I’ve worked with so many smart, successful people who keep finding themselves in relationships that just don’t work. They’re self-aware, they’ve done the therapy, and on paper, they’re a catch. So why do they keep picking partners who can’t meet them where they are?

In this episode, I’m joined by psychologist and “Love & Life” podcast host Dr. Karin Anderson Abrell to talk about why high-functioning people so often end up in low-quality relationships—and what to do about it.

We’re breaking down:

• Why emotionally intelligent people sometimes ignore red flags.
• The role fantasy and projection play in choosing the wrong partners.
• How to tell the difference between chemistry and compatibility.
• What “dating at your level” really looks like.
• How to stop mistaking potential for actual partnership.

If you’ve ever thought, “Maybe I’m the common denominator,” this conversation is for you. Because sometimes, you’re not the problem—you’re just dating one.

🎧 Hit play. Let’s talk about it.

Xxoo Darcy

REFERENCES/RESOURCES

www.alternativescounseling.com

Stat on DSM

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cannabis is having a wellness moment. But is it a legitimate mental health tool—or just a new way to avoid our feelings?

Today’s users aren’t who they used to be. They’re CEOs. Athletes using it for sleep and recovery. People with anxiety trying to get off benzos. Moms who’d rather have an edible than drink three glasses of wine.

I’m joined today by Peter Barsoom, founder of 1906—a company making cannabis products designed to help people achieve specific states of mind. We talk about how low-dose, purpose-driven cannabis is becoming part of daily routines for people who never would’ve touched weed in the past.

We discuss:

• Whether cannabis can actually support mental health.
• What the research says about microdosing THC.
• Why so many people are replacing alcohol with cannabis.
• The line between emotional regulation and emotional avoidance.
• 
  

I also share my own experience with weed: how I used it early in life, how I’ve started experimenting with it again, and how I’ve pretty much stopped drinking this past year.

If you’ve ever wondered whether cannabis is helping you—or just numbing you—this conversation is for you.

Xxoo Darcy

REFERENCES/RESOURCES

www.alternativescounseling.com

https://www.askdrdarcy.com/podcast-resources/

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2018, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina made headlines around the world by doing something radical in a courtroom: She listened. During the sentencing hearing for Larry Nassar—a doctor who sexually abused over 150 women and girls under the guise of medical treatment—she operated her courtroom with a level of sensitivity and sophistication that we rarely see outside of a therapist’s office, giving each survivor the opportunity to speak, validating their pain and allowing their stories to be heard in a system that so often silences them.

In this episode, I sit down with Judge Aquilina to talk about trauma, justice, and what happens when survivors are finally believed. We explore the emotional toll of reporting sexual abuse, the institutional failures that allowed Nassar’s abuse to continue for decades, and how one judge’s empathy became a turning point in the #MeToo movement.

⚠️ Content warning: This episode contains explicit discussions of sexual abuse and trauma, including the crimes committed by Larry Nassar. Please listen with care.

Topics we cover:

• Why so many survivors of sexual assault stay silent.
• How institutions fail to protect victims—and protect abusers instead.
• The power of being believed and heard in a courtroom.
• Judge Aquilina’s unique role in a landmark case—and how she holds space for survivor healing.
• What justice can look like when it centers empathy and accountability.

If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual violence, support is available. Visit RAINN.org or call 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Xxoo Darcy

REFERENCES/RESOURCES

www.AlternativesCounseling.com

Darcy’s Hair: TheHairPlayStudio.com

Just Watch Me

Speak Up: Lessons in Trusting Your Instincts

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

Twitter:@DrDarcySterling

YouTube:@DarcySterling

Threads:@drdarcysterling

Watch this episode here on YouTube.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.