In This Together - Same But Different

It’s the final episode of Series 1 and we’re ending on something we both care about deeply: what it’s like to show up in your work as a coach/therapist when your own life isn’t exactly “together.”

Because people love to assume that if you’re a coach, you must be calm and wise 24/7… and that stress, grief, anxiety, hormones, parenting chaos and real life admin somehow bounce off you. Spoiler: they don’t.

In this episode, Liz and Bernie talk honestly about:
What “showing up” actually means when you’re also in the thick of your own stuff
Why knowing the tools doesn’t mean you can always access them (especially when you’re tired or triggered)
Imposter syndrome, self-criticism, and how repair gets quicker with practice
How we work: relational / co-active coaching, guidance-based health coaching, and why the relationship matters
Transference & countertransference (and why coaches should know these terms)
“Parallel process”: when your client is bringing the very thing you’re living through too
Boundaries and discernment: sharing from a scar, not an open wound
Demystifying coaching vs therapy, scope of practice, supervision, and what ethical support can look like

This isn’t an episode about being perfectly regulated or having the answers. It’s about being human, being ethical, and building support systems that help you do the work without pretending you’re unaffected by life.
We’re also taking a short, intentional break after this episode, to practise what we preach, but we’ll be back for Series 2.

Stay in touch
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @liz.good.child and @bernadettedancy_stresscoach

Work with us
Liz: 1:1 coaching/therapy (availability + info):https://www.lizgoodchild.co.uk/

Bernie: 1:1 stress & lifestyle coaching + CPD-accredited training:http://www.stress-ed.co.uk

After a few heavier episodes on burnout and breakdowns, we wanted to talk about something that can feel “lighter”… but is often just as loaded: exercise.

In this conversation, Liz and Bernie talk honestly about our messy, complicated relationship with exercise:  not because movement is bad, but because the way it’s talked about has become noisy, pressurised, and disconnected from real life.

We explore how exercise intersects with:
perimenopause and hormonal shifts
burnout, stress, and limited capacity
changing bodies and shifting identities
grief, illness, parenting, and demanding lives

We unpack what happens when:
you try to do all the things and burn out
you stop completely because it feels like too much
motivation gets confused with capacity
“listening to your body” feels vague, frustrating, or impossible

Bernie brings out her gentle inner nerd to explain stress, recovery, HRV, and tracking tech, including when data can be helpful, when it can become harmful, and why it should never be the boss.

Liz reflects on what it’s like to renegotiate movement when your body, energy, and life no longer work the way they used to, and why learning what’s enough can be harder than pushing harder.

This episode isn’t about finding the perfect way to exercise.
It’s about context.
Capacity.
Trust.

And building a relationship with movement that actually fits your body and your life, not someone else’s routine.
Same pressure. Different needs. Different answers.
Same but different.

Stay in touch
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @liz.good.child and @bernadettedancy_stresscoach

Work with us
Liz: 1:1 coaching/therapy (check current availability via her website): https://www.lizgoodchild.co.uk/
Bernie: 1:1 stress and lifestyle coaching, CPD-accredited training courses http://www.stress-ed.co.uk

Content note: This episode includes discussion of OCD, mental health crisis, and suicidal thoughts (non-graphic). Please listen in a way that feels safe and supportive for you.

This episode is a follow-on from Episode 3 (Burnout & Breakdowns), because after sharing the hard parts, we wanted to talk about the what next: what actually helped us recover, and what we’ve seen help our clients over the last decade.

We’re not offering a step-by-step guide or a shiny “bounce back” story. We’re talking about the real, often slow, messy process of coming back online — bird by bird — and the difference between change that happens after a crisis, and change you choose on an ordinary Wednesday when nothing is technically “wrong”… but something in you knows it isn’t working anymore.

Liz shares how OCD played a central role in her breakdown and why having someone name what was happening became a turning point — not because labels fix everything, but because being believed can be the beginning of getting the right support. Bernie talks about the power (and pain) of being dismissed, why capacity matters more than motivation, and what it looked like to make both small lifestyle shifts and big life changes after burnout.

In this episode, we talk about:
why understanding what’s happening matters before tackling the “why”
the difference between sharing from experience vs offloading in real time
therapy, support systems, and why reassurance doesn’t help OCD
“life force,” self-determination, and the quiet insistence to keep going
why change is hard when your system is overloaded
change after crisis vs change by choice
capacity, compassion, and starting with the basics

Stay in touch:
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @liz.good.child and @bernadettedancy_stresscoach

Work with us
Liz’s 1:1 coaching is currently full, with new spaces opening in February. You can find out more about her coaching approach here: https://www.lizgoodchild.co.uk

Bernie has limited availability for stress assessments, and the early bird registration is open for her next CPD cohort on stress and burnout:www.stress-ed.co.uk

Episode 3 Description for Podcast: Burnout and Breakdowns

Trigger warning: Some episodes include honest conversations about suicide. Please listen in a way that feels safe and supportive for you.

Burnout and breakdowns rarely come out of nowhere.
They build slowly, often in plain sight, until something in us can’t keep going the way it used to.

In this episode, Liz and Bernie talk about what burnout and breakdown actually felt like in their own lives: Bernie’s slow-burn burnout after having her second baby, and Liz’s breakdown years after her mum’s suicide, when her grief had nowhere to go.
This isn’t a clinical or textbook conversation. It’s an honest, human one, about what happens when we keep “cracking on” for too long, and why these moments aren’t failures, but signals that we’re carrying too much and can no longer cope.

In this episode, we talk about:
How burnout can look “high functioning” from the outside.
The slow build of chronic stress (and the moment it turns serious).
Parenthood, sleep deprivation, and the invisible load.
Repressed grief, trauma, and when the body finally says enough.
The stigma difference between “burnout” and “breakdown”.
Coping strategies (work, exercise, drinking, control) and why they make sense.
Learning the early signs, and what recovery can look like over time.
We also explore questions like:
What if burnout and breakdown aren’t personal flaws, but protective responses?
How do you ask for help when you don’t even know what you need?
What would you want your younger self to know in the darkest bit?

Support & resources
If this episode brought things up for you, you’re not alone. And you’re not imagining it. If you recognised yourself (or someone you love) in the conversation, these resources may be helpful.

Burnout, stress & mental health support (UK)
Mind
Practical information on burnout, anxiety, depression, and how to get support, including local services.
https://www.mind.org.uk

Mental Health Foundation
Evidence-based articles on burnout, stress, sleep, and mental wellbeing.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk

OCD-specific support
OCD UK
UK-based charity offering trusted information, self-help resources, and peer support.
https://www.ocduk.org

OCD Action
Helpline, advocacy, and practical support for people living with OCD.
https://www.ocdaction.org.uk

Crisis & immediate support
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsafe right now, please reach out for immediate support.

Samaritans
24/7 emotional support, free and confidential.
116 123 | https://www.samaritans.org

Shout
Free, confidential text support if talking feels hard.
Text SHOUT to 85258 | https://giveusashout.org

Work, burnout & boundaries
ACAS
Guidance on work-related stress, sick leave, and employee rights.
https://www.acas.org.uk

January can be a strange one.

In this episode, Liz and Bernie talk about the weird, wobbly in-between space between Christmas and New Year, and the pressure many of us feel to reset, refocus, and make big changes - even when we’re tired, grieving, or just not quite ready.

This is an honest, reflective conversation about how January actually feels, rather than how it’s supposed to feel.

In this episode, we talk about:

The liminal space between Christmas and New Year
Why January can feel heavy, flat, or emotionally charged
Goals, resolutions, and why they work for some people and not for others
Grief, anniversaries, and how they show up at this time of year
Values, habits, and making change in small, realistic ways
Why January often feels more like a pause than a launch

We also explore questions like:
What if we didn’t rush to change ourselves in January?
What do we actually need at this time of year?
How do we make space for both reflection and intention?

Things mentioned in this episode:
Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg: https://tinyhabits.com/

The Body Keeps The Score: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693771-the-body-keeps-the-score

Stay in touch

We’d love to hear how January feels for you.

You can message us with your thoughts, experiences, or topics you’d love us to talk about in future episodes.

Follow us on Instagram:
@liz.good.child
@bernadettedancy_stresscoach

Email us both at
[email protected]

Work with us
Liz’s 1:1 coaching is currently full, with her 2026 group coaching course starting soon.

Bernie is accepting registrations for the next CPD cohort focused on stress and burnout. You can find all the information here: www.stress-ed.co.uk

Credits

Artwork by Sonja Maschkio
Instagram:@smart_3779

Music: by Leva
[email protected]