Dateable()AF

Rachel Howell & Dr. Sarah Kyle

The Dateable AF podcast is hosted by Dr. Sarah Kyle and Rachel Howell. Please check out our website https://www.dateableaf.com/ Dateable AF is a relationship podcast that goes deeper than dating advice. Hosted by a therapist and a researcher, the show breaks down the emotional patterns behind connection, conflict, identity, and growth. We skip platitudes and focus on what actually helps people relate more honestly, securely, and sustainably. Hosted by two longtime friends, this show dives into the wild, wonderful, and often WTF world of all kinds of relationships—with honesty, humor, and zero shame. Expect smart takes, relatable stories, and the occasional U-Haul reference. Producer: Jordan Cannon & Shelly Silvey Grabe Theme Song: Cade Kyle A huge thanks to our sponsors and trailblazers at Shody Media LLC.

  1. Come Closer… Not Like That - Why Intimacy Feels Riskier Than Loneliness

    4D AGO

    Come Closer… Not Like That - Why Intimacy Feels Riskier Than Loneliness

    Dateable AF Show Notes: Why Intimacy Feels Riskier Than Loneliness** This season marks a shift. Dateable AF started as a dating podcast — but what we kept circling back to was how people relate. Dating is just one place where relationship patterns show up. Whether it’s a partner, a friend, a parent, or a coworker… the same emotional dynamics keep repeating. So yes, the podcast is still called Dateable AF. No, we’re not changing the name. But dating was just the beginning. Season 3 is about what actually makes you “dateable” in life — your capacity for connection, emotional safety, honesty, boundaries, and repair. And we’re starting with the thing almost everyone wants… and secretly fears: Intimacy. Most people say they want closeness. What they actually want is connection without exposure. In this episode, we explore why intimacy can feel more dangerous than being alone — and why so many people unconsciously choose loneliness, distance, or surface-level connection instead of real emotional closeness. 🧠 In This Episode We talk about: What intimacy really is (and what it isn’t) Why closeness triggers fear even when we crave it How old relationship patterns shape present-day avoidance Why loneliness can feel safer than being seen The subtle ways people keep relationships “safe” but not close How to build intimacy without forcing vulnerability You’ll hear why intimacy isn’t just about being close — it’s about letting someone matter, allowing emotional impact, and tolerating the uncertainty that comes with being known. Or, as we put it: “Intimacy isn’t closeness. It’s vulnerability with consequences.” 💬 Final Thought “If intimacy feels risky, it’s not because you’re incapable. It’s because you learned how to protect yourself well.” If this episode resonated, we invite you to reflect on one simple question: Where do you notice yourself pulling back just as things start to get close? Thanks for listening to the Dateable AF Podcast, where we help you find your happy ending. And remember: Be bold. Be kind. And for the love of self-respect, don’t text your ex. Stay Dateable AF. 🔥 HANDFUL Bras to get your 30% discount use code DATEABLEAF

    37 min
  2. Mistletoe & Minefields: Navigating the Holidays with Your Partner

    12/18/2025

    Mistletoe & Minefields: Navigating the Holidays with Your Partner

    Dateable AF Show Notes: Meet Rachel Howell and Dr. Sarah Kyle Producer: Jordan Cannon & Shelly Silvey Grabe Theme Song: Cade Kyle Cover Photo: Mackenzie Mowat Dateable AF is a podcast about all things lesbian dating—or queer dating—or women-who-date-women dating. Whatever letter you vibe with, if you're a woman who dates women, this one's for you. Hosted by two longtime friends, this show dives into the wild, wonderful, and often WTF world of dating women—with honesty, humor, and zero shame. Expect smart takes, relatable stories, and the occasional U-Haul reference. If your last argument had more plot twists than a Netflix thriller… this episode is for you. In “Fight Right: How to Argue Without Burning the House Down,” Sarah and Rachel break down what healthy conflict actually looks like and why most of us were never taught how to do it. Fighting is not a relationship failure. But how you fight determines whether you walk away feeling closer, clearer, or completely disconnected. In this episode, we cover: 🔥 Why you fight the way you do Family patterns, nervous-system reactions, queer identity, culture, and past trauma all shape your conflict style. 🧠 What fair fighting really means Staying on one topic, fighting the issue instead of the person, and keeping connection in mind even when you’re frustrated. 📋 The 7 Fair-Fighting Rules Including: • Use “I” statements • Stay in the moment • Take breaks before you break down • Stop mind reading • Own your part • Seek understanding, not victory • Repair, repair, repair 🚩 Red flags inside arguments Weaponized silence, scorekeeping, dragging in third parties, threats, and emotional escalation. 🌈 Why conflict looks different in queer relationships Fusion, shared friend groups, uneven emotional labor, identity dynamics, and the pressure to avoid conflict at all costs. 💛 How to calm a fight in real time Slow the pace, stay seated, use agreed-upon signals, and remember: “We’re on the same team.” 💭 Discussion Prompts • What is one thing you want to change about the way you fight? • Where did that behavior come from? • Which fair-fighting rule do you want to practice this week? Send your questions or stories to @dateableaf or info@dateableaf.com — we may feature them on AFterparty! 💌 Thanks for listening to the Dateable AF Podcast, where we help you find your happy ending. Be bold, be kind, and for the love of queer dating — don’t text your ex. Stay Dateable AF! HANDFUL Bras to get your 30% discount use code DATEABLEAF

    36 min
  3. S2E16: Control Issues in Cute Outfits: Why we try to manage our emotions by managing our partner’s behavior (and how to stop).

    12/11/2025

    S2E16: Control Issues in Cute Outfits: Why we try to manage our emotions by managing our partner’s behavior (and how to stop).

    Dateable AF Show Notes: Meet Rachel Howell and Dr. Sarah Kyle Producer: Jordan Cannon & Shelly Silvey Grabe Theme Song: Cade Kyle Cover Photo: Mackenzie Mowat Dateable AF is a podcast about all things lesbian dating—or queer dating—or women-who-date-women dating. Whatever letter you vibe with, if you're a woman who dates women, this one's for you. Hosted by two longtime friends, this show dives into the wild, wonderful, and often WTF world of dating women—with honesty, humor, and zero shame. Expect smart takes, relatable stories, and the occasional U-Haul reference. If your last argument had more plot twists than a Netflix thriller… this episode is for you. In “Fight Right: How to Argue Without Burning the House Down,” Sarah and Rachel break down what healthy conflict actually looks like and why most of us were never taught how to do it. Fighting is not a relationship failure. But how you fight determines whether you walk away feeling closer, clearer, or completely disconnected. In this episode, we cover: 🔥 Why you fight the way you do Family patterns, nervous-system reactions, queer identity, culture, and past trauma all shape your conflict style. 🧠 What fair fighting really means Staying on one topic, fighting the issue instead of the person, and keeping connection in mind even when you’re frustrated. 📋 The 7 Fair-Fighting Rules Including: • Use “I” statements • Stay in the moment • Take breaks before you break down • Stop mind reading • Own your part • Seek understanding, not victory • Repair, repair, repair 🚩 Red flags inside arguments Weaponized silence, scorekeeping, dragging in third parties, threats, and emotional escalation. 🌈 Why conflict looks different in queer relationships Fusion, shared friend groups, uneven emotional labor, identity dynamics, and the pressure to avoid conflict at all costs. 💛 How to calm a fight in real time Slow the pace, stay seated, use agreed-upon signals, and remember: “We’re on the same team.” 💭 Discussion Prompts • What is one thing you want to change about the way you fight? • Where did that behavior come from? • Which fair-fighting rule do you want to practice this week? Send your questions or stories to @dateableaf or info@dateableaf.com — we may feature them on AFterparty! 💌 Thanks for listening to the Dateable AF Podcast, where we help you find your happy ending. Be bold, be kind, and for the love of queer dating — don’t text your ex. Stay Dateable AF! HANDFUL Bras to get your 30% discount use code DATEABLEAF

    45 min
  4. S2E15: Fight Right: How to Argue Without Burning the House Down

    12/04/2025

    S2E15: Fight Right: How to Argue Without Burning the House Down

    Dateable AF Show Notes: Rachel and Sarah discussing Kissing Producer: Jordan Cannon & Shelly Silvey Grabe Theme Song: Cade Kyle Cover Photo: Mackenzie Mowat Dateable AF is a podcast about all things lesbian dating—or queer dating—or women-who-date-women dating. Whatever letter you vibe with, if you're a woman who dates women, this one's for you. Hosted by two longtime friends, this show dives into the wild, wonderful, and often WTF world of dating women—with honesty, humor, and zero shame. Expect smart takes, relatable stories, and the occasional U-Haul reference. If your last argument had more plot twists than a Netflix thriller… this episode is for you. In “Fight Right: How to Argue Without Burning the House Down,” Sarah and Rachel break down what healthy conflict actually looks like and why most of us were never taught how to do it. Fighting is not a relationship failure. But how you fight determines whether you walk away feeling closer, clearer, or completely disconnected. In this episode, we cover: 🔥 Why you fight the way you do Family patterns, nervous-system reactions, queer identity, culture, and past trauma all shape your conflict style. 🧠 What fair fighting really means Staying on one topic, fighting the issue instead of the person, and keeping connection in mind even when you’re frustrated. 📋 The 7 Fair-Fighting Rules Including: • Use “I” statements • Stay in the moment • Take breaks before you break down • Stop mind reading • Own your part • Seek understanding, not victory • Repair, repair, repair 🚩 Red flags inside arguments Weaponized silence, scorekeeping, dragging in third parties, threats, and emotional escalation. 🌈 Why conflict looks different in queer relationships Fusion, shared friend groups, uneven emotional labor, identity dynamics, and the pressure to avoid conflict at all costs. 💛 How to calm a fight in real time Slow the pace, stay seated, use agreed-upon signals, and remember: “We’re on the same team.” 💭 Discussion Prompts • What is one thing you want to change about the way you fight? • Where did that behavior come from? • Which fair-fighting rule do you want to practice this week? Send your questions or stories to @dateableaf or info@dateableaf.com — we may feature them on AFterparty! 💌 Thanks for listening to the Dateable AF Podcast, where we help you find your happy ending. Be bold, be kind, and for the love of queer dating — don’t text your ex. Stay Dateable AF! HANDFUL Bras to get your 30% discount use code DATEABLEAF

    48 min
  5. S2E14: “Gaydar 2.0: How We Actually Know Who’s Queer These Days”

    11/27/2025

    S2E14: “Gaydar 2.0: How We Actually Know Who’s Queer These Days”

    Dateable AF Show Notes: Rachel and Sarah discussing Who is Queer? Producer: Jordan Cannon & Shelly Silvey Grabe Theme Song: Cade Kyle Cover Photo: Mackenzie Mowat Dateable AF is a podcast about all things lesbian dating—or queer dating—or women-who-date-women dating. Whatever letter you vibe with, if you're a woman who dates women, this one's for you. Hosted by two longtime friends, this show dives into the wild, wonderful, and often WTF world of dating women—with honesty, humor, and zero shame. Expect smart takes, relatable stories, and the occasional U-Haul reference. Telling who’s queer used to feel simple. Now half the straight women have undercuts and Doc Martens, and half the lesbians look like Peloton instructors. So… how do we actually know anymore? In this episode of Dateable AF, Sarah and Rachel break down the rebrand of gaydar and explore how queer people recognize each other in 2025. Because that moment when you clock someone across a room and your brain whispers “one of us” is not just magic. It’s psychology, culture, intuition, and a little community wisdom. We dig into: 🌈 A brief history of gaydar and how old signals (fashion, vibes, “friend of Dorothy” energy) evolved over time 📱 Digital gaydar in the TikTok/IG era, from hashtags to micro-aesthetics 🧠 The psychology of recognition and why we crave that “I see you” moment 🤷‍♀️ When gaydar fails — false alarms, femme invisibility, and modern etiquette 💗 The new markers of queer connection based on humor, energy, authenticity, and resonance We also share our own best gaydar fails, play a quick game of “Lesbian or just a country gal?”, and talk about how visibility, fluidity, and online culture made gaydar more complicated and more interesting. 💭 Discussion Prompts When was the last time you just knew someone was queer?What are your strongest gaydar cues?What’s your funniest false-alarm story?💌 Thanks for listening to the Dateable AF Podcast, where we help you find your happy ending. Be bold, be kind, and for the love of queer dating — don’t text your ex. Stay Dateable AF. 💙 HANDFUL Bras to get your 30% discount use code DATEABLEAF

    39 min
5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

The Dateable AF podcast is hosted by Dr. Sarah Kyle and Rachel Howell. Please check out our website https://www.dateableaf.com/ Dateable AF is a relationship podcast that goes deeper than dating advice. Hosted by a therapist and a researcher, the show breaks down the emotional patterns behind connection, conflict, identity, and growth. We skip platitudes and focus on what actually helps people relate more honestly, securely, and sustainably. Hosted by two longtime friends, this show dives into the wild, wonderful, and often WTF world of all kinds of relationships—with honesty, humor, and zero shame. Expect smart takes, relatable stories, and the occasional U-Haul reference. Producer: Jordan Cannon & Shelly Silvey Grabe Theme Song: Cade Kyle A huge thanks to our sponsors and trailblazers at Shody Media LLC.