But You Look So Good
But You Look So Good Podcast
0
Two psychologists, Sally Shaw and Seona Ilalio, host a podcast that sheds light on the realities of living with chronic health conditions. Both hosts live with chronic conditions themselves and lead Livology, a private practice specializing in psychological support for those navigating chronic health challenges. The podcast features candid conversations and professional insights aimed at fostering community and connection among people with chronic health conditions.
Епізоди
-
An interview with Becky: MS, Single & Social Media 04.06.2026 40хвToday on But You Look So Good, we're sitting down with Becky, a woman who has spent her entire adult life single, and along the way, received a life-changing diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. While Becky has a close and supportive network of family and friends, living with a chronic health condition has meant facing many of life's biggest challenges independently. From managing symptoms and medical appointments, to buying a home on her own and making decisions about the future. There-- These are the realities that come with carrying so much responsibility yourself. But this isn't just a conversation about the hard parts. What began as Becky sharing snippets of her life online grew into something much bigger. By speaking openly about the realities of being single with MS, she created a community where people feel seen, understood, and less alone. Today, she has a deeply engaged following and continues to have honest conversations about life, health, and hope. In this episode, we explore Becky's diagnosis journey, the experience of living with a chronic health condition while single, the challenges and unexpected gifts that she's encountered along the way, and what she hopes for her future. This is Becky's story, and we think you're going to love it.Becky's Instagram: @singlewithmsLivology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
Putting the Chronic in Chronic Illness: How to cope with knowing it will never get better 01.06.2026 34хвIn our 100th episode of But You Look So Good, we reflect on the journey of creating this podcast as two psychologists living with MS — what we’ve learned, what has surprised us, and the incredible community that has formed around honest conversations about chronic illness.We then dive into one of the hardest realities many people face: the difference between acute illness and chronic illness. Society teaches us to expect recovery, but what happens when symptoms don’t go away? How do we psychologically adjust to uncertainty, loss, identity changes, and the grief of realising life may not “go back to normal”?In this episode, we explore the major psychological challenges that emerge in chronic illness and share three practical coping strategies to help people “deal with the chronic” — including acceptance, grief, and building flexible hope.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
An Interview with Robyn: Turning Crohn’s Disease Into Comedy 28.05.2026 41хвToday's guest is Robyn, an award-winning comedian and writer who lives with Crohn's disease, a condition that affects millions of people worldwide, yet remains so often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and for many, carries a huge amount of shame. Because let's be honest, we're talking about symptoms that people often feel embarrassed to speak about, let alone joke about on stage. But Robyn has found a way to take something deeply personal, messy, frustrating, and at times incredibly isolating, and turn it into something honest, hilarious, and deeply human.Fresh off the Melbourne Comedy Festival, and not a stranger to bringing her experience with Crohn's disease to the stage, Robyn joins us to talk about her diagnosis journey, navigating the medical system with a chronic illness, the reality of living with a body that doesn't always cooperate, and how she went from feeling embarrassed by her symptoms to making them part of her art. This is such a funny, real, and important conversation, and exactly the kind of one we love having here. https://www.instagram.com/therobynreynolds/Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
Dynamic disability: when capacity constantly changes 25.05.2026 38хвSome days you can function. Some days you can’t. Some days you make plans, show up, laugh, work, parent, and feel almost like yourself. Other days, getting out of bed feels impossible.For many people living with chronic illness or disability, symptoms aren’t static. Capacity can shift hour to hour, day to day, week to week. Pain, fatigue, mobility, cognition, vision, strength, dizziness, function. It can all change. And while that unpredictability can be physically exhausting, the psychological toll is often just as significant.In this episode, we unpack the reality of dynamic disability and fluctuating chronic health conditions, including the anxiety of never knowing what version of your body you’ll wake up in, the fear that a bad flare might become the new normal, and why planning anything can feel incredibly vulnerable when your capacity is unpredictable.We also explore the invisible grief of losing trust in your body, the frustration of being misunderstood because you looked “fine” yesterday, and practical psychological strategies for navigating uncertainty when certainty simply isn’t available.If you’ve ever found yourself asking, Can I commit? What if I cancel? What if this gets worse? What if this never improves? — this episode is for you.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
An Interview with Fiona: Transplant Recipient, Triathlons, Tenacity 21.05.2026 44хвToday you are hearing from Fiona, a woman from Ireland whose life has been shaped by an extraordinary journey through chronic illness, resilience, and reinvention. Fiona was diagnosed with a kidney disease while pregnant in 2009, a diagnosis that came completely out of nowhere. For the next seven years, she managed a progressive debilitating condition while raising three young children, navigating crushing fatigue, a shrinking social circle, and the invisible weight of looking well while feeling anything but. In 2017, thanks to the remarkable generosity of a close friend who turned out to be a near perfect match, Fiona received her first kidney transplant. What followed was a stunning period of renewal. She learnt to swim, took up triathlon, became a qualified triathlon coach, and was on the verge of competing in a half Ironman when her body stopped her in her tracks. By 2024, Fiona's transplant had run its course. She's now on hemodialysis, navigating a second wait for a transplant and doing it, as you'll hear, with honesty, humor, and a hard-won perspective on what it means to live fully inside a body that doesn't always cooperate. This is a conversation about chronic illness, about the friends you lose and the ones who show up, about parenting through pain, about identity and athleticism, and about what happens to your sense of self when your body just keeps changing the rules. Today’s episode is proudly brought to you by Book Dialysis - With a network of 950+ dialysis clinics and hospitals in 60+ countries, you can now easily and safely book your treatment, anywhere in the world. www.bookdialysis.com Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
“Stop Using Your Condition as an Excuse” (and Other Helpful Judgements) 18.05.2026 36хвWhat happens when the hardest part of living with a chronic illness isn’t just the symptoms — but the judgement?In this episode of But You Look So Good, Sally and Seona unpack the comments so many people with chronic health conditions hear: “It’s all in your head,” “Maybe if you exercised more,” “You’re a hypochondriac,” and “Stop using your condition as an excuse.”They explore the psychological impact of disbelief, invalidation and gaslighting, and why these comments can create shame, self-doubt and burnout. Drawing from both professional and lived experience, they discuss practical strategies for protecting your mental health, setting boundaries, and learning to trust yourself again — even when others don’t understand your reality.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
An Interview with Chris: From Nurse to Crime Writer After a 19-Year Diagnosis Journey 14.05.2026 44хвOur guest today is Chris, a former nurse of thirty-one years and now an award-winning crime writer who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis after what he describes as a torturous nineteen-year journey to answers. In this conversation, Chris takes us back to those first strange symptoms, the years of pushing through, continuing to work in healthcare, and the frustration of navigating a medical system that didn't always have the answers or believe what he was telling them. Having spent decades as a nurse, Chris knew the healthcare system from the inside. Experiencing it as a patient was something else entirely. We also explore the pivot his life took from nursing into writing and how his lived experience of chronic illness found its way into crime fiction in a way few stories do. This is a thoughtful conversation about delayed diagnosis, identity, frustration, adapting to life with MS, and building a completely different chapter than the one you expected. LinksLivology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)If you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcastMore about ChrisInstagramBook: Sick to Death
-
Anxiety and Chronic Illness 11.05.2026 37хвAnxiety can feel very different when you live with a chronic illness. When your body has become unpredictable, your nervous system can begin to stay on high alert — scanning for symptoms, preparing for worst-case scenarios, and struggling to fully relax.In this episode, we explore the relationship between chronic illness and anxiety through a psychological lens. We discuss hypervigilance, uncertainty, medical trauma, health anxiety, and why anxiety often makes sense in the context of living with an unpredictable body. We also share practical and compassionate strategies to help manage anxiety without minimising the very real experiences that can drive it.Links Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
Interview with Amy: Being a Doctor, MS, Long Covid and Job Loss 07.05.2026 52хвWhat does it take to keep going when your body, your career, and your identity all shift at once? In today's episode, we sit down with Amy, a doctor from the UK who has lived that very question. Her story begins in 2011 weeks before her wedding when she woke up, unable to feel half her body as a doctor. She suspected multiple sclerosis. Getting anyone to take her seriously was another story. We follow her through years of symptoms. She pushed aside a clinically isolated syndrome diagnosis, and then 2020 when long COVID left her bedridden with dangerously low oxygen levels and unable to work. What followed was loss on multiple fronts, her job, her partnership, and a close friendship. Amy speaks openly about the PTSD that followed the grief of losing a career she loved and the slow, messy process of rebuilding. She also reflects on how becoming a patient changed the way she practices medicine and the advocacy work. She's since stepped into speaking up for those with invisible chronic illness, a conversation about illness identity, and finding your way through it.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
Fatigue and how to explain it 04.05.2026 31хвFatigue is one of the most common—and misunderstood—parts of living with a chronic illness. In this episode, we unpack what fatigue really is (hint: it’s not just being tired), why it happens, and why it can feel so unpredictable and overwhelming. Drawing on both our clinical work and lived experience, we explore the physical, cognitive, and emotional layers of fatigue—and the science behind it.We also revisit themes from our early episode “I get tired too”, where we looked at the impact of comparisons and (mostly) well-meaning misunderstandings.Most importantly, we share practical ways to explain fatigue to others—so you can feel better understood, set clearer boundaries, and reduce that frustrating gap between how you feel and how you’re perceived.Whether you live with fatigue or support someone who does, this episode will help make the invisible, visible.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
An Interview with Devon - Early Onset Parkinson's 30.04.2026 49хвWhat does it feel like to be 35 years old, living abroad, building a career you love, and then having a doctor tell you in five minutes that you have Parkinson's disease? Today's guest, Devon, was doing exactly that, working in refugee protection across the globe when a small tremor in her right hand at a late night dinner in Greece changed everything. In this conversation, Devin opens up about what it's really like to live with early onset Parkinson's. The shock of a diagnosis that most people don't face until their sixties, the years of quietly carrying it, while continuing to do deeply meaningful work and the tension between what others see and what's happening underneath. She reflects on identity being viewed differently and what it's like to move through the world when your life no longer fits the expected timeline and how she's been making sense of that in her own way. We hope you enjoy.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
Disability Tax and the Inconvenience of Chronic Illness 27.04.2026 30хвEver feel like you’re doing the same things as everyone else… but it somehow costs you more? Welcome to the disability tax. In this episode, Sally and Seona unpack the invisible price of living with a chronic health condition — and spoiler: it’s not just about money.We’re talking energy, time, mental load, emotions, identity, and yes, the literal financial hit too. From the effort it takes just to leave the house, to the constant background calculations of “can I do this and what will it cost me later?” — this episode names the stuff so many people feel but struggle to explain.Because when it’s unnamed, it often turns into guilt, shame, or feeling “behind.”This is your reminder: you’re not failing — you’re carrying more.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
This Isn't Fair 20.04.2026 32хвThere’s a thought that shows up at some point for most people living with a chronic illness: “This isn’t fair.”In this episode, we explore where that thought comes from, why it’s so common — especially early on — and why it can continue to resurface over time. We unpack the idea of fairness itself, the emotional weight behind comparison and lost expectations, and how this thought shows up across identity, relationships, work, and parenting.This isn’t about trying to “fix” the feeling or force positivity. It’s about understanding it, making space for it, and finding a way to hold it without letting it take over.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
Should I Have Kids? 13.04.2026 37хвDeciding whether to have kids is a big question — and when you’re living with a chronic health condition, it can feel even more complex. In this episode of But You Look So Good, psychologists Sally and Seona explore the emotional, practical, and deeply personal layers of this decision. From navigating “what ifs” and uncertainty, to managing other people’s opinions and your own self-doubt, they unpack the realities many don’t talk about.This isn’t about telling you what to do — it’s about helping you reflect on what matters most to you. Whether you’re firmly undecided, leaning one way, or simply curious, this conversation offers validation, honesty, and compassion.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
Being “Othered” - On the Outside Looking In 06.04.2026 32хвIn this episode, we talk about the experience of being “othered” — what it is, why it hurts so much, and why so many people with chronic health conditions experience it. We explore the psychological impact of feeling different, the shame that often comes with it, and how to build a life where different does not mean alone.We also talk about the identity shift that often comes with chronic illness, the experience of living in the in‑between space, and the grief that can come from no longer fitting into your old life but not yet knowing where you fit now. This episode is about belonging, identity, shame, and learning to build a life that fits your capacity rather than trying to force yourself to fit a life that doesn’t.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
Unicorn Standards — The Pressure to Be Everything, Even When You’re Struggling 30.03.2026 32хвThe pressure to hold it all together, keep achieving, and be “fine” - even when your body is anything but.In this episode, we explore the idea of “unicorn standards” - the often invisible, unrelenting expectations we place on ourselves to do more, be more, and cope better than is realistically possible.When you’re living with a chronic health condition, these standards can become even harsher… leaving you feeling like you’re constantly falling short, no matter how much you’re carrying.This episode is a gentle unpacking of where these standards come from, the cost of holding onto them, and how to begin softening them in a way that honours your current capacity - not some idealised version of who you think you should be.If you’ve ever felt exhausted from trying to meet impossible expectations, this one is for you.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
Cancer can be a chronic health condition - An interview with Sarah 23.03.2026 31хвToday we’re speaking with Sarah, a 45-year-old woman from Perth who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 after a routine mammogram. While Sarah is now cancer-free after a year of intensive treatment, her story highlights a reality that often goes unspoken: being cancer-free doesn’t always mean being free of cancer.In this conversation, Sarah talks about the experience of living in the space between illness and health, the pressure to appear “fine” when life has changed, and how cancer can become a chronic health condition — something you live with, not just something you go through.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
Loneliness and Isolation living with a chronic health condition 16.03.2026 30хвLoneliness and isolation are experiences many people describe when living with a chronic health condition. Sometimes it’s the reality of relationships changing or people drifting away. Other times, it’s a quieter loneliness - the feeling of being surrounded by people who care, yet still feeling alone in an experience that others may not fully understand. In this episode, we explore what loneliness can feel like when you’re living with a chronic condition, why it happens, and some gentle ways people begin to reconnect - with others and with themselves - even while life has changed.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
An Interview with Sophie - Navigating Hearing Loss and a Changed World 09.03.2026 43хвIn this episode we speak with Sophie, who shares her story of navigating multiple health diagnoses from her teenage years and the profound life changes that followed, including losing her hearing in her 20s.Sophie reflects on how these experiences reshaped the way she communicates, connects with others, and understands herself. We talk about identity, relationships, loneliness, and the unexpected ways people adapt when life changes in ways they never anticipated.This is a thoughtful and honest conversation about learning new ways to move through the world.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
-
To Those Who Love Us - What it’s really like to love someone whose life, body, or identity has changed 02.03.2026 35хвWhat it’s really like to love someone whose life, body, or identity has changedThis episode is for the people who stay - partners, friends, parents, siblings - who are trying to love someone whose life has changed, and quietly wonder if they’re getting it right.We talk about what it actually feels like on both sides of change: the grief that sits heavily, the awkwardness that can creep into conversations, the way reassurance can miss the mark, and why things can feel harder even when someone “looks okay.”This isn’t an episode about fixing, advising, or doing love perfectly.It’s about understanding, presence, and learning how to stand beside someone when certainty disappears.If you love someone whose body, identity, or life looks different than it once did - and you’re trying to find your place in that - this episode is for you.Livology (Psychology - Private Practice)MS: Get Your Head Around It! (Online Course)But You’ll Be OK (Online Course)Webinars and ResourcesIf you need any support after listening to our podcast, you can contact Lifeline in Australia at 13 11 14, available 24/7. For support in other locations, please visit Befrienders Worldwide.Instagram @butyoulooksogoodpodcast
Популярний у
Цей подкаст також потрапляв у чарти подкастів у цих країнах.