

Dial Emma
Emma Reed Turrell
If you’ve ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here. Each week, I’ll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life’s stickiest moments.
Got a tricky situation, emotional tangle, or just need a fresh perspective? I’d love to hear from you. Please do get in contact via my online webform here: forms.gle/gSE8Pa8HnqU2B2c59
For more trusted advice, please do give the show a follow on Instagram @dialemmapodcast
(https://www.instagram.com/dialemmapodcast)
Got a tricky situation, emotional tangle, or just need a fresh perspective? I’d love to hear from you. Please do get in contact via my online webform here: forms.gle/gSE8Pa8HnqU2B2c59
For more trusted advice, please do give the show a follow on Instagram @dialemmapodcast
(https://www.instagram.com/dialemmapodcast)
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 29, 2025 • 29min
"My childhood bestie didn't invite me to her wedding": Broken promises, drifting apart and the fragile bonds of friendship
Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.What happens when a friendship fades without explanation, or ends in a way that feels like a betrayal?This week, I'm exploring the fragile bonds of friendship, and the lack of rituals for closure, clear endings, or language to help us process when they unravel. Our first dilemma involves a friendship that has been slowly, quietly drifting away with no explanation, leaving our listener wondering if they're asking for too much; the second sees a childhood promise broken in a very public way, creating a rupture in a 25-year friendship that is proving difficult to move past.This episode is a reminder that friendships don’t have to be constant to be real - but they do have to be mutual. When they no longer are, the grief of their loss is both real and valid. By acknowledging it, we create the space for new connections that choose us back, in the here and now.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Sep 22, 2025 • 30min
Career Changes: Motherhood, work-life balance and wanting more
Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.This week, I'm tackling two dilemmas around work, identity, and balance. First, we hear from a new mum who wonders if it’s selfish to leave a safe but uninspiring job in pursuit of a more fulfilling career, torn between the security her family needs and the desire to model courage and purpose for her daughter. Our second dilemma comes from a listener who has reduced their working hours to focus on health, wellbeing and sustainability long-term, but now faces judgment from colleagues who see part-time work as “slacking.”This episode explores guilt, fear, workplace culture, and the importance of aligning our choices with who we are becoming, not just who we’ve been.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Sep 15, 2025 • 45min
Joshua Fletcher: Self-optimisation culture, productivity anxiety and learning to fail better
Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.This week, I'm joined by psychotherapist and author Joshua Fletcher, aka Anxiety Josh, to help a listener who is struggling with anxious feelings around self-optimisation - the pursuit of trying to be our 'best selves' (whatever that actually means). From 5am clubs to wellness trackers, we explore why trying to do everything right can leave us feeling wrong, and how embracing failure, feelings, and self-acceptance offers a far more authentic path to wellbeing.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Sep 8, 2025 • 39min
Helen Marie: Estranged sisters, family dynamics and self-understanding
Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.This week, I'm joined by trauma and self-work therapist Helen Marie, to unpack a dilemma involving estranged siblings. Together, we explore themes of trauma, attachment, and self-worth, the complexity of sibling relationships, and the impact that difficult childhood experiences can have on family dynamics later in life.Helen also shares her expertise on regulating the nervous system through somatic practices and techniques, showing listeners how to perform a 'physiological sigh' to reset and gain clarity when we feel dysregulated.Helen Marie is a renowned psychotherapist with a phenomenal presence on Instagram and TikTok, where she shares accessible advice on self-work and trauma. Her book, "Choose You," guides readers on a compassionate journey of self-discovery, while her podcast "I Don't Think We Talk Enough About..." is a must-listen for more in-depth discussions.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Sep 1, 2025 • 26min
"We love each other, but our sex life is non-existent": Intimacy, betrayal & secrecy in relationships
Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.This week, I'm answering two dilemmas about intimacy, connection and betrayal. One listener writes about being blindsided after finding her partner's hidden Viagra pills and porn subscriptions; another wants to know whether love can be enough in a relationship, when sex is almost entirely absent.In this episode, I explore shame, secrecy, desire, and the courage it takes to talk openly about what we really need in relationship. Whether you’re grappling with similar questions yourself or simply listening in, this episode is a reminder that intimacy is about much more than sex—and that honesty, vulnerability, and communication are the real bridges to closeness.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Aug 25, 2025 • 27min
Relationships in the Grey Zone: Letting go of an ex and facing an unexpected pregnancy
Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.In this week's episode, we hear two dilemmas that sit in the grey zone when it comes to relationships. One listener is torn between a promising new partner and the pull of an ex, while another faces an unplanned pregnancy and the fear of disappointing her parents. I explore why we hold on to the past, how to let go, and what it means to make life-changing choices on our own terms.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Aug 18, 2025 • 30min
"My mum doesn't know who I'm marrying": Secrets, families & the parts of ourselves we keep hidden
Welcome to season two of Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.In this first episode of season two, I'm delving into love, secrets, and the emotional weight of family expectations through two dilemmas. One listener struggles to imagine herself coming out to her family in the lead-up to her wedding; another yearns for her sister's absent acceptance of her same-sex relationship.I explore the importance of self-alignment and authenticity in relationships, how to navigate the emotional terrain of revealing hidden truths to loved ones, and the impact of hiding parts of ourselves from the people we love.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Jul 28, 2025 • 36min
Heartbreak: how to move on without all the answers
Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.It's the last episode of season one of Dial Emma, but never fear! I'll be back with season two very soon, so if you have a dilemma that you'd like my help with, please do submit it anonymously here.In this season finale, I'm tackling three dilemmas, all with a common theme: heartbreak.Whether it's the ex you can't forget, a partner who left without closure, or the fear of opening up again, I delve into the emotional wounds that we're left with after heartbreak, and the therapeutic insights, techniques and advice that might help our listeners to find a deeper understanding of themselves and the way forward.Thank you so much for listening, and I can't wait to see you again in season two.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Jul 21, 2025 • 34min
Zoe Blaskey: Motherhood, careers and the conspiracy of 'having it all'
Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.To help me unpack today's dilemma, I'm joined by another special guest: podcaster, author, coach and founder of Motherkind, Zoe Blaskey!Our dilemma this week is all about balancing career ambitions and motherhood - or, as our listener puts it, 'career vs motherhood.' She's 33 and plans to start trying for a baby in the near future, but a combination of loss of confidence in a male-dominated, high-pressure work environment, a desire to follow her own professional ambitions and a fear of failing at having a career AND being a mother have left her feeling completely stuck.In this episode, we tackle the conspiracy of 'having it all' when it comes to mothering and working, why building self-confidence is the first step to figuring out the way forward, and the transformative power of matrescence. Zoe also shares her insights on navigating toxic work environments, the value of mentorship, and how to find the organisations that value and support employees who also happen to be parents.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk

Jul 14, 2025 • 20min
Friendship & Grief: how do friendship dynamics play out after we experience loss?
Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.This week, we have a dilemma from a listener who shares how it feels to continue in friendships after bereavement.At 53, our listener was very sadly widowed, a devastating loss which came after seven other significant bereavements. In the aftermath, long-term friends who initially supported her through grief have now drifted away, leaving behind a fragile web of transactional interactions and emotional limbo.In this episode, we'll unpack the grief beneath the grief that our listener has experienced, the second heartbreak of watching friendships fade just when they’re needed most, and why friends often retreat after death even with the best intentions.If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form. ---Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.---Social media:Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellDial Emma @dialemmapodcastEmail: contact@dial-emma.uk