Welcome to the Find Your Voice, Change Your Life podcast. You will hear real-life stories from people who struggled to find their authentic voice.
I’m your host, Dr. Doreen Downing.
I interview people who share how they overcame their fears about stepping up and speaking out. They each offer tips and strategies that you can apply to your own journey to find your voice and change your life.
If you enjoy my podcast, be sure to subscribe and rate it on Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast platform.
#180 When “You Can’t” Becomes “Watch Me”
Today, I interview Mikki St. Germain who grew up being told to “keep your mouth shut” and made to feel like her voice didn’t matter. At 14, her mother left, and she stepped into adult responsibility, working, caring for her siblings, and eventually becoming an emancipated minor at 16.
#179 Success that Hides the Truth
Robin Goad rose to senior leadership at Amazon Web Services, closing billion-dollar deals and building what many would call an impressive life. But it was shaped by a lie she accepted as a child—that she was unlovable—leading her to hide her pain, overperform for approval, and exhaust herself trying to prove she was worthy of love. Until a decision she couldn’t undo brought her to a breaking point.
#178 The Hidden Cost of Being the Strong One
Today, I interview Shelly Grimm, who reflects on growing up alongside chronic illness and learning, from a very young age, how to take care of herself and others.
#177 The Cost of Living in Systems Not Designed for Women
Today, I interview Katrina van Oudheusden, who reflects on how early family dynamics, expectations, and learning to be capable from a young age shaped the way she learned to push through, stay productive, and quiet parts of herself.
#176 When Staying Quiet Was Survival and Listening Became Healing
Today, I interview Desislava Dimitrova, who grew up learning to stay quiet in order to keep the peace. She shares what it was like growing up in a strict home where it did not feel safe to speak, and how being quiet became a way to protect herself from a very young age.
#175 Layers of Awakening: What It Means to Truly Have a Voice
Today, I interview Manya Gittel who lost her voice during a stroke and woke up to something far more unexpected than the crisis itself. She describes that moment as an inner awakening she didn’t see coming, one that shifted her sense of who she was and how her voice lived inside her.
#174 From Disfigurement to Discovery: Building Real Confidence
Today, I interview John Kippen who spent years hiding after a surgery left half of his face paralyzed. His story is one of deep courage, transformation, and learning what it really means to be seen.
#173 Unraveling the Layers to Remember Your Truth
Today, I interview Robin Humphreys, who once felt her voice caught in her throat and her body tense with fear. She shares how creative expression became her lifeline, helping her release what she couldn’t say out loud.
#172 Finding Safety in the Body and Freedom in the Voice
Today, I interview Heidi Fischbach who grew up in a strict, high-control environment where fear and rules shaped how she learned to speak and exist. From an early age, she carried the weight of right and wrong, heaven and hell, and learned to stay small to stay safe.
#171 Turning Breakdown Into Breakthrough: A Journey of Awakening
Today, I interview Catherine G. Lucas who opens up about losing her voice in the midst of a painful breakdown. In her late teens she was already standing on stage for public speaking competitions, but by the time her parents divorced during her university years, the weight of family wounds caught up with her. Instead of enjoying summer with friends, she found herself in an acute psychiatric ward, her world shattered and her voice silenced.
Podcast host, Dr. Doreen Downing, helps people find their voice so they can overcome anxiety, be confident, and speak without fear.
