{"podcast":{"title":"Breaking Cycles with Maria","slug":"breaking-up-with-toxicity-6618238","podcast_index_feed_id":6618238,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/breaking-up-with-toxicity/","website_url":"https://breaking-up-with-toxicity.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/3512fb13-808d-4756-9a00-8262d9c3f321/0F96017D-754B-41B8-A7DA-8CFAACE1CD0A-1-1-4.png","author":"Maria Shkreli","episode_count":30,"summary":"Breaking Cycles with Maria is an honest and relatable podcast about relationships, emotional patterns, self-awareness, anxiety, attachment, dysfunctional dynamics, and the things we normalize without even realizing it. Hosted by Maria Shkreli, LMHC, author of Breaking Cycles and Breaking Up with Toxicity, the podcast explores the messy, complicated, and very human side of life — from unhealthy relationship patterns and family dynamics to workplace stress, life transitions, emotional reactions, and the cycles that quietly shape us. Some episodes are educational. Some are conversational. Some may challenge the way you see yourself, your relationships, or the people around you. Because the truth is… we all have patterns. Some help us grow. Some quietly keep us stuck. Through real conversations, psychological insight, personal reflection, and a little bit of spice, Maria helps listeners better understand the patterns they repeat, the emotional experiences they normalize, and how to navigate life with greater awareness, clarity, and emotional health. No perfection. No pretending. Just real conversations about life, relationships, and breaking unhealthy cycles.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-06T02:20:47.981511+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/breaking-up-with-toxicity-6618238"},"episode":{"title":"EP 29: Maria & Madge: Picking Up Where We Left Off","slug":"ep-29-maria-madge-picking-up-where-we-left-off","published_at":"2026-06-05T13:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/breaking-up-with-toxicity-6618238/ep-29-maria-madge-picking-up-where-we-left-off","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/breaking-up-with-toxicity-6618238","url":"https://breaking-up-with-toxicity.captivate.fm","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/c44f97f6-8c98-47eb-82c2-26f274934379.mp3","summary":"Life got busy again. Months passed, schedules filled up, and before we knew it, another conversation was waiting to happen. In this episode, Madge and I pick up where we left off and talk about friendship, growth, changing seasons of life, and why sometimes the smallest changes create the biggest shifts in our relationships. Sometimes people reconnect instantly. Sometimes they reconnect slowly. And sometimes they're still figuring out what that connection looks like today. We talk about: • How friendships evolve over time • Why some people remain in our lives while others drift away • The impact of life changes on relationships • The pandemic and its effect on self-reflection and connection • Understanding people instead of labeling them • How expectations can shape our experiences with others • Why growth often begins with awareness Along the way, I also share part of the journey behind the development of the Cycle Breaker Method™—a framework built around a simple but powerful idea: The response is your point of control. Many people are familiar with Atomic Habits and the idea that small habits create lasting change. The Cycle Breaker Method™ approaches change from a different angle by focusing on the response—the moment where patterns are either reinforced or interrupted. Because what gets repeated becomes reinforced. What gets reinforced becomes normalized. And often, the smallest shift in response can create the biggest change in a relationship, a workplace, a family, or even your own life. If you enjoy conversations about personal growth, behavior change, self-awareness, relationships, and understanding human behavior, this episode is for you. Most people aren't stuck. They're patterned. This isn't a conversation about having all the answers. It's a conversation a…","meta_description":"Life got busy again. Months passed, schedules filled up, and before we knew it, another conversation was waiting to happen. In this episode, Madge and I p…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1891,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/breaking-up-with-toxicity-6618238/episodes/ep-29-maria-madge-picking-up-where-we-left-off/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/breaking-up-with-toxicity-6618238/ep-29-maria-madge-picking-up-where-we-left-off.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}