A Mary Poppins’ bag of glitter, a big beating drum, a lump of clay, and a shiny gold crown. Bringing her wonderful, precious collection of props to the show, is the brilliant Paula Short. As a personal development psychotherapist, talented actress, and the founder of a 1997 youth centre, facilitation has been a guiding constant in Paula’s life and work. Now as a self-exploration retreat host, she facilitates deep transformation through the expressive arts, helping people to welcome unchartered emotions without shame. We explore how donning the cloak of the villain in a fictional story can become an embodied breakthrough, why the collective support of the group can be liquid gold, and why Paula has such an issue with tissues. A special, heartfelt conversation – join us! Find out about: How roleplay, costumes and props can help us to access buried feelings and emotions The importance of letting emotions free-flow without interruption, or ‘tidying’ them away How Paula create safe containers for self-exploration through play Navigating our trauma responses, and why we must learn to trust our own vulnerabilities Normalising say ‘no’ – and why doing so gives us autonomy, helps us reconnect to our boundaries, and signals emotional safety to others Don’t miss the next episode: subscribe to the show with your favourite podcast player . Links: Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube . Connect to Paula Short : LinkedIn Website Share your thoughts about our conversation! Support the show ✨✨✨ You can now find the podcast on Substack, where your host Dr. Myriam Hadnes is building a club for you to find fellow listeners and peers: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/