Psychologically Speaking with Leila Ainge
A psychologist's insight into the fascinating world of human behaviour without the jargon, with Psychologist & coach, Leila Ainge. Blending scientific research with real experiences, Leila is on a mission to reframe outdated notions of imposter syndrome. Psychologically Speaking delves into Leila's own ground-breaking research, exploring what drives those pesky fraudulent feelings in entrepreneurs, the unexpected advantages, and how you can actually leverage imposter moments to your benefit (yes, really). This podcast is for anyone who has ever felt like a fraud, just moments away from being 'found out'. This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative
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What if interviews don’t just reveal what we think… but actually change it?
<p>We often assume interviews are a way of capturing what people already think. But qualitative psychology suggests something different. Interviews can be active sites of meaning-making, where thoughts are not just shared, but formed in real time.</p><p>Drawing on ideas like the double hermeneutic from Anthony Giddens and reflexive approaches to qualitative research, I reflect on what it means to ask questions that might shift how someone understands their own experience.</p><p>As an insider researcher studying online communities I belong to, this raises a deeper question: what trace does research leave behind?</p><p>This...
I Refuse to Hate Myself: Menopause, Identity & Starting Again
<p>“I refuse to hate myself in any way… I hope women reclaim ageing as a gift.”</p><p>When everything shifts at once, home, body, identity, what does it take to rebuild a sense of safety and self? Leila Ainge and Emma Seville explore menopause, midlife transitions, and the psychology of starting over.</p><p>In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, psychologist Leila Ainge speaks with menopause coach Emma Seville about navigating unexpected life changes, financial precarity, ADHD, and the psychological impact of midlife transitions. Together, they explore agency, belonging, and how women can reclaim ageing as a powerful, identi...
Bonus: Everything we know is shaped by where we stand in the world.
<p>Hi, I’m Leila, and I’m currently doing a PhD exploring the experiences of women who are independent workers, including entrepreneurs, freelancers, and the self-employed, who use online communities as part of their working lives.</p><p>My first study is collecting data through a series of interviews with women and community hosts across two online communities where I’m also a paying member. These are spaces I didn’t join as a researcher, but as someone looking for connection, support, and belonging in independent work.</p><p>Alongside the research itself, I’ll be keeping a series of blog po...
55. From War Zones to Motherhood: The Unexpected Path to Building a Business
<p>In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge speaks with entrepreneur Femke Harris about the unexpected twists that shape our lives. From growing up as a third-culture kid in Hong Kong to managing operations on a NATO base in Afghanistan, Femke’s career path has been anything but predictable.</p><p>Together they explore the psychology of resilience, identity and adaptation when life doesn’t follow the plan we imagined. Femke shares how major life transitions – moving countries, career pivots, motherhood and COVID-era uncertainty – ultimately led her to create the Merry-go-round Club, a sustainable baby equipment rental service designed to suppo...
54. Can Digging in the Dirt Really Improve Your Mental Health? : The Science of Gardening and Wellbeing
<p>What if one of the most powerful mental health tools was already in your garden?</p><p>In this episode, I’m joined by horticultural therapist Kendall Marie Platt to explore the science behind soil, why getting your hands in the dirt can change your mood, and how gardening might help us regulate stress in ways modern life often forgets.</p><p>And in many ways, Kendall’s story captures the spirit of this season’s theme: expect the unexpected. From forensic science labs to flowers and soil, her journey is a reminder that sometimes the paths we never planne...
53. Goals Don’t Fail, They Reveal: What Happens After the Plan?
<p>In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge checks back in with coaches Emma Thomas and Lucy Green a few months after they set ambitious business goals. The conversation reveals how real progress unfolds.</p><p>Emma shares how a community project had to pause due to unforeseen circumstances and teases us with a new book project!. Lucy reflects on launching her programme Good Company, which sparked strong interest but fewer sales than expected, leading her to adapt the offer and rethink how clients take their first steps into corporate work.</p><p>Across the conversation, a common theme...
What Actually Happens After You Set a Goal?
<p>In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila is joined by three Goal Sprint participants, Hannah Isted, Jen Vaughan and Darren Scotland, for an honest progress check-in just weeks into the year.</p><p>Together they explore:</p><p>• Why momentum matters more than motivation</p><p>• How perfectionismblocks progress (and how to move anyway)</p><p>• The psychology of getting out of your comfort zone from running faster to showing up online</p><p>• Why community support accelerates confidence and behaviour change</p><p>• How small actions create belief, not the other way around</p><p>• Letting go of “gatekeepers” a...
“Nothing Bad Happened”: What Visibility Teaches Us About Confidence
<p>What actually happens to your confidence once you start pursuing a goal?</p><p>In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, psychologist Leila Ainge checks back in with three creatives who set goals on the podcast weeks earlier, Graphic Designer Bhavini, Animator Duncan and Documentary Maker Dany. Instead of tidy success stories, you’ll hear what goal pursuit looks like in real life, confidence rising and dipping, perfectionism showing up, comparison creeping in, and plans changing shape.</p><p>Through honest reflection and psychological insight, this episode explores why confidence doesn’t grow in a straight line, how visibility reduces fear...
Are you Avoidance Crafting?
<p>Why do resolutions wobble just when we think they should be working?</p><p>This episode explores avoidance crafting, impatience, burnout, and how goals, habits, and mental distance shape real progress especially in January.</p><p>In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila explores the intricacies of human behavior, particularly focusing on the themes of resolutions, goals, and habits. She discusses the common pitfalls of New Year's resolutions, the importance of understanding the difference between resolutions and goals, and how habits play a crucial role in achieving these goals. Leila also delves into the impact of social comparison on...
Sustainable Goals in an Unsustainable World
<p>Why do goals that feel exciting at first suddenly become exhausting even when we care deeply about them?</p><p>In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, I explore why goals often become unsustainable not because of a lack of motivation or discipline, but because they’re designed for ideal conditions rather than real life.</p><p>Drawing on psychology, environmental thinking, and embodied cognition, we look at how our physical and emotional environments quietly shape what we’re able to sustain long before willpower ever comes into play.</p><p>You’ll be introduced to the concept of solastalgia, a term...
