rich 1.0 When did friendship become something we have to optimize? In this episode, Amanda sits down with friendship specialist Blake Blankenbecler to talk about why we’re overthinking our friendships—and how therapy speak, social media, and the pressure to have “perfect” relationships might be getting in the way of actually enjoying them. In conversation, we tackle: Why your friends don’t need to be your therapists (and why that doesn't mean you shouldn't vent) The friendship “test” that tells you to stop reaching out and see who comes looking for you Why “I miss you” is often more vulnerable (and more useful) than a perfectly worded conversation about your unmet needs The five-person “core friendship” idea—and why not every friend needs to know everything about you Why “your friends like you” might be the radical reassurance we actually need The case for bringing back hosting friends, parallel play, dumb jokes, snacks, and being together without turning every interaction into emotional work Blake Blankenbecler is a therapist and friendship specialist. She is the creator of the Friendship Deck and practices at Fig Therapy. Follow her on social media @blakeblankenbecler and find her online at blakeblankenbecler.com (https://www.blakeblankenbecler.com/) . WE ARE NOW ON SUBSTACK with bonus episodes, pep talks, episode guides, and so much more! Join us at nuanceneeded.substack.com To learn more about therapy reach out to Therapy for Women Center, therapyforwomencenter.com. We have therapists licensed in 43 states across the country and have offices if you are local to the Philadelphia area. Want to join the conversation? EMAIL- podcast@therapyforwomencenter.com or LEAVE US A MESSAGE at 813-444-8683. We'd love to hear what you think! Nuance Needed https://audioboom.com/channels/5161531-nuance-needed Audioboom https://audioboom.com 480 95 https://audioboom.com/i/43849726/600x600/c 600 600 <iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8955696/embed?v=202301" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; width: 100%" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="allowtransparency" scrolling="no" title="Audioboom player" allow="autoplay" sandbox="allow-downloads allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>