Red Flags & Green Lights: Dating, Love & Relationship Advice

This episode of Red Flags & Green Lights explores the quiet grief and complex emotions that arise when friendships fade after becoming parents. Host Sue Johnston addresses the painful but common reality that parenthood rewires your nervous system, shifting priorities, energy levels, and definitions of fun in ways that can create distance between friends who are no longer on the same path. This conversation is specifically for m...

In this episode of Red Flags & Green Lights, host Sue Johnston explores the exhausting dynamic of becoming the 'family therapist' and provides a compassionate roadmap for breaking that cycle. If you find yourself constantly absorbing your relatives' trauma, mediating their conflicts, or feeling drained after every family interaction, this episode is for you. We dissect why competent, empathetic individuals often become the desi...

In this episode of Red Flags & Green Lights, host Sue Johnston explores the critical issue of emotional abuse disguised as humor: when a partner’s jokes consistently undermine your dignity and self-worth. This guide is essential for anyone in a relationship who finds themselves freezing, shrinking, or laughing along to avoid conflict, only to feel a deep sense of discomfort and loss of self-respect afterward. We break dow...

Losing friends because you stopped drinking is a profound and isolating experience that many sober individuals face but rarely discuss openly. This episode of Red Flags & Green Lights explores the quiet grief of outgrowing social circles that relied on your presence as an emotional anchor or designated driver during chaotic nights. Host Sue Johnston addresses the pain of being labeled 'boring' or 'uptight' when you choose sobri...

In this episode of Red Flags & Green Lights, host Sue Johnston tackles the pervasive and damaging issue of financial secrecy in relationships. When a partner refuses to discuss money, it is often not just about numbers; it is a significant red flag indicating deeper issues with emotional maturity, trust, and shared responsibility. This episode is essential listening for women who feel they are being labeled 'anxious' or 'contro...

In this episode of Red Flags & Green Lights, host Sue Johnston explores the devastating impact of the silent treatment in romantic relationships, reframing it not as a need for space, but as a form of emotional abuse known as stonewalling. This guide is essential for anyone who has ever felt invisible, anxious, or confused by a partner’s refusal to communicate, helping listeners distinguish between healthy boundaries and ...

In this episode of Red Flags & Green Lights, host Sue Johnston explores the exhausting dynamic of dating a partner who consistently blames everything but himself. If you feel like you are carrying a backpack filled with stones while your partner insists the weight is just the wind, this episode validates your reality and offers a roadmap for reclaiming your agency. We dive deep into the 'External Villain' strategy—a defen...

Re-entering the dating world after a long period of isolation can feel overwhelming, triggering anxiety and sensory overload as you navigate a landscape that has shifted while you were away. This episode explores the psychological shock of moving from protective solitude back into public social spaces, helping listeners understand that their hesitation is not a character flaw but a natural response to 'sensory recalibration.' Host ...

In this episode of Red Flags & Green Lights, host Sue Johnston explores the profound and often silent pain of being married but invisible. This discussion is specifically designed for women who feel emotionally abandoned by their partners despite physical proximity, addressing the unique loneliness that comes from sharing a life with someone who fails to witness your existence. The episode deconstructs the difference between pe...

In this episode of Red Flags & Green Lights, host Sue Johnston explores the psychological and emotional toll of social obligation, offering a compassionate guide to decluttering your calendar and reclaiming your peace. This conversation is specifically designed for introverts, highly sensitive people (HSPs), and anyone who feels drained by the expectation to attend parties, networking mixers, or family gatherings they do not ge...

This episode of Red Flags & Green Lights addresses the painful, isolating experience of being the 'third wheel' in friendships and social settings. Host Sue Johnston explores the quiet agony of shrinking yourself to fit into a couple's dynamic, offering actionable advice for women who feel invisible or diminished when surrounded by coupled friends. If you have ever felt like an accessory rather than a main character in your own...

This episode of Red Flags & Green Lights addresses the complex and often painful reality of navigating religious differences in romantic relationships. Host Sue Johnston explores what happens when faith clashes with core values, helping listeners distinguish between surface-level chemistry and deep-seated compatibility. This guide is essential for anyone in a mixed-faith relationship, whether one partner is devoutly religious a...

In this episode of Red Flags & Green Lights, host Sue Johnston explores the complex dynamics of age-gap relationships, specifically focusing on the friction that occurs when life stages collide. This guide is designed for women in their twenties and thirties who are dating men significantly older than themselves, helping them distinguish between healthy partnership and emotional misalignment. The discussion moves beyond superfi...

This episode of Red Flags & Green Lights explores the destructive power of silent resentment in romantic relationships, specifically focusing on how unvoiced grievances accumulate to create emotional distance and intimacy issues. Host Sue Johnston explains that while loud arguments are often viewed as relationship disasters, quiet withdrawal and passive-aggressive behavior can be equally damaging, leading to a state where partn...

In this episode of Red Flags & Green Lights, host Sue Johnston explores the complex emotional landscape of reconnecting with an ex-business partner or former romantic interest. The discussion centers on why reaching out to someone from your past often feels like walking into a storm rather than finding closure. This episode is specifically designed for women who have navigated messy breakups, dissolved business partnerships, or...

In this episode of Red Flags & Green Lights, host Sue Johnston explores the dangerous habit of dating potential rather than reality. This guide is essential for anyone who has ever fallen for a 'project' instead of a partner, helping you identify when you are in love with a fantasy ghost rather than the person sitting across from you. We break down why chasing potential is exhausting and how it prevents you from seeing true com...

This episode of Red Flags & Green Lights addresses the deep, often isolating pain of attending weddings as a single guest. Host Sue Johnston explores the psychological weight of feeling like the 'odd one out' at events curated for couples, offering a compassionate roadmap for navigating these social gatherings without losing your sense of self-worth. If you have ever stood by the open bar watching others pair off, felt judged f...

In this episode of Red Flags & Green Lights, host Sue Johnston dissects the damaging relationship tactic known as the silent treatment, also referred to as stonewalling. This is not a sign of mystery or deep introspection; it is a form of emotional control and manipulation designed to punish you for expressing your needs. If you have ever found yourself apologizing for things you didn’t do just to break an uncomfortable s...

When your partner loses their job, the emotional fallout can be just as destabilizing as the financial loss. This episode of Red Flags & Green Lights explores the delicate balance of supporting a man through career failure without sacrificing your own mental health or identity. Host Sue Johnston draws on years of counseling experience to dismantle the myth that love requires martyrdom or that you must become the 'CEO of emotion...