PODCAST · health
Take the Upgrade
by Leanne Peterson, Life Coach
A podcast from a therapist, life coach and fellow human about living a better life through awareness, intention and laughter.
Episodes
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Will EMDR Heal My Trauma, Overcoming People Pleasing, and Neurodivergence: Knowledge About How Your Brain Works is Power
What if some of the things you've spent your life believing were wrong with you are actually just evidence that your brain works differently? In this episode, Leanne Peterson introduces Victoria, the newest clinician at Upgrade Therapy Group, and the two have a wide-ranging conversation about...
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The Pause Is the Work
I think we misunderstand what it means to be present. Most people equate presence with being physically there. You're in the room, you heard the words, you responded. That counts, right? But there's a difference between being there and actually arriving. What I see, over and over, is that people...
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The Moment I Finally Allowed Divorce on the Table
Most people think a healthy marriage means never considering divorce. I don't think that's true. In this conversation, I walk through why allowing yourself to honestly consider leaving can actually bring clarity to your relationship—and why refusing to think about it often keeps people stuck in...
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The Real Reason Your Family Feels out of Sync
Most families don't have a "people problem."They have a system problem. If one person in your family is constantly overwhelmed, frustrated, or checked out—it's easy to assume they're the issue. But more often, they're the signal that something in the system isn't working. In this episode, I walk...
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Time Doesn't Mature a Marriage — Intention Does
Most couples assume that time will naturally deepen connection, resolve patterns, or make them wiser partners. But years together do not automatically create maturity. In relationships, maturity is developmental — it happens when partners intentionally grow, practice accountability, and choose...
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Sex in Marriage Isn't a Chore Chart
Most couples believe that if they fix the imbalance at home — the dishes, the laundry, the mental load — their intimacy will naturally improve. But sex in marriage isn't a chore chart. When intimacy becomes something earned, negotiated, or owed, desire quietly disappears. What actually erodes...
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Why Your Husband Won't Give You What You Need (Even When You Ask)
Why does your partner pull away right when you ask for what you need? Many people assume it means they don't care. In reality, something else is happening beneath the surface. In long-term relationships, conflict often triggers stress responses in both partners. One person moves closer, trying to...
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Why the Way You Talk to Your Partner Is Slowly Breaking Your Marriage
Most people think honesty is the foundation of a healthy marriage. But unfiltered honesty—spoken from frustration, exhaustion, or irritation—often creates the opposite of what we want. In this video, I talk about why the way you speak to your partner matters more than how justified you feel in…
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Live Beyond the Fantasy List in Your Head
In this conversation, Leanne discusses how to plan a summer that is enjoyable and memorable without leading to burnout. She emphasizes the importance of evolving beyond a fantasy to create intentional experiences that align with personal and family values. The discussion also covers the...
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Addressing the Pattern, not the Person
Patterns, Not People: How to Stop Attacking Each Other and Start Solving the Real Problem When relationships become frustrating, it's easy to start labeling the other person. Selfish. Controlling. Lazy. Self-centered. Those labels feel satisfying in the moment, but they usually make the problem...
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Self Awareness, Acceptance, and the Problem with Principled Living
Acceptance, Awareness, and Why Real Change Usually Looks Smaller Than We Think There is a lot of pressure in our culture to change. To become better. To optimize yourself. To upgrade your habits, your mindset, your personality. Change is exciting. It sells well. It sounds hopeful. But when you…
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Pulling in Extra Support for Your Self Care
Most people think of self-care as something they should be able to handle on their own. Wake up earlier. Be more disciplined. Manage stress better. But real self-care often requires something we resist: support. In this episode, I talk about the idea of pulling in extra support when life demands...
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Rethinking Intuition, the Science of Decision Making, and How to Be OK Not Knowing the Solution Yet
Many of us believe we should know what the right decision is. We think clarity should arrive quickly. We assume intuition should speak loudly. But real life doesn't usually work that way. In this episode, I talk about intuition, decision-making, and why learning to tolerate uncertainty is one of...
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The Art of Attunement in Relationships
Most relationship advice focuses on communication skills or conflict resolution. But underneath both of those is something even more fundamental: attunement. In this episode, I talk about why attunement — the ability to notice and respond to what the people around us actually need — is the real...
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Loving Without Resentment
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78 - Time to Conduct an Honest Self-Inquiry
Leanne walks us through the steps of an honest self-inquiry to assess what things are going well, what things you're struggling with and what areas you want to focus on now. We've got to set aside time to contemplate how we're feeling regularly. Be kind to yourself and know that much of our...
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77- End-of-Year Relationship Wrap-up
Last year Leanne got a tiny bit caught off guard by the end of the year so this year she's developed a complete End-of-Year Wrap-up series to help us get things settled and to help us bridge over to the new year smoothly! Today's end-of-year topic is relationships. How are you feeling in your...
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76- End-of-Year Home Wrap-up
Last year Leanne got a tiny bit caught off guard by the end of the year so this year she's developed a complete End-of-Year Wrap-up series to help us get things settled and to help us bridge over to the new year smoothly! Today's end-of-year topic is space. How do you feel in your home or in your...
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75 - End-of-Year Money Wrap-up
Last year Leanne got a tiny bit caught off guard by the end of the year so this year she's developed a complete End-of-Year Wrap-up series to help us get things settled and to help us bridge over to the new year smoothly! Today's end-of-year topic is money. What were your financial goals for the...
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74 - How to Ask for What You Want
I'm not a mind reader. You are similarly not a mind reader. So, why are we so certain others will be able to step in and help us well and we'll be able to help others well? Leanne recently was the recipient of so much loving help since she's had her baby and she's realized some super interesting...
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73 - How to Make Family Time Actually Fun
Do you ever think that things are not quite as fun as you thought they would be? Today Natalie tells a couple stories from her recent summer vacations and Leanne offers some really solid therapy tools to help with getting clear on what fun looks like. She teaches us how to "play the tape forward"...
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72 - Forced Vulnerability
Welcome to Take the Upgrade Podcast Episode 72! Your host is Leanne Peterson and today she's back with her co-host Natalie to catch us up on her big life transitions and her return from maternity leave. Usually we can manage our own exposure to others pretty well, but during a major life event…
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71 - Very Scary Episode About Hair Coloring Incident and "Painting Done"
Today in Episode 71 Leanne tells why unmatched expectations can be a very scary thing and how to communicate in a way that promotes understanding on both parties. We'll be back next week with another dose of soulful guidance! Leanne is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Houston and she works…
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70 - Design a Routine that Works for You and the Newest Trick on the Block
Episode 70 is all about designing a routine that works for you! Thanks for tuning in to Take the Upgrade. Your host is Leanne Peterson and she's here today to teach us the newest tips and tricks to make the most out of your day. We'll be back next week with another dose of soulful guidance!…
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69 - Intuition vs. Emotion and How to Tell the Difference
Thanks for tuning in to Take the Upgrade! Today in Episode 69 Leanne is giving you the tools to distinguish between Intuition and Emotion. And, since they both feel about the same but mean two very different things, this is a good thing to practice! We'll be back next week with another dose of...
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68 - Knowing When Fear Can Be Your Teacher and Friend
Welcome to Take the Upgrade! In Episode 68 Leanne and Natalie are talking about the aspect of intuition that we most often try to ignore: fear. We have the gift of sensing when something isn't right, similarly we all too often quiet that fear. We even try to talk ourselves out of it! Leanne wants...
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67 - Moving From Codependence to Empowerment
Welcome to Take the Upgrade! In Episode 67 Leanne and Natalie discuss what's happening when you get too invested in other people. This is a pretty common pattern that can begin from a place of wanting to help others, to love and be loved. Remember to keep a dividing line between your job and the...
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66 - How to Get to Your Future Self
Welcome to Take the Upgrade! In Episode 66 Leanne and Natalie talk about your relationship with your future self. It's so fascinating to think about who you'll be in the future. Leanne wants us to consider whether we are doing things for our future self or whether we're expecting our future self…
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65 - What Everyone Else is Doing is an Illusion
Welcome to Take the Upgrade! In Episode 65 Leanne and Natalie talk about comparison and the illusion of what everyone around us is doing. Obviously many social scientist of our day are concerned with the effects that social media is having on issues like depression, inter-connection and debt....
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64 - Learn What Jealous Feelings Are Actually Showing You
Welcome to Take the Upgrade Podcast Episode 64! Today Leanne and Natalie dig deep into analyzing what feelings of jealousy can teach us. Leanne doesn't subscribe to the old narrative of jealousy being "bad" and immediately shutting it down. Pondering your feelings of jealousy will actually give…
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63 - Gearing up for a Big Life Change the 'Take the Upgrade' Way
Welcome to Take the Upgrade Podcast Episode 63! Your host is Leanne Peterson and today she's back with Natalie to talk about the best way to prepare for a big life change. There are things that you can plan out ahead of time that will really help you be supported during a time of transition.…
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62 - Aligning Your Physical and Emotional Health
Welcome to Take the Upgrade Podcast Episode 62! Your host is Leanne Peterson and today she's joined by Erin Thole to present another amazing aspect of the Align Program which is aligning your physical and emotional health! Erin Thole is a Certified Natural Healthcare Professional. Align is…
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61 - Using Your Enneagram Profile to Become the Best Version of Yourself
Welcome to Take the Upgrade Podcast Episode 61! Your host is Leanne Peterson and today she's joined by Carolina and Brooke to discuss how to use the Enneagram to discover your strengths and the strengths of those around you. Align is designed to help you get all areas of your life working in...
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60 - Align Your Home With Marie Kondo Consultant Ashely Barber
Welcome to Take the Upgrade Podcast Episode 60! Your host is Leanne Peterson and today she's joined by Carolina Vennie and Ashley Barber to discuss how to decluttering the right way! Align is designed to help you get all areas of your life working in harmony together. We'll feature a Marie Kondo...
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59 - Introducing the Align Program
Welcome to Take the Upgrade Podcast Episode 59! Your host is Leanne Peterson and today she's joined by Carolina Vennie to introduce their new program called Align! Align is designed to help you get all areas of your life working in harmony together. We'll feature a Marie Kondo consult, Enneagram...
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58 - City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert - Join Leanne's Book Club
Today you can join our book club discussion of City of Girls and all things Elizabeth Gilbert! We're taking a look at her books, career and life over the years. We're covering themes of feminism, shame, creativity and the magic of diversity. Have a question for Leanne? Email her at...
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57 -The Third Space
Welcome to Take the Upgrade Podcast Episode 57! Your host is Leanne Peterson and today she's teaching us how to not take things too personally. Join us! The Third Space is a visualization tool to protect you and slow down situations where impulse reactions don't serve you. It's a buffer between…
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56 - Where Your Value Really Comes From
If you are interested in Aligning your life and working with Leanne and Carolina one on one here is a program you will love: https://www.leannepeterson.com/course Welcome to the Take the Upgrade podcast with your host Leanne Peterson. Today we're talking about the constant pressure to be good...
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55 - Where Confidence Really Comes From
Our culture is basically obsessed with confidence. We talk about it like it's the first step to making our capabilities grow. Leanne wants to clear up this confusion for all of us. Confidence actually comes after our capabilities grow. After you've achieved the new skill or level, that's when you...
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54 - When Perception Gets in the Way of Our Experience
Today on Take the Upgrade Leanne is talking about how our perception of something gets in the way of our actual experience. This is what is happening when you take something personally or get stuck in your own story. She calls it distorted thinking patterns, and there is a way to overcome. Let...
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53 - Take Control of Your Life by Mel Robbins - Join Leanne's Book Club
Welcome to our special book club episode of Take the Upgrade! Join Leanne, Carolina, Rachelle and Natalie as they dissect Mel Robbin's awesome new audiobook Take Control of Your Life! This book is a collection of 6 life coaching sessions that tackle topics related to overcoming fear in its many...
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52- Telling the Difference Between What You *Think* You Want and What You *Really* Want
Welcome to Take the Upgrade. In today's episode Leanne is going to help you finally figure out want you REALLY want. There's an exploratory process you can go through that will actually help you identify your core desires. For example, what were your childhood passions? These can often remind you...
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51- Timing in Your Life is Delicate: Don't Burn the Popcorn!
Welcome to Take the Upgrade Podcast with your host Leanne Peterson. Timing is delicate. Sometimes there are short windows in our life. Think about cooking popcorn in the microwave. There is a window of time for optimal cooking. When we have life events with similarly delicate timing, we have to...
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50 - How to Actually Do Summer, as an Adult
Welcome to Take the Upgrade Episode 50! Today Leanne and Natalie talk about how to make the most of your summer. Life has many seasons. When "summer" comes around, whether literally or figuratively, you should enjoy it! Life is short so treat yourself every once in a while. Leanne encourages us…
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49 - Loving What Is by Byron Katie - Join Leanne's Book Club
Welcome to our May book club episode of Take the Upgrade! Today Leanne is joined by Rachelle and Natalie to discuss Loving What Is by Byron Katie. Byron Katie teaches that we can, not only accept, but embrace our lives by performing an inquiry work on our thoughts. Listen in to learn how it works...
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48 - Enjoy a Season of Coasting After a Season of Constant Striving
Welcome to Take the Upgrade Podcast with Leanne Peterson! Being in the hustle is great. Life will have seasons of striving where we are working really hard to achieve a goal. Just know that striving is a stressed state. Your body, and especially your mind, are under a lot of stress when you are...
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47 - Curating a Life that is for the Real You
Welcome to Take the Upgrade Podcast. Today Leanne is talking to us about her recent spring cleaning adventures! There are some tricks you need to know about de-cluttering so that you can make quick and easy decisions. Curate your belongings based on who you really are and not who you wish you…
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46 - Building a Life that Works for You - Join Leanne's Book Club
Thanks for tuning in today to Take the Upgrade Podcast Episode 46! We're joined by a few members of Leanne's book club to discuss The Not So Big Life by Sarah Susanka. The book draws comparisons between making your home work for you and building a life that works for you. Bigger isn't always...
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45 - What Does Tired Look Like? Adults Misbehave When Stressed, too
Welcome to Take the Upgrade Episode 45 where Leanne Peterson teaches us how to set ourselves up for success. What environment helps you thrive? Do you take the time to surround yourself with those conditions? Because when you aren't able to be your best self, it's probably just because you're...
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44 - Knowing When it's Time to Make a Change: The Serenity Prayer
Do you have the guts to make make a change in your life when the time is right? When it's time to leave or when it's time to speak up - do you do it? Or do you stay put and stay quiet? This episode today is such an inspiration for those of us who are ready for a course correction. Thanks for…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A podcast from a therapist, life coach and fellow human about living a better life through awareness, intention and laughter.
HOSTED BY
Leanne Peterson, Life Coach
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Take the Upgrade have?
Take the Upgrade currently has 92 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Take the Upgrade about?
A podcast from a therapist, life coach and fellow human about living a better life through awareness, intention and laughter.
How often does Take the Upgrade release new episodes?
Take the Upgrade has 92 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Take the Upgrade?
You can listen to Take the Upgrade on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Take the Upgrade?
Take the Upgrade is created and hosted by Leanne Peterson, Life Coach.
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