When Is It Time to Say Enough in a Relationship?

This week on ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen are throwing it back to an episode from 2024, Building Self-Confidence. This was one of their top episodes, and during this holiday weekend, they wanted to re-release it to share tips and tricks that can help you build self-confidence and self-esteem. They discuss why doing something new can trigger feelings of insecurity, self-confidence and mastery, how to know if your inner critic is right or wrong, building self-confidence with a core wound of unworthiness, how to validate yourself, when people's opinions matter vs. when they don’t, and so much more!Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 6:45 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton, and all of our favorite pieces, at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first order, plus free shipping on all US orders over $65Freestyle: Get 30% off your first 3 months of a Freestyle diaper subscription at freestyle.world/shrinkchicks with code shrinkchicksQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returnsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk all about emotionally immature parents and in-laws, the boundaries that can get blurry in family relationships, and how to protect your peace without losing yourself. They explore why understanding emotional immaturity and childhood emotional neglect can be so validating, especially when family members see the relationship very differently than you do.They answer listener questions about setting boundaries with in-laws, navigating a partner’s relationship with their parents, witnessing unhealthy family dynamics, and breaking patterns when both partners grew up with emotionally immature parents. Along the way, they get into lowering expectations, sharing less, and figuring out what parts of yourself feel safe to bring into difficult family relationships.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 5:45 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton, and all of our favorite pieces, at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsOneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code SHRINKCHICKS at https://www.oneskin.co/SHRINKCHICKS #oneskinpNine to Kind: Go to ninetokind.com and use code SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your orderZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderTumble: For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at tumbleliving.com/SHRINKCHICKSQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returnsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about being the partner of someone struggling with mental health, or being the partner struggling, and what it’s like to navigate mental illness within a relationship. They explore the balance between supporting a partner and overfunctioning for them, while recognizing that fairness doesn’t always mean doing the same exact things. They also discuss how relationships can evolve as each person’s needs, capacity, and mental health change over time.They answer listener questions about depression, ADHD, BPD, mental load, guilt, and boundaries, and discuss how to ask for more progress without making your partner feel unsupported. Along the way, they explore why support and expectations can coexist, how to recognize when you’re becoming someone’s treatment plan, and how to protect your own needs while showing up for someone you love.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 5:15 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton, and all of our favorite pieces, at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsOneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code SHRINKCHICKS at https://www.oneskin.co/SHRINKCHICKS #oneskinpNine to Kind: Go to ninetokind.com and use code SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your orderZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderTumble: For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at tumbleliving.com/SHRINKCHICKSQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returnsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, we’re talking all about jealousy. Where does it actually come from, and what do you do with it? Your hosts dive into jealousy at every angle; anxious attachment and reassurance-seeking, why checking a partner's ex's Instagram feeds the monster instead of starving it, and how to build real security instead of chasing a certainty that doesn't exist. Some people barely feel jealousy at all, and that gets explored too, including whether it might tie back to avoidant attachment.Listener questions cover picking fights over an ex, the fear of being "replaceable" with a partner's friends or coworkers, jealousy tied to fertility and IVF, and the sting of being treated differently than a sibling-in-law. There's a breakdown of Sue Johnson's A.R.E. framework for building security in a relationship, plus what to do when a parent's infidelity makes it hard to trust a partner who's never given a reason not to be trusted. Dear Em & Jen goes past jealousy entirely: the shame of not feeling happy for other people, and where that reflex really comes from.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 3:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton, and all of our favorite pieces, at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsOneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code SHRINKCHICKS at https://www.oneskin.co/SHRINKCHICKS #oneskinpNine to Kind: Go to ninetokind.com and use code SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your orderZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderTumble: Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at tumbleliving.com/SHRINKCHICKSQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returnsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen take on a common yet difficult relationship question: how do you know when it's time to stay and fight for a relationship, versus when it's time to leave? They break down discernment counseling, a specific, structured approach to help you get clarity, and explore why "enough" is rarely one big event. The hosts dig into the difference between loyalty and self-erosion, why "if you can't handle me at my worst" is a myth we should retire, and what it actually means to love someone with accountability.Plus, Em and Jen answer listener questions on emotional neglect without an obvious "problem," discuss why healthy relationships are sometimes boring in the best way, how to gently tell a friend they deserve better, and how to support someone through infidelity or a years-long fence-sit. In Dear Em & Jen, they respond to a listener carrying decade-old shame over an affair and how to navigate moving forward. Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 8 minutes to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton, and all of our favorite pieces, at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsOneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code SHRINKCHICKS at https://www.oneskin.co/SHRINKCHICKS #oneskinpNine to Kind: Go to ninetokind.com and use code SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your orderZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first order plus free shipping on all US orders over $65Tumble: For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at tumbleliving.com/SHRINKCHICKSQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returnsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen celebrate the many ways therapy can change your life by sharing powerful stories and wins from the ShrinkChicks community as well as themselves. From learning to regulate emotions and set healthier boundaries to receiving long-awaited diagnoses and building stronger relationships, this episode highlights the lasting impact that therapy can have.They discuss why the relationship with your therapist matters so much, how therapy creates the space to respond instead of react, and why healing often opens doors far beyond your mental health. Listener stories touch on OCD diagnoses, finding self-acceptance, becoming a better partner, pursuing careers in therapy, and simply surviving life's hardest moments. The episode wraps with a conversation about grieving a former career while still feeling confident in the life you've chosen today.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action!⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton, and all of our favorite pieces, at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsOneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code SHRINKCHICKS at https://www.oneskin.co/SHRINKCHICKS #oneskinpNine to Kind: Go to ninetokind.com and use code SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your orderZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returnsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about the hard conversations that come with every stage of a relationship and why they're never just a one-time discussion. From marriage and finances to kids, careers, family dynamics, and major life transitions, they explore how healthy relationships require ongoing communication as life continues changing.They answer listener questions about bringing up a prenup, navigating seasons of sacrifice, deciding whether you're ready for kids, asking for help during uncertain life transitions, and telling a partner you want to leave a stable, high-paying job. Along the way, they discuss how fear shapes relationship decisions, why sacrifice only works when it's appreciated, and how to approach difficult conversations as teammates instead of opponents.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 7:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton, and all of our favorite pieces, at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsOneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code SHRINKCHICKS at https://www.oneskin.co/SHRINKCHICKS #oneskinpNine to Kind: Go to ninetokind.com and use code SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your orderZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returnsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen dive into what it really means to fight fairly in relationships and how conflict can actually bring couples closer when it’s handled well. They explore the difference between productive conflict and escalation, and why learning how you and your partner argue is just as important as learning how you love.The conversation breaks down common conflict mistakes like bringing up the past, using blame or contempt, and not taking a pause when feeling activated. Em and Jen also discuss how to regulate your nervous system in real time, when to take a break during a fight, and how to repair after disagreement, especially in front of kids or when emotions are high. Listener questions cover how to stay grounded when you feel unheard, how to introduce healthier conflict tools to a partner who isn’t used to them, and what to do when insecurities get activated in the middle of an argument. The episode centers on one core question: in moments of conflict, do you want to be right, or do you want to be close?Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 5:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.Book mentioned in today’s episode: How to Be an Adult in Relationships⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton, and all of our favorite pieces, at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsOneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code SHRINKCHICKS at https://www.oneskin.co/SHRINKCHICKS #oneskinpNine to Kind: Go to ninetokind.com and use code SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your orderZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returnsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen unpack insecurities: where they come from, why everyone has them, and how they quietly shape our relationships, careers, and sense of self. They explore the connection between insecurity and hyper-independence, why asking for help can feel so uncomfortable, and how comparison culture can keep us stuck.They also answer listener questions about needing reassurance in relationships, feeling hurt when someone's energy changes, worrying people won't like the "real" you, and what to do when you realize past choices were driven by insecurity instead of authenticity. Along the way, they discuss attachment, vulnerability, self-compassion, and how healing begins by challenging the stories we've carried for years.The Still Face Experiment mentioned in today’s episode: https://www.gottman.com/blog/research-still-face-experiment/Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 6 minutes to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton, and all of our favorite pieces, at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsOneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code SHRINKCHICKS at https://www.oneskin.co/SHRINKCHICKS #oneskinpNine to Kind: Go to ninetokind.com and use code SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your orderZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returnsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this rewind episode of ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen welcome Nedra Glover Tawwab back to the podcast! Nedra is a licensed therapist, a New York Times Bestselling author, and an expert on relationships and boundaries. If you haven’t followed her on Instagram yet, go do it now! They start the episode off by talking about Nedra's book, Consider This. Then, Nedra answers your questions about emotionally immature people and boundaries. She covers topics like navigating the emotionally immature parent/child relationship as an adult, how to know if you're the emotionally immature one, setting boundaries with people who say "it's not that deep," appeasing to avoid conflict, and so much more! Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action!⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton and all of our favorite pieces, at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsOneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code SHRINKCHICKS at https://www.oneskin.co/SHRINKCHICKS #oneskinpNine to Kind: Go to ninetokind.com and use code SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your orderZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returnsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.