Beyond The Surface Podcast

In this episode, Belinda sits down with Johnnie Bedford, founder of Dads4Dads, a not-for-profit supporting fathers who feel disconnected, overwhelmed, under pressure, or are trying to rebuild their lives after separation.
 
Johnnie opens up about his own journey through relationship breakdown, identity loss, addiction, shame, and the fear of losing connection with his children. What became one of the darkest seasons of his life eventually led him to create a powerful mission: helping good men become better men and better dads.
 
Together, they unpack what “doing the work” really means beyond surface-level motivation, learning to interrupt old patterns, regulate emotions, take accountability, and heal the wounded parts of ourselves that often show up in parenting, relationships, and co-parenting.
 
What We Cover:
• Separation, identity loss and rebuilding after rock bottom
• Using alcohol and drugs to numb pain and avoid emotions
• The moment Johnnie realised he needed to change for himself and his children
• What “doing the work” actually looks like in real life
• Generational patterns, parenting, and healing the inner child 
• Why so many men and fathers suffer in silence
• The mission behind Dads4Dads and supporting men through their hardest seasons
 
A raw and honest conversation about fatherhood, healing, accountability, and becoming the kind of man your children need. An important listen for men, women, parents, co-parents and anyone who has ever had to rebuild themselves. 
 
Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.
 
Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau
 
Connect with Johnnie:
Website: https://www.dads4dads.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dads4dads_/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnniebedford_/

Belinda welcomes Sharon Kolkka back into the studio to explore the powerful connection between horses, healing and nervous system regulation.
Sharon shares how equine therapy helps people step out of the mind and back into the body, with horses naturally sensing and responding to what is happening beneath the surface. Together, Belinda and Sharon unpack presence, emotional safety, boundaries, people-pleasing, leadership and why horses can often reveal what words cannot.
This conversation explores how horses mirror our nervous system, emotions and energy - helping people build self-awareness, trust and deeper connection with themselves and others.

What we cover:
What equine therapy is and how it works
The difference between equine therapy and equine assisted learning
How horses mirror our nervous system and emotional state
Why horses can help people feel grounded, safe and present
How equine work can support trauma, anxiety, leadership and self-awareness
The power of connection without control
Why horses teach us about boundaries, trust and relationships
Sharon shares the incredible US program where incarcerated individuals work with mustangs
The role animals can play in emotional healing, regulation and helping us release what we struggle to speak

A grounding and eye-opening conversation for anyone curious about animal-assisted therapy, emotional healing, nervous system work or the wisdom horses can offer when we slow down and learn to listen.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

Connect with Sharon:
Sharon Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sharonkolkka/
Sharon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Sharon-Kolkka-100063944744786/

In this episode, Belinda sits down with Dr Peta Stapleton to explore the science behind EFT, also known as tapping.
Once dismissed by many as “woo-woo,” EFT is now backed by decades of research showing its impact on stress, anxiety, emotional regulation and the nervous system. Dr Peta explains how tapping on acupuncture points can help calm the brain and body, and why this simple technique is being used to support overwhelm, trauma, cravings, fear and everyday stress.
Belinda also shares her own journey with tapping, from initially thinking it felt strange, to now using it personally and within her retreat work. Together, they unpack how EFT can help people process emotion, regulate the nervous system and create more emotional freedom in daily life.

What We Cover:
Why tapping can help calm the nervous system and reduce stress
Dr Peta’s first experience seeing tapping stop a panic attack
How she went from sceptic to world-leading EFT researcher
How tapping can support anxiety, fear, cravings and emotional overwhelm
The role of words and intention when tapping
Why EFT can be used discreetly in everyday life
Where to start if you want to try tapping for stress or anxiety

Whether you’re curious, sceptical or already using EFT, this episode offers a grounded and science-backed look at why tapping is helping so many people around the world.
Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

Connect with Peta:
Website: https://www.petastapleton.com/
Evidence Based EFT Training &  Accreditation: https://www.evidencebasedeft.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petastapleton/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrPetaStapleton

Belinda sits down with her eldest son Hayden, just weeks after his 24th birthday and fresh off completing a 24-hour endurance challenge for men’s mental health.
What started as a physical test quickly became something much deeper. Hayden opens up about pushing through pain, self-doubt, vulnerability, and the mental stories that arise when the body is exhausted and the mind is stripped back.
They also explore why he took part in the Dads4Dads challenge despite not being a father, family, growing up, the influence of environment, learning through mistakes, and what it means to become proud of who you are becoming.

In this episode, we cover:
Why Hayden said yes to a 24-hour endurance challenge for men’s mental health
The hardest physical and mental moments of the challenge
What vulnerability looked like surrounded by other men
Lessons from Kokoda and endurance training
How family, environment and life experiences shaped him
The power of listening instead of fixing
A raw mother–son conversation about growth, mistakes and self-pride

With Mother’s Day approaching, Belinda also puts Hayden on the spot and asks: “What do you think I’ve done well as a mum?”
This episode is a reminder that hard things don’t just test us physically - they reveal who we are, what we’re carrying, and who we’re becoming.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: ⁠https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/and⁠ add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

In this episode, Belinda speaks to something that can feel uncomfortable… but matters.
You don’t get your real parenting feedback when your kids are little. You get it later… when they have their own life, their own voice, and the choice of how much of you they want in it.
And that part doesn’t happen by accident.
This isn’t about being a perfect parent. It’s about something deeper - the connection, the safety, and the relationship that’s built over time… in the small moments, in how you respond, and in how you make your kids feel.
Because there’s a difference between a relationship built on obligation, and one built on real connection.

We explore:
Why adult children don’t just “pull away for no reason”
The difference between obligation and genuine connection
How emotional safety (or lack of it) shapes long-term relationships
The subtle ways distance starts to build over time
Why love alone isn’t always enough to create closeness
The role of rupture and repair in keeping connection strong
Why what’s not acknowledged often matters more than what happened

This episode isn’t about blame. It’s about awareness.
Whether you’re listening as a parent or as the adult child, it’s an invitation to look at what feels easy… what feels forced… and what might still be sitting under the surface.
Because in the end, it’s not just about raising kids.
It’s about the relationship that exists when they no longer need you… and whether that relationship is something that’s chosen.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: ⁠https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/and⁠ add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau