#299: How to Make & Keep Friends with Dr. Marisa G. Franco

Themes: Friendship, Love, Attachment, Vulnerability, Platonic Relationships, Intimacy, Connections, Culture, Society, Belonging Today I welcome an enlightening psychologist, international speaker, and New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Marisa G. Franco! She is known for digesting and communicating science in ways that resonate deeply enough with people to change their lives. She works as a professor at The University of Maryland and authored the New York Times bestseller Platonic: How The Science of Attachment Can Help You Make—and Keep—Friends. She writes about friendship for Psychology Today and has been a featured connection expert for major publications like The New York Times, The Telegraph, and Vice.  In this episode, we dive into friendship and attachment, the very real challenges we all experience around friendships and why we might be experiencing them, PLUS pro tips on how to initiate new friendships as an adult and keep them intimate, nourishing, and lasting. Discover: Why we devalue friendships and only focus on connection through romantic relationships Friendships with attachment theory applied and how it can help us be better friends How men and women approach relationships differently and the stigmas that need to be broken around that How to make and keep friends 00:00 Intro  01:19 Why do we devalue friendships? 03:46 Friendships and attachment styles 10:17 Friendships and conflict 12:40 Friends helped us to grow 17:35 Friendships between men and women 22:40 Male and female group behavior  24:34 Are we in a masculine-friendly culture? 26:53 Friendships and attractions 29:58 The fear of vulnerability 33:24 Skills you need to make and keep friends 36:20 Building connections and initiating friendships 44:56 How to maintain relationships Links: Dr. Franco’s Book: Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make—and—Keep Friends: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676695/platonic-by-marisa-g-franco-phd/ Instagram: @DrMarisaGFranco - https://www.instagram.com/drmarisagfranco Website: http://www.DrMarisaGFranco.com Sponsors: Manna Vitality | Use code Mark20 for 20% off at mannavitality.com Primally Pure | Use code MARKGROVES for 15% off sitewide at primallypure.com Create the Love Cards | Use code CTLCARDS15 for 15% off at createthelove.com/cards