Tired of feeling anxious about every friendship interaction? In this episode with friendship expert Danielle Jackson, we're breaking down how to actually connect without all the overthinking.

In conversation, we tackle:

* Why that picture-perfect friend group you're chasing might be more about logistics than love

* The uncomfortable truth about why friend groups require secure attachment (and what happens when you don't have it)

* How social media surveillance culture is making us police each other's friendships

* Why "cutting people off" has become our default conflict resolution strategy

* The case for small talk (and why hating it might just be performative depth signaling)

* How reduced friction in modern life is making us friendship weaklings who can't handle disagreement

* Why friendship apps work for meeting people but fail at building actual relationships

* The difference between chemistry, closeness, and intimacy (and why we keep confusing them)

* How to escape conversations without being rude (because we've all been trapped by a rambler)

* Why your friendship anxiety might be about you, not your lack of friends

Danielle Bayard Jackson is a friendship expert and coach, and author of the bestselling book “Fighting for our friendships”.

WE ARE NOW ON SUBSTACK with bonus episodes, pep talks, episodes guides, and so much more! Join us at nuanceneeded.substack.com

To learn more about therapy reach out to Therapy for Women Center, therapyforwomencenter.com. We have therapists licensed in 42 states across the country and have offices if you are local to the Philadelphia area.

Want to join the conversation? EMAIL- [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!

Tired of waiting for the "right" circumstances to start living your life? In this episode, we're diving into the difference between being alone and being lonely—and why your solo season might be exactly what you need.

In conversation, we tackle:

Why getting married or finding a partner won't cure your loneliness (sorry!)

The three levels of loneliness and why you need all of them fulfilled

How to tell if you're avoiding your life or actually living it

Why "am I taking advantage of my life right now?" is the question that changes everything

The empowering truth about doing things alone (yes, even travel and concerts)

How to build trust with yourself for whatever life throws at you

Why your current season—even if it feels lonely—still has meaning and purpose

The difference between making decisions from scarcity vs. self-awareness

How routine and showing up for yourself can fill the void better than waiting for external validation

WE ARE NOW ON SUBSTACK with bonus episodes, pep talks, episodes guides, and so much more! Join us at nuanceneeded.substack.com

To learn more about therapy reach out to Therapy for Women Center, therapyforwomencenter.com. We have therapists licensed in 42 states across the country and have offices if you are local to the Philadelphia area.

Want to join the conversation? EMAIL- [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!

Sam reflects on the finite nature of time and how witnessing death as a hospital worker has shaped her perspective on living boldly. She challenges listeners to examine how they're actually spending their time versus waiting for some future version of their life to begin. From her decision to take meaningful vacations as a single person to questioning whether we're living according to our own values or others' expectations, Sam offers a raw meditation on mortality, purpose, and the courage to live authentically.

For more pep talks like this from sam, subscribe to our SUBSTACK!

nuanceneeded.substack.com

To learn more about therapy reach out to Therapy for Women Center, therapyforwomencenter.com. We have therapists licensed in 42 states across the country and have offices if you are local to the Philadelphia area.

Want to join the conversation? EMAIL- [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!

So many people say you need to process your emotions. But WTF does this mean and how do you actually do it? In this solo episode, Amanda dives deep and explains her 6 step method that walks you through exactly how to process your emotion. She also shares the science and practice of emotional processing. Amanda breaks down groundbreaking research from Lisa Feldman Barrett on how emotions are actually constructed experiences rather than fixed internal states, explaining the four fundamental dimensions of emotion (energy and pleasantness levels) that form the foundation of all emotional experiences.

Resources mentioned: Amanda’s book, Not Drinking Tonight & Workbook. “How Emotions are Made” by Lisa Helmand Barrett.

To get a downloadable step by step 25 page guide join our SUBSTACK! www.nuanceneeded.substack.com

To learn more about therapy reach out to Therapy for Women Center, therapyforwomencenter.com. We have therapists licensed in 42 states across the country and have offices if you are local to the Philadelphia area.

Want to join the conversation? EMAIL- [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!

Today we are tackling two listeners questions about sex!

Questions we answer:

* "I'm 28 and I've never had sex - the shame is paralyzing me and I feel like I've missed the window. How do I get past this when everything in our culture says I'm weird?"

* "My husband and I fight about sex constantly. The more he pushes, the less I want it, but when I just do it to avoid the fight, I feel gross after. What should I do?"

Resources mentioned: Emily Nagoski’s book “Come as You Are” also Amanda’s book Not Drinking Tonight (if you want more info about sexual shame and how it shows up with our drinking behavior)

WE ARE NOW ON SUBSTACK with bonus episodes, pep talks, episodes guides, and so much more! Join us at nuanceneeded.substack.com

To learn more about therapy reach out to Therapy for Women Center, therapyforwomencenter.com. We have therapists licensed in 42 states across the country and have offices if you are local to the Philadelphia area.

Want to join the conversation? EMAIL- [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!

When did masturbation become an "addiction" that requires recovery? Licensed therapists Amanda White and Sam Dalton tackle the viral story of former Bachelor contestant Maddie Prewett's claims about overcoming her "sexual sin addiction" to masturbation and porn. In deeply personal conversations, they share their own experiences with sexual shame and explore how shame-based messaging around sexuality creates the very problems it claims to solve, why comprehensive sex education matters, and how purity culture's effects extend far beyond religious communities. This episode offers a nuanced look at sexual shame, religious trauma, and the journey toward healthy sexuality without judgment. CW- Talk of sexual assault

WE ARE NOW ON SUBSTACK with bonus episodes, pep talks, episodes guides, and so much more! Join us at nuanceneeded.substack.com

To learn more about therapy reach out to Therapy for Women Center, therapyforwomencenter.com. We have therapists licensed in 42 states across the country and have offices if you are local to the Philadelphia area.

Want to join the conversation? EMAIL- [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!

In this episode, Sam realizes she might have had OCD as a teenager - an unedited, real-time processing session. For a year as a teenager, Sam was secretly convinced she was hitting people with her car. She'd loop back to check for bodies, research vehicular manslaughter, and visualize police at her house waiting to arrest her. Amanda shares her own parallel experiences with health anxiety and magical thinking, and together we explore how even therapists can miss their own mental health patterns until years later.

WE ARE NOW ON SUBSTACK with bonus episodes, pep talks, episodes guides, and so much more! Join us at nuanceneeded.substack.com

To learn more about therapy reach out to Therapy for Women Center, therapyforwomencenter.com. We have therapists licensed in 42 states across the country and have offices if you are local to the Philadelphia area.

Want to join the conversation? EMAIL- [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!

Licensed therapist and OCD expert Kimberly Quinlan joins us for a raw, honest conversation about what OCD really is. In a vulnerable discussion, both Kimberly and Amanda share their personal experiences with OCD and intrusive thoughts, breaking down the walls between expert and experiencer. We dive deep into the difference between the intrusive thoughts we all have and clinical OCD, explore lesser-known subtypes, and discuss why recovery isn't about eliminating thoughts—it's about changing your relationship with them. This episode offers both hope and practical strategies for anyone struggling with intrusive thoughts, anxiety, or OCD.

About Kimberly: Kimberly Quinlan, LMFT, is a psychotherapist specializing in OCD and anxiety disorders. She hosts the Your Anxiety Toolkit podcast and is the founder of CBT School, which provides accessible treatment resources for those who cannot access specialized care. Her approach combines evidence-based practices with mindfulness and self-compassion.

WE ARE NOW ON SUBSTACK with bonus episodes, pep talks, episodes guides, and so much more! Join us at nuanceneeded.substack.com

To learn more about therapy reach out to Therapy for Women Center, therapyforwomencenter.com. We have therapists licensed in 42 states across the country and have offices if you are local to the Philadelphia area.

Want to join the conversation? EMAIL- [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!

Your questions about suicide answered with honesty and nuance. In this follow-up episode, we're tackling the questions you were brave enough to ask - from living with chronic suicidal thoughts to the impossible task of explaining suicide to children. CW- This episode discusses suicide, and suicidal thoughts.

Questions we answer:

* "I've had chronic suicidal thoughts for years - how do I build a life worth living when these thoughts are always there?"

* "My mom died by suicide and our family never talked about it. How do I tell my kids about their grandmother?"

WE ARE NOW ON SUBSTACK with bonus episodes, pep talks, episodes guides, and so much more! Join us at nuanceneeded.substack.com

To learn more about therapy reach out to Therapy for Women Center, therapyforwomencenter.com. We have therapists licensed in 42 states across the country and have offices if you are local to the Philadelphia area.

Want to join the conversation? EMAIL- [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!

In this deeply personal episode, we're getting real about the topic nobody wants to discuss - suicide and suicidality. Drawing from both our professional training and Amanda's raw personal experiences, we're breaking down what it actually feels like, why it happens, and what truly helps (spoiler: it's not telling someone how selfish they are). CW- This episode discusses suicide, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm in detail. Please prioritize your wellbeing and skip if needed.

WE ARE NOW ON SUBSTACK with bonus episodes, pep talks, episodes guides, and so much more! Join us at nuanceneeded.substack.com

To learn more about therapy reach out to Therapy for Women Center, therapyforwomencenter.com. We have therapists licensed in 42 states across the country and have offices if you are local to the Philadelphia area.

Want to join the conversation? EMAIL- [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!