In this episode of Kindness in Motion, Suzy and Parry share something special: the birth of a brand‑new podcast growing out of Suzy’s lived experience, her one‑woman show, and the deeper conversations that kindness often leads us toward.

Suzy opens up about being bullied throughout childhood, how those early experiences shaped her identity, and why long‑term bullying can leave lasting layers beneath the surface. Together, she and Parry explore how empathy, hypervigilance, masking, and self‑protection become part of who we are — and why those layers deserve to be understood with compassion rather than shame.

This conversation introduces The Babushka Project, a new podcast hosted by Parry and inspired by Suzy’s journey. It will explore identity, trauma, psychology, and the many “layers” we carry into adulthood. The first guest will be the wonderful Dr. K, a child psychologist who brings clarity and warmth to complex topics.

If you’ve ever felt shaped by your past, struggled with self‑worth, or wondered why certain patterns follow you into adulthood, this episode offers connection, context, and the reassurance that you’re not alone.

The Babushka Project launches on 13th May. Until then, join us for this honest, gentle conversation about where it all began.

Keep safe, keep happy — and most of all, be kind to yourself and to each other.

A warm, honest conversation about self‑kindness, journaling, gratitude, perfectionism, boundaries, and how childhood bullying follows us into adulthood. Suzy and Parry share real moments, practical takeaways, and the personal project driving their work on anti‑bullying and healing. Listen for journaling tips, gratitude practices, and a heartfelt look at the Babushka Project.

What you’ll hear

• Why journaling is an act of self‑kindness and how it helped Suzy process her history.

• Practical micro‑steps to catch moments of self‑criticism and choose kinder responses.

• Perfectionism vs. joy — how standards can protect or trap us.

• Boundaries, social media, and dysregulation — why connection matters more than content.

• The Babushka Project — why childhood bullying matters for adult wellbeing and what the hosts are doing about it.

#SelfKindness #Journaling #Gratitude #MentalHealth #AntiBullying #SelfCompassion #Mindfulness #BabushkaProject

In this heartfelt episode of Kindness in Motion, Suzy and Parry dive into what kindness really means — beyond the clichés, beyond the fluff, and deep into the messy, human reality of how we give, receive, and sometimes struggle with kindness. Together they explore kindness as armour, kindness as survival, and the difference between being nice and being truly kind.

Suzy shares powerful stories from her childhood, including the community kindness she witnessed in the 1980s and how those early experiences shaped her understanding of compassion, confidence, and care. The conversation moves into the emotional cost of selfless giving, the importance of agency when helping others, and the surprising ways kindness can become a defence mechanism.

This episode also opens up an honest discussion about bullying, mental health, and the long‑term impact of childhood trauma. Suzy talks about her mission to advocate against bullying and why protecting children’s emotional wellbeing is a responsibility we all share. Parry brings thoughtful insight into self‑kindness, self‑criticism, and the complicated relationship many of us have with our own expectations.

If you’re interested in kindness psychology, mental health, anti‑bullying advocacy, neurodiversity, self‑compassion, or simply becoming a kinder human without losing yourself, this warm and honest conversation will resonate deeply. It’s reflective, funny, vulnerable, and full of the real‑life moments that make kindness powerful.

A welcoming, grounding listen for anyone who believes kindness can change lives — starting with our own.

Kindness in Motion — The Quiet Power of Listening with Katie Van Haeften

What if the most transformative act of kindness isn’t what we say… but how we listen?
In this episode, Suzy and Parry explore the life-changing impact of active listening, human connection, and emotional presence with educator and facilitator Katie Van Haeften, whose work spans decades and continents.

Katie shares the surprising research behind why being truly heard boosts wellbeing, reduces conflict, and strengthens relationships. She reveals how her “listening spaces” help people feel seen without judgement, and why five uninterrupted minutes of attention can shift someone’s entire emotional landscape.

We dive into:

• Why listening is a powerful act of kindness
• How language shapes connection and emotional safety
• Simple listening techniques that improve communication
• The link between self-awareness, empathy, and mental health
• How different cultures express presence and community
• Why listening can reduce bullying and support young people
• A guided grounding exercise to help you listen inward

From rural Himalayan villages to everyday moments of tenderness, Katie’s stories reveal what humans everywhere long for: to be heard, valued, and understood.

If you’re interested in wellbeing, mindfulness, communication skills, self-development, or building more compassionate relationships, this conversation offers practical tools and gentle insight you can use immediately.

A grounding, hopeful episode for anyone wanting to show up with more kindness — for others and for themselves.

This episode dives into the moment my entire life snapped into focus — the late‑diagnosis clarity that arrived in the most unexpected place: a silent, snow‑covered week in Sweden. It wasn’t a retreat or a reset. It was a rupture. A mid‑life, neurodivergent, mask‑cracking, identity‑shifting moment where everything I’d been carrying finally made sense.

Parry and I talk about what it feels like to reach adulthood — mid‑life, even — without the language for your own brain. We explore autism, ADHD, masking, burnout, and the emotional exhaustion of spending decades performing a version of yourself that keeps everyone else comfortable. And then we talk about the moment that performance stopped. The moment the mask slipped. The moment the truth arrived with a kind of quiet force: Oh. This is who I am.

Sweden became the backdrop for that awakening. The frozen lake. The bunk beds. The silence that was so loud it became a mirror. The sensory overwhelm. The unexpected calm. The grief of realising how long I’d been lost. The relief of finally being found. And the mid‑life clarity that came with understanding my neurodivergence not as a flaw, but as the missing piece of my story.

This episode is about late diagnosis, identity, kindness, rupture, and the slow, tender integration that follows when you finally stop running from yourself. It’s about the moment everything clicked — creatively, emotionally, neurologically — and the beginning of a life that feels like it actually fits.

If you’ve ever wondered why you feel different, if you’ve ever hit mid‑life and felt everything shift, if you’ve ever sensed that your story might make more sense than you’ve been told — this conversation is for you. It’s honest, warm, slightly chaotic, and rooted in the kind of kindness that doesn’t apologise for existing.

Welcome back to Kindness in Motion, where courage, curiosity, and connection lead the way. In this episode, Suzy and Parry sit down with the brilliant and deeply grounded Dr Kirsten Krawczyk — a child psychologist, mother, and late‑diagnosed ADHD woman whose work spans prisons, families, trauma, and the emotional worlds of children.

Together, we explore the psychology of kindness: not as a personality trait, but as a skill we can grow. Dr K shares powerful insights into how kindness develops, how listening shapes the brain, and why connection is biologically protective.

We dive into:

• how kindness works in the brain (dopamine, cortisol, oxytocin)

• why listening is a neurological act, not just a social one

• how neurodivergent people may “listen differently”

• the impact of secondary trauma from news and social media

• how to be kinder to ourselves when our first reaction isn’t our best

• what children really need to feel safe, seen, and connected

• why kindness is active, intentional, and relational

We also explore the idea of kindness as a growth skill, drawing on the work of psychologist Carol Dweck, whose research on growth mindset has transformed how we understand learning and emotional development.

Learn more about her work here:

Carol Dweck – Mindset Research: https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/

And for anyone wanting to build a daily practice of emotional grounding, Dr K and Suzy touch on the power of gratitude journaling — a simple, evidence‑based tool shown to increase wellbeing, reduce stress, and strengthen connection.

A helpful starting point:

Gratitude Journaling Overview: (positivepsychology.com in Bing)

This conversation is warm, honest, and full of practical wisdom — from growth mindset to emotional regulation, from parenting to community care, from the Friendship Bench model to the everyday moments where kindness becomes a lifeline.

Kindness isn’t who you are — it’s what you do.

And it’s something we can all grow.

In this hour‑long conversation, Suzy and Parry dive deep into what kindness really means — beyond the Disney sparkle and into the messy, courageous, beautifully human reality of it. From childhood memories and generational shifts to online trolling, social media culture, and the biology of empathy, this episode explores how kindness shows up, how it gets lost, and how we can bring it back.

Together, they wander through stories of growing up in different eras, the changing nature of community, the power of digital connection, and the strange comfort (and danger) of AI‑mediated empathy. They unpack bullying, belonging, self‑protection, and the quiet bravery it takes to stay open in a world that often encourages us to shut down.

With humour, honesty, and the occasional rabbit hole, Suzy and Parry reflect on:

• Why kindness isn’t fluffy — it’s gritty, active, and sometimes uncomfortable
• How trolls can become humans again
• The tension between online connection and real‑world presence
• The role of technology, AI, and social media in shaping our emotional lives
• What ancient anthropology can teach us about caring for each other
• Why constructive criticism can be an act of kindness
• How self‑awareness, boundaries, and honesty shape kinder relationships

This episode is part exploration, part confession, part philosophical wander — and entirely human. Settle in for a conversation that’s warm, curious, occasionally chaotic, and deeply rooted in the belief that kindness still matters, and that it can move us all.

In this bonus in‑between episode, Suzy and Parry sit down for a shorter, more intimate conversation that gently bridges the space between Episode 1 and the next full instalment. With Nick’s gorgeous music now woven through the recording, this episode has a softer, reflective tone — a moment to breathe, reset, and reconnect.

Together, they explore the small but powerful ways kindness shows up in everyday life, how we navigate our own emotional landscapes, and why the “in‑between” moments often reveal the most truth. It’s unscripted, honest, and full of the warmth that’s becoming the heartbeat of Kindness in Motion.

In this episode:

• The beauty of quieter conversations
• How kindness lands differently depending on where we are emotionally
• Why pauses, transitions, and liminal spaces matter
• A glimpse into the creative process behind the podcast
• A preview of what’s coming next in the series

Whether you’re listening on a walk, in the car, or curled up with a cup of something warm, this episode is a gentle companion — a reminder that kindness doesn’t always need a grand stage. Sometimes it lives in the spaces between.

Keep safe, keep happy, and most of all — be kind to yourself and to each other.