Why I Became a Therapist

Hear real stories from the people behind the profession in our new podcast series.

Mental health & addictions writer

Many of the people who support others through mental health challenges, addiction or trauma have their own stories to tell.

In Why I Became a Therapist, a new podcast series from Priory, six therapists speak openly about the personal experiences that shaped them, how they found support, and how those experiences influence the work they do today.

Across the series, we explore addiction, trauma, PTSD, ADHD, menopause, eating disorder recovery, self-understanding and hope after difficult times.

These are honest conversations about what it means to struggle, recover and support others from a place of lived understanding.

Watch or listen to the series

New episodes will be released weekly from 15th September on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Episode 1: Tess’s story – ADHD & Love Addiction
Episode 2: Hannah’s story – PTSD
Episode 3: Alex’s story – Hereditary Addiction
Episode 4: Jodie’s story – ADHD & Perimenopause
Episode 5: Charlie’s story – Exercise Addiction & Eating Disorders
Episode 6: Colin’s story – Grief & Addiction

[Watch on YouTube]
[Watch or Listen on Spotify]
[Listen on Apple Podcasts]

Episode 1: Tess’s story

In the first episode of Why I became a therapist, Priory therapist Tess Ridgeway shares her personal story of anxiety, addiction, love addiction, ADHD and recovery.

Tess reflects on feeling anxious and disconnected from a young age, and how alcohol, drugs and relationships later became ways to escape difficult emotions. She also speaks about love addiction, validation, shame and the feeling of searching for something outside herself to feel okay.

A key theme in Tess’s story is self-understanding. After receiving an ADHD diagnosis later in life, she began to make sense of experiences such as overwhelm, anxiety, perfectionism, burnout and the search for quick relief.

Today, Tess’s lived experience shapes the way she supports others as a therapist. Her story is a reminder that recovery is not always linear, but support, connection and compassion can help people begin to rebuild.