Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 493517866 series 3571672
Content provided by Colette Fehr, Laura Bowman, Colette Fehr, and Laura Bowman. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Colette Fehr, Laura Bowman, Colette Fehr, and Laura Bowman or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.

What happens when the reflection staring back at you no longer matches the youthful image in your mind? In this episode, we peel back the layers of the “midlife mirror” to explore how aging intersects with body image, vanity, and the deep-seated need for validation. We get raw and real about the emotional shifts that come when our appearance begins to change—and how those shifts impact everything from self-esteem to social dynamics.

Join us as we unpack the roots of toxic vanity, explain what dysmorphia really looks like (clinically and subclinically), and reflect on our own personal journeys through beauty, invisibility, and evolving self-worth. If you've ever stood in front of the mirror and thought, “Wait, when did I become her?”—this conversation is for you. Let’s talk about what it means to feel alive, radiant, and beautiful from the inside out.

Episode Highlights:

[0:00] - Kicking off with real talk: what “midlife mirror” means and why it hits hard.
[2:06] - Defining dysmorphia and the subtle ways it shows up in everyday life.
[4:28] - Feeling invisible: grappling with the shift in public attention as we age.
[7:39] - The paradox of pretty: how beauty can become both power and prison.
[9:56] - Midlife body changes and the identity crisis that follows.
[12:15] - Our personal glow-up stories—and what we learned from them.
[16:15] - From Botox to body neutrality: what beauty means to us now.
[18:04] - Drawing the line between healthy vanity and toxic preoccupation.
[22:32] - The ultimate glow-up? Owning your life force and inner radiance.
[24:17] - How early messages about looks shape our adult self-worth.
[27:09] - Social media’s role in distorting beauty standards—at every age.
[28:49] - Tips for cultivating body neutrality, mindfulness, and self-connection.
[30:56] - A final reflection: life force > wrinkle-free face, every time.

Resources:

Join the Chat: https://www.insightsfromthecouch.org/the-chat – our free online community where the conversation continues.

Make sure to visit the “Resources” page on our website www.insightsfromthecouch.org to download the worksheet and take ways that accompany each episode. This is hugely important as we are now creating a download that is unique to each episode and working hard to create an email list to support our programming offerings moving forward.

  continue reading

56 episodes