

Calm, Clear & Helpful
Mariette Snyman
If anxiety, heartache, chronic pain or other issues are keeping you awake, listening to "Calm, Clear & Helpful" can bring you comfort and clarity. Ever-curious journalist Mariette Snyman interviews a range of experts on holistic health, love relationships, parenting, and life's phases and challenges. Join us each Tuesday for fresh insights, practical know-how, and for conversations from the heart.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 26, 2025 • 33min
Ep. 222 Post-retirement mastery: acing a piano exam with finger joint prostheses
When retiring from a busy urology practice, Dr Hans Rabe (now 76) set himself the goal of playing UNISA’s most advanced piano exam. Despite having to play through the pain due to autoimmune arthritis, he achieved an A+. Savour this story of retirement, reinvention and resilience, told with a quirky sense of humour. www.mariettesnyman.co.za · This episode's podcast notes and photograph · Dr Hans Rabe's Up Close & Personal article · www.facebook.com · www.instagram.com · www.linkedin.com

Aug 19, 2025 • 42min
Ep. 221 Children with level 1 autism: a plea for understanding and inclusion
How does a parent deal with not only the stigma, but misconceptions attached to high-functioning autism? Social worker Mariette Cawood candidly speaks about how this affects a child and its parents, facilitating the child’s relationship with teachers and other individuals, dealing with specific challenges, and the 3 phases of autism. She voices the grief many parents experience and urges other adults to educate themselves and promote a more supportive, inclusive environment. www.mariettesnyman.co.za · This episode's podcast notes and photographs · Also read Mariette Cawood's moving open letter. · www.facebook.com · www.instagram.com · www.linkedin.com

Aug 12, 2025 • 37min
Ep. 220 Navigate your unknown - lessons from open-water swimming bootcamp
Which adventure would take you out of your comfort zone, pique your senses, and invigorate you with growth? Transformational coach and change consultant Gail Cox extracts life & leadership lessons from open-water swimming in Mallorca. She considers saying yes to a challenge despite not being quite ready, meeting her own edge, bravely navigating constantly shifting waters, breathing in a different way, and creating space for recovery. www.mariettesnyman.co.za · www.gailcoxcoaching.com · This episode's podcast notes and photographs · www.facebook.com · www.instagram.com · www.linkedin.com

Aug 5, 2025 • 40min
Ep. 219 How to integrate movement into your everyday life – pleasurably
Re-framing your lifestyle to include frequent movement needs to be fun! Naturopath, wellness & spiritual coach and massage therapist Dr Francois du Toit discusses the benefits of primal movement patterns such as the resting squat, how to optimise preferred forms of movement by using experiential goal setting, and ways to gain self-knowledge resulting in joyful, energetic living. www.mariettesnyman.co.za · drfrancoisdutoit.com · www.youtube.com · This episode's podcast notes and photographs · www.facebook.com · www.instagram.com · www.linkedin.com

Jul 29, 2025 • 56min
Ep. 218 For women: reflecting on what shaped you and celebrating your uniqueness
Why would you need to “work hard” to maintain a low self-esteem? Human development specialist Dr Melodie de Jager explores our uniqueness, the phases of life we experience, the impact of our birth, and how we’re shaped by our genes and early childhood. She suggests ways to change limiting thought patterns, since brain plasticity means our past needn’t dictate our future. www.mariettesnyman.co.za · www.mindmoves.co.za · This episode's podcast notes and photograph · www.facebook.com · www.instagram.com · www.linkedin.com

Jul 8, 2025 • 1h 11min
Ep. 217 How to cope when your partner has a chronic illness
Chronic disease alters the daily functioning and quality of life of the individual with the diagnosis - the same applies to their partner. Educational psychologist Lidalize Grobler explores the physical, emotional and financial challenges a couple may face, energy budgeting, realistic expectations, and flare-ups. She offers valuable pointers on creating emotional safety, deepening trust, and finding intimacy in shared resilience. www.mariettesnyman.co.za · www.lidalizegrobler.com · www.facebook.com · www.instagram.com · www.linkedin.com

Jul 1, 2025 • 22min
Ep 216 Cecelia Jansen: being a single mom, breast cancer, and newfound love
Raising four children as a single parent, receiving a breast cancer diagnosis and undergoing a nine-hour surgical procedure - amidst other losses - could not extinguish Cecelia Jansen’s faith. Then she met a man who looked beyond her scars, saw her heart, and helped her realise a life-long dream. Listen to an inspiring story of courage and hope. www.mariettesnyman.co.za · This episode's podcast notes and photographs of Cecelia and Julian · www.facebook.com · www.instagram.com · www.linkedin.com

Jun 24, 2025 • 32min
Ep. 215 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: how to handle unruly thoughts and feelings
Even though our thoughts are mental events, not facts, we may find them overwhelming. Clinical psychologist Dr Colinda Linde explains how ACT teaches us psychological flexibility, including unhooking ourselves from self-criticism and riding out discomfort or anxiety. She discusses the 6 core processes involved in ACT, and committing to actions that serve our values. www.mariettesnyman.co.za · Dr Colinda Linde's YouTube channel · colindalinde.com · thoughtsfirst.com · www.facebook.com · www.instagram.com · www.linkedin.com

Jun 17, 2025 • 43min
Ep. 214 Sonja Blignaut: being a waysfinder in a complex world
Do you experience our world as secure and predictable, or find it overwhelming and anxiety provoking? “Complexity nerd” Sonja Blignaut considers how AfrikaBurn mirrors life’s complexity, becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable, the difference between complicated and complex systems, and developing 4 meta-skills aimed at thriving in an entangled world. www.mariettesnyman.co.za · complexityfit.com · www.morebeyond.co.za · This episode's podcast notes and photograph · www.facebook.com · www.instagram.com · www.linkedin.com

Jun 10, 2025 • 60min
Ep. 213 Philip Liebenberg: ouer word, identiteitsvorming, afhanklikheid en begeerlikheid
Verliese gekoppel aan ouer word - byvoorbeeld van liggaamskrag, ‘n jeugdige voorkoms, verhoudings, onafhanklikheid en werkstatus & -relevansie - dwing ons om ons identiteit aan te pas. Skrywer, spreker en spirituele begeleier Philip Liebenberg gesels oor kopskuiwe wat dit makliker kan maak, hoe om liggaamlikheid van binne te beleef, en hoe om steeds begeerlik te voel. www.mariettesnyman.co.za · Tweerigting op YouTube · Hierdie episode se potgooi-notas en foto · www.facebook.com · www.instagram.com · www.linkedin.com