Every so often, I get requests from my male listeners to dedicate an episode to their questions—and today is that day. I’m joined by my friend, Robert Mack, for a very special Ask Me Anything: Men’s Edition.

This is your front-row seat to an unfiltered, honest conversation about what men really want to know when it comes to love, dating, women, and relationships. Nothing was off the table. From decoding mixed signals, to handling rejection, to the mental health struggles men often keep silent about—we covered it all.

Robert brings his brilliant perspective as my first-ever male co-host, and together we tackle the questions that so many men have, but rarely get to ask out loud.

If you’ve ever wished someone would just say the quiet part out loud about dating and relationships, this episode is for you.

Whether you’re single, dating, or in a relationship, this AMA gives you actionable insights that can change the way you think about love and connection.

Xxoo Darcy

REFERENCES/RESOURCES

www.alternativescounseling.com

Why do women sometimes pull away after great sex?

Oxford research on emotional connection

Is online dating even worth it for men over 40?

Attachment patterns shape emotional responses

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs

Happiness From The Inside Out

CREDITS

“We Need To Talk With Dr. Darcy Sterling” is a Sterling Standard Production. Editing and sound engineering by Bart Migal. Our theme music is by Trending Music. Special thanks to Amanda Cristiani and Robyn Jaenchen.

DISCLAIMER

Instagram:@drdarcysterling

Facebook:Dr.Darcy Sterling

Tik Tok:@doctordarcysterling

X:@DrDarcySterling

YouTube:@DarcySterling

Threads:@drdarcysterling

Watch this episode here on YouTube.

If you’ve ever felt like therapy isn’t moving the needle—like you’re talking, reflecting, and gaining insight, but your life still looks the same—this episode is for you. Traditional talk therapy can be powerful, but sometimes insight alone isn’t enough to shift patterns that have been running your life for years.

That’s where DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) comes in. Unlike traditional therapy, DBT is structured, skills-based, and laser-focused on behavior change. My guest, Dr. Shireen Rizvi, is one of the foremost experts in the country. She trained under Marsha Linehan, the founder of DBT, and went on to establish one of the nation’s leading DBT clinics at Rutgers University. Together, we break down what DBT really is, who it helps, and why it may be exactly what you’ve been searching for when therapy feels stuck.

Here’s What You’ll Learn:

• Why talking about your issues isn’t always enough to create lasting change.

• The core skills DBT teaches—and how they can transform your relationships and emotional wellbeing.

• How to know if DBT might be the right next step for you.
  

And don’t miss the end of the episode—where I drop the insight you didn’t know you needed. Call it emotional homework or a truth bomb—it’s the piece you’ll still be thinking about tomorrow.

Xxoo Darcy

REFERENCES/RESOURCES

www.alternativescounseling.com

www.shireenrizvi.com

Real Skills for Real Life: A DBT Guide to Navigating Stress, Emotions, and Relationships http://guilford.com/books/Real-Skills-for-Real-Life/Rizvi-Finkelstein/9781462555574?srsltid=AfmBOopthmYGfm60RnC2ed__8sY7x1l1EuSp3YfZgLe9mths7SgBb_i5

CREDITS

“We Need To Talk With Dr. Darcy Sterling” is a Sterling Standard Production. Editing and sound engineering by Bart Migal. Our theme music is by Trending Music. Special thanks to Amanda Cristiani and Robyn Jaenchen.

DISCLAIMER

Instagram:@drdarcysterling

Facebook:Dr.Darcy Sterling

Tik Tok:@doctordarcysterling

X:@DrDarcySterling

YouTube:@DarcySterling

Threads:@drdarcysterling

Watch this episode here on YouTube.

One of the hottest topics in mental health is attachment theory, which is a psychological framework that posits that the way we bond to our primary caregivers creates a template for how we’ll move through relationships as adults. It goes like this:

We learn how to love and how to get our needs met through the care we received from our primary caregivers. The extent to which they fulfilled our needs informs how we will then express our needs as adults and how we’ll respond to the needs of those closest to us, particularly, our partners.

When it comes to living experts in the field of attachment theory, there is no one more respected than today’s guest.

Dr. Diane Poole Heller is an international expert and pioneer in attachment theory.

She is the author of The Power of Attachment: How to Create Deep and Lasting Relationships — a book that I make most of my clients read at some point during our work.

Dr. Heller is the Creator of DARe: a training and certification program for therapists that teaches them how to apply attachment theory into their clinical work, and she joins me to shed light on how we can all move towards developing a secure attachment style, regardless of the attachment style we emerged from childhood with.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The 4 different attachment styles and how each develops in childhood.

• How our attachment style influences the way we behave in our adult relationships.

• Practical tools for healing attachment wounds and moving towards a secure attachment style.

• How partners with different attachment styles can reduce conflict and misunderstandings.

Xxoo Darcy

REFERENCES

www.alternativescounseling.com

Attachment Theory Quiz

https://traumasolutions.com/

https://dianepooleheller.com/

The Power of Attachment: How to Create Deep and Lasting Relationships

Diane Poole Heller, PHD

https://amzn.to/3CnxXUp

The Verdict Is In By: Alan Sroufe and Daniel Siegel

https://drdansiegel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/1271-the-verdict-is-in-1.pdf

CREDITS

This episode of “We Need To Talk With Dr. Darcy Sterling” was produced by Darcy Sterling, with editorial support from Vicki Vergolina. Editing and sound engineering by Bart Migal. Our theme music is by Trending Music. Special thanks to Amanda Cristiani, Stephanie Sterling and Preston Smith. “We Need To Talk With Dr. Darcy Sterling” is a Sterling Standard Production.

DISCLAIMER

Instagram:@drdarcysterling

Facebook:Dr.Darcy Sterling

Tik Tok:@doctordarcysterling

X:@DrDarcySterling

YouTube:@DarcySterling

Threads:@drdarcysterling

Watch this episode here on YouTube.