Show Notes
At 18 years old, Kate Seselja walked into a pokie room for the first time. What started as a night out with friends quickly became a secret battle that would consume the next 12 years of her life. Over that time, Kate lost approximately $500,000 through refinanced mortgages, credit cards, and years of gambling losses. Alongside the financial toll came overwhelming shame, secrecy, and a desperate search for help that simply wasn't there. Despite countless attempts to stop, gambling addiction tightened its grip. Kate eventually found herself in such a dark place that she contemplated ending her life. Then she discovered she was pregnant with her sixth child. Knowing that any decision she made would also affect the life she was carrying, she couldn't go through with it. In what had become her darkest chapter, her unborn baby became the reason she held on — and the turning point that would lead her toward recovery, advocacy, and hope. But this is not where her story ends. In this powerful conversation, Kate shares the reality of gambling harm, the devastating impact it has on families, the stigma that keeps so many suffering in silence, and why she believes the burden of responsibility cannot sit entirely with those struggling with addiction. Real change, she says, requires governments, regulators and the gambling industry to step up and do more to protect vulnerable Australians. Today, Kate is a speaker, advocate, author, TEDx speaker, and founder of The Hope Project, helping others move from surviving to thriving. She speaks openly about mental wellbeing, resilience, recovery, and the changes needed to protect future generations from gambling harm. This conversation is raw, courageous, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful. Because when we bring our stories into the light, shame loses its power. 🎙️ Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. 📖 Kate's new book is available for pre-order. 💜 Learn more about The Hope Project. ✍️ Support the campaign calling for mandatory poker machine loss limits across Australia. Links below. https://www.thehopeprojectaustralia.com.au/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio https://www.change.org/p/losslimitsnotlostlives-enforce-loss-limits-on-all-australian-poker-machines/actions
More from In The Heart Of The Vault
Sometimes, understanding the parent you’ve become means going back to the child you once were.
What happens when the person you’ve spent years waiting for finally comes home — but life doesn’t look anything like you imagined?
Bronte met her childhood sweetheart at 15. They married at 19, had their first baby at 21, followed by another child and then twins.
There’s something I’ve always loved about being a mum…Seeing the world through my children’s eyes.This is actually the third time Evie has joined me on the podcast, but this conversation was completely different.We sat down and talked about what it’s actually like to be 19 — almost 20 — today.Dating. Friendships. Social media. Going out. Drinking (or not drinking). Growing into yourself. The conversations we have as mum and daughter. The things she thinks about that I never would have thought about at her age.And what I loved most was hearing her perspective.Because sometimes, as parents, we think our job is to teach our children.But I honestly believe our kids are some of our biggest teachers.They challenge the way we see the world. They open our minds. And they give us a perspective we simply can’t get anywhere else.And I feel incredibly lucky that Evie and I have always had such open communication. That openness even extends to her friends, who will sit and talk to me about things too.But I also know that not every young person has that person they feel safe enough to talk to.So this conversation isn’t just for mums and daughters.It’s for parents, carers, siblings, grandparents — anyone who loves a young person and wants to understand a little more about the world they’re growing up in.Just a really honest, funny and sometimes surprising conversation about LIFE at 19.And I think you’ll love hearing it through her eyes. ❤️
Some promises never end. At Josiah’s funeral, Jessica made her little boy two promises: “I will honour you by the way I live my life.” “And I will always speak your name.” Today, she keeps that promise. After a long journey through IVF, Jessica and her husband Josh welcomed their precious son, Josiah. Born tiny but deeply loved, he spent seven weeks changing their world forever. In this conversation, Jessica shares what life looks like after baby loss—the shock, the silence, the ache of empty arms, and the reality of returning to a world that keeps moving while yours has stopped. But more than anything, she speaks about something every bereaved parent deserves: Permission to keep talking about their child. So often, grieving parents swallow their words because they’re afraid of making others uncomfortable. Jessica reminds us that love doesn’t end because a life was short. Josiah is her son. His life matters. His story matters. I hope this conversation helps anyone walking the impossible road of grief feel just a little less alone. Thank you, Jessica, for trusting me with your heart. And thank you to Josh, who has walked every step of this journey beside you, carrying Josiah’s love and legacy together. Josiah’s life was seven weeks long. His impact is lifelong 🤍