Insights from the Couch - Real Talk for Women at Midlife
Insights from the Couch is your go-to podcast for smart, self-aware women in midlife navigating perimenopause, burnout, marriage shifts, identity changes, and the emotional chaos of “What now?” Hosted by best friends and seasoned therapists Colette Fehr and Laura Bowman, this is where therapy meets real life — bold conversations, hard truths, and powerful tools to help you get unstuck and come alive.
Whether you're questioning your relationship, struggling with empty nest, battling people-pleasing or perfectionism, or just feeling flat and disconnected from yourself — this show is for you.
Colette and Laura bring decades of clinical experience (and lived midlife wisdom) to every episode. Expect real talk on the things no one prepares you for: midlife reinvention, perimenopause and hormone shifts, marriage and divorce, boundaries, friendships, confidence, identity loss, and what it actually takes to build a life you want at this stage — not just one you tolerate.
This is where smart women get unstuck and come alive.
🎧 New episodes every week
🌟 Join the Midlife Masterclass: insightsfromthecouch.org/group-coaching-program
🩷 Grab your free guide: The Midlife Roadmap — 7 Skills to Get Unstuck and Come Alive
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Episodes
114 episodes
Ep. 113: AI: Friend, Helper, or Problem?
What happens when AI becomes more than a tool—and starts becoming a thinking partner, emotional regulator, therapist, or even a relationship? In this episode, we’re getting very honest about our own relationships with ChatGPT, Claude, and A...
Ep. 112: 10 Signs You're Avoidant and Don't Know It
Avoidance doesn’t always look like silence, shutting down, or refusing to communicate. In fact, you can be highly verbal, expressive, and even confrontational—and still be avoiding the conversations that actually matter. In this episode, we’re ...
Ep. 111: Hot Takes on HRT with Esther Blum
If you've ever left a doctor's office feeling dismissed, confused, or wondering if you're asking the wrong questions, you're not alone. We sat down with menopause expert Esther Blum for an eye-opening conversation about hormone replacement ther...
Ep. 110: Motherf*cked: Healing from Complicated and Toxic Mother Wounds with Ashley Oerman
What happens when the relationship that's supposed to feel the safest becomes the one that keeps you stuck? In this episode, we sit down with journalist and author Ashley Oreman to explore the complicated reality of mother wounds, dysfunctional...
Ep. 109: Your Clutter Is Costing You More Than You Think
Clutter isn't just about having too much stuff—it's about what that clutter may be doing to your mind. In this episode, we explore the psychology behind why clutter can increase stress, drain your energy, contribute to decision fatigue, and mak...
Ep. 108: The #1 Predictor of Divorce (And How to Stop It)
What happens when frustration quietly turns into contempt—and what does that mean for the future of your relationship? In this conversation, we sit down with relationship therapist and author Zach Brittle to unpack one of the most destructive d...
Ep. 107: Do You Have Emotional Intelligence-Or Do You Just Think You Do?
Emotional intelligence isn't something you're born with—it's a skill you can strengthen, and it has the power to transform your relationships, your confidence, and your overall well-being. In this episode, we're unpacking what high EQ really lo...
Ep. 106: Stop Putting Your Life on Hold: How to Start Living on Purpose with Claudia Noriega-Bernstein
What if happiness isn't something you find—but something you create? In this episode, we sit down with author, speaker, coach, and three-time cancer survivor Claudia Noriega-Bernstein for a powerful conversation about choosing authentic happine...
Ep. 105: Stress or Burnout? How to Tell the Difference
Are you exhausted no matter how much you sleep? Feeling detached from things you used to enjoy? In this episode of Insights from the Couch, we’re diving into a topic that so many midlife women experience but often misunderstand: burnou...
Ep. 104: How the Fasting Mimicking Diet Can be a Midlife Tool for Longevity and Wellness with Renee Fitton, RD
What if one simple nutrition strategy could support healthy aging, improve metabolic health, boost energy, and even help your skin look better? In this episode of Insights from the Couch, Laura sits down with Renee Fitton, VP of Growth...
Ep. 103: Is This Friendship Over? How to Know, and How to Handle It.
Have you ever found yourself wondering whether a friendship has run its course—or if a difficult conversation could actually save it? In this episode, we’re diving into one of the hardest relationship challenges women face in midlife: friendshi...
Ep. 102: How to Recover From Betrayal Trauma with Dr. Debi Silber
Have you ever experienced a betrayal that completely shook your sense of self? In this powerful conversation, we sit down with betrayal recovery expert Dr. Debi Silber to unpack why betrayal cuts so deeply, how it impacts our mental, emotional,...
Ep. 101: The Truth About What it Takes to Begin Again
Beginning again in midlife can feel equal parts terrifying and exhilarating. Whether life forced a reset through divorce, loss, burnout, empty nesting, or you simply feel a quiet ache for something more, this conversation explores what it reall...
Ep. 100: Midlife Activated: Celebrating 100 Episodes
We can hardly believe we’re celebrating 100 episodes of Insights from the Couch — and this conversation became such a meaningful reflection on everything we’ve learned alongside all of you. In this episode, we revisit some of our favor...
Ep. 99: Reinventing Yourself at Midlife: 10 Nuggets of Wisdom from Our Conversation with Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Cleveland joins us for an honest and inspiring conversation about reinvention, midlife, and what happens when women finally start saying yes to themselves. From creating her new series Love in All the Small Places to navigating f...
Ep. 98: The Personality Style That Can Strain Relationships: Understanding OCPD
We’re unpacking a topic that quietly impacts so many relationships but rarely gets talked about: Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD). We break down what it actually is (and what it’s not), especially how it differs from OCD, and wh...
Ep. 97: Beauty After Loss: Rewriting the Next Chapter with Laing Rikkers
Grief has a way of cracking everything open—and in this conversation, we sit down with Laing Rikkers to explore what can emerge from that opening. From unexpected loss to creative awakening, we unpack how life’s hardest moments can become invit...
Ep. 96: When Passion Meets Strategy: Turning Your Calling into a Scalable Business with Allison Walsh
In this energizing conversation, we sit down with Allison Walsh—business consultant, personal branding expert, and founder of She Believes She Could—to unpack what it really takes to build confidence, scale your impact, and turn your personal b...
Ep. 95: When Family Goes "No Contact": The Psychology of Family Cutoffs
Family cutoffs, estrangement, and going “no contact” are everywhere right now—and they’re stirring up a lot of strong opinions. We’re unpacking what’s really going on beneath the surface of this cultural moment, and why this topic is so much mo...
Ep. 94: When Life Happens: Mindset Shifts That Set You Free with Dr. Rachel Goldman
In this episode, we sit down with the incredible Dr. Rachel Goldman to unpack how small, intentional shifts can create powerful change in your life—without the overwhelm of a full overhaul. We dive into the real mechanics behind Cognitive Behav...
Ep. 93: Parenting Teens in a Complicated World with Keesha Scott
Parenting teens today isn’t just challenging—it’s a completely different landscape than what we grew up in. In this episode, Colette explores what it really looks like to raise teenagers in a world shaped by social media, constant comparison, a...
Ep. 92: Dr. Google is Not Your Therapist: How to Cope with Health Anxiety
Health anxiety is one of those things that can quietly take over your mind—and before you know it, you’re stuck in a loop of symptoms, spiraling thoughts, and constant checking. We’re unpacking what this actually looks like in real life, from t...
Ep. 91: The Courage to Commit to Your Creative Vision With Maylen Dominguez
In this episode, we sit down with writer, producer, and longtime friend Maylen Dominguez to talk about what it really looks like to pursue creativity in midlife. From leaving a stable career to producing her independent film Ethan Bloom
Ep.90: Breaking Free From Love Addiction with Dr. Janie Lacy
In this episode, we sit down with trauma psychotherapist Dr. Janie Lacy to talk about a topic many women quietly struggle with—toxic relationships and love addiction. As therapists and women who’ve navigated our own relationship journeys, this ...
Ep. 89: Joy Costs Pain: How to Keep Going When Growth Feels Like Suffering
In this episode, we dive into a conversation that feels deeply personal—especially if you’re in a season of striving, questioning, or quietly wondering, Is this it? Inspired by Colette’s recent reading of A Million Miles in a Thous...