Episode 82: Mollie Birney
09/09/2026
What happens when thinking becomes the place you go to avoid feeling?
In this episode, Ailey Jolie sits down with clinical life coach and former therapist Mollie Birney to explore embodiment as the practice of being present with ourselves rather than constantly trying to manage our experience. Together, they consider how overthinking and control can become ways of creating safety, even when they ultimately keep us disconnected from the body.
Drawing from her own recovery and clinical work, Mollie shares what it means to change our relationship with the inner voice that tells us how we should behave. Rather than waiting for that voice to disappear, she explores the possibility of loosening its authority and making room for what we actually feel.
The conversation also examines the difference between thinking about an emotion and allowing ourselves to experience it. Mollie offers a simple but powerful perspective: thoughts can give us somewhere to stay, while feelings can show us where to go.
Ailey and Mollie ultimately return to what it means to live with greater authenticity, finding the courage to trust your own voice without reshaping yourself to be more acceptable to others.
Please note that this episode includes discussion of eating disorder recovery. We encourage you to take care of yourself and listen in whatever way feels supportive.
About In This Body: Conversations with leading experts about the importance of embodiment in living an authentic life. In This Body asks the important questions: How does connecting to your body change your life? How will connecting to your body allow you to love better and live more authentically? And how does connecting to your body change the trajectory of our shared world?
In this episode:
4:14 Presence As The Core Of Embodiment
8:16 Patriarchy, Recovery, And The Inner Voice
13:34 Isolation, Grief, And Outgrowing Safety
21:53 Coaching Versus Therapy And Fit
26:52 Psychodynamic Training And Nervous Systems
32:02 Free Fall And Feeling Versus Thinking
38:58 Resonance, Voice, And Taking Up Space
47:49 Reflections, Clarifications, And Next Steps
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