Why listen to this Podcast:
Overcoming Self-Consciousness and Building Courage
In this episode of You Need a Counselor, Telana Simpson shares her personal journey from extreme self-consciousness to becoming a courage coach and author. If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by the fear of what others think, struggled to speak up in meetings, or avoided important conversations, this conversation will resonate deeply.
What You’ll Learn:
Understanding self-consciousness vs self-awareness
Discover the difference between being aware of yourself in the negative (self-consciousness) and in the positive (self-awareness), and how to shift from one to the other.
The Spotlight Effect and egocentric bias
Learn why everyone thinks the spotlight is on them, and how understanding this cognitive distortion can free you from constant self-monitoring and social anxiety.
How to have courageous conversations
Stop calling them “difficult conversations” or “confrontations.” Telana explains why language matters, how to invite people into dialogue, and how to set boundaries that protect the relationship and resolve the issue.
Cognitive distortions: the filters you don’t know you’re wearing
Understand how your thinking styles shape your perception of reality, and how recognizing these patterns gives you the power to change them.
Conditional vs unconditional self-esteem
Explore why tying your worth to achievement or approval keeps you stuck in people-pleasing and fear of conflict, and what unconditional self-worth actually looks like.
Setting one courageous goal
Learn why New Year’s resolutions fail and how to set a single, well-formed goal that stretches you and creates meaningful change over the course of a year.
Who this episode is for:
- Professionals who struggle to speak up in meetings or advocate for themselves
- Leaders who avoid difficult conversations and let issues fester
- Anyone who feels self-conscious, overthinks social situations, or fears being “found out“
- People-pleasers who want to set boundaries without guilt
- Entrepreneurs and change-makers who need to build courage to pitch ideas, ask for what they deserve, or challenge the status quo
About the Podcast: You Need a Counselor!
The host, Dr. Julie Johnson, is a licensed mental health counselor and the owner and founder of Heart and Solutions, a Strength-Based Counseling Agency. The show is co-hosted by Chrissa Hunt, their Vice President of Behavioral Health Intervention Services (BHIS).
You Need a Counselor is a podcast designed for people curious about counselling but who have barriers keeping them from experiencing the benefits of counseling. Their mission is to share stories about counseling good, bad, indifferent, and spread the message that everyone can benefit from mental health and behavioural health counselling services.
About the Guest:
Telana Simpson is a courage coach, speaker, and author of Consciously Shine: Overcoming Self-Consciousness. She helps high-performing professionals find their authentic voice, navigate courageous conversations, and lead without becoming defensive. Through her coaching, training, and [be brave] movement, Telana empowers people to stop performing competence and start owning their expertise.
Listen now to learn how to shift from self-consciousness to courageous self-expression.
