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

What if a room could become a self-portrait?

This week in the Reflection Room, psychologist and researcher Leila Ainge pairs a painting by Lottie Cole with a simple but thought-provoking reflection about identity, environment and the spaces we quietly create around ourselves.

Drawing on psychology, art and everyday observation, this episode invites you to look differently at the rooms you spend time in and to consider what they might reveal about who you are and who you're becoming.

Perfect if you're looking for a few minutes of calm reflection, creative thinking and a gentle psychological prompt to carry into your week.

https://lottiecole.com/

https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/sargent-and-fashion

https://thehomepage.co.uk/the-art-of-home/

What happens when you've left one chapter behind but haven't quite arrived at the next?

Inspired by Frances Featherstone's Dower House from her Threshold series, this Reflection Room episode explores the psychology of liminality—the in-between spaces where identity, perspective and possibility begin to shift.

https://www.francesfeatherstone.co.uk/paintings

What stories have you inherited about where you belong? This week's reflection uses art and psychology to help you revise your own narrative.

Join psychologist and researcher Leila Ainge for the first Reflection Room prompt, where psychology, art and curiosity come together to help you see yourself—and your work from a different perspective.

Inspired by Coral Woodbury's Revised Edition series and the work of artist Lubaina Himid, this episode explores how the stories we inherit shape our sense of identity, belonging and possibility. Drawing on ideas from social identity psychology, Leila reflects on why representation matters, how assumptions influence the way we see ourselves, and why some of our most meaningful insights arrive when we're walking, wandering or simply paying attention.

Listeners are invited to consider one simple but thought-provoking question: Where could your contribution be revised? Through a guided reflection and an optional creative activity, this episode encourages you to notice where you may have underestimated yourself, overlooked your own potential, or quietly written yourself out of opportunities before anyone else had the chance.

Perfect for anyone who enjoys reflective practice, psychology, art and evidence-informed personal development, this is an invitation to spend fifteen minutes looking again at the story you're telling yourself and whether it's time for a revised edition.

https://artuk.org/discover/curations/art-design-gcse-2026-theme-woman

https://artuk.org/discover/stories/seven-questions-with-coral-woodbury

https://vimeo.com/665634788?fl=pl&fe=sh - video interview with Coral Woodbury

Cover art credit : collage made by Leila Ainge, including Photo by Dan Farrell on Unsplash, Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash , Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash

How do we make better decisions when certainty is impossible?

In this solo episode of Psychologically Speaking, psychologist and researcher Leila Ainge explores why confidence isn't about having all the answers—it's about asking better questions.

Drawing on psychology, decision-making research and reflections from this season's conversations, Leila explains why our brains crave certainty, how identity and ego can shape the way we respond to new information, and why curiosity is one of the greatest advantages we can develop.

You'll discover:

• Why certainty can sometimes hold us back
• The psychology behind ego, identity and confirmation bias
• Why "the evidence is mixed" is one of a researcher's favourite phrases
• How psychology, art and reflection help us see problems differently
• Why research doesn't replace intuition—it strengthens it
• How to make better decisions by gathering perspectives, not just opinions

Whether you're leading a business, launching something new or navigating an important decision, this episode will help you think differently about risk, evidence and the stories we tell ourselves.

📩 If you'd like support exploring a complex question through a psychological and research-informed lens, contact Leila at leila@aingeconsulting.co.uk.

What if the biggest risk isn't failing—but standing still?

In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, psychologist and researcher Leila Ainge is joined by entrepreneur, UK Innovator Founder visa holder and CEO of The Doula Hive, Tif Bryant.

Growing up in poverty, becoming a teenage mum and leaving school early weren't the end of Tif's story. After building a successful birth business in the United States, she made the bold decision to sell everything, move her family across the world and start again. Today she's building The Doula Hive a technology platform designed to transform the birth care industry through better infrastructure, data and community.

Together they explore:

• Why stagnation became the biggest risk in Tif's life
• The psychology of entrepreneurship and innovation
• What motherhood teaches us about leadership and resilience
• Why women underestimate the skills they develop through parenting
• The future of maternity care and birth support
• How data, technology and community could improve outcomes for families

This conversation goes far beyond birth. It's about identity, purpose, entrepreneurial courage and what happens when you stop waiting for someone else to build the future you know is possible.