Themes: Friendship, Love, Attachment, Vulnerability, Platonic Relationships, Intimacy, Connections, Culture, Society, Belonging

Today I welcome an enlightening psychologist, international speaker, and New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Marisa G. Franco! She is known for digesting and communicating science in ways that resonate deeply enough with people to change their lives. She works as a professor at The University of Maryland and authored the New York Times bestseller Platonic: How The Science of Attachment Can Help You Make—and Keep—Friends. She writes about friendship for Psychology Today and has been a featured connection expert for major publications like The New York Times, The Telegraph, and Vice. 

In this episode, we dive into friendship and attachment, the very real challenges we all experience around friendships and why we might be experiencing them, PLUS pro tips on how to initiate new friendships as an adult and keep them intimate, nourishing, and lasting.

Discover:

Why we devalue friendships and only focus on connection through romantic relationships

Friendships with attachment theory applied and how it can help us be better friends

How men and women approach relationships differently and the stigmas that need to be broken around that

How to make and keep friends

00:00 Intro 

01:19 Why do we devalue friendships?

03:46 Friendships and attachment styles

10:17 Friendships and conflict

12:40 Friends helped us to grow

17:35 Friendships between men and women

22:40 Male and female group behavior 

24:34 Are we in a masculine-friendly culture?

26:53 Friendships and attractions

29:58 The fear of vulnerability

33:24 Skills you need to make and keep friends

36:20 Building connections and initiating friendships

44:56 How to maintain relationships

Links:

Dr. Franco’s Book: Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make—and—Keep Friends: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676695/platonic-by-marisa-g-franco-phd/

Instagram: @DrMarisaGFranco - https://www.instagram.com/drmarisagfranco

Website: http://www.DrMarisaGFranco.com

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