Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel Esther’s Office Hours
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- Society & Culture
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Every Monday morning step into the office of iconic psychotherapist Esther Perel and listen in as real people in search of insight bare the raw, intimate, and profound details of their stories. From breakups and open relationships to workplace conflicts and fractures in the family, it’s a place to hear our own stories reflected in the lives of others. So…where should we begin? Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
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The Legacy of Our Mothers
In this Apple bonus, Esther shares a letter she wrote about mothers including the complicated relationship she had with her own mother. As we approach Mother's Day, Esther invites you to reflect on your own relationships with motherly figures and encourages you to reach out to them. She even has a few ideas of things you can ask to get a new conversation started.
Want to learn more? Receive monthly insights, musings, and recommendations to improve your relational intelligence via email from Esther: https://www.estherperel.com/newsletter -
There's You, There's Me, There's US
This is a classic session, from the first season of Where Should We Begin? A middle-aged couple, together for seventeen years, best friends and partners who, despite their loving and positive relationship, go months without connecting sexually. He transitioned 10 years ago, and they’re both experiencing the physical changes of aging. Esther guides them through body exercises, in an effort to help them find sexual spaces amidst the crush of everyday life.
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Esther Calling - Love is a Trap Follow Up
It's been a few weeks since Esther first spoke to this young man who kept getting to a certain point in relationships before he would start fantasizing about his ex-boyfriends or other future partners. Esther talks through some of the things that stuck with her after the session ended and he lets us know where everything landed after they hung up.
For the first time on the U.S. stage, Esther invites you to an evening unlike any other. Join her as she shines a light on the cultural shifts transforming relationships and helps us rethink how we connect, how we desire – and even how we love. To find a city near you, go to https://www.estherperel.com/tour2024
Want to learn more? Receive monthly insights, musings, and recommendations to improve your relational intelligence via email from Esther: https://www.estherperel.com/newsletter""" -
Esther Calling - Love is a Trap
He gets to a certain point in relationships before he starts fantasizing about his ex-boyfriends or other future partners. Esther talks him through what he might be holding onto from his childhood that makes his otherwise healthy relationships feel stifling.
Esther Callings are a one-time, 45-60 minute interventional phone call with Esther. They are edited for time, clarity, and anonymity. If you have a question you would like to talk through with Esther, send a voice memo to producer@estherperel.com.
For the first time on the U.S. stage, Esther invites you to an evening unlike any other. Join her as she shines a light on the cultural shifts transforming relationships and helps us rethink how we connect, how we desire – and even how we love. To find a city near you, go to https://www.estherperel.com/tour2024
Want to learn more? Receive monthly insights, musings, and recommendations to improve your relational intelligence via email from Esther: https://www.estherperel.com/newsletter
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I Think I Married the Wrong Person Follow-Up
Last fall, Esther helped a couple working to dissolve the patterns they each developed to protect themselves. It's been a few months and they've sent Esther an update on how things are going.
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I Think I Married the Wrong Person
She gets angry when she feels devalued and put down. He intellectualizes and rationalizes instead of sympathizing. Esther helps them to see each other and work towards dissolving the patterns they developed to protect themselves.
For the first time on the U.S. stage, Esther invites you to an evening unlike any other. Join her as she shines a light on the cultural shifts transforming relationships and helps us rethink how we connect, how we desire – and even how we love. To find a city near you, go to https://www.estherperel.com/tour2024
Want to learn more? Receive monthly insights, musings, and recommendations to improve your relational intelligence via email from Esther: https://www.estherperel.com/newsletter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Customer Reviews
Bursting with Wisdom
Esther, please never stop doing this podcast. I listen every evening to a new episode and find them so profoundly eye opening. Particularly as I go through a break up, this podcast is giving me revelations of my own. I love when couples call in, it’s such an insight... Thank you for your consistency and your beautiful content.
Interview with ira glass
Was so looking forward to ira glass interview but disappointed how disrespectful this woman handled it. Very patronising interruptive and interrogative approach. Won’t be surprised if Ira never comes back
Unfortunate Slip in Quality Content
A long-time listener, I’ve been a fan of Where Should We Begin for many years. Unfortunately, over time it has moved away from what made it compelling: Esther sitting down with two people to dissect their relational dynamic. What I found powerful was the fact that, regardless of the pair and how different their lives seemed from my own, there was always some piece of their experience that resonated. Their relational piece, and Esther’s care and curiosity is what gave this show heart.
I hope this podcast can go back to its roots, as in its current format - celebrity interviews, short 1-1 phone calls and reruns, it has lost the soul that made it once so compelling.