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We're all screwed up (and that's OK)

We're all screwed up (and that's OK)

By Dawn Walton / Jess Probst

It is said in the UK that 1 in 4 people has a mental health problem. This means 3 in 4 don't. This is simply not true. In my experience as a therapist, and a person, everybody has their screw ups. So maybe, what we should say is "This is my screw up and it is / isn't getting in the way of my life right now"

My name is Dawn Walton and I’m a therapist. I host this podcast with Jess Probst who is a dog behaviourist. We compare human, dog and child psychology. Episodes are recorded in Starbucks so may be more noisy than usual
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Therapy Tails 88 - Narcissists & Circles

We're all screwed up (and that's OK)Mar 17, 2024

00:00
59:56
Therapy Tails 88 - Narcissists & Circles

Therapy Tails 88 - Narcissists & Circles

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist sit in Tim Hortons and discuss Narcissism and Circles! (The usual random subjects!)

Jess uses 3 circles to describe different states of the dog, and explains how she uses the 3 circles to decide the best course of action. The first is Introspective where the body language is shrinking and closed down. The last is Expansive where it's about exuberant energy. And the middle circle is Grounded

Dawn discusses her version of Steven Covey's circle of influence, where the first level is the Microscope level which you can focus on and directly influence. The next circle out is the Balloon level which you influence but only when you are focussing on it, like blowing up a balloon. And the outer circle is the River level where all you can do is flow with what is happening.


They also discuss how to spot a Narcissist and what that has to do with Social Media - particularly the trolls!

(please note this episode is recorded in Tim Hortons so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Mar 17, 202459:56
Therapy Tails 87 - Two Gurus

Therapy Tails 87 - Two Gurus

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist sit in Tim Hortons and discuss Dawn's recently delivered workshop, which trains up others to do what she does - particularly the Rapid Trauma Reset.

They discuss their unique, and yet remarkably similar approaches, to work with humans and dogs. It's not about judgement. It's not about the story. It's about seeing what is in front of them and helping in the most effective way possible for all concerned.

(please note this episode is recorded in Tim Hortons so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Mar 11, 202459:21
Therapy Tails 86 - Imposter Syndrome

Therapy Tails 86 - Imposter Syndrome

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist sit in Dawn's therapy room and discuss imposter syndrome.

As usual, they don't just take the 'official definition' but look at what it actually means in practice.

More people have imposter syndrome than you might realise.

And of course, it includes the "So What?" - looking at what steps you might try taking to overcome imposter syndrome.

Feb 12, 202401:54:15
Therapy Tails 85 - What is an anchor?

Therapy Tails 85 - What is an anchor?

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist sit in Starbucks and discuss emotional anchors. What are they and how can they be used? Dawn helps you build your own anchor

They also discuss what it means when we say your dog is a working breed - revisiting the concept of fixed actions and how we can use them to reduce a dog's stress levels.

And of course, as usual, there is the usual meandering through random subjects, including discussing the development of the reactive dog residentials (6 now done)

(please note this episode is recorded in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Feb 02, 202454:57
Therapy Tails 84 - Dissociation

Therapy Tails 84 - Dissociation

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist discuss the dissociated state in humans. What causes it? How does it impact on their dog, and, more importantly, how do we recognise and work with that state?
They discuss Dawn's approach to therapy and how it is different to regular therapy, and the 2024 plans to teach more people to do what she does.
This episode is recorded in the new residential farmhouse and so the only background noise is that of gently snoring Dachshunds!


Jan 08, 202459:05
Therapy Tails 83 - Did someone question Jess??

Therapy Tails 83 - Did someone question Jess??

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist are joined by trainers Jess Williams (Stormzy) and Kym Cleary.


They begin by discussing an event that happened on a recent walk where Stormzy was told to do something with her dog, Storm, by Jess and asked why, because it felt like a step back.


They discuss why people can't see aggressive behaviour signals in their dogs and return to a favourite subject - how do you we know who we are?


And of course there is the normal meandering through different topics including how to get people who bring their reactive dogs along, to not get defensive and actually see the dog in front of them !

(please note this episode is recorded in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Dec 30, 202357:27
Therapy Tails 82 - Kindness is good for your health with guest David Hamilton

Therapy Tails 82 - Kindness is good for your health with guest David Hamilton

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist are joined by Author, Speaker and Kindness Scientist David Hamilton Phd.

As David is a scientist they get into the physiology and genetics of kindness. David has his own dog, a Bichon Frisé called Daisy, and for the first time joined Jess and Dawn in comparing what kindness looks like to a human and a dog.

They talk about communication and the five love languages for humans, and the new love languages that Jess and Dawn have formulated for dogs and their owners.

The dog Love Languages are : Food, Play, Meeting other dogs, breed specific games, Exercise and Physical touch.

This is podcast explores the science and meaning in practical terms of kindness, connection and communication.

Follow David on Instagram / Facebook under @davidrhamiltonphd

More about David:

After completing his PhD in organic chemistry, he worked in R&D in the pharmaceutical industry, developing drugs for cardiovascular disease and cancer. Inspired by the placebo effect, and how some people's conditions would improve because they believed a placebo was a real drug, he left the industry to write books and educate people in how they can harness their mind and emotions to improve their mental and physical health. He's the author of 11 books, including the Amazon bestseller, 'The Five Side Effects of Kindness'. He has been a featured guest on Channel 4's, 'Sunday Brunch Live' in the UK and CBS Sunday Morning in the USA, as well as on numerous BBC radio shows. He's also the honorary scientific advisor for the charity, 52 Lives, which helps people in need through acts of kindness. (please note this episode is recorded in Tim Hortons so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Dec 18, 202301:04:07
Therapy Tails 81 - Emotionally hijacked

Therapy Tails 81 - Emotionally hijacked

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about emotional hijacking and the different levels, from fight, flight, freeze to the top level - which is switched off and not connected.

They discuss behaviour and where it comes from, leading to a conversation about parts. Enjoy listening as Jess (yes Jess, not Dawn) describes parts. They reference IFS (Internal Family Systems) which is parts work

And of course there is the normal meandering through different topics including dog personality traits and compulsive behaviour!

(please note this episode is recorded in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Dec 08, 202353:49
Therapy Tails 80 - Does Jess have mental health issues?

Therapy Tails 80 - Does Jess have mental health issues?

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist compare their definitions of what mental health issues actually means, after Jess asked Dawn if she has any mental health issues and Dawn said yes!

The talk about the term "to provoke" and how there is an underlying level of stress and then situational / provoked stress on top of that (Is the cup full of water or the bucket half full of blood - you decide!)

And of course there is the normal meandering through different topics!

(please note this episode is recorded in a restaurant so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Nov 16, 202359:07
Therapy Tails 79 - you can't time travel

Therapy Tails 79 - you can't time travel

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk how we all believe we can time travel and how we end up regretting stuff because of that.

They talk about strategies that you can use to compensate for this emotional hijacking.

And of course there is the normal meandering through different topics!

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Tim Hortons so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Nov 06, 202353:56
Therapy Tails 78 - Spiders and Snowglobes

Therapy Tails 78 - Spiders and Snowglobes

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about snow globes and spiders in the context of phobias, anxiety and fear.

This episode is about who you are versus what your environment is versus how you are behaviour, and explores the nature of humans by looking at gangsters as per Get Gotti on Netflix.

They talk about the mind body connection and how powerful mindset it. Please note this involves a conversation about illness such as cancer so please avoid if you are in a sensitive place on this topic. As ever, discussions happen with openness and curiosity (please note these episodes are recorded chats in Tim Hortons so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Oct 30, 202354:14
Therapy Tails 77 - Ban the couch

Therapy Tails 77 - Ban the couch

Please note there is a bit more noise than usual on the first part of this podcast - sorry! Plus a dog went mental with the barking in the middle so we had to stop and start it again 5 minutes later.

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about banning the couch. Statistics show that a large proportion of dog bites happen on the couch. So maybe we should just ban the couch! What do to when your dog growls at you when on the couch. Punish? Avoid? Something else (please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Oct 27, 202354:43
Therapy Tails 76 - Nagging vs Nurturing

Therapy Tails 76 - Nagging vs Nurturing

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about Percival the Mali pup as he chills out in Starbucks. Dawn hasn't seen Percival for at least 6 weeks, when he was first picked up. The change in him is remarkable. He lay down in Starbucks with very relaxed body language. He was alert and curious but not anxious, despite being next to a table with two noisy kids. At no point did he have to be given instructions on what to do. His lead was loose.

And this led Jess and Dawn to talking about how much we have a need to control everything, even in a positive way. We teach puppies obedience and then control their every move. We do the same with kids - trying to control what they do so they don't get in trouble. When owners come to Jess for help they want to understand what to do, when first they need to understand why they should do it.

Understanding why allows you to adapt. Dawn taught their child how to make decisions - e.g. how to interpret social media posts - so that they could make the right choices.

The need for control often comes from our own anxieties and issues. Accept that it is a normal human reaction, but then ask "What next?" rather than trying to control everything that happens.

Percival hit 12 weeks and started doing some innate behaviours - he started barking at people. This was not something that he could carry on doing, but also something that he shouldn't be told off for because we could end up with a very anxious dog. Teaching him that it's not ok (with a pattern interrupt) and getting him to do an alternate behaviour has led to a dog that can relax as he knows what's expected of him.

Jess talks about the word "Matriarchy" and how that can inform the leadership we use to guide our dogs, rather than nag them

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Oct 25, 202330:30
Therapy Tails 75 - Do you have a need for control?

Therapy Tails 75 - Do you have a need for control?

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist continue the discussion on XL Bully's and what is going on just now.

They discuss more about pathways using a story of an apple to explain how easy it is to negatively reinforce a memory / emotion.

They discuss breed genetics and the influence they have on dogs - and as always, discussing "So what?" relating it to how we correct children.

What is the difference between training and control?

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Oct 09, 202359:42
Therapy Tails 74 - Your dog is not a robot

Therapy Tails 74 - Your dog is not a robot

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about pathways and behaviour.

They explore the meaning behind saying a dog (or a person) is reactive.

Jess talks a bit about why she has taken up a new thing to learn - thermal imaging! And this leads Dawn and Jess into discussing energy in people and auras!


All of this links into realising that neither dogs nor humans are going to be robots - nor should they be. True resilience is not about the lack of reaction, its about you quickly you recover.

They also start talking about the XL Bully's that are in the press in the UK and the discussion on banning the breed. But get sidetracked! So listen to the rest of the discussion in episode 75 (please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Oct 09, 202359:57
Therapy Tails 73 - Addiction is not always bad

Therapy Tails 73 - Addiction is not always bad

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about addiction and what it really means. It can be used in a positive way in dog training. (please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Sep 15, 202346:50
Therapy Tails 72 - Redefining Failure

Therapy Tails 72 - Redefining Failure

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about the new Mali puppy that Jess has called Percival, and how he is already demonstrating behaviours that could lead to large problems once he's older, if you didn't have a knowledgeable owner. He's quite difference to the golden retriever puppies. We talk about the looking at the behaviour rather than using labels to set expectations, and providing alternative behaviour choices rather than just trying to control the dog. What is the intent behind the behaviour? We talk about the transformation in the owners who were on the most recent residential and how they were able to apply what they learnt to new owners with over-reactive dogs. We refer to "The Decisive Moment" by Jonah Lehrer and the Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck and how hard it is to get humans to recognise change. We need to redefine failure and focus more on the process and the progress. (please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Sep 11, 202359:12
Therapy Tails 71 - Which island would you pick?

Therapy Tails 71 - Which island would you pick?

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about animal welfare and how we seem to have lost the idea that our dogs have their own needs. Jess talks about the idea of needing something more than food and shelter to meet these needs and gives us two scenarios to consider with two different islands.


On that note - do you remember the Timotei advert? Willow doesn't but then she's only 15!


This is recorded on a snazzy new microphone in Tim Hortons. Does it work for you?

Sep 01, 202350:01
Therapy Tails 70 - Sounds like a you thing

Therapy Tails 70 - Sounds like a you thing

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about empathy and what it really means. Of course we then discuss how that applies to dogs! There was an altercation in Starbucks the other day and we discuss the different ways we both interpreted the event.

Jess talks about John Calhoun's NIMH experiment where rats where given free and easy access to all necessary resources to study the impact on longevity. You can watch a video about it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CXj0AGuh4c


Finally we look at the difference between working on symptoms (the branches of a tree) and root cause (the roots of the tree)

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Aug 17, 202348:10
Therapy Tails 69 - Fight, Flight, Freeze

Therapy Tails 69 - Fight, Flight, Freeze

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about the residentials they are doing for owners of reactive dogs, and the disparity between having a predator living in our house, and the cute puppy that we often see them as.

We talk about the fight, flight and freeze response - and the similarities between dogs and humans.

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Aug 07, 202352:56
Therapy Tails 68 - It's a good dog but...

Therapy Tails 68 - It's a good dog but...

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist are joined by Jessie Montague (story_of_Atlas on instagram) to discuss the current process where owners are attending a 6 day residential with their reactive dog. What is so different about Jess's approach (hint: it's not just how well she understands dogs - it's a team effort)

2 months down the line, Jessie is able to share some of the things she has learned from the journey. It is quite the journey for a dog and the human!

We talk about the social contract with our pet dogs, and what happens when they break it. (please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Jul 19, 202348:30
Therapy Tails 67 - Energy can't be stopped, only transformed

Therapy Tails 67 - Energy can't be stopped, only transformed

In this episode Dawn Walton, a human behaviourist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist decide to refer to themselves as Dr. Dawn and Dr. Jess. Why? Because we talk about the problems with taking a solely academic approach and end up talking about physics. What is it that makes us think that a dog or a person has bad energy? How do we convert energy that appears chaotic into something useful?

Maybe the problem with energy is not so much the nature of energy itself, but when it's blocked.

This episode is taken from a zoom call so not so much background noise - yay!

Jul 08, 202357:54
Therapy Tail 66 - The need for love

Therapy Tail 66 - The need for love

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist discuss the reason we get a dog, and why owners struggle so much when their dog develops behaviour problems. Hint: It's nothing to do with the dog! What is critical for survival in each species? In a herd animal like a horse it's being able to stand up and run asap. In a predator like a dog it's not attacking when they are not big enough so a puppy will keep close to its mother. A human baby can't even sit up for 8 months! So in humans the bond with your mother is critical for survival. This means we are programmed to make sure we are loved. This can cause huge issues if you get a dog for unconditional love and then it stops listening to you - or worse, bites you! (please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Jun 29, 202356:07
Therapy Tails 65 - Be a better manager

Therapy Tails 65 - Be a better manager

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist are joined by a 16 year old called Gracie who has been on work experience with Jess all week. This included a trip to a University, a prison and various walks and classes. It's interesting to hear her take on dogs and owners.
Jess and Dawn discuss the difference between telling and showing when training dogs. This leads in to a discussion on how you should be a good manager for your dog - which is a theme that has been coming out of our walks for the past few weeks.
(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)



Jun 29, 202351:03
Therapy Tails 64 - From a cottage in Cullen

Therapy Tails 64 - From a cottage in Cullen

Jess, a dog behaviourist, and Dawn, a human therapist, were up in Cullen to do workshops. It was a beautiful cottage down by the sea, so this episode is recorded in front of a roaring fire in a cottage in Cullen, instead of the hubbub of Starbucks. In this episode they talk more about how therapy works, and some of the hurdles that make it hard to spot change. What they do is only a very small part of the process.


Jun 05, 202356:58
Therapy Tails 63 - Therapy deep dive with Dawn

Therapy Tails 63 - Therapy deep dive with Dawn

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist take a deeper look at therapy with Dawn. Exactly how does brain reprogramming work? Dawn gives some personal examples to explain it all.


(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

May 29, 202350:56
Therapy Tails 62 - Prison Puppies

Therapy Tails 62 - Prison Puppies

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about the remarkable change in Jessie after her therapy, showing us how important it is to work on the owner just as much as the dog. We kind of knew that already but this really showed how powerful our partnership is.

Jess has new therapy puppies in training - this time they are golden retrievers - and they are visiting lots of places, including our local women's prison. Remarkable things happen when puppies are in the mix!

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)



May 26, 202358:50
Therapy Tails - 61 - Aggressive Dog Trainers with guest Jessie and Atlas

Therapy Tails - 61 - Aggressive Dog Trainers with guest Jessie and Atlas

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)


Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk with Jessie Montague, the owner of Atlas the Vizla (story_of_atlas on Instagram)

She has been on quite the journey over the last 3 weeks to get Atlas to the point where they can take him home again and enjoy their pet dog - rather than be scared of him.

This journey has required that Jessie and her husband both work with Dawn on their personal anxieties, whilst at the same time Jess and Jessie have worked on helping Atlas make better choices (almost like we linked up with our last podcast). The change in Jessie and Atlas is remarkable, and it really shows the power of a combined approach. Human owners helped by Dawn, and dogs helped by Jess. It's a unique approach and never has it been better demonstrated to be effective than with Atlas. He's a lucky dog!

Atlas is a 'famous' dog on Instagram with thousands of followers. This means that Jessie has a constant daily barrage of trolls that think they know best and can offer their opinion as fact. The worst of these are the dog trainers (aggressive dogs, or aggressive trainers??) who not only offer their opinion, but criticise those doing their best to work on the team, ignoring the clear evidence showing improvement. Some of these people even go on to report Jessie and Jess to the police for animal abuse. It takes a thick skin to live your life so publicly, and when you have unresolved issues with your mental health it is almost impossible. This is another area where the work that Jessie has done with Dawn has helped. It hasn't made her bulletproof - nothing would. But it does make it easier to see that it's not about her.

Atlas's journey has helped many other owners, and will continue to do so. This podcast does a deep dive into some of the steps that have been taken, and why Jess took them.

*There is a webinar referenced for Tuesday. This webinar is on dog aggression and although it will be completed at the time of this podcast, there will be others. Please sign up to Jess's Patreon at ⁠https://patreon.com/DundeeDogTraining⁠ to be kept informed about all events

Apr 30, 202358:52
Therapy Tails - 60 - Training children vs dogs

Therapy Tails - 60 - Training children vs dogs


(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)


Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist continue to talk about choices from the last episode of the podcast.

They discuss the difference in addressing an issue with a child that hits and bites, and a dog that does the same! They deep dive into just how Dawn approaches finding out what is causing someone an issue and once more get quite up close and personal with something that caused Jess a problem in the past.


The case study of Atlas and his owners - Jessie and Sean - also features a lot in this episode


Apr 28, 202301:17:38
Therapy Tails - 59 - Trainers weekend download

Therapy Tails - 59 - Trainers weekend download

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)


Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist do a download after running the first workshop to level up dog trainers over the weekend.

There is lots of conversation about the challenges of working with rehab dogs - how it's about so much more than the dog. As ever we discuss the psychology of humans, and in this episode we are looking at the difference between male and female dog owners, and the scale of impact that people can expect after therapy sessions with Dawn.


The case study of Atlas and his owners - Jessie and Sean - also features a lot in this episode

Apr 25, 202359:54
Therapy Tails - 58 - Everybody believes they are right

Therapy Tails - 58 - Everybody believes they are right

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)


Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about differences in opinion with training approaches and therapy approaches, and how everyone believes that theirs is the right one! Jess and Dawn compare similarities in how they are often both the last choice, after people have tried many other things first. This can lead to a lot of pressure and expectations on them to do something noone else has done...and for it to work!

Apr 20, 202354:48
Therapy Tails - 57 - Reprogramming memories

Therapy Tails - 57 - Reprogramming memories


(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)


Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk all things dog and human. Jess has been talking to lots of Vizla owners since Atlas came for his residential. We talk about reprogramming people and dogs.


Apr 16, 202355:30
Therapy Tails - 56 - Disney Dogs

Therapy Tails - 56 - Disney Dogs

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)


Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist delve into the human emotion behind our dogs: the Disney version which leads us into background information on the high profile case of Atlas (@Story_of_Atlas on Instagram) and the detective work and skills around bringing him into feeling safe in my environment and keeping this up when he goes home. We also mention hormones affecting behaviour and Romanian street dogs including the famous Sophie who is, 6 months on, still nervous about strangers (how we wish we could help!)

Apr 13, 202358:43
Therapy Tails - 55 Pt 2 - Measuring Full-Fillment

Therapy Tails - 55 Pt 2 - Measuring Full-Fillment

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)


Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about Dawn's approach to measuring how full-filled we are in life using a sort of emotional meter system. She represents this in coloured liquids in test tubes in a test tube rack. The idea is that we may struggle to feel fulfilled or even happy in life if one or more of the meters is too low. Dawn defines these meters as:

  • Be Loved / feel loveable
  • Feel secure / stable
  • Have fun in your life
  • Feel connected
  • Feel attractive
  • Be able to connect with like minded people who are on the same level as you


We need to be aware that:

a. We have a meter that is not full enough

b. We can find a way of filling it

c. It is not realistic to expect one person e.g. a partner, to fill all our meters. We are responsible for spotting that they are low

Apr 03, 202356:58
Therapy Tails -54 Pt 1 - Dawn's Unique Therapy Approach

Therapy Tails -54 Pt 1 - Dawn's Unique Therapy Approach

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about Dawn's unique approach to therapy, including how the sessions actually work and how a client can measure success and progress.

We also begin to talk abut addictions, OCD, and patterns and habits. This is continued in our next podcast episode.

And of course, it wouldn't be complete without meandering into other subjects - in this case A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) and Chat GPT (Jess's new best friend)

Mar 31, 202359:16
Therapy Tails - 53 - It takes a village

Therapy Tails - 53 - It takes a village

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)


Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist talk about spoon theory. What is it and does it apply to dogs?


What does being anxious really mean? Maybe we should talk about "not feeling safe" rather than feeling anxious.


As usual, we meander through a whole bunch of topics which means I can't remember what we talked about!

Mar 27, 202349:48
Therapy Tails - 52 - 1 episode a week for a year!

Therapy Tails - 52 - 1 episode a week for a year!

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)


Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist celebrate a year of doing podcasts by talking about a whole heap of random stuff (dog and human stuff obviously!)

This episode includes:

  • A discussion about writing and how to be a good writer
  • How we should refer to it as "not feeling safe" rather than labelling a dog (or a human) as anxious
  • Scalable Comparative Experiences
  • Adopting a more positive outlook

Lots more discussion on Fixed Actions including

  • All behaviour serves a purpose
  • Dopamine
  • Car Chasing
  • Bond with owners

We also talk about some of the new and shiny things we have upcoming...

Mar 23, 202358:11
Therapy Tails - 51 - Freedom of choice with guest Angela Jeen

Therapy Tails - 51 - Freedom of choice with guest Angela Jeen

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist are joined by Angela Jeen who is a practitioner of zoopharmacognosy - the science of animal self-medication derived from the roots zoo (“animal”), pharma (“drug”), and gnosy (“knowing”).

We explore how animals seem to know what nutrients they need, and how we need to give them choices rather than choose for them. We also talk about how humans don't seem to know what nutrients they need (unless they are pregnant!). Lots of chat around horses and dogs, and a little bit around humans.


Mar 20, 202355:39
Therapy Tails - 50 - Anniversary Edition! 🎉

Therapy Tails - 50 - Anniversary Edition! 🎉

🎉 With this episode we celebrate 1 year since our first Therapy Tails podcast Episode 🎉

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist reminisce about a year of working together and the achievement of completing nearly 1 podcast a week! Woop Woop! 

We go on to discuss our current topic of interest - Instinctive (Fixed Action patterns) versus learned behaviour and how that actually works in the brain. Dawn has been listening to Robert Sapolsky, author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, as he delivers lectures to Stanford University students so we have lots of new ideas to discuss. 

Mar 16, 202359:31
Therapy Tails - 49 - Outwit your circumstances

Therapy Tails - 49 - Outwit your circumstances

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist discuss the difference between changing behaviour in a dog (constant repetition of the more desirable behaviour) and changing behaviour in a person (rewiring the brain through conversation). I think we answer the cliffhanger from the last podcast where we talk about the concept of changing behaviour with no backsies!

We talk about feeling hopeless when you want to help everyone, and how to outwit your circumstances so that you can deal with feeling overwhelmed more effectively

Mar 03, 202354:22
Therapy Tails - 48 - Can you 'fix' something in just one session?

Therapy Tails - 48 - Can you 'fix' something in just one session?

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist discuss pathways and brain rewiring again - it's a favourite subject of ours. We talk about the different approaches to dog trainining - positive only, force free, balanced, and if one size can fit all. 

We talk about pattern interrupts and how the same process works in dogs and humans. First interrupt the pathway (existing behaviour) and then create a different pathway (new behaviour). We can use tapping for this in humans and Dawn explains how. We can use haptics like and ecollar to do this with dogs. 

This leads to the inevitable conversation about punishment vs praise. 

Finally we talk about "one session" interventions for dogs and humans. Can they really work? 

Warning - we leave you with a cliffhanger at the end and you'll have to listn to the next episode to learn more. 

Feb 27, 202358:25
Therapy Tails - 47 - Do you have a German Shepherd?

Therapy Tails - 47 - Do you have a German Shepherd?

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist discus lots of dog stuff. In fact if you don't have a dog and are not interested in dogs, you may want to skip this one!

Jess has a good old whinge about German Shepherds

We discuss Dawn's theory on why you need to be a shiny thing, and how to go about it

Why can it be a problem for dogs to be on lead, when they are fine off it?

And finally... How to choose a trainer ( also applies to therapist!!

Feb 22, 202357:57
Therapy Tails - 46 - How to communicate with other humans

Therapy Tails - 46 - How to communicate with other humans

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

 Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist discuss empathy and language. This is really good one for anyone who has to communicate with another human (who doesn't?)!  

We talk about the power of language and and how it can be used for good (to help people change) or badly (manipulation)

What is empathy? Where does it come from and what is its purpose? Do dogs have empathy? Should they? 

Feb 20, 202357:20
Therapy tails - 45 - What is attraction?

Therapy tails - 45 - What is attraction?

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)
Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist discuss relationships.
We talk about online dating again but this time we ask what it takes to find someone attractive. We discuss love and what makes a relationship work and share tips for going on a first date.
At the end Jess shares a mind blowing realisation she has had and we end it there before she disappears down a rabbit hole!
Jan 27, 202348:15
Therapy Tails - 44 - The brain is a perception engine with guest Trevor Harley

Therapy Tails - 44 - The brain is a perception engine with guest Trevor Harley

(please note these episodes are recorded chats in Starbucks so may have more background noise than a usual podcast)

Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist are joined by returning guest Professor Trevor Harley (and his dog Beau).

We start off talking about what makes use human and Trevor shares his theory that our brains are just perception machines. From there we explore the brain works, often comparing to dog brains (as is usual!). Everything comes down to connection, whether connections in the white matter in our brains, or social connections that have been shown to slow aging. 

We end up talking about meta-awareness. 

Jan 23, 202357:03
Therapy Tails - 43 - Does everything happen for a reason? with guest Derek Mawhinney

Therapy Tails - 43 - Does everything happen for a reason? with guest Derek Mawhinney

*These podcasts are a recorded conversation in Starbucks so the sound quality may not be as good as you are used to in a podcast"

In this episode Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist are joined by Derek Mawhinney, who works in property development. But he's not with us to talk about property! We talk about the mind, spirituality, overcoming your past trauma and the use of psychedelics to reach higher consciousness. 

We love a good conversation about consciousness and purpose and Derek brings a new way of looking at things to our discussion. 

Not that I think you would listen to these podcasts with kids, but if you do, please be aware that this podcast contains swearing. 

Jan 18, 202352:20
Therapy Tails - 42 - Training with fear vs praise with guest Michelle

Therapy Tails - 42 - Training with fear vs praise with guest Michelle

In this episode, Dawn Walton, a human therapist, and Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist are joined by Michelle Getty, a dog trainer. 

We talk about the discussions that happen around ecollars (contact collars) and the different ways people react. Jess gets herself thrown out of an ecollar group - and explains why. We talk about kids versus dogs and how praise works way better than fear,  but this time in the context of what we viable options we have instead. 

Jess is very tired, and Jess and Michelle have both been bitten by dogs this week so apologies if it's a little more fluffy and random than your usual podcasts!


Jan 13, 202352:41
Therapy Tails - 41 - Hypervigilance with guest Gemma

Therapy Tails - 41 - Hypervigilance with guest Gemma

In this episode Dawn Walton, a human therapist, Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist, and Gemma Kirk, who is used to working with young people in care, talk about hypervigilance in dogs and humans. We discuss the difference between hypervigilance and other states such as anxiety and anger. As we talk we end up comparing care homes and young offender institutes to kennels - there are disturbing similarites!

We discuss the physiology of stress.

And we talk about what resilience really is - it might not be what you think. 

Dec 30, 202252:06
Therapy Tails - 40 - The What and the Why

Therapy Tails - 40 - The What and the Why

The internet has made information so readily available that few people look beyond the information presented. They think more about the What and less about the Why. 

So you could look up how to lead train your dog and find a bunch of steps to follow. All good if it works. But if it doesn't, you need to look at WHY you took those steps so you can adapt. You need to understand about motivating your dog to look at you and follow your instructions; how to use treats and praise to encourage behaviour. The What tells you what to do with the lead and how to respond when your dog pulls. The Why tells you that you first need motivation for your dog to listen to you. 

Did you realise that a growl, unchecked, may often lead to a bite? We discuss why, particularly focussing on Christmas - a tricky time of year for dog trainers as dog bites increase significantly

This leads on to a bigger problem. Do we know how to discuss and debate information any more? Can we question and be curious? Are we all looking for a quick fix / magic wand?


Jess Probst, a dog behaviourist, and Dawn Walton, a human therapist, also talk about the difference between academic knowledge vs online qualifications vs practical experience and look into the sinister side of shiny marketing.

Dec 23, 202250:21
Therapy Tails - 39 - Do dogs have choices?

Therapy Tails - 39 - Do dogs have choices?

Do dogs have situations where they have a choice? Should they?

In this conversation between Dawn Walton (human therapist) and Jess Probst (Dog behaviourist) we once more find ourselves comparing dogs to young children, particularly when it comes to choices and the consequences of having no choice. We talk about how risky Christmas can be to dogs and what you can do to mitigate the risks. 

We also have a foray into the world of willpower and Dawn explains how willpower works in your brain. 

Oh and Jess has a new toy - an Apple watch - and she keeps on getting distracted by it!

Dec 19, 202251:59