{"podcast":{"title":"Relationships Made Easy","slug":"relationships-made-easy-1024411","podcast_index_feed_id":1024411,"rss_url":"https://feeds.redcircle.com/bd33039b-b884-4970-bd89-6881f41a5d29","website_url":"https://redcircle.com/shows/relationships-made-easy3126","image_url":"https://media.redcircle.com/images/2026/4/20/17/6f48509d-422d-4312-a081-99aa4ba8fbe0_195046423-d2603bd6-db7f-4989-8e1e-80fa7e3d3c7c.jpg","author":"Dr. Abby Medcalf","episode_count":398,"summary":"The research says the key to a happy life is happy relationships. But how exactly do you make your relationships better? That’s what this show is all about. I’m Dr. Abby Medcalf, psychologist, best-selling author, TEDx speaker, and (according to my kids) the bossy Jewish mom you didn’t know you needed. With decades of experience and millions of listeners in over 180 countries, I give you the no-fluff, research-backed strategies to make all your relationships better: with your partner, your family, your friends, and (most importantly) yourself. Every week on the Relationships Made Easy podcast, I mix straight talk, humor, and science to help you communicate effectively, set healthy boundaries, and stop second-guessing yourself. Because great relationships aren’t built in a day. Great relationships are built daily. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-23T12:19:04.825234+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/relationships-made-easy-1024411"},"episode":{"title":"383. Are You Enmeshed or Just Close? Here's How to Tell","slug":"383-are-you-enmeshed-or-just-close-here-s-how-to-tell","published_at":"2026-05-18T23:00:22+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/relationships-made-easy-1024411/383-are-you-enmeshed-or-just-close-here-s-how-to-tell","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/relationships-made-easy-1024411","url":"https://abbymedcalf.com/enmeshment-in-relationships","audio_url":"https://audio4.redcircle.com/episodes/14025b7f-6132-458d-b182-46da06223311/stream.mp3","summary":"Have you ever felt guilty for wanting space? Like needing a little distance from someone you love means something is wrong with you, or with the relationship? Or maybe you've watched someone you're dating and thought, \"Why does their family seem to know everything about everything and have an opinion on all of it?\" What you might be looking at, in both cases, is enmeshment. Today we're talking about what enmeshment actually is, how to recognize it in yourself and in the people around you, and why the line between being close and being enmeshed matters more than most people realize. I'll give you the signs across romantic relationships, family dynamics, and friendships, including what to watch out for if you're dating someone from an enmeshed family. And I'll give you tools to start untangling it without blowing up the relationships that matter to you. ____________________________ Full blog and show notes: https://abbymedcalf.com/enmeshment-in-relationships Get the quick self-assessment called Am I Enmeshed or Just Close ? It'll walk you through the key questions to help you figure out what's actually going on in your most important relationships: https://abbymedcalf.com/am-i-enmeshed Join my online community, One Love Collective, on Substack: https://abbymedcalf.com/substack You'll get... ✨ Early drops + ad-free podcast episodes ✨ Worksheets, journal prompts, downloads, and guided visualizations ✨ Community chats and live Q&A calls with Abby _________ Subscribe to the Love Letter and get my little messages each week! https://abbymedcalf.com/loveletter-opt-in/ 👉 Pick up a copy of my new book, Boundaries Made Easy: Your Roadmap to Connection, Ease and Joy: https://abbymedcalf.com/boundaries 👉 Pick up The Workbook: Boundaries Made Easier to use as a companion to the b…","meta_description":"Have you ever felt guilty for wanting space? Like needing a little distance from someone you love means something is wrong with you, or with the relations…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2996,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/relationships-made-easy-1024411/episodes/383-are-you-enmeshed-or-just-close-here-s-how-to-tell/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/relationships-made-easy-1024411/383-are-you-enmeshed-or-just-close-here-s-how-to-tell.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}