Reflections & Realisations
Reflections & Realisations is a faith-based psychology podcast exploring how our past shapes who we become and how we can heal through self-awareness, spirituality, and compassion.Hosted by Alveena, a Psychology MSc student, writer, and seeker, the podcast blends mental health insights, spirituality, and personal storytelling to explore themes of identity, healing, and growth.Each episode unpacks the real psychology behind how we think, feel, and love, from attachment styles and trauma to faith, self-worth, and emotional resilience.Born from years of journaling, therapy, and reflection, Reflections & Realisations invites you to slow down, question, and reconnect with yourself through honest conversations that bridge science and spirituality.If you’re drawn to psychology, faith, healing, and self-discovery, this podcast is for you. No quick fixes. No perfect answers. Just real reflections that remind you that you are not alone in your journey.Together, we explore:Mental health, emotion, and healing through a faith-based lensThe psychology of attachment, trauma, and resilienceHow spirituality and self-awareness guide emotional growthHonest reflections on belonging, identity, and loveJoin the journey toward understanding yourself and healing deeply, one reflection at a time.
Episodes
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Introduction: The Story Behind Pink Shoes and Jilbab
00:56 – Why Kiran Wrote the Book
02:00 – The Reality of the Hijab Journey
04:10 – What Writing Taught Her About Herself
05:08 – Why We Need to Share Our Struggles
06:21 – Writing a Memoir and the Power of Editing
07:44 – How to Start Writing the Book Inside You
09:16 – Learning to Accept Yourself in Hijab
10:12 &nda...
Chapters
01:52 Growing Up in the Suburbs of London
02:44 A Father Who Worked Three Jobs Seven Days a Week
03:07 From the Slums of Waterloo to Sidcup — His Father's Vision
08:29 How Training Found Him — And Changed Everything
09:23 Pumping Iron, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Finding Purpose at
13 11:15 His Father Takes Him to the Gym
13:37 The Role Models Every Young Man Needs
...
Chapters
00:00 The Last Big Argument — and What Happened After
00:48 Why We Hate Conflict But Explode When We Do Fight
01:29 Passive Aggression and Withdrawal — The Cycle We Were In
02:41 Calling It Out — How We've Changed
03:36 A Psychological Awakening in Our 40s
05:15 How Do We Behave After a Fight?
06:37 When I've Done Something Wrong vs When I've Been Wronged
08...
Chapters
00:00 Why Dr Rahat Left Conventional Medicine to Ask Why
03:51 Longevity, Functional and Preventive Medicine — What's the Difference?
04:28 What People Get Wrong About Longevity
05:51 Health Span vs Lifespan — Adding Life to Your Years
06:17 Are the Diseases of Old Age Actually Inevitable?
07:42 Investing in Your Future Self Like a Bank Account
08:29 Why Is Medicine Fin...
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
02:24 – Authenticity vs. Approval-Seeking
07:14 – Overthinking and Mental Health
12:13 – Burnout and Journaling
20:02 – Masks, Strength, and Vulnerability
29:43 – Shame, Guilt, and Self-Forgiveness
38:14 – Recovering from Eating Disorders
44:02 – Suicidal Thoughts and Support
53:02 – Career Divorce and M...
Chapters
00:00 Introduction & What Scott Has Overcome
01:11 Welcome to Reflections & Realisations
02:15 Who Was Scott Neal Growing Up?
06:35 Team Sports & the Making of a Coach
09:22 Not Knowing Who You'd Become
10:59 The First Diagnosis: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome at 16
14:09 From Trouble with the Law to a Turning Point
16:03 Running, the Brain & the Path to Fitness&nbs...
Time Stamps
00:00 Beginning life and career in London
10:01 Mentorship and career opportunities
15:50 Overcoming news addiction habits
18:13 Managing pandemic-related fears
21:42 Coping with work burnout
29:52 Recognizing humanity in others more
35:34 Managing injury and pre-race stress
39:46 Working with public figures
45:28 Coaching Noor to run 1k
51:05 Reflecting on drinking culture
55:44 Discussing faith as guidance
01:09...
Did you know many men struggle in silence with burnout and mental health challenges? In this deeply personal conversation, Shahbaz Khan opens up about his journey as a British Muslim, growing up between cultures, facing racism, and navigating the pressures of career, family, and community expectations. From imposter syndrome to overcoming shame and vulnerability, Shahbaz shares what it really took to choose growth and healing, even...
In this episode of Reflections and Realisations, Saima opens up to Alveena about her life-changing experiences building a school and working in Zanzibar. Through a series of intimate reflections and honest revelations, Saima shares how the local children’s creativity—like crafting footballs from banana leaves—taught her the true meaning of resilience and community support.
The conversation doesn’t shy away fr...
In this episode of Reflections and Realisations, Alveena Salim and Saima Raja dive deep into the cultural challenges faced by brown and Muslim women in education, teaching, and creative fields. They unpack why the phrase "I'm just a teacher" is so common in their communities, exploring how cultural expectations, false modesty, and fear of the evil eye (nazar) hold women back from owning their accomplishments.
You'll hear personal st...
Welcome to Reflections and Realisations. I’m so glad you’re here.
Join Alveena Salim as she sits down with Kausar Tahir, founder and clinical pharmacist, to explore the challenges and triumphs of launching a startup as a visibly Muslim woman. From navigating rejections and accelerator programs to pitching in Silicon Valley, Kausar Tahir shares an honest account of how resilience, faith, and authentici...
In this episode, Alveena explores the quiet ways chronic stress, unprocessed emotions and survival mode can spill into the body. Through her own experience with insomnia after two miscarriages, she explains how the nervous system can become stuck in fight or flight and why no supplement, sleep hack or lavender spray could fix what was actually emotional and physiological.
Drawing from neuroscience, the biopsychosocial model, chronic...
Welcome to Reflections and Realisations.
In today’s episode, Alveena sits with Kausar Tahir, clinical pharmacist and founder of MeNow Health, for a candid conversation about perimenopause, menopause, and the cultural and generational barriers that make it hard for women to talk openly about their health.
Together, they explore the cultural silence around menopause, gaps in medical research, and how faith a...
In this episode, Alveena reflects on a childhood memory she had buried for decades and how it resurfaced in an unexpected moment with her own daughter. She explores how unresolved experiences shape our automatic reactions, especially in parenting, and how generational patterns can quietly repeat themselves without us noticing.
Drawing from Daniel Kahneman’s system one and system two thinking, as well as concepts from psycholog...
In this episode, Alveena reflects on the mindset stories we absorb as children and the quiet ways they shape our adult lives. Through her own experience struggling with maths in school and later facing a statistics module as a parent with no time to spiral, she explores how old narratives can sneak back in and limit what we believe we are capable of.
Using Carol Dweck’s research on fixed and growth mindsets, along with reflect...
In this episode, Alveena shares the quiet moment she emotionally checked out, not out of anger but exhaustion. She reflects on the psychology behind letting go, exploring how anxious attachment, fear of abandonment and the urge to control outcomes show up in our relationships, our parenting and our faith.
Drawing from attachment theory, cognitive diffusion and spiritual teachings, she explains how releasing control is not giving up....
ABOUT THE EPISODE
In this episode, Alveena reflects on the true story of The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog by Dr. Bruce Perry and the powerful lesson it carries about how our environment shapes the brain.
Through the story of a neglected child who learned to heal through love, presence, and stability, Alveena explores how trauma can be reversed when safety and care are reintroduced. She connects these insights to psychology, faith, and...
ABOUT THE EPISODE
In this episode, Alveena unpacks the psychology of echoism, the tendency to shrink, stay quiet, and put others’ needs above your own.
She shares her experiences growing up between cultures, learning to make herself smaller to avoid judgment or conflict, and how that pattern showed up later in adult life. Through psychology, faith, and personal reflection, she explores how saying “I’m fine&rdquo...
ABOUT THE EPISODE
In this episode, Alveena explores how the way we love is shaped long before we realise it. From childhood moments of comfort and conflict to how we connect in adulthood, she unpacks attachment theory and its impact on our relationships, resilience, and faith.
Through psychology, faith, and personal reflection, she explains how early experiences with caregivers teach us lessons about love, safety, and belonging t...
ABOUT THE EPISODE
In this episode, Alveena opens up about growing up wishing she was white and the long journey toward self acceptance. She reflects on identity, belonging, and how cultural expectations can quietly shape who we become.
Through honest storytelling and psychological insight, she explores self discrepancy theory and the tension between who we are, who we wish to be, and who we think we should be. Alveena blends idea...
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