Why this month matters to women

Plus, I need your advice!

March 05, 2026

Hi friends!

I’m celebrating Women’s History Month on the podcast all of March; talking about things that matter to women, including how to cultivate deep friendships, the controversial GLP-1 debate and my experience with them, plus I’ll be sharing my journey with therapy. LISTEN HERE

In my last newsletter, I asked where you stood on therapy and 48% of you have been to therapy in the past and 16% of you are currently in therapy. I’ll have many of your comments at the bottom of the newsletter, but here are a few that stood out. 

“Working through grief and trauma is helping so much! Some people think that getting counseling is for the weak. So not true!! It takes a stronger person to seek help than blaming everyone else for their problems.”

“For clinical depression and substance abuse. I highly recommend it!”

“Like a primary care doctor, I think everyone needs a therapist.”

“I'm a therapist and I'm in therapy because we need support too! It's so helpful!”

Also, in case you missed it, John and I had a blast talking about the #LoveLanguages all last month on the podcast with Dr Gary Chapman! 🎉 Congrats to Marcia, Jessica, Susan, Sara, Tami, Shirley, Kim, Ashley, Becky and Natasha for winning Dr. Chapman’s new book, The Love Language That Matters Most. 

Keep reading for more #LoveLanguage giveaways. 

In other news, we’ve been busy with Caroline’s senior year in high school, including planning some family trips before she flies the coop. We’re going on our first ever cruise over spring break and I’m a tad hesitant because I don’t like small spaces. Any tips for us? Let me know in the comments. 

Also, I’ll be moving my newsletter to SUBSTACK next month because I want this to feel more like a community. The move will make it easier for all of us to engage with one another. In case you’re wondering: no, you won’t have to do anything during the transition, it should be seamless. (Famous Last Words, right? 😆)

Until next time, friends! Grateful for every single one of you. 

-Paula xo 

FARIS FAVORITES 🤎

1. ANOTHER CHANCE For A Giveaway!

If you missed out on the Dr. Gary Chapman Love Languages book giveaway, here’s another chance. His team would like to gift TWO of you with the Premium Love Languages Assessment (value $39). Be the FIRST to DM me on IG with your email address and it’s yours!

2. A Game Changer For Gluten Free Snacks 🧀

I’ve been eating gluten-free for over 20 years and have been waiting for this moment: Cheez-Its are now offered as gluten-free! I haven’t been able to find them in stores, but I’ve had luck ordering online from Target. Pro Tip: don’t sit down with the box or you’ll eat them all at once!

3. An Intense, Binge-Worthy Show!

John and I are always down for a binge-worthy show. Our latest: Night Agent. Season 3 was just released and so far, it’s our favorite season (and probably the cleanest). 

Your Comments About Therapy, Continued:

“I’d love to be in therapy now, but my former therapist died. I need to find a new therapist but dread going through the first several “getting acquainted” appointments. I always say that I feel everyone can benefit from therapy at some point in their life!”

“My prior therapist was more of a vent session with no challenges to help or move forward. I’m meeting with a mentor from church instead to talk and work through the things.”

“I could certainly use more, but it is so expensive.”

“Therapy has been so great for me and my family!”

“It is the best thing you can do for yourself.”

“The loss of my Dad to cancer very fast and the guilt I felt for disappointing him. It all hit me three months after his service, out of the blue. You have to grieve or it will own your soul when you’re far too busy in life.”

“I didn’t feel comfortable talking to her. I don’t think she was very compassionate, not that she said much, she just wasn’t welcoming.”

“As a person with a Master's in clinical mental health, I have gone to counseling myself several times. Short-term, solution-focused counseling with clear goals is one of the most positive experiences I have had, and I would, hands down, recommend this type of counseling over long-term for mild to moderate levels of concern.”

THE PAULA FARIS SHOW 🎙️

From Knowing To Doing: Making Love Languages Work

This is the practical episode. Now it’s time to take everything we’ve learned in this series with Dr. Chapman—and actually use it.

After breaking down what the love languages are (and what they aren’t), Dr. Gary Chapman joins me and John in the final conversation of our Love Languages series, to show us how to put them into practice in real life.

We’ll break down what he calls the dialects of each love language—the specific ways love is expressed, received, and often misunderstood. Because knowing the language isn’t enough if you’re speaking it in a way that doesn’t land.

We also dig into how love languages show up with kids, and how to recognize what our children are actually asking for.

Find Your People: Why Deep Friendship Is A Health Essential

If you’ve ever thought, I’m trying—but it’s not working, this is where it finally clicks.

This conversation hit me hard — because of the loneliness so many women quietly carry? It’s real. And you are not alone.

The month of March is Women’s History Month, and we’re talking about what truly matters to women. Friendship is at the top of that list.

In this conversation with author Jennie Allen, we unpack why so many of us have plenty of acquaintances but still feel deeply disconnected. The research is clear: meaningful friendship isn’t optional — it’s essential to our mental, emotional, and physical health.

We talk about why we’ve lost the art of initiation, how to find your people, and what to do if building deep friendships feels harder than it should.

Join the Conversation!

If you’ve made it this far, I invite you to join (or start) the conversation in our comments section. What would you like to share? -Paula

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