The Alli Worthington Show

Healing People-Pleasing and Perfectionism with Dr. Alison Cook

September 7, 2026·43 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Join Me To Build Your Best Fall – https://buildyourbestfall.com/ You can name my attachment style, your Enneagram number, and your diagnosis over dinner without blinking. But when the house goes quiet and nobody needs anything from you, you feel strangely unreachable to yourself.That gap between knowing the language and feeling connected is the question I want to explore: what does it take to feel secure from the inside out?Therapist and author Dr. Alison Cook is back with me to walk through her new book, The Secure Soul, and the three parts of me that are running the whole operation, whether I realize it or not. In this episode, we look at how to understand those parts, move toward a more secure life from the inside out, and find what it takes to feel secure from the inside out.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Why we're the most psychologically informed generation ever and still feel so alone, and how information becomes actual transformationThe three parts of you running the show: the Controller, the Shadow, and the Young One, and how to tell which one is drivingWhy shame and self-condemnation never create lasting change, and the one thing that doesA gentle, practical process for uncovering what's underneath a habit you keep wishing you could stopHow to hear from the youngest version of yourself, and why she holds your creativity and courageWhat it means that you're not the single parent of your own soulTimestamps:(00:42) – Why the most psychologically informed generation still feels so alone(01:20) – When head knowledge never becomes transformation(02:22) – The London prayer walk: getting curious instead of forcing(06:42) – The three parts of you: the Controller, the Shadow, and the Young One(10:01) – Running the whole operation and quietly resenting it(11:55) – The observing eye, agency, and bids for connection(14:12) – Why the Shadow gets wrongly cast as the villain(15:43) – A gentle process for uncovering what drives a habit you want to change(19:05) – How to hear from the youngest version of yourself(23:36) – Uncertainty, guilt, and the entrepreneurial woman(24:26) – The extra child inside you(28:04) – Mending a tear in your soul: rupture, repair, and the "if only"(32:57) – What a secure soul looks like on an ordinary day(34:04) – You are not the single parent of your soul(35:40) – Fun questions: The Artist's Way, movies, and a product she swears byLinks to great things we discussed: The Secure SoulAlison’s QuizAlison’s Book Recommendation: The Artist's WayAlison’s Movie Recommendation: Minions &amp; Monsters &amp; SurvivorAlison’s Product Recommendation: HelloFreshFunction HealthUplift AppJoin me on Substack: Wise Woman MethodAlli on YouTubeI hope you loved this episode! 🎉Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts and <a href="h

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of The Alli Worthington Show and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.