Starfish Diaries
The Starfish Diaries is a podcast hosted by Liz McKean; coach, consultant, yoga teacher, recovery & mental health advocate, and lover of metaphors.
Inspired by "The Starfish Story," you can expect to hear personal stories, insightful reflections, and gentle reminders that you are not doing it wrong. Your joy, your work, your healing, and your desire for something more matters.
This is an invitation to make your life a place you want to be. Tools to envision what that even looks like. And permission to want it!
A better world begins with people who believe it's possible. And I promise, my sweet Starfish, that it IS possible.
Episodes
20 episodes
New Year.... True You
It’s the obligatory New Year episode of Starfish Diaries! Dropping this one early in case you want to hang out with me in your ears before the ball drops. Or after. Or anytime!But we don't do the "new year, new you" nonsense up in...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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29:36
Un-learning the rules on how to feel better
In this episode of Starfish Diaries, I’m talking about uniqueness; how deeply individual our bodies, minds, needs, and paths to feeling better actually are… and why honoring that matters so much.In this episode, we'll explore:<...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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40:59
I'm fine, you’re fine, we're fine: Compassion for bathrobe Mondays
In this episode of Starfish Diaries, I’m getting honest about anxiety, ADHD, and the particular heaviness that tends to show up in a big way on Sundays and Mondays. Even in seasons of my life when I haven’t worked a traditional Monday ...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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29:09
Hypnosis and Anxiety: rewiring old patterns to feel better, faster
Holiday Hypnosis sessions are deeply discounted until December 31st! Grab one here while they last.In today’s episode, I’m talking honestly about my experience with anxiety and panic- how it sh...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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30:48
Lessons from my dog: Unshame Your Coping
Quick announcement! Holiday Hypnosis sessions are suuuuper discounted when purchased between now and December 31, 2025. They will never be this price again so grab a little slice of peace for yourself...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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26:11
Crowd out the misery, not the joy.
In this episode of Starfish Diaries, I’m talking about something I think we all feel but rarely name out loud: the hard-to-ignore dread that creeps in when something in our life is out of alignment. It feels heavy in your chest, steals your joy...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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26:16
Your inner button-pusher is not the enemy!
In this episode, I dive into one of my favorite topics: coping mechanisms. These are the things we do, in spite of efforts to stop, to get through the hard parts of being human. We talk about the shame that gets layered on top of our coping, wh...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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31:23
Choices, Safety, and Access
I have a website at last, and one you can use to learn more about how to work with me! Check it out at LizMcKean.comToday I am talking about my three non-negotiable values: choice, safety, and access ...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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26:27
Let's not play the shame game
Shame has such a sneaky way of showing up in our lives, and in this episode I talk about why I'm over it. Shame lives in the corners, in the cravings, in the habits we swear we’ll quit tomorrow. Let's dig into why shame feels so heavy… and why ...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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23:34
Safety, tsunamis, and surfing
In this episode, we're talking about what it really means to feel safe- not just physically, but emotionally and energetically. I open up about my own experiences with anxiety and the ways it can quietly shape our choices, our relationships, an...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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26:13
No more chasing gold stars
In this episode, I explore why reaching out for support can feel uncomfortable, especially for people who grew up believing they had to be independent, endlessly capable, and effortlessly successful to have value. I open up about my lifelong ch...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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31:02
More on the art of asking for help
In this conversation, I explore what it really means to ask for help... the kind of ask that stretches your heart a little and asks you to trust yourself first. I talk about how my relationship with asking for help has evolved through recovery ...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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27:54
Sneaking spinach in the smoothie
In this episode, I tell stories from teaching yoga, and share some of my tools and tricks to help people get out of their head and into their bodies even during the most challenging time of life. We explore the healing power of connection, brea...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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23:08
The Dragonfly Diaries
We are back after a week away! Buckle up, because today I am coming in hot with a metaphor that I cannot wait to share. Have you ever heard the story of how a dragonfly becomes a dragonfly? I hadn't- and after this episode you will ...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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18:51
Strength in seeking support
This is a snack sized episode about something that hasn’t always come naturally to me: asking for help. Maybe you can relate! For a long time, I thought I had to figure everything out on my own, but life (and recovery) has taught me that seekin...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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14:35
Anxiety, Intuition, and The Guinea Pig Feeling
Sometimes anxiety makes decision-making feel impossible. Other times, clarity shows up when you'd least expect it. This week on Starfish Diaries, I talk about the messy middle; learning to trust our gut, honor our feelings, and build the suppor...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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24:03
The (first) one about recovery
This episode is the first of several about recovery, alcohol use, addiction (and whatever else you want to call it), and it's one I'm especially eager to share with you. I've told my story on many-a-podcast, but it feels different when it's my ...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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24:13
You can't steal a Self
In this episode of Starfish Diaries, we explore the complex concept of identity; who we are, who people think we are, and ever-evolving language we use to make sense of it all. A recent experience of literal identity theft (shudder) has me thin...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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28:51
A very good place to start
Welcome to episode 1! In this conversation, we'll talk about the concept of choice, emphasizing the importance of self-trust. Take a peek into my experience of addiction and recovery, alongside lessons learned & practiced on the yoga mat.&n...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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23:34