Boys and men are not given permission to express being hurt.

You can express being mad, but when they feel hurt, then it's the silence because I don't want to appear weak.

I don't want to appear needy.

Girls get their feelings hurt, not guys.

But instead of expressing it, I can go drink it away.

I can go play my game.

I can go run and find another woman who I think is even more beautiful. And then I'm not hurt because like, look who I got now. For us to give permission and space and to not ridicule both women and men who express their hurt feelings. We've been taught that love is sacrificed, that being easygoing is admirable, right?

We love you for that.

And that relationships take work.

But nobody told us what kind?

So we bend, we perform, we silence.

But what if the healthiest love is one where neither person has to disappear?

And this happens a lot. In this episode, we're going deep into

what it means to be fully seen without losing yourself. We explore emotional unavailability,

gender dynamics, cheating, shutdown patterns, and the deep guilt that lives in those

lopsided relationships. This conversation is not about blame. It's all about

truth. Joining me on this episode is Dr. Thema Bryant. She's a clinical psychologist, ordained

minister, and president of the American Psychological Association. She's a professor at Pepperdine,

where she leads a culture and trauma research lab, and her work bridges, psychology, spirituality,

and social

justice with a depth that's so rare. Dr. Thema Bryant brings decades of experience in helping people

reclaim themselves after trauma, especially in relationships. And what she shares in this conversation

...