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

We all have an image in our heads of the person we want to be seen and known as. But does that image actually line up with reality? Are we actually as good of a friend as we THINK we are--and more importantly, are we willing to find out where we fall short?

Continuing this month's lineup of #SpookySeason topics, Daysha dares you for this #BetterYouBetter friend episode this week to feel the fear... and get the clarity you need from your besties to become that best version of yourself.

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

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

Eat Your Way To Self-Confidence by Daysha Veronica

Crucial Conversations by Joseph Grenny et al.

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!

October might be the month of frights, but this year, it's November 5th that has us all on edge—Election Day.

But regardless of the outcome of the election, our ability to communicate (let alone make friends) with those that have differing political beliefs and values has gone out the window in our tense political landscape.

 This week, Daysha probes licensed therapist, Kaity Rodriguez, on whether or not it is realistically possible to have a meaningful relationship with someone across the political aisle

Kaity Rodriguez, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, author, and media expert with a passion for educating and inspiring women and minorities to live amazing lives. Her private practice, The Houston Relationship Counseling Center, specializes in treating couples, individuals with relationship challenges, and women struggling with confidence and self-esteem.

Kaity is a former Miss New Jersey USA and the author of “The Confidence Project Journal: 52 Journal Prompts to uncover personal strength and stop self doubt”, as well as “Welcome to the Couch: a Beginner’s Guide to Therapy.” She has been featured on outlets such as FOX News, News 12 NJ, and NBC. Kaity values living an adventurous, purpose filled life, and equips other women to do the same.   She recently completed a year and a half as a digital nomad, working remotely while exploring international locations such as Panama, Ghana, and Europe.

With Election Day only a few weeks away, this is an episode you DO NOT want to miss!

To Connect with Kaity:

IG: @kaitybrodriguez

TikTok: @kaitybrodriguez

Website: https://www.kaitybrodriguez.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!

Even though California refuses to accept that it's fall and the beginning of spooky season, Daysha is still pressing forward. And for this week's #BetterYouBetterFriend episode she thought, what better way to get into the season than discussing vampires--specifically, energy vampires!

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

https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-to-avoid-being-drained-by-energy-vampires#how-to-spot-them

https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-an-empath

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!

Making friends at any stage in life can feel extremely nerve-wracking. But it's definitely not impossible--in fact, many of us have done it once before unconsciously.

So, within this recurring series on the podcast, #WhyAreWeFriends, Daysha decides to investigate the origins of her own friendships to see how she became friends with the people in her own circle.

This week, Daysha sits down to chat with her almost two-decades-long bestie from another testie, Dee Smith to discuss how they met, their favorite friendship memories and what they both think they could do to improve the relationship.

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!

So with it being back-to-school season, it got Daysha thinking about that common refrain that we all say as adults–making friends now is so much harder than when we were kids.

Is it though? 

Yes. The answer is yes, BUT it does not have to be.

This week’s guest, Staci Hayes, is a former elementary school educator who is going to school us on what we can learn from the kids when it comes to making friends.

Staci Hayes is a dedicated educator with 20 years of experience, currently serving as an instructional coach in her school district. As a National Board Certified Teacher and elementary educator, Staci has a deep passion for supporting students and teachers alike. She actively supports National Board candidates in her district, as well as in Arizona and Nevada. 

Born and raised in Arizona, Staci is a proud mother of two children and a beloved dog. In her spare time, she enjoys listening to podcasts and audiobooks, indulging in some much-needed sleep, and actively participating in Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated. Staci also loves hanging out with her parents and older sister. Additionally, she loves attending professional development with the motto: "Expect to learn something new every day."

Fun fact: Staci is one of the biggest fans of Levar Burton!

To connect with Staci:

IG: @afroandadaisyteacher

TikTok: @afroandadaisyteacher

Podcast: The 30 Minute PD: A Podcast for Busy Teachers

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 is it y'all-- the last installment in our three-part series on boundaries. In the last episode, Daysha discussed with licensed therapist, Calix Vu-Bui, what are ways that we can get better about communicating our boundaries to others.

But even if you got your communication skills on lock, there's always going to be someone who either cannot or will not respect your boundaries. So, for this week's episode, Daysha picks Calix's mind on how to deal with those inevitable boundary crossers. Do we give them second chances or do we cut them off for good?

Calix Vu-Bui is a licensed therapist with 18 years of clinical experience and a specialization supporting marginalized communities with trauma, anxiety, and depression.

Having worked in uniquely diverse mental health settings, Calix uses a compassionate, client-centered approach to promote emotional well-being, employing techniques that help patients deconstruct aspects of their mental health as it relates to social media, modern day work and personal relationships, and living through the collective trauma of a pandemic.

In her free time, Calix enjoys powerlifting, traveling the Global South, and moonlighting as a comedienne. She is well-known for having both a warm and optimistic presence, as well as a direct, no nonsense way of working with patients. Her most repeated phrase in therapy: “The only way through emotional pain is to let yourself be in emotional pain. To sit in it. You gotta feel your feelings."

To connect with Calix:

IG: @yourbestlife.calix

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!

Welcome to part 2 of our three part series on boundaries! In the last episode, Daysha went over what boundaries are and how we can better discover our own. Knowing our own boundaries, however, is the easy part. Being able to communicate them to our loved ones is the real challenge, ok?!

So, for this episode, she taps the realest mental health professional to go over how we can not be so nervous when sharing our boundaries with others. Calix Vu-Bui is a licensed therapist with 18 years of clinical experience and a specialization supporting marginalized communities with trauma, anxiety, and depression.

Having worked in uniquely diverse mental health settings, Calix uses a compassionate, client-centered approach to promote emotional well-being, employing techniques that help patients deconstruct aspects of their mental health as it relates to social media, modern day work and personal relationships, and living through the collective trauma of a pandemic.

In her free time, Calix enjoys powerlifting, traveling the Global South, and moonlighting as a comedienne. She is well-known for having both a warm and optimistic presence, as well as a direct, no nonsense way of working with patients. Her most repeated phrase in therapy: “The only way through emotional pain is to let yourself be in emotional pain. To sit in it. You gotta feel your feelings."

To connect with Calix:

IG: yourbestlife.calix

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!

Boundaries, or not having a clear understanding our own boundaries, is truly at the heart of much of the conflict we get into–especially with our friends.

So, over the course of the next three episodes, Daysha decides to delve deeply into the world of boundaries. Specifically--

• What are they and how can we get clear about naming our own

• How can we communicate them effectively to our friends and loved ones

• And then how do we go about enforcing our boundaries and dealing with the inevitable boundary crossers–the people who either struggle with respecting our boundaries or just ignore them all together.

For this episode, Daysha provides clarity on what exactly boundaries are and offers several different types of boundaries that we can learn to set with our loved ones.

And for the next two episodes, we'll have a special guest that you will not want to miss!

REFERENCES:

The Set Boundaries Workbook by Nedra Glover Tawwab

Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab

Yes/No/Maybe List

Daysha's Plays

The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker

Crucial Conversations by Josephy Grenny et al.

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!

Daysha is fascinated by how friendship has become a back burner relationship in our modern world. So, this week she interviews licensed therapist, Bri Angele, LPCC to discuss why friendship matters from a mental health perspective and to see if she has any insight on how we got here.

Brianna Angele, or Bri, has worked in the helping professions for over a decade and is now a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (aka a mental health therapist) specializing in working with religious trauma, neurodivergence, queer/poly folx, those in the helping professions, and teenagers. 

She helps clients form a healthy self image, strengthen their relationships, and heal from/ cope with chronic stressors. Ever curious, Bri doesn’t just talk to clients about these things, but reflects on them in her off time, researching topics relevant to her life and those she loves. She isn’t just a psych nerd though, she loves learning about healing across cultures and history. 

To unwind, Bri does things she loves with people she loves, everything from traveling and board game nights to water polo and watch parties. Bri has been with her partner and husband Jeff for 4 years, and her Besties for anywhere from 5 years to almost 33 years. Bri and Jeff parent two fur babies, cats Loki and Artemis.

To connect with Bri:

IG: @hoomantherapist

TikTok @hoomantherapist

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!

Falling in love or finding our soulmate should not just be restricted to or romantic partners. This week, Daysha explores the line between love and friendship using Robert Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love and discusses how our ability to be a better friend can actually help us become better romantic partners and improve our relationships with family.

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

https://lifetimepluscoatings.com/cool-life/

https://www.robertjsternberg.com/love

Platonic: How The Science of Attachment Can Help You Make and Keep Friends 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!