The Angry Therapist Podcast

In this episode, John Kim sits down with Brenden Durell to talk about masculinity, vulnerability, Tantra, intimacy, and emotional growth.

Brenden shares his journey from sports into self-discovery and men’s work, exploring how discipline, trust, and presence can create deeper freedom and connection. They also discuss porn, edging, aftercare, therapeutic experiences with MDMA and San Pedro, and the responsibility men have in creating emotional safety in relationships.

In this episode:

• Redefining modern masculinity

• Why vulnerability matters for men

• Tantra, discipline, and personal freedom

• Porn, edging, and sexual health

• Trust, intimacy, and aftercare

• Creating safety in relationships

• Emotional intelligence and men’s work

Connect with Brenden Durell

Website: https://stan.store/brendendurell
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendendurell/

🎙️ More about John:

📘 Pre order my new book, Love Hard On Purpose. Toss the blueprints. Build something honest. https://a.co/d/031PzkW4

John’s book publishing company: Soulprint https://www.soulprintmedia.co

📘 Read John’s book in progress Sh*t Your Therapist Would Never Tell You on John’s SubStack ⁠HERE⁠

If you’re ready for deeper work, the Secure Self course is available HERE

Order John's new book, Break Up. On Purpose,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow John on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find out more about John⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Don’t protect your heart. Protect your relationship.

In this episode, John Kim explores what it really takes to build a
relationship that lasts. After heartbreak, loss, and repeating old
patterns, many people start doing the inner work and realize that
healthy love does not just happen naturally. It has to be built with
intention, ownership, and practice.

John breaks down the idea of “relationship armor” as the tools and
practices that protect the relationship itself. This includes creating a
safe space, practicing self-awareness, communicating honestly, loving
without dragging the past into the present, and learning how to fight in
a healthier way.

He also explains why being right can become poison in a relationship,
why curiosity creates safety, and why presence, gratitude, space, and
having your own life are essential parts of healthy love.

In this episode:

• Why healthy relationships are built, not found
• How to create a safe space in love
• The importance of self-awareness and ownership
• Why communication builds trust and closeness
• How to love without letting your past run the relationship
• Why how you fight matters more than how often you fight
• How giving up the need to be right creates safety
• The role of mindfulness, gratitude, and space in lasting love
• Why you need your own life inside a healthy relationship

More about John:

📘Pre order my new book, Love Hard On Purpose. Toss the blueprints. Build something honest. https://a.co/d/031PzkW4

John’s book publishing company: Soulprint https://www.soulprintmedia.co

📘 Read John’s book in progress Sh*t Your Therapist Would Never Tell You on John’s SubStack https://substack.com/@theangrytherapist

If you’re ready for deeper work, the Secure Self course is available here. https://theangrytherapist.thrivecart.com/secure-self-bundle/

📘 John’s latest book: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/break-up-on-purpose-john-kim?variant=42305553956898

📸 Follow John on Instagram: https://instagram.com/theangrytherapist

🌐 Find out more about John Kim: https://www.theangrytherapist.com/

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Why does a breakup feel like more than heartbreak?

In this episode, John Kim explores why breakups can feel like a death, and why that experience is rooted in more than emotion alone. Drawing from neuroscience, attachment theory, and years of therapeutic experience, he explains what happens in the brain after a relationship ends and why healing takes time.

John unpacks the hidden losses that often come with heartbreak, from the future we imagined to the identity we built inside a relationship. He also shares why recovery isn't about forgetting someone, but learning to create a new reality without them.

In this episode:

• Why breakups feel physically painful

• The role dopamine and attachment play in heartbreak

• How relationships become part of our emotional regulation system

• The grief of losing a future that never actually happened

• Identity loss after a breakup

• Why healing is really about rewiring

If someone in your life is going through a breakup, share this episode with them. Follow the podcast for more conversations on relationships, healing, and personal growth.

🎙️ More about John:

📘 Pre order my new book, Love Hard On Purpose. Toss the blueprints. Build something honest. https://a.co/d/031PzkW4

John’s book publishing company: Soulprint https://www.soulprintmedia.co

📘 Read John’s book in progress Sh*t Your Therapist Would Never Tell You on John’s SubStack ⁠HERE⁠

If you’re ready for deeper work, the Secure Self course is available HERE

Order John's new book, Break Up. On Purpose,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow John on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find out more about John⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Therapy Thursdays episode, we’re answering listener questions about the messy, tender, and sometimes confusing parts of relationships.

We talk about what it means when someone says “I love you” very early on, how relationships naturally move through different stages, and what to do when the romance starts to fade. We also explore the painful reality of betrayal — including what repair can look like after cheating, and how to know whether your partner is truly respecting the process of rebuilding trust.

This episode also looks at conflict and communication: how to bring up difficult issues with your partner, family, or friends when confrontation feels scary or overwhelming.

In this episode, we cover:

Whether saying “I love you” after two weeks is genuine love, infatuation, or a possible red flag

The different stages relationships often go through

First steps toward repair after infidelity

What it means when a partner pressures you to accept contact with the person they cheated with

How to talk about losing the spark in a long-term relationship

Why romance and effort can fade after the honeymoon phase

How to approach hard conversations when you hate confrontation

The difference between healthy communication and avoiding conflict

🎙️ More about John:

📘 Pre order my new book, Love Hard On Purpose. Toss the blueprints. Build something honest. https://a.co/d/031PzkW4

John’s book publishing company: Soulprint https://www.soulprintmedia.co

📘 Read John’s book in progress Sh*t Your Therapist Would Never Tell You on John’s SubStack ⁠HERE⁠

If you’re ready for deeper work, the Secure Self course is available HERE

Order John's new book, Break Up. On Purpose,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow John on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find out more about John⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joy, trauma, grief, healing. What if they’re all connected?

In this conversation, John sits down with Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald to explore what trauma actually does to the nervous system, why joy is more than a fleeting feeling, and how small moments of joy can help us stay grounded through life’s hardest seasons.

They discuss the science behind joy, common misconceptions about trauma, how childhood experiences shape adult relationships, and why healing may require letting go of identities built around suffering. The conversation also touches on grief, psychedelics, nervous system regulation, and finding meaning after loss.

In this episode:

• Why joy can help regulate and rewire the nervous system

• What trauma really does to the body and brain

• How childhood trauma shows up in adult relationships

• The danger of identifying too strongly with your wounds

• Why grief may be more transformative than we realize

• The role of flow states, surfing, and presence in healing

Also mentioned:

• MaryCatherine’s books Unbroken https://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-Trauma-Response-Never-Things-ebook/dp/B0B19CVVNM and The Joy Reset https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Reset-Trauma-Steals-Happiness/dp/0306836262

• Her upcoming K-12 resilience curriculum focused on trauma, stress, and joy

• Her current work exploring grief through writing and poetry

If this episode resonated with you, follow the podcast, share it with someone who may need it, and leave a review to help others find these conversations.

Follow Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald

Website: https://www.drmcmcdonald.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/mc.phd/?hl=en

🎙️ More about John:

📘 Pre order my new book, Love Hard On Purpose. Toss the blueprints. Build something honest. https://a.co/d/031PzkW4

John’s book publishing company: Soulprint https://www.soulprintmedia.co

📘 Read John’s book in progress Sh*t Your Therapist Would Never Tell You on John’s SubStack ⁠HERE⁠

If you’re ready for deeper work, the Secure Self course is available HERE

Order John's new book, Break Up. On Purpose,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow John on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find out more about John⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices