Feeling guilty all the time? Guilty you are not doing enough for your parent. Guilty you are not present enough for your kids, your partner or your job. Guilty for wanting a break. Guilty for even thinking this is all too much.

In this episode, Sarah Macdonald is joined by clinical psychologist Jo Lamble to tackle one of the biggest emotional burdens of sandwich generation life: guilt. They unpack the difference between guilt and remorse, why women are especially vulnerable to it, how guilt can morph into resentment, and the unspoken thoughts carers often feel ashamed to admit.

This is an honest, practical conversation about how to stop punishing yourself and start responding with more self-compassion.

JOIN THE CLUB: Visit clubsandwich.community to join the tribe, access resources, and find our private Facebook community.

SEND US YOUR QUESTION: hello@clubsandwich.community

In this episode:

The Conversation: Sarah Macdonald and Jo Lamble unpack why caregiving guilt feels so constant when you are caring for ageing parents, juggling work and family, and trying not to disappear yourself.

This Week’s Hack: Catch the guilt early and ask yourself: what would I say to a friend in this exact situation? Then say that to yourself.

Listener Letter: The unspoken question underneath this episode is brutally familiar - how do I know what I should feel guilty about versus what is just breaking me?

Hot Mess Moment: The guilt spiral that starts with one missed call or one hard thought and turns into feeling like a bad daughter, bad mother, bad partner and bad person.

Meet the regular Clubbers

Melissa Reader - CEO of Vera and expert on Australia’s ageing crisis.

Jo Lamble - Clinical psychologist specialising in guilt and family dynamics.

Dr Ginni Mansberg - GP and women’s health advocate who tells it straight.

Dr Stephanie Ward - Geriatrician helping you understand when “old” becomes a crisis.

Kerry Milligan - Gogglebox star bringing humour and honesty to the sandwich generation.

Topics Covered in this episode

- guilt vs remorse

- caregiving guilt and the sandwich generation

- guilt about work, family and not doing enough

- self-care guilt

- guilt about moving a parent into aged care

- the taboo thought that you wish it would all end

- women, motherhood and why guilt hits harder

- parents who use guilt trips

- resentment as guilt’s best friend

- CBT, self-talk and self-compassion

Club Sandwich is brought to you by Australian Unity. Visit AustralianUnity.com.au/ClubSandwich

Credits

Club Sandwich is brought to you by Vera.guide, helping families caring for ageing parents navigate this stage of life so you don’t have to do it alone.

Sarah Macdonald - Host + Executive Producer

Melissa Reader - Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + Clubber

Rachel Fountain - Executive Producer

Audio + video edits by Fountain Media Group

Thanks and kudos to Sean Wayland for our awesome theme music Club Sandwich - hear more from Sean at seanwayland.com

Feeling guilty all the time? Guilty you are not doing enough for your parent. Guilty you are not present enough for your kids, your partner or your job. Guilty for wanting a break. Guilty for even thinking this is all too much.
In this episode, Sarah Macdonald is joined by clinical psychologist Jo Lamble to tackle one of the biggest emotional burdens of sandwich generation life: guilt. They unpack the difference between guilt and remorse, why women are especially vulnerable to it, how guilt can morph into resentment, and the unspoken thoughts carers often feel ashamed to admit.
This is an honest, practical conversation about how to stop punishing yourself and start responding with more self-compassion.
JOIN THE CLUB: Visit clubsandwich.community to join the tribe, access resources, and find our private Facebook community.
SEND US YOUR QUESTION: <a href="mailto:hello@clubsandwich.community">hello@clubsandwich.community</a>
In this episode:
The Conversation: Sarah Macdonald and Jo Lamble unpack why caregiving guilt feels so constant when you are caring for ageing parents, juggling work and family, and trying not to disappear yourself.
This Week&rsquo;s Hack: Catch the guilt early and ask yourself: what would I say to a friend in this exact situation? Then say that to yourself.
Listener Letter: The unspoken question underneath this episode is brutally familiar - how do I know what I should feel guilty about versus what is just breaking me?
Hot Mess Moment: The guilt spiral that starts with one missed call or one hard thought and turns into feeling like a bad daughter, bad mother, bad partner and bad person.
Meet the regular Clubbers
Melissa Reader - CEO of Vera and expert on Australia&rsquo;s ageing crisis.
Jo Lamble - Clinical psychologist specialising in guilt and family dynamics.
Dr Ginni Mansberg - GP and women&rsquo;s health advocate who tells it straight.
Dr Stephanie Ward - Geriatrician helping you understand when &ldquo;old&rdquo; becomes a crisis.
Kerry Milligan - Gogglebox star bringing humour and honesty to the sandwich generation.
Topics Covered in this episode
- guilt vs remorse
- caregiving guilt and the sandwich generation
- guilt about work, family and not doing enough
- self-care guilt
- guilt about moving a parent into aged care
- the taboo thought that you wish it would all end
- women, motherhood and why guilt hits harder
- parents who use guilt trips
- resentment as guilt&rsquo;s best friend
- CBT, self-talk and self-compassion
Club Sandwich is brought to you by Australian Unity. Visit <a href="https://www.australianunity.com.au/assisted-living/campaigns/clubsandwich">AustralianUnity.com.au/ClubSandwich</a>
Credits
Club Sandwich is brought to you by <a href="https://vera.guide/">Vera.guide</a>, helping families caring for ageing parents navigate this stage of life so you don&rsquo;t have to do it alone.
Sarah Macdonald - Host + Executive Producer
Melissa Reader - Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + Clubber
Rachel Fountain - Executive Producer
Audio + video edits by <a href="https://www.fountainmediagroup.com.au/">Fountain Media Group</a>
Thanks and kudos to Sean Wayland for our awesome theme music Club Sandwich - hear more from Sean at <a href="https://www.seanwayland.com/">seanwayland.com</a>

The Sandwich Generation finally gets the conversation we deserve.

Club Sandwich is the community for those caring for ageing parents while juggling work, kids, relationships, and sanity. This is your tribe when family doesn't get it - or just isn't enough.

Hosted by veteran broadcaster Sarah Macdonald, Club Sandwich features clinical psychologists instead of life coaches, GPs instead of gratitude journals, and honest conversations about the relief-guilt paradox nobody else will touch.

Episodes include:
🔧 This Week's Hack - Actionable strategy you can use today
💌 Listener Letter - Real questions from Clubbers like you
🔥 Hot Mess Moments - Stories that make you feel less alone

🛠️ What We're Using - Resources and tools that actually help

Meet the regular Clubbers:

Melissa Reader - CEO of Vera aged care platform (vera.guide) and expert on Australia's ageing crisis and system failures.

Dr. Jo Lamble - Clinical psychologist specializing in guilt, family dynamics, and the impossible decisions when every option has a cost.

Dr. Ginny Mansberg - GP and women's health advocate who tells it straight about what caregiving does to your body.

Dr. Stephanie Ward - Geriatrician and consulting expert for ABC's Old People's Home for 4 Year Olds, helping you understand when "old" becomes a crisis—and when it doesn't.

Kerry Milligan - Gogglebox Australia star bringing humor, honesty, and hard-won perspective to impossible family situations.

No bubble baths. No bullshit. Just expert-led, community-first support for people who don't need another thing to feel bad about not doing.

Club Sandwich is more than a podcast - it's a movement. Join our private Facebook community, attend live events across Australia, and access free downloadable resources with every episode.

New episodes every Thursday.

Visit clubsandwich.community to join the tribe.

Topics covered: Caregiver guilt, sibling conflict, dementia care, financial planning, legal issues, family boundaries, burnout prevention, end-of-life decisions, self-care that actually works, navigating aged care systems, and the emotional toll of caring for ageing parents.

Credits

Club Sandwich is brought to you by Vera, helping families caring for ageing parents navigate this stage of life — so you don't have to do it alone.

Sarah Macdonald - Host + Executive Producer

Melissa Reader - Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + Clubber

Rachel Fountain - Executive Producer

Audio + video edits by Fountain Media Group

Thanks and kudos to Sean Wayland for our awesome theme music Club Sandwich - hear more from Sean at seanwayland.com

The Sandwich Generation finally gets the conversation we deserve.
Club Sandwich is the community for those caring for ageing parents while juggling work, kids, relationships, and sanity. This is your tribe when family doesn't get it - or just isn't enough.
Hosted by veteran broadcaster Sarah Macdonald, Club Sandwich features clinical psychologists instead of life coaches, GPs instead of gratitude journals, and honest conversations about the relief-guilt paradox nobody else will touch.
Episodes include: 🔧 This Week's Hack - Actionable strategy you can use today 💌 Listener Letter - Real questions from Clubbers like you 🔥 Hot Mess Moments - Stories that make you feel less alone
🛠️ What We're Using - Resources and tools that actually help
Meet the regular Clubbers:
Melissa Reader - CEO of Vera aged care platform (vera.guide) and expert on Australia's ageing crisis and system failures.
Dr. Jo Lamble - Clinical psychologist specializing in guilt, family dynamics, and the impossible decisions when every option has a cost.
Dr. Ginny Mansberg - GP and women's health advocate who tells it straight about what caregiving does to your body.
Dr. Stephanie Ward - Geriatrician and consulting expert for ABC's Old People's Home for 4 Year Olds, helping you understand when "old" becomes a crisis&mdash;and when it doesn't.
Kerry Milligan - Gogglebox Australia star bringing humor, honesty, and hard-won perspective to impossible family situations.
No bubble baths. No bullshit. Just expert-led, community-first support for people who don't need another thing to feel bad about not doing.
Club Sandwich is more than a podcast - it's a movement. Join our private Facebook community, attend live events across Australia, and access free downloadable resources with every episode.
New episodes every Thursday.
Visit <a href="https://clubsandwich.community/">clubsandwich.community</a> to join the tribe.
Topics covered: Caregiver guilt, sibling conflict, dementia care, financial planning, legal issues, family boundaries, burnout prevention, end-of-life decisions, self-care that actually works, navigating aged care systems, and the emotional toll of caring for ageing parents.
Credits
Club Sandwich is brought to you by <a href="https://vera.guide/">Vera</a>, helping families caring for ageing parents navigate this stage of life &mdash; so you don't have to do it alone.
Sarah Macdonald - Host + Executive Producer
Melissa Reader - Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + Clubber
Rachel Fountain - Executive Producer
Audio + video edits by <a href="https://www.fountainmediagroup.com.au/">Fountain Media Group</a>
Thanks and kudos to Sean Wayland for our awesome theme music Club Sandwich - hear more from Sean at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.seanwayland.com/">seanwayland.com</a>

The community for maxed-out midlifers caring for ageing parents and everything else. Hosted by Sarah Macdonald. Clinical psychologists instead of life coaches. Real support instead of wellness BS. You've got them. We've got you.

Club Sandwich

Feeling guilty about your ageing parent, your kids, your job, your partner, your siblings and even yourself? In this episode, Sarah Macdonald and clinical psychologist Jo Lamble unpack the guilt trap so many women in the sandwich generation live with every day, and how to stop carrying guilt that serves nobody.