Anna Marcolin Coaching & Counseling

Anna Marcolin Coaching & Counseling Coaching and Counseling

11/21/2025

There are moments when life demands something big and visible from us, and there are moments when the bravest thing we do is in complete silence. This episode breaks open the difference between courage and bravery, especially the way most of us mix them up without ever really questioning why.
Join Anna and Tim as they talk through the surprising definitions they didn’t know, the stories that shaped their understanding, and the everyday ways we all face ourselves. From firefighters running toward danger to the kind of courage it takes just to say I need help, they explore how fear, vulnerability, and inner alignment shape the actions we take.
This Episode Covers:
The real difference between courage and bravery.
How bravery is outward and situational while courage is inward and enduring.
Why so many people confuse fearlessness with strength.
Quiet courage in everyday life, like going to therapy or asking for help.
Bravery as aligned action that grows from internal values.
How fear and courage run along the same neural pathways.
Personal stories that reveal the spectrum of fear, courage, and action.
Why courage comes first and bravery follows.
Until next time, here’s to deeper connections and personal growth.
Mad love!
The podcast is now on YouTube! If you prefer to watch, head over to https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw3CabcJueib20U_L3WeaR-lNG_B3zYqu
Don’t forget to subscribe to the Badass Confidence Coach podcast on your favorite podcast platform!
CONNECT WITH ANNA:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/askannamarcolin/
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/tag/askannamarcolin
Email hello@annamarcolin.com
Website https://www.annamarcolin.com

11/18/2025

One of the biggest questions I get — from clients, podcast listeners, and even CEOs — is this:

“How do I know if I need therapy or coaching?”

The truth?
They serve different purposes… and they’re both powerful when used at the right time.

🧠 Choose Therapy When…

You’re functioning, but you’re not feeling.
You look fine on the outside but inside you’re:
• overwhelmed
• anxious or burned out
• resentful or shut down
• emotionally stuck
• repeating old patterns
• people-pleasing, avoiding, or perfectionistic
• still carrying shame, triggers, or pain from the past

Therapy focuses on the inner world — your patterns, your wounds, your nervous system, and the stories that were written long before you realized they were running the show.

Therapy uncovers the why so you can shift the how.

If the emotional foundation isn’t regulated, everything else feels harder.

🔥 Choose Coaching When…

You’re clear on the why, but you’re struggling with the how.

You’re ready for:
• strategy
• accountability
• ex*****on
• business clarity
• career direction
• time management
• performance goals
• the next-level version of yourself

Coaching is forward-focused. It’s about creating momentum, building habits, and taking aligned action.

Coaching moves you forward. Therapy moves you inward.

And both can change your life.

❤️ My Rule of Thumb (from 30 years as a therapist + high-performance coach):

If you’re overwhelmed emotionally → therapy first.

If you’re unclear strategically → coaching.

If you’re both overwhelmed and unclear?
Therapy first. Strategy second.
A regulated nervous system is the strongest foundation for growth.

If you’re unsure which one is the right fit, DM me and I’ll point you in the right direction — no pressure, just honesty.

11/17/2025

Here’s what actually makes a great therapist — and it’s probably not what you think.

GREEN FLAGS OF A GREAT THERAPIST:

✔ You feel safe with them, but not coddled.
A great therapist holds you with compassion and tells you the truth you may not want to hear.

✔ They help you understand yourself more deeply.
You walk away thinking differently about your patterns, not just venting.

✔ They connect the dots.
Childhood, relationships, coping habits, triggers — they help you make sense of the whole picture.

✔ They challenge you with love.
Not harsh. Not passive. Someone who says, “Let’s look at this,” instead of just nodding for 45 minutes.

✔ They help you build actual emotional skills.
Self-regulation. Boundary-setting. Communication. Confidence. Coping.
Real tools for real life.

✔ They are consistent and grounded.
You trust their presence — not because they’re perfect, but because they’re stable and self-aware.

✔ They know when therapy is enough… and when it’s time to shift.
A great therapist is not threatened by your growth. They don’t keep you stuck.
They want you to get stronger and, eventually, need them less.

✔ They’re doing their own work.
They don’t bring their unresolved stuff into your sessions.

🚩 RED FLAGS IN A THERAPIST:

(This is what people never talk about.)

🚩 You vent every week but nothing changes
🚩 You don’t feel seen or understood
🚩 They avoid hard conversations
🚩 They talk more about themselves than you
🚩 They subtly encourage dependence
🚩 You leave sessions confused, not clearer
🚩 You don’t feel like you’re learning anything

⸻

💬 WHAT TO ASK A NEW THERAPIST

• “How do you typically work with people?”
• “What does progress look like with your clients?”
• “How do you help people stay unstuck?”

Their answers will tell you everything.

11/15/2025

Resilience isn’t pretending everything’s fine—it’s believing you can handle it when it’s not.

Toxic positivity tells you to smile through pain. Real resilience lets you feel the pain and keep going.

Your Power Move: This week, replace “I’m fine” with “I’m figuring it out.”

That’s resilience in action.

11/13/2025

What happens when your brain tells you to stop, when fear, anxiety, or self-doubt take the wheel? In this final part of the Emotional Mastery series, the conversation unpacks what it means to train your nervous system and override the internal voice that says “you can’t.” From performance anxiety to everyday overwhelm, it explores how to move from protection to power by understanding what’s really happening in the body and mind.
Join Anna and Tim for a grounded and honest look at emotional mastery, where science meets lived experience and the work is all about practice, not perfection.

This Episode Covers:

How the brain protects you by creating false “danger” signals.
The central governor theory and why the mind limits performance.
Training your nervous system to push past fear.
The STOP skill for responding instead of reacting.
Using cold water, breath, and movement to calm the body.
The power of cognitive reframing and the stress mindset effect.
Generational differences in emotional regulation.
Why mastery is practice, not perfection.
Until next time, here’s to deeper connections and personal growth.

Mad love!

The podcast is now on YouTube! If you prefer to watch, head over to https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw3CabcJueib20U_L3WeaR-lNG_B3zYqu
Don’t forget to subscribe to the Badass Confidence Coach podcast on your favorite podcast platform!

CONNECT WITH ANNA:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/askannamarcolin/
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/tag/askannamarcolin
Email hello@annamarcolin.com
Website https://www.annamarcolin.com

11/12/2025

Motivation isn’t magic—it’s momentum.

Waiting to feel motivated keeps you stuck. Action creates the feeling you’re chasing.

Your Power Move: Pick one micro-action today that takes 2 minutes or less. Start small, but start.

11/11/2025

People-pleasing looks kind—but it’s often fear wearing a mask.

You’re not being ‘nice’—you’re trying to avoid rejection. Boundaries don’t make you mean; they make you real.

Your Power Move: Say no once this week where you’d usually say yes. Watch how powerful that feels.

11/10/2025

Emotional maturity isn’t about not feeling—it’s about not reacting.

When you pause before you respond, you’re literally rewiring your brain. That’s emotional regulation—Marsha Linehan 101.

Your Power Move: Next time you’re triggered, take a breath, unclench your jaw, and ask, ‘What does this feeling need?’ not ‘Who’s to blame?’

11/08/2025

Comparison is the fastest way to kill your confidence.
Social media tricks your brain into thinking everyone else is ahead.
But confidence doesn’t grow from comparison—it grows from consistency.

Your Power Move: Mute one account that triggers you and replace it with someone who inspires your discipline, not your envy.

11/07/2025

When life throws a curveball, emotional mastery isn’t about pretending to be calm, it’s about learning how to return to calm.
In this second part of the series, Anna and Tim dive deeper into what it really means to regulate yourself when your nervous system is in overdrive. From understanding how emotions spread faster than logic to exploring why our reactions often betray what we “know,” this conversation gets real about the gap between theory and practice.
Join them as they unpack the science of emotional contagion, the power of breath, and how generational conditioning shapes our emotional lives. They explore how leaders set the emotional tone for teams, why calm is contagious, and how body awareness, sleep, nutrition, and movement become the foundation for mastering your emotions.

This Episode Covers:
Why emotions spread faster than logic in leadership and life.
The power of calm as your greatest advantage.
Generational patterns of emotional expression and suppression.
Understanding the vagus nerve and the polyvagal theory.
How breathing can rewire your stress response.
The DBT “PLEASE” skill for emotional regulation.
How physical care (sleep, nutrition, exercise) supports emotional mastery.
Simple daily practices to strengthen your emotional stability.

Until next time, here’s to deeper connections and personal growth.

Mad love!

The podcast is now on YouTube! If you prefer to watch, head over to https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw3CabcJueib20U_L3WeaR-lNG_B3zYqu
Don’t forget to subscribe to the Badass Confidence Coach podcast on your favorite podcast platform!
CONNECT WITH ANNA:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/askannamarcolin/
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/tag/askannamarcolin
Email hello@annamarcolin.com
Website https://www.annamarcolin.com

10/31/2025

So many of us were taught to keep it together. Push it down, keep it moving, stay in control. But what happens when the pressure builds and the old strategies stop working?
In part one of this powerful series, Anna shares what emotional mastery really means, why it’s not about staying calm or looking composed, but about building awareness, naming what we feel, and learning to surf the emotional waves instead of damming them up.
Join Anna and Tim as they unpack the truth behind suppression, the myth of stoicism, and how to recognize when your nervous system is hijacked and heading for burnout. This is the start of something deeper.

This Episode Covers:
Why emotional regulation isn’t about control.
The difference between suppression and mastery.
What happens when your prefrontal cortex goes offline.
How high performers mask anxiety and burnout.
The role of culture in how we show (or don’t show) emotion.
What it means to live in a state of chronic stress.
The ICE Pivot and STIR Loop frameworks.
Practical ways to start identifying and naming your emotions.

Until next time, here’s to deeper connections and personal growth.

Mad love!

The podcast is now on YouTube! If you prefer to watch, head over to https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw3CabcJueib20U_L3WeaR-lNG_B3zYqu
Don’t forget to subscribe to the Badass Confidence Coach podcast on your favorite podcast platform!
CONNECT WITH ANNA:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/askannamarcolin/
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/tag/askannamarcolin
Email hello@annamarcolin.com
Website https://www.annamarcolin.com

10/29/2025

You can’t change what you won’t acknowledge.

Most people run from self-awareness because it hurts to see where we’re still reactive, avoidant, or insecure.
But awareness is your superpower—it’s the first rep in emotional fitness.

Your Power Move: Spend five minutes today asking, ‘What emotion is running the show right now?’

Name it to tame it.

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Highland Park, IL
60035

Telephone

+18476910400

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