Love, Happiness and Success with Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby How to Build Friendships: Skills for Emotional Intimacy & Feeling Connected | Barnet Bain | Happiness | E511
If you’re craving real closeness, this episode on friendships is for you. Because feeling lonely isn’t really about not having people in your life, it’s about not feeling known. And that’s where emotional intimacy and real connection begin.
Many people wonder, “Why do I feel so lonely even though I have friends?” or struggle with the quiet ache of feeling lonely even with friends. In this conversation, we’re exploring why adult friendship can feel surprisingly complicated, and why making friends as an adult often requires skills we were never taught.
My guest, Barnet Bain, is an award-winning filmmaker, author, and teacher whose new book, How to Be a Friend (in an Unfriendly World), grew out of a Columbia University course he created for psychologists. Together, we’re talking about the real reason adult friendships can feel hard, why so many people struggle with how to make friends as an adult, and the powerful friendship skills that help create emotional intimacy and lasting connection.
You’ll hear why feeling lonely even with friends is more common than you might think, how our modern world can unintentionally make adult friendship harder to sustain, and why building meaningful relationships is less about finding the right people and more about developing the inner skills that make connection possible.
As you listen, I’d love for you to reflect on this: if you’ve been wondering why do I feel lonely even though I have friends, what might change if you shifted the focus from finding better friends… to becoming the kind of friend who creates deeper connections?
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Why You Feel Lonely Even With Friends
04:44 The Friendship Skills No One Teaches Us
08:38 What Healthy Adult Friendship Really Requires
19:02 Why the World Feels More Disconnected
28:11 Friendship as a Practice (And Why It Matters)
34:48 Why Trying to Fix People Blocks Emotional Intimacy
44:16 How to Make Friends as an Adult
50:09 How to Build and Maintain Real Friendships
53:39 The Power of Being Fully Present
If this conversation resonates and you’re realizing how much you want deeper, more meaningful relationships in your life, you don’t have to figure it out alone. You can schedule a free consultation with me or a member of my team at Growing Self. It’s a private, supportive space where you can talk about what’s been going on in your relationships and what you’d like to feel different. From there, we’ll help you get matched with the right counselor or coach so you can build stronger connections and feel more supported in your life.
xoxo,
Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby
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