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

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses the topic of sexual assault, but features no graphic depictions.

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center reports that:

• 81% of women and 43% of men have reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime

• One in three female victims of completed or attempted rape experienced it for the first time between the ages of 11 and 17

• About one in four male victims of completed or attempted rape first experienced it between the ages of 11 and 17

This means that there is an unfortunately high likelihood that some you know, someone you are friends with and someone that you love has experienced sexual assault. You also might be someone who has experienced sexual assault. So, if you have struggled with either how to tell people or with how people have responded to learning what has happened to you, this episode is for you.

This week, Daysha invites sexuality journalist and former high school classmate, Katie W. Simon on the podcast to discuss her new book, Tell Me What You Like: An Honest Discussion of Sex and Intimacy After Sexual Assault, as well as how we can all be a better support system to our besties that have experienced sexual assault.

Katie W. Simon is a sexuality journalist who studied creative writing at NYU, Columbia, and the University of East Anglia. Her writing has appeared in Vogue, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the anthology, Anatomy of Silence. Her first book, Tell Me What You Like: An Honest Discussion of Sex and Intimacy After Sexual Assault, offers a positive approach to healing based on empathy and community from the stories of sexual assault survivors themselves. The book aims to provide the understanding and the tools for survivors to navigate their trauma and to cultivate the sex lives they desire and deserve. It will be published this year on July 29th and you can pre-order it at the links below. She currently lives in Texas with her dog, Babka.

Pre-Order Here:

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

• Barnes & Noble

• Bookshop.org

• Your local bookstore

To connect with Katie:

IG: @Katiewsimon

BlueSky: @katiewsimon.bsky.social

Substack: https://katiewsimon.substack.com/

Website: https://www.katiewsimon.com/

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!

With it being the beginning of March, which ushers in Women's History Month and International Women's Day, Daysha decided to chat with her favorite feminist bestie, Becky Harris, on what it means to be a "girl's girl" in 2025.

How are we actually showing up for and supporting women in an intersectional way in 2025? What are we trying to communicate when we say another woman is a girl’s girl? And are there ways in which we weaponize this phrase to silence other women?

REFERENCES:

https://chaninicholas.com/your-guide-to-venus-retrograde-in-aries-and-pisces/

https://www.yesqueenlife.com/real-talk-friend-therapy-daysha-veronica/2025/2/14/ep-22-navigating-interracial-friendships-in-2025-ft-becky-harris

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/it-ends-with-us-video-intimacy-coordinator-1236116142/

https://www.tiktok.com/@nobodyspecialforreal/video/7463567166127000878?lang=en

https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristenharris1/do-you-think-these-celebrities-are-girls-girls

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!

With Black History Month coming to a close, Daysha wanted to explore how the race of our friends can impact how we are perceived by others. When it comes to BIPOC people who either have fewer or no friends of their race, the implication is often that they aren't [Black, Brown, Asian, etc.] enough, but how much truth is there to that assumption? And is it possible for us to exist in a world where we don't have to think about these things as marks against our love of our culture?

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

Original: https://www.tiktok.com/@agiftfromtodd/video/7467699509397556526?lang=en

EDM Remix: https://www.tiktok.com/@veryveryvinny/video/7468329650037525790?lang=en

Full Song: https://open.spotify.com/album/7AMxD4Uhlhi7KkdfY6dews?si=pMbeHWV5ToicBey37Mw4ug

Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find--and Keep--Love by Amir Levine, M.D. and Rachel S.F. Heller, M.A.

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!

Happy Galentine's Day and almost Valentine's Day, besties!

Have you been struggling with having romantic feelings for your best friend? Are you unsure about whether or not you should tell them? Well, Daysha has definitely been there and invites her BuzzFeed bestie, Curly Velasquez, on the podcast to discuss the pros and cons of revealing your feelings and risking your friendship for romance.

Curly Velasquez is a Salvadoran Los Angeles-based creator. He began his career working for celebrity photographer David LaChapelle, and design icon Jeremy Scott. Curly began work with BuzzFeed as a receptionist but quickly became a viral sensation and one of the founding members of one of the largest digital Latino platforms—Pero Like.  You can also see Curly on Hulu’s VIDA (Seasons 2 and 3), Netflix’s documentary Mucho Mucho Amor,  E!, and PBS’ Dead and Buried—oh, and his iHeart podcast with his best friend Maya Murillo called the super secret bestie club.

To connect with Curly:

IG:@TheCurlyVShow

TikTok:@TheCurlyVShow

YouTube:@TheCurlyVShow

Threads:@TheCurlyVShow

REFERENCES:

Alua Arthur TED Talk

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!

BESTIES! The moment you've been waiting for is here. Season 2 has officially kicked off and for our first episode back, Daysha sits down with her bestie/producer and favorite white woman, Becky Harris, to discuss what it means to be in an interracial friendship in 2025.

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!

Can you believe it's the end of season 1?! For the final episode of the season, Daysha decides to talk about a popular negotiation concept that she adapted for personal relationships within her book, Eat Your Way To Self-Confidence.

With the new year quickly approaching, Daysha wanted to make sure that you have all the tools you need to make important decisions about your friendships and where you want to take them in 2025.

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

https://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/negotiation-skills-daily/what-is-negotiation/

Getting To Yes: How To Negotiate Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton

Eat Your Way To Self-Confidence by Daysha Veronica

Feel The Fear... And Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers

The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator by Leigh Thompson

Judgment in Managerial Decision Making by Max H. Bazerman and Don A. Moore

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!

Isn't it crazy how much we love when people are vulnerable with us, but we HATE being vulnerable ourselves? Vulnerability is key to deepening our friendships, but will it ever be possible to get comfortable with being vulnerable?

This week, Daysha decides to sit down with licensed mental health counselor, Sharmishtha Gupta, to find out:

• Why is vulnerability so hard?

• Why do we think we look weak when we express it?

• How we can practice getting better at expressing it

• And gets some much needed healing from her conflict with her uncle's wife

Sharmishtha Gupta is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (NY) with over nine years of experience supporting adolescents and adults. Currently based in Singapore, her practice serves local and expatriate communities in Singapore as well as clients online in New York and across Asia.

As an adult Third Culture Kid (ATCK), her journey to develop her own sense of self has shaped her calling to help clients navigate cultural identity, adjustment, assimilation, and family dynamics. She aims to create a safe and supportive space for clients to fully unravel the layers of their individual experiences and find connection, meaning, and belonging in this ever-so-complicated world.

Outside of work (and sometimes in between sessions!), Sharmishtha enjoys naps and cuddles with her partner and two kitties, cozy gaming, and singing endless amounts of karaoke.

To connect with Sharmishtha:

IG: @odyssey_wellness

LinkedIn: Sharmishtha Gupta

Website: https://www.odysseywellness.co/

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!

Mercury retrograde is upon us, y'all! And while it is commonly known for its chaos and delays, it is also a time that is best used for reflection and reconnection. So, this week Daysha does a light deep dive on what Mercury retrograde is, and how you can best use this time to reconnect with past friends or grieve and let go of the relationships that no longer serve you.

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

Grief Graphic

Chani Nicholas + Chani

Susan Miller + Astrology Zone

The Pattern

Free Birth Chart Reading - Cafe Astrology

Eat Your Way To Self-Confidence by Daysha Veronica

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!

This has been a rough few weeks, y'all. So, Daysha decided to take some time to process her thoughts and feelings about the election and share why it has been so impactful for some voters, especially when it comes to navigating close relationships where there were voting differences.

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!

Happy Halloween, besties! There is nothing scarier than knowing when is the right time to be vulnerable with a new friend. And sadly there are many misconceptions out there--like the idea that to be vulnerable is to be weak.

So, this week Daysha breaks down what vulnerability is, what it is not and why she wishes she had been more vulnerable in a past situation with a family member.

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

Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

Platonic by Marisa G. Franco

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!