Are you seeking to increase your social circle with true-blue friends who have your back? (And weed out the selfish people who take more than they give?) On today's episode of the Love, Happiness & Success podcast, Val Walker is here to share expert advice for how to cultivate relationships with friends you can count on.

In this emotionally intimate interview, Val talks about the moment she realized she had "400 Friends & No One To Call" (the title of her latest book), and how it launched her intentional, successful creation of a supportive community of meaningful friendships. 

Val has so much fantastic advice to share with you for how to build up a community of support for yourself. I hope you listen!

xoxo,

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

GrowingSelf.com

Most busy professionals feel they don't have the luxury to "just hang out." Yet investing in healthy friendships is one of the single most impactful things you can do to improve your mental, emotional, and even physical health.

To support YOU in your understanding of the importance of healthy friendships, and to deepen you understanding of what it really takes to build supportive relationships in your life, I’ve invited science journalist and author Lydia Denworth to speak with me about her new book, “Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond.”  

She shares what her painstaking research has uncovered about why friendships are so important to us, the risks of neglecting your friendships, the impact of friendships on children and adolescents, and — perhaps most importantly — concrete strategies for how to build and nurture your friendships during social distancing.

Listen, and learn about the importance of healthy friendship and how to build strong friendship connections in your own life.

xoxo, Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

GrowingSelf.com

How to Deal With Cultural Differences in a Relationship

As a marriage counselor and couples therapist l know that all relationships bring a variety of challenges and opportunities for growth. At the same time, some couples  — particularly those in cross-cultural relationships — feel that they have further to go in bridging the gap.

It’s very easy for couples to get entrenched in conflict rooted in a core belief of “right and wrong” when it comes to how to approach various aspects of their shared life. This can be especially true around hot-button issues such as:

• “How much influence should my mother-in-law have in our family?”
• “How do we handle money as a couple?”
• “How do we parent our children together?”
• “How do we communicate with each other when we’re stressed?”
• “Who is in charge of what, around our home?”
• “How do we handle racial prejudice directed at one of us, or our children?”

To tackle these questions, and provide some direction for how to begin building bridges to the center, I’ve asked some multicultural relationship experts to join me for this episode of the Love, Happiness and Success Podcast. Growing Self relationship coaches Dr. Georgiana Spradling, MFT, Tania Chikhani, M.A, and Teresa Thomas, M.A. often work with cross-cultural couples and interracial couples, and have great relationship advice for how to create peace and harmony in your gloriously diverse family.

All the best,

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

GrowingSelf.com

We are living in historic times. In the midst of a global pandemic, our country is also fighting another battle: One that seeks to shine a light on injustice and systemic racism, end abuse and discrimination of Black Americans and other people of color, and begin the hard work of healing.

This reality brings up questions that need to be answered:

• How can a person of color cope with feelings of anger and pain due to being directly impacted by (or bearing witness to) racial injustice in our society?
• What are some strategies that Black Americans can use to stay empowered in their relationships, and to make informed, affirming decisions that honor their needs and rights?
• Where do you turn for safety, support and understanding in a divided and uncertain world?
• How can people of color honor the reality of the past and present, and also remain hopeful about the future?

Growing Self therapists Teresa Thomas, M.S., and Zachary Gaiter, M.S., LPCC tackle these questions and more, on this episode of the Love, Happiness and Success Podcast. Join us!

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

www.GrowingSelf.com

If you're still thinking about your Ex, and wishing you could heal, let go, and move on, today's Episode of the Love, Happiness and Success Podcast is for you.

We're discussing:

• Why you can't stop thinking about your Ex
• Why understanding your biology can set you free
• What to do when you're obsessing about your Ex's new relationship
• Why anger and guilt can keep you trapped in the past
• How to let go of insecurities and jealousy about your Ex's new relationship
• How to get closure after a relationship has ended
• How to let go of a toxic relationship
• How to (authentically and honestly) work through the feelings in a healthy way
• How to use this experience as a launchpad for growth

Your partner in growth,

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

www.growingself.com