Conversations from the Heart

What happens when your inner life feels like a committee meeting: chaotic, conflicting, and deeply personal?

In this episode, we hold space for four courageous voices navigating the messy middle between self-betrayal and self-expression. From the tension between ambition and peace, to the heartbreak of being shut down in community, to living with a judgmental roommate, to confronting a long-lost friend after betrayal: each conversation reveals something essential about the daily work of becoming more whole.

We explore what it really takes to come home to yourself, especially when the world around you (and even inside you) feels noisy, critical, or confusing.

You’ll hear about:

•Naming and listening to the competing parts within you

•Self-regulation as a sacred practice

•How to stop outsourcing your worth to other people’s reactions

•What to say (and not say) when you’re ready to revisit old wounds

•And why you don’t have to “fix” anything before you can reclaim your voice

Whether you’re grappling with doubt, disconnection, or the longing to be seen as you truly are—this episode is a gentle invitation to let your real self rise.

Want more direct access to me? I warmly invite you to become a member of The School of Human Connection. 

Join regular live calls where students in the school bring real relationship dilemmas. We slow things down and I'll help you see what's actually happening and how to respond with more integrity, strength and care.

You will find a safe space for live discussions and a supportive community of like-minded, open-hearted humans.

Stay updated on new episodes and resources by subscribing wherever you listen to podcasts or visiting yvetteerasmus.com.

Here are more ways to connect with me:

• Join the School of Human Connection
• Hop on my free Wednesday live call
• Follow me on YouTube

Ever feel like your regret is selfish? Or worry that setting a boundary will ruin the friendship? 

In this episode, you’ll hear from Judy who wants to write a condolence letter, but struggles when her grief spirals into self-blame.  Then we turn to Georgia, who just can’t take one more last-minute cancellation from a friend, but also doesn’t want to lose her friendship over it. 

If you’ve ever wrestled with guilt, struggled to speak up in friendships, or wondered how to stay openhearted while honoring your own needs—this episode is for you.

Inside this episode:

•The regret reframe that will change your life

•A word-for-word script for naming hurt without causing defensiveness

•Why your “too muchness” might be your tenderness trying to protect you

•How to stop over-functioning and start honoring your needs

•The unexpected role of nervous system regulation in friendship repair

And as a bonus, listen for a surprising metaphor involving cloudy days, sunburns, and how to stop trying to change people just so you can stay connected.

Want more direct access to me? I warmly invite you to become a member of The School of Human Connection. 

Join regular live calls where students in the school bring real relationship dilemmas. We slow things down and I'll help you see what's actually happening and how to respond with more integrity, strength and care.

You will find a safe space for live discussions and a supportive community of like-minded, open-hearted humans.

Stay updated on new episodes and resources by subscribing wherever you listen to podcasts or visiting yvetteerasmus.com.

Here are more ways to connect with me:

• Join the School of Human Connection
• Hop on my free Wednesday live call
• Follow me on YouTube

What if the reason your relationships feel hard isn’t because there’s something wrong with you, but rather because you’re waking up and getting more conscious?  

In this tender, truth-filled episode, we meet Carol and Paulina, two women navigating the messy terrain of rebuilding self-trust after giving too much of themselves away in past relationships.

Carol is considering reconnecting with a longtime friend who’s consistently prioritized his comfort over their mutual care. She wants reciprocity but keeps accommodating the status quo, hoping it’ll inspire change. Together, we explore the hidden cost of chronic self-abandonment and what it takes to risk doing things differently.

Paulina, meanwhile, is mourning the loss of a toxic relationship that activated every part of her attachment system. She feels flat, emotionally shut down, and unsure if she can ever love again. Her current relationship is kind, stable… and unfamiliar. We unpack the difference between trauma chemistry and real connection, and how to trust love that doesn’t feel like chaos.

If you’ve ever confused anxiety for attraction, or found yourself resentfully staying in a dynamic that doesn’t meet your needs, this episode is for you.

You’ll learn:

• How to stop over-functioning in lopsided relationships
• The difference between behavior and intention, and which one to trust
• Why real love might feel boring at first (and why that’s a good thing)
• How to reclaim your yes and no without shame
• And how to grieve what never was without losing your capacity to love again

Listen in for practical tools, emotional wisdom, and the gentle nudge you may need to come back to yourself.

Want more direct access to me? I warmly invite you to become a member of The School of Human Connection. 

Join regular live calls where students in the school bring real relationship dilemmas. We slow things down and I'll help you see what's actually happening and how to respond with more integrity, strength and care.

You will find a safe space for live discussions and a supportive community of like-minded, open-hearted humans.

Stay updated on new episodes and resources by subscribing wherever you listen to podcasts or visiting yvetteerasmus.com.

Here are more ways to connect with me:

• Join the School of Human Connection
• Hop on my free Wednesday live call
• Follow me on YouTube

What do you do when someone you love keeps using emotional blunt force instead of listening? When the men in your life still believe criticism is caring, or that dominance equals dialogue?

In this week’s episode, we sit with two brave women learning how to communicate with men who are still playing by old, outdated rules where vulnerability is weakness, power is control, and connection gets sacrificed for the illusion of authority.

We explore what it means to keep our hearts open without abandoning ourselves, to name what hurts without making someone wrong, and to build bridges without betraying our own inner truth. You’ll hear real-life moments, fresh language to try, and permission to stop performing “good girl” energy just to keep the peace.

In this raw and real episode, two women ask:

How do I stay in connection with someone who keeps hurting me?

Why do I freeze or fawn when I know better?

SHOW NOTES: 

• Why old-school masculinity often shows up as dismissal, control, or withdrawal
• How women often internalize the pressure to stay sweet, silent, and obedient
• What to say (and not say) when our boundaries are being ignored
• The art of exiting a conversation with grace and power
• How to bring “bad girl” energy back into wholeness

This episode is for anyone tired of talking to a wall, and ready to start listening to themselves.

🎧 Tune in now, and reclaim your voice, your power, and your peace.

Want more direct access to me? I warmly invite you to become a member of The School of Human Connection. 

Join regular live calls where students in the school bring real relationship dilemmas. We slow things down and I'll help you see what's actually happening and how to respond with more integrity, strength and care.

You will find a safe space for live discussions and a supportive community of like-minded, open-hearted humans.

Stay updated on new episodes and resources by subscribing wherever you listen to podcasts or visiting yvetteerasmus.com.

Here are more ways to connect with me:

• Join the School of Human Connection
• Hop on my free Wednesday live call
• Follow me on YouTube

You pulled away. They’re still mad. Now what? In this raw and deeply human episode, we unpack exactly what to say—and how to stay grounded—when you’re ready to reconnect after silence, space, or rupture. 

Whether you were isolated by trauma or just needed room to breathe, this episode offers repair scripts, emotional insights, and the one mindset shift that changes everything.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

•How to craft a heartfelt message to reconnect after distance

•What to say when your friend is still angry (without getting defensive)

•A reframe for “running away” that honors your healing

•How to stay open when shame, fear, or guilt try to take over

•The difference between apologizing and collapsing

•What to do if the conversation doesn’t go how you hoped

You’ll hear real-time coaching with two community members navigating:

•Friendship rupture and reconciliation

•Emotional honesty without self-erasure

•The courage it takes to rebuild trust—step by step

Whether you’re the one who stepped away or the one left wondering why, this conversation is a masterclass in emotional maturity, repair, and self-responsibility.

🎧 Listen now—and don’t miss the closing tools to stay steady when the stakes feel high.

Want more direct access to me? I warmly invite you to become a member of The School of Human Connection. 

Join regular live calls where students in the school bring real relationship dilemmas. We slow things down and I'll help you see what's actually happening and how to respond with more integrity, strength and care.

You will find a safe space for live discussions and a supportive community of like-minded, open-hearted humans.

Stay updated on new episodes and resources by subscribing wherever you listen to podcasts or visiting yvetteerasmus.com.

Here are more ways to connect with me:

• Join the School of Human Connection
• Hop on my free Wednesday live call
• Follow me on YouTube

Ever find yourself carrying someone else’s emotional backpack… and wondering why your shoulders hurt?

Today we unpack four real-life questions about emotional boundaries, relational burnout, and the art of letting go of what was never yours to hold. You’ll hear raw, relatable stories, from being exiled from a beloved community group, to walking away from a relationship where you were doing all the emotional heavy lifting, to healing a strained mother-daughter dynamic, and navigating triggering conversations around money.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• “Am I responsible for fixing this?”
• “How do I honor my limits without hurting someone else?”
• “Why do I feel so hooked right now?”

…this episode offers guidance, clarity, and a whole lot of compassion.

You’ll learn:

• Why fixing is disapproval
• How to set a boundary without bracing for a fight
• A script for naming recurring patterns without activating defensiveness
• What to say when someone demands emotional labor you can’t give
• Why your triggers might be invitations (not threats)

Come for the aha moments, stay for the soul-soothing reframes. This one’s a deep dive into the messy, brave work of staying rooted in yourself—especially when it would be easier to collapse, comply, or control.

A Special Offer for My Podcast Listeners:

Get 20% off your annual NVC Library subscription using the code YVETTENVCLIBRARY at checkout at https://nvcacademy.com/registration/signup/nvc-library

Want more direct access to me? I warmly invite you to become a member of The School of Human Connection. 

Join regular live calls where students in the school bring real relationship dilemmas. We slow things down and I'll help you see what's actually happening and how to respond with more integrity, strength and care.

You will find a safe space for live discussions and a supportive community of like-minded, open-hearted humans.

Stay updated on new episodes and resources by subscribing wherever you listen to podcasts or visiting yvetteerasmus.com.

Here are more ways to connect with me:

• Join the School of Human Connection
• Hop on my free Wednesday live call
• Follow me on YouTube

Want more direct access to me? I warmly invite you to become a member of The School of Human Connection. 

Join regular live calls where students in the school bring real relationship dilemmas. We slow things down and I'll help you see what's actually happening and how to respond with more integrity, strength and care.

You will find a safe space for live discussions and a supportive community of like-minded, open-hearted humans.

Stay updated on new episodes and resources by subscribing wherever you listen to podcasts or visiting yvetteerasmus.com.

Here are more ways to connect with me:

• Join the School of Human Connection
• Hop on my free Wednesday live call
• Follow me on YouTube

This tender and deeply resonant episode follows a heartfelt question from listener Cathy: Do I keep talking to my brother, even after all the harm he’s caused?

What unfolds is an intimate exploration of how to stay rooted in our own integrity when we’re torn between love and protection, compassion and accountability, connection and boundaries.  We dive into how to love someone clearly, without collapsing into enabling, appeasing, or pretending.

Cathy shares the painful complexity of loving a sibling who’s caused irreversible harm - some unethical, some illegal - and the grief of wanting connection without pretending the pain never happened.

Warning:  Strong language is used, so be careful if little ones are listening in! 

📝 Shownotes:

• Do you have to forgive to love someone again? (Minute 12)
• What to say when someone you love won’t take responsibility (Minute 20)
• The difference between “enabling” and “accepting” (Minute 27)
• A real-life script to stay honest and kind (Minute 35)
• How to protect your inner child in hard family relationships (Minute 41)
• Why punitive force backfires - and what to do instead (Minute 50)

This episode is a masterclass in the art of loving honestly, and in choosing relationship without gaslighting yourself.

Want more direct access to me? I warmly invite you to become a member of The School of Human Connection. 

Join regular live calls where students in the school bring real relationship dilemmas. We slow things down and I'll help you see what's actually happening and how to respond with more integrity, strength and care.

You will find a safe space for live discussions and a supportive community of like-minded, open-hearted humans.

Stay updated on new episodes and resources by subscribing wherever you listen to podcasts or visiting yvetteerasmus.com.

Here are more ways to connect with me:

• Join the School of Human Connection
• Hop on my free Wednesday live call
• Follow me on YouTube

What if your fiercest judgments were just misplaced devotion?

In this raw and revealing episode, we unpack those charged moments when your love for truth and justice gets mistaken for criticism or control. When your “I just want to help” lands more like “You’re doing it wrong.” And when your longing to belong collides with your need to speak up.

Two powerful stories unfold in this episode:  One about a moment of regret after calling out a fellow trainer in a large group, and another about getting kicked out of a recovery meeting… for being too disruptive. 

But underneath it all? The same longing: to be seen, heard, and held in our full humanity.

💥 Warning: This episode may stir up old wounds. But it also offers hope, tools, and a path to healing. Also, be aware that we sometimes use spicy language so be careful if any little ones are listening, too. 

In this episode, we explore:

• Why your “judgmental” moments might be rooted in love - not criticism
• What to do when you speak from truth but it lands all wrong
• The real difference between empathy and commiseration (and how we often get it twisted)
• What happens when you get banned from a recovery group… and why it’s not the end of your story
• How to apologize without collapsing or giving your power away
• A powerful reframe for those moments when you think, “Ugh, I did it again…”

✨ Whether you’re the one who blurted out too fast, or the one retreating into silence after conflict, this episode will help you find your way back - to yourself, to others, and to what really matters.

🎧 Listen now if you’ve ever:

• Regretted your tone but stood by your message
• Felt like the “too much” one in the group
• Wanted to show up with integrity and connection
• Longed for a do-over, but didn’t know how to start

Resources Mentioned:

Free Communication Starter Kit

Join the Conversations from the Heart Membership for live support and community

Subscribe on YouTube

👉 Like this episode? Share it with someone who’s navigating a relational repair of their own. And remember: you’re allowed to be a work in progress and a force for good.

Want more direct access to me? I warmly invite you to become a member of The School of Human Connection. 

Join regular live calls where students in the school bring real relationship dilemmas. We slow things down and I'll help you see what's actually happening and how to respond with more integrity, strength and care.

You will find a safe space for live discussions and a supportive community of like-minded, open-hearted humans.

Stay updated on new episodes and resources by subscribing wherever you listen to podcasts or visiting yvetteerasmus.com.

Here are more ways to connect with me:

• Join the School of Human Connection
• Hop on my free Wednesday live call
• Follow me on YouTube

Ever felt torn between staying true to yourself and keeping the peace in your relationships? In this episode, we walk with three courageous guests as they navigate the messy middle of relational repair, where heartbreak, hope, and healing often collide.

Throughout the episode, I offer grounded coaching and relational insight, modeling how to make peace with not getting your way, how to advocate without attachment, and how to hold your truth with both gentleness and strength.

Plus, I share my favorite Marshall Rosenberg quote that gives us all permission to show up imperfectly.

The big insight?  Sometimes, the conversation is less about the thing and more about the way we talk about it. Tune in to learn how to shift from “I need you to agree with me” to “Can we co-create a process where we both matter?”

Key Questions Explored

• What do I do when I want something deeply - but no one else agrees?
• How can I reconnect with someone after months or years of silence?
• How do I set boundaries with people who steamroll my needs?
• What if honoring myself means disappointing people I love?

Listener Takeaways/Show Notes 

• A step-by-step process for advocating without demanding
• How to hold space for grief when connection doesn’t go as hoped
• The “thermometer tool” to surface hidden family dynamics
• Language to use when you’re overwhelmed but still want to show up
• How to shift from self-judgment to healthy regret when you’re not perfect

Listen for heart-centered coaching, clear language templates, and real-life examples of relational courage.

Want more direct access to me? I warmly invite you to become a member of The School of Human Connection. 

Join regular live calls where students in the school bring real relationship dilemmas. We slow things down and I'll help you see what's actually happening and how to respond with more integrity, strength and care.

You will find a safe space for live discussions and a supportive community of like-minded, open-hearted humans.

Stay updated on new episodes and resources by subscribing wherever you listen to podcasts or visiting yvetteerasmus.com.

Here are more ways to connect with me:

• Join the School of Human Connection
• Hop on my free Wednesday live call
• Follow me on YouTube