This is an episode that many of you will relate to. A story on the intersection of menopause and manosphere, and more generally the impact of menopause on relationships.
It’s raw and real, and the issues raised had Emma emotional - these issues are very familiar for so many people - we’re going to cover menopause and it’s effect on relationships on the channel and in work Harry is doing this Spring
We discuss the shock of small reveals - how a sentence uttered over dinner, amongst friends can shake your understanding of how well you know your partner of decades. The loss of the person you originally met - and how to find them again.
The situation for Helen is recoverable, we believe. It’s tough and it will take softening on both sides….and no small amount of forgiveness and understanding. Her partner’s awareness that something needs to change, that something has been lost, is a good place to begin the repair if they want to move forward together.
As we always say, if you’re having relationship problems, going through a relationship breakup or experiencing heartbreak, then know this: we are with you. Because you can and will survive, heal and thrive.
Everyone who appears on our podcast can take positive steps forward, and so can you.
Big Hug x
In this rather saucy episode (you have been warned), we read Ariel’s story - it brings so many twists and turns you might even call it kinky,
It’s a story of hidden lives, secrets and lies. Betrayal on an almost industrial scale, and an entire infrastructure of deception and subterfuge.
We talk about the awful pain of discovering two lives lived not in parallel, but awfully, painfully differently - and how to heal from a betrayal that runs deep and broad throughout a long, apparently healthy marriage.
The story is in two parts - with a quick intermission while we gather our faculties and get our breath back from the shock of the revelations in part 1.
There’s light here too though. Ariel is in touch with the show and is making significant and impressive progress, facing the pain this awful period of her life has unloaded upon her.
It won’t be easy, it won’t be quick - and there won’t be a complete erasure of these traumatic events. But life will be better than before, because it will be lived in her truth and authenticity without distraction or deceit.
As we always say, if you’re having relationship problems, going through a relationship breakup or experiencing heartbreak, then know this: we are with you. Because you can and will survive, heal and thrive.
Everyone who appears on our podcast can take positive steps forward, and so can you.
Big Hug x
In this episode we are excited to be discussing an actual voice note! So modern!
Our contributor is Mark, who shares his struggles with a tumultuous relationship marked by love bombing, sudden breakups, and the lingering pain of unresolved feelings. We discuss the inevitable emotional dysregulation that these kinds of chaotic relationships cause and how to work your way through to peace.
Finally we move on to the quick-fire questions and this week they are:
As we always say, if you’re having relationship problems, going through a relationship breakup or experiencing heartbreak then know this: we are with you. Because you can and will survive, heal and thrive. Everyone who appears on our podcast can take positive steps forward, and so can you.
Big Hug
We’re back! Season 2 (that’s what the kids call it) starts with a submission from Annie - a sadly too familiar story of a toxic relationship and a woman shrinking herself so much that she is no longer recognisable, even to herself.
Harry and Emma delve into the complexities of relationships, focusing on a listener's story of emotional turmoil and healing. They discuss the impact of past traumas, the importance of self-awareness, and the journey towards self-recovery. Annie has already started, even if she doesn’t realise!
We also look at what’s coming with dadhugsforyoursoul and explore the new “Intentional Dating” pack as part of our “tool of the week” feature.
Our new quick-fire questions explore:
As we always say, if you’re having relationship problems, going through a relationship breakup or experiencing heartbreak then know this: we are with you. Because you can and will survive, heal and thrive. Everyone who appears on our podcast can take positive steps forward, and so can you.
Listen to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer and anywhere you get your podcasts. Watch the full eps on YouTube too.
Big Hug
It's a bumper episode today - we've got lots to catch up on!
We're incorporating some lovely comments about episode 10 (Barbecues, Birthdays, BETRAYALS! - go have a little look if you've not seen it!)
We are also revisiting the question of the week AND doing a physiological sigh-along.
We've got some updates for you from 3 of our favourite (so far) contributers - can you guess which ones?We talk about surviving the holiday season - you can access Harry's free pack here:
https://dadhugsforyoursoul.com/packs/surviving-the-holidays
We have a chat about how Harry got where he is and where he is taking Dad Hugs in the coming year - so much to come including a Dating Pack and a Betrayals pack. All of this with a quick change - he just wasn't festive enough - thrown in for good measure.
We've been there, you're not alone, and you WILL recover!
Big Hug
x
In this, the last story of our first season, we meet Rosy; 43 years old, married with a family, living a nice, normal life. Except she isn’t, she’s living a lie and keeping a huge, devastating secret from her husband. Unforgiveable confessions flow and we are left feeling horrified for him. The huge twist that follows leaves everyone in shock, betrayal comes in many forms and this time it is Rosy on the receiving end. What do you do when you discover something you are not supposed to know, from a person you are not supposed to be with?
Listen to find out whether we manage to reach agreement on the most shocking listener submission yet...
Our story this week comes from Chloe and - as so often - it’s one that will feel familiar to many of us: Chloe and her partner, Josh, are a couple who were moving comfortably towards marriage and starting a family, living in their first home together, working hard to make their dreams a reality. Everything seemed right. But when Josh gets a promotion, things change, Chloe takes a back seat as his career fills his life. It often happens - and we often choose to temporarily make way for a partner's career, especially if it means more money for family and home. But when Josh's focus shifts from work to a colleague, however, their relationship changes - and it’s not just the house renovations which grind to a halt. Listen in to find out what happens.
In this week's episode we hear from Eliza - and we really wanted to tell this story because we think it'll resonate with so many of us. A successful, secure person, Eliza is still troubled by the thought that life is somehow passing her by.
At 35, she's tired of seeing all her friends happily settled down - and social media just rubs salt in the wound daily, with endless picture-perfect engagement and baby announcements. She always says she's happy - and most of the time she is. But deep down, she wonders when it will be her turn... Add the usual family pressures and the seemingly unavoidable dating apps and it's a recipe for an awful lot of angst which so many of us have felt.
So we're going to explore why we feel the pressure to relentlessly pursue those life milestones - and we discover that 35 is NOT an age to be giving up!
Today we meet Jonathan who shares his story of a passionate, long-distance relationship. Ah yes - the sort where it just fizzles out because eventually one of you just can't take the isolation? Nope. Jonathan and his partner were together as often as they could be - and when Jonathan suffered a nasty accident, his partner flew to be by his side. He felt cared for and committed and was looking forward to their future together. But before making a full recovery, he was devastated when, out of the blue, she called it off. And not just a "sorry, I'm not feeling this" conversation: she left him with unanswered questions at a time when he really needed support. Jonathan feels lost and needs answers.
Big Hug
This week we meet Alison. She thought that her chances of love were long gone but, persuaded to go salsa dancing, she encounters a perfect gentleman. And a flame she thought was extinguished forever, bursts back to life! Dancing, romance, love - none of these things are exclusive to the younger generations. Sadly, neither is heartbreak, and sometimes it’s for the very toughest of reasons. Get your tissues - Emma says she barely held it together for this beautiful story.
Alison's story reminds us to live! To dance like no one is watching. And Harry reminds us that grief can be healed, no matter your age. As we always say, if you’re having relationship problems, going through a relationship breakup or experiencing heartbreak, then know this first: we're with you. Because you can and will survive, heal and thrive. Everyone who appears on our podcast can take positive steps forward, and so can you.
Big Hug.
This week's story comes from Rebecca, who was with her husband for 19 years. And they weren't particularly good years: she believed she had to “keep her man happy” and he took every opportunity to make sure things stayed that way - even when she was grieving the loss of her brother. But that loss was also the catalyst for change. Rebecca decided enough was enough, and she bravely quit her one-sided marriage. Her husband, however, wasn't finished. Desperate to regain control of the situation, he was regularly in touch, promising the earth - despite being with another partner!
Rebecca's story is ultimately both positive and instructive. As we always say, if you’re having relationship problems, going through a relationship breakup or experiencing heartbreak, then know this first: we're with you. Because you can and will survive, heal and thrive. Everyone who appears on our podcast can take positive steps forward, and so can you.
Susanne has been living in a loveless marriage for decades. But she's determined to move beyond everyone's expectations in the pursuit of personal freedom and happiness. And that includes her mother, who hasn't been nearly as supportive as she could be. Susanne's story is one of quiet strength and resilience. It's full of hope for a more authentic, fulfilled future - and proof that it's never too late to stand up for yourself.
As we always say, if you’re having relationship problems, going through a relationship breakup or experiencing heartbreak then know this first: we are with you. Because you can and will survive, heal and thrive. Everyone who appears on our podcast can take positive steps forward, and so can you.Listen to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer and anywhere you get your podcasts.
Meet Trina, a single mother of two, preparing to send her second daughter to University and facing an empty nest. It’s a big life change, and Trina faces a sudden new onslaught of loneliness. But is that all that's going on?
Disillusioned with dating apps, and feeling like she's “always the one who gets dumped”, Trina's about to make some big life decisions - with some challenging consequences. How will she fill the space left by her daughter? She's certainly not ready to give up on love, but at what cost? Listen to find out.
As we always say, if you’re having relationship problems, going through a relationship breakup or experiencing heartbreak then know this first: we are with you. Because you can and will survive, heal and thrive. Everyone who appears on our podcast can take positive steps forward, and so can you.
Big Hug
In this week’s story, we meet Clive, a widower of eight years. When Pippa gives him her number, he puts his reservations to one side and bravely chooses to step back into dating life. What unfolds is a long way from what he expected - and it throws him into a very different world.
If you’re having relationship problems, going through a relationship breakup or experiencing heartbreak then know this first: we are with you and you can and will survive, heal and thrive.
Listen to the audio version on Deezer, Spotify and Apple Podcasts - watch the full eps on YouTube - head to the socials (search dadhugsforyoursoul) and have your say too!
We’ll see how complicated life can be for everyone. We’ll see that there’s always hope. And we’ll see that there’s a lesson in every story for our own lives.
Welcome to the very first episode of Where You Left Them, the Dadhugsforyoursoul podcast with Harry and Emma. This podcast dives deep into the messy, heartbreaking, and sometimes unbelievable realities of modern relationships. It’s not therapy, but it is real: raw stories from real people, told honestly, with empathy, humour, and perspective.
In our first story, we meet Kate, who thought she was living the dream: twenty years with Rich, the partner who seemed like her perfect match. They had the house, the holidays, the reputation of being that couple. But in a single weekend, it all shattered.
What follows is an unflinching look at betrayal, self-doubt, and the struggle to rebuild a sense of self when everything you trusted collapses. Harry and Emma unpack the story in the studio.
