The Paula Faris Show

That Sounds Fun Network

Join Emmy-Award winning journalist, Founder of CARRY™ and America’s most curious mom, Paula Faris, as she and her frequent co-host, husband John, talk about the hottest topics that parents are talking about. This listener driven show tackles your big questions: "When to have the sex talk with my kid? Why are we fighting about the dishes again? How can I juggle work and life? Why are teenagers and toddlers so hard?" If you’re talking about it, Paula is talking about it in a real, relatable and authentic manner. Join Paula as she engages in a conversation style of no sugar coating, authenticity and keeping it real. She will have you laughing and learning. Life Happens. Let's Talk About It!

  1. 4D AGO

    Why I Finally Went to Therapy

    Life has a way of catching up with you. I’ve lost both of my parents. And last year, after the loss of my mom, I found myself in a really dark place. I was still showing up for life—but underneath it all, something wasn’t right. John (my husband) was the one who finally said it: it might be time to talk to someone. So I did. In this conversation, John and I  talk about why I went to therapy, the stigma that still surrounds it, and what happens when we avoid processing what life hands us. Because if you don’t process grief, you carry it. Most of us are dragging around a U-Haul of unprocessed pain without even realizing it—and it eventually shows up somewhere: in our moods, our reactions, our relationships, even our performance. In honor of Women’s History Month, this episode highlights a topic that matters deeply for women: making space to process loss, grief, and the pressures we carry every day. We also talk about how to find the right therapist, why therapy isn’t just for when life falls apart, and how it helped me walk through the anniversary of my parents’ deaths. Your body is designed to process what life brings you. But it can’t do that work if we never slow down long enough to face it. Life Happens. Let’s Talk About It.  Listen to learn more : [0:00:00] Therapy Isn’t Just for “When Life Falls Apart.” [0:04:19] Midlife, Hormones, and the Hidden Weight of Women’s Grief [0:08:29] How to Actually Find the Right Therapist (and Advocate for Yourself) [0:12:21] Metabolizing Grief: Turning U-Hauls of Pain into Rituals of Remembrance [0:19:58] Therapy as Lifelong Maintenance, Not a One-Time Fix In this episode, we are digging into changing the stigma around therapy, how to find the right therapist and why that matters, the impact of unprocessed emotions, what to expect during your first therapy appointment, practical ways to process grief and loss, being honest about your needs, and the importance of caring for your mental and emotional health.  Listen to Paula’s episodes on Grief/Loss: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4 Connect with Paula on Instagram  Get Paula's personal newsletter  THE CARRY™ ALL NEWSLETTER by and for working moms Paula’s Favorite Protein Powder 15% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    28 min
  2. MAR 10

    GLP-1s: Why I Tried Them, What Really Happened

    GLP-1s—Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound—are everywhere right now. And so is the debate. Some people call it a breakthrough. Others say it’s cheating. So let’s talk about it. In this episode, I’m sharing my personal experience taking a GLP-1 as a 50-year-old woman navigating perimenopause, inflammation, and a body that suddenly stopped responding to all the things that used to work. My CARRY Media colleague Kristen White joins me to ask the questions so many women are asking privately: What are the side effects? Does it actually work? And what happens when you stop? It’s also Women’s History Month, and all March long, we’re talking about the issues that matter to women. No hype. No shame. Just an honest conversation about women’s health—and what I’ve learned so far. Life Happens. Let’s Talk About it.  Listen in to learn more : [0:04:58] "GLP-1s Aren’t Cheating—They’re a Tool." [0:05:30] "Doing ‘All the Right Things’ but Still Struggling." [0:14:18] "Slow, Steady Weight Loss and Inflammation Down." [0:19:35] "Muscle Loss Is the Biggest GLP-1 Red Flag." [0:18:30] "Protein and Heavy Lifting Are Non‑Negotiable." In this episode, we are diving into my personal experience with GLP-1s, why I share my experiences publicly, the stigma associated with GLP-1 medications and other weight loss drugs, benefits of GLP-1s in addition to weight loss, negative side effects of GLP-1s, practical ways to balance the risks and benefits of GLP-1 medications, having healthy expectations about weight loss, and two habits to focus on if you use a GLP-1. LINKS Connect with Paula on Instagram  Get Paula's personal newsletter  THE CARRY™ ALL NEWSLETTER by and for working moms Paula’s Favorite Protein Powder 15% off Connect with Kristen!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    32 min
  3. MAR 3

    Find Your People: Why Deep Friendship Is a Health Essential

    This conversation hit me hard — because of the loneliness so many women quietly carry? It’s real. And you are not alone. The month of March is Women’s History Month, and we’re talking about what truly matters to women. Friendship is at the top of that list. In this conversation with author Jennie Allen, we unpack why so many of us have plenty of acquaintances but still feel deeply disconnected. The research is clear: meaningful friendship isn’t optional — it’s essential to our mental, emotional, and physical health. We talk about why we’ve lost the art of initiation, how to find your people, and what to do if building deep friendships feels harder than it should. Life Happens. Let’s Talk About It.  Listen in to learn more: [0:00:00] Humans Are Starving for Connection, Not Convenience [0:02:07] We’re “Connected” Yet Lonely: The Friendship Gap for Women [0:09:58] Loneliness Is More Dangerous Than Drugs or Alcohol [0:16:43] Your Inner Circle: Why You Only Need 3–5 Deep Friends [0:23:38] You Can Be Lonely, or You Can Initiate—Those Are Your Options In this episode, we are digging into the growing loneliness epidemic, how the quality of your friendships affects every aspect of your health, the biggest barriers to building meaningful friendships, the difference between having a village and having an inner circle (and why we need both!), five different types of friends you need in your life, three qualities to look for in a friend, how to handle conflict in friendship, and healthy boundaries in relationships with friends and family. Connect with Paula on Instagram  THE CARRY™ ALL NEWSLETTER by and for working moms Jennie Allen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    39 min
  4. FEB 24

    From Knowing to Doing: Making Love Languages Work

    This is the practical episode. Now it’s time to take everything we’ve learned in this series with Dr. Chapman—and actually use it. After breaking down what the love languages are (and what they aren’t), Dr. Gary Chapman joins me and John in the final conversation of our Love Languages series, to show us how to put them into practice in real life.  We’ll break down what he calls the dialects of each love language—the specific ways love is expressed, received, and often misunderstood. Because knowing the language isn’t enough if you’re speaking it in a way that doesn’t land. We also dig into how love languages show up with kids, and how to recognize what our children are actually asking for. If you’ve ever thought, I’m trying—but it’s not working, this is where it finally clicks. Life Happens. Let’s talk about it. Listen in to learn more  [0:00:00] Why This New Love Languages Book Exists: Dialects + Personality [0:02:53] Dialects Turn Generic Love Languages into a Personal “Master Class” [0:06:03] Words of Affirmation: Encouragement, Appreciation, and Compliments [0:09:34] Quality Time, Gifts, and Acts of Service: Getting the Dialect Right [0:19:40] Physical Touch and Acts of Service: Customizing Love for Your Family In this episode, we are digging into the personal ways people give and receive love, the difference between encouragement, appreciation, and compliments, practical ways to spend quality time with your partner, different kinds of gifts loved ones may enjoy, what acts of service and physical touch look like in different contexts, and why it is important to know the dialect of your partner’s love language.  LINKS Get my personal newsletter and win a copy of Dr Chapman’s new book Take the Love Languages Quiz Take the Premium Assessment Get his new book: The Love Language That Matters Most  Connect with Paula on Instagram  THE CARRY™ ALL NEWSLETTER by and for working moms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    32 min
  5. FEB 17

    Is Sex Every Man’s Love Language? 

    Sex. Almost every man will say it’s their love language. But Dr. Gary Chapman—the expert behind The Five Love Languages—explains why that’s not quite right, and makes a crucial distinction between physical desire and emotional connection. John and I dig into what this really means for intimacy, unpacking the science behind male vs. female sexual needs and why understanding your partner’s love language can change everything.  We also explore how love languages show up in parenting—and how to recognize them in your kids. ⚠️Warning: we go there. Sex, chemistry, and the truths you’ve been too polite to ask about.  Listen in to learn more  [0:03:26] Sex Isn’t a Love Language [0:07:28] Men’s Bodies, Women’s Emotions [0:08:29] Fill the Love Tank, Fix the Bedroom [0:14:25] Decode Your Kid’s Love Language by Age Four [0:19:24] Mental Load: The Ultimate Intimacy Killer SUMMARY In this episode, we are digging into the distinction between emotional and physiological aspects of sex, the biological reason men desire sex, differences in men and women when it comes to sex, the importance of emotional connection with your partner, meeting the emotional needs of your partner in seasons of stress, and (sharp turn) three ways to know your child’s love language.  LINKS Get my personal newsletter and win a copy of Dr. Chapman’s new book Take the Love Languages Quiz Take the Premium Assessment Get his new book: The Love Language That Matters Most  Connect with Paula on Instagram  THE CARRY™ ALL NEWSLETTER by and for working moms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    26 min
  6. FEB 10

    Why Love Breaks Down (Even When You’re Trying)

    You can be doing all the “right” things—and still missing each other. In part two of our month-long series on The Five Love Languages, we dive into Dr. Chapman’s newest book, The Love Language That Matters Most—what he calls the masterclass on love languages, to explore why good intentions miss the mark.  We dig into the gap between intention and impact—and why so many relationships feel stuck despite trying harder Also, John and I take the premium assessment, and our results genuinely shock us—we did not see them coming.  And coming up next: sex, physical touch, and why it’s not a sixth love language (that conversation might surprise you). Life Happens. Let’s talk about it. Listen in to learn more: [0:09:43] Love vs. Manipulation: Speaking the Language for the Right Reason [0:05:18] Lopsided Love Tanks: When One Partner Feels Empty and the Other’s Full [0:13:07] Dialects Matter: Missing the Mark Inside the Right Love Language [0:16:44] The Third Ear: Listening for Emotions, Not Just Words [0:20:09] Attitude Over Feeling: Choosing Unconditional Love Daily In this episode, we are digging into ways we fall short in speaking the love language of our partner, the importance of having an attitude of love, what love is and what it is not, speaking our partner’s love language for the right reasons, two kinds of people who are fluent in all five love languages, staying curious and listening to understand, and the most important question you can ask your partner. Get my personal newsletter and win a copy of Dr Chapman’s new book Take the Love Languages Quiz Take the Premium Assessment Get his new book: The Love Language That Matters Most  Connect with Paula on Instagram  THE CARRY™ ALL NEWSLETTER by and for working moms  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    27 min
  7. FEB 3

    The Five Love Languages: Do They Feel Loved? (Part 1) 

    Thirty years after The Five Love Languages reshaped how we talk about relationships, Dr. Gary Chapman joins John and me to revisit the core question that matters most: Do the people you love actually feel loved? This episode kicks off our month-long series with Dr. Chapman—a deep dive into the love languages that becomes a master class in how we give and receive love. We unpack the five love languages, the idea of the “love tank,” and why good intentions aren’t enough. This episode sets the foundation for the entire series and reframes how we think about love, connection, and effort. Life Happens. Let’s talk about it. Listen in to learn more: [0:00:34] Timeless Impact of the Five Love Languages[0:07:59] The Five Love Languages, Clearly Defined[0:11:31] The Love Tank and the 5:1 Magic Ratio[0:16:19] How to Check Your Partner’s Love Tank Level[0:18:07] Simple Ways to Discover Someone’s Love Language In this episode, we are diving into an overview of the five love languages, why it is important to know your love language, how to figure out your partner’s love language, the love tank metaphor and why it matters, the magic ratio of negative to positive interactions with your loved ones, one check in question to ask your partner, and the love language that matters most. Get my personal newsletter and win a copy of Dr Chapman’s new book Take the Love Languages Quiz Take the Premium Assessment Get Dr. new book: The Love Language That Matters Most  Connect with Paula on Instagram  THE CARRY™ ALL NEWSLETTER by and for working moms  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    27 min
4.9
out of 5
145 Ratings

About

Join Emmy-Award winning journalist, Founder of CARRY™ and America’s most curious mom, Paula Faris, as she and her frequent co-host, husband John, talk about the hottest topics that parents are talking about. This listener driven show tackles your big questions: "When to have the sex talk with my kid? Why are we fighting about the dishes again? How can I juggle work and life? Why are teenagers and toddlers so hard?" If you’re talking about it, Paula is talking about it in a real, relatable and authentic manner. Join Paula as she engages in a conversation style of no sugar coating, authenticity and keeping it real. She will have you laughing and learning. Life Happens. Let's Talk About It!

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