In this episode of Frankly Speaking with Lynne Franks and Friends, Lynne is joined by her friend Stella Duffy, discussing her multi-faceted career, from actor to director to author to practicing psychotherapist. They also discuss their close family connection and Stella’s journey to health and personal happiness.

The two share their experiences in their practise of Buddhism, how Stella created spaces for community storytelling and take a close look at post menopause - shifting the conversation from it being just purely a medical experience but also a societal, cultural, psychological and emotional experience.

Stella Duffy is an award-winning writer of seventeen novels, over seventy short stories and fourteen plays. She worked in theatre for over thirty-five years as an actor, director and facilitator. She is the co-founder and until January 2021 was co-director of the Fun Palaces campaign supporting community-led connection, with over 750,000 local participants across the UK. She received the OBE for Services to the Arts in 2016. She is also a yoga teacher and runs yoga-for-writing workshops.

Stella is in the third year of a doctorate training in Existential Psychotherapy, her research is in the embodied experience of postmenopausal. Alongside her private psychotherapy practice, she works in an NHS cancer support service and a low-cost community mental health service. As a campaigner Stella was on the founding steering committee of the Women’s Equality Party, has worked for LGBTQ+ equalities for many decades, and is a member of Gateway Women’s

Childless Elderwomen, the #NoMoCrones.

If you like what you hear, and want to find out more about our community of like-minded women who believe in living and working in alignment with the feminine values of collaboration, authenticity and most of all, love, you can learn more at seednetwork.com and join the community in the SEED Hub Club by visiting theseedhub.club.

You can find Lynne on Instagram @lynnejfranks, Facebook @lynnefranksobe, Twitter @Lynne_Franks, and LinkedIn @Lynne Franks OBE.

Music by Joolz Barker