex? These are the questions we are going to ask today. 

We are jouned by renowned sex therapist Dr. Emily Jamea, to break down where sexual shame comes from—whether it’s past trauma, religious messaging, or societal pressures—and how it impacts our ability to experience pleasure.

Dr. Emily shares powerful advice on unlearning shame, building sexual confidence, and embracing your desires without fear or embarrassment. We also explore the psychology behind libido, its fluctuations in our 20s, and the role mental health, stress, and body image play in our relationships and sexual lives.

Buy The Anatomy of Desire here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Anatomy-Desire-Secrets-Connection-Cultivate-ebook/dp/B0CPWSJFML 

Follow Dr Emily here: @dremilyjamea 

PREORDER MY BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755841/person-in-progress-by-jemma-sbeg/ 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we have on the most special guest of all: the listeners! I asked you all to send in your biggest 20-something dilemmas, the things that are leaving your confused, keeping you up and night, have you overthinking everything, and you delivered. Today we hear from seven of our listeners, and answer questions like: 

• Should I travel or save for a house?
• How do I know what to do with my life when there are so many options? 
• How do I express myself in my relationship? 
• What happens when I'm creatively burnt out? 
• How to make new friends as an adult, and so much more! 

Thank you to our beautiful listeners who contributed their dilemmas! Listen now!

PREORDER MY BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755841/person-in-progress-by-jemma-sbeg/ 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have been hearing a lot about the use of psychedelics to treat mental health in recent years, but what does that actually entail? What do psychedelics actually do to our brain? What would it feel like? What would it look like if psychedelics were as easily prescribed as antidepressants? What are we currently getting wrong about mental health? 

In this episode, we bring on an expert. Paul Austin, a psychedelics coach and the founder of Third Wave to explore the future of these drugs and their history, including: 

• The ancient tradition of psychedelics
• Why they are so transformative for depression and PTSD 
• The impact on the brain and neuroplasticity 
• The groundbreaking studies on their effectiveness
• The limitations and ethical considerations, and much more! 

Follow Paul here: @paulaustin3w

Buy his book on micro-dosing here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Microdosing-Psychedelics-Practical-Guide-Upgrade/dp/1980670919 

PREORDER MY BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755841/person-in-progress-by-jemma-sbeg/ 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it mean to experience misogyny these days? Is it the typical locker room talk and exclusion, or does it go deeper than that? In today's episode, my guest and I discuss the many dimensions of misogyny, including: 

• Internalised misogyny and sexism from other women
• The psychology of the 'pick me' girl 
• Dating as a feminist 
• The ethics of cosmetic surgery 
• How to handle misogyny in the workplace, and much more...

Hannah Ferguson is the founder of Cheek Media and the author of two best-selling books, Bite Back and Taboo. She also hosts Big Small Talk, a wonderful news podcast. 

Follow Hannah here: @hannahferguson__ & @cheekmedia.co 

Buy her new book here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Taboo-Conversations-never-about-relationships-ebook/dp/B0DCF8LNQK 

PREORDER MY BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755841/person-in-progress-by-jemma-sbeg/ 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode we welcome on entrepreneur, founder and Hot, Smart, Rich icon, Maggie Sellers to discuss her formula and mindset for having it all, how she founded her business and her best tips for confidence + more.

Maggie created a unique space on the internet that helps women break into the male dominated spaces of investing, tech and entrepreneurship whilst not sacrificing their authenticity. In this episode we talk about how we can be hot by mastering the psychology of confidence and self-assurance; smart by challenging our beliefs and creating a nuanced media diet; and finally, rich by knowing how to make our money work for us and rethinking our financial habits. This episode will inspire you to get ahead whilst still prioritising what's important to you. 

Follow Maggie here: @maggiesellers

Subscribe to Hot, Smart, Rich: https://hotsmartrich.beehiiv.com/ 

PREORDER MY BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755841/person-in-progress-by-jemma-sbeg/ 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For our very first guest of the holiday season, I invited on Dr Lisa Miller - a professor at Columbia University, author, clinical psychologist and researcher to discuss her profound work on the intersection between spirituality and mental health. 

Our spiritual health is often the dimension of wellbeing we neglect the most, but in this episode we uncover why having a strong belief system, sense of purpose, oneness and path is invaluable, especially in our 20s. This includes: 

• The distinction between religion and spirituality
• What brain scans say about the importance of a higher power or meaning 
• 3 practices to improve your spiritual core 
• Why your spiritual core is so essential in your 20s 
• Why we resist spirituality and how this harms us 

Dr Lisa was an incredible and inspiring guest, her book is called The Awakened Brain. 

You can follow her her: @dr.lisamiller

PREORDER MY BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755841/person-in-progress-by-jemma-sbeg/ 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a lot of terrible news out there, so much so that we could spend every hour of every day reading it and still not be done. What's worse is that we can now access that news at any time, any where, any place from our phones and this has lead to a phenomena known as doomscrolling. Doomscrolling may feel comforting, but it leads to more existential anxiety, stress and apathy. It's not great for our mental health. Today we break down: 

• What are the different types of doomscrolling
• Why do anxiety and doomscrolling actually feed off eachother 
• How social media and the infinite scroll keeps us addicted to negative news
• The consequences for our psychology 
• How to maintain better news and social media hygiene 
• The best practices for being informed but not overwhelmed

For my fellow doomscrollers who can't look away from the end of the world, this episode is for you.

PREORDER MY BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755841/person-in-progress-by-jemma-sbeg/ 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The best things in life aren't always the easiest and it's often this exertion and extra effort that holds us back from diving in or fully committing. Whether it's a new routine, an ambitious study schedule or workout plan, knowing how we can use psychology and neuroscience to make hard tasks easier is incredibly valuable. In today's episode we discuss: 

• The 5 minute rule 
• The power of a persona 
• Using mental imagery and visualisation to do hard things 
• The power of learned industriousness 
• The 3 forms of motivation to know and implement 

This episode will make all the hard things you've been putting off infinitely easier. Listen now! 

PREORDER MY BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755841/person-in-progress-by-jemma-sbeg/ 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friendships are hard. Add in distance and they can get even harder at times. But long distance friendships seem like a fact of life in our 20s as people scatter for school, work, travel, and just because they want to. Whilst it's said that some 50% of these relationships fail, I want to give you the tools to help your long distance friendships succeed. In this episode we discuss: 

• The psychological challenges of long distance friendships
• How friendship is influenced by proximity and convenience 
• My 4 ingredient friendship formula 
• The BEST practical tips for maintaining connection 
• What to do when the friendship feels over 

Hope you enjoy, and make sure you send to your long distance pal! 

PREORDER MY BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755841/person-in-progress-by-jemma-sbeg/ 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Public speaking is one of our biggest fears as a species - some 75% of us list public speaking as our biggest and greatest fear. In today's episode, I want to discuss why that is and where this fear stems from, socially, psychologically and evolutionary, but also how we can transform our attitude to public speaking and excel, including tips based in psychology such as: 

1. Creating a persona and modelling a hero
2. Embracing flow rather than a need for structure 
3. The power of slowing down 
4. Anxiety and pacing 
5. Anchoring yourself to your audience 

Listen now if you're ready to master your next speech or presentation!

PREORDER MY BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755841/person-in-progress-by-jemma-sbeg/ 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.