We are sharing a special episode this week, from Dr. Sharon Malone's new podcast, The Second Opinion.

On this show, women take back the conversation on health with straight talk, real experience, and the care we all deserve. You’ll hear prominent female advocates, experts and patients just like you sharing how they confronted gaps in our healthcare system and got second opinions that saved their lives.

Alongside each guest, Dr. Sharon tackles the questions and topics we’ve been conditioned to ignore - the ones we search for at 3 a.m. but never bring up at the doctor’s office. From dismissed symptoms to systemic failures, she pulls back the curtain on what’s really going on in women’s health and gives women the tools to advocate for themselves and each other.

In this episode, Dr. Sharon talks to CNN anchor and analyst Laura Coates about how she almost died during childbirth, her experience with early menopause and how she handles hot flashes on air and at home.

Dr. Sharon shares menopause warning signs and helps Laura connect what she thought were individual experiences to menopause. And the two discuss the need for improved awareness around suffering through menopause and the benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy.

Listen to more of The Second Opinion: damonahoffman.com/secondopinion

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Ever feel like you're speaking different languages with your partner, literally? When one of you wants deep conversations over text and the other needs to actually hear a voice, it's not just frustrating. It's creating real distance.

This week, a listener shares:

"I'm seeing this guy and we have totally different ways of communicating and it's starting to become a problem. He's all about texting, like everything is through text with him. He wants to have these deep conversations over text and I'm more of a 'can we just call, can we actually talk?' person. Last week I had something I really needed to bring up with him and I texted him about it since that's what he prefers and it went so wrong."

In this episode, Damona unpacks why text-based communication has disrupted relationships more than dating apps ever did, what different communication preferences reveal about emotional processing, and how to bridge the gap without losing yourself in the compromise.

Resources & Links:

Want to track what's working (and what's not) in your dating life? Download the free Date Tracker at damonahoffman.com/datetracker

Got a communication question? DM @DamonaHoffman on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook, or leave a voicemail or text at 424-246-6255

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Help Dates & Mates win a Signal Award! Vote by October 9th at damonahoffman.com/award

Loving someone who can't love you back the same way is one of the most tender, complicated situations in relationships. Sometimes the safest relationship in your life becomes the hardest one to navigate, and the person who knows you best is also the one you want most.

This week, a listener shares:

"I'm in love with my best friend. I'm a queer woman in my thirties and she's straight in her mid to late twenties. We've gotten progressively closer to the point where people think we are dating. My therapist told me my friend is the safest relationship that I have in my life. So sometimes I do wonder if what I'm perceiving as romantic love is just a really healthy friendship. Do I tell my best friend I'm in love with her? If I don't, how do I protect my heart and continue to have this incredible friendship that I never want to give up?"

In this episode, Damona explores what happens when deep friendship intersects with romantic feelings. You'll hear about the difference between emotional safety and romantic compatibility, why fantasy relationships feel easier than real ones, and how to navigate truth-telling without causing collateral damage to the relationship that matters most.

What You'll Hear In This Episode:

Why feeling safe with someone doesn't automatically make them your romantic match

How staying in the fantasy can keep you emotionally unavailable to real possibilities

The critical questions to ask yourself before revealing feelings to a friend

What it costs you to stay silent when romantic feelings are involved

Why creating distance might be the most clarifying move you can make right now

How to baby step into gauging openness without risking everything at once

What it means to proceed with compassion for both yourself and your friend

Resources & Links:

Got a relationship question? DM @DamonaHoffman on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook

Leave a voicemail or text: 424-246-6255

Dates & Mates is a finalist for a Signal Award! We need your support to ensure Love Wins! Vote for Dates & Mates at ⁠damonahoffman.com/award⁠

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Do you believe that Love Wins? Dates & Mates is a finalist for our first-ever Signal Award, and we need every single listener to make their voice heard. We are the ONLY relationship-focused and independently produced podcast nominated in the How To & Advice category. 

If you have ever been helped, inspired, or changed by listening to this podcast, this is the moment to let me know.

It takes 30 seconds or less to VOTE at damonahoffman.com/award. 

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You've mastered the logistics of life together, but somewhere along the way, you stopped actually living it together.

This week, a listener shares:

"I'm lonely in my own marriage. We've been together 12 years and we're like this well-oiled machine. Kids get to practice, bills are paid, house doesn't fall apart, but that's it. We don't actually talk anymore, just coordinate. Last week I realized we hadn't had a real conversation in probably two months. When I brought it up, he was like, 'what's wrong? We're good. We don't fight.' But I'm dying here. I miss my husband."

In this episode, Damona explores what happens when couples perfect the art of co-managing but lose the skills of co-connecting. You'll hear why functional doesn't have to mean emotionally empty, and how to bridge the gap when one person doesn't even see the problem.

What You'll Hear In This Episode:

Why becoming a "well-oiled machine" can actually work against your relationship

How to practice intimacy skills the same way you schedule soccer practice

The difference between absence of conflict and presence of connection

Why two months without real conversation signals an emotional drought

How to get from logistics to feelings without blindsiding your partner

What "relationship amnesia" looks like and how to recover those lost skills

Why missing someone who's sitting right next to you hits so differently

Resources & Links:

Got a relationship question? DM @DamonaHoffman on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook

Leave a voicemail or text: 424-246-6255

Dates & Mates is a finalist for a Signal Award! We need your support to ensure Love Wins! Vote for Dates & Mates at damonahoffman.com/award

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What happens if you get to the third date and it still feels awkward? Grin and bear it? Or keep waiting for chemistry? And how can you trust that your gut is telling you the right thing?

This week, a listener shares: "I met a man who checks every box on paper. He’s kind, reliable, matches my values… but I feel absolutely nothing. No spark. No butterflies. Is something wrong with me?"

In this episode, Damona shares the truth about emotional resonance, why the three-date rule isn’t a trap, and how to tell the difference between being too picky and being truly honest with yourself. 

You’ll hear how to identify the signals your body sends you, why humor matters more than you think, and why being “decent” should never be the bar.

What You'll Hear In This Episode:

Connect With Us:

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This week, Damona is joined by her longtime friend, TV and TikTok superstarMatchmaker Maria, a fourth-generation matchmaker with no time for fairy tale fluff. 

They get real about why dating feels so lonely now,, the truth about relationship timelines, and why your deep texting doesn’t count as actual connection.

Whether you're stuck on the apps or spiraling in dating burnout, Maria shares practical tools from her new book Ask a Matchmaker that will help you reset your mindset, clarify your compatibility, and finally stop waiting for someone to “just get it.”

What You’ll Hear In This Episode

Resources and Links

Connect with Maria on Instagram. Facebook, and TikTok

Call or text your question to: 424-246-6255

Follow @damonahoffman on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠Facebook⁠, and submit questions via DM or voice memo anytime.

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We often talk about romance, but this week, we’re taking a closer look at the quiet epidemic affecting millions: the erosion of deep friendships and emotional openness, especially among men.

What happens when someone says “I miss you”... and it feels too risky to say it back? How do cultural norms shape our ability to express care, and how can we start to rebuild emotional intimacy, not just in partnerships, but in friendships too?

This week’s episode was inspired by a friend of the show, Douglas, whose candid moment with his wife sparked a much bigger conversation about vulnerability, gender norms, and the loneliness many are too afraid to name.

This week, a listener shares:

“Last night my wife told me she was getting lunch with a friend after getting a text that said ‘I miss you.’ I told her it’s nice women can say that — but guys can’t. She insisted we could. I’m not convinced. What do you think?”

What You’ll Hear In This Episode:

Resources & Links:

Call or text your question to: 424-246-6255

Follow @damonahoffman on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, and submit questions via DM or voice memo anytime.

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We’ve all had that one date…the one that felt like lightning. Everything clicks, and before you know it, you're imagining forever. But when you act on that high too quickly, reality can come crashing down hard.

This week, a listener shares: “Late at night, I had to get these thoughts off my mind. I told her I felt like I think I'd found my wife. She expressed that she was disappointed that I would say this after what she told me about moving too fast and that it was best we not see each other.”

In this episode, Damona breaks down what really happens when you come on too strong — and why even the most intense connection can’t be rushed. You’ll hear how fantasy thinking can override our better judgment, why texting late at night can sabotage a budding connection, and how to make amends when you've crossed a line. Most importantly, Damona offers real steps for recovery, both emotional and relational.

Download the Frustration-Free Dating Guide: DamonaHoffman.com

Leave a voicemail or text your question: 424-246-6255

Follow @DamonaHoffman on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook DM or voice memo your question to be featured in a future Dear Damona segment

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Grief changes us, and sometimes, it’s also what brings us together.

This week, a listener shares: “My partner and I both lost our spouses, and we bonded over that. Now, three months in, I’m the only one opening up and being vulnerable. Am I asking too much? Or moving too fast?”

In this episode, Damona explores what it really means to show up emotionally after loss, and why vulnerability often doesn’t look the same from both sides. You’ll hear how to honor your own emotional pace, set gentle boundaries, and recognize the difference between emotional availability and avoidance—even when love is in the room.

What You’ll Hear In This Episode:

Resources & Links: Download Damona’s Frustration Free Dating Guide at DatesandMates.com

Got a question? Text or leave a voicemail for Damona at 424-246-6255

Follow @damonahoffman on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook Submit your question via voice memo or DM to have it answered on a future episode.

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Friendships can be some of our most important relationships, but they don’t always stay the same. 

Careers, relationships, moves, and life stages can all shift the way we connect, sometimes leaving us wondering if the closeness we once had is gone for good.

This week, a listener shares:

“My best friend and I used to share everything. Lately, it’s just work updates and weekend plans. When I try to talk about deeper stuff, the subject changes. Are we growing apart, or is there a way back?”

In this episode Damona shares why even the strongest bonds can feel distant and offers practical, low-pressure ways to reignite connection. 

You’ll learn how to adapt to friendship changes, bring back emotional depth, and keep your support network thriving without it feeling awkward or forced. Plus you’ll also get vital communication tips that you can apply to dating or to feel more connected to people in your world.

What You’ll Hear In This Episode:

Download Damona’s Frustration Free Dating Guide at DatesandMates.com

Got a question? Text or leave a voicemail for Damona at 424-246-6255

Follow @damonahoffman on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook and submit your question via voice memo or DM to have it answered on a future episode

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