Couples & Connections

To establish and maintain a strong bond, Dr. Cynthia Post, licensed clinical psychologist, explains the importance of the couple connection. Creating and nurturing that bond daily helps couples stay connected. When life gets challenging, couples can draw on that bond for strength. Cindy explains what that couple connection looks like and how to prioritize it through stressful days, health challeng...

When we’ve had fractured relationships where someone has gone ‘no contact’ and cut off communication, it’s not impossible to repair the relationship. In this episode, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Cynthia Post discusses how to keep the lines of communication open if a loved one has refused to engage with you. When the person expresses a willingness to reconnect, Cindy discusses how to navigat...

When large families that include multiple generations, in-laws, and new significant others get together, it can be both challenging and fun. In this episode, Dr. Cynthia Post, licensed clinical psychologist, suggests what to consider when preparing for these gatherings. She offers guidance for how to include elderly family members and new arrivals, respect different personality types, and handle c...

Some people confuse shyness with introversion, but they’re not the same thing. In this episode, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Cynthia Post explains the difference. While introverts recharge by being alone, shy people may wish they were more comfortable in large groups and around people they don’t know. Dr. Post offers insights to help all of us be more aware and less judgmental when interacti...

In this episode, Dr. Cynthia Post, licensed clinical psychologist, explores the growing trend in families for people to cut off all contact with a relative. She discusses when it makes sense to take a pause or break from someone and when a complete break may be warranted. And if you’re the person who has been cut off, Cindy suggests ways to keep the door open for the potential for reconciliation l...

In this episode, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Cynthia Post discusses in-law relationships – how to manage expectations, understand cultural and familial differences, and how to cope when boundaries are crossed.   

In this episode, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Cynthia Post discusses when and how to introduce your significant other to your children and when and how to introduce your significant other’s children to your children. She addresses how to preserve your relationship with your children and how to set realistic expectations for a blended family when the time comes. 

Your siblings know how to push your buttons because they installed them. Does that ring true to you? If so, there’s a reason for that. In this episode on siblings, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Cynthia Post explores what makes the sibling relationship unique. Cindy unpacks how birth order, environment, and family dynamics impact sibling relationships. Whether you’re best friends with your sib...

What do you need to know before you start dating? And once you do, what are the red and green flags to look for in a potential partner? In this second part of the dating episode, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Cynthia Post answers those questions and explores how to navigate the difference between deal-breakers and compromises. 

This is the first in a series of podcasts on dating. We’re starting with some foundational questions about dating, determining whether you’re ready for dating, and discerning what you’re looking for through dating. 

In this episode, Dr. Cynthia Post talks about what it means to be connected to others, including how individuals’ needs for connectedness differ. She explains the difference between loneliness and feeling disconnected. She addresses how to build and maintain meaningful connections, even when our lives are very busy. 

In this episode, we explore how people can navigate health challenges when they arise. We discuss how to be supportive when your partner is struggling, how to discuss health challenges with your partner, and how to take care of your own mental and physical health while supporting a partner who is struggling with their health.

In this third in a series, we discuss the specifics of engagement between parents, children and their children’s children and how that has changed. Some is much the same, such as each generation of parents thinks they’re going to do a better job. We discuss how grandparents can  be supportive without interfering, how to be a trusted resource without giving up their own lives. 

In this second episode in a series on grandparenting, we talk more specifically about managing the logistics of the grandparent, parent, grandchild relationship. Last time, we talked about the changing role of grandparents, how grandparents used to be figureheads, just there for holidays. Now they’re more involved and engaged. In this episode, we explore the logistics of managing that relationship...

In this first in a three-part series on grandparenting, we talk about how the role of grandparents has changed in modern families. Today’s grandparents are generally more involved in the lives of their grandchildren, often providing free childcare. We talk about how to communicate often and openly to avoid misunderstandings. We also talk about the grandparents’ roles as the supporting cast and tha...

In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Cynthia Post addresses how to begin a difficult conversation with a partner, family member, or friend, giving examples of what to say to broach the subject and what to do when tension rises. She describes how to open a dialogue and how to avoid putting the person on the defensive so the exchange can be productive.   For more information: www.cynthiapostph...

In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Cynthia Post addresses America's loneliness epidemic and what anyone can do to build connections, even people struggling with depression. She provides concrete steps to develop deeper personal connections as well as tips for reaching out to people in your life who might be lonely, especially older adults. 

Whether you're in a relationship or single, clinical psychologist Dr. Cynthia Post provides insights into how to make the most of or get through Valentine's Day. Whether you mark the day or decide not to, it can be fraught. She offers tips for avoiding personal disappointment, whether you are single or part of a couple.  She will offer tips to couples on approaching the day so you and yo...

A recurring theme of this podcast is that professional mental health advice can often be helpful. This episode is a conversation about finding a therapist. Specific questions … How do you know you might need professional help? What types of therapists are there? What qualities or backgrounds should you look for in a therapist? How do you find the right therapist? Info: www.cynthiapostphd.com  

This is part three of a conversation about what it takes to be a couple. Some specifics: Challenges, how to handle extended family relationships, parenting, friends, finances, spending time and sexuality. Info: www.cynthiapostphd.com

This episode digs deeper into the previous conversation about what it takes to be a couple. Some specifics: what to consider to make a partnership work, long term partnerships, conflict resolution, and daily connectedness. Info: www.cynthiapostphd.com  

This episode explores the question of what it takes to be a couple, from the perspective of individuals as well as those who are part of a couple already. Specific issues include how to know if your partnership is healthy, factors that lead couples to be able to stay together for a lifetime, what to consider when picking a partner, questions to ask each other when meeting someone new and how to bu...

This episode defines Empty Nesting and explores specific aspects including immediate things an empty nesting couple is faced with, how to address empty nesting issues for couples, single parents and children, and how to plan for empty nesting.  More info: www.cynthiapostphd.com

This episode explores the definition of a meaningful life and offers specific steps to help create such a life. In addition, Dr. Post talks about the connection between celebrations like New Years, birthdays and anniversaries and creating a meaningful life, as well as resolving potential conflict if each person in a couple has a different definition of a meaningful life. More information:  www.cyn...

This episode explores parental relationships with their adult children, including a look at what is appropriate, healthy and normal in a relationship between adult children and their parents, how should parents respond to their adult children, how often to talk, how much to share and how to determine the amount of parenting advice to give to adult children who are now parents?  More information at...