The Paula Faris Show

Youth sports are out of control. And the worst part? We might be part of the problem. Spoiler alert: I know I am. I’m the mom with a packed sports calendar, a trunk full of Chick-fil-A, and a competitive streak that sometimes gets the best of me. Guilty as charged. I’m also a coach's wife, so this topic hits close to home.  We’re closing out Momfessions, our month-long series where we’ve said the...

We’re back with a Momfessions confession that might hit close to home: are we accidentally raising sons who expect too much from women?  I’m joined by my teammate at CARRY Media, Kristen White, a mom of three boys, for a candid conversation about the messages our sons absorb about work, caregiving, and what they should expect from a future partner. Oof. We’re going there. Between the two of us, we...

I’ve always said: boys are a heart attack and girls are a heartache. And if you’ve ever rushed a son to the ER or helped your daughter navigate friendship drama, you probably know exactly what I mean We’re back with Momfessions–our month-long series, talking about how we really feel about some of parenting's biggest, hottest topics. And I’m joined by my teammate at CARRY Media, Kristen White, a mo...

We’re back with Momfessions–—our month-long series, talking about how we really feel about some of parenting's biggest, hottest topics. And I’m joined by my teammate at CARRY Media, Kristen White, a mom to three boys.  This week: Why Summer Isn't a Break. We spend all year dreaming about summer, but when it finally arrives, many of us are juggling childcare, camps, schedules, work, guilt, and the...

All month long, Kristen White and I are sharing our Momfessions – how we really feel about some of parenting’s biggest, messiest, most talked-about topics. Kristen is my teammate at CARRY Media and a boy mom to three boys, so trust me: we have thoughts. First up: Maycember. You know…the month we just survived. But barely.  It’s the month that feels like December-level chaos but delivers exactly no...

I knew this would be emotional.  I just didn’t realize it would be this hard. In the final episode of my I Wish Someone Had Told Me series, I’m sitting down with Niro Feliciano—a mom of four who’s already been through this—to talk about my daughter’s graduation…and honestly, I’m a hot mess. People can try to explain what the moment is like, but until you’re in it, it’s hard to fully comprehend. So...

There was a season not long ago when I didn’t feel like myself at all. Overwhelmed. Emotional. In a really dark place. No one really prepares you for this part. Perimenopause isn’t just hot flashes and mood swings; it can quietly impact your mental health in ways you don’t expect. Even though I could point to many of the reasons… I wasn’t at all prepared for how deeply it would affect me. In this...

We tell our kids to get off their phones…But, um, if we’re honest, we’re often the worst offenders. 🤭 So how do we actually build healthy, sustainable phone habits that work in real life? In part two of my I Wish Someone Had Told Me series, I’m back with psychotherapist Niro Feliciano, and we’re not just naming the problem—we’re talking about how to fix it. We talk about: Why adults actually have...

There’s a shift happening. For the first time, we’re seeing legal accountability for social media companies, growing cultural pushback on screen time, and even the return of something we thought was gone for good—the landline!  All of it pointing to one question: what are phones actually doing to our kids? We gave them for all the right reasons: safety, connection, convenience. But we know more no...

Let’s answer the questions everyone asks about the Enneagram: Can your type change? Why do your results keep changing? What if you relate to more than one type? We’re wrapping up our month-long series with Enneagram expert and author Ian Morgan Cron by getting clear on what actually matters about the Enneagram. This isn’t about traits. It’s about motivation: why you do what you do. We get into mis...

You’re not fighting about what you think you’re fighting about. We’re continuing our month-long Enneagram series with Ian Morgan Cron, and this one hits close to home. When it comes to Enneagram types, there are no bad pairings, but there are patterns that quietly wear relationships down. What if the tension in your marriage isn’t personal? What if it’s predictable? Using the Enneagram as a parent...

We’re continuing our month-long Enneagram series with Ian Morgan Cron and getting into what most people miss. What does “healthy” actually look like? And what does it look like when you’re off, and everyone else can see it before you do? Every type has a pattern, a tell, a default that feels right…until it starts working against you. Underneath each of those patterns is the same lie: When I finall...

We’re kicking off a month-long series on the Enneagram, and we’re starting with the basics. I’ll be honest: I was skeptical at first. But after seeing how it’s transformed my own self-awareness and relationships, I’m convinced it’s one of the most powerful personality tools out there. I’m sitting down with author and Enneagram expert Ian Morgan Cron to break it all down. This isn’t just another pe...

The endless tasks at home aren’t small—they’re the hidden strain on most relationships, quietly building stress, frustration, and resentment.  It’s no secret that women often shoulder the majority of invisible work, from meal planning to school schedules to household upkeep, while trying to juggle careers and parenting. In honor of Women’s History Month, I’m talking about things that matter to wom...

Being equal partners isn’t just a nice idea—it’s how marriage and family actually work. John and I share what it took to get here: putting careers, expectations, and traditional roles on the table, figuring out who owns what at home, and finally treating each other like true teammates. In honor of Women’s History Month, we talk about what equal partnership really looks like, why it matters for wom...

Life has a way of catching up with you. I’ve lost both of my parents. And last year, after the loss of my mom, I found myself in a really dark place. I was still showing up for life—but underneath it all, something wasn’t right. John (my husband) was the one who finally said it: it might be time to talk to someone. So I did. In this conversation, John and I  talk about why I went to therapy, the s...

GLP-1s—Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound—are everywhere right now. And so is the debate. Some people call it a breakthrough. Others say it’s cheating. So let’s talk about it. In this episode, I’m sharing my personal experience taking a GLP-1 as a 50-year-old woman navigating perimenopause, inflammation, and a body that suddenly stopped responding to all the things that used to work. My CARRY Media colleag...

Welcome to "The Paula Faris Show", where life happens, so let’s talk about it! Join Emmy-award-winning journalist Paula Faris as she brings you candid conversations to help you live your best life. From personal journeys to societal issues, Paula talks to guests from all walks of life. Tune in to explore the unfiltered truths, inspiring moments, and thought-provoking discussions that make us human...

This conversation hit me hard — because of the loneliness so many women quietly carry? It’s real. And you are not alone. The month of March is Women’s History Month, and we’re talking about what truly matters to women. Friendship is at the top of that list. In this conversation with author Jennie Allen, we unpack why so many of us have plenty of acquaintances but still feel deeply disconnected. Th...

This is the practical episode. Now it’s time to take everything we’ve learned in this series with Dr. Chapman—and actually use it. After breaking down what the love languages are (and what they aren’t), Dr. Gary Chapman joins me and John in the final conversation of our Love Languages series, to show us how to put them into practice in real life.  We’ll break down what he calls the dialects of eac...

Sex. Almost every man will say it’s their love language. But Dr. Gary Chapman—the expert behind The Five Love Languages—explains why that’s not quite right, and makes a crucial distinction between physical desire and emotional connection. John and I dig into what this really means for intimacy, unpacking the science behind male vs. female sexual needs and why understanding your partner’s love lang...

You can be doing all the “right” things—and still missing each other. In part two of our month-long series on The Five Love Languages, we dive into Dr. Chapman’s newest book, The Love Language That Matters Most—what he calls the masterclass on love languages, to explore why good intentions miss the mark.  We dig into the gap between intention and impact—and why so many relationships feel stuck des...

Thirty years after The Five Love Languages reshaped how we talk about relationships, Dr. Gary Chapman joins John and me to revisit the core question that matters most: Do the people you love actually feel loved? This episode kicks off our month-long series with Dr. Chapman—a deep dive into the love languages that becomes a master class in how we give and receive love. We unpack the five love langu...

We want to protect our kids from the awkwardness, heartbreak, and intensity of teen dating. But what if avoiding it altogether is actually doing more harm than good? In this episode, I’m joined by therapists Sissy Goff and David Thomas to make a compelling case for why healthy, age-appropriate dating is necessary—not optional—for emotional and relational development. We talk about dating as skill...

The teen mental health crisis can no longer be ignored. Anxiety, depression, attention issues, and suicidal ideation are rising—and the science is increasingly clear about the role screens are playing in reshaping our kids’ brains. As we continue to revisit our most talked-about conversations from 2025, this remains one of the most shared and downloaded. In this episode, I’m joined by Sissy Goff,...