Find Your Voice, Change Your Life

Find Your Voice, Change Your Life Public Speaking Confidence: Find your inner voice and express what matters most with Dr. Doreen Downing.

Presenting to senior management can make a familiar subject feel much harder to speak aboutOne client described feeling ...
08/27/2026

Presenting to senior management can make a familiar subject feel much harder to speak about

One client described feeling “paralysed with fear of failure” in that setting

When your attention is pulled toward how you are being evaluated, it becomes harder to stay with what you know and what you came to say

This is one reason I return so often to presence. It gives you somewhere steadier to speak from when the room feels important

If this feels familiar, you’re welcome to send me a message. I’d be glad to hear what happens for you when the room feels important

08/26/2026

How much of yourself do you edit before anyone even hears you?

Maybe you change the wording, soften what you really mean, or decide it would be easier to stay quiet

Over time, that can create distance between what you feel inside and what you allow yourself to express

Founded by Denise Drinkwalter, IGNITE: The Inner Uprising™ is a gathering for midlife women to listen inward and reconnect with what they want to say, feel, and bring forward. I’ll be there as one of the torchbearers, carrying The Inner Voice

November 12-13, 2026 | Vancouver

Comment IGNITE and I’ll send you the details

Even with a doctoral degree and a thriving business, I hid my stage fright for yearsI remember sitting in networking mee...
08/25/2026

Even with a doctoral degree and a thriving business, I hid my stage fright for years

I remember sitting in networking meetings and feeling anxious about simply introducing myself. I stayed quiet to avoid attention

For a long time, I hid behind my profession as a psychologist and said to myself, “I’m just better at listening”

Looking back, I can see that I was shrinking rather than growing

Did being accomplished ever make your speaking struggle harder to admit?

You have a point you want to make, and you’re ready to say itThen you picture the reactionSomeone might disagree. The co...
08/25/2026

You have a point you want to make, and you’re ready to say it

Then you picture the reaction

Someone might disagree. The conversation might become uncomfortable

So you go along instead

When that keeps happening, your real perspective never makes it into the conversation. People may even assume you agree when you don’t

Finding your voice includes letting what is true for you remain present in the conversation

The next time you speak, notice whether what you say still matches what you actually think 🤔

A whole room can feel like a lot to hold in your attentionConnection doesn’t have to happen with everyone at once. It ca...
08/21/2026

A whole room can feel like a lot to hold in your attention

Connection doesn’t have to happen with everyone at once. It can happen one person at a time

You are still speaking to the room, but the experience becomes more personal and connected

Follow along for more of what I teach about becoming more present when you speak

Lasting confidence can mean trusting what you know and saying it with conviction, while also being able to say, “I don’t...
08/21/2026

Lasting confidence can mean trusting what you know and saying it with conviction, while also being able to say, “I don’t know” when you don’t have the answer

You do not have to be the smartest or most helpful person in the room to have value

As self-trust grows, there is more room to speak from what you genuinely know and believe

If you want more support building this kind of confidence, stay close. I’ll be sharing more about speaking with greater self-trust 😌

Being put on the spot can make even a familiar question feel difficultYou know the subject, but suddenly everyone is wai...
08/20/2026

Being put on the spot can make even a familiar question feel difficult

You know the subject, but suddenly everyone is waiting for your answer. The pressure to say the right thing can make the words much harder to find

Sometimes the more you try to get the answer exactly right, the harder it becomes to simply respond

Tell me: How would it feel to trust what comes, instead of trying to get the answer exactly right?

As a psychologist, listening came naturally to meI could sit with someone, listen closely, ask questions, and help them ...
08/19/2026

As a psychologist, listening came naturally to me

I could sit with someone, listen closely, ask questions, and help them find their own words. That was a place where I felt comfortable

But when I was asked to speak, especially in front of a group, I would say, “I can’t do that”

For a long time, I told myself I was simply better at listening

Eventually, I began to question that explanation and look more closely at why speaking felt so different when the attention was on me

What might you discover if you questioned the story you’ve been telling yourself?

The words are coming, and then suddenly... nothing 😶For a few seconds, all you can think is, “I can’t lose my train of t...
08/19/2026

The words are coming, and then suddenly... nothing 😶

For a few seconds, all you can think is, “I can’t lose my train of thought. This is embarrassing.” So you start searching for words, talking faster, doing whatever you can to get past the silence

I understand why that pause can feel so uncomfortable. But rushing often gives you even less space to find your way back

👉🏻 The next time you go blank, try this: stop, take one quiet breath, and give yourself a moment before continuing

Your words are not be gone. They simply need a little time to return

08/18/2026

She only wanted to make £200

Then she made £860, and the ceiling she had accepted for her life suddenly cracked open

What changed wasn’t just her income. It was what she believed she could do next

🎙️ Watch the full episode, The Courage to Stop Settling for Less

Comment "PODCAST" for the full episode

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