The Real Table Talk Pod

Men, Monogamy & Marriage: Women Share Their Lived Experiences

What do women really want from men when it comes to love, loyalty, intimacy, and marriage?

In this episode of The Real Table Talk Pod, co-hosts Alicia Watkins and Tiana Von Johnson welcome a new group of women to the table for an unfiltered conversation about relationships, commitment, and the complexities of loving and being loved.

Through their personal experiences, our guests explore different perspectives on monogamy, emotional and physical intimacy, marriage, expectations, and the challenges women encounter in relationships with men.

But this conversation isn't about blaming men or creating division between men and women. It's about listening to lived experiences, questioning assumptions, and exploring what it takes to build healthier, more fulfilling relationships.

Can love survive without emotional intimacy? What does commitment really mean? And are men and women having the conversations necessary to understand one another?

At The Real Table Talk Pod, we believe every voice deserves to be heard, even when perspectives differ.

Join Alicia, Tiana, and their guests for another candid conversation where real experiences meet meaningful dialogue.

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Real conversations. Real perspectives. Real Table Talk.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and entertainment purposes. Discussions reflect individual lived experiences and opinions and are not a substitute for professional mental health or relationship counseling.

What does self-care really look like when we move beyond the usual advice?

In this episode of The Real Table Talk Pod, Alicia and Tiana explore the many ways people support their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. We talk about natural and holistic approaches to healing, the long history of cultures using plants and nature as part of wellness practices, and why so many people are becoming curious about alternatives and complements to traditional care.

We also discuss the importance of making informed choices, understanding that healing is not one-size-fits-all, and recognizing both the possibilities and limitations of different wellness practices.

Your path to wellness may look different from someone else’s—and that’s okay. The goal is not to follow every trend, but to become more intentional about what helps you feel grounded, supported, connected, and well.

In this conversation, we explore: self-care beyond surface-level practices, cultural traditions and natural healing, mind-body-spirit wellness, misconceptions surrounding holistic approaches, and how to thoughtfully build a wellness practice that works for you.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, mental health treatment, medical advice, diagnosis, or crisis support. Always consult an appropriate qualified professional when making decisions about your health or treatment. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis in the U.S., call or text 988or contact your local emergency services.

Follow @RealTableTalkPod for more conversations about relationships, healing, wellness, and real life.

Contact: [email protected]

He’s single, successful, emotionally aware, and has plenty to offer—so why is dating still so complicated?

On this episode of The Real Table Talk Pod, we sit down with a single man to hear his perspective on the realities of modern dating. We explore some of the challenges men face when looking for meaningful relationships, including expectations, communication, vulnerability, attraction, and the desire to feel understood.

Dating conversations often focus heavily on what women experience, but healthy relationships require space for everyone at the table. Men need to feel heard, understood, respected, and emotionally safe too.

This is an open and candid conversation about what men may be experiencing behind the scenes, what women may not always recognize, and how greater empathy on both sides can help create healthier relationships.

He’s Single, Successful & Has a Lot to Offer… So Why Isn’t Dating Working?

Subscribe to The Real Table Talk Pod and join us for real conversations, different perspectives, and healthier relationships.

Watch the full episode on YouTube and follow @RealTableTalkPod on Instagram.

Can You Flirt at Work Anymore? Power, Workplace Romance & the Fear of Losing Everything

Is workplace romance worth the risk?

Alicia and Tiana sit down with Boyce Watkins for a candid conversation about attraction in the workplace, professional boundaries, power dynamics, unwanted advances, manipulation, and the very real fears people may have about jeopardizing careers and reputations.

The conversation explores why some men say they are increasingly afraid to express romantic interest in women they work with because they worry their intentions could be misunderstood or their behavior could cross a professional boundary. At the same time, positions of authority can create complicated power dynamics in which what feels consensual to one person may feel uncomfortable, pressured, or difficult to refuse for another.

We also discuss how powerful men and women can misuse influence, why accusations involving workplace conduct can carry enormous consequences, and why both personal accountability and clearly communicated boundaries matter.

Can coworkers still date safely? Should managers avoid workplace romance altogether? How do you distinguish mutual attraction from inappropriate pressure? And when you have spent years building a career, business, or reputation, is workplace romance simply too much of a risk?

It’s a nuanced Real Table Talk conversation about attraction, consent, power, fear, responsibility, and protecting what you’ve worked hard to build.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: RealTableTalkPod

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The Truth About Men That Women Don’t Usually Say

What happens when a group of women gets together and talks honestly about men, dating, relationships, attraction, heartbreak, disappointment and the struggle to create healthy love?

In this episode of The Real Table Talk Podcast, co-hosts Alicia Watkins and Tiana Von Johnson are joined by a panel of women for a candid conversation about what women experience in relationships with men—and what women sometimes struggle to admit about their own choices, patterns and desires.

We talk about attraction to unhealthy partners, staying in relationships that hurt, wanting love while protecting ourselves from vulnerability, accountability versus victim blaming, emotional availability, standards, self-worth, and the complicated question of why we sometimes keep choosing what we already know is not good for us.

This isn’t a conversation about simply blaming men or blaming women.

It’s about becoming more conscious of the patterns we bring into relationships so that we can make healthier choices, establish stronger boundaries, and create the kind of love we actually say we want.

Expect some laughter, some disagreement, some vulnerability—and plenty of Real Table Talk.

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Follow @RealTableTalkPod on Instagram and share this episode with the women you’d want sitting at this table with you.

What happens when passive aggression, hidden jealousy, projection, and unspoken resentment show up disguised as politeness?

In this special bonus episode of The Real Table Talk Pod, Alicia and Tiana sit down with a beautiful group of contestants, consultants, and state presidents at the Ms. Corporate America Pageant in Orlando for an honest conversation about women being “nasty nice.”

We explore the smiles that conceal shade, compliments that feel like criticism, silent competition between women, and complicated emotions we are often taught to suppress instead of communicate.

How can women express healthy anger without becoming destructive? How do we recognize when we are projecting our insecurities onto another woman? And how can leaders address jealousy, conflict, and cattiness without shaming women or pretending these dynamics do not exist?

This conversation is not about blaming women. It is an invitation to become more self-aware, emotionally honest, and intentional about the sisterhood and leadership we create.

Because sometimes the greatest threat to women’s unity is not open conflict—it is the resentment no one is willing to name.

This bonus episode is sponsored by Cozy Digital, a full-service digital marketing agency helping small to medium-sized businesses grow through paid advertising, social media, and AI-enabled GEO marketing. Visit CozyDigital.org to get started and follow @cozydig1tal.

Season 2 opens with a difficult but necessary conversation about credentials, transparency, accountability, and compassion.

Alicia Watkins, PhD, Tiana Von Johnson, and guest co-host Donette Greene, PhD weigh in on the public questions surrounding Cheyenne Bryant’s doctorate in psychology and the defensiveness many people heard in her response. We explore why professional credentials matter, especially when someone is providing mental-health-related guidance to vulnerable communities.

We also ask a deeper question: How do we hold a Black woman accountable without tearing her apart?

In this episode, we share what we would say to Cheyenne directly—with honesty, compassion, and respect—and discuss how Black women can support one another without demanding silence, blind loyalty, or protection from every legitimate question.

Accountability does not have to become cruelty. Support does not require us to abandon discernment. Sometimes the most loving response is an invitation to become clearer, more transparent, and more grounded.

Listen, reflect, and join us at the real table.

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In this episode of The Real Table Talk Pod, Dr. Alicia Watkins, Tiana Von Johnson, and Char Curry have a real conversation about accountability, apologies, shame, ego, and the courage it takes to make amends.

Why is it so hard for some people to say “I’m sorry”? Why do people become defensive when they know they caused harm? And how does shame block repair in relationships?

We talk about the difference between guilt and shame, why accountability can feel threatening, and how ego can keep people stuck in silence, blame, avoidance, or excuses. We also explore what a real apology sounds like, what making amends requires, and why healthy relationships need repair — not just regret.

This conversation is for anyone who has struggled to apologize, anyone who is waiting on accountability, and anyone learning how to move from defensiveness into emotional maturity.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, mental health treatment, medical advice, or crisis support. If you are in crisis or need immediate help, please contact 988 in the U.S. or your local emergency support service.

Follow the show: @RealTableTalkPod Contact: [email protected]

Hosted by Dr. Alicia Watkins, Tiana Von Johnson, and Char Curry

Not every relationship ends with a conversation. Sometimes it ends with silence… confusion… and a thousand unanswered questions.

In this episode of The Real Table Talk Pod, we’re talking about the kind of breakup that leaves you stuck — replaying moments, questioning yourself, and searching for closure that may never come.

We unpack:

• Why people leave without explanation
• The emotional toll of not getting closure
• How overthinking keeps you stuck in the past
• And how to begin creating your own closure so you can finally move forward

This is for anyone who’s ever been left without answers… and had to learn how to heal anyway.

🎙 Hosted by Alicia Watkins, PhD, LCSW, Tiana Von Johnson, & Char Curry

📍 Follow + listen: @RealTableTalkPod 📧 Contact: [email protected]

⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy or mental health treatment. If you are in crisis, please seek support from a licensed professional or contact 988 (U.S.).

In this episode of The Real Table Talk Pod, we talk about men, therapy, intimacy, trust, ego, emotional distance, and the pain that shows up between men and women when healing has not happened.

Women have been working on themselves — going to therapy, reading the books, learning their patterns, and trying to communicate better. But many women are still hurting from the lack of closeness, emotional safety, and intimacy in relationships.

This conversation asks the real question: What happens when women are doing the healing work, but men have not been given enough space, support, or permission to do the same?

Dr. Alicia Watkins, Tiana Von Johnson, and Char Curry discuss the pressure men face to protect, provide, perform, stay strong, and hide their pain. We also explore how transactional relationships, trust issues, ego, trauma, and emotional shutdown can create distance between men and women.

According to NIMH, men are less likely than women to receive mental health treatment, and CDC data shows mental health treatment among U.S. adults increased from 19.2% in 2019 to 23.9% in 2023.

This episode is not about blaming men or women. It is about naming the pain, understanding the distance, and asking what healing could look like if men had safe places to be vulnerable too.

Char Curry closes the conversation with her unique perspective on men, relationships, and the struggles that often go unseen.

Episode 7: Men Need Therapy Too: Healing the Distance Between Men and Women

Hosted by: Dr. Alicia Watkins, Tiana Von Johnson, and Char Curry Follow the show: @RealTableTalkPod Contact: [email protected]

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. It is not therapy and does not create a therapist-client relationship. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact a licensed mental health professional or call/text 988 in the U.S. for immediate support.