A Bunch of Therapists Podcast goes behind the doors of the therapy room, turning candid conversations with fellow therapists into powerful revelations about the human experience – from both sides of the couch.
Hosted by our CEO, Michaela McCarthy, and Dipti Solanki, each episode shares insightful and sometimes unexpected stories from people who’ve experienced counselling and psychotherapy – and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Whether you’re in therapy, considering it, or simply curious about how it works, this podcast offers real insight into the therapeutic journey – what it feels like, why it matters, and how it can change lives.
New episodes every Thursday. Listen and watch wherever you get your podcasts.
Subscribe, listen and watch wherever you get your podcasts
Episode 14: Join us for an incredibly honest and inspiring conversation with counsellor and campaigner Ben Kaye as he shares his remarkable journey from addiction and breakdown to becoming an award-winning therapist specialising in LGBTQ+ substance misuse and chemsex support.
This powerful episode reveals how life can completely change course twice – first when Ben’s parents divorced at 15, derailing his university dreams, and again at 37 when a “tsunami of personal circumstances” led to his breakdown and recovery journey. Hosted by: Michaela McCarthy (Founder of The Awareness Centre, The Awareness Centre Training School, and Creator and Host of A Bunch of Therapists Podcast. Senior BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and Influential Leader) and Dipti Solanki (Therapist, Coach & Consultant, Mental Health Trainer and Founder of Grief Matters 4 All CIC).
In this compelling episode, Ben openly shares:
- How his parents’ divorce at 15 changed his life trajectory overnight
- Working in the City for 20+ years whilst feeling completely stuck
- Using substances from age 15 to 37 as a way to change how he felt
- His mental breakdown at 37 and the dangerous situations he found himself in
- Walking through the doors of a Lambeth drug and alcohol service
- His transformative three months in rehab in Bournemouth
- Discovering he could retrain and pursue education for the first time since leaving school
- Launching Dorset’s first LGBTQ+ recovery groups and chemsex support services
- Completing his counselling qualifications and psychology master’s degree
This profoundly moving conversation offers hope and practical guidance for anyone struggling with addiction, identity, or feeling trapped in their circumstances.
Key Topics Discussed:
- The impact of family breakdown on teenage development
- Feeling stuck in careers that don’t align with your true self
- Substance use as emotional regulation and escape
- The chemsex scene and its specific challenges
- Finding culturally competent therapeutic support
- The importance of being truly heard versus just listened to
- How personal struggles can inform professional specialisation
- Building LGBTQ+ specific services outside major cities
- The difference between MSM (men who have sex with men) and gay identity
- Practical advice on finding the right therapist
Find out more about Ben Kaye. A full transcript of this episode is available here.
Subscribe, listen and watch wherever you get your podcasts
More from A Bunch of Therapists
Your hosts
Michaela McCarthy
Michaela McCarthy is a psychotherapist, entrepreneur, and the creator and host of A Bunch of Therapists podcast. Born into a working-class Irish immigrant family, Michaela was exposed early to the realities of mental illness and addiction within her own home. Her personal experiences, including witnessing her mother’s psychiatric hospitalisation and her father’s struggle with alcoholism, shaped a deep commitment to understanding the human psyche.
Feeling different from a young age and struggling with her own issues, Michaela embarked on a long and transformative journey towards self-discovery, healing, and belonging. Years of personal therapy led her to train as a counsellor, psychotherapist, psychosexual & relationship therapist and clinical supervisor. Her mission has always been clear: to support others in navigating their own paths, allowing space to explore, heal and grow.
Michaela is the founder and CEO of The Awareness Centre, The Awareness Centre Training School, and Michaela McCarthy & Associates. Through these platforms, and now her podcast, she brings together insight, empathy, and unfiltered conversations to de-stigmatise therapy and empower others.
Grounded in lived experience and professional expertise, Michaela describes herself as a “person of knowing” who approaches life with honesty, grit, and a passion for connection.
Dipti Solanki
Dipti Solanki is a therapist, grief coach, and founder of Grief Matters 4 All CIC, with 19 years of experience supporting people through life’s transition and emotional crossroads. Whether that’s loss, identity shifts, emotional overwhelm, or navigating complex relationships. Her work sits at the meeting point of therapy and coaching, helping people feel seen, supported, and reconnected to their own sense of self, even in the most difficult seasons.
Dipti brings a unique depth to her work, blending the insight of therapy with the action-oriented clarity of coaching. Whether she’s holding space one-to-one, facilitating group work, training organisations on grief and wellbeing, or speaking to larger audiences, her approach is grounded, inclusive, and always real.
She’s been featured in a range of media, including a BBC documentary ‘Living with Loss’, BBC London Radio, The Independent, The Observer, and OK! Magazine, and is the creator of ‘Grief, Heartbreak and Hope – There’s So Much More to Say’ a guided journal designed to help people gently process and make space for their grief after losing a loved one.
Dipti is passionate about creating emotionally honest spaces. She works at the intersection of emotional wellbeing, compassion, and cultural sensitivity, with a deep commitment to making mental and emotional support feel accessible and human.
On this podcast, Dipti brings all of that and more: therapist, coach, speaker, and human – offering honest, heart-led conversations about therapy, life, healing, and what it means to grow through the things that shape us.