797 The Slow Drip of Poison: Why Passive Aggressive Anger Destroys Relationships

In my almost three decades as a psychotherapist, I've seen passive-aggressive anger quietly destroy more relationships than infidelity. It's a slow drip of poison. And most of us don't even realize we're doing it. Do you ever say you're fine when you're not? Use sarcasm to let someone know you're pissed off instead of just saying it? Or are you ever on the receiving end of these behaviors? If you've done it or been on the receiving end of it, welcome to being a human in relationships with other people. On this episode of The Terri Cole Show, we are going to discuss passive-aggressive anger. Why we do it, what it looks like, and what we can do instead. Read the show notes for today's episode at terricole.com/797

When two people with the same traumatic experience find one another, is it an incredible coincidence, or simple fate? Gabrielle Stone and Taymour Ghazi don't know the answer either, but it happened to them. On today's episode, Gabrielle and Taymour share their long journey to finding one another and holding one another in healing after each had a childhood experience encountering the bodies of their deceased parents. They also describe how they found time to write their new book Finding You Through Finding Me while also caring for their newborn child. Read the show notes for today's episode at terricole.com/796

Have you ever looked at people who seem to have figured it out? They're in their sixties, seventies, or eighties, and they're healthy. They're happy. They're in great relationships. And you think, "what do they know that I don't?"  Guess what? We don't have to wonder anymore. The Harvard Study of Adult Development is the longest longitudinal study ever done on physical and emotional well-being. Over 80 years, researchers tracked people across their entire lives to answer one question: what actually makes life feel good? The results were surprising: The quality of your relationships is the number one predictor of your mental health, your physical health, and your overall life satisfaction. It isn't money, success, fame, productivity, or hustling harder. It's not achieving some perfect version of yourself. On today's episode, I'm sharing some objective ways you can make your life happier and healthier, according to 80 years of research. Read the show notes for today's episode at terricole.com/795

Before you write a single resolution this year, I want you to try something different. It's a ritual I've been doing for over a decade, and it's completely changed how I move from one year into the next. Here's the thing: New Year's resolutions don't work. And I'm inviting you right now to trade yours in for something that will not only open your mind and your heart, but will powerfully clear the way for you to actually create what you want for the next 12 months. Here's why resolutions fall flat: we try to decide what we want to change without ever processing the year that just happened. How can we know what shifts we need to make if we haven't unpacked where we've been? This ritual is different. My hope is that it helps you process the experiences of 2025, raise your awareness about the lessons learned, and release what no longer serves you as we move into the next twelve months. Read the show notes for today's episode at terricole.com/794 Apply for the Terri Cole Membership if you want guidance in nurturing the healthy, connected life you deserve: https://www.terricole.com/tcm/  

Discover why menopause isn't the end—it's your most powerful beginning. Dr. Mindy Pelz, bestselling author of "Age Like a Girl," reveals the groundbreaking neuroscience behind menopause and how this transition rewires your brain for leadership, confidence, and purpose. Learn why 40% of our lives are designed to be lived WITHOUT our reproductive system, the evolutionary "grandmother hypothesis," and practical tools to navigate this transformation. From the neurochemical shift that eliminates people-pleasing to finding what truly brings you joy, this conversation will completely change how you view menopause. Perfect for women in perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause—plus anyone who wants to understand this revolutionary life stage. Read the show notes for today's episode at terricole.com/793

Do you feel like you're overworking without feeling satisfied? Do you have difficulty accepting praise or compliments? Do you suffer from perfectionism? Do you have trouble asserting yourself with your clients? If you're nodding your head yes, then today's episode is for you! On today's episode, we're exploring how your inner child might be influencing your business decisions and how to put your adult self back in charge. Read the show notes for today's episode at terricole.com/792

The fawn response is the fourth trauma reaction beyond fight, flight, and freeze. Childhood experiences create patterns of people-pleasing that disconnect you from yourself. Meg shares her personal journey from a volatile, addiction-affected home to clear boundaries. Along the way, she reveals practical tools including her NICER technique for managing anxiety and overthinking. Stop self-silencing, set boundaries without guilt, and reconnect with your authentic self. Are you struggling with people-pleasing, conflict avoidance, or feeling uncertain who you really are? This episode is perfect for you. Plus, we chat about grieving relationships that will never be and creating a sense of home within yourself. Read the show notes for today's episode at terricole.com/791

Are you managing other people's feelings more than you're managing your business? Are you doing tasks that drain you because you don't know how to delegate without guilt? Or you don't trust people to do it right? Are you walking on eggshells around your own team? If you're a woman in a position of power, creating healthy boundaries at work can be challenging. You may feel mean or selfish. But disordered boundaries don't just make you tired; they can also cap your success. In today's episode, I'm sharing tips to help you become less drained, more productive, and more energized at work. Read the show notes for today's episode at terricole.com/790

Are you stuck in people-pleasing, perfectionism, and emotional exhaustion? Nurse practitioner and somatic therapist Baya Albina reveals what "emotional outsourcing" really means and how it's sabotaging your relationships and health. Learn about "functional freeze", constantly doing but feeling nothing and discover practical steps to reconnect with your body, set boundaries without guilt, and stop fixing everyone around you. If you can't relax when someone's upset or always put others first, this conversation will change everything. Read the show notes for today's episode at terricole.com/789

Do you feel like you're trying to outrun the clock when it comes to aging? Is there a part of you that feels like you're trying to turn back the hands of time? How deeply are you caught up in the anti-aging vibe, and how is it affecting you personally? I want to talk about something I'm really passionate about. It's not about not aging, it's about aging healthily and aging well. But there are so many things that get in the way of us being able to focus on it that way, and so many of those things are unconscious. I'm going to talk about how anti-aging culture is impacting us, what the emotional toll is, what you can do about it, and what I'm doing about it. This is an invitation to join me in this pro-living revolution. Read the show notes for today's episode at terricole.com/788