“Maybe You Can Worry and Live” — Sophie Olson
Shownotes
What if you could worry and still live your life?
When survivor activist and author Sophie Olson joins me on A Thought I Kept, she brings something incredibly personal: a poem about worry, handwritten in her grandmother's old recipe book. Its message is simple. There's very little point in worrying about things that might never happen. But what if you can't simply stop?
In this deeply personal conversation, Sophie shares her experiences of childhood sexual abuse, mental health difficulties and the extraordinary relationship she developed with her therapist, Patricia Walsh. She explains how an invitation to write a fairy tale helped her find words for experiences she'd struggled to talk about, and how being met with compassion changed the way she understood herself.
We explore the shame we can feel about our emotional responses, the pressure to recover, the role of writing and creativity in processing difficult experiences, and what it might mean to accept ourselves without having to eliminate every difficult feeling.
And we return to her grandmother's poem, which Sophie has come to understand in a rather different way: perhaps you can worry and live.
If you've ever felt frustrated with yourself for worrying, struggled to accept how you feel or wondered what recovery is supposed to look like, there's a great deal to take from this conversation.
About Sophie Olson
Sophie Olson is a survivor activist, author, speaker and founder of The Flying Child CIC, an organisation working to normalise conversations about child sexual abuse through survivor-led training, campaigning and support.
She developed Side by Side CSA, a programme supporting professionals in education, social care and healthcare to recognise and respond to child sexual abuse and its lifelong impacts. Her work challenges conventional understandings of trauma, mental health and recovery and advocates for more compassionate, human-centred support.
Sophie is the co-author with Patricia Walsh of The Flying Child: A Cautionary Fairytale for Adults
Artwork credit: Girl in a Gilded Cage by artist Elise Macdonald. Used to illustrate this episode with Sophie Olson.
Also mentioned: Dale Carnegie: Author of How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.
Content warning and disclaimer. This episode includes personal accounts and discussions of childhood sexual abuse, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, mental health difficulties and trauma. Please consider whether this conversation is appropriate for you at this time.
Sophie's experiences and views are her own and do not represent those of every survivor. The conversation is intended to encourage understanding and reflection and does not constitute medical advice, psychological treatment or a recommendation to adopt a particular therapeutic approach.
This is A Thought I Kept — Weekly conversations about the ideas that stay. Listen every Monday morning for a new thought to hold onto this week.
About Claire Fitzsimmons
Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer, author and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here. As a Certified Coach and Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps people navigate the everyday lost moments and all the feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to disconnection.
Buy Claire's first book, If Lost Start Here: Wellbeing for the Anxious, Disconnected or Uncertain here.
Subscribe to Claire's Substack newsletter here.
Find out how to work with Claire here.
Like what you heard? Follow, rate or review this podcast.
The music for all episodes from August 10th was made by Leon in the Wilderness.