PODCAST · health
Humaning with Rick Watson
by Rick Watson
Humaning is a podcast where we explore the imperfect art of being human. Looking through the lens of a Gestalt therapist, we explore what it actually looks like to get to know ourselves. Some episodes I explore this on my own through through our Good Question series, in others I sit down with someone and hear their story. Either way, it's unscripted and honest with no polished answers, just the messy and imperfect art of being human... together. If you're yearning for a bit more depth and clarity in your life, this is a good place to start.
Episodes
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54: Where's your energy going lately? | A coffee catch up
No guest today, just you and me so grab a coffee and come hang. In this one I take a question I've been asking myself lately: Where's my energy going? and I run through what's been happening in my world, the good stuff and the messy stuff. In this episode: The dance between needing rest and…
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53: Why do I feel responsible for other peoples feelings? | Good Question Series
Welcome to the first episode of the Good Question series. There's a lot of noise out there from people who seem to know everything, this series is the opposite. Each episode I take one question I hear a lot in the therapy room and in groups and we get curious about it together. No experts, no…
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52: Helping couples really hear each other with Freya Smee
Freya Smee is a Gestalt therapist who works with couples on conflict, communication and connection. In this episode, we talk about why the same fights keep happening, the stories we tell ourselves about each other and how to feel seen and heard in your relationship. Freya also shares her own...
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#51: Learning to feel instead of think my way through with Scott Ellis
Scott Ellis is back for round two and this conversation goes somewhere unexpected fast. It moves quickly into an old pattern many of us carry... shaping what we say, holding things back and managing conversations so nobody gets upset. Then there's the weird guilt that sits underneath it, often…
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#50: Permission to not have it figured out with Kate Johnson
Sometimes in life, we can get a bit paralysed from making a decision out of the fear of getting it wrong. In this episode, I chat with Kate Johnson and what her version of this used to look like and what she did about it. We also chatted about her old perfectionist and fixer parts like to jump in...
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#49: Learning who I am all over again with Mark Achermann
Mark lost his business and his wife in the same week and life as he knew it turned upside-down. What followed was three months alone, hiking through New Zealand with no plan and a hell of a lot of space to feel. This episode isn't really about what happened to Mark, it's about what's happened...
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#48 Getting closer to yourself and not taking it so seriously with Grace Brown
Gracie Brown - Gestalt therapist, musician and artist known as Kalakari - joins me for her first ever podcast. We talk about what it means to get closer to yourself: the parts you perform, the parts you protect and what starts to shift when you stop treating all of it like something to fix. We…
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#47: A practical way to understand yourself instead of fixing yourself
If you've ever caught yourself wondering why you keep repeating the same patterns, why you shut down emotionally when things get hard or why you keep self-sabotaging even when you know better, this episode is for you. Rick explores the difference between fixing or shaming yourself and actually...
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#46: Grief, love, and what I've learned about emotional honesty (a six month update)
It's been months since I recorded an episode. Jo's dad got sick, then really sick, then he passed. Somewhere in the middle of all that, I lost the desire to sit down and talk into a mic. This episode is me picking it back up, unscripted, on a day it finally felt good to do it. I talk about what…
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#45: Why is slowing down so hard?
Most of us know we need to slow down, we feel it and yet something keeps us moving anyway. This episode is an honest look at what's actually behind that. Not a list of tips or a lecture about self care. Just bite-sized conversation about why staying busy can feel so much safer than stopping and...
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#44: Why being human is your most important skill right now
In a world shaped by social media addiction, rapidly advancing AI and growing economic uncertainty, staying genuinely connected to yourself has never been harder (or more important). In this solo episode, Rick gets honest about the forces pulling us away from our own humanness: the addictive…
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#43: Escaping the "not enough" trap with Jack Chivers
Most of us don’t realise how much of our life is built around one quiet belief: “I’m not enough.” In this conversation with Jack Chivers, we unpack the performer pattern - the part of us that learned to earn love, approval and belonging through being impressive, capable or strong. For a while…
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#42: Humans need humans, not optimisation with Katia Erokhina
What if being human isn’t something to fix, refine or optimise? In this conversation, Rick sits down with Gestalt psychotherapist Katia Erokhina for a real-time, unscripted exploration of what actually helps us change and what quietly gets in the way. Together, they talk about withdrawal and...
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#41: Are you willing to be uncertain in 2026?
In this solo episode of Humaning, Rick kicks off 2026 with an honest check-in after a technology-free camping break. He reflects on the tension between control and uncertainty, why our repeating patterns make so much sense and how real change often begins with acceptance rather than…
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#40: A look back at the hard, the human and the unexpected of 2025 with Jo Dobson and Rick Watson
This episode is a little different. Jo and I sat down on the couch at the end of a massive year - no script, no structure, just two humans reflecting on what 2025 actually felt like. What unfolded was honest, imperfect and surprisingly satisfying. Together we explore: The truth of hitting an...
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#39: Finding what matters most: a plot-twist story of family, identity and resilience with Bec Cortering
In this episode of Humaning, I sit down with Bec Corterling - a business owner, mum and long-time friend of Jo’s - for a conversation that goes far deeper than clothes, content or running a boutique. We talk about the quiet exhaustion that builds from showing up every day for 12 years, the…
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#38: Coming out, speaking up and rocking uncertainty with Bronte Walker
What happens when you stop rehearsing who you think you should be and start showing up as who you are? In this episode, I sit down with Bronte Walker, a fellow Gestalt therapy student, musician, facilitator and all-round legend to explore what it really takes to find your voice and speak up for…
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#37: The tug-of-war between contentment and drive with Rick Watson
In this solo episode, Rick introduces a new format — a space to be curious about a single theme and reflect on how it shows up in your own life. This week, he explores the tension between being content with what is and still wanting to grow. How do we stay grounded in enoughness while staying…
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#36: When life throws a curveball: reporting from the messy middle with John Williams
When life throws a curveball, it’s easy to talk about it after the fact — once the dust settles and the lessons land. But this conversation happens right in the middle of it. My mate John Williams is in week five of cancer treatment and he sat down with me to share what it’s really like to live...
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#35: Proving, pleasing and then finally being myself with Pete Tansley
For years Pete Tansley was chasing it — the business, the hustle, the status, the approval. Underneath it all? A chip on his shoulder, the need to make his dad proud and a nice-guy mask that left him exhausted. In this conversation we unpack the messy middle: rushing deals to look successful,...
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#34: From criticism to kindness: midlife lessons in self-compassion with Melanie Briony
What if your inner critic wasn’t the enemy… but the spark you needed to grow? In this episode, Melanie Briony is back on the couch with me for round two. We talk about the messy dance between self-doubt and self-kindness, why mistakes aren’t really “wrong" and how breathwork and nervous system...
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#33: From booze to breath work with Barney Mercer
Barney’s story is one a lot of men will recognise — pushing through pain, numbing with alcohol and holding it all together on the outside while quietly falling apart inside. In this conversation, he shares the journey from living in a freeze state and repeating the harsh patterns of his past, to...
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#32: A masterclass in misalignment with Rick Watson and Jo Dobson
Our life has been a bit of a shit-show over the past 4-6 weeks, but it feels like we're coming out the other side. In this episode we share our stories of pushing too hard and then realising that (in different ways) we are actually way out of alignment. Fear, scarcity and expectation all played...
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#31: The cost (and gift) of being different with Kellie Glab
In this heartfelt conversation, Rick sits down with Gestalt therapist-in-training Kellie Glab to explore what it really means to live a life outside the expected script. From choosing not to have children to navigating loneliness, self-compassion, and the deep need to belong, Kellie shares...
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#30: Laughing at the shit that makes us human with Clancy Simkins
Clancy Simkins joins me for a raw, hilarious and unexpectedly moving conversation about all the messy parts of life — burnout, cancer, parenting, control and the endless dance between falling apart and holding it together. We talk about permission to stop, black humour as a survival skill and the...
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#29: Men, emotions and the art of showing up with Linzey Beister
In this episode, therapist and men’s group facilitator Linzey Biester joins me to talk about what it really means to show up — for ourselves and our relationships. We unpack the old patterns men often carry (like ghosting, people-pleasing and self-blame) and explore how slowing down, building...
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Ep 28: Twelve weeks at a time: cancer, champagne and showing up anyway with Toni Mackay
In this conversation, I reconnect with Toni Mackay—an old friend from 30 years ago who’s now navigating life with stage four bowel cancer. Toni shares what it’s like to live in 12-week cycles between scans, how her diagnosis has shifted her priorities, and why she still chooses joy, connection…
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Ep 27: From control to connection - grief, growth and letting go with Scott Ellis
What if the way you’ve been holding it all together is the very thing keeping you stuck? In this episode, I sit down with Scott Ellis to talk about what happens when we stop running on autopilot and start facing the things we’ve been avoiding — grief, uncertainty and the deeper questions of who…
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Ep 26: Vulnerability, drive and being seen with Darci Charlie Dee
In this episode, I sit down with Darci Charlie Dee – yoga teacher, retreat facilitator and fellow Gestalt therapy student – for a raw and reflective chat about the messiness of being human. We talk about the quiet pressure to appear steady, the ways we mask our chaos with productivity or smiles…
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Ep 25: The truth about feeling stuck with Rick Watson
In this raw and unfiltered solo episode, I dive deep into the lived experience of being stuck—what it looks like across different parts of life (work, relationships, health, creativity), how it messes with your mind and what it might actually be trying to offer you. I unpack the sneaky benefits…
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Ep 24: Living an adventurous life with Paul Holland
In this episode of Humaning, I sit down with my old friend Paul Holland to talk about what it really means to live an adventurous life — not just the kind with planes and race cars (though he’s got those too), but the inner kind. The kind where you keep showing up, even when the path isn’t clear....
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Ep 23: Finding freedom in uncertainty with Katia Erokhina
In this follow-up episode with Katia Erokhina we revisit a conversation that never made it to air (thanks, tech gremlins). Ironically — or maybe perfectly — that first recording was all about imperfection, letting go of control and embracing the messiness of being human. So we leaned into the…
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Ep 22: Tell Me More: FRACing - Fixing, rescuing and other loving disasters.
In this first Tell Me More episode, Rick and Jo dive into the well-intentioned mess of FRACing—that’s Fixing, Rescuing, Advice-giving, and Caretaking. It’s the stuff we all do when we really care about someone… and yet, it often gets in the way of true connection. We explore the emotional drivers...
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Ep 21: From control to acceptance with Chris Slater
Chris Slater normally prefers to stay out of the limelight, but behind his private persona is a compelling story . In this episode, Chris and I talk about the internal chaos that was bubbling away as he tried to build his chiro practise. The combination of control, anger and co-dependency was...
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Ep 20: The power of sharing stories with Emily Rockit
Emily Rockit is one hell of a storyteller. In this episode, she shares her stories about navigating well-being, grappling with loss and the rollercoaster that is the music industry. Along the way, we unpack the power of connection, the magic of storytelling and that all-too-familiar wrestling…
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Ep 19: Permission to feel with Nicole Dean
Content warning: this episode briefly touches on baby loss. If this topic is sensitive or triggering for you, please take care while listening or skip this episode completely. Nicole Dean is one inspiring human. As much for her honesty and courage as for her actions and achievements. In this...
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Ep 18: Looking through new eyes with John Williams
In this episode, I sit down (for the second time) with John Williams for a chat that feels less like an interview and more like two humans figuring things out together. We cover everything from therapy and personal growth to how tech is changing the way we connect (for better or worse). John…
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Ep 17: Befriending shame with Sophia Richmond-Manno
Do you ever feel like you spend more time in your head than in your heart or body? Sophia gets it, it’s been her default way of navigating the world, using intellect and achievement to feel safe and valued. In this episode, we dive into the deeper layers of this pattern, uncovering how it’s often...
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EP 16: Making the unconscious conscious with Melanie Briony
Melanie Briony knows herself really well. She knows she can be a bit of a people pleaser, she can procrastinate and she would prefer to avoid uncomfortable conversations. But as someone who runs her own business, she also knows these parts of her don't really serve her as a business owner and…
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Ep 15: On the other side of healing with Greg Goldstein
Growing up in New York and now residing in Byron Bay, Greg Goldstein has lived a life full of rich experiences. A traveller in the true sense of the word both geographically and internally, he is a deep well of wisdom. In this conversation, Greg shares his current reality of being called forward...
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Ep 14: Rewriting the story of being too much with Claire Baker
Claire Baker is a hell of a human. A ridiculously accomplished academic, author and change-maker in a professional sense, Claire is insanely intelligent and has found it safer to keep the entirety of her brilliance under wraps for most of her life. To avoid being too big or too much for other...
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EP #13: My good, bad, funny for 2024 (solocast)
On this solocast, Rick reflects back on the year that was looking at what was good, what was bad and what was funny. This is often the question he asks his son Finn when he gets home from school, but also seemed like a good way to break up the year. While you are listening, you may also consider...
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Ep #12: From corporate law to gestalt therapy with Monique Dalais
Monique Dalais has had an amazing professional evolution from a corporate inner-city lawyer to now running her own counselling practice. After spending the year studying Gestalt therapy together, Rick and Monique shared a little about the experience - especially the residential that just ended....
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Ep #11: The power of being seen with Richard Hil
On the surface, Richard Hil is an accomplished academic and prolific author. But if you look a little deeper than his achievements, you will see that he is, at the core, a uniquely curious human. A gifted storyteller with a unique view of the world, Richard is really a student of life and what...
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Ep #10: Becoming perfectly imperfect with Laura Olsen
In this chat, Rick and Laura dig into perfectionism, being capable and the challenge this creates when needing to a ask for help. They explore how this has showed up in the past for Laura and how she now responds differently. This also discuss what self-support looks like compared to external...
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Ep 9: Moving from fear to love with Cam Pearce
In this episode, Rick and Cam explore the theme of having a voice and the sneaky role fear can play in this. They discuss Cam's current journey of leaving the security of his 9-5 job and going all-in on his true passion... music. Cam's story is super inspiring to anyone who wants to follow their...
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Ep 8: Leaning into community with Jo Dobson
In this episode, Rick and Jo chat about the response to their first podcast and how it led to influx of reconnection with Jo's previous work community. This moved to a discussion about the importance of community as we navigate the roller-coaster experience of life and how our ability to either…
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Ep 7: Redefining my value with Genevieve Searle
In this episode, Rick and Genevieve start with the story of their last podcast together that never made the light of day and what they both took from the experience. The theme throughout this podcast is how we see our own value in the world. Genevieve explains where and why she previously placed...
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Ep 6: Permission to play with Leith Walton
In this conversation, Leith discusses the important role play and creativity have had in his life so far - originally as a way to cope and now as a unique professional career. They explore how Leith's ability to go inward while battling chronic illness as a teenager has fed his creative…
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Ep 5: Unblocking love with Lucy Slater
In this conversation, Rick and Lucy explore their personal journeys of self-discovery, sobriety and the impact of emotional health on relationships. They discuss the nuances of co-dependency, the evolution of their identities and the challenges and joys of parenting. The dialogue emphasizes the...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Humaning is a podcast where we explore the imperfect art of being human. Looking through the lens of a Gestalt therapist, we explore what it actually looks like to get to know ourselves. Some episodes I explore this on my own through through our Good Question series, in others I sit down with someone and hear their story. Either way, it's unscripted and honest with no polished answers, just the messy and imperfect art of being human... together. If you're yearning for a bit more depth and clarity in your life, this is a good place to start.
HOSTED BY
Rick Watson
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Humaning with Rick Watson have?
Humaning with Rick Watson currently has 54 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Humaning with Rick Watson about?
Humaning is a podcast where we explore the imperfect art of being human. Looking through the lens of a Gestalt therapist, we explore what it actually looks like to get to know ourselves. Some episodes I explore this on my own through through our Good Question series, in others I sit down with...
How often does Humaning with Rick Watson release new episodes?
Humaning with Rick Watson has 54 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Humaning with Rick Watson?
You can listen to Humaning with Rick Watson on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Humaning with Rick Watson?
Humaning with Rick Watson is created and hosted by Rick Watson.
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