Let’s be honest — most of us want to be liked. But when does wanting connection turn into bending, shrinking, and abandoning yourself?

In this episode of Girls With Opinions, we’re talking about the deep-rooted need to be liked, where it comes from, and how it quietly shapes the way we show up in relationships, work, and everyday life.

We unpack how the desire for approval often gets mistaken for being “easygoing” or “low maintenance,” when in reality it can look like overexplaining, people-pleasing, avoiding conflict, and saying yes when you mean no.

We also share our own experiences with needing to be liked, how we’ve started challenging it, and what it looks like to choose authenticity over approval — even when it’s uncomfortable.

💬 In this episode:

• Why so many of us crave external validation
• How needing to be liked shows up day to day
• The connection between approval-seeking and self-abandonment
• How fear of being disliked keeps you stuck
• Ways to build self-trust and tolerate disapproval

✨ You’ll walk away with:

• Permission to stop performing for acceptance
• A clearer understanding of your approval-seeking patterns
• Tools to prioritize authenticity over likability
• A reminder that being yourself is more important than being liked

📲 Join the conversation on Instagram and tell us: where are you done trying to be liked?

• Erin: @ErinBurnsWellness
• Kristy: @KristyCastilloFit

In this episode, we’re sharing our opinions about overexplaining—why so many of us do it, where it comes from, and how it often shows up without us even realizing it.

We talk about how overexplaining can be rooted in people-pleasing, fear of being misunderstood, or feeling responsible for how others perceive us. We also explore how overexplaining shows up differently in friendships, family dynamics, work, and online spaces—and why it can be so hard to stop once it becomes a habit.

This conversation isn’t about shaming the instinct to explain yourself. It’s about understanding it, questioning when it’s actually necessary, and noticing how much energy it can take to constantly justify our choices, feelings, or boundaries.

As always, these are just our opinions—meant to open up reflection, not offer rigid rules.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What overexplaining actually looks like in everyday life
• Why so many of us feel the urge to justify ourselves
• The link between overexplaining, people-pleasing, and anxiety
• When explanation is helpful vs. when it’s unnecessary
• How overexplaining can drain energy and blur boundaries
• What it might look like to pause, say less, and trust yourself more

If you’ve ever walked away from a conversation wishing you’d said less—or wondered why you felt the need to defend a perfectly reasonable choice—this episode will feel very familiar.

In this episode, we’re sharing our opinions about therapy—why we love it, how our perspectives on it have evolved over time, and why finding the right therapist can make all the difference.

We talk honestly about how therapy isn’t a one-size-fits-all experience, and how what you need from therapy can change across different seasons of life. From early expectations to deeper, more nuanced understanding, we reflect on how our relationship with therapy has grown and shifted over the years.

We also get into the process of finding your best-fit therapist—why it can take longer than you’d like, why that doesn’t mean therapy “isn’t working,” and why it’s worth staying open rather than giving up after one or two mismatches.

This conversation is encouraging, realistic, and grounded in respect for both the process and the people involved.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why we genuinely love therapy and believe in its value
• How our views on therapy have changed over time
• Common misconceptions about what therapy should look like
• Why finding the right therapist matters so much
• Why it’s okay (and normal) if the process takes longer than expected

Whether you’re therapy-curious, currently in therapy, or feeling discouraged by the process, this episode is a reminder that therapy is a relationship—and like any relationship, it takes time to find the right fit.