Shows / Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship
“Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship” is for anyone who wants to make sense of the gray areas of adult friendship: changed closeness, uneven effort, group dynamics, hurt feelings, and what to say and do next. As Nina always says, "Friendship issues are ageless and timeless." You can listen and relate to these topics no matter your age or your stage of life.
And Dear Nina is a top 1% podcast so people of all ages are listening!
Whether you've agonized over a text, wondered why…
Episodes
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#217 - The Friendship Conversation You've Been Avoiding (Jewel Hohman)
How to address hurt feelings, unmet expectations, and changing friendships Have you ever been upset with a friend but decided it would be easier to say…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#216 - Are You Expecting Too Much From One Friend? (Sally Vardaman)
When Your Friendship Needs Don't Match Are you expecting too much from a friend, or are you accepting too little? It's a question that comes up again and again…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#215 - When Your Child Gets Dropped From a Friend Group
How to help your child through exclusion without letting your own panic take over I've been a parent on both sides of friendship exclusion. I've had kids who…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#214 - Are We Giving Up on Our Friends Too Quickly? (Melissa Radke)
Are we too quick to decide a friendship isn’t working? That’s the question running through this conversation with bestselling author and podcaster Melissa…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#213 - Friendship "Flings," Uneven Effort, and Being Stuck in the Middle (Dr. Miriam Kirmayer)
Dr. Miriam Kirmayer is back on Dear Nina, and this time we did something different: we each brought friendship questions the other person had not seen in…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#212 - What Your Behavior May Be Saying to Your Friends (Laura Tremaine)
When good intentions aren’t enough in a friendship What happens when you genuinely care about friends, but your behavior isn’t showing it? That’s the question…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#211 - You Don’t Have to Be Fully Secure to Have Good Friendships (Dr. Marisa G. Franco)
Dr. Marisa G. Franco is back on Dear Nina! This time we spoke about her new book, Worth: The New Science of Self-Esteem and Secure Attachment, and how our…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#210 - AI, Friendship, and the Danger of Outsourcing Connection (Sarah Baldeo)
Why human connection requires friction, empathy, and accountability. I have real concerns about AI, and one of my biggest is what happens when we start…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#209 - Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Kids and Adults (Caroline Maguire)
I’ve spoken before on Dear Nina about neurodiversity and friendship with several fantastic guests, but I wanted to have a conversation that could speak both to…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#208 - Making Friends at Any Age Takes a Little Risk (Harlan Cohen)
Harlan Cohen on friendship, social courage, and finding places where you belong. Finding friendship—at any stage of life—requires the risk of hearing “no.” And…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#207 - The Teen Friendship Habits We Bring Into Adulthood (Sheri Gazitt)
Friend groups, exclusion, conflict, and the patterns we don’t always outgrow Some friendship habits start much earlier than we realize. The way we react to…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#206 - How Friendships Change When You Stop Drinking (Suzanne Warye)
Alcohol is so woven into social life that choosing not to drink can change how you spend time with friends, which invitations come your way, and what you begin…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#205 - Get Offline and See Your Friends
I’m fresh off the "Dear Nina Live" event in Minneapolis to celebrate five years of the podcast. And after such a big week, I was ready to step away…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#204 - "Go where the heat is”: My Husband on Five Years of Friendship Advice
To mark five years of making this podcast, I invited the person who has heard every episode, encouraged every new idea, and occasionally reminded me to follow…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#203 - College Rankings Don't Predict Where You'll Belong (Alexis White)
Admissions counselor, Alexis White, on why 'fit over flex' should guide the college search The college search puts a lot of pressure on families to find the…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#202 - When Friends Make Plans Without You (Danielle Bayard Jackson)
Group dynamics, feeling left out, and not waiting around for invitations We have all felt that sting of not being invited. You see the pictures, hear about the…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#201 - A Softer Way to Think About Friendships That Faded (Rebecca Kotok)
How age, loss, and experience can change the way we see friendships from the past This week I’m joined by one of my very best friends, Rebecca Kotok, a public…
Dear Nina: Conversations About FriendshipBonus - An Episode Honoring Jill Smokler: Friendship, Cancer, and Community
My friend, Jill Smokler, touched so many lives. If you loved Jill, I hope hearing her voice is a comfort. If you didn’t know her, I hope this episode gives you…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#200 - Why Talking to Strangers is Good for Your Friendships (Dr. Gillian Sandstrom)
How small talk, "loose ties," and everyday conversations help us feel more connected For episode #200 of Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship, I’m…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#199 - Traveling with Friends: Lessons From a Girls-Trip Regular (Rebekah Jacobs)
How to make girls trips, weekend getaways, and friendship travel actually happen This week, I’m joined by one of my favorite people to talk to about friendship…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#198 - Making Friends Through Work: Collaboration Over Competition (Kim Oster-Holstein and Mara Smith)
Two entrepreneurs on friendship, support, and staying open to new connections. When we talk on Dear Nina about making friends as adults, I often focus on…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#197 - Anxious Attachment in Friendships: Why You Keep Wondering Where You Stand (Rebecca Stambridge)
Why Reassurance-Seeking, Overthinking, and Fear of Rejection Can Strain Even Good Friendships Most of us have moments when we wonder where we stand with a…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#196 - Second Homes and Friendship: Hosting, FOMO, and Unspoken Expectations (Stephanie Hansen)
In this episode of Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship, I’m talking about the social complications of having a second home. Whether it’s a lakeside…
Dear Nina: Conversations About FriendshipBonus: Are Your Friendships Surviving the Digital Age? Likes, Memes & What Really Matters (Nina on The Visibility Standard with Jazzmyn Proctor)
I’m sharing a bonus episode from my appearance on The Visibility Standard with Jazzmyn Proctor. We talked about modern friendship and all the strange new…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#195 - Money Landmines with Friends: Group Trips, Weddings, and Splitting Checks (Heather Boneparth)
Money can shape adult friendships in ways we don’t always talk about openly. Who pays for dinner? Who can afford the group trip? Do you need to attend the…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#194 - Low-Key, Creative Ways to Spend Time with Friends (Ashlee Gadd and Katie Blackburn)
This episode is a little different—and very fun—because it’s packed with specific, creative ways to spend time with friends that go beyond the usual walk…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#193 - How to Make Your City Better for Friendship (Aaron Hurst)
Is your neighborhood or town welcoming? I spend a lot of time on this show talking about the one-to-one side of friendship—the texts, the plans, the…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#192 - Why Plans with Friends Don’t Happen—and How to Fix It
Navigating friendship when your planning styles don’t match Why is it so hard to actually make plans with friends as adults? In this solo episode, I’m digging…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#191 - The Case for Work Friends and Where to Find Them When You Work Alone (Lindsay Pinchuk)
The Unexpected Friendships You Find Through Networking When You Work Alone If you're ever feel lonely at work, lonely working from home, or you realize your…
Dear Nina: Conversations About FriendshipBonus: Socially Confident Kids in a Screen-Filled World (Nina on "Your Child is Normal" with Dr. Jessica Hochman)
I’m excited to share a fantastic episode from when I was the guest on Your Child Is Normal with pediatrician Dr. Jessica Hochman. (@askdrjessica on Instagram)…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#190 - Why Birthdays Can Bring Up So Much Friendship Disappointment (Debra Arbit)
Reframing Your Birthday and Your Friendships Birthdays can be emotionally loaded and full of expectations, mixed signals, and quiet disappointment about what…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#189 - Andrew McCarthy on Male Friendship, Reconnecting, and the Power of Showing Up
“You don’t really have any friends, do you, Dad?” That’s the question that stopped Andrew McCarthy—yes, the Pretty in Pink / Mannequin/St. Elmo's…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#188 - Are You Repeating the Same Unhealthy Friendship Patterns? (Roxanne Francis)
When repeated friendship struggles may signal something deeper . . . I consistently hear from listeners who are struggling with friendship in ways that feel…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#187 - How ADHD Affects Adult Friendships: For People With ADHD and Their Friends (Cate Osborn and Erik Gude)
The Friendship Side of ADHD We Don’t Talk About Enough ADHD is getting more attention right now, but one part of the conversation often gets overlooked: how…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#186 - The Friend Who Copies You: Flattering or Frustrating? (Candace Ourisman)
We're unpacking a surprisingly charged friendship dilemma I answered for Real Simple magazine: How do you handle a longtime friend who copies everything you…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#185 - When Career Success Strains Your Friendships (Dr. Kimberly Horn)
Today we're talking about a specific and underexplored friendship challenge: what happens to your social life as your career takes off. We get right to the…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#184 - Why You Can Have Lots of Friends and Still Feel Insecure (Dr. Jeffrey Hall)
Have you ever looked at your life and thought: I have friends. I’m doing things. I’m not isolated… so why do I still feel unsettled and maybe even lonely? This…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#183 - Are You Mad at Me? Friendship Anxiety and the Need for Validation (Meg Josephson)
If you tend to assume someone’s upset with you when their tone shifts even slightly, when they don’t text back right away, or when you notice the smallest…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#182 - Three Phrases That Help When a Friend Is Experiencing Loss (Shelby Forsythia)
Knowing how to show up for a friend in grief can feel overwhelming. We want to say the right thing, we don’t want to make it worse—and too often, that fear…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#181 - Exclusion and the Power to Build New Friendships (Amy Weatherly)
This week’s episode is an expansion to last week’s conversation with Dr. Noelle Santorelli about relational aggression, belonging vs. inclusion, and “mean mom…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#180 - Mean Mom Culture, Relational Aggression, and Belonging vs. Inclusion (Dr. Noelle Santorelli)
This week I have a conversation with clinical psychologist Dr. Noelle Santorelli about belonging vs. (forced) inclusion, "mean mom" culture, and…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#179 - Your Newest Friendship Questions, Answered (My Mom)
For the first episode of 2026, I have my mom, Kathy Sackheim, in the studio for her 6th appearance on the podcast to help me answer a stack of listener…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#178 - Top 5 Cities, Top 5 Episodes, and Friendship Takeaways from 2025 (Rebekah Jacobs)
It’s the annual end-of-year wrap-up, and my assistant producer Rebekah Jacobs is back for a behind-the-scenes look at what landed with listeners in 2025 and…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#177 - The Myth of Instant College Friends (Dr. Janice McCabe)
Finding Your People in College Takes Longer Than You Think. At some schools its even a structural problem. As students come home between semesters, some…
Dear Nina: Conversations About FriendshipBonus: Take Back Your Social Life (Nina on “SuperPsyched” with Dr. Adam Dorsay)
This week’s episode is a bonus! I’m sharing a conversation from when I was a guest on Dr. Adam Dorsay’s podcast, SuperPsyched. I don’t usually repost my own…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#176 - Divorce and the Impact on Your Friendships (Hope Lutz Firsel)
I’m finally tackling a topic I’ve been wanting to cover for a long time: how divorce affects our friendships. Today's episode addresses both sides of this…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#175 - Write a Letter to One Friend: December (the final!) Friendship Challenge
The final friendship challenge of the year is to write one friend a real letter. This was inspired by the novel I'm currently reading and loving--The…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#174 - Why Being Left Out by Friends Hurts So Much (with neuroscientist Dr. Ben Rein)
I'm thrilled to welcome Dr. Ben Rein, neuroscientist and author of Why Brains Need Friends: The Neuroscience of Social Connection. We discuss what friendship…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#173 - What Does It Take to Stay Friends for 40 Years? (Jenn Sherman and Pam Sunshine)
The Real Work Behind Lifelong Friendship This week I’m joined by two women who accidentally went viral on social media, but they've been doing the real work of…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#172 - What “Beaches” Gets Right About Friendship (Professors Paul Eastwick & Eli Finkel)
You've arrived at the best academic nerd-out ever on the movie Beaches. Find out why CC Bloom and Hillary Whitney's instant friendship chemistry, breakups and…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#171 - Brighten a Friend’s Day with One Simple Gesture: November Friendship Challenge
This month’s friendship challenge is all about generosity, but not the kind that empties your wallet or the type that requires a special occasion like a…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#170 - The Friend Who Really Sees You (Hannah Rosenberg)
"This made me think of you." Is there anything more delightful to hear from a friend? These are the words often written between friends when someone…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#169 - Hosting a Salon: The Friendship Upgrade from Book Clubs (Linda-Marie Barrett)
Want a social gathering for making new friends or deepening friendships that’s not a book club, not mahjong, not a cooking club, not pickleball—just…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#168 - How to Get Beyond Small Talk and Build Closer Friendships (Jonah Kaplan)
Ever feel like your friendships are trapped in the very general "how are you?" catch-up loop? Award-winning journalist Jonah Kaplan joins me to talk…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#167 - Ask Your Friends (A LOT) More Questions: The October Friendship Challenge
You're probably not asking your friends enough questions. This month’s Friendship Challenge is simple but powerful: ask your friends more questions. (Way more…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#166 - Friendship Repair: How to Say I'm Sorry, Accept Apologies, and Ask for One (Marjorie Ingall)
A good apology can save a friendship; a bad one can torch it. And yes, our friends will mess up. As will we! That's why learning to say "I'm sorry"…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#165 - When One Friend Has Kids and the Other Doesn't (Dani Alpert)
Different choices, same friendships—if you’re willing to speak up. This week on Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship, I talk with bestselling author Dani…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#164 - Making Mom Friends: Challenges and Opportunities (Alex Reed)
New parenthood can be isolating and full of unspoken (or spoken!) pressures. But those early years are not only about the challenges. There are opportunities…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#163 - Shame and Friendship: What We Hide, What We Share (Melissa Petro)
What happens when we carry shame into our friendships? How does it keep us apart? How does it connect us deeply to others? I spoke with author Melissa Petro…
Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship#162 - Listen to Your "Bestie Brain," Not Your "Bully Brain" (September Challenge with Leslie Randolph)
This month’s Dear Nina Friendship Challenge taps into the fresh-start energy of September to help you quiet the inner bully telling you you're awkward or not…