Why do some friendships feel harder than they used to? In this episode of Crimes of the Heart, Rory sits down with women’s friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson to unpack the modern state of female friendships — from venting culture and emotional burnout to the pressure to “protect your peace.”

Social media tells us to set boundaries, avoid negativity, and cut off toxic people. But are we accidentally isolating ourselves in the process? Danielle explains the science behind why friendships matter for our health, why many women feel overwhelmed by emotional labor in relationships, and how to build stronger connections without burning out.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Why friendships are one of the biggest predictors of health and longevity
• The difference between venting, oversharing, and “trauma dumping”
• Why adult friendships feel harder than they used to
• How to know which friends you can go deep with
• What to do when friendships feel one-sided
• The surprising reason only 50% of friendships are truly reciprocal

If you’ve ever wondered why maintaining friendships feels complicated — or why loneliness seems more common than ever — this episode will change how you think about connection. For more from Danielle follow her HERE or HERE.

For everyone interested in my audiobook you can check it out here on Amazon or here on Spotify.

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Read Rory's Book HERE. Or, listen to it on Audible or Spotify

Follow Rory's substack here: https://theladiesroom.substack.com/

Opening Jingle credit: Harry Foster

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