Learn from experts and hear real stories of recovery with the Journals of a Love Addict Podcast
Do you…
Continually find yourself in dysfunctional relationships?
Undervalue yourself while putting others on a pedestal?
Have a pattern of dating emotionally unavailable partners?
Yes? I can totally relate.
On my podcast, Journals of a Love Addict, I share my personal journey through love addiction recovery, and my experience as a therapist who works with love addiction.
I also talk with others who have struggled, as well as experts in trauma, addiction, and other areas of mental health.
My hope is to help listeners feel less alone as I spread awareness of what love addiction is really all about.
Music by JD Pendley
Episode 51: Sketchy Psychics
In this episode, my friend Brooke and I share stories of seeking comfort from psychics, why we might look for guidance in such places, and put so much trust in someone we don't even know.
Episode 50: A Recovery Story with Heidi Kingston, LCSW
In this episode, I talk with another therapist in recovery, Heidi Kingston, regarding her personal experience with love addiction, the ups and downs of her own recovery journey, and what she's learned along the way.
Episode 49: Going Deeper with Heather Cronemiller
In this episode, I talk with Heather Cronemiller, a therapist in recovery and co-author of "Going Deeper For Women: How The Inner Child Impacts Your Sex & Love Addiction". Heather shares her experience with fantasy and the search for a soulmate, and what ultimately led her into recovery.
Episode 48: Pain Shopping
In this episode, my friend, Brooke, and I discuss the concepts of pain shopping and comfort-seeking behaviors; and share our personal experiences with both.
Episode 47: A Therapist's Story with Leah Hoffman
It can be easy to assume that therapists have it together in life and relationships, but when it comes to attachment--and love addiction--no one is immune. And because hearing from a therapist who 'gets it' can be very helpful for those of us in recovery, I invited therapist and coach, Leah Hoffman, to the podcast to share her recent experience with the cycle of love addiction and what she's learned from it.
Episode 46: Setting Boundaries That Stick with Jules Taylor Shore
In this episode, I talk with therapist and boundaries expert Juliane (Jules) Taylor Shore about her new book, "Setting Boundaries That Stick" (you may remember Jules from EP31, "All About Boundaries"). Jules shares six steps to setting an external boundary, the importance of a pause and paying attention to feelings, why hard conversations are so challenging, why we struggle with self-compassion, and why growth comes with grief.
Episode 41: The Three Whys with Nicole Lewis-Keeber
You may have heard about the importance of your 'why'--that thing that motivates you and provides a sense of purpose in life and work. But what if that concept was broken down even further, into three parts that took you deeper into that 'why'?
Episode 40: That Therapist with Dr. Lara Dye
If you're a listener of the podcast, then you've heard me talk about 'that therapist'--the one I worked with in 2016, who taught me about love addiction, supported me through withdrawal, and played a vital role in my early recovery. That therapist is Dr. Lara Dye. And, because she was such an important part of my recovery journey, I invited Dr. Dye to talk with me for this episode of the podcast.
Episode 39: Intimacy Intolerance with Kelly McDaniel
What is intimacy? If you Google the term you might find varying--yet similar--definitions...but what does it mean to YOU?
Episode 38: Pretty Baby (A Mother Hunger Conversation)
Have you seen the Hulu documentary, "Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields"? It paints a powerful portrait of Brooke's sexualization as a child actor, and brings attention to the waters in which young women swim from a young age. On this episode of the podcast, I’m joined by my friend, Brooke, to discuss "Pretty Baby" through the lens of Mother Hunger (because we can't understand love addiction without talking about Mother Hunger).
Episode 37: A Case of Cathexis
In love addiction we often feel like we're in love, but is it really love? And what is genuine love, anyway?
In this episode, I discuss the concept of cathexis--the thing we often confuse with genuine love--and the role it played in my love addiction.
Episode 36: You Are Not Stuck with Becky Vollmer
Do you ever feel like what you're doing in the world isn't aligned with who you are? Like maybe you're going through the motions of 'supposed to' instead of living from your true purpose? If so, you're not alone...
Episode 33: Dirty Secrets
In this episode, my friend, Brooke, joins me to talk about the recent Victoria's Secret documentary; and how the company's marketing in the early 2000s led to confusing messages about beauty and furthered the cultural double bind women experience.
Episode 31: All About Boundaries with Jules Taylor Shore
We hear a lot about "having boundaries" or "setting boundaries" or "respecting boundaries"... but what does any of this really mean? To answer this question, I invited trauma therapist and boundaries expert, Jules Taylor Shore, to talk all about boundaries.
Episode 30: Like a Tornado of Sticks & Poo
Love addiction gets messy. It's full of intensity, shame, and regression that leads us to behave regretfully, or as I say, 'like a tornado of sticks and poo'.
Episode 23: The Power of What-if
Have you ever looked back on a past relationship and wondered "What if?: what if things had worked out differently, or I'd been more this/that, or the timing had been better?"
In this episode, Brooke is back to share another dating experience--one that started with a 'what-if' and led to a lot of useful information.
Episode 22: Enoughing
What is 'enough'? If you've struggled with codependence or love addiction, you might catch yourself feeling 'not enough'; or maybe you're driven to DO more (and more) but it never feels like enough.
Episode 11: Best Girlfriend Ever
Love addiction is rooted in codependence; it comes with boundary issues, dependency issues, and self-esteem issues, which leads us to look externally (often to our partners) for a sense of worthiness.
Episode 10: An Interview with Daniel Gowan
What’s it like to grow up as The Hero of the family? Hint: It’s not as awesome as it sounds.
Episode 9: Just So
Do you struggle with consistency? Does your desire to do All The Things - and do them perfectly - get in the way of actually DOING anything at all?