Ambition is one of those qualities we are taught to admire almost without question. In this episode, Antonia and Jacqui unpack ambition as both a personality trait and a cultural obsession.

They explore the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic ambition, why striving can be life-giving when it is rooted in values and meaning, and why it can become corrosive when it is driven by status, comparison, and the exhausting need for external validation. Together they talk about capitalism, identity, social media, quiet ambition and the tension between gratitude for what we have and the desire to build something more. This is a conversation about achievement, yes, but also about contentment, self-awareness, and the deeper question underneath so much striving: is this actually mine, or have I just inherited it from the world around me?

Ambition is one of those qualities we are taught to admire almost without question. In this episode, Antonia and Jacqui unpack ambition as both a personality trait and a cultural obsession.
They explore the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic ambition, why striving can be life-giving when it is rooted in values and meaning, and why it can become corrosive when it is driven by status, comparison, and the exhausting need for external validation. Together they talk about capitalism, identity, social media, quiet ambition and the tension between gratitude for what we have and the desire to build something more. This is a conversation about achievement, yes, but also about contentment, self-awareness, and the deeper question underneath so much striving: is this actually mine, or have I just inherited it from the world around me?

What Matters Most shines the light on the therapy we need in our everyday lives. Drawing from the minds of two friends, Jacqui Maguire a clinical psychologist and Antonia Prebble, an actress and presenter, we create a space for exploring everyday issues that make up the moral and cultural climate of our era. Each week Antonia will bring the topic, Jacqui will bring the therapist lens, and together they will get curious. It’s as simple as that!

Conversations between two friends that support, provide practical tools, are lighthearted at times, joyful, soulful and offer that little bit of ‘friendship mixed with therapy’ on the days that you might need it.

What Matters Most shines the light on the therapy we need in our everyday lives. Drawing from the minds of two friends, Jacqui Maguire a clinical psychologist and Antonia Prebble, an actress and presenter, we create a space for exploring everyday issues that make up the moral and cultural climate of our era. Each week Antonia will bring the topic, Jacqui will bring the therapist lens, and together they will get curious. It&rsquo;s as simple as that!
Conversations between two friends that support, provide practical tools, are lighthearted at times, joyful, soulful and offer that little bit of &lsquo;friendship mixed with therapy&rsquo; on the days that you might need it.

What Matters Most

Vol XXVI: Ambition

We are told that failure builds character, that it teaches resilience and it points the way forward. But in real life, failure is usually less inspiring than that. It is embarrassing, exposing and harder to learn from than the slogans would have us believe.

In this episode, Antonia and Jacqui take apart the psychology of failure: why it hurts so much, why shame so often gets there first and why our instinct is usually not to learn from failure but to defend ourselves against it. They explore the difference between failing at something and feeling like a failure, the role of identity, family scripts, gender, and social pressure.

This is a conversation about how to meet failure with curiosity and let it become information rather than identity.

We are told that failure builds character, that it teaches resilience and it points the way forward. But in real life, failure is usually less inspiring than that. It is embarrassing, exposing and harder to learn from than the slogans would have us believe.
In this episode, Antonia and Jacqui take apart the psychology of failure: why it hurts so much, why shame so often gets there first and why our instinct is usually not to learn from failure but to defend ourselves against it. They explore the difference between failing at something and feeling like a failure, the role of identity, family scripts, gender, and social pressure.
This is a conversation about how to meet failure with curiosity and let it become information rather than identity.

Vol XXXI: Failure 

In this episode, Antonia and Jacqui explore the shift from the older, more clinical definition of trauma to a broader, more psychologically nuanced understanding: that trauma is not only about what happened, but about what happened inside us as a result, particularly when an experience leaves us overwhelmed, unsupported, unseen, or unable to fully process it.

They unpack the difference between distress and trauma, the distinction between big T and little t experiences, and the ways unresolved trauma can continue to shape us long after the original event has passed.

But this conversation is not only about naming trauma. It is also about recovery: the role of safety, support, remembrance, and connection, and why trauma work must be approached with care. Jacqui also walks listeners through EMDR in depth, including what it stands for, how it works, why it can sound unusual at first, and why it has become such a respected and effective treatment for trauma.

In this episode, Antonia and Jacqui explore the shift from the older, more clinical definition of trauma to a broader, more psychologically nuanced understanding: that trauma is not only about what happened, but about what happened inside us as a result, particularly when an experience leaves us overwhelmed, unsupported, unseen, or unable to fully process it.
They unpack the difference between distress and trauma, the distinction between big T and little t experiences, and the ways unresolved trauma can continue to shape us long after the original event has passed.
But this conversation is not only about naming trauma. It is also about recovery: the role of safety, support, remembrance, and connection, and why trauma work must be approached with care. Jacqui also walks listeners through EMDR in depth, including what it stands for, how it works, why it can sound unusual at first, and why it has become such a respected and effective treatment for trauma.

Vol XXX: Trauma and EMDR

Forgiveness is often spoken about as a virtue, but in real life it can feel messy, resistant, and anything but straightforward.

In this episode, Antonia and Jacqui unpack what forgiveness actually is, why it matters for our mental and physical wellbeing, and how to begin moving from hurt and resentment toward something more peaceful..with or without reconciliation.

Forgiveness is often spoken about as a virtue, but in real life it can feel messy, resistant, and anything but straightforward.
In this episode, Antonia and Jacqui unpack what forgiveness actually is, why it matters for our mental and physical wellbeing, and how to begin moving from hurt and resentment toward something more peaceful..with or without reconciliation.

Vol XXVI: Ambition

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