Healing Out Loud: A Guided Self-Discovery Podcast

Sometimes, the work you’ve done comes back to test you. You think you’ve outgrown certain patterns… until one day, they find you again. That’s what Episode #2 of Healing Out Loud is all about — The Red Arc. It’s that charged space between awareness and reaction, where your body remembers before your mind does. This isn’t regression. It’s recognition — and proof that you’re human. 🎧 Listen to Epis...

I’ve learned something unexpected about healing…sometimes, the message doesn’t land until you hear it. For years, I’ve poured my heart into writing. Stories. Essays. Reflections. Words that have carried me (and hopefully, you) through seasons of healing, uncertainty, and growth. But lately, I’ve been hearing something from the people I work with: “Susan, I needed to hear your voice.” It caught me...

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit susanshier.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit susanshier.substack.com/subscribe

Lately, I’ve been busy simply ‘being’, enjoying a quieter version of myself. Less action. More ease. More listening. And while I haven’t been as visible—fewer emails, fewer Substack & LinkedIn posts, fewer big projects—something real has been happening during this time. Reading True and False Magic by Phil Stutz gave me language for what I’ve been feeling. He writes about the Life Force —a foundat...

I sometimes enter a mental (overthinking) space where I no longer own my mind. I feel a quick twitch of anxiety. Suddenly, I know I’m not in charge of my mind like I was before. I hate not being in control. I quickly work to tell myself it’s all going to be ok - it’s a moment. A reaction to recent events. Ride it…you know how. My thoughts spiral. My chest tightens. The stories start looping. I’ve...

I’ve worked with someone who was affected by high-functioning anxiety and procrastinates their decision-making. Their relentless ‘on’ mentality does not lead others by providing a healthy example of balance, and their self-care is practically non-existent. For years, I worked in  corporate America  and saw firsthand how  executives  wore the mask of “I’ve got it all together” while privately battl...

You don’t need less stress . You need more stability inside yourself. Here’s the truth most people don’t say out loud: No one escapes the storm. Not the smart. Not the spiritual. Not even the strong. And when you don’t know how to regulate? Every little thing wrecks you. Before I learned how to regulate my emotions, I was constantly one bad moment away from spiraling. One frustrating conversation?...

Link to book a complimentary consult to see if we are a good fit for each other. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit susanshier.substack.com/subscribe

I woke up today feeling… off . Instead of pushing it down, I decided to sit with it, to see what my body and mind were trying to tell me. And what I realized? Anxiety isn’t a stop sign—it’s information. In this episode, I break down:✅ Why anxiety shows up when we step into something new✅ How my old triggers resurfaced in this launch✅ What I’m doing in real time to shift how I respond What’s one...

For most of my life, I believed I had to be strong. ✔ I had to keep pushing through ✔ I had to stay productive ✔ I had to prove my worth If I could work harder , if I could just be more chill , if I could just figure it all out , then maybe—just maybe—I’d finally feel better . But no matter what I did, I always ended up in the same place— stuck, drained, replaying old hurts on a loop in my head. A...

For most of my life, I was the strong one . The reliable one . The one who could handle anything —or at least, that’s what I let people believe. I thought that if I just kept it together, stayed productive, and pushed through , I’d be okay. And for a while? The mask worked. ✔ I knew how to smile , even when I was struggling. ✔ I knew how to be “fine” , even when I felt like I was drowning. ✔ I kne...

Until I realized I was fighting the wrong battle. For years, I thought the only way to feel better was to fix my broken self. I spent my whole life trying to turn myself into something else — Trying to be less anxious, less emotional, less "too much." Trying to overcome my self-doubt, my overthinking, my sensitivity. Trying to eliminate the parts of me that felt messy, broken, or inconvenient. I s...

You don’t remember putting the mask on. It’s just… always been there. The capable, composed, high-functioning version of you that shows up every day, handles everything, and keeps going—no matter what. At some point, it stopped being a mask and became who you are. But then, something happens. ✔ Someone asks how you’re really doing, and you hesitate—because the truth feels too messy to say out loud...

My mental health has always been a challenge for me, but it really took a hit when I had major surgery in the Fall, lost my mom in March, and then lost my job in April of this year. To say I was beyond overwhelmed with everything going on is an understatement. So much loss. So much grief. It would be a huge uphill battle I wasn’t sure I had the strength to endure. An exercise routine is one of the...