Stuck in the Middle
Esther Perel
Jonathan
Jul 3, 202628 July 2025
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He prides himself on being an empathic confidante to his friends…but is it to a fault? In this classic episode of Esther Calling, we meet a man fed up with being the container for his friends’ relationship woes. But, he wonders, can put up barriers without losing the intimacy of those friendships? E
Transcript
Summary
A caller seeks help setting boundaries with two close friends whose volatile relationship repeatedly pulls her into the middle. Esther Perel links the caller’s caretaking role to family patterns and fear of abandonment, then coaches her to separate her body’s reactions from the couple’s conflict and to listen without taking responsibility for their relationship.
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