Carly's Couch

Carly's Couch Psychology Practice and Blog: A Safe Space to Talk Welcome to Carly’s Couch, a clinical psychology practice based in Cape Town, South Africa.

04/05/2026

“Isn’t everyone a little ADHD?”

If you’ve ever said this—or quietly wondered why life feels *extra* overwhelming compared to others—this episode is for you.

In *“Scaffolding Neurodivergent Families: A Systems Approach to Coaching with .coach.suna Suna Hall,”* we dive into what neurodivergence really looks like behind closed doors. Not just forgetfulness or distraction—but the daily mental load, the exhaustion, and the feeling of always trying to keep up.

Maybe you’ve felt it…
• Struggling to stay on top of simple tasks
• Feeling overstimulated and stretched too thin
• Wondering why things seem “easier” for everyone else

You’re not alone—and more importantly, there’s a way to better understand and support yourself (and your family).

This episode breaks down:
✨ The truth about ADHD, autism, and executive function
✨ Why it’s more than just “being a little distracted”
✨ Practical, real-life ways to manage the overwhelm
✨ How coaching can help you move forward with clarity

If this resonates, don’t stop at the reel—🎧 listen to the full episode and share it with someone who needs to hear this.

💛 Follow our page for more honest, relatable conversations that support you and your journey.

11/04/2026

Parenting has a way of holding up a mirror you didn’t ask for.
In this episode, creative nestlings Dillion Phiri gets real about how fatherhood pushes you into spaces you’d rather avoid—your fears, your past, your truth. Because kids? They see everything. They ask the hard questions. They feel what you try to hide.
And the truth is… parenting requires vulnerability.�Not perfection. Not control. Just showing up fully.
You’re not just an authority figure.�You’re their safe place, their example, their world.
For so many parents, especially those who didn’t grow up with role models—it’s not about having all the answers. It’s about choosing to be the example anyway.
If you’ve ever felt challenged, exposed, or even overwhelmed by parenting—this conversation will hit home. 🤍
🎧 Listen to the full episode now: “Fatherhood, creativity, and community building: Parenting as a creative act with Dillion Phiri”
Follow us for more honest, real conversations on parenting, growth, and life.

03/04/2026

Parenting doesn’t come with a manual—but what if it’s actually a creative act? 🎨
In this episode, Dillion Phiri creative nestlings shares how fatherhood shaped everything he does—from building a 100,000+ creative community to raising five kids with intention, discipline, and love.
One thing that hits hard for every parent:
Emotional regulation is a journey.
Just because our kids are angry doesn’t mean the world is ending—and just because they don’t get what they want doesn’t mean they’re lacking. It’s in these everyday moments that we teach them resilience, perspective, and how to move through life.
Dillion opens up about:
✨ Choosing presence over comfort
✨ Teaching kids discipline through creativity
✨ Balancing passion and providing
✨ Owning mistakes and apologizing as a parent
✨ Raising emotionally aware children in today’s world
If you’ve ever questioned if you’re “doing parenting right,” this episode will remind you—it’s not about perfection, it’s about showing up.
🎧 Listen to the full episode now and join the conversation.

Don’t forget to follow us for more real, honest conversations. 🤍

26/03/2026

One of the biggest misconceptions about diagnosis is this:
“If you give people a label, they’ll just use it as an excuse.”
But that’s not what I see in my practice.
When women receive an ADHD diagnosis — especially later in life — it’s rarely, “Great, now I can avoid responsibility.”
It’s more like, “Oh… I’m not broken. There’s a reason this has been so hard.”
Diagnosis, when used well, doesn’t remove accountability.
It removes shame.
It’s not:
“I have ADHD, so I can’t try.”
It’s:
“I have ADHD, so I need different systems, more support, and more compassion for myself.”
Most of the women I work with have spent years overcompensating, masking, blaming themselves, and trying harder than anyone realizes. Hearing their experience reflected in the criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders doesn’t make them careless — it makes them kinder to themselves.
And self-compassion isn’t indulgence.
It’s what allows real growth to happen.
If you’ve ever wondered whether diagnosis empowers people or enables them, this episode is for you.
🎧 Full episode — link in my bio.

16/03/2026

New Episode 🎙️
Diagnosis: What it means, why it matters, and when it helps
Recording this while driving to work… because mom life doesn’t pause. 🚗💛
Today I’m talking about diagnosis — not just the labels in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) like depression, anxiety, bipolar, or ADHD — but what it actually means for real people living real lives.
For so many women, especially those who’ve been told they’re “too sensitive,” “too emotional,” or “too much”… hearing “you’re not difficult — you’re struggling” can be life-changing.
A diagnosis isn’t about putting you in a box.
It’s about giving language to your experience.
It’s about validation.
It’s about self-compassion.
When it helps, it helps us build support — not shame.
When it resonates, it feels like relief.
If you’ve ever wondered whether what you’re feeling is “real enough” to deserve help — this episode is for you.
🎧 Full episode — link in my bio.

02/03/2026

Caption for “Going Completely Offline”
Loneliness, leadership, and the power of wilderness: Finding connection with Julie Robinson
Loneliness is something I see come up again and again—especially in leaders, high performers, and people who feel like they always have to “hold it together.”
In this conversation, I sit down with organizational psychologist Julie Robinson, founder of InVenture, to explore what happens when we step away from the noise and return to ourselves. 🌿
Julie creates immersive wilderness experiences in the Karoo where participants go fully offline for five days—no phones, no watches, no distractions. Just breath, nature, and the space to actually feel.
We talk about disconnection, adult loneliness, men’s mental health, and why being held in safe, grounded spaces is more powerful than we realize.
If you’ve been feeling stretched, isolated, or disconnected from who you are beneath the roles you carry—this episode is for you.
🎧 Listen to the full conversation — link in bio.

26/01/2026

You don’t need harsher goals this New Year — you need kinder ones.
In this episode, I talk about why the way you talk to yourself while chasing goals matters more than the goals themselves. If your resolutions start by judging who you used to be, you’re already setting yourself up for shame. Growth isn’t linear, and you don’t have to prove your worth by “doing better.”
Think of it like this: you wouldn’t tell a kid their kindergarten self was a failure. So why do it to yourself? You’re already worthy — right now.
🎧 Click the link in my bio to listen to the full episode:
“Setting goals without shaming yourself this New Year”
✨ If this resonates, you might also love my workshops:
Oh Baby, WTF 👉 https://onthecouchwithcarly.com/product/oh-baby-wtf/
Ready, Steady, Baby 👉 https://onthecouchwithcarly.com/product/ready-steady-baby/
#ʜᴇᴀʟɪɴɢᴊᴏᴜʀɴᴇʏ

20/01/2026

So many women in their 40s and 50s walk into a doctor’s office with ‘random’ symptoms — anxiety, low mood, brain fog, dryness, hot flashes — and walk out with one label: depression.
But what if it’s not ‘out of nowhere’?
What if it’s perimenopause? Hormones? A body asking to be understood, not dismissed?
In this episode, Dr. Tarryn Kawalsky shares how often women’s real experiences are overlooked, misdiagnosed, or minimized — and why it breaks her heart to see women not being fully heard.
If you’ve ever felt like your symptoms were brushed off or didn’t quite make sense, this conversation is for you.
🎧 Watch the full episode — link in bio.”

12/01/2026

🎙️ NEW PODCAST EPISODE IS LIVE
Why are women taught to tolerate pain instead of being treated for it? 🤍
In this powerful episode, I sit down with Dr. Tarryn Kawalsky—GP and co-founder of The Ovarian Club—to unpack why conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, and menopause are still so misunderstood, underdiagnosed, and dismissed.
We talk about the shocking gaps in women’s healthcare:
✨ Painful periods being normalized
✨ Perimenopause symptoms mistaken for anxiety or depression
✨ Women excluded from clinical trials until the 1990s
✨ Being told “everything looks normal” when your body says otherwise
Dr. Tarryn shares why she had to unlearn male-centric medical training, why listening matters more than lab results alone, and why women deserve care that actually reflects their lived experience.
This episode is a must-listen if you’ve ever felt unheard, gaslit, or told to just “push through” your symptoms. Your body is yours—and you know it best.
🎧🎥 Listen & watch the full episode — link in bio

02/01/2026

✨ New Podcast Episode is Live! ✨
Fatherhood doesn’t come with a manual—and for many dads, it begins fragile, uncertain, and deeply human. 🤍
In this episode, “The Fragile Embryo of Fatherhood,” I sit down with Terrance Mentor () to talk about building a new generation of dads—breaking cycles, showing up emotionally, and redefining what it truly means to be present for our children.
Whether you’re a dad, a mom, a parent-to-be, or someone healing from their own childhood, this conversation is honest, powerful, and necessary.
🎧 Listen to the full episode — link in bio

16/12/2025

Fatherhood is fragile. 💛
Like an embryo—tender, powerful, and so easily affected.

In this episode, Terrance Mentor (AfroDaddy) reminds us that so many dads are trying to show up differently than the generation before them… without a roadmap. We’re learning in real time, loving loudly, and sometimes stumbling—together.

When fathers are emotionally present, everyone wins.
When dads feel seen and included, families grow stronger.
And when a child runs into your arms yelling “dadda”? That’s everything.

This conversation is about why fatherhood matters, not just how to do it. It’s about making space for dads to talk, to try, to flex their fatherhood proudly—without fear of getting it wrong.

If you’re a parent, love a parent, or are healing from how you were parented… this one will meet you where you are. 🤍
🎧 Listen to the full episode now (link in my bio).

Address

14a Bel Ombre Drive
Cape Town
7806

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 20:30
Tuesday 09:00 - 20:30
Wednesday 09:00 - 20:30
Thursday 09:00 - 20:30
Friday 09:00 - 20:30

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+27712287084

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