The Mel Robbins Podcast - World Leading Therapist: Why You Feel Stuck in Life & How to Get Unstuck

In today’s episode, you’re going to learn the root cause of why you feel stuck. Whether you feel trapped in self-doubt, overwhelmed by anxiety, or find yourself in a dynamic that keeps repeating, this conversation will show you how to break free. Joining Mel today is Lori Gottlieb: world-renowned therapist, writer of the “Dear Therapist” column for The New York Times, and bestselling author of “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone.” Lori is here to help you change the most powerful force shaping your life: the story you’re telling yourself. What she shares today will change the way you see yourself, your relationships, and your past. In this episode, you’ll learn: -How to identify the story that’s keeping you stuck -What emotional trauma has to do with your inner dialogue -How anxiety is fueled by the way you talk to yourself -The simple tools to calm anxiety and stop spiraling -The biggest questions people bring to therapy and what they all have in common -How to reclaim the author role in your life and stop being defined by your past If you’ve ever felt like you missed your shot, like you’re too much or not enough, or that it’s too late to feel better, this conversation is for you. You are not the story you’ve been telling yourself. You are the author. And today, with Lori’s help, you’ll learn how to write something new – starting now. For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page. If you liked the episode, check out this one next: The Truth About Anxiety & ADHD: Life-Changing Tools From a Renowned Psychiatrist Connect with Mel: Get Mel’s newsletter, packed with tools, coaching, and inspiration. Get Mel’s #1 bestselling book, The Let Them Theory Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Mel on Instagram The Mel Robbins Podcast Instagram Mel's TikTok Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes ad-free Disclaimer

Duration: 1h 38m
Broadcast on: 24 Nov 2025
Audio Format: other

In today’s episode, you’re going to learn the root cause of why you feel stuck.

Whether you feel trapped in self-doubt, overwhelmed by anxiety, or find yourself in a dynamic that keeps repeating, this conversation will show you how to break free.

Joining Mel today is Lori Gottlieb: world-renowned therapist, writer of the “Ask the Therapist” column for The New York Times, author of “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone,” which has sold 3 million copies, and host of the podcast Since You Asked.

Lori is here to help you change the most powerful force shaping your life: the story you’re telling yourself.

What she shares today will change the way you see yourself, your relationships, and your past.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

-How to identify the story that’s keeping you stuck

-What emotional trauma has to do with your inner dialogue
-How anxiety is fueled by the way you talk to yourself

-The simple tools to calm anxiety and stop spiraling
-The biggest questions people bring to therapy and what they all have in common

-How to reclaim the author role in your life and stop being defined by your past

If you’ve ever felt like you missed your shot, like you’re too much or not enough, or that it’s too late to feel better, this conversation is for you.

You are not the story you’ve been telling yourself.

You are the author.

And today, with Lori’s help, you’ll learn how to write something new – starting now.

For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page.

If you liked the episode, check out this one next: The Truth About Anxiety & ADHD: Life-Changing Tools From a Renowned Psychiatrist

Connect with Mel:

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Hey, it's your friend, Mel, and welcome to the Mel Robbins Podcast. Let me ask you a question. Who is the person you talk to the most in life? Your husband, your wife, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, maybe your best friend, is your mom or your dad or one of your siblings? What have I told you? It's none of those people. The person you talk to the most is you, and what you're going to learn today is you not only talk to yourself, but you're telling yourself a story that runs your life. And that story is probably not great. Maybe it sounds like, "Oh, it's never good enough. I'm never good enough. I'm not lovable. I'm not smart enough. I always screw things up. It's never going to work out for me." You've probably been telling yourself that same story day after day after day. That's why it feels like the facts. It's not a fact. It's just a story. And today, you're going to learn you have the power to edit and rewrite that story even telling yourself. And our guest today is going to teach you how, because changing your story can change your life. And this isn't just a catchy idea. It is a scientific fact. You do need to rewrite the story because that story you've been saying over and over and over again, it's keeping you stuck in self-doubt, anxiety, people pleasing, over them. It's keeping you from tapping into the potential that you have to achieve your goals. And no one can teach you how to do that, to change that story better than today's guest. She wrote the New York Times best-selling book about it. Her name, Laurie Gottlieb. She's a world-renowned therapist. And she says, "You are the sole author of your future. Not your past, not your parents, not your partner, not your friends, you. You're the author." And today with Laurie's help, you're going to pick up the pen and turn the page and start writing something new. Hey, it's your buddy Mel. Now, let's make a plan with each other around Thanksgiving, shall we? And we just agree that before we walk in, we're going to stop bracing. We're not going to bend over backwards this year to keep the piece. Here's the new plan. Let them. Let them. Let them show up late. Let them complain about the turkey. Let them stir the pot. And I don't mean gravy. Let them say the thing that always makes your eye twitch.

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