Libra season invites us to explore the balance between “me” and “we”—between staying connected to ourselves and creating meaningful relationships with others.

In this episode of Back To Self, we explore the essence of Libra as an astrological archetype and how its energy can support personal growth, whether or not you have strong Libra placements in your birth chart.

We’ll look at Libra’s connection with relationships, beauty, fairness, harmony and balance, alongside some of its more challenging expressions, including people-pleasing, indecision, conflict avoidance and losing ourselves in the needs or expectations of others.

This is a grounded exploration of Libra season astrology for self-discovery rather than prediction— inviting you to consider where greater honesty, reciprocity and balance may be needed in your life.

Whether you are a Libra yourself or simply want to work more intentionally with the energy of the season, this episode offers space to reflect on how you relate to others without losing your relationship with yourself.

Thanks for listening 🙏🏽🩷

🗓️New episodes every Thursday

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🩷Connect with me

📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/the.soulshine.therapist

👩🏽‍💻Website: www.thesoulshinetherapist.co.uk ⁠⁠

📧 Email: ⁠⁠[email protected]

🛎️InsightTimer: https://insighttimer.com/thesoulshinetherapist

Disclaimer: Just to say, this podcast isn’t therapy or a replacement for professional support. Although I am a therapist, I show up here as myself- sharing ideas and experiences. If you are struggling, I’d encourage you to seek support with a registered mental health professional.  

As we approach the halfway point of the astrological year, thisepisode offers a gentle pause to reflect on the journey from Aries to Virgo — and everything that may have shifted within you along the way.

Sian explores the first six signs of the zodiac as differentparts of our human experience: the courage to begin, the need to create stability, the curiosity to learn, the safety to feel, the confidence to express ourselves, and the discernment to recognise what is truly supportive.

Through honest reflections on creating Back To Self,Sian shares what this journey has taught her about trusting her voice, becoming more visible, honouring her emotions, building a sustainable creative rhythm and loosening perfectionism’s grip.

You’ll also be guided through a collection of journal promptsinspired by Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo and Virgo, helping you reflect on the energies you've moved through so far this astrological year.

You don’t need to have followed every astrological season orcompleted every suggested practice. This isn’t a progress review. It’s an invitation to look back with curiosity and compassion, honour what has shaped you, release what no longer fits and consciously choose what you want to carryinto the second half of the astrological year.

Bring your journal, take what resonates and leave the rest.

Thanks for listening 🙏🏽🩷

🗓️New episodes every Thursday

🎙️Follow now to join the conversation

🩷Connect with me

📸 Instagram: @the.soulshine.therapist

👩🏽‍💻Website: ⁠www.thesoulshinetherapist.co.uk⁠

📧 Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠🛎️ InsightTimer: https://insighttimer.com/thesoulshinetherapist 

Disclaimer: Just to say, this podcast isn’t therapy or areplacement for professional support. Although I am a therapist, I show up here as myself- sharing ideas and experiences. If you are struggling, I’d encourage you to seek support with a registered mental health professional.  

Have you ever felt disconnected from yourself—as though you’re performing your life rather than fully living it?

Perhaps you’re caught in people pleasing, overthinking,perfectionism or constantly trying to become a “better” version of yourself, while quietly wondering who you really are beneath it all.

In this episode of Back To Self, Sian explores what it means to reconnect with your authentic self. Drawing on parts work, inner child healing, Jungian psychology, and astrology, she offers a grounded understanding of the Self as the compassionate, wise and steady centre within us.

 Together, we explore:

• How disconnection from yourself can appear in everyday life

• How shame and early experiences can shape the version of ourselves we present to the world
• The difference between rejecting protective parts and helping them feel safe enough to soften
• Gentle ways to recognise when you feel most connected to your true self

You’ll also be guided through reflective questions to help you notice where you feel free to be yourself, where you may be performing or hiding, and what your deeper wisdom might already be asking you to acknowledge.

Coming back to yourself is not another self-improvement project to perfect. It is an ongoing relationship—one built through curiosity, self-compassion, awareness and thechoice to keep returning to who you truly are.

If this episode resonates, please consider rating orreviewing Back To Self to help more spiritually curious listeners discover the show.

Thanks for listening 🙏🏽🩷

🗓️New episodes every Thursday

🎙️Follow now to join the conversation

🩷Connect with me

📸 Instagram: @the.soulshine.therapist

👩🏽‍💻Website: ⁠www.thesoulshinetherapist.co.uk⁠

📧 Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

🛎️InsightTimer: https://insighttimer.com/thesoulshinetherapist

Disclaimer: Just to say, this podcast isn’t therapy or areplacement for professional support. Although I am a therapist, I show up here as myself- sharing ideas and experiences. If you are struggling, I’d encourage you to seek support with a registered mental health professional.  

What if your inner critic isn’t your enemy, but a protective part of you trying to prevent judgement, failure or rejection?

In this episode of Back To Self, Sian shares a compassionate, therapy-informed approach to working with your inner critic—without arguing with it, believing everything it says or trying to silence it completely.

Drawing on her own very real experience of recording this episode three times, Sian explores how to create distance from harsh self-criticism, uncover the fear beneath it and reconnect with your present-day values, evidence and inner authority.

In this episode, you’ll explore:

• How to recognise your inner critic as one part of you—not all of you
• Why self-criticism can serve a protective function
• How to identify the old beliefs and fears beneath its voice
• A practical process for responding with curiosity and self-compassion
• How to stay connected to yourself when self-doubt appears

If perfectionism, fear of judgement or the feeling that you’re “not good enough” often shapes your choices, this episode offers a gentler way forward—one where your inner critic can be heard without being given the final say.

This conversation builds on last week’s episode about understanding the inner critic. You’ll also find Sian’s guided meditation for meeting your inner critic linked in the show notes.

🎁 FREE MEET THE INNER CRITIC GUIDED MEDITATION:Meet Your Inner Critic | The Soulshine Therapist

Thanks for listening 🙏🏽🩷

 🗓️New episodes every Thursday

🎙️Follow now to join the conversation

🩷Connect with me

📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/the.soulshine.therapist👩🏽‍💻Website: www.thesoulshinetherapist.co.uk⁠⁠📧 Email: ⁠⁠[email protected]🛎️InsightTimer: https://insighttimer.com/thesoulshinetherapist

 Disclaimer: Just to say, this podcast isn’t therapy or areplacement for professional support. Although I am a therapist, I show up here as myself- sharing ideas and experiences. If you are struggling, I’d encourage you to seek support with a registered mental health professional.  

Why is your inner critic never satisfied, even when you do exactly what it asks?

In this episode of Back To Self, Sian explores what the inner critic is, where it may come from and the protective role hidden beneath its harsh, shaming voice.

Through a compassionate therapeutic lens, you’ll learn how critical self-talk can be shaped by childhood experiences, relationships, school, work and wider cultural expectations. Sian unpacks how the inner critic can fuel perfectionism, people-pleasing, overthinking, overachievement, self-consciousness and emotional withdrawal — gradually disconnecting you from your needs, values, intuition and sense of self.

You’ll also be invited into gentle reflection to help you recognise when your inner critic becomes loudest, the language and tactics it uses, how it shows up in your body and what it may be trying to protect you from.

This is part one of a two-part conversation. In part two, Sian will share practical ways to work with your inner critic with greater curiosity, self-compassion and choice.

Thanks for listening 🙏🏽🩷 

🗓️New episodes every Thursday

🎙️Follow now to join the conversation

🩷Connect with me

📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/the.soulshine.therapist👩🏽‍💻Website: ⁠⁠www.thesoulshinetherapist.co.uk📧 Email: ⁠⁠[email protected]

🛎️InsightTimer: https://insighttimer.com/thesoulshinetherapist

Disclaimer: Just to say, this podcast isn’t therapy or a replacement for professional support. Although I am a therapist, I show up here as myself- sharing ideas and experiences. If you are struggling, I’d encourage you to seek support with a registered mental health professional.  

What can Virgo season teach us about perfectionism, self-criticism and the pressure to always improve? ♍ 

In this episode of Back To Self, Sian explores the deeper psychological and spiritual meaning of Virgo energy—moving beyond familiar stereotypes to uncover its gifts, challenges and invitation for personal growth.

Drawing on her experience as a Virgo Sun with a Virgo stellium, Sian reflects on the empowered and shadow expressions of this mutable earth sign: discernment, problem-solving, service and healthy routines, alongside a loud inner critic, impossible expectations, unsolicited fixing and the persistent feeling of never being good enough.

Whether you’re a Virgo Sun, Moon or Rising, have strong Virgo placements, or simply want to understand the Virgo energy within yourself and the people you love, this episode offers a compassionate psycho-spiritual perspective.

This isn’t predictive astrology. It’s an invitation to use Virgo season as a mirror- helping you soften your inner critic, reconnect with supportive habits and find a healthier balance between caring for others and caring for yourself.

If this episode resonates, follow Back To Self and leave a rating to help more spiritually curious listeners discover the podcast.

Thanks for listening 🙏🏽🩷

🗓️New episodes every Thursday

🎙️Follow now to join the conversation

🩷Connect with me

📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/the.soulshine.therapist👩🏽‍💻Website: ⁠www.thesoulshinetherapist.co.uk⁠

📧 Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠🛎️InsightTimer: https://insighttimer.com/thesoulshinetherapist 

Disclaimer: Just to say, this podcast isn’t therapy or a replacement for professional support. Although I am a therapist, I show up here as myself- sharing ideas and experiences. If you are struggling, I’d encourage you to seek support with a registered mental health professional.  

How do your expectations shape what you notice, the choicesyou make and what you believe is possible? 

In this bonus episode of Back To Self, Sian explores thespiritual law of expectation, inspired by Dan Millman’s book The Laws of Spirit.

Through a grounded psycho-spiritual lens, she examines how our expectations influence the way we experience ourselves, our relationships and the world around us.

Expectations can give us direction, strengthen hope and help us recognise what matters. But they can also become rigid standards that fuel perfectionism, self-criticism, resentment and the painful feeling that we should be further ahead.

You’ll explore:

• The difference between supportive standards andunrealistic expectations
• How family, culture, gender and social timelines shape what we expect of ourselves
• The relationship between limiting beliefs, expectations and self-fulfilling prophecies
• Why expecting rejection, failure or disappointment can influence our choices
• How low expectations may protect us while also limiting hope and possibility
• Why forced positivity and unbelievable affirmations can become another form of self-override
• How to create realistic “bridge” beliefs that feel both expansive and emotionally safe
• A guided expectation audit with reflective questions and journal prompts

This episode doesn’t suggest that difficult experiences are caused by negative thinking or that we manifest harm through having the wrong expectations. Instead, it offers acompassionate invitation to become curious about the expectations you carry: where they came from, how they may have protected you and whether they still support the person you are becoming.

If you struggle with perfectionism or impossible standards, this episode will help you gently reconsider the stories through which you meet your life.

 You may not control everything that happens, but you can begin to question whether your old expectations are still true—and make space for something different to become possible.

Listen alongside the Back To Self Virgo season episode for a deeper exploration of perfectionism, self-expectation and the inner critic. 

If this episode resonates, follow Back To Self and leave arating to help more spiritually curious listeners discover the podcast.

Thanks for listening 🙏🏽🩷

🗓️New episodes every Thursday

🎙️Follow now to join the conversation

🩷Connect with me

📸Instagram: www.instagram.com/the.soulshine.therapist

👩🏽‍💻Website: ⁠⁠www.thesoulshinetherapist.co.uk

📧Email: ⁠⁠[email protected]

🛎️InsightTimer: https://insighttimer.com/thesoulshinetherapist 

Disclaimer: Just to say, this podcast isn’t therapy or a replacement for professional support. Although I am a therapist, I show up here as myself- sharing ideas and experiences. If you are struggling, I’d encourage you to seek support with a registered mental health professional.  

Who are you becoming — and what might change if you began with your identity rather than forcing yourself to take more action?

In this episode of Back To Self, Sian explores how future-self visualisation can help you create meaningful, lasting change from the inside out. Inspired by a recent retreat with the Soulshine Sister Circle, she shares a different approach to manifestation: becoming clear about who you want to be before focusing on what you need to do.

You’ll be guided to explore the identity, inner stories, beliefs, emotions and daily habits of your future self — whether you’re longing to feel more confident, create healthier boundaries, release perfectionism, stop people-pleasing, live with greater authenticity or something else completely.

Together, we explore:

• Why taking action alone does not always create lasting change
• How your identity shapes your thoughts, emotions and behaviour
• The importance of understanding the deeper “why” behind your desires
• How to recognise the stories and beliefs keeping you stuck
• Practical reflection questions to help you connect with your future self
• How to begin embodying the person you are becoming today

This is a gentle invitation to move beyond daydreaming and begin building a more compassionate, grounded relationship with the version of you you are becoming, the version of you who already feels worthy, supported and at home in herself.

Thanks for listening 🙏🏽🩷

 🗓️New episodes every Thursday

🎙️Follow now to join the conversation

🩷Connect with me

📸 Instagram: @the.soulshine.therapist

👩🏽‍💻Website: ⁠www.thesoulshinetherapist.co.uk⁠

📧 Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Disclaimer: Just to say, this podcast isn’t therapy or a replacement for professional support. Although I am a therapist, I show up here as myself- sharing ideas and experiences. If you are struggling, I’d encourage you to seek support with a registered mental health professional.  

What happens when you understand your patterns, know where they came from, and have consumed all the therapy books, healing podcasts and self-development content — but still find yourself reacting in the same ways?

In this episode of Back To Self, Sian explores why self-awareness does not always lead to emotional healing and lasting change. You may recognise your people-pleasing, perfectionism, attachment wounds or inner critic, yet still struggle to respond differently when your nervous system feels threatened or overwhelmed.

Together, we explore the difference between intellectually understanding yourself and truly integrating what you know.

Sian shares why insight alone is not always enough, how healing culture can become another source of pressure and self-criticism, and why information overload may be keeping your nervous system dysregulated rather than helping you grow.

You’ll also hear about:

• Why knowing your patterns is not the same as changing them
• How intellectualising can create distance from difficult emotions
• Why healing requires safety, repetition and small new choices
• The relationship between self-criticism, shame and feeling stuck
• Why rest and living your life are essential parts of integration
• How relational wounds may need to heal through safe connection
• A simple reflective practice to use when consuming healing content

This episode is a compassionate reminder that you are not behind, broken or failing at healing. Sometimes the next step is not more information, but more space, patience, self-compassion and support.

Thanks for listening 🙏🏽🩷 

🗓️New episodes every Thursday

🎙️Follow now to join the conversation

🩷Connect with me

📸 Instagram: @the.soulshine.therapist

👩🏽‍💻Website: ⁠www.thesoulshinetherapist.co.uk⁠

📧 Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Disclaimer: Just to say, this podcast isn’t therapy or areplacement for professional support. Although I am a therapist, I show up here as myself- sharing ideas and experiences. If you are struggling, I’d encourage you to seek support with a registered mental health professional.  

Have you ever tried meditation and decided you were bad at it?

In this episode of Back To Self, Sian is joined by integrative counsellor, holistic therapist and qualified meditation leader Mima Cornish for a grounded conversation about making meditation accessible, adaptable and safe.

Together, Sian and Mima explore meditation for ADHD and busy minds, the difference between mindfulness and meditation, and why distraction does not mean that yourpractice has failed. They also discuss perfectionism, the inner critic, embodiment, spiritual safety and how meditation can be adapted for people affected by trauma.

This episode is an invitation to move away from rigid rules and towards a more compassionate, trauma-aware and individual relationship with meditation- one that honours your nervous system, your autonomy and your real life.

In this conversation:

• Why you don’t need to empty your mind to meditate
• Meditation techniques for ADHD and neurodivergent minds
• How to work with distractions, thoughts and outside noise
• Trauma-informed meditation and creating a sense of safety
• Mindfulness versus meditation
• Guided visualisation, embodiment and spiritual escapism
• How to begin meditating without pressure or perfection

Thanks for listening 🙏🏽🩷

🗓️New episodes every Thursday

🎙️Follow now to join the conversation

🩷Connect with me

📸 Instagram: @the.soulshine.therapist

👩🏽‍💻Website: ⁠www.thesoulshinetherapist.co.uk⁠

📧 Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠🛎️ InsightTimer (FREE Meditations): https://insighttimer.com/thesoulshinetherapist 

🩷Connect with Mima

📸 Instagram: @mima_hedgerosehealer

👩🏽‍💻Website: www.hedgerosehealing.com📧 Email: ⁠[email protected]🌐YouTube (FREE Meditations):https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClEExmdgAhdX3olEciBTLkA 

Disclaimer: Just to say, this podcast isn’t therapy or areplacement for professional support. Although I am a therapist, I show up here as myself- sharing ideas and experiences. If you are struggling, I’d encourage you to seek support with a registered mental health professional.