Nuance Needed

By Nuance Needed

In a world obsessed with quick fixes, licensed therapists Amanda White and Sam Dalton cut through black-and-white thinking to explore the messy reality of mental health. Drawing from both evidence-bas... more

4.9

169169 ratings

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FAQs about Nuance Needed:

How many episodes does Nuance Needed have?

The podcast currently has 95 episodes available.

Nuance Needed episodes:

January 20, 202694: Bachelorettes & Wedding Culture
Why do celebrations surrounding weddings bring out so much stress, pressure, and weird tension in friendships? Today we’re talking about bridal showers, bachelorettes, weddings, and how these milestones quietly become overwhelming for everyone involved.
In conversation, we cover:
How weddings shifted from celebrations into multi-event marathons
The role social media plays in raising expectations around “perfect” moments
Why bridesmaids often feel stretched thin — financially, emotionally, and logistically
The friendship strain that shows up when expectations aren’t clearly communicated
What weddings reveal about boundaries, loyalty, and showing up for each other
How to approach these events with more honesty, flexibility, and care for everyone involved
If you’d like to support the show one of the best things you can do is leave us a review and share the pod! THANK YOU!
We have some incredible BONUS episodes on 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? You can email us [email protected]. We’d love to hear what you think!
...more
1h 7min
January 13, 202693: Friendship Breakups
In this episode, we’re digging into friend groups, friendship breakups, and how therapy-speak and social media are hurting us.
In conversation, we discuss:
The Ashley Tisdale article calling out toxic behavior while completely missing the point
Not all friendships require a formal breakup conversation, sometimes you can let it fade out
How therapy language gets weaponized in friendship to avoid accountability and having hard conversations
Why reality TV and social media are reshaping what we expect from friends (and not in a good way)
Why “protecting your peace” has quietly become an excuse to opt out of repair
Our tips and ideas for having lasting and fulfilling friendships
If you’d like to support the show one of the best things you can do is leave us a review and share the pod! THANK YOU!
We have some incredible BONUS episodes on 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? You can email us [email protected]. We’d love to hear what you think!
...more
1h 10min
January 06, 202692: Is Influencer Culture Dead?
Why does influencer culture feel so exhausting—for everyone?

In this episode, Amanda and Sam get honest about what influencer culture has turned into, why both creators and consumers are burned out, and how algorithms quietly shape our mental health.

We get into:
How influencer culture shifted from “fun side hustle” to full-blown pressure cooker.
Consumer fatigue: when everything starts to feel like an ad and nothing feels real.
How constant luxury content messes with expectations, especially during the holidays.
The pressure to perform happiness, success, and productivity online—even when real life looks nothing like that.
The underrated power of boredom in a world addicted to stimulation.
What it looks like to create real boundaries with social media instead of pretending “just logging off” is simple.
This isn’t a “delete your apps” episode. It’s a real conversation about balance, authenticity, and how to live a meaningful life in a digital world that’s constantly asking for more of your attention.
...more
53min
December 30, 2025 91: Rerun: Stop Flaking on Your Friends
In this candid episode, therapists Sam and Amanda discuss Sam's recent experience with a Tiktok going viral. After posting about friendship and flaking culture, Sam faced unexpected backlash leading to a broader conversation about social media, nuance, and connection in today's world. The hosts explore:

- How legitimate concerns about accessibility and mental health can sometimes be weaponized to avoid discomfort
- The erosion of our collective ability to say "this doesn't apply to me" and keep scrolling
- The importance of maintaining friendships despite busy lives and different life stages
- Practical ways to maintain connections when you have limited capacity
- The difference between genuine barriers to connection and avoidance
- How social media has complicated our expectations for socializing
- The long-term investment of friendship and why it matters.

If you’d like to support the show one of the best things you can do is leave us a review and share the pod! THANK YOU! We have some incredible BONUS episodes on 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? You can email us [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!
...more
52min
December 23, 2025 90: Rerun: The Weaponization of Boundaries
Licensed therapists, Amanda White, LPC and Sam Dalton, LCSW discuss the topic of boundaries and how they are often misconstrued. They explore the difference between boundaries, norms, and expectations, emphasizing the importance of understanding intentions and allowing for mistakes. They highlight the need for nuance and grace in navigating boundaries, both in personal relationships and online interactions. The conversation also touches on the impact versus harm debate and the role of repair in building trust and understanding. In this conversation, Amanda and Sam discuss the importance of flexible boundaries and the dangers of rigid boundaries. They explore the idea that boundaries should be adaptable and considerate of others' boundaries. They emphasize the need for communication and context when setting boundaries, as well as the importance of self-reflection and self-trust. They also discuss the role of vulnerability and the power of articulating why certain boundaries are in place.

If you’d like to support the show one of the best things you can do is leave us a review and share the pod! THANK YOU! We have some incredible BONUS episodes on 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? You can email us [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!

...more
53min
December 18, 202589: What People Get Wrong About Estrangement with Whitney Goodman
What if estrangement isn't about ungrateful kids—but about parents who can't let go? This week we chat with Whitney Goodman, LMFT to discuss the myths and actual research about estrangement and what all the online discourse is missing.

In conversation, we discuss:
Why estrangement has become a more common topic in online mental health spaces.
The differences between setting boundaries, creating distance, and choosing no contact.
How estrangement can bring both relief and grief — sometimes at the same time.
How trauma, attachment, and family dynamics influence estrangement decisions.
What often gets overlooked when estrangement is discussed in all-or-nothing terms.
How to approach these decisions with more clarity, compassion, and flexibility.

Whitney is the host of the Calling Home Podcast. You can find more about Calling Home and Whitney on social media @sitwithwhit.

If you’d like to support the show one of the best things you can do is leave us a review and share the pod! THANK YOU!

We have some incredible BONUS episodes on 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? You can email us [email protected]. We’d love to hear what you think!
...more
50min
December 16, 2025 88: How to Reflect On A Year That Felt Like Being Awake During Surgery
In this Pep Talk with Sam, we're talking about how to actually process your year—without getting swept up in what everyone else says you should feel.

In this pep talk, Sam covers:

* How collective stress impacts each of us differently (and why groupthink makes us assume we all experienced the same thing)
* Permission to admit: some things that devastated others didn't impact you the same way
* Why it's humanly impossible to appropriately process the onslaught of information we get every day
* The obsession with making your year either "all good" or "all bad"
* How to sit in complexity: multiple realities exist at the same time
* Why you can't stay in one emotional state constantly (even if you want to)
* The questions to ask yourself: What went well? What surprised you? What challenged you specifically—not what challenged everyone else?

This is a Pep Talk with Sam—a shorter solo episode to help you wind down the year with nuance, not pressure.

Big thanks to our sponsor Cozy Earth! Use code NUANCE for 40% off your order!

If you’d like to support the show one of the best things you can do is leave us a review and share the pod! THANK YOU! We have some incredible BONUS episodes on 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? You can email us [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!
...more
13min
December 09, 2025 87: Therapy Speak is not Therapy
In this episode, we're breaking down what people get wrong about therapy and why therapy speak has nothing to do with actual therapy.
In conversation, we tackle:
* Why the narrative that "therapy is just validation" is completely missing the point (and harming the profession)
* The polarization: either therapy is your entire identity or you're against it because it's "too soft"
* How therapy speak gets weaponized instead of used as neutral tools for self-exploration
* The difference between introducing a concept and telling someone "this is definitively your experience"
* Why good therapy involves challenge and discomfort, not just being told you're right
* How "protecting your peace" might actually be protecting you too much
* Why boundaries have become about keeping everyone out instead of letting the right people in
* The lost middle ground: sometimes people just need help making sense of their inner world
* How to know if you're making decisions from your values or from your most insecure, fear-based parts

Big thanks to our sponsor Cozy Earth! Use code NUANCE for 40% off your order!

If you’d like to support the show one of the best things you can do is leave us a review and share the pod! THANK YOU! We have some incredible BONUS episodes on 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? You can email us [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!
...more
51min
December 02, 2025 86: What 2025 Taught Us
It's the end of 2025 (HOW?!) and we're both in very different places: Sam just moved her entire life (again), and Amanda is navigating her mom's cancer diagnosis while trying not to lose her mind before Thanksgiving. So instead of a planned topic, we're sharing what this year actually taught us.

* Why the really hard emotional work pays off, even when you can't see it happening for years
* How to let yourself celebrate milestones that don't come with cards or parties
* The weird experience of finally getting what you wanted and feeling like you can't relax into it
* Why your body needs time to catch up to big life changes, even good ones
* What it's like to survive the thing you were sure would break you
* How to exist in purgatory when you can't control the outcome
* The difference between knowing about locus of control and actually living it
* Why we're both choosing joy and mischief over optimization in 2026

If you’d like to support the show one of the best things you can do is leave us a review and share the pod! THANK YOU! We have some incredible BONUS episodes on 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? You can email us [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!

...more
40min
November 25, 2025 85: Why In-Law Relationships Are So Complicated with Dr. Tracy Dalgleish
Tired of the villain vs. victim narrative in mother-in-law conflicts? In this episode, we're diving into why in-law dynamics are so much more complex than "she's toxic" or "just set boundaries."

In conversation we discuss:

- How your own family patterns shape how you interpret other people's behavior (and why "intrusive" might just be "interested")
- The difference between being responsible TO someone vs. being responsible FOR them
- Why the person in the middle needs to stop being conflict-avoidant and actually turn towards their partner
- The generous interpretation: acknowledging someone's good intentions while still stating your needs
- Why one person gets scapegoated as "the problem" in mother-in-law/daughter-in-law dynamics when they're often just the first to name something
- How to build safety in relationships by being interested in the whole person, not just their role in your life

Dr. Tracy Dalgleish is a psychologist and author of the new book "You, Your Husband and His Mother," available anywhere books are sold. Find her at DrTracyD.com or on Instagram @DrTracyD.

If you’d like to support the show one of the best things you can do is leave us a review and share the pod! THANK YOU! We have some incredible BONUS episodes on 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? You can email us [email protected] or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We’d love to hear what you think!

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...more
49min

FAQs about Nuance Needed:

How many episodes does Nuance Needed have?

The podcast currently has 95 episodes available.

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