Real Talk Friend Therapy: Honest Conversations, Advice + Tips For Stronger Adult Friendships

Do your friends make more money than you? Or are you the friend who outearns their friend group? Regardless of where you fall, talking about money and budgets and limitations is already extremely stressful, but when you add friendship on top of it — it can really make or break some relationships. So, this week, Daysha sits down with licensed financial therapist, Aja Evans, to discuss:

• How to create community when there are income differences among friends

• How to deal with conflict around money with friends

• How to ease into conversations around money with friends

• As well as how to deal with allllllll the complicated emotions that money can bring up in us

So, if you’ve always wondered:

• Can friendships survive income differences?

• How do I talk about money struggles with my friends honestly?

• How do I set financial boundaries with friends?

Then I hope you are sat and ready because Real Talk Friend Therapy with Daysha Veronica is in session!

Aja Evans is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, speaker, and author specializing in Financial Therapy. With over a decade of experience, Aja is determined to help more people break the taboo of keeping money and emotions secret. In addition to her practice, Aja is the president-elect on the board of the Financial Therapy Association, consults with FinTech companies, and is the author of Feel Good Finance accepted this December.

Aja has been featured in a variety of major news outlets including The New York Times, Business Insider, NerdWallet, Time, and Teen Vogue. Aja is on a mission to get more people engaged in living their best lives while attuning to their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors around money. Outside of work, you can find Aja chasing after her two young children as they hunt down the next delicious place to eat. 

To connect with Aja:

Website: http://ajaevanscounseling.com/

IG: @AjaETherapy

REFERENCES: (As an Amazon Associate, Daysha earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases):

• Feel Good Finance by Aja Evans

• The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

• The Overcoming Overspending Podcast (formerly The Money Love Podcast)

• EP 3: What is Friendship?

• EP 17: WTF is Vulnerability?

RESOURCES:

• The Real Talk Friend Therapy Friendship Painpoint Survey

• Want to hear new episodes 2 days early? Subscribe to our Patreon!

• Looking for someone to talk to about this week’s episode? Join our exclusive Facebook group!

• Looking for a new therapist? Or are you interested in starting therapy for the first time? Check out the Real Talk Friend Therapy Therapist Resources List!

• Level up yourself + your adult friendships through more tips, explanations, advice and strategies on the Yes Queen YouTube Channel!

• For news, updates and more insights on how to create stronger adult friendships, join the Yes Queen email list.

CONNECT:

Daysha Veronica

IG/Threads: @DayshaVeronica

TikTok: @DayshaVeronica

BlueSky: @DayshaVeronica

Yes Queen

IG/Threads: @YesQueenLife

TikTok: @YesQueenLife

BlueSky:@YesQueenLife

CREDITS:

Producer: Becky Harris 

Executive Producers: Daysha Veronica, Bailey Murphy

If you like what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe, and leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Welcome back to the second half of season 2, besties! For our first episode back, Daysha wanted to talk about her journey of being the “broke friend” for the last 11 months as she dealt with a long period of unemployment.

Specifically, she’ll be discussing:

• The emotions that came up for her this time around

• How her conversations changed with her friends 

• And why being the “broke friend” is not as awful as we think it is

So, if you have always wondered:

• Why do I feel ashamed of being the broke friend?

• Can friendships survive income differences?

• How do I talk about money struggles with my friends honestly?

Then I hope you are sat and ready because Real Talk Friend Therapy with Daysha Veronica is in session!

REFERENCES: (As an Amazon Associate, Daysha earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases):

• How The Mighty Fall by Jim Collins

• EP 3: What is Friendship?

• EP 17: WTF is Vulnerability?

• EP 20: Why is Vulnerability SO Hard? FT. Sharmishtha Gupta

• EP 21: Your Relationship BATNA

RESOURCES:

• The Real Talk Friend Therapy Friendship Painpoint Survey

• Want to hear new episodes 2 days early? Subscribe to our Patreon!

• Looking for someone to talk to about this week’s episode? Join our exclusive Facebook group!

• Looking for a new therapist? Or are you interested in starting therapy for the first time? Check out the Real Talk Friend Therapy Therapist Resources List!

• Level up yourself + your adult friendships through more tips, explanations, advice and strategies on the Yes Queen YouTube Channel!

• For news, updates and more insights on how to create stronger adult friendships, join the Yes Queen email list.

CONNECT:

Daysha Veronica

IG/Threads: @DayshaVeronica

TikTok: @DayshaVeronica

BlueSky: @DayshaVeronica

Yes Queen

IG/Threads: @YesQueenLife

TikTok: @YesQueenLife

BlueSky:@YesQueenLife

CREDITS:

Producer: Becky Harris 

Executive Producers: Daysha Veronica, Bailey Murphy

If you like what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe, and leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Hi y’all! I know it’s been a minute but Daysha has a quick life update and the Friendship Pain Point survey is now OPEN! Please fill out the survey so Daysha can learn more about you and how to best tailor future episodes to meet your needs.

REFERENCES:

• Friendship Pain Point Survey

RESOURCES:

• Want to hear new episodes 2 days early? Subscribe to our Patreon!

• Looking for someone to talk to about this week’s episode? Join our exclusive Facebook group!

• Looking for a new therapist? Or are you interested in starting therapy for the first time? Check out the Real Talk Friend Therapy Therapist Resources List!

• Level up yourself + your adult friendships through more tips, explanations, advice and strategies on the Yes Queen YouTube Channel!

• For news, updates and more insights on how to create stronger adult friendships, join the Yes Queen email list.

CONNECT:

Daysha Veronica

IG/Threads: @DayshaVeronica

TikTok: @DayshaVeronica

BlueSky: @DayshaVeronica

Yes Queen

IG/Threads: @YesQueenLife

TikTok: @YesQueenLife

BlueSky:@YesQueenLife

CREDITS:

Producer: Becky Harris 

Executive Producers: Daysha Veronica, Bailey Murphy

If you like what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe, and leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts!

The time has come for our mid-season break! But before heading off into summer, Daysha wanted to offer up some coaching this week on how to make time for friendship since it is one of the biggest challenges for people when trying to make friends in adulthood.

We’re always saying we’re too busy to hang out. But are we really, tho? Or are there other underlying emotions blocking us from finding the time to connect? In this episode Daysha discusses:

• What are time boundaries and how to set them

• How to identify your time boundary violation triggers

• Inspiration for how to make more time for connection

• And why spontaneity is the secret sauce when it comes to connecting with friends

So, if you have always wondered:

• How do I make time for friends as an adult?

• Why is it so hard to maintain friendships when you're busy?

• How can I balance work, life, and friendships?

• Can you have meaningful friendships without seeing each other often?

Then I hope you are sat and ready because Real Talk Friend Therapy with Daysha Veronica is in session!

REFERENCES (As an Amazon Associate, Daysha earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases):

• We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships by Kat Vellos

• Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab

• The Set Boundaries Workbook: Practical Exercises for Understanding Your Needs and Setting Healthy Limits by Nedra Glover Tawwab

• The Courage to Be Disliked: The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga

• EP 3: What is Friendship?

• EP 5: Lonely vs Being Alone

• EP 8: Why Friendship Matters FT. Bri Angele

• EP 9: WTF Are Boundaries?

• EP 10: To Communicate or Not Communicate Our Boundaries FT. Calix Vu-Bui

• EP 11: How To Deal with Boundary Crossers FT. Calix Vu-Bui

• EP 30: Why Do YOU Want Friends?

RESOURCES:

• Want to hear new episodes 2 days early? Subscribe to our Patreon!

• Looking for someone to talk to about this week’s episode? Join our exclusive Facebook group!

• Looking for a new therapist? Or are you interested in starting therapy for the first time? Check out the Real Talk Friend Therapy Therapist Resources List!

• Level up yourself + your adult friendships through more tips, explanations, advice and strategies on the Yes Queen YouTube Channel!

• For news, updates and more insights on how to create stronger adult friendships, join the Yes Queen email list.

CONNECT:

Daysha Veronica

IG/Threads: @DayshaVeronica

TikTok: @DayshaVeronica

BlueSky: @DayshaVeronica

Yes Queen

IG/Threads: @YesQueenLife

TikTok: @YesQueenLife

BlueSky:@YesQueenLife

CREDITS:

Producer: Becky Harris 

Executive Producers: Daysha Veronica, Bailey Murphy

If you like what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe, and leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Over the last several years, there has been a cultural push in America for mothers and daughters to become best friends. For last week’s episode, Daysha sat down with a licensed therapist to get her take. So, this week she decided it only made sense to reach out to her mom to see if she ever had a desire to be best friends with her or her siblings. In addition to her mother, Angela, her sister, Erika, who is a new mom, joins them to have the realest conversation on motherhood, parenting and grace.

REFERENCES:

• EP 31: Can My Mom Be My Best Friend? Should She Be? FT. Aaliyah Nurideen

RESOURCES:

• Want to hear new episodes 2 days early? Subscribe to our Patreon!

• Looking for someone to talk to about this week’s episode? Join our exclusive Facebook group!

• Looking for a new therapist? Or are you interested in starting therapy for the first time? Check out the Real Talk Friend Therapy Therapist Resources List!

• Level up yourself + your adult friendships through more tips, explanations, advice and strategies on the Yes Queen YouTube Channel!

• For news, updates and more insights on how to create stronger adult friendships, join the Yes Queen email list.

CONNECT:

Daysha Veronica

IG/Threads: @DayshaVeronica

TikTok: @DayshaVeronica

BlueSky: @DayshaVeronica

Yes Queen

IG/Threads: @YesQueenLife

TikTok: @YesQueenLife

BlueSky:@YesQueenLife

CREDITS:

Producer: Becky Harris 

Executive Producers: Daysha Veronica, Bailey Murphy

If you like what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe, and leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Happy almost Mother’s Day to all the mamas out there!

With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend in the US, Daysha decided to use the next two episodes to explore this cultural trend she’s noticed over the years: mothers and daughters being “best friends.”

This week, she sits down with licensed therapist Aaliyah Nurideen to discuss:

• Can mothers and daughters actually be best friends? 

• Is it healthy for mothers and daughters to be best friends given the inherent power differential between them?

• What do we gain or risk by becoming best friends with our mom?

• And how can we approach building a relationship with our moms in adulthood.

Aaliyah Nurideen, LCSW, LCSW-C is a multi-passionate licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, healing justice advocate, and owner of Ashé Mental Health & Wellness Space. With 10 years of experience in community mental health, psychotherapy, and organizational leadership, Aaliyah brings a dynamic and compassionate approach to creating spaces where mental health and creativity intersect. Her career has been dedicated to fostering environments of care, safety, and authenticity, particularly for Black and Indigenous communities. Aaliyah’s expertise lies in building systems that prioritize mental wellness and empower individuals to thrive. She is also the creator of Connections Cards™ and the brand Therapy is Not a Bad Word™, both of which reflect her commitment to making mental health accessible, engaging, and culturally grounded.

To connect with Aaliyah:

• Personal IG: @aaliyahnurideen 

• Private Practice:@ashemhspace (IG) @ashemhspace (TikTok)

• Connection Cards IG: @connectioncardsdeck 

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REFERENCES:

• Mean Girls (2004) 

• EP 17: WTF is Vulnerability?

• EP 20: Why is Vulnerability SO Hard FT. Sharmishtha Gupta

RESOURCES:

• Want to hear new episodes 2 days early? Subscribe to our Patreon!

• Looking for someone to talk to about this week’s episode? Join our exclusive Facebook group!

• Looking for a new therapist? Or are you interested in starting therapy for the first time? Check out the Real Talk Friend Therapy Therapist Resources List!

• Level up yourself + your adult friendships through more tips, explanations, advice and strategies on the Yes Queen YouTube Channel!

• For news, updates and more insights on how to create stronger adult friendships, join the Yes Queen email list.

CONNECT:

Daysha Veronica

IG/Threads: @DayshaVeronica

TikTok: @DayshaVeronica

BlueSky: @DayshaVeronica

Yes Queen

IG/Threads: @YesQueenLife

TikTok: @YesQueenLife

BlueSky:@YesQueenLife

CREDITS:

Producer: Becky Harris 

Executive Producers: Daysha Veronica, Bailey Murphy

If you like what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe, and leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts!

We all want friends, right? But have you ever thought about why you want them? Having healthy friendships is an important part of your wellbeing, and we go over in episode 8 how friendship impacts your mental health with a licensed therapist.

But Daysha can’t help but notice how often people seem to be treating their friends more like accessories than people lately. Yes, vibing and taking cute photos at brunch are a fun part of having adult friends. But what about when friends lean on us for more complex needs like a ride to the airport or to give their car a jump in the middle of the night? As astutely noted by a commenter on TikTok, “everyone wants a village, but no one wants to be a villager.”

So this week’s #BetterYouBetterFriend episode, Daysha provides some coaching on:

• Why meaningful friendships are inconvenient, but worth the price of admission

• How to discover why friendship matters to YOU

• And how to honor your closest friendships through better communication

Because as sistah auntie queen Maya Angelou once said: “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

So if you are wondering:

• Why do adult friendships feel so one-sided?

• How do I know if my friend actually values me?

• What should I expect from close friends?

• And how can I communicate better in my friendships?

Then I hope you are sat and ready because Real Talk Friend Therapy with Daysha Veronica is in session!

REFERENCES (As an Amazon Associate, Daysha earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases):

• We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships by Kat Vellos

• The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Gavin de Becker

• Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo

• EP 3: What Is Friendship?

• EP 7: The Line Between Love and Friendship (The Triangular Theory of Love)

• EP 8: Why Friendship Matters FT. Bri Angele

• EP 9: WTF Are Boundaries?

• EP 10: To Communicate or Not Communicate Our Boundaries FT. Calix Vu-Bui

• EP 11: How to Deal with Boundary Crossers FT. Calix Vu-Bui

• EP 28: What If I Don’t Have Friends of My Race (part 2) FT. Dannyell Rasco

• EP 29: #WhyAreWeFriends FT. Rachel

• https://www.cdc.gov/social-connectedness/risk-factors/index.html

• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/how-bicycles-transformed-world

• https://www.tiktok.com/@thesashawhitney/video/7457217985099353375?lang=en

RESOURCES:

• Want to hear new episodes 2 days early? Subscribe to our Patreon!

• Looking for someone to talk to about this week’s episode? Join our exclusive Facebook group!

• Level up yourself + your adult friendships through more tips, explanations, advice and strategies on the Yes Queen YouTube Channel!

• For news, updates and more insights on how to create stronger adult friendships, join the Yes Queen email list.

CONNECT:

Daysha Veronica

IG/Threads: @DayshaVeronica

TikTok: @DayshaVeronica

BlueSky: @DayshaVeronica

Yes Queen

IG/Threads: @YesQueenLife

TikTok: @YesQueenLife

BlueSky:@YesQueenLife

CREDITS:

Producer: Becky Harris 

Executive Producers: Daysha Veronica, Bailey Murphy

If you like what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe, and leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Making friends as an adult can feel overwhelming—but it's far from impossible. In this episode of our recurring series, #WhyAreWeFriends, Daysha explores the real-life origins of her closest relationships to better understand how meaningful friendships are formed and maintained.

This week, Daysha reconnects with Rachel, a close high school friend that she fell out of touch with after Rachel moved to Germany. But upon reuniting for a girl’s trip and having the funniest, realest moment about where their relationship currently stood, they come together today to reflect on how their friendship began, share favorite memories, and open up about the ways they can grow and strengthen their bond moving forward.

RESOURCES:

• Want to hear new episodes 2 days early? Subscribe to our Patreon!

• Looking for someone to talk to about this week’s episode? Join our exclusive Facebook group!

• Level up yourself + your adult friendships through more tips, explanations, advice and strategies on the Yes Queen YouTube Channel!

• For news, updates and more insights on how to create stronger adult friendships, join the Yes Queen email list.

CONNECT:

Daysha Veronica

IG/Threads: @DayshaVeronica

TikTok: @DayshaVeronica

BlueSky: @DayshaVeronica

Yes Queen

IG/Threads: @YesQueenLife

TikTok: @YesQueenLife

BlueSky:@YesQueenLife

CREDITS:

Producer: Becky Harris 

Executive Producers: Daysha Veronica, Bailey Murphy

If you like what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe, and leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts!

In this powerful follow-up episode, Daysha continues the conversation about what it means to grow up without many (or any) friends of your own race—and how to authentically build those connections later in life. In part 1, Daysha shares how her upbringing brought her through a variety of spaces that allowed her to form diverse friendships throughout her life. But it wasn’t until she worked at BuzzFeed that she felt like the diversity of her friendships were signaling to some that she wasn’t “Black enough.”

Joined by licensed therapist, Dannyell Rasco, they explore the challenges of BIPOC people who were either raised outside of their racial community or who felt excluded for superficial reasons–leading to feelings of not being  [Black, Asian, Latino, etc] enough. They discuss:

• How racial identity impacts friendship and belonging

• Coping with anxiety tied to race and community

• Healing from past hurts within your racial group

• Strategies for reconnecting with your cultural community

• Building genuine, affirming friendships as an adult

Dannyell Rasco is a wife, mom and therapist who believes in keeping it real while supporting people through life’s toughest moments. As a true girls' girl, she’s passionate about helping others navigate life, relationships, parenting, and personal growth with honesty and grace. With a deep love for opening minds and shifting perspectives, she reminds people that while life can be hard, it won’t always feel this way—and sometimes, all we need is a little support to realize that everything will eventually be okay.

To connect with Dannyell:

IG: @Dannyellxo +@IdWantToKnow

Email: [email protected]

Email List: https://blue-flower-82495.myflodesk.com/o43oya84bn

REFERENCES (As an Amazon Associate, Daysha earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases):

• Eat Your Way To Self-Confidence by Daysha Veronica

• The Charisma Myth by Olivia Fox Cabane

• 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do by Amy Morin

• EP 24: What If I Don’t Have Friends of My Race? (Part 1)

• EP 20: Why is Vulnerability SO Hard? FT. Sharmishtha Gupta 

RESOURCES:

• Want to hear new episodes 2 days early? Subscribe to our Patreon!

• Looking for someone to talk to about this week’s episode? Join our exclusive Facebook group!

• Level up yourself + your adult friendships through more tips, explanations, advice and strategies on the Yes Queen YouTube Channel!

• For news, updates and more insights on how to create stronger adult friendships, join the Yes Queen email list.

CONNECT:

Daysha Veronica

IG/Threads: @DayshaVeronica

TikTok: @DayshaVeronica

BlueSky: @DayshaVeronica

Yes Queen

IG/Threads: @YesQueenLife

TikTok: @YesQueenLife

BlueSky:@YesQueenLife

CREDITS:

Producer: Becky Harris 

Executive Producers: Daysha Veronica, Bailey Murphy

If you like what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe, and leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Do you think your friendship would be able to survive an 1,100 mile trek through the deserts of the Middle East? Or that you’d both be able to write a book about it together afterwards?

This week, Daysha sits down with Miles Spencer, half of the writing duo behind the Amazon bestseller, A Line in the Sand. They discuss how Spencer and his “adventure bestie,” Wells Jones, sought to better understand the Middle East for themselves in a post-9/11 world after reading Seven Pillars of Wisdom by TE Lawerence. 

Inspired by Lawrence’s ability to translate his experience and understanding of the Middle East to the westerners of his time, Spencer and Wells not only take up his journey mapped out in Seven Pillars IRL, but they also go on the journey of a lifetime–writing a historical fiction novel together. And it is through both of these journeys that they hope to lead readers of our time to a deeper understanding of the Middle East, and the complex ways in which decisions of the past still continue to haunt the present.

Miles Spencer is a curious guy from Pittsburgh that asked a lot of questions and strayed a long way from home. He has been a mentor of tech founders for the last 30 years and previously worked as a Venture Principal at Capital Express, hosted MoneyHunt on PBS (which is the Shark Tank before Shark Tank), he has led over 1,500 people across 14 miles of open sea on kayak, and trekked 1,100 miles through the deserts of Saudi, Jordan and Syria–the experience from which his novel, A Line in the Sand, was born and ended up becoming an Amazon Bestseller in the Middle East.

To Connect with Miles:

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milesspencer/

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/milesspencer

Website: https://milesspencer.com/

REFERENCES (As an Amazon Associate, Daysha earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases):

A Line in the Sand- Paperback, Kindle, Audible

Seven Pillars of Wisdom by TE Lawerence

The Money Love Podcast

Episode 11: How To Deal With Boundary Crossers FT. Calyx Vu-Bui

RESOURCES:

• Want to hear new episodes 2 days early? Subscribe to our Patreon!

• Looking for someone to talk to about this week’s episode? Join our exclusive Facebook group!

• Level up yourself + your adult friendships through more tips, explanations, advice and strategies on the Yes Queen YouTube Channel!

• For news, updates and more insights on how to create stronger adult friendships, join the Yes Queen email list.

CONNECT:

Daysha Veronica

IG/Threads: @DayshaVeronica

TikTok: @DayshaVeronica

BlueSky: @DayshaVeronica

Yes Queen

IG/Threads: @YesQueenLife

TikTok: @YesQueenLife

BlueSky:@YesQueenLife

CREDITS:

Producer: Becky Harris 

Executive Producers: Daysha Veronica, Bailey Murphy

If you like what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe, and leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts!