This Complex Life
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This Complex Life
Got questions about parenting, teenagers, or relationships? Ever wonder why your teen won’t talk to you, or why your relationship feels like hard work lately? Hi, I’m Marie Vakakis—a therapist, mental health educator, and someone who’s been behind the scenes with countless families and couples navig...
Neueste Episoden
87 Episoden
The psychology of rejection and what to do about it
Rejection stings, whether it’s a friend pulling away, not getting the job, being ghosted, or a partner feeling distant. Our brains don’t like ambigui...
Help. My teens aren't interested in me. What do I do?
It can feel heartbreaking when your teenager pulls away, shows little interest in your life, or seems dismissive of family connections. This is a comm...
Healing the Unmet Needs of Our Younger Selves
Have you ever had a reaction that felt bigger than the situation? Maybe your partner forgot something small, and suddenly you felt worthless. These mo...
The Future of Friendships: Are We Getting Lonelier?
Friendships are some of the most important relationships we have, but they’re also one of the easiest to neglect. In this episode of This Complex Life...
Affairs, Trust, and the Work of Healing After Betrayal
Affairs can devastate a relationship, leaving couples questioning everything they thought they knew about each other. In this episode of This Complex...
What Bad Therapy Taught Me About Good Therapy
Therapy is often described as a safe and healing space, but that’s not always the reality. In this episode of This Complex Life, I sit down with Carri...
Suicide, Grief and Connection: An R U OK? Day Conversation
When suicide is mentioned, the room often goes quiet. The heaviness of the topic shows how much fear and stigma surround it, but also how important it...
What Therapists Get Wrong (and How We Can Do Better)
Lessons learned from Very Bad Therapy. The Very Bad Therapy podcast has changed the way I think about therapy and the stories we do and do not tell. T...
The 4 Habits that Predict Relationship Trouble
Have you ever had a fight with your partner that started over something small but somehow turned into a huge blow up? It’s rarely about the dishes, th...
Why Do We Keep Drifting Apart in Our Relationship
It doesn’t usually happen with one big fight. Most couples who find themselves feeling distant say it crept up slowly. Busy schedules, kids, work, dis...
Cassandra Syndrome
Have you ever tried to explain what’s wrong in your relationship, only to be told you’re overreacting, imagining it, or making it up?
In this ep...
When Dream Jobs Fade, Men Redefine Masculinity, and Lived Experience Leads Suicide Prevention
What if your dream job stopped feeling like a dream? What if suicide prevention strategies missed the voices of those who know it best? And what if mo...
Is Falling in Love with an AI Companion Considered Cheating?
What emotional relationships with chatbots reveal about loneliness, safety, and the fear of real intimacy
Someone recently said their AI compani...
AI Affairs, Clinic Closures, and the Mental Health Cost of Early Smartphones
AI affairs, vanishing therapy clinics, and phones before age 13
Cheating with a chatbot. Therapy clinics shutting almost overnight. And new rese...
Why Are We So Fascinated by Other People’s Affairs?
Affairs grab our attention. Whether it’s someone in the news or a friend of a friend, we tune in, pass judgement, or quietly reflect on our own relati...
The Weekly Wrap Men, Tech, and Trust
When a breakup becomes life-threatening, why the Coldplay affair is stirring up fears about trust and betrayal, and what teens are really saying about...
Is this a red flag or just discomfort?
Not every uncomfortable feeling in a relationship is a warning sign. Sometimes it’s about growth, not danger.
In this episode of This Complex Li...
10 Relationship Red Flags You Should Never Ignore
Not all red flags are loud or obvious. Some show up in small, repeated moments that leave you feeling uneasy.
In this episode of This Complex Li...
Why Love Isn’t Enough When Trust Is Missing
Love matters, but without trust, relationships can’t feel safe.
In this episode of This Complex Life, I will share what happens when couples lov...
When Your Teen Struggles to Make Friends. What Parents Can Do That Actually Helps
It’s hard to watch your child struggle to make friends. You might feel stuck between wanting to help and not wanting to push too hard.
In this e...
Why We Avoid Talking About Sex (And How to Start)
Why We Avoid Talking About S3x (And How to Start)
Conversations about sex often feel awkward, avoidant or emotionally loaded. I talk about what’...
Navigating Therapy as a BIPOC Client: Stigma, Support & Healing with Tham Fuyana
What if your therapist just gets it and you don’t have to explain everything from scratch?
That’s what this episode is all about. I sat down wit...
Why You Don’t Feel Good Enough (Even When You’re Doing Everything Right)
Do you ever feel like you're just not good enough, even when you're doing all the right things? In this conversation with psychologist Belinda Gibson,...
Do you worry? with Dr Lillian Nejad.
Do you overthink everything? Lie awake, running through worst-case scenarios?
Worry can be exhausting. It often shows up as planning, perfection...
Are We Failing Young People?
What happens when society changes faster than young people can adapt?
I’m joined by psychologist Jamie Maserow to explore the hidden impacts of...
Discernment Counselling
What if one partner wants to work on the relationship and the other isn’t sure they want to stay?
In this episode, I talk with therapist Anne Ca...
Not Having Enough Sex in Your Relationship?
Wondering if your relationship should involve more sex or comparing yourself to what you think is normal? You're not alone. Many couples quietly strug...
What Makes Inclusive Relationship Therapy Work
What happens when love meets change? In this episode we explore the unique challenges and strengths of queer and gender diverse relationships, especia...
6 Things Emotionally Healthy Couples Don’t Do
There’s a lot of advice about what to do to build a strong relationship. But what about the things emotionally healthy couples don’t do?
Join me...
Unspoken Expectations in Relationships Are Hurting You Here’s Why
Ever caught yourself thinking, "They should just know what I need"? Unspoken expectations are one of the biggest sources of frustration in relationshi...
Can Laughter Really Be Medicine?
In tough times, joy can feel out of reach. But sometimes, a single shared laugh has the power to lift the weight of the world—even in a hospital room,...
Feeling More Like Housemates Than Partners? How to Rebuild Friendship in Your Relationship
Ever feel like you and your partner are just co-existing rather than truly connecting? Maybe your conversations revolve around schedules, bills, and l...
How Couples Therapy Can Improve Mental Health with Trish Purnell-Webb
Couples therapy isn’t just about fixing relationship problems—it can also play a huge role in improving mental health. Many people think of therapy as...
Big Fights Over Small Things?
Ever had a small disagreement spiral into a huge argument? Maybe it started with an eye-roll, a forgotten text, or a messy kitchen bench. Suddenly, it...
Why Waiting Too Long for Couples Therapy Can Make Things Worse
Many couples only seek therapy when their relationship is already in serious trouble. But by the time they reach out, years of unresolved issues, buil...
It’s Not About the Fight—It’s How You Fight
Why do we keep having the same fight?
It can feel frustrating when the same arguments keep coming up. But conflict is not the problem. It is how...
How Couples Therapy Works (And When to Start)
Have you ever wondered when the right time is to try couples therapy? Or if you even need a major issue to start? Many people hesitate to seek support...
Why does grief feel so lonely?
Many people expect grief to follow a straight path, something to "move on" from after a set amount of time. The reality is far more complex. In this e...
Understanding Trauma and Its Impact with Kathryn Eberly
Why do certain situations trigger such strong emotions? Katheryn Eberly, a mental health social worker and family therapist, joins me to explore how e...
How to Align Your Life with Your Values
Have you ever wondered if your goals truly reflect what’s most important to you? In this episode, clinical psychologist Patch Callahan joins me to bre...