it’s nothing. I’m fine.

Amy Prieb

Stories about navigating the messiness and magic of our bonds.

  1. Oct 13

    Divorce, Grief, and Becoming Yourself Again at Midlife

    What happens when the life you spent almost twenty years building comes apart in your late forties? My friend and colleague Keri, joins me for an honest conversation about divorce at midlife: the good, the bad, and the ugly. We talk about the slow shift before the ending, the grief nobody prepares you for, and the strange logistics of untangling a shared life. We also talk about what surprised her most, including what she found out she was capable of. This episode is really about connection. We look at who shows up when your world changes and who quietly disappears, and at how friendships shift when you're no longer half of a couple. Keri describes what it took to ask for help and how she built community again, and we get into the difference between being alone and being lonely. As an Emotionally Focused Therapist, I share why divorce hits our attachment system so hard, and why falling apart shows how much the bond mattered, not that you're weak. Keri also talks about what her life looks like now, and she has words for the woman sitting in her car in a parking lot right now, wondering how she'll get through this. If you're going through a divorce, coming out the other side, or loving someone who is, this one's for you. Please share it with a friend who might need to hear it. Content note: this episode includes conversations about divorce, grief, and loss. Find out more about my work with individuals and couples at amyprieb.com. Reach Keri at Psychology Today, Keri Wallace, LMHC

  2. Oct 6

    Why Matriarchy?

    Picture a young man, very drunk and barely conscious, alone in a room with seven women. What happens to him? Now picture a young woman in the same state, alone with seven men. You didn't have to think hard about either answer, and that tells us a lot about the world we live in. In this episode, Amy asks a big question: why matriarchy? Not patriarchy flipped, and not "women are better." She means a different answer to a simple question: who does this group exist to protect? Amy starts by explaining what matriarchy really means. She then compares patriarchal and matriarchal values side by side: who gets loyalty, what we do when harm happens, how we treat vulnerability, and whose future we protect. Next she turns to the alleged assault at a Cornell University fraternity and the civil lawsuit that brought it to light. She imagines what a matriarchal response would look like at each of those layers. Drawing on 17 years as an Emotionally Focused Therapist, Amy explains why so many people stay silent. She covers the bystander effect, the fear of losing your place in the group, and why our institutions often respond like an avoidant partner when someone is in distress. Amy also takes on the pushback directly: due process, "reverse sexism," and whether real matriarchies ever existed. She closes with practical steps for parents of sons and daughters, for couples and families, and for anyone in a group chat who sees something wrong. Matriarchy isn't a world where women rule. It's a world where care does. To work with Amy: amyprieb.com To find out more about The Crew: the crewcc.com Content note: This episode discusses an alleged sexual assault. If you need support, contact the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or rainn.org. If you're in danger right now, call 911.

  3. Sep 29

    Codependent or Just Connected? Untangling Codependency from Healthy Interdependence

    Ever caught yourself worried that needing your partner this much means something's wrong? You're not alone — it's one of the most common fears I hear in my practice, and honestly, most of the time it's a sign of a healthy relationship, not a broken one. In this episode, I'm breaking down the real difference between codependency and healthy interdependence — through the lens of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and attachment theory. We'll talk about why American culture has taught us to be suspicious of our own need for connection, what rugged individualism actually costs us, and how to tell whether your relationship is fused and unhealthy or simply two whole people who genuinely enjoy leaning on each other. By the end, you'll have a clearer, more compassionate way to understand your own relationship — and a better answer to the question underneath all of this: not "how do I need people less," but "how do I learn to need people well." In this episode: What codependency actually is (and isn't) Why attachment and connection are biological needs, not weaknesses The myth of the self-made individual — and what it costs us Simple ways to tell codependency apart from secure interdependence What healthy interdependence looks like day to day Whether you're in a relationship that others have called "codependent," or you're just tired of feeling guilty for needing the people you love — this episode is for you. thecrewcc.com amyprieb.com

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Stories about navigating the messiness and magic of our bonds.

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