Why does the inner judge in our brains automatically default to negativity? We assume the worst and let our insecurities... more

I love answering listeners' anonymous friendship dilemmas. It's a letter spotlight episode with three short anonymous letters from listeners with... more

I'm thrilled to welcome friendship experts and comedians Matt Ritter and Aaron Karo of Man of the Year podcast! In... more

Friendship breakups are an ageless, universal issue. In my 10 years of writing about friendship and receiving many anonymous letters,... more

Are there rules for making plans with friends? Who should be the one to suggest the day, time, and place?... more

Being generous in our friendships makes us better friends and keeps solid friends in our lives. We're not talking about... more

What if your next good friend is an old friend who drifted away from your life for reasons of circumstance... more

"Social" prescriptions from your doctor? Yes! What if for the sake of our mental and physical health doctors wrote prescriptions... more

"Many friends are entering the empty nest phase of their lives and some are really dreading it. Celebrities like Brooke... more

Episode #116: What a thrill to interview author and journalist Allison Gilbert, who met with Dr. Ruth Westheimer, of blessed... more

Episode #115: Today's "Quick Friendship Tip" is about how to capture the attitude and spirit of that special "freshman energy"... more

Episode #114: Do you know your Enneagram (personality) type and how your core fears and desires impact your friendships? I... more

Episode #113: So, you've unintentionally hurt your friend's feelings. Or, your friend hurt your feelings, likely not on purpose. My... more

This week's friendship topic is the frenzy of college admissions and how it affects friendships between teens and how it... more

Episode: #111 It's another letter spotlight episode! This week's anonymous letter is from a woman with two friends who... more

Episode #110: "Neurodivergent friending" Thrilled to welcome Dr. James F. Richardson, author of Our Worst Strength: American Individualism and Its... more

Episode #109: Let's say you know that a friendship has run its course, but the friend has done nothing wrong.... more

Episode #108: Talking to friends about money has always been a taboo topic. What if, instead, discussing money with friends... more

Episode #107: I rarely cover family relationships on Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship, but I consistently receive letters about sisters-in-law... more

Episode #106: Welcome to Dear Nina, Conversations About Friendship. Today is a tough topic, and I'm not going to promise... more

Episode #105: After a trip to Chicago to say goodbye to my childhood house, I appreciated how even one meal... more

Episode #104: Jill Smokler is the creator of Scary Mommy, one of the most original and successful mom blogs ever.... more

Episode #103: Friendship meet-cutes, the perfect jacket or blazer, fashion emergencies solved by our friends, making the first friendship move,... more

Episode #102: Shasta Nelson, friendship expert extraordinaire, joins me to discuss how and why to be honest with friends when... more

Episode #101: It's the first official "ask me anything" episode in honor of 100 episodes! The questions came from my... more

Episode #100: They say camp friends are the best friends. Why? At camp there are no screens, you take risks,... more

Episode #99: Welcome to the 14-day friendship (mindset) cleanse, brainchild of previous Dear Nina guest, Anna Goldfarb, whose book Modern... more

Episode #98: There are five questions I want us to be asking ourselves to get a sense of where our... more

Episode #97: Invisible disabilities can turn into a source of shame and unknowingly get in the way of friendships. What... more

Episode #96: I have been a Gretchen Rubin fan since 2009 when I read The Happiness Project the week it... more

Episode #95: Oversharing, overtalking, undertalking, undersharing, small talk, deep talks, mismatches in vulnerability, and the art of listening---these are the... more

Episode #94: Everyone runs into bumps in their friendships. Trust me, I have a decade's worth of writing material from... more

Episode #93: A quick conversation about the subtle hurts that can make friendship difficult. It's the small slights I cover... more

Episode #92: For anyone who has been hurt by a friend--or a group of friends--recently or in the past, this... more

Episode #91: Dr. Lisa Damour's latest book, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers , is out in paperback. On this episode... more

Episode #90: Many of us say we would be there for our friends in an emergency, but that's often theory... more

Episode #89: Do you ever feel like you or someone you know is just not “good at” friendship? It's never... more

Episode #88: Managing differences of opinion with friends can get tricky. An obvious area is politics, but smaller differences also... more

Episode #87: Shows like The Golden Girls and Grace & Frankie are beloved by so many, but also treated as... more

Episode #86: Making friends and deepening existing friendships starts with some basic truths."Every friendship starts with an act of bravery.... more

Episode #85: "The more the merrier" is a common expression for good reason. Most of us don't want to be... more

Episode #84: Debra Arbit and I tell our real-life friendship story, which is a great example of going from... more

Episode #83: Have you ever befriended your ex's ex? Today's episode focuses on the potential friendship that comes from a... more

Episode #82: The friendships formed during difficult, even dark, periods of our lives create a lasting impact unlike any other... more

Episode #81: Have you ever held back sharing good news because you sensed a friend wasn't truly celebrating with you?... more

Episode #80: "Neediness" has come up in plenty of episodes, but this is the first one dedicated to that loaded... more

Episode #79: Bri McKoy is a cookbook author and military wife who has moved seven times in 12 years. She... more

Episode #78: You feel good potential friendship chemistry with someone, but then what to do next? This is an... more

Episode #77: If there's one thing we need these days, it's some joy and laughter. It's dark times. And while... more

Episode 76: This episode of Dear Nina focuses on reaching out amidst turmoil (this time in particular, in the Middle... more

Episode #75: If you're struggling with managing your friendships or looking for innovative ways to make new friends, this episode... more

Episode #74 with Kristin Nilsen: Have you ever stopped to acknowledge the profound impact of your childhood friendships, even the... more

Episode #73 with Ruchi Koval: Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you simply can't connect with someone... more

Episode #72: Sometimes we hurt a friend unintentionally, but an apology is still in order. Is there a friend... more

Episode #71: Diamonde Williamson, found a way to make art from a painful friendship breakup and help others process their... more

Episode #70: Ever feel like your social life is a waiting game, stuck in the perpetual hope for an invitation... more

Episode #69: with Jennifer Cramer-MillerYou know those articles and memes that are everywhere reprimanding us about what NOT to say... more

Episode #68: Today we're discussing a harder topic than usual--what to do when your friend is in a very unhealthy... more

Episode #67: In this episode, I encourage listeners to reach out to some long distance friends and plan a trip!... more

Episode #66 with Heidi ShertokToday we’re talking about a topic that people have written to me about consistently over the... more

Episode #65: Dr. Lisa Damour is the NYT bestselling author of Untangled, Under Pressure, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers,... more

Episode #64 with Jill Smokler (Scary Mommy)What happens when two longtime, old school bloggers reminisce about the good old days... more

Episode #63 with Dr. Marisa G. FrancoConflicts in friendships can feel so daunting, but sometimes we have to tell friends... more

Episode #62. "Monday is Nan. Tuesday is Maryanne. Wednesday is Leslie. Thursday is Lisa. And Friday is Susan.... more

Episode #61: Award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and podcast creator, Jo Piazza, joins me to answer the question---Is texting ruining the... more

Episode #60: College friendships! Daisy Alpert Florin, author of My Last Innocent Year, joins me to discuss the unparalleled... more

Episode #59: How can we help our teens navigate the complexities of friendships without projecting our own experiences, desires,... more

Episode 58: The value of poker, mahjong, and other games for making friends and getting closer with the friends you... more

Episode 57: Gretchen Rubin and I spoke about her newest book, Life in Five Senses, and specifically about how awareness... more

Episode 56: I’m revisiting the problems and potential of group texts (but mostly the problems) because there are still... more

Episode #55: "One afternoon, Emma Nadler gets a call from her daughter's doctor that changes her life forever. Faced... more

Episode #54: One of Laura Tremaine's friendship philosophies is to put connection and relationship on your daily to-do list.... more

Episode #53: Evereve's co-founder and co-CEO, Megan Tamte, joins me to discuss making new, very close friends later in... more

Episode #52: Today on Dear Nina I have a guest with a harrowing and inspiring story to share about... more

Episode #51: First thing to know, not all friendships with issues are "toxic." I'm not sure there's a more... more

Episode #50: I'm thrilled to welcome my mom back to Dear Nina. My mom, Kathy Sackheim, has been an... more

Episode #49: Author, Will Schwalbe, joins the show today with some of these thoughts and more: It's better to... more

Episode #48: There is so much value to having friends with different points of view and backgrounds. I love... more

In an episode with Jill Smokler, formally THE Scary Mommy of the famous Scary Mommy, and currently the host of... more

Episode #47: I have author, Christie Tate, back on the show! I have been so eager for this conversation.... more

Episode #46: This week's episode with guest, Shari Leid, focuses on wisdom she’s gained after meeting with 144 of... more

Episode #45: Do your adult friendships mirror what you saw growing up in your household, or did you set... more

Episode #44: The topic of diet culture and friendship inspired more emails from my Facebook group--Dear Nina: The Group--than... more

Episode #43: Do you overspend to keep up with friends? It's tricky to navigate conversations about money with friends.... more

Episode #42: Taking time to identify the friendships that are going well in your life and WHY is a... more

Episode #41: I spoke to narrative coach, Lisa Harris, about the sometimes-fuzzy lines between "work friends" and "real friends"... more

I think this is the first time I've publicly discussed the bizarre memory of waiting up long into the night... more

Episode #40: After discussing the topic of great gift ideas for friends in my Facebook group--Dear Nina: The Group--I... more

Episode #39: Everyone tells me their city is the hardest city for making new friends. It's a common problem!... more

Episode #38: I spoke to author Diana Spechler about a piece she wrote in her Substack called “How to... more

Episode #37: There are lots of benefits to having couple friends. My husband joined me as we reflected on... more

Episode #36: My mom, Kathy Sackheim, joined me to discuss widowhood and friendship, as well as friendships while my... more

Episode #35: Journalist, Anna Goldfarb, joins me to discuss managing a lopsided friendship— that feeling you’re putting more into... more

Episode #34: It is possible to reconnect with an ex-friend and forget the issues that caused the breakup? Sometimes... more

Episode #33: When the desire for friendship is not equal, things can get very tricky. My guest, the wise... more

Episode #32: Dr. Marisa G. Franco, author of Platonic, and I talk about how expressing anger can strengthen a... more

Episode #31: Today we’re talking about being friends with people who are different from you. There have been a... more

Episode #30: Author, Mary Laura Philpott, joins me to discuss feeling loneliness and worry despite having close friends.... more

Episode #29: Chaz Sandifer joins me to discuss the reality of outgrowing friendships and friends who disappear in the... more

Episode #28: The one and only Zibby Owens joins me to talk about her memoir, Bookends, and her experiences... more

Episode #27: We're tackling four friendship dilemmas from listeners in under 30 minutes. This time the topics circle around... more

Episode #26: You want to make new friends, but worry it’s too late? Too hard? Too intimidating? You don’t... more

Episode #25: Love them or hate them, you're probably in a group chat once in a while or even... more

Did you love the movie Steel Magnolias in the 80s/early 90s? I did, but rewatching it recently brought up some... more

Episode #24: How to gracefully maintain boundaries and stop giving away too much information without damaging your friendships. This... more

Episode #23: I answered an anonymous listener's question about how to still feel close to friends when you can... more

Episode #22: Fast forward a friendship by hosting friends for a meal! I'm taking on two topics today, with... more

Episode #21: I loved my conversation with Pennsylvania-based author Rachel Levy Lesser, and I REALLY enjoyed Rachel's memoir, Life’s... more

Episode #20: I'm fascinated by what makes people click. Within minutes we often know whether we want to pursue... more

Episode #19: Books about friendship! Today's episode combines two of my favorite topics—friendship and books--specifically, novels and memoirs about... more

Episode #18: Scaling back, reaching out, overlooking flaws, and accepting boundaries. Taryn and I answered four listeners' questions about... more

Episode #17: An important discussion about sobriety in friendship, from addiction to all levels of sober living and how... more

Episode #16: This whole idea of "the in crowd" or "the popular crowd" comes up in questions I’ve received... more

Episode #15: Making small talk is an essential step of making friends. There's no avoiding it. All relationships, casual... more

Episode #14: The most essential point in this episode is about creating opportunities to see the same people on... more

Episode #13: Making new friends as an adult is difficult whether it’s because you moved to a new city,... more

Episode #12: How can we help a friend who’s in crisis because of illness or grief? And how can... more

Episode #11: My brother-in-law, Dave Dluger, and I were talking after recording an episode, we got into a conversation... more

Last week in episode #10 with author Jessica Speer who wrote BFF or NRF, we talked briefly about her nine... more

Episode #10: It's not easy to say no to a friendship. And it's just as hard to help our... more

Episode #9: Accepting that friends will hang out without you is a key to happier adult friendships. My best... more

A mini-ep to understand why friends ask personal or even intrusive questions, which came up in episode 8 with my... more

Episode #8: The role of privacy in close friendships, the line between intimacy and privacy, the lines between white... more

Sometimes we're waiting for apologies from friends and sometimes we owe apologies. Inspired by the Al Chet prayer we say... more

Episode #7: Friendship breakups and repairing a broken friendship. One of my best friends, who was once an ex-friend,... more

Episode #6: Unfollowing a friend on social media is not always the answer. This quick episode will help you... more

Episode #5: How much engagement can expect friends to have on your social media posts? Have you ever had a... more

Episode #4: Christie Tate, author of Group: How One Therapist And A Circle of Strangers Saved My Life, joined me... more

Episode #3: Are you the friend who calls or texts first and reaches out for plans, or do you... more

Episode #1: If you have a friend who will only text, do you accept that fact if you’re more... more