Well, hello anxiety with Dr Jodi Richardson

Grief is something we will all experience, yet it's often one of the hardest topics to talk about.
In this heartfelt and deeply moving episode of Well, Hello Anxiety, Dr Jodi Richardson welcomes back therapist, mental health educator, relationship expert and podcast host Marie Vakakis for an honest conversation about grief, loss and healing.
Drawing on both her professional expertise and recent personal experiences, Marie shares her reflections on caring for her grandmother through dementia, navigating anticipatory grief, saying goodbye to her beloved dog Walter, and learning how to carry love forward after loss.
Together, Jodi and Marie explore why grief is far more complex than most people realise, how it affects us emotionally and physically, the challenges grief can create in relationships, and why empathy - not fixing - is often the most powerful gift we can offer someone who is hurting.
This conversation offers comfort, validation and practical insights for anyone experiencing loss, supporting a grieving loved one, or navigating the uncertainty of anticipatory grief.
Dr Jodi & Marie talk about:
What anticipatory grief really looks and feels like
Why grief and anxiety are often closely connected
The physical and emotional impact of loss
Different grieving styles and how they can affect relationships
The experience of pet loss and why it matters
Why "grief is love with nowhere to go"
Common phrases that aren't always helpful when someone is grieving
The power of empathy, validation and simply showing up
How cultural rituals can support the grieving process
Why grief doesn't disappear—but can become easier to carry over time
Practical ways to support a grieving friend, partner or family member
Connect with Marie Vakakis:
🌐 Website: https://marievakakis.com.au
🎙️ This Complex Life Podcast:
https://marievakakis.com.au/podcast
🧠 The Therapy Hub:
https://thetherapyhub.com.au
Connect with Dr Jodi Richardson:
🌐 Website: https://drjodirichardson.com
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjodirichardson
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjodirichardson
DO YOU WANT TO HEAR THE POD LIVE? GET YOUR FREE TIX HERE
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If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with someone who may need support through grief, loss or life transitions. Your ratings, reviews and shares help us reach more people and continue important conversations about anxiety, mental health and wellbeing.
Remember: We don't heal grief by fixing it - we heal through connection, compassion and being witnessed. ❤️
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What happens when exhaustion becomes your normal? In this episode, Dr Jodi Richardson sits down with kinesiologist, yoga and meditation teacher Ilana Kosakiewicz, whose own experience with chronic fatigue and autoimmune illness forced her to stop - and ultimately transformed her life.

Together they explore:

The early whispers of burnout we often ignore
Why so many women have normalised exhaustion
The difference between rest and recovery
How “white space” resets the nervous system
Micro‑moments of rest that actually work
The power of Yoga Nidra and non‑sleep deep rest
How slowing down helps us show up better for the people we love
This conversation is a gentle reminder that rest isn’t indulgent - it’s essential.

Connect with Ilana Kosakiewicz:
Website: https://ilanak.com.au/
Instagram & Facebook: IlanaK.Kinesiology
LinkedIn: Alana Kazakovich
Podcast: The Energy Shift
Connect with Dr Jodi Richardson:
https://linktr.ee/drjodirichardson?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabqDVAw_zhoG3IXGRhgjn-J14BFJy50ztJbCHywMfZobVH12nX1USMbisI_aem_QViUbKkXHlwbD3y4kGcvGQ
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What if anxiety isn't the problem?
In this thought-provoking conversation, Dr Jodi Richardson is joined by psychologist and author Diante Fuchs to explore why so many people continue to struggle with anxiety despite trying therapy, strategies, and self-help tools. Dee shares her powerful Anxiety Trifecta framework, revealing the mental, emotional, and physical factors that can keep anxiety stuck.

Together, they discuss:

Why anxiety is a signal, not a flaw
The difference between ordinary anxiety and stuck anxiety
How fear of anxiety can keep the cycle going
Why uncovering root causes matters
The role of the nervous system in ongoing anxiety
Dee's practical EASE Method for responding differently to anxiety
How acceptance, compassion, and engagement can help you reclaim your life

This episode offers a hopeful and refreshing perspective: there is nothing wrong with you, and anxiety may have more to teach you than you realise.

Connect with Diante Fuchs
Website: theunstuckinitiative.com
Instagram: @ease.anxiety
TikTok: @ease.anxiety

Access the Stuck Anxiety Checklist discussed here: https://www.theunstuckinitiative.com/stuckanxietychecklist
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In this deeply insightful episode of Well, Hello Anxiety, Dr Jodi Richardson welcomes Dr Ashleigh Moreland, founder of the Remind Institute, to unpack the nervous system, fawning, functional freeze, and the hidden barriers families face when seeking mental‑health support. Drawing from her PhD in neuroplasticity and her own 20‑year journey with anxiety, Dr Ashleigh reveals why she created her groundbreaking - and completely free - online Home Bases, designed for parents, practitioners, teachers, and schools who need clear, compassionate, research‑grounded guidance.

They explore:
• The difference between fight, flight, freeze and the relational survival response of fawning
• Why so many parents say “yes” after saying “no” six times
• How childhood emotional experiences shape adult nervous‑system safety
• Why understanding behaviour through a trauma‑informed lens changes everything
• The cost, access and overwhelm families face in the current mental‑health system
• How Dr Ashleigh’s Home Bases offer scripts, explanations, tools and neuroscience‑based strategies anyone can use

Explore the free Home Bases here:
• Anxiety Home Base: re-mind.ang.institute/anxiety
• ADHD Home Base: re-mind.ang.institute/adhd
• Perfectionism Home Base: re-mind.ang.institute/perfectionism

Join the free Facebook community Cycle Breakers, where all Home Bases are pinned and updated:
facebook.com/groups/cyclebreakers

Dr Ashleigh also shares what’s coming next: Home Bases for PTSD, complex PTSD, depression, dissociation, addiction, parenting, relationships, leadership and entrepreneurship — all designed to make expert‑level mental‑health support accessible to everyone.

A generous, practical and empowering conversation for anyone navigating anxiety, parenting challenges, or their own healing.
Connect with Dr Jodi Richardson:
https://linktr.ee/drjodirichardson?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabqDVAw_zhoG3IXGRhgjn-J14BFJy50ztJbCHywMfZobVH12nX1USMbisI_aem_QViUbKkXHlwbD3y4kGcvGQ
Keep the conversations going — your donation helps fund and support future episodes: Donate here
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In this deeply human and compelling conversation, Dr Jodi Richardson sits down with Connor Scott, the runner, fundraiser and counsellor whose extraordinary challenge - running 50 kilometres a day for 50 days - captured the attention of his community and raised vital awareness for youth mental health. This episode explores the real story behind the feat: the motivation, the cost, the injury he pushed through, and the moment he realised he had lost himself in the challenge he hoped would complete him.

Connor shares how the aftermath left him physically and emotionally depleted, and how that difficult period sparked two powerful initiatives: Mind Over Miles, a movement‑based community run club centred on connection and mental wellbeing, and The Running Therapist, his unique counselling service blending movement, nature and side‑by‑side conversation to help people open up in a more comfortable, human way.

Together, Jodi and Connor unpack the pressures of public commitment, the vulnerability of asking for help, the healing power of community, and the importance of showing up as your true self - whether you’re running a marathon or navigating life’s tougher seasons.

A generous, honest and inspiring episode for anyone who’s ever pushed themselves too far, rebuilt from burnout, or discovered that the real finish line is connection.
Keep the conversations going — your donation helps fund and support future episodes: Donate here
Follow Connor and his work:
Instagram: Connor Scott (@connorscott10)
The Running Therapist
Mind Over Miles
9 for 9
Connect with Dr Jodi Richardson:
https://linktr.ee/drjodirichardson?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabqDVAw_zhoG3IXGRhgjn-J14BFJy50ztJbCHywMfZobVH12nX1USMbisI_aem_QViUbKkXHlwbD3y4kGcvGQ
Keep the conversations going — your donation helps fund and support future episodes: Donate here
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.