Midlife Strategies for Badass Women

Welcome back to another episode of Midlife Strategies for Badass Women! Today, host Sue Willoughby sits down for a radically honest conversation with the incredible Libby Bunten. Libby is an ex-clinical therapist turned somatic embodiment coach and the powerhouse founder of Self-Approval School.

Growing up in a tiny, coastal Maine town surrounded by beautiful, badass women who deeply disapproved of themselves, Libby eventually realized that checking all the traditional boxes—like getting her Master's degree—wasn't the cure for her own self-disapproval. In this episode, we explore how women are culturally waterboarded with pleasure deprivation and taught to delay gratification through "if only" thinking.

Libby breaks down her three-part model of Embodied Self-Leadership, diving into the vital importance of somatic awareness, intentional self-approval practices, and real, untainted sisterhood. If you're exhausted by perfectionism and ready to realize you are worthy simply because you exist, this is the episode for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• How "if only" thinking (e.g., "if only I lose 5 pounds" or "if only I get that job") punishes us on the way to our destinations and blocks our present happiness.

• The profound difference between a "patriarchalized sisterhood" rooted in gossip and fixing, versus a consciously designed sisterhood where women allow each other to fully express rage and grief.

• Why your body is not just a "head-carrying device" and how somatic awareness can help you tune into what is right or wrong for you.

• Fun, slightly edgy embodiment practices like "Jiggle Therapy"—learning to embrace and release the shame stored in our thighs—and taking simple pleasure breaks.

• Libby's transition away from the pathologizing framework of traditional clinical therapy into the deeply present, transformational world of somatic coaching.

• A fun detour into Human Design, where Sue and Libby bond over both being Projectors!
  
  

Chapters:
[00:00:00] Opening thought on self-approval
[00:00:43] Guest introduction and episode setup
[00:02:06] Path into self-approval work
[00:07:07] Dark night and breakthrough
[00:11:38] Redefining sisterhood and community
[00:16:07] Darkness, rupture, and self-leadership
[00:19:30] Sisterhood as the first circle
[00:21:41] Somatic awareness and embodiment
[00:27:06] Human design and projector insights
[00:32:01] Self-approval as daily practice
[00:36:50] Self-Approval School structure
[00:43:28] From therapist to coach
[00:50:42] Final message and contact info

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Connect with Libby on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thelibbybunten/

• Visit her website to learn more about the Self-Approval School membership and retreats: https://www.libbybunten.com/

• Listen to her podcast: The Self-Approval School Podcast with Libby Bunton. https://open.spotify.com/show/3p5AhrS3EQBuJK6l42eEDb?si=a2a98c78a72444de

• Grab Libby’s free embodiment practices via the link in her bio/website! https://libbybunten.kit.com/embodiment-practices
  

• Self Approval School - Join the Sisterhood: https://www.libbybunten.com/self-approval-school
  

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🔥 Welcome to Midlife Strategies for Badass Women 🔥

I’m Sue Willoughby—Badass Midlife Strategist, life coach, and your partner in breaking rules, rewriting the script, and thriving unapologetically after 40.

This channel is for women who are DONE playing small. If you’re ready to ditch the “shoulds,” reclaim your power, and live a bold, joyful, purpose-driven life—you’re in the right place.

Each week, you’ll get real talk, raw stories, and badass strategies to help you:
✨ Smash through self-doubt and limitations
✨ Reclaim your confidence and clarity
✨ Build resilience and embrace reinvention
✨ Create a midlife that feels authentic, aligned, and f*cking powerful

This isn’t just a podcast—it’s a movement. A community of women who are tired of waiting and ready to step into their next-level life, unapologetically.

👉 Hit subscribe and turn on the bell so you never miss an episode. Let’s rise, rebel, and reinvent midlife—together.