Hosts: Armand DiMele

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Exasperation in Close Relationships September 25, 2012

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Communication & Conflict, Emotions & Inner Life

Exasperation quietly poisons relationships, and Armand DiMele argues it signals a timing mismatch between feeling and expression. He traces how suppressed frustration leads to stonewalling, and proposes practical resets including conscious pausing, the smile technique, and ending every conversation with “I love you.” Callers share stories about estranged children and grandchildren.

The Stories We Tell Ourselves September 18, 2012

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: John Valerio, Lisa Arnone
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Identity & The Self

We are all method actors in stories we invented, and the stories we tell others are shaped as much by what listeners want to hear as by what we want to say. Armand DiMele and Lisa Arnone, LCSW explore how anxiety, denial, and the compulsive need to “fix” others often trace back to unfinished business from childhood.

Magical Thinking and the Double Bind September 4, 2012

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Brian Jefferson, Dr. Annalisa Erba, Ilana Rubenfeld, Johnna Valerio
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Identity & The Self

Armand DiMele breaks down two foundational distortions in human thinking: magical thinking, the belief that we cause or control others’ feelings, and the double bind, the no-win trap that forces children to bend reality rather than expose a parent’s lie. Both patterns, rooted in childhood, quietly drive adult dysfunction.

Psychopathy Betrayal and the Almost Psychopath August 28, 2012

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Identity & The Self

When is a mild case of a disorder more dangerous than the full-blown version? Armand DiMele argues that the ‘almost psychopath,’ charming and high-functioning but lacking empathy, causes far more harm than the obvious criminal. He connects this to betrayal, neediness, and why the most vulnerable people are most at risk.

The Id the Ego and Falling in Love August 21, 2012

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Lisa Arnone
Category: Identity & The Self, Love & Romantic Relationships

Why do people fall in love, and why do they stop? Armand DiMele, joined in the studio by Lisa Arnone, LCSW, uses Freud’s id and ego to explain romantic longing as an inner drive, exploring how unmet needs pull us toward love and how self-sufficiency can quiet that pull entirely.

The Pleasure of Moving Other People’s Emotions August 15, 2012

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Identity & The Self

Why do people enjoy provoking reactions in others? Armand DiMele argues that our repressed emotions make us easy targets for manipulation, and that triggering someone else’s feelings is often a bid for power or a way to stay hidden. Music, trolling, lap dancing, and jealousy all illustrate the same dynamic.

How the Unconscious Mind Protects Us August 8, 2012

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Lisa Arnone
Category: Identity & The Self, The Mind & Neuroscience

The unconscious exists to keep us safe, storing everything from childhood fears to inherited instincts. Armand DiMele and Lisa Arnone, LCSW break down Freud’s id, ego, and superego, using listener responses to Armand’s voice as live evidence of how unconscious associations with safety, kindness, and trust actually work.

The Mask We Wear in Public August 1, 2012

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Lisa Arnone
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Identity & The Self

Are the coping styles we develop in childhood defenses or simply who we are? Armand DiMele and Lisa Arnone, LCSW explore whether an authentic self actually exists beneath our social masks, or whether stripping away our defenses leaves nothing behind. Callers and the Enneagram illuminate the argument.

The Art of Self-Inquiry July 31, 2012

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Lisa Arnone
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Most people ask the wrong questions about themselves. Armand DiMele and Lisa Arnone, LCSW walk through a structured framework for deeper self-inquiry, moving from surface-level complaints through feelings, causality, and self-acceptance, with caller conversations illustrating each step live.

The Fear of Being Loved July 11, 2012

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Audrey Clark, Lisa Arnone
Category: Identity & The Self, Love & Romantic Relationships

What if part of you refuses to be loved? Armand DiMele and studio guests Lisa Arnone, LCSW, and Audrey Clark dig into the paradox of lovability: how people unconsciously push away love, choose cruel or unavailable partners, and replay childhood wounds in adult relationships. A listener letter about borderline personality anchors the discussion.