Join me in conversation with the queer actor, comedian, playwright and podcaster, Tino Orsini. We talk about immigrating to the UK, coming out, mental health difficulties, addiction, the importance of sharing our stories as queer people and his deeply personal and intimate play, Ghosts of West Hollywood.

Tino Orsini has deep roots in theatre and has performed in festivals including Edinburgh Fringe, Vault Festival, Voila! Festival, and the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival, building a reputation for bold, character-driven work. He is performing Ghosts of West Hollywood in London this June and then in Edinburgh in August.

In this episode I speak with Alexis Gregory, a queer playwright and performer, on topics such as:

• his play Smoke, including what it's been like to write and perform it,
• theatre,
• art,
• queer community,
• queer mental health,
• addiction,
• psychosis,
• the feel of community spaces over time
• and how we can support each other.

You can see that, like his new play, Smoke, we don't shy away from talking about some difficult things. Of course there are many different experiences that people in the queer community have and pieces of art like Smoke can be brilliant conversation starters and it is our hope that this can be part of the deepening conversation around queer mental health.

• You can find dates and tickets for Smoke on tour 2026 here: https://linktr.ee/AlexisGregory
• My website: www.caroledianecoaching.co.uk
• My email address: office@caroledianecoaching.co.uk

With the Frozen franchise, we focus on Elsa a lot. In this episode we look at what we can learn from turning some of that focus onto Anna so that we can learn from both characters at the same time. F*ck Elsa is not because there's anything wrong with her, it's just that we get a richer and more balanced view from considering her and Anna at the same time. Covering Frozen 2 in an episode was requested by a listener and I really hope they find something interesting and original in this. I certainly found a different narrative than I had been expecting!
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Website: www.caroledianecoaching.co.uk
Email: office@caroledianecoaching.co.uk

• Have you ever felt like you're going crazy? Like your emotional experience is so intense, overwhelming, scary and out of control that you surely have to be crazy or something?
• Do you sometimes need to check with others that you're reacting in a "normal" or "acceptable" way?
• Are you sometimes holding back your feelings and not sharing them with others because you don't want to be criticised for experiencing different feelings to what they might accept or approve of?

In today's episode we look at all of these and more. We delve into what the difference is between emotions and feelings, why we might experience our feelings as scary and what we can do about it. So join me, Carole (they/them), in this exploration. --- You can find more of my content over on my website https://www.caroledianecoaching.co.uk and you can always email me at office@caroledianecoaching.co.uk with any reflections, comments and questions

• Having fulfilling relationships is important for our mental health and today we're looking at the different types of relationships asexuals enjoy. There are a lot of misconceptions around asexuality and relationships so this podcast episode is here to take some of they mystery out of it and give an honest overview of what types of relationships asexuals can look to have that they both enjoy and find fulfilling. If you know someone who is asexual, this can give you insight into some of the things you might want to ask.
• If you haven't already, check out my Asexuality 101 article at www.caroledianecoaching.co.uk/blog/asexuality101
• Feel free to contact me via email at office@caroledianecoaching.co.uk
• Website: www.caroledianecoaching.co.uk

• Goals.
• Resolutions.
• Desires to improve something.

However you think about them, you've definitely experienced the process of setting and pursuing goals - likely with mixed success. Today we're looking at some of the key factors that will help you to achieve your goals. In this episode there's specific attention paid to instances where legitimate external obstacles make it harder for you to succeed and achieve your goal(s) because not belonging to the dominant group does make things harder. We'll also look at how the book The Power of TED* The Empowerment Dynamic can assist you - you can find out more about it here: https://theempowermentdynamic.com/about/
---- Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments ----

• Website: www.caroledianecoaching.co.uk
• Email: office@caroledianecoaching.co.uk
• Instagram: @caroledianecoaching
• Facebook: @caroledianecoaching

Today we're looking at the language used to describe the relationships that bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, polysexual and other multi-attraction spectrum people have. Can we really have a gay, lesbian or straight relationship when we aren't gay, lesbian or straight? What should we call relationships where we don't know someone's sexuality but we can observe the genders of the people in the relationship? It's an interesting topic and one that has been cropping up a lot in the world around me lately.
Website: www.caroledianecoaching.co.uk |
Email: office@caroledianecoaching.co.uk |
Instagram: www.instagram.com/caroledianecoaching |

Today we're looking at the story of Disney Pixar's 2017 film Coco with a focus on the mental health and trauma of the characters. It's a brilliant film and I am not ashamed to say that I love it more now than when I started looking at it for this podcast!
Give a listen and let me know what you think - I welcome all comments! Have a suggestion for another film or TV show for this podcast, I'm all ears!
--- Email: office@caroledianecoaching.co.uk --- Website: www.caroledianecoaching.co.uk --- Facebook: www.facebook.com/caroledianecoaching --- Instagram: www.instagram.com/caroledianecoaching