The Stone in My Shoe Podcast - Honest conversations about the hidden patterns shaping our lives.

Debbie Thompson
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  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

The Stone in My Shoe is a podcast for women who sense there's something more, but can't quite see what's keeping them stuck. Maybe you're questioning who you are, navigating a life transition, struggling with relationships, grief, burnout or self-worth, or feeling like life no longer fits. Hosted by Debbie Thompson, each episode shares honest conversations that uncover the invisible beliefs and emotional patterns shaping our lives. If you've ever felt lost, stuck, or ready for change, these stories will help you recognise your own Stone and walk through life with greater freedom.

  1. 3d ago

    I Had to Stop Abandoning Myself | Claira J on Mother Wounds, Self-Worth & Finding Your Voice

    Some of our deepest wounds don't come from dramatic moments—they come from the quiet absence of feeling truly seen. In this deeply honest conversation, Claira J shares how growing up longing for emotional connection with her mother shaped the way she viewed herself, her relationships, and her worth. For years she searched for validation outside herself, believing she had to earn love by becoming who everyone else needed her to be. As a performer, singer, and vocal coach, Jay eventually discovered that finding her voice wasn't just about standing on stage—it was about learning to trust herself, stop self-abandoning, and choose herself in the smallest everyday moments. This conversation explores what happens when we stop waiting for someone else to give us the love we've always needed. If you've ever struggled with people-pleasing, questioned your worth, or felt caught between who you are and who others expected you to be, you'll find yourself in this conversation. In this episode, you'll hear about: Mother wounds and their lasting impact Self-abandonment and people-pleasing Learning to trust your own voice Why validation from others never truly heals us Choosing yourself without guilt Healing through curiosity, compassion, and self-awareness Finding freedom from old relationship patterns Sometimes healing doesn't begin when someone finally understands us. Sometimes it begins when we finally understand ourselves. 👤 Guest Links Instagram (Coaching): https://www.instagram.com/clairajcoaching/ Instagram (Music): https://www.instagram.com/clairajmusic/ CONNECT WITH DEBBIE Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thestoneinmyshoe/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thestoneinmyshoe/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-thompson-b3b1b715/ Youtube-  https://www.youtube.com/@stoneinmyshoepodcast Website - https://debbiethompson.lovable.app/

    I Had to Stop Abandoning Myself | Claira J on Mother Wounds, Self-Worth & Finding Your Voice

  2. Aug 6

    Choosing Yourself Over Belonging | Ramona Kossowan on Identity, People Pleasing & Finding Yourself

    Have you ever realised you've been working so hard to belong that you've slowly lost connection with yourself? In this heartfelt conversation, Debbie Thompson sits down with Ramona Kossowan to explore the quiet moments that often become life's biggest turning points. For many midlife women, an identity change doesn't begin with a crisis. It begins with a quiet feeling that something no longer fits. Ramona shares how years of striving, saying yes, and fearing she might miss out eventually led her to recognise a deeper truth: the life she was creating no longer felt aligned with who she really was. Instead of forcing outcomes, she began listening to her intuition, letting go of what felt wrong, and discovering an unexpected sense of relief. This episode is for women navigating identity, finding yourself, life transitions, people pleasing, relationship patterns, and that quiet feeling that you've spent so long looking after everyone else that you've forgotten what you truly want. In this episode we explore: Identity and identity change Finding yourself again after years of putting others first People pleasing and relationship patterns Emotional healing through self-awareness Self-worth beyond external validation Authenticity and living in alignment Personal growth through self-trust Letting go of fear and embracing purpose Choosing peace over constant striving Recognising the patterns that keep us disconnected from ourselves Sometimes transformation doesn't begin by becoming someone new. Sometimes it begins by giving yourself permission to stop abandoning who you've always been. 👤 Guest Links Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ramonakcoaching Website: www.ramonakcoaching.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramona-kossowan-380ba66a/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RamonaKCoaching YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ramonakcoaching CONNECT WITH DEBBIE Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thestoneinmyshoe/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thestoneinmyshoe/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-thompson-b3b1b715/ Youtube-  https://www.youtube.com/@stoneinmyshoepodcast Website - https://debbiethompson.lovable.app/

    Choosing Yourself Over Belonging | Ramona Kossowan on Identity, People Pleasing & Finding Yourself

  3. Jul 31

    When the Life You Built No Longer Feels Like You | Audra Phelps on Identity, Intuition & Letting Go

    Have you ever looked at your life and quietly wondered… "How did I get so far away from myself?"  In this deeply honest conversation, Audra Phelps shares how years of living within clearly defined roles slowly left her disconnected from herself. As a wife, mother and committed member of the Mormon church, she did everything she believed was expected of her—until anxiety, curiosity and unexpected life changes began asking questions she could no longer ignore. Rather than one dramatic turning point, Audra describes a series of quiet awakenings: returning to university, discovering supportive friendships beyond her church community, moving overseas, and finding enough space to examine beliefs she had never questioned before. This episode is for women navigating a midlife identity shift, life transitions, people-pleasing, emotional disconnection, or the quiet feeling that the life they've built no longer reflects who they truly are. It's a conversation about finding yourself again, learning to trust your inner voice, and creating a life that feels aligned with who you are today. In this episode you'll hear about: Living through roles that slowly eclipse your sense of self. The connection between anxiety and unexamined expectations. Why creating physical and emotional space can change your perspective. Learning to trust your own inner voice. Rebuilding identity with curiosity rather than certainty. Every turning point begins with one honest question. Topics Covered Midlife identity shift Finding yourself again Women trusting their intuition Identity beyond roles Emotional disconnection Anxiety and self-awareness Life transitions for women Personal transformation story Midlife awakening Self-discovery after 40 Building a life aligned with your values Faith transition and identity Every turning point begins with one honest question. Perhaps this conversation will help you ask your own. 👤 Connect with Audra Phelps Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamaaudra Website: https://mamaaudra.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audra-phelps-b422786a/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571178607920 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Mama-Audra CONNECT WITH DEBBIE Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thestoneinmyshoe/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thestoneinmyshoe/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-thompson-b3b1b715/ Youtube-  https://www.youtube.com/@stoneinmyshoepodcast Website - https://debbiethompson.lovable.app/

    When the Life You Built No Longer Feels Like You | Audra Phelps on Identity, Intuition & Letting Go

  4. Jul 23

    When Your Body Holds an Unspoken Truth | Lina Lambertini on Healing, Identity & Embodiment

    What if the symptoms you've been trying to fix are actually carrying a message you've never been able to hear? In this deeply moving episode of The Stone in My Shoe, Debbie Thompson is joined by embodiment mentor and Ayurveda health consultant Lina Lambertini to explore the profound connection between our bodies, our stories, and the truths we haven't yet recognised. After years of living with unexplained illness, emotional pain, and searching for answers, Lina discovered that the "stone in the shoe" she had been carrying wasn't simply physical—it was an unspoken truth her body had been holding all along. Together, Debbie and Lina explore what it means to stop fighting our bodies and begin listening with curiosity, compassion, and courage. Their conversation is a gentle reminder that healing isn't about becoming someone different, it's about returning to who we've always been beneath the expectations, coping strategies, and stories we've carried. In this episode you'll hear: • Why the body often speaks before the mind understands. • How unspoken truths can influence our health, relationships, habits, and nervous system. • The powerful question that changed Lina's life:"Do I want to keep living like this?" • Why true healing begins with understanding yourself, not fixing yourself. • How knowing who you truly are can become the beginning of peace. Whether you're navigating a midlife transition, questioning the life you've built, or simply sensing that something inside you is asking for attention, this conversation offers hope, wisdom, and a compassionate invitation to listen more deeply. Connect with Lina Lambertini 🌐 Websitehttps://www.lina-lambertini.com 📸 Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/linalambertini/ 🌿 A Soul for a Womanhttps://www.instagram.com/asoulforawoman/ ▶️ YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@linalambertini ✍️ Substackhttps://substack.com/@linalambertini CONNECT WITH DEBBIE Facebook - ⁠https://www.facebook.com/thestoneinmyshoe/⁠  Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thestoneinmyshoe/⁠  LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-thompson-b3b1b715/⁠ Youtube-  ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@stoneinmyshoepodcast ⁠ Website - ⁠https://debbiethompson.lovable.app/

    When Your Body Holds an Unspoken Truth | Lina Lambertini on Healing, Identity & Embodiment

  5. Jul 16

    When Success Becomes Your Identity | Faith Paki on Self-Belief, Letting Go & Finding Yourself Again

    What happens when the life you've worked so hard to build no longer feels like the life you're meant to be living? In this heartfelt conversation, Debbie Thompson sits down with facilitator and Capacity Reset founder Faith Paki to explore the quiet identity shift that unfolded beneath years of professional success, leadership and achievement. From the outside, Faith's life looked successful. She was leading teams, travelling the world and helping others grow. But underneath it all was a growing sense that she had become defined by what she did rather than who she was. Everything changed when one simple question left her speechless: "What do you do?" It was the beginning of a journey back to herself. Together, Debbie and Faith explore how self-belief isn't built through extraordinary moments, but through the small promises we keep to ourselves every day. They reflect on identity, purpose, intuition, letting go of perfectionism, and learning to trust the quiet voice that had been there all along. If you've ever felt disconnected from yourself, found yourself questioning your purpose, or sensed that life is asking something different of you, this conversation will feel deeply familiar. In this episode you'll hear about: Building a successful life while quietly losing yourself. Why identity often becomes attached to our roles. The small daily choices that shape self-belief. Learning to trust yourself again. Letting go of perfectionism and control. The courage to ask, "Who am I beneath everything I do?" Why awareness is often the first step back to yourself. This conversation is a gentle reminder that you don't need to become someone new. You may simply need to remember who you've always been. 👤 Connect with Faith Paki Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/faithpaki/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/faithpaki.reset Website:https://byfaithpaki.com/ CONNECT WITH DEBBIE Facebook - ⁠https://www.facebook.com/thestoneinmyshoe/⁠  Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thestoneinmyshoe/⁠  LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-thompson-b3b1b715/⁠ Youtube-  ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@stoneinmyshoepodcast ⁠ Website - ⁠https://debbiethompson.lovable.app/

    When Success Becomes Your Identity | Faith Paki on Self-Belief, Letting Go & Finding Yourself Again

  6. Jul 9

    Living Your Dream but Still Seeking Approval | Nyasha Ngwena on Identity, Self-Worth & Trusting Yourself

    What happens when you've built the life you always dreamed of… and still don't feel free? In this deeply honest conversation, Debbie Thompson speaks with entrepreneur, investor and founder Nyasha Ngwena about the hidden patterns that shaped her life long after she had achieved the career she'd always wanted. From growing up believing she needed approval to pursue her dreams, to recognising that people-pleasing had quietly become part of her identity, Nyasha shares the powerful turning point that changed everything. Rather than blaming her circumstances, she began asking different questions—questions that led her back to herself. Together, Debbie and Nyasha explore what it means to stop performing for acceptance, reconnect with your intuition, and build a life that's aligned not just with your ambitions, but with who you truly are. If you've ever felt emotionally disconnected despite outward success, found yourself constantly seeking validation, or wondered why achieving your goals hasn't brought the peace you expected, this conversation will resonate deeply. In this episode you'll hear about: Living your dream while still seeking approval The hidden cost of people-pleasing Why self-sacrifice can become a lifelong pattern Learning to trust your intuition instead of external validation Identity, belonging and self-worth Rebuilding your relationship with yourself Creating success without abandoning who you are This episode is for women navigating identity shifts, emotional burnout, life transitions and the quiet feeling that there has to be another way to live. Sometimes the biggest turning point isn't changing your life. It's changing the story you've been telling yourself. 👤 Connect with Nyasha Personal Website: https://nyasha.koshabrands.com Instagram:https://instagram.com/beingnyasha Substack:https://substack.com/@cultivateyourknowing Aligned Wealth:https://alignedwealth.life/ YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@AlignedWealthLife Aligned Frequencies:https://music.alignedwealth.life/ CONNECT WITH DEBBIE CONNECT WITH DEBBIE Facebook - ⁠https://www.facebook.com/thestoneinmyshoe/⁠  Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thestoneinmyshoe/⁠  LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-thompson-b3b1b715/⁠ Youtube-  ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@stoneinmyshoepodcast ⁠ Website - ⁠https://debbiethompson.lovable.app/

    Living Your Dream but Still Seeking Approval | Nyasha Ngwena on Identity, Self-Worth & Trusting Yourself

  7. Jul 1

    I Thought I Was the Problem | Amanda Gorman on ADHD, Self-Blame & Learning to See Yourself Differently

    What happens when you've spent your entire life believing you're the problem? In this deeply honest conversation, Debbie Thompson sits down with Amanda Gorman, artist, ADHD advocate, TEDx speaker, founder of Distractd, and mother of two, to explore the emotional reality of living for decades without understanding why life felt harder than it seemed for everyone else. Amanda shares her experience of juggling work, parenting, caregiving, grief, and the relentless pressure to keep everything together while quietly blaming herself for struggles she couldn't explain. What begins as a conversation about ADHD becomes something much deeper. It's a conversation about identity. About the stories we create about ourselves. About carrying invisible burdens. And about the freedom that comes when understanding replaces self-judgment. Together, Debbie and Amanda explore: The emotional impact of receiving an ADHD diagnosis later in lifeThe hidden cost of masking and high-functioning coping strategiesGrief, burnout, and what happens when life becomes too heavy to carry aloneWhy many women grow up believing they're "too much" or "not enough"The difference between a character flaw and a neurological differenceLearning self-compassion after years of self-criticismWhy understanding yourself changes everythingThe powerful question: "What do I need?" This episode is for women who have spent years doing everything for everyone else while quietly questioning themselves. For women navigating life transitions, identity shifts, emotional exhaustion, people-pleasing, or the feeling that something doesn't quite fit anymore. Most of all, it's for the woman who has carried a story about herself for a very long time and is beginning to wonder if that story is actually true. Sometimes healing doesn't begin with fixing yourself. Sometimes it begins with seeing yourself differently.  GUEST LINKS Distractd: https://www.distractd.org Amanda Gorman Artist: https://www.amandagormanartist.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d_istractd/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DISTRACTD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandagormanartist/ CONNECT WITH DEBBIE Facebook - ⁠https://www.facebook.com/thestoneinmyshoe/⁠  Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thestoneinmyshoe/⁠  LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-thompson-b3b1b715/⁠ Youtube-  ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@stoneinmyshoepodcast ⁠ Website - ⁠https://debbiethompson.lovable.app/

    I Thought I Was the Problem | Amanda Gorman on ADHD, Self-Blame & Learning to See Yourself Differently

  8. Jun 29

    There Will Be Time Later | Adriana Carballo on Dreams, Intuition & the Cost of Waiting

    How many of the things that matter most have quietly been placed in the "someday" category? In this heartfelt conversation, Debbie Thompson speaks with Adriana Carballo—storyteller, community builder, founder, mother, and creator of Spark Keepers—about the dream that changed the direction of her life. What begins as a story about her grandmother's wish to see the Norwegian fjords becomes a powerful reflection on time, intuition, adventure, and the assumptions we make about the future. When Adriana lost her grandmother before that dream could happen, she was forced to confront a question many women quietly carry: What am I postponing because I believe there will always be more time? Together, Debbie and Adriana explore the emotional patterns that keep us waiting, the hidden belief that we have to do everything alone, and the courage required to stop delaying what feels most alive. This conversation is for women navigating change, questioning what matters most, or feeling the pull toward something they can no longer ignore. In this episode you'll hear about: • The story that became Adriana's "stone in her shoe" • Why the things that matter most often get pushed into the future • The hidden cost of waiting for the perfect time • Learning to receive support instead of doing everything alone • Following a dream before certainty arrives • Creating space for joy, adventure, and possibility • What it means to become enchanted with your own life again Sometimes the stone isn't there to stop us. Sometimes it's there to wake us up. As you listen, notice what stays with you. Perhaps there is something in your life that has been waiting patiently for your attention. 👤 GUEST LINKS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hola.adrianacarballo Website: https://adrianacarballo.lovable.app/ Spark Keepers: https://spark-keepers.com/ Substack: https://adrianacarballo.substack.com CONNECT WITH DEBBIE Facebook - ⁠https://www.facebook.com/thestoneinmyshoe/⁠  Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thestoneinmyshoe/⁠  LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-thompson-b3b1b715/⁠ Youtube-  ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@stoneinmyshoepodcast ⁠ Website - ⁠https://debbiethompson.lovable.app/

    There Will Be Time Later | Adriana Carballo on Dreams, Intuition & the Cost of Waiting
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About

The Stone in My Shoe is a podcast for women who sense there's something more, but can't quite see what's keeping them stuck. Maybe you're questioning who you are, navigating a life transition, struggling with relationships, grief, burnout or self-worth, or feeling like life no longer fits. Hosted by Debbie Thompson, each episode shares honest conversations that uncover the invisible beliefs and emotional patterns shaping our lives. If you've ever felt lost, stuck, or ready for change, these stories will help you recognise your own Stone and walk through life with greater freedom.

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