With Dominique van Werkhoven, co-founder of The Werks

Are we the same person in every language we speak? And what happens when the words we have available don't quite allow us to express who we are?

In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, I'm joined by Dominique van Werkhoven, copywriter, content strategist and co-founder of The Werks, a digital marketing agency specialising in story-led marketing for cross-cultural brands.

Dominique is a Londoner who has made her home in France, Austria and the Netherlands. She speaks English, French and Dutch, and has a wonderful curiosity about how language works, how stories travel between cultures, and what we learn about ourselves along the way.

We start with childhood storytelling, a love letter written on Care Bears stationery and the rather unexpected consequences of learning Dutch from teenagers. But our conversation takes us somewhere deeper.

Dominique shares her experiences of writing publicly, the racism she encountered after appearing in the British press, and the additional work that can come with being visible in spaces that haven't always welcomed you.

We also get curious about the psychology. Does speaking more than one language make us more creative? What role does cognitive flexibility play? And how do metaphors, humour and cultural references change when we move between languages?

Along the way, we explore the tension between fitting in and standing out, the importance of finding spaces where we feel safe enough to express ourselves, and what it really means to find your voice.

In this episode, we explore:

• The relationship between multilingualism, creativity and cognitive flexibility.
• Why learning a language is about much more than vocabulary.
• Code-switching, cultural identity and expressing different parts of ourselves.
• The psychology of storytelling, metaphors and shared meaning.
• Visibility, racism and the unequal costs of putting ourselves out into the world.
• Why belonging shouldn't require us to flatten the things that make us different.

It's a conversation about words, but perhaps even more about what happens when we feel able to use them.

Find out more about Dominique and The Werks: https://thewerks.nl/about/

Explore more of Dominique's writing: Nomad Sixty-One — reflections on belonging, identity and finding your voice across cultures.

Psychologically Speaking is hosted by psychologist Leila Ainge, exploring the psychology behind how we think, feel and behave.

Before you decide whether you've had a good year, isn't it worth questioning what you've been measuring it against?

The Winter Reflection Room, What Counts?, begins on 9 November 2026.

Over eight weeks, we'll bring together carefully curated contemporary art by women artists, psychology, poetry and thoughtful questions to explore achievement, meaning and the things we often overlook.

You'll receive weekly emails, audio reflections and invitations to two live online gatherings.

£49 for the full eight weeks.

Find out more at leilaainge.co.uk.

And if you'd like a taster, listen to the four mini Reflection Room episodes already available in the Psychologically Speaking podcast feed.

Psychologically Speaking | Hosted by Leila Ainge

What if the biggest risk isn't doing something new, but staying exactly where you are?

In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, I'm joined by Rebecca Cracknell, an Identity and Impact Coach who helps women question the rules they've inherited about success, ambition and how they're supposed to show up in the world.

Rebecca describes herself as a responsible rebel. Someone who loves challenging expectations and asking 'what if?', but who also thinks carefully about the consequences of taking risks.

We explore how her rebellious childhood became tangled up with other people's expectations, why becoming a mother changed her relationship with risk, and how leaving a 16-year teaching career opened up the possibility of building something on her own terms.

Along the way, we get into the psychology of imposter experiences, perfectionism, self-trust and the difference between being visible and feeling exposed.

And we ask whether the risk of staying somewhere that no longer fits might sometimes be greater than the risk of leaving.

It's a conversation about being grateful but frustrated, learning to trust yourself and finding the freedom to be seen imperfectly.

Because perhaps we don't need to become fearless to take risks. Perhaps we just need to recognise that we can figure things out along the way.

• The responsible rebel: How rebellion and careful decision-making can coexist.
• Identity and expectations: What happens when being yourself is interpreted as being difficult?
• Motherhood and reinvention: How new identities can both constrain and expand our sense of possibility.
• The risk of staying still: Why security and satisfaction aren't necessarily the same thing.
• Imposter experiences and perfectionism: Who do we allow to see us fail?
• Visibility versus exposure: Why sharing vulnerably online doesn't mean sharing everything.
• Self-trust: How questioning the stories we tell ourselves can help us move forward.

Rebecca Cracknell is an Identity and Impact Coach working with women who are ready to challenge expectations, embrace their ambition and build businesses and lives that reflect who they really are.

Through mentoring, group programmes and workshops, she encourages women to question the 'shoulds' they've inherited and rethink what's possible.

Rebecca also hosts A Woman's Guide to Starting Fires, a podcast exploring what lights women up and what they're ready to leave behind.

Connect with Rebecca

Instagram: @rebeccalcracknell

Website: rebeccacracknell.co.uk

Podcast: A Woman's Guide to Starting Fires — available on podcast platforms.

Before you decide whether you've had a good year, isn't it worth questioning what you've been measuring it against?

The Winter Reflection Room, What Counts?, begins on 9 November 2026.

Over eight weeks, we'll bring together carefully curated contemporary art by women artists, psychology, poetry and thoughtful questions to explore achievement, meaning and the things we often overlook.

You'll receive weekly emails, audio reflections and invitations to two live online gatherings.

£49 for the full eight weeks.

Find out more at leilaainge.co.uk/

And if you'd like a taster, listen to the four mini Reflection Room episodes already available in the Psychologically Speaking podcast feed.

A glass gold gilded conker from Effie Burns collection is the inspiration for our final reflection room taster session.

We are thinking about what brings out our prickly side, what are we protecting and why?

I also share details of the Reflection Room, starting on 14th September, details here on how to sign up https://www.leilaainge.co.uk/reflectionroom

https://www.effieburnsglass.co.uk