Best Yvette Erasmus Podcasts (2025)

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#124 - When You’re Doing All The Emotional Labor 46:05

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5h ago46:05

46:05

In this week's conversation, Vanessa brings forward the pain of a friendship that feels increasingly one-sided. Together, we explore the difference between situational limits and structural limits in relationships, how to trust the “data” we receive when others shut down, and the grief that comes with realizing we may be doing too much emotional la…

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#123 - They Took Out the Line About Me 32:18

3d ago32:18

32:18

When Nancy learned that her niece had removed a single sentence from a family speech, one that acknowledged Nancy’s marriage and presence, it triggered a wave of old pain. What may seem like a small omission unearthed decades of erasure, advocacy, and exhaustion. In this deeply moving conversation, we explore how one personal moment of being edited…

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#122 - When Correction Feels Like Criticism 43:22

10d ago43:22

43:22

What do you do when someone corrects you publicly, and their tone stings more than their words? In this episode, Tarjia brings a deeply relatable dilemma: how to respond in the moment when someone interrupts, “clarifies,” or subtly shames you, especially when it’s someone in a leadership role. Together, we explore real-time language tools, nervous …

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#121- How to love a parent who rejects your help 33:05

19d ago33:05

33:05

What do we do when the person who raised us is now emotionally volatile, resistant to help, and unintentionally casting us as the villain when we try to care for them? In this heartfelt conversation, Diana brings forward the tender, painful challenge of loving her aging mother, who struggles with emotional regulation, trauma, and shame, and the dee…

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#120 - It’s Not About the Chocolate: How to Stay Whole When You Feel Talked Down To 47:35

25d ago47:35

47:35

In this episode, Sarah brings a heartfelt and tender question: How do I talk to a friend who shifts from playful connection to subtle moralizing which often causes me to feel infantilized and shut down? What follows is a rich, layered exploration of how covert control and unconscious superiority can sneak into even our most well-meaning relationshi…

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#119 - How to Talk to Your Emotionally Unsafe Parent 35:15

1M ago35:15

35:15

What do you do when every conversation with a parent leaves you feeling erased, criticized, or shut down, but walking away feels like betrayal? In this raw and tender coaching session, we meet Suzanne, who’s struggling to navigate contact with her mother: a woman who routinely gaslights her, shuts down difficult topics, and prioritizes her own emot…

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#118 - How to Talk About Your Partner’s Driving (Without Starting a Fight) 31:07

1M ago31:07

31:07

In this intimate coaching conversation, Colleen brings a familiar dilemma: her husband drives too fast for her nervous system to handle. She doesn’t want to control him, but she does want to feel safe. Together, we unpack how to name her limits without moralizing, how to invite collaboration instead of compliance, and how to speak from care rather …

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#117 - How to Cope When Your Partner Isn’t Emotionally Supportive 36:18

2M ago36:18

36:18

In this heartfelt and courageous coaching conversation, Prerana brings forward a question so many of us have quietly carried: How much need is too much in a relationship? And what do we do when our emotional needs are met with kind words but little follow-through? Together, we unpack the gap between good intentions and sustainable intimacy, the hea…

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#116 - How to Vet Your Future Son-in-Law (Without Scaring Him Off) 29:25

2M ago29:25

29:25

In this heartfelt coaching call, Nina wrestles with two layered questions: 1.How can I have an honest, meaningful conversation with the boy my daughter is dating, without overwhelming or intimidating him? 2.How do I stay emotionally attuned and supportive to my older daughter who might feel left behind when her younger sister gets engaged first? To…

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#115 - How to Set Boundaries with Judgmental People 33:56

2M ago33:56

33:56

When someone you live with, or love, keeps judging you, how do you protect your peace without shutting down or blowing up? In this raw and relatable episode, Heather brings a question many of us have quietly carried: How do I set clear boundaries with someone who keeps making subtle (or not-so-subtle) digs at my character? We unpack what it means t…

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#114 - How to Say No Without Guilt 37:39

2M ago37:39

37:39

When someone you care about is in crisis, how do you say “no” without guilt? In this episode, Julia brings a powerful, relatable question: how do I set a kind but clear boundary with a friend who wants to move into my space indefinitely? What unfolds is a rich conversation about friendship, emotional safety, and the difference between care and over…

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#113 - How to Cope When Your Partner Isn’t Emotionally Supportive 27:51

2M ago27:51

27:51

What do you do when you’re bursting with excitement, vulnerability, or a creative new idea, only to be met with silence, critique, or defensiveness from the person you love? In this heartfelt conversation, Liza brings forward the quiet grief of being in a relationship that lacks emotional accompaniment. Together, we explore the lived experience of …

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#112 - Is it a Question or a Trap? 40:22

3M ago40:22

40:22

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a question that didn’t feel like a genuine invitation but more like a setup? In this week’s episode, we explore the subtle difference between open-hearted curiosity and covert control in our conversations. First, we hear from Tarjia, who’s navigating interactions that leave her feeling dismissed, startled,…

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#111 - What Does it Really Mean To Meet Our Own Needs? 22:58

3M ago22:58

22:58

In this touching and insightful conversation, Patrice returns to share an update on her ongoing journey of self-trust, relational clarity, and emotional healing. After creating space from a previous relationship that couldn’t meet her needs, she reflects on patterns of seeking connection in unavailable places, and the surprising grief that can aris…

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#110 - When Your Adult Child Pulls Away (and You’re Left in the Dark) 39:12

3M ago39:12

39:12

What do you do when you’ve poured your heart into being a better parent, and your adult child still keeps you at arm’s length? In today’s heartfelt (and heart-heavy) coaching conversation, we sit with Josie: a mother navigating the complex grief of feeling used, dismissed, and emotionally exiled by her daughter. Despite years of inner work and a de…

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#109 - Should I Become a Psychologist? A Raw Conversation About Healing, Power, and the Path We Choose. 39:52

3M ago39:52

39:52

When the world of healing turns out to be more political than personal, more performative than compassionate, what do you do? In this episode, we explore a powerful, vulnerable question from Katie, a listener discerning whether to pursue psychology as a profession. What unfolds is part mentorship, part memoir, and a whole lot of honest reflection o…

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#108 - What Do You Do When You're Ready for Kids - And Your Partner Isn't? 29:39

4M ago29:39

29:39

What do you do when you’re ready for kids… and your partner isn’t? In this deeply honest episode, we explore one of the most tender crossroads in long-term partnership: what happens when your longing to become a parent collides with your partner’s hesitation, fear, or quiet refusal? You’ll hear from a caller who is wrestling with the heartbreak of …

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#107 - How to Change Systems Without Shaming People 41:49

4M ago41:49

41:49

What do you do when something important is broken—but the people behind it are doing their best? In this episode, Jen is preparing to talk to a reporter about a youth program she deeply supports—and is deeply frustrated with. She wants change. She wants honesty. But she doesn’t want to shame or vilify the people running the program. Together, we ex…

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#106 - Six Principles for Peaceful Living: A Relational Framework for Inner and Outer Change 43:32

4M ago43:32

43:32

What does it actually look like to live in peace without bypassing truth, collapsing boundaries, or avoiding complexity? In this episode, I share six powerful principles for peaceful living, not as moral prescriptions, but as relational practices rooted in the universal human needs that live inside all of us. You’ll learn how to stay grounded in lo…

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#105 - Break the Spell: Reclaiming Power After Narcissistic Fallout 51:08

4M ago51:08

51:08

Why do some people leave you feeling small, confused, or ashamed, even though they smile, laugh, and seem perfectly nice? In this powerful coaching conversation, Jaya explores what happens when charm and condescension hide behind friendly facades. Together, we name the impact of what I call narcissistic fallout: the lingering disorientation that su…

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#104 - How Can I Get My Therapist to Understand Me? 30:09

5M ago30:09

30:09

In this episode, I coach a listener named Julia who feels dismissed after bringing up a difficult experience in therapy. Her therapist tried to normalize it by offering logic instead of empathy and now Julia’s wondering how to bring it up without creating conflict or being misunderstood again. Together, we explore: •How to ask for more empathy in t…

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#103 - They Say You Lied. They Call You a Narcissist. Now What? 59:02

5M ago59:02

59:02

What do you do when someone you care about paints you as the villain? Maybe you spoke your truth, and they called it manipulation. Maybe you set a boundary, and they called it narcissism. Maybe you asked for something you needed, and they said you lied. In this raw, real, and emotionally honest episode, Yvette walks two callers through the heartbre…

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#102 - Happy, Even When You're Unhappy 1:08:55

5M ago1:08:55

1:08:55

What if joy isn’t the absence of discomfort, but something we can feel even in the thick of it? In this episode of Conversations from the Heart, I speak with three brave callers, each grappling with the tension between what they feel and how they long to show up. From emotional resentment in a professional friendship, to the struggle to be kind and…

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#101 - Road Rage & Spiritual Dojos: What Your Commute Is Teaching You 1:09:43

5M ago1:09:43

1:09:43

In this episode, we listen as Nate opens with a deeply human inquiry: What can I do to feel more regulated, more considerate, and less internally violent while driving? What unfolds is a rich exploration of road rage, internalized judgment, overstimulation, and the longing for care in a world that often feels aggressively indifferent. The conversat…

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#100 - Will the Real Me Please Step Forward? 1:04:04

6M ago1:04:04

1:04:04

What happens when your inner life feels like a committee meeting: chaotic, conflicting, and deeply personal? In this episode, we hold space for four courageous voices navigating the messy middle between self-betrayal and self-expression. From the tension between ambition and peace, to the heartbreak of being shut down in community, to living with a…

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#99 - Turning Guilt into Growth 1:03:59

6M ago1:03:59

1:03:59

Ever feel like your regret is selfish? Or worry that setting a boundary will ruin the friendship? In this episode, you’ll hear from Judy who wants to write a condolence letter, but struggles when her grief spirals into self-blame. Then we turn to Georgia, who just can’t take one more last-minute cancellation from a friend, but also doesn’t want to …

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#98 - How To Stop Overfunctioning In Relationships - And Start Listening for Fit 1:03:31

6M ago1:03:31

1:03:31

What if the reason your relationships feel hard isn’t because there’s something wrong with you, but rather because you’re waking up and getting more conscious? In this tender, truth-filled episode, we meet Carol and Paulina, two women navigating the messy terrain of rebuilding self-trust after giving too much of themselves away in past relationship…

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#97 - Bad Girl Energy: How To Play by New Rules 1:03:16

6M ago1:03:16

1:03:16

What do you do when someone you love keeps using emotional blunt force instead of listening? When the men in your life still believe criticism is caring, or that dominance equals dialogue? In this week’s episode, we sit with two brave women learning how to communicate with men who are still playing by old, outdated rules where vulnerability is weak…

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#96 - Ghosted Your Best Friend? Here’s What to Say Now. 1:04:16

7M ago1:04:16

1:04:16

You pulled away. They’re still mad. Now what? In this raw and deeply human episode, we unpack exactly what to say—and how to stay grounded—when you’re ready to reconnect after silence, space, or rupture. Whether you were isolated by trauma or just needed room to breathe, this episode offers repair scripts, emotional insights, and the one mindset sh…

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#95 - Stay in Your Lane: What’s Yours to Carry, And What Isn’t? 1:03:34

7M ago1:03:34

1:03:34

Ever find yourself carrying someone else’s emotional backpack… and wondering why your shoulders hurt? Today we unpack four real-life questions about emotional boundaries, relational burnout, and the art of letting go of what was never yours to hold. You’ll hear raw, relatable stories, from being exiled from a beloved community group, to walking awa…

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Living Love as Daily Resistance: The Soft Revolution Starts With You 21:28

7M ago21:28

21:28

For ongoing practice and deeper learning, join my monthly membership program. You will find a safe space for live discussions and a supportive community of like-minded, open-hearted humans. Stay updated on new episodes and resources by subscribing wherever you listen to podcasts or visiting yvetteerasmus.com. Here are more ways to connect with me: …

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#94 - How to Love Someone Without Letting Them Off the Hook 32:36

7M ago32:36

32:36

This tender and deeply resonant episode follows a heartfelt question from listener Cathy: Do I keep talking to my brother, even after all the harm he’s caused? What unfolds is an intimate exploration of how to stay rooted in our own integrity when we’re torn between love and protection, compassion and accountability, connection and boundaries. We d…

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#93 - Too much, Too loud, Too Honest? Try Soft Power. 43:32

7M ago43:32

43:32

What if your fiercest judgments were just misplaced devotion? In this raw and revealing episode, we unpack those charged moments when your love for truth and justice gets mistaken for criticism or control. When your “I just want to help” lands more like “You’re doing it wrong.” And when your longing to belong collides with your need to speak up. Tw…

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#92 - Boundaries, Burials, and Brothers Who Overshare 54:41

7M ago54:41

54:41

Ever felt torn between staying true to yourself and keeping the peace in your relationships? In this episode, we walk with three courageous guests as they navigate the messy middle of relational repair, where heartbreak, hope, and healing often collide. Throughout the episode, I offer grounded coaching and relational insight, modeling how to make p…

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#91 - My Inner Critic Got Loud, and Then I Found My Voice 49:31

8M ago49:31

49:31

Ever spiraled into shame because of one tiny mistake? Or replayed a text convo with a ghoster, trying to decode what you did wrong? You’re not alone, and you’re not broken. In this vulnerable and uplifting episode, Tiffany and Patrice bring raw questions to the table, and I offer some insights into how we talk to ourselves when we feel abandoned, r…

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#90 - Cats, Dogs, and Emotional Needs: How Not to Chase Love 1:00:44

8M ago1:00:44

1:00:44

In this epsiode, we speak with Cathy and Paul. Cathy is untangling her intentions around gift giving and her desire to be closer to her daughter. Paul is working to understand an intense emotional reaction after he had a difficult conversation with his partner. We discuss: 3:10 Opening thoughts on the current political climate 10:26 How do I discer…

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#89 - Dear Nervous System, We're Safe Now. 58:25

8M ago58:25

58:25

How do we stay connected to ourselves - and to others - when our nervous systems are screaming, our inner critics are loud, and old family patterns are tugging us backward? In this episode, we examine: 2:03 I'm struggling in my relationship with my sister. Why does my body still react to conflict even when my mind knows I'm safe now? 7:19 A new, em…

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#88 - When Words Fail, Start Here 56:59

8M ago56:59

56:59

What if every awkward silence, every emotional hijack, every misstep can be used as stepping-stone to circle back to a conversation? To reconnect. To build trust, not erode it. What if "failed" moments aren't actually failures at all, but are simply part of a natural, generative learning process? Today, we examine moments that feel like failures at…

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#87 - Feeling "Undermined"? How to Reclaim Your Power. 39:53

9M ago39:53

39:53

In this episode, Jaya brings forward a challenge that many of us can relate to - leaving conversations feeling undermined or devalued. She struggles with how to maintain her power and self-worth when people dismiss, invalidate, or fail to recognize her contributions. Her core questions include: How do I keep my power when dealing with people who un…

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#86 - How Deep Presence Leads to Self-Discovery 27:43

9M ago27:43

27:43

What happens when we truly listen? Not just to respond, but to create space for deeper self-awareness? This rich and layered conversation with Patrice shows how connection-based, collaborative listening results I moving beyond her initial questions into a profound self-discovery process. By gently reflecting, naming patterns, and holding space, we …

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#85 - Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria: How to Stop the Spiral and Reclaim Your Power 34:59

9M ago34:59

34:59

Have you ever texted a friend, waited for a reply, and felt like your entire world was crumbling when they didn't respond right away? Do you find yourself deeply affected by neutral comments or minor critiques? If so, you might be experiencing Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) - a powerful emotional response that can feel like overwhelming pain…

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#84 - Responding With Love When Kids Act Up 35:05

9M ago35:05

35:05

When kids act out - whether it’s stealing, shutting down, pushing boundaries, or having emotional outbursts - how can we respond in ways that guide them toward growth rather than shame? Today, we explore two powerful real-life situations: A young10-year old boy who stole money from his mentor: What was driving his behavior, and how could adults res…

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#83 - Making Peace with Being the Villain in Someone Else's Story 53:21

10M ago53:21

53:21

Have you ever been cast as the "villain" in someone else's story? Perhaps you're seen as the one who got it wrong, didn't do enough, or failed to meet expectations? Today, we explore what it means to hold our ground in relationships without getting defensive, to listen without justifying, and to accept that sometimes, people need to see us as the p…

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#82 - When Relationships Disappoint Us 51:15

10M ago51:15

51:15

In this week's episode, both questions focus on the theme of disappointment, and how to work with people and relationships that leave us wanting. We discuss: 1:03 Opening comments 7:01 I just found out my friend got married and I wasn't invited 16:28 Avoidant vs. anxious attachment styles 22:18 Role play: What would you say if you could? 32:14 I wa…

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#81 - Unlearning the Things That No Longer Serve Us 54:14

10M ago54:14

54:14

From the moment we enter the world, we begin learning. We absorb the rules of our families, communities, and larger societies. Some of these lessons serve us well, fostering connection, growth, and resilience. But others come from systems designed to control and dominate, systems that teach us to trade our authenticity for approval, our agency for …

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#80 - Reclaiming Your Voice: Strategies for Navigating One-sided Conversations 52:50

10M ago52:50

52:50

This episode is devoted to those of us who feel frustrated when we're interrupted, or when a conversation we're having is diverted in a way that doesn't feel generative and connecting. Listen in for the three strategies we can use and the three goals we can shoot for in order to create a new conversation. We discuss: 3:10 I was having a heartfelt c…

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#79 - Messy Conversations, Deeper Connections 36:29

11M ago36:29

36:29

Today, Colleen shares her experience of balancing emotional authenticity with others' expectations, while CJ explores the challenges of offering meaningful apologies and overcoming guilt and shame. This episode is for you if you've ever wondered: How do you stay connected when emotions run high? What’s the secret to offering an authentic apology wi…

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#78 - Boundaries vs. Abandonment: How to Prioritize Yourself Without Guilt 41:18

11M ago41:18

41:18

This week I talk to Steve, who is trying to balance his care for a friendship that has become emotionally draining, with his care for himself, and we explore questions many of us grapple with: How do we distinguish between setting boundaries and abandoning someone we care about? How do we honor our own well-being while remaining compassionate towar…

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#77 - The Power of a Moment: Small Acts of Care in a Complex World 39:59

11M ago39:59

39:59

What if the smallest moments of care could transform a relationship or change a life? In this episode, we uncover the surprising power of empathy and connection through two compelling stories. Discover how to meet people where they are, foster deep understanding, and create conversations that truly matter. We discuss: 2:01 How can I help shift some…

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#76 - How to Melt Defensiveness 41:42

11M ago41:42

41:42

In this episode, we tackle one of the most challenging aspects of communication: defensiveness. Whether it’s a friend who dismisses others, a family member who reacts sharply, or a coworker who resists feedback, defensiveness often creates distance in relationships. But what if we could work with defensiveness instead of resisting or judging it? Dr…