How to stop playing your friend’s therapist — Forever 39 Podcast

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You all have that one girlfriend that calls you up at all hours of the day and night to unload the latest crisis in her drama-filled relationship with the same man you implored her to break up with after the 10th time he did her wrong. And while she failed to follow your advice, she still calls you asking for it. Are you stuck playing a friend's therapist and  desperately looking for a way out?

On this episode of Forever 39, we discuss the highs and lows of being your friend's therapist. While some friends thrive on being asked their advice, others might find the role draining.

For this episode, we point to an article on Glamour.com written by Allie Volpe — "When the Line Between Being a Good Friend and Emotional Labor Gets Blurry" — in which she talks about playing the role of a therapist for her friends and how shouldering that role started to take a toll on her emotionally.

According to the article, those that have emotional empathy can find it especially difficult to play their friend's therapist as these types of people tend to feel the weight of others' experiences. If you're starting to carry around your friend's emotional baggage, it might be time to take a backseat and let her hire a professional to deal with her problems.

TheEveryGirl.com offers these tips for those looking to scale back their role as advice columnist to their friends:

• Don't make yourself as available to your friend.
• Find and create your own balance in your friendship.
• Suggest that your friend speak to a professional.
• Remember that one friend can't meet all your expectations.

Have you dealt with a similar situation? How did you break up from being your friend's therapist? Share your story with us at forever39@nj1015.com.

Also from this week's Forever 39 podcast — Why today's kids lack coping skills. PLUS: At what age did you feel like an adult? Click on the podcast player above to hear the entire episode. Share your thoughts on all of them below, on Twitter, on Facebook or at forever39@nj1015.com.

— Annette and Megan, Forever 39

Join us for next week’s podcast when we chat about signs of falling in love, spring road trips, and how to stop being so judgemental.