Hitting a wall in a relationship is normal. Even when you really love someone, differences in background, communication, desires—you name it—can come between you. It can help to see how others have found their way around their own walls. Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel offers a window into the office of world-renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel as she helps her patients traverse the rocky landscape of couples therapy in a comprehensive and highly accessible way.
Who’s Your Host?
Esther Perel’s insights on the complexities of relationships, romance, and eroticism have made her one of the most celebrated and sought-after couples therapists in the world, with more than 20 million views on her TED Talk about desire. She’s worked with couples in New York for over 35 years and was a clinical instructor at the New York University School of Medicine for 13 years. She is also a consultant to several Fortune 500 companies, the host of another popular podcast called How’s Work? with Esther Perel, a New York Times bestselling author, and one of Oprah Winfrey’s Supersoul 100 visionaries.
What’s It All About?
Often what we need most in a relationship rut is a fresh perspective. Esther gives that to her patients in the couples therapy sessions you’ll hear on Where Should We Begin?. You’ll hear a diverse range of relationship issues, Esther’s expert facilitation of sometimes brutally honest conversations, and the joy of the breakthroughs she unlocks in her patients as a result.
Why We Love It
We love Esther’s astounding ability to reflect the dynamics of a relationship back to a couple from a bird’s eye view while simultaneously picking up on poignant subtleties that her patients weren’t aware of. The ultimate gift of this show is that Esther teaches us how to rethink our relationships in new and unexpected ways. Try listening with a partner and discussing the episode after.
Where to Start
A classic session, and the perfect first taste of how Esther works. This couple carries a legacy of war, refugee childhoods, and family trauma, and their marriage was seen as taboo on both sides. Now they’re trying to build a lighter, happier home for their child than the ones they grew up in. Listen to Esther help them separate what they inherited from what they want to pass on.
Best for: Processing a Painful Parting of Ways
When quarantine began, this married couple in NYC had to make it work for each other, their kids, and… the husband’s new girlfriend. To say they weren’t seeing eye to eye is an understatement. Notice how Esther manages to bring them together on common ground while also giving them space to process in their own ways.
Best for: Navigating Different Perspectives
Their whole relationship rests on one big misunderstanding, with infidelity on both sides. Years later, each of them still can’t see the other’s version of events. Listen to Esther untangle two stories that were never allowed to meet—a masterclass in what it takes to actually hear your partner.