Esther Perel is on a mission to make us feel less alone. The world renowned psychotherapist says we've lost touch with the village but she's here to help us reconnect.  

Esther chats to Yumi Stynes about how to foster a community and stop putting pressure on romantic partners to fulfil our needs. She shares her own story of seeing her parents build a village as refugees, and how she learnt to lean on her chosen people when her family needed it most.     

If you’re feeling isolated or just want to bolster your community, this episode offers practical way to find and maintain your village.   

This episode will answer questions like: 

• What is a village?
• How can I build a village?
• How does having a strong community impact romantic relationships?
• How did Esther Perel build a strong community?
• What's at stake when we don't have a village?
• How can we all combat loneliness?
• How do we ask for help?

What to listen to next: 

Deepa Paul on opening her marriage

Emotional labour with Rose Hackman

Relationship resuscitation — coming back from the brink

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.  

What to read next:  

Why Kate chose to 'stay flat' after breast cancer surgery

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like

The dark side of being a perfectionist

This episode contains references to Esther Perel, village, community, friends, romantic relationship, marriage, resentment, therapy, couples therapy, Mating in Captivity, Where Should We Begin, personality styles, extroversion, introversion, love language.