How to End Friendships With a Bit More Closure

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In our society, pain associated with the loss of friendship is devalued. "You can't just suppress it and push it away that you actually have to feel the grief for it to be released from you," she says. So I aspire to hold friendship at the same regard as I do romantic relationships, especially for my closest friends in my life.

It's a mistake to prioritize romantic and familial relationships over friendship, argues psychologist Dr. Marisa Franco. Strong, supportive friendships expand our sense of self, she says, and are associated with greater well-being and health. Marisa offers research-based strategies to make new friends and deepen our existing friendships, including helpful concepts like mutuality and the mere-exposure effect. Marisa and Maya also discuss how to stay friends through big life changes, why fighting could make your friendship stronger, and how to break up with a friend with clarity and kindness.

For more on Marisa's work, check out her book, “Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make—and Keep—Friends."

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