Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships
Ever feel like friendships are too complicated, superficial, or disappointing? And yet you don’t want to swear them off completely because you also crave the feeling of having close, comfortable, and meaningful relationships? You’re not alone! In the first season of Frientimacy, social relationships expert Shasta Nelson goes behind the scenes of her own real-life friendships to unpack the challenges they’ve faced and how they overcame them to forge an even stronger bond. Because let’s face it—even the healthiest relationships encounter conflict! By shedding light on two sides of the story, Frientimacy can inspire and teach us how to navigate similar issues in our own friendships.
Shasta is the author of 3 books on adult friendships and social relationships, a popular resource for media such as the New York Times and the Today Show, and an in-demand keynote speaker. Now she’s getting vulnerable to reveal how even a social relationships expert can experience adversity in her friendships . . . and emerge with more meaningful connections. It may not always be easy navigating jealousy, busyness, hurt feelings, or different life stages, but sometimes it’s worth it, so listen in if you’re ready for more fulfilling friendships! To connect with Shasta on her other platforms, follow her on Instagram at @shastamnelson, or subscribe to her YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/shastanelson.
Episodes
25 episodes
Choosing Silence: Is It the Best Strategy for Political Tensions?” (J’Leen & Valerie)
Today, Shasta is joined by her two close friends, J’Leen and Valerie, to discuss an interesting situation that occurred within their friend group: they each had assumed that they all shared the same political views as one another, only to recen...
New Friends, Different Votes: Is This Friendship Worth It?” (Lisa)
Shasta and Lisa are new friends who have recently discovered they have differing political views from one another. And although they are voting differently from each other this election season, Shasta and Lisa have actually chosen to embrace th...
Repairing the Political Rift: Can We Fix Our Relationship?” (My mom)
After much convincing, Shasta has finally gotten her mom to agree to a long-overdue conversation about how their differing political views have affected their relationship. Over the years, their discussions, though never intended to be politica...
When Politics Divide: Why Is It So Hard to Stay Connected? (Marcia & Kim)
Have you had a relationship in your life damaged by opposing political views? Or maybe you were taken by surprise when you found out a close friend of yours will be voting differently than you in this upcoming election? This month,...
What I Learned from Friends
In the final episode of the first season of Frientimacy, Shasta reflects on all of the outcomes and insights gained from the honest, heartfelt conversations she has gotten to have with friends and guests over the past few months. Fr...
The Friendship I Almost Outgrew (J'Leen)
Have you ever felt like you’ve outgrown a friendship? Maybe you felt like you and a friend drifted apart because you’ve changed in ways they haven’t? Or maybe you’ve felt like someone you once knew has evolved into a completely different person...
The Friendship (& Marriage!) Between an Introvert and an Extrovert (Greg)
In today's episode of Frientimacy, Shasta Nelson is joined by her husband, Dr. Greg Nelson, for an insightful conversation on blending friendship with marriage. As they reflect on nearly 20 years together, they delve into the question of whethe...
The New Friendship: Our Insecurities and Secret Hopes (Priscilla)
In this week's episode of Frientimacy, Shasta and her friend Priscilla take a transparent look behind the scenes of their budding friendship. They dive into the early days of their relationship and discuss the challenges they faced, such as sch...
I'm the Friend Who Avoids Conflict
Conflict—nobody enjoys it, but how do we tackle tough conversations with those we care about? In this episode of Frientimacy, Shasta tackles this challenging topic with three insightful guests: Krista, Kerry, and Laura. Each woman shares her st...
I'm the Friend Who Gave Us a Second Chance (Cori)
In today's episode of Frientimacy, Shasta invites Cori to share her experiences of feeling profoundly let down by her best friend during a time of personal crisis—the death of a loved one. Despite her friend's past support and their close bond,...
The Friendship That Had to Evolve After a Lifestyle Change (Krista)
This heartfelt episode dives deep into the journey of personal growth and sobriety through the lens of Krista, who opens up about her decision to stop drinking. Krista recounts the challenges and growth that came with this process and how it im...
I'm the Friend Who Regrets Giving Up on Us
Today’s episode features Shasta and three women who share one common, difficult experience: each has deeply regretted losing touch with a close friend. Throughout the episode, they reflect on the impact of these lost relationships, and share th...
The Friendship That Faces Comparison and Envy (Christine)
When Shasta met Christine, a fellow author and speaker, she was everything Shasta wanted to be: she had just published a book, she’d been interviewed on TV, and she had a press kit. Shasta was green with envy. We’ve all been there—a fr...
The Friendship That Withstood Having “Nothing in Common Anymore" (Sher)
After years of friendship, Shasta and Sher found themselves in two completely different places: Sher was a stay-at-home mom, whereas Shasta didn’t have kids and was more focused on her career. Sher was married to a pastor, while Shasta was ques...
I’m the Friend Who Ghosted
A few weeks ago, Shasta interviewed three women who had been ghosted. Today, she’s shifting the focus to hear from the ghosters. Why did they ghost their friends, rather than taking a different approach? Do they regret it? And was there anythin...
The Friendship that Navigated a Falling-Out with a Mutual Friend (Kat)
After going through a friendship breakup, Shasta faced a dilemma: how would she navigate this with their mutual friends, and how much was she going to pull them into the drama? In this episode, she sits down with her friend Kat, who still maint...
The Friendship Where I Couldn't Live Up to Her Expectations (Daneen)
Have you ever felt like you were always disappointing a friend or that you couldn't satisfy them? Or maybe you’re on the other side, feeling like your friends aren’t putting in the same level of effort as you? This was the problem Shasta and Da...
The Friendship That Struggles with Busyness and Neglect (Karen)
In today’s episode, Shasta and her friend Karen confront a struggle they’re still having—it seems like Karen is always busy, even when they’re together. Karen considers why she always has a full plate, and reveals the key to getting her attenti...
I’m the Friend Who Was Ghosted
So you got dumped by a friend—no warning, no explanation, not even a text back. What happened? Nearly 80% of us have been ghosted at some point, and while it’s more commonplace in the dating world, it can happen with friends too. In this episod...
The Friendship Wearied by Low Self-Esteem and Fear of Rejection (J’Leen)
After a girls’ weekend, Shasta returned home feeling drained—her friend J’Leen seemed to often take things personally and question how accepted she was in the group. Again, they’d spent much of their time together reassuring her to no avail. To...
What We Can Do When Our Friendships Don’t Feel Healthy
In today’s episode, Shasta reflects on what we can learn from our physical health to develop better social health, and how we can heal from heartbreak and disappointment to create more meaningful friendships. Conflict in a relationship can be u...
The Friendship That Weathered My Personal Life Crisis (Kim)
Shasta and Kim were colleagues and couple friends . . . then Shasta called her crying out of the blue. She’d had an affair, a divorce, and had been fired from her job. But while other friends and colleagues pulled away, judged, and disappeared,...
The Friendship That Survived Hurt Feelings (Valerie)
Shasta sits down with her friend Valerie to discuss the time a hurtful conversation drove a wedge between them. They spill their regrets and what they wish they could tell their past selves. They reveal how they not only rekindled their friends...
The Healthy Friendship: The 3 Requirements of Frientimacy
Friendships can get a little messy, but at the other end of the muck are often more supportive and meaningful relationships. Join Shasta for the debut episode of Frientimacy, as she reveals the 3 requirements for all healthy relationsh...
Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships - A First Look
Welcome to “Frientimacy: Finding Our Way to More Fulfilling Friendships” —the show that reminds us through shared stories and research-backed teaching that friendships, while they may not always be easy, that doesn’t mean they aren’t wor...