Self-Confidence Episodes

In this engaging conversation, Cass and Megan Dalla-Camina explore the challenges women face in the workplace, including gender bias, self-sabotage, and the impact of internalised patriarchy. Megan shares her journey from corporate America to empowering women through her work and her PhD studies in women's spirituality and leadership. They discuss the importance of recognising and overcoming societal expectations, the paradoxes of power, and the need for women to reclaim their feminine wisdom to thrive in their personal and professional lives.

Dr. Kate Mason unpacks the false dichotomy that suggests women must choose between being liked and being respected, and explains how this mindset leads to self-doubt and diminished confidence. Kate shares practical strategies for overcoming common communication pitfalls women fall into, such as over-apologising and minimising their contributions. This episode is a must-listen for any woman looking to assert herself confidently while still being true to her authentic self.Takeaways: Women oft...

Anger is an emotion we often struggle to navigate. In this solo episode, I'm sharing the recent experience of one of my clients, who was grappling with intense feelings of anger. As a psychologist, I recognise that anger often masks deeper vulnerabilities like sadness and fear, but this episode isn't just about identifying what's underneath anger; it's about understanding the importance of expressing our anger in healthy ways. Many of us, particularly women, have been socialised to suppress ang...

This week, we are kicking off a new 8-part series in the Beyond Happy subscriber-only podcast, focused on how to build self-trust so you can stop second guessing and start living freely and authentically, knowing you've got your own back. This first episode is available for all Crappy to Happy listeners and focuses on what it means to cultivate self-trust and why so many of us struggle with it. Self-trust is the belief in your own abilities, judgments, and decisions, as well as the inner assura...

Amie McNee joins me in the studio to share her insights on the transformative power of creativity and the importance of claiming your artistic voice. Her new book, "We Need Your Art", is a rallying cry for those who feel they aren't "real" artists and encourages everyone to embrace their creative impulses. Amie passionately argues that art is not just for the privileged few; it's an essential part of the human experience that everyone can and should engage in. Throughout our conversation, we del...

Dr. Michelle McQuaid joins me in this episode to dive deep into the concept of "good girl conditioning" and how it impacts women's mental health and well-being. We explore the societal expectations that shape our beliefs from a young age, often leading to exhaustion and a sense of emptiness, despite achieving external markers of success. Dr. McQuaid shares her personal journey of discovering these patterns and the research that highlights how they manifest in our lives, particularly for women. ...

In this episode, Cass discusses the challenges of people pleasing, especially during the holiday season. She explores the roots of this behaviour, including childhood experiences, personality traits, and societal expectations. Cass emphasises the importance of self-care, setting boundaries, and recognising when helping others compromises your own well-being. She encourages listeners to prioritise their needs and to be honest in their relationships, asserting that saying no is not selfish but rat...

Cass responds to a listener question about how to live with uncertainty. She discusses the psychological concept of 'Intolerance of Uncertainty', its impact on mental health, particularly anxiety and worry, and explains how worry serves as a mental behaviour that provides an illusion of control but ultimately detracts from present joy. Cass emphasises the importance of understanding the physiological aspects of anxiety and offers practical strategies for managing uncertainty and worry, including...

In this solo episode, Cass discusses the concept of upper limit problems as described in the book 'The Big Leap' by Gay Hendricks. Upper limit problems refer to self-imposed limitations that prevent individuals from achieving greater success, happiness, and fulfillment. Cass explores the four core beliefs that contribute to upper limit problems. She also highlights the importance of expanding one's capacity for feeling good and offers strategies for overcoming upper limit problems.Book: The Big ...

In this episode, Cass recaps what she covered in her live online workshop, "How to Cultivate Unshakeable Self-Confidence".She outlines the key difference between self-doubt and the imposter experience, which runs much deeper, and the importance of having tools and strategies which address both. She shares her views on the limitations of 'mindset' strategies for cultivating confidence and why emotional work, somatic (body based) tools, and strategies to mine your unconscious beliefs are all neces...

In this solo episode, Cass shares one of the common reasons people struggle to make progress on the things they say that want to achieve. "Competing commitments", sometimes called competing desires or conflicting values, are the (often unconscious) desires that run counter to your stated goal, and cause you to spin your wheels or sabotage your progress.When you uncover your competing commitments, you're in a position to examine the truth of your assumptions and resolve the inner conflict that's ...

In this solo episode, Cass discusses the fear of making the wrong decision and the desire for certainty. Cass emphasises the importance of taking action as a way of gaining clarity, as well as the importance of getting comfortable with uncertainty. She also explores the role of the body in decision-making and suggests practicing feeling into what feels right or wrong. Cass encourages listeners to trust themselves and know that they will be okay regardless of the decision they make.Takeaways Fea...

Cass explains why 'mindset' approaches to overcoming self-doubt and imposter syndrome are limited and won't achieve a lasting transformation and what you need to do instead. She shares how imposter syndrome is an activation of your body's threat response triggered by a fear of judgement and rejection.She also explains that self-criticism can perpetuate imposter syndrome by keeping you stuck in a threat response, and the importance of self-acceptance and forgiveness, allowing you to return to a s...

Larry Kasanoff, legendary Hollywood producer and author of 'A Touch of the Madness,' shares his experiences and insights on creativity and innovation. He discusses the inspiration behind his book and the importance of embracing the madness to unleash your creative potential. Larry encourages you to embrace your craziest ideas and not be afraid to pursue them. Key Takeaways: Never let go of an idea that you believe in. Persistence and determination are key to success. Trust your creative instin...

What can people expect from their interactions with you, professionally or personally? You don't have to be an influencer or entrepreneur to have a personal brand.This week, Cass discusses how to be intentional about the image you project, the values you represent, the consistency of your actions and how all this makes people feel when they think of you. And if you're not happy with how you're perceived, the good news is you can start right now in being more intentional about crafting your brand...

Maria Thattil was propelled into the spotlight when she was crowned Miss. Universe Australia in 2020. She then went on to place in the Top 10 of the International Competition in 2021. She was the third woman of colour to represent Australia in the pageants history. Maria is a fierce activist for social causes and uses her platform to champion social justice issues like mental health and gender equality. Connect with Maria: https://www.instagram.com/mariathattil/?hl=en Connect with Cass:...

Do you often find yourself feeling like you've fluked your way to the success you've achieved? Do you feel like the rug may be pulled from under you at any time... that everyone is about to find out about the 'fraud' you really are?'Imposter Syndrome' is an extremely common experience, particularly in women, where we are unable to attribute our success to our experience, skills and hard work, and believe we are imposters. By reframing our thoughts and consciously being aware of how they can cont...

In this episode, Cass in joined by Katherine Morgan-Schafler, a psycho-therapist based in New York City. Katherine's work history includes being an onsite therapist at Google, but now focuses on working with ambitious and perfectionistic women. Katherine discusses the differences between healthy and unhealthy perfectionism, and the gendered nature of perfectionism.Connect with Katherine: https://www.instagram.com/katherinemorganschafler/?hl=en Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@cra...

In this episode, Cass is joined by Alison Brahe Daddo, a screenwriter, podcaster, teacher and former model who appeared regularly on the cover of Cosmopolitan, Dolly and Cleo magazines in the '90s. She's now written a book called 'Queen Menopause' which is a frank and compassionate companion to any woman experiencing menopause. Ali reflects on her career, her experience with sexual assault, and how mothering her daughters is a completely different ballgame to mothering her son.Connect with Ali: ...

In this episode, Cass is joined by Dami Im, who captured all of our hearts when she won The X-Factor Australia in 2013. Dami began her singing career playing to grandmas in Korean churches before her life was forever changed when she entered a singing competition on television with no expectation of winning. Since then, she's released a string of hit albums and singles, and she became Eurovision royalty on 2016, when she earned the highest score ever achieved by an Australian entry with her smas...

Cass is taking a break from regular Crappy to Happy episodes for the next six weeks while she relocates to London. In the meantime, we wanted to share with you her other podcast and labour of love, the Confidence Coach with Cass Dunn.Each week you’ll hear from a real person struggling with their self-confidence. Cass will talk you through the problem using a psychological framework, and share tips and tricks that will help anyone dealing with a similar situation. In this episode you’ll hear from...

Cass is taking a break from regular Crappy to Happy episodes for the next six weeks while she relocates to London. In the meantime, we wanted to share with you her other podcast and labour of love, the Confidence Coach with Cass Dunn.Each week you’ll hear from a real person struggling with their self-confidence. Cass will talk you through the problem using a psychological framework, and share tips and tricks that will help anyone dealing with a similar situation. In this episode you’ll hear from...

Cass is taking a break from regular Crappy to Happy episodes for the next six weeks while she relocates to London. In the meantime, we wanted to share with you her other podcast and labour of love, the Confidence Coach with Cass Dunn.Each week you’ll hear from a real person struggling with their self-confidence. Cass will talk you through the problem using a psychological framework, and share tips and tricks that will help anyone dealing with a similar situation. In this episode you’ll hear from...

Cass is taking a break from regular Crappy to Happy episodes for the next six weeks while she relocates to London. In the meantime, we wanted to share with you her other podcast and labour of love, the Confidence Coach with Cass Dunn.Each week you’ll hear from a real person struggling with their self-confidence. Cass will talk you through the problem using a psychological framework, and share tips and tricks that will help anyone dealing with a similar situation. In this episode you’ll hear from...