Mary's Cup of Tea: the Self Love Podcast for Women

How do you know if your romantic relationship consists of real, healthy love versus just chemistry, anxiety, or the excitement of something new? I’m talking all things love and relationships with renowned relationship psychologist Dr. Alexandra Solomon in one of my favorite conversations from the archive.

You will learn…

This conversation is full of the kind of relationship advice I wish we all got before getting into serious relationships. We talk about green flags, communication, emotional labor, self-awareness, sex, marriage, and what it really looks like to build a healthy relationship with another person. And what makes a partnership last long-term.

One of my favorite parts of this conversation is how much permission Alexandra gives us to stop trying to perfect our relationships. A healthy relationship doesn't mean you never get annoyed with your partner, never disagree, or never wonder if you're doing it “right.” It's about learning how to be curious about yourself and each other, communicate what you actually need, and keep growing together.

Whether you're single, dating, married, or somewhere in between, there's so much relationship advice here to take with you. And if you're anything like me, you'll probably walk away thinking about your own relationship in a slightly different way.

Remember: a healthy relationship isn't something you find and then magically get to keep forever. It's something you build, revisit, and grow into together.

Dr. Alexandra H. Solomon, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, professor, author, and relationship expert. She is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Northwestern University, a licensed clinical psychologist at The Family Institute at Northwestern University, and the creator and host of the Reimagining Love podcast.

She is also the author of Loving Bravely: 20 Lessons of Self-Discovery to Help You Get the Love You Want and Taking Sexy Back: How to Own Your Sexuality and Create the Relationships You Want.

Learn more at dralexandrasolomon.com and follow her on Instagram at @dr.alexandra.solomon

If you're enjoying this self-love podcast, send it to the women in your life! Or screenshot it and share it on social media. Be sure to tag @maryspodcast and @dr.alexandra.solomon so we can see it!

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Perfectionism isn't making your life better. It's keeping you stuck. If you've been waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect plan, or the perfect version of yourself before taking action, this episode is for you. I'm sharing the mindset shift that helped me stop chasing perfection and start living with more confidence, freedom, and self-worth.

You will learn…

Remember: You don't have to be perfect to be worthy. Growth happens when you're willing to begin before you have everything figured out. Confidence comes from showing up, learning as you go, and trusting the process.

If perfectionism has been stopping you from going after what you want, I hope this episode reminds you that your worth isn't something you earn. You don't need to have all the answers. You don't need to get it right the first time. You just need to take the next step.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with the perfectionist in your life! Or on social media! Be sure to tag @maryspodcast so I can see you're listening.

Mentioned In This Episode...

Deepen your self love journey with Mary’s books:

Follow Mary's self love journey on IG: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

And if you’re enjoying Mary’s Cup of Tea, share it with the women in your life! Your support helps spread the gift of self-love!

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You can be successful and still not feel confident about money. In this conversation, money expert Tori Dunlap joins me to talk about the connection between confidence, self-worth, and financial freedom. We explore why so many women (including feminists!) still struggle to feel confident about money, where those beliefs come from, and how to build wealth without shame, intimidation, or perfectionism.

You will learn…

Remember: The more you strengthen your self-worth, the more your financial confidence will improve too. 

Tori Dunlap is an internationally recognized money and career expert, founder of Her First $100K, bestselling author, and host of the #1 business podcast, Financial Feminist. After saving $100,000 by age 25, Tori left her corporate career to fight financial inequality by helping women negotiate higher salaries, build wealth, invest confidently, and achieve financial freedom. She has helped millions of women improve their relationship with money through her educational content, courses, and podcast.

Follow Tori Dunlap @herfirst100k on Instagram and TikTok and check out her podcast, Financial Feminist.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with the women in your life! Or on social media! Be sure to tag @maryspodcast and @herfirst100k.

Mentioned In This Episode...

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Have you ever felt like you're constantly fixing yourself, yet somehow still don't feel good enough? In this self-love podcast, Mary talks about her struggles with... struggle.

Let’s explore why so many of us get stuck trying to fix every flaw, solve every problem, and become a "better" version of ourselves before we allow ourselves to truly live. If you've been struggling with self-worth, confidence, or the feeling that something is always missing, this conversation may change the way you think about self-love.

Tune into our self-love podcast to learn…

Remember: Self-love isn't fixing yourself until you're finally worthy. Self-love is realizing that you were worthy all along.

Mentioned In This Episode...

Deepen your self love journey with Mary's books:

Follow Mary's self love journey on IG: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

And if you're enjoying Mary's Cup of Tea, share it with the women in your life! Your support helps spread the gift of self-love!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever thought you'd be happier if you were thinner, prettier, younger, or looked “better” in some way?

In a culture obsessed with appearance, it's easy to believe that confidence, self worth, and self love are waiting on the other side of changing your body. But what if the real struggle has nothing to do with how you look?

Dr. Lindsay Kite joins us to unpack the hidden force behind so many body image struggles. If you're working on self love, healing your body image, or learning how to love yourself in a world that profits from your self-doubt, this episode is for you.

This conversation explores the connection between self love, self esteem, self compassion, mental health, body image, beauty standards, diet culture, and the pressure women face to constantly evaluate themselves through someone else's eyes.

You will learn…

Remember: self love isn't something you earn after reaching a goal weight, fixing a flaw, or becoming "beautiful enough." Real self love begins when you stop treating your body like a problem to solve. The path to self worth, confidence, and self care may look very different than you've been taught.

Dr. Lindsay Kite is co-author of the bestselling book *More Than A Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament – A Research-Backed Health and Wellness Guide for Empowerment and Confidence* and co-director of Beauty Redefined, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women and girls build body-image resilience and reject harmful beauty standards. Alongside her identical twin sister, Dr. Lexie Kite, Lindsay has become a leading voice in the fields of body image, self esteem, media literacy, women's empowerment, and self love. Learn more at morethanabody.org and follow her on Instagram @beauty_redefined.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with the women in your life! Or on social media! Be sure to tag @maryspodcast and @beauty_redefined

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There comes a point in your self-love journey where the question shifts from How do I stop obsessing over food and my body-image? to How do I take care of my health in a way that doesn't promote diet culture?

If you've spent years untangling yourself from diet culture, caring for your health can feel surprisingly complicated. You might want to eat more nourishing foods, move your body consistently, or create healthier habits, but worry that those choices will pull you back into restriction, food guilt, or body obsession.

So how do you pursue health without dieting?

In this conversation, we're exploring what it looks like to care for your body from a place of self love rather than control. Through personal stories and practical examples, I share the three things that have helped me redefine health as a form of self-care. Especially after going through eating disorder recovery.

Because contrary to what diet culture teaches us, loving your body and caring for your health are not opposing goals. In fact, they often go hand in hand.

Whether you're recovering from disordered eating, healing your relationship with exercise, or simply trying to find a more sustainable approach to wellness, this conversation offers a gentler path forward.

Let’s revisit some reminders about…

If you've ever felt torn between body acceptance and health, this episode is your reminder that you don't have to choose. You can pursue health without diet culture, trust your body, and create habits that support both your physical and mental health.

Deepen your self love journey with Mary’s books:

Follow Mary's self love journey on IG: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

And if you’re enjoying Mary’s Cup of Tea, share it with the women in your life! Your support helps spread the gift of self-love!

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Wedding culture can make so many women feel like they’re producing a performance instead of preparing for a marriage. Between family expectations, social media pressure, people-pleasing, decision fatigue, and endless opinions, it’s easy for women to lose confidence in themselves during a season that’s supposed to feel meaningful.

This conversation with Priya Parker completely reframed the way I think about weddings, relationships, community, and gathering.

Priya is the author of The Art of Gathering and one of the most thoughtful voices on human connection, conflict resolution, and meaningful community. Together, we explore how women can approach wedding planning with more intention, self worth, confidence, and authenticity — instead of getting swept away by perfectionism or tradition for tradition’s sake.

We talk about the emotional side of weddings that nobody really prepares women for: navigating boundaries with family, staying grounded in your values, managing conflict, and creating a celebration that actually reflects who you are as a couple.

This episode isn’t just about weddings. It’s about identity, womanhood, mental health, relationships, and staying connected to yourself during major life transitions.

Inside this conversation:

Whether you’re engaged, married, single, healing from people-pleasing, or simply craving deeper connection in your life, this conversation offers such a grounding perspective on what it means to gather with intention.

Follow Priya on Instagram: @priyaparker

Get Priya’s book, The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters

Get Priya’s course The Art of Gathering Digital Course — Wedding Edition

Share this episode with the women in your life! Be sure to tag @maryspodcast and @priyaparker

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If you’ve been feeling stuck, unmotivated, disconnected from yourself, unsure of your direction, or like your confidence has slowly been slipping away, this episode is for you.

In this personal solo episode of Mary’s Cup of Tea, Mary opens up about her own struggles with motivation, burnout, comparison, confidence, and feeling lost in life. From questioning her career path to wrestling with self-criticism and the pressure to always “have it figured out,” she explores how to find the confidence and motivation to move forward when you feel lost.

Because maybe the problem isn’t that you’re lazy, unmotivated, or failing.

Maybe you’re exhausted from fighting yourself.

Mary shares 3 ideas that have been helping her rebuild motivation and confidence.

We talk about:

Remember: You do not need to have your entire life figured out to move forward.

Get Mary’s Feeling Lost Guide: maryscupoftea.com/lost

Deepen your self love journey with Mary’s books:

Follow Mary's self love journey on IG: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

And if you’re enjoying Mary’s Cup of Tea, share it with the women in your life! Your support helps spread the gift of self-love!

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Building something meaningful is rarely a linear process. In this episode, Mary sits down with Sasha, co-founder of Self-Care Is For Everyone, to talk about mental health, entrepreneurship, and the unexpected journey from posting illustrations online to building a multi-million dollar brand and business.

Along the way, Sasha opens up about ADHD, grief, burnout, confidence, and what it really takes to keep creating when life gets hard. Let this episode be a reminder that you do not need to feel fully confident before starting something meaningful.

You will learn…

Remember: protecting your mental health matters just as much as achieving your goals. You are allowed to build a meaningful life while still figuring yourself out.

Sasha is the co-founder of Self-Care Is For Everyone, a community-centered mental health brand dedicated to making conversations around emotional wellbeing more accessible. Since launching in 2018, the brand has collaborated with over 150 artists, built a community of millions online, given back over $1 MILLION to the mental health causes, and partnered with companies like Kleenex and Target.

Follow @selfcaresforeveryone and pre-order their book “How Do I Self-Care: A Guided Journal to Practice Self-Kindness (Even On The Hard Days)”

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with the women in your life to help spread the self love. Be sure to tag @maryspodcast and @selfcaresforeveryone

Mentioned In This Episode...

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This is for the women who know they want kids eventually, but don't know if or when they'll be ready.

Some questions don’t have a clear answer… they just keep you up at night.

“How do I know if I’m ready to have kids?” is one of them. Especially for women.

This isn’t a how-to guide. Nor is it a checklist. I’m definitely not someone to tell you what to do with your life. I'm just here for women empowerment which means talking about these things openly.

It’s just an insight into my brain, and a real, unfiltered look at what it feels like to sit with that question. The back and forth. The moments where you want it so badly… and the moments where you look at your life and think, I love this, I don’t want to lose it. The weird shift from being terrified of getting pregnant to quietly hoping for it. The anxiety about motherhood and wondering if you’ll be a good parent. The thoughts many women don’t always say out loud.

This conversation opens up something a lot of women carry privately: that readiness isn’t a clear, confident “yes.” Sometimes it looks like questioning, debating, researching, and imagining yourself in various versions of the future you can’t fully see yet.

If you’ve ever gone back and forth on this… if you’ve ever felt both drawn to and scared of the idea of having kids… if you’ve ever wondered what “ready” is even supposed to feel like… you are not alone.

And that’s the point of this reflective, solo episode. It’s a little different than the self-love topics we usually discuss on Mary’s Cup of Tea, but I think it’ll be relatable to many women who are debating whether or not to have children.

Remember: You don’t need perfect certainty to make meaningful decisions—just enough candid conversations and self-compassion to explore what feels true in this moment.

Mentioned In This Episode: Sophie Ansari’s short TikTok film “how the heck does anybody decide if they’re ready for a kid?”

Deepen your self love journey with Mary’s books:

Follow Mary's self love journey on IG: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

And if you’re enjoying our self-love podcast, share it with the women in your life! Your support helps normalize these types of conversations about mental health, womanhood, and self-love.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.