Starfish Diaries

Liz McKean
  • 5.0 (4)
  • MENTAL HEALTH

Starfish Diaries is a podcast hosted by Liz McKean; hypnotist, coach, 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 frequent reminders that you are not doing it wrong (any of it). 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! 

  1. 2D AGO

    The problem with rock-bottom promises

    Remember when Chandler proposed to Monica (the first time)... because he was sorry? Thank goodness she said no, right? In this episode, I'm talking about rock bottom promises, a.k.a. those changes you swear you'll make... because you're sorry. And we do this all the time! Even when it's a great promise with positive potential, the motivation of "sorry" or any type of short-lived pain is unlikely to make it stick. In this episode, we explore: Why motivation matters The cycle of regret → promise → repeat (especially in addiction and relationships)How subconscious triggers quietly run the showHow subconscious work like hypnosis can help interrupt automatic responses at the actual causeThis episode is about moving from reactive regret to conscious choice, and learning how to change in a way that actually lasts. I hope you enjoy! Learn more at LizMcKean.com. Sign up for my newsletter for all the latest here! You can also connect with me on Instagram @starfishhypnosis, or send me an email at Liz@LizMckean.com. I'd love to hear from you! All my love and gratitude for this podcast's beautiful cover design, created by the very best & most magical Mo Houston of JoyScout Studio And podcast production/editing masterfully done by Sean Gritters. You can reach Sean by emailing seangritters@gmail.com

    27 min

  2. FEB 6

    Doing our best when things are SO FRIGGIN HARD

    Today I come to you as my messy, sick, overwhelmed, very human, and ever-hopeful real-life self! And oh hey- I have a new Instagram page! It is barely birthed but I hope you follow along. Just look for the handle @starfishhypnosis (or click the link). I plan to share more in depth hypnosis & how-to-feel-better content in this new space, and I can't wait to connect with you there. (I'll still post on @starfishyoga with more general life things and, well, mostly my dog.) Back to the pod! In this episode, we explore: Doing your best is enough!Why focusing on what’s right in front of us can be grounding when the world feels heavy (and heavy it is)The difference between ignoring hard things vs. tending to yourself inside themHow joy and struggle can exist at the same time, and must.Things I hope you remember: You don’t have to be “fine” and if the best you can do is work on feeling better in this moment, that's perfectFeeling overwhelmed is a valid response to living in this worldNothing’s forever. Even this.We can do hard things, we can feel joy- and we must.Learn more at LizMcKean.com. Sign up for my newsletter for all the latest here! You can also connect with me on Instagram @starfishhypnosis, or send me an email at Liz@LizMckean.com. I'd love to hear from you! All my love and gratitude for this podcast's beautiful cover design, created by the very best & most magical Mo Houston of JoyScout Studio And podcast production/editing masterfully done by Sean Gritters. You can reach Sean by emailing seangritters@gmail.com

    21 min

  3. JAN 23

    Let the big feelings flow

    We're digging into emotions- why they are good, when they are hard and how they are forever inconvenient.  The wild and wide distance between a real life problem and the body’s reaction to itWhy an out-of-proportion panic response is not personal failure, it's actually incredibly wise (albeit terribly inconvenient)A Kumail Nanjiani joke that perfectly frames this emotional mismatch (his Netflix special is fabulous btw- not affiliated btw)Lessons from therapy in the realm of feeling the real emotion as opposed to intellectualizing it (rude)The lifelong, LOUD messages we absorb, all demanding we tone down and tidy up our feelingsHow numbing keeps us from the full spectrum of being alive, and how critical it is to feel it all, especially now. Here's to feeling it all. I'll be on my bedroom floor, crying to my "big feelings" playlist.  Love ya. Learn more at LizMcKean.com. Sign up for my newsletter for all the latest here! You can also connect with me on Instagram @starfishhypnosis, or send me an email at Liz@LizMckean.com. I'd love to hear from you! All my love and gratitude for this podcast's beautiful cover design, created by the very best & most magical Mo Houston of JoyScout Studio And podcast production/editing masterfully done by Sean Gritters. You can reach Sean by emailing seangritters@gmail.com

    32 min

  4. JAN 16

    Breaking our own rules of identity & remembering who TF you are

    Holy crap we're 21 episodes in!  Today I'm digging back in to the topic of identity, how cool and also frustrating that our brains make rules to keep us safe... and more things like this: identity (and how much of mine was wrapped up in a job title)what happens emotionally when you step away from something that once defined youthe subconscious “rules” that decide whether we feel worthy or safewhy re-programming those rules matters, and is totally possiblewhat it means to choose authenticity, presence, and self-given permission over external validationThe world is better because you’re in it my friend. Let's talk about change, self-acceptance, and remembering that who you are is So. Much. Bigger. than what you do. Learn more at LizMcKean.com. Sign up for my newsletter for all the latest here! You can also connect with me on Instagram @starfishhypnosis, or send me an email at Liz@LizMckean.com. I'd love to hear from you! All my love and gratitude for this podcast's beautiful cover design, created by the very best & most magical Mo Houston of JoyScout Studio And podcast production/editing masterfully done by Sean Gritters. You can reach Sean by emailing seangritters@gmail.com

    39 min

  5. JAN 9

    Loving the sweet & soft AND the strong & stable

    Are you sweet, soft, and flexible? Or strong, stable, and rigid?  Spoiler... we're all both. We need both. Physically, emotionally, mentally, we need the sukha and the sthira.  That's the focus of my convo today- hope you enjoy! Learn more at LizMcKean.com. Sign up for my newsletter for all the latest here! You can also connect with me on Instagram @starfishhypnosis, or send me an email at Liz@LizMckean.com. I'd love to hear from you! All my love and gratitude for this podcast's beautiful cover design, created by the very best & most magical Mo Houston of JoyScout Studio And podcast production/editing masterfully done by Sean Gritters. You can reach Sean by emailing seangritters@gmail.com

    26 min

  6. 12/31/2025

    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 here. We lean in to reflection, grace, and permission to be human. ...All of which are counterintuitive to my natural brain chemistry, which is why a discussion is warranted. In this episode, we talk about these nuggets and more: What old journals/checklists/photos (including screenshots) can teach us about how far we’ve comeWhy we’re so hard on past versions of ourselves (and how I am working to soften that, cringe-worthy moments and all)How “shoulds” are weighing us down.... and a practice I found that is grounded in I can and I AM instead of I shouldA few things I hope you take from this convo: We’re just so eternally, embarrassingly, and yet perfectly human. We all do the best we can with what we have. You, me, everybody.Everything is made up. All of it. So might as well be you, do you, love you.Learn more at LizMcKean.com. Sign up for my newsletter for all the latest here! You can also connect with me on Instagram @starfishhypnosis, or send me an email at Liz@LizMckean.com. I'd love to hear from you! All my love and gratitude for this podcast's beautiful cover design, created by the very best & most magical Mo Houston of JoyScout Studio And podcast production/editing masterfully done by Sean Gritters. You can reach Sean by emailing seangritters@gmail.com

    30 min

  7. 12/26/2025

    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: Why we all experience anxiety, addiction, and healing incredibly differentlyWhat happens when our true need are overridden by societal expectationsHow addiction (of any kind) can quietly shrink where joy is allowed to liveWhy “feeling better” doesn’t have a universal formulaThe role of yoga and hypnosis in reconnecting with your body and inner wisdom What it looks like to choose your path instead of forcing yourself into someone else’sWhy self-acceptance often requires unlearning what we’ve been taughtReminders I want you to hear clearly: Your body is for youYou are incredibly uniqueYou get to decideYou deserve to feel betterThis episode is an invitation to stop comparing, stop overriding yourself, and start honoring the truth that your body and your life belong to you. Learn more at LizMcKean.com. Sign up for my newsletter for all the latest here! You can also connect with me on Instagram @starfishhypnosis, or send me an email at Liz@LizMckean.com. I'd love to hear from you! All my love and gratitude for this podcast's beautiful cover design, created by the very best & most magical Mo Houston of JoyScout Studio And podcast production/editing masterfully done by Sean Gritters. You can reach Sean by emailing seangritters@gmail.com

    41 min

  8. 12/19/2025

    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 through Friday schedule, those days have always carried extra weight for me, and I wanted to talk about why. From my kitchen. In my bathrobe. At 1pm on a Monday! I share what it’s been like learning to trust myself more, soften self-judgment, and approach these not-as-expected days with compassion instead of pressure.  I talk through the tools I actually use when anxiety tightens like a vise, why showing up imperfectly still matters, and how powerful it’s been for me to remember that I have choice in how I respond to what I’m feeling. If you hear yourself saying/thinking, “I didn’t do enough,” with some frequency, or start many-a-week already overwhelmed, I hope this episode feels like a reminder that we are doing the best we can and it IS enough. In this episode, I chat about: Why Mondays can feel emotionally charged for me (regardless of whether or not I have a traditional schedule)What it’s looked like to trust myself to get things done (eventually) without shame or panicHow self-compassion has become one of my most important mental health toolsLetting go of perfection and honoring effort, flow, and the unique way my brain worksAs always, this episode is offered with all my love and some self-reassurance that I hope helps you as well! And if you'd like to try out the tools I mention on the show, let's do a holiday hypnosis sesh! Deep discount until end of year. Learn more at LizMcKean.com. Sign up for my newsletter for all the latest here! You can also connect with me on Instagram @starfishhypnosis, or send me an email at Liz@LizMckean.com. I'd love to hear from you! All my love and gratitude for this podcast's beautiful cover design, created by the very best & most magical Mo Houston of JoyScout Studio And podcast production/editing masterfully done by Sean Gritters. You can reach Sean by emailing seangritters@gmail.com

    29 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Starfish Diaries is a podcast hosted by Liz McKean; hypnotist, coach, 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 frequent reminders that you are not doing it wrong (any of it). 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! 

Information

  • Creator
    Liz McKean
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Starfish Diaries
  • Show Website
    Starfish Diaries