How to share your heart – and history - with those you love
What’s the difference between an inheritance and a legacy? Dr Melodie de Jager explores fostering our connection with those we cherish while we’re very much alive, since we actively grow our legacy every day. She invites Mariette to talk about her “Gift podcasts” - a way to honour loved ones, strengthen relationships, and create an extraordinary keepsake.
How to assert yourself in a healthy way
Can you stand up for yourself, or do you give in too easily? Emotional Intelligence specialist Dr Ronél le Roux explains how to set healthy boundaries in your personal and work life through self-reflection and clear, confident communication. Discover easy guidelines for effective self-assertiveness, remaining true to your own interests and values while respecting others.
Romantic relationships: What women – and men – deeply yearn for
Relationship coach Bryan Reeves shares his personal journey from a series of failed relationships to a profound understanding of love and intimacy. Offering insights from his best-selling relationship guide, he discusses the challenges regarding freedom and connection, the sexiest 3 words a man can say to a woman, and the sexiest 3 words a woman can say to a man.
Highly educated career women: why finding a partner may be difficult
Many high-powered women yearn for marriage, but find men spurning them because of their professional status or dedication to their careers. Sociologist Dr. Sandy To discusses her research on China’s “leftover women,” the gender constraints they face, and 4 different partner choice strategies they employ.
How to navigate the natural stages of your love relationship
No need to panic when your intimate relationship moves out of the fuzzy infatuation stage and unnerving differences set in. Counselling psychologist Dr Ingrid Artus explains how identifying and successfully moving through love’s 5 stages can carry a couple to lasting love. She discusses developing a growth mindset, 4 attachment styles, and causes of conflict.
Can your sensory profile affect your mental health?
Does hyper- or hyposensitivity cause you to feel overwhelmed or under-stimulated in environments others may find normal? Psychologist Luricka Fick considers whether mental health difficulties, including depression, anxiety and risk-taking behaviour, may point to sensory integration issues. She discusses the role dopamine plays in over- and under-responsiveness, and the benefits of a sensory integration assessment.
Strengthening self-love: understand your sensory preferences
Is your natural inclination visual, auditory, or kinaesthetic? How can you apply this knowledge to deepen your connection with others – and, most importantly, with yourself? Human development specialist Dr Melodie de Jager explores our sensory systems and preferences, offering practical tips on increasing our awareness, enhancing self-care, and even choosing spot-on gifts.
Is dementia a disease of the brain - and not the soul?
How can you communicate with someone living with cognitive impairment in a way that benefits both you and them? Dr. Rayne Stroebel clarifies the World Health Organisation’s view that the consciousness of individuals with dementia is never lost. He offers practical pointers for being deeply present and caring in a relational way, suited to family members as well as caregivers.
The Enneagram for couples: understand yourself and your beloved
In an intimate relationship, different viewpoints create stress and conflict. By illuminating each partner’s key motivational drive, the Enneagram provides clarity which – used mindfully – supports self-awareness and liberates one’s partner from unrealistic expectations. Transformation coach Renier Cronje explains how accepting and normalising each partner’s survival fears can strengthen a relationship and provide a gateway to love.
A good-enough dad against the background of Western society
Clinical psychologist Jeffrey Rink emphasises the concept of a “good-enough” dad and considers what a “good-enough” society would look like. Which elements should our society address? Can spirituality significantly contribute to easing fathers’ role, and also assist in a broader societal context? And what about psychotherapy? Join Jeffrey in his probing of these profound questions.
How to slow down ageing: Blue Zones and nutrigenomics
What’s the secret behind the healthy centenarians of the Blue Zone areas? Functional medicine health coach Anita Hamilton-Williams discusses connectivity, natural movement, down-shifting, a diet rich in bio-actives and other factors contributing to these individuals’ well-being. Her practical tips can help you incorporate some of these habits into your life.
Three moms: “This helps me stay sane”
While we love our children deeply, parenting is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Three moms share their views of the challenges and joys of motherhood and offer practical insights, coping ideas and strategies.
Postnatal depression: when to get help
South Africa is one of the 5 countries with the highest postpartum depression rates worldwide. The stigma attached to this condition makes it hard for new moms to admit they’re not coping. Counselling psychologist Luricka Fick discusses the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of postnatal depression, the question of “fantasy versus reality”, and sensible steps a mom or her loved ones should take.
Inside information: the way men view relationships
Men and women are wired differently. Psychologist and former serial killer profiler Dr. Micki Pistorius’ insights into the male psyche are arresting. She describes men as heroes and warriors. How do men view emotions, dating, female friends and marriage? What are their strongest drives and deepest fear? How does one best communicate with a man? Dr. Pistorius’ book, “Heroes”, offers answers that every woman should note.
How to communicate with your teenager
Finding talking to your teen an uphill battle? Psychologist, coach and dad Hennie Vorster throws light on the development of adolescents’ logical-rational faculties, the power of their emotions, the world they inhabit, and why so many struggle with anxiety. He advises listening for emotion, guiding teens to focus on what is in their control, and using choices and consequences as parenting tools.
My son has diabetes: our low-carb lifestyle
Discovering that your child has Type-1 diabetes is traumatic. Knowing that a coma may be fatal, making optimal, sustainable lifestyle changes, and successfully managing your child’s school and social life creates constant stress. Food writer Vickie de Beer shares what this path has taught her, and how the advantages of a low-carb lifestyle inspired her to write best-selling cookbooks.
Affairs: why they happen and how they can be addressed
Can childhood trauma cause infidelity? Which patterns are involved in the unravelling of a love relationship? Counselling psychologist Dr. Ingrid Artus clarifies what happens emotionally and physiologically, the effect of betrayal, dealing with trauma, and affairs as a possible form of addiction. She offers the antidotes to criticism, defensiveness, contempt and stonewalling.
How to manage conflict in your personal relationships
None of us is immune to relationship fallouts. Counselling psychologist Dr. Hannetjie van Zyl-Edeling clarifies what conflict entails, its purpose, causes and effects, and explains what happens in your body during a quarrel. She recommends rules for fair fighting and reveals the secret behind handling disagreements really well.
Are YOU an empath?
Do you feel others’ emotions in your body? Are you sometimes called “too sensitive”? Master transformation coach Liezl Thom explains how this gift can become a curse – but that awareness of what’s going on, realising that you can choose not to experience others’ feelings, and learning how to close yourself off when necessary will transform you into an empowered empath.
Caregivers: prioritising yourself while caring for others
Individuals caring for a loved one or someone with a challenging condition often neglect their own well-being. This can result in exhaustion on top of experiencing fear, anxiety and even guilt. Caregiver advocate Meriam Boldewijn explains how a simple self-care system can help caregivers regain their balance and realise that they are “worthy of a wonderful life too.”